Ishodad of Merv : When the priests, who give scandal, that is, the wise ones with regard to evil … are overturned and fall, they will become a furnace of testing before everybody's eyes, and it will be recognized that because of their evil actions punishment has come over them and more evils are forthcoming. "And may understand until the time of the end," that is, everybody will consider and understand, with regard to the evils that will befall them, that they come according to justice until the time of the end, because evilness has "still an interval" to gain its successes. — COMMENTARY ON Daniel 11:35 John Chrysostom : Daniel gave the reason why God permitted them to be involved in such trials. What is the reason? "To purge them, to choose them and to make them white until the time of the end" … so as to cleanse them and to show who among them was genuine and approved. — DISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 5:7.6 Theodoret of Cyrus : Many of those who seem to be godly will turn to the other direction. "So that they may be refined." … These things will not harm the people of this time; they will learn not to have confidence in their previous successes.… For the vicissitudes in the situation will purify them as if by fire and test them and will separate the false from the tried and true.… These things take place partly in the present life, but in the time to come a complete testing of the people will occur. Once he said these things concerning Antiochus Epiphanes, he changes the remainder of the passage from the type to the archetype. — COMMENTARY ON Daniel 11:35