BY PONSONBY AND WELDRICK.
‘‘Tn the first year of Baltasar, king of the Chaldeans, Daniel had a dream; and the visions of his head upon his bed [were these], and he wrote his dream.”
As many things as were revealed to the blessed prophet by the Spirit these he narrated freely to others also, that he might not for himself alone appear to prophesy things to come, but might be manifested as a prophet also for others, even for those who wish believingly to search the divine Scriptures. Therefore he says:—
‘‘T Daniel was beholding: and lo, the four winds of heaven were striking the sea, and four great beasts were coming up out of the sea, diverse from each other. The first lke a lioness, and it had wings as of an eagle. I continued to behold until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth, and was made to stand upon human feet, and a human heart was given to it. And behold a second beast like a bear, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and thus one said to it, ‘Arise, and eat much flesh.’ After this I continued beholding; and _ lo, another beast like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird over it, and the beast had four heads, and power was given to it. I continued beholding after this; and lo, a fourth beast, terrible, and wonderful, and strong exceedingly; its teeth were iron and its claws brass;
devouring and absorbing; and the residue it was trampling with its feet; and it was diverse exceedingly from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. And I was giving heed to its horns; and behold, another little horn came up in the midst of them, and three of the former horns were plucked off before it; and behold, there were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things. I continued beholding until thrones were set; and one that was Ancient of days did sit, and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as wool; his throne was burning flame; a stream of fire flowed on before him; thousand thousands were ministering unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which that horn spake; I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body was given to be burned with fire; and the kingdom of the rest of the beasts was taken away, and their lives were prolonged for a season.”
Since then beasts diverse and different from each other were shown to the blessed Daniel, we are not to think that he is speaking of certain beasts, but that, in type and figure, he shows to us the kingdoms that arose in this world, like beasts, destroying mankind. By the great sea he means the whole world, and by the four winds of heaven the four-fold creation. When, therefore, he says, ‘‘ I saw four beasts rising out of the sea,” he means the kingdoms of this world. ‘ The first as a lioness, and it had wings as of an eagle.” Speaking, therefore, of a lioness, he signifies the kingdom of the Babylonians, which Nabuchodonosor then ruled. But his saying that it had wings as of an eagle means that the king was exalted, and, being inflated with pride, was lifted up against God through becoming great and glorious. Then he says, ‘‘ Its wings were plucked out; and it was lifted up from the earth, and was made to stand on human feet, and a human heart was given to it.” For this really happened in the time of Nabuchodonosor, as has been shown in the previous book; and he bears witness that this happened thus in his case:— ‘Who was driven out from his kingdom, and his glory was taken away from him, and the greatness which previously he had possessed.” As, therefore, when the wings of any bird are plucked, it wants strength, and becomes easily caught, even so, at that time, the king’s power, which had been the cause of his boasting and pride, departed from him; then fearing [men] lest he should be slain by them, he fled into the desert. Whereas it is said that ‘it was made to stand on human feet, and a human heart was given to it,” this signifies that Nabuchodonosor humbled himself, and recognising himself to be a man under the power of God, after he besought the Lord, obtained mercy from Him, being restored again to his kingdom and glory, as he himself bears witness when he says—‘‘ And at the end of those days, I, Nabuchodonosor, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and magnified Him that liveth for ever, because His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants of the earth were accounted as nothing.” ‘These things, then, happening so to Nabuchodonosor at that time, as the blessed Daniel showed us in the vision, the king also himself made this confession; and that kingdom having come to an end in the time of Baltasar, when he, on account of the deed which he did, was slain during the night (as has been shown in the previous book), and Darius, the Median, got possession of the kingdom, being sixty-two years old; reasonably does the prophet describe the coming up of another beast, which was the bear, in order that he may thereby indicate to us the kingdom of the Persians.
‘“‘ Here is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my appearance was altered, and I kept that which was spoken in my heart.”
It behoves, then, every reader of the sacred Scriptures to imitate the prophet Daniel, and not to be inquisitive and hasty, inquiring into the time before the time, and longing to see the winter figs of the fig-tree; but with fear to keep the mystery of God in his heart, lest he, being ensnared by his own lips, may forfeit his own soul. For the time shall come when the almond-tree shall blossom, and the caper plant increase, and the locust fatten, and the fig-tree shall shoot forth, and the fruits of apostasy shall flourish. ‘Then shall the door of life be shut, and the pitcher shall be broken at the fountain, and the wheel shall run together at the cistern, and the erinders shall be idle because they are become few, and they shall all be awaked at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be troubled, and the mourners shall be gathered together in the market place, and man shall go away to his long home. But some one will say, ‘¢ And when shall these things be, and in what season or time shall they be disclosed, and what shall be the day of the appearing of the Lord?”
