R. Hayim Galipapa also writes in an epistle called, Epistle of
Redemption, that all the prophecies of Daniel refer to the second temple only.
The words in Daniel: “And [he] shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and
he shall think to change the seasons and the law; and they shall be given into
his hand until a time and times and half a time,” all refer to Antiochus. Also
the words: “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom,” refer,
he says, to the Hasmoneans. As for the words: “And possess the kingdom for
ever, even for ever and ever (‘ad ‘alma ve‘ad ‘alam ‘almaya),” he says that
‘olam means one jubilee, a short and definite time during which the Hasmoneans
ruled. The words: “And one that was ancient of days did sit,” he refers to
Mattathias the high priest, who was the head of the Hasmoneans, a very old man,
all of whose sons reigned after him. He supports this interpretation by citing
a statement of the Rabbis in reference to the words: “For the day of vengeance
that was in My heart and My year of redemption are come”—“If the heart has not
revealed it to the mouth, to whom can the mouth reveal it?” From this it
appears that even the angels do not know when the redemption will come, because
God did not reveal it to them; whereas in the words which the angel says to
Daniel it seems that the angel knew the time, but Daniel did not understand
him. (Sefer
Halkkarim, Maamar 4:42; this would imply that the Danielic “Son of Man”
was, for Galipapa, Judas Maccabees)
