Not all Bible commentators would agree on the precise application of this verse (Dan 11:35). It seems a parallel to the parable of the vine and the branches recorded at John 15 where Jesus spoke of the branches being cut off in judgment.
There seems common application by commentators to a time of the end which is the end of the age being spoken of in verse 35. One commentary states:
"Verse 35 provides the transition from Maccabean times down through the times of the Gentiles until the "end times"." (Everyman's Bible Commentary - Daniel, by John C Whitcomb, published by Moody Press)
This seems a far cry from the dogmatic statement of the WTS quoted by BluesBrother from the Daniel book of 1999: "this refers to the "Cold war years" when Communists had crept in to the lords organisation and had been appointed to high positions of service, such infiltators caused some to fall into the hands of the authorities, and Jehovah allowed it to happen as a cleansing and refining of his people".
Not to be overlooked is the Watchtower interpretation of verse 30 in the same chapter (Daniel 35) where the "ships of the western coastlands" are claimed to represent the ships of the British navy lying off the coast of Western Europe during the First World War. Anyone daft enough to believe that would be likely to swallow the interpretation of verse 35 that has been given.
Cheers,
Ozzie
"It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
Anonymous