Even the Apostles sought in the same way to learn these things from the Lord, but He hid the day from them, in order that He might make both them and all men watchful toward the future, ever thinking earnestly upon and looking for the heavenly Bridegroom day by day; lest at any time men become careless about His injunctions, owing to the long interval, should, while he tarries, drop off to sleep and fall from the life celestial. For He says, ‘‘ Watch, because ye know not on what day your Lord cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or in the morning.” Wherefore He says, “ Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when He cometh shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that He will set him over all that he hath. But if the evil servant say in his heart, The Lord tarrieth, and shall begin to beat the men servants and the maid servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, his Lord shall come on a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the faithless; for there shall be the weeping and genashing of teeth. Wherefore I say unto you watch.” These things the Lord Himself revealed in the Gospel when teaching His disciples. And similarly, after His resurrection, the disciples came to Him and asked Him, saying, ‘‘ Lord, dost Thou at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?” But He said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father hath set within His own authority; but ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in Galilee, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Since, then, He hid the day from them by whose means a man would easily be able to tell it forth, we ought to give heed to the things which happen from time to time, and seeing them to be silent. |
But these things must come to pass, even though we may not wish it; for the truth never belies itself. But as He spake about Jerusalem, ‘‘ When ye see (He saith) ὃ
Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand,” thus it now behoves us to expect. For, ‘‘When (He saith) ye see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place—let him that readeth understand—then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains, let him that is upon the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house, and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! For then there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be. And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved.” He has then made it manifest to us hereby in order that we may no longer doubt about anything. And again He saith, ‘When ye see the fig-tree putting forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; even so ye also when ye see all these things taking place, know ye that He is migh, at the doors.” Since then the abomination has not yet come, but the fourth beast has still the dominion, how can the appearing of the Lord take place? But, some one will say, it 15 written, “When ye see wars and tumults then know that He is nigh.” Yes, it is written, for ‘‘ Nation (He says) shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and famines and pestilences,” which things already came to pass, and will come to pass. ‘‘ But all these things (He saith) are the beginning of travail, but the end is not yet. For the Gospel of the Lord must first be preached for a testimony unto all the nations, and thus shall the end come when the whole world is filled.” For I will tell you what happened not long ago in Syria. One who was at the head of a church, and did not skilfully study the divine Scriptures, nor follow the voice of the Lord, was led astray, and led others astray. For whereas the Lord said, ‘ There shall arise many false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Then if anyone shall say to you, Lo, here is the Christ! or, Here! believe it not. Behold, He is in the wilderness! go not forth; behold, He is in the inner chamber! enter not in.”
He, not taking heed of these things, persuaded many of the brethren, together with women and children, to go out into the wilderness to meet the Christ; they were wandering, too, in the mountains and the wildernesses, roaming about there; so that they were very near being all arrested together as robbers, and carried off by the yovernor, were it not that his wife happened to be a believer; and, being urged by her, he kept the matter quiet that there might not be a pursuit after them.
How great was their folly and ignorance that they should seek the Christ in the wilderness, in the same way as the sons of the prophets in the time of Eliseus the prophet were seeking for three days in the mountains for Elias who had been taken up! Whereas the Lord said, ‘‘ As the lightning cometh out from the east, and shineth even unto the west, so also shall be the coming of the Son of man:” showing hereby that He would come with full manifestation and in a way that shall be visible from afar—these were seeking for Him in the wilderness. For the second coming shall not be like the first. For then He was seen simply as a lowly man, but now He shall come as Judge of all the earth. And then He came to save man, but now He shall come to punish all sinners, and those who have acted sacrilegiously against Him. But these things we say for the establishment of the faithful brethren, in order that they may not anticipate the will of God, knowing each one that in whatever day he may depart out of this world, he is already judged, for the consummation of things has overtaken him. 7
But similarly in Pontus, a certain other person, who also was at the head of a church, a pious and humble man indeed, but who did not steadily give heed to the Seriptures, but was wont rather to trust in the visions which he himself used to see. For when he had chanced to have one dream, and a second, and a third, thenceforth he began to foretell to the brethren as a prophet [saying | he knows this and this is about to happen. But they, when they heard him foretelling, as that the day of the Lord is at hand, with weeping and wailing were entreating the Lord, night and day having before their eyes the approaching day of judgment. And to so great fear and panic did he bring the brethren, that they let their lands and their fields lhe waste; and the greater part of them sold their possessions. But he said to them, ‘ If it do not come to pass as I said, no longer even believe the Scriptures, but let each of you do what he wishes. Whereas then they were expecting the result, but nothing which he said came to pass; he himself, indeed, was put to shame as having spoken falsely, but the Scriptures were shown to speak the truth, and the brethren were made to stumble, so that thenceforth the virgins married and the men betook themselves to agriculture; but they who had rashly sold their possessions were afterwards found asking alms. These things happen to the unlearned and unstable, as many as do not pay close attention to the Scriptures, but rather give heed to their own errors and their own dreams, and to legends and old wives’ fables. For the case of the children of Israel also was similar; and they, setting at nought the law of God, used to put other things on a level with it, and favouring the traditions of the elders, were wont to submit themselves to them. And now too certain persons take the same presumptuous course; giving heed to idle visions and doctrines of demons they dishonour the Gospel of the Lord, often both on the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day, appointing a fast which the Christ did not appoint. Since, then, the words of the Lord are true, but every man a liar, as it 18 written, let us see if the apostle Paul also is in accordance with the words of the Lord. For writing to the Thessalonians, and exhorting them always indeed to watch and continue steadfastly in prayer, but not to expect the Day of Judgment as yet, on account of the time not yet having been fulfilled, he spoke in this way: “ΝΟΥ͂ we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of the Lord, that ye be not disturbed either by word or by epistle as from us as that the day of the Lord is now present. Let no man beguile you in any wise; for 6 will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that 1s worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of error doth already work; only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, even _ he whose coming is according to the working of Satan.” Who then is he that now restraineth but the fourth beast; and when he is removed and taken out of the way, the deceiver shall come. But, at all events, you seek curiously to know how many years still remain for the beast before he be taken away, not perceiving that in seeking these things you seek danger for yourself, and desire sooner to see the judgment. For woe (He saith) unto those that desire the day of the Lord, and it is darkness and not light. As if a man should flee from a lion and a bear should meet him, and should rush into: his house and lean his hands against the wall, and a serpent should bite him. Shall not the day of the Lord thus be darkness and not light, darkness not having light as of the moon? What concern of yours, then, is it to busy yourself overmuch about the time and to inquire into the day, when the Saviour hid it from us? ‘Tell me if you know the day of your death, that you occupy yourself with the end of the whole world. But if God were not long-suffering in our case, through the exceeding greatness of His mercy, all things would have come to an end long ago. Read what is written by John in the Apocalypse: ‘“‘ And I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the name of Jesus, and they cried and said unto God, How long, O Lord God, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto them, and it was said unto them that they should wait yet for a little time, in order that their fellowservants, which should be killed even as they were, might fulfil their testimony. If, then, patience was enjoined on those who shared the fellowship of martyrdom, who shed their own blood for the Lord, why do not you too exercise patience in order that others also may be saved, and the number of those who are called to be saints may be completed?” |
But, in order that we may not, on this point either, allow the matter that is before us to remain without proof, we force ourselves to speak that which it is not lawful to tell, being compelled on account of the curiosity of man. For the time from the begmning of the world, counted from Adam, will make perfectly plain to us the matters which we are in search of. For the first coming of our Lord, the coming in the flesh, whereby He was born in Bethlehem, took place on the eighth day before the kalends of January, on the fourth day of the week, in the forty-second year of the reign of Augustus, and the five thousand five hundredth year from Adam; but He suffered in the thirty-third year, on the eighth day before the kalends of April, on the day of the Preparation, in the eighteenth year of Tiberius Cesar, Rufus and Rubellio being Consuls.
Therefore these six thousand years must needs be fulfilled in order that the Rest may come, the Holy Day in which God rested from all His works which He began to make. For the Sabbath is a type and emblem of the coming kingdom of the saints, when they shall reign with the Christ when He comes from heaven, as John declares in the Apocalypse; for a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. Since, then, God made all things in six days, the six thousand years must needs be fulfilled: for not yet are they fulfilled, as John says: ‘‘ Five are fallen, one is (that is the sixth), the other is not yet come.” Now, speaking of ‘‘the other,” he describes it tc us as the seventh, in which the Rest shall be.
But someone will be certain to say: ‘‘ How will you prove to me that the Saviour was born in the five thousand five hundredth year?” Learn it easily, O man; for the things that were written long ago about the Tabernacle by Moses, in the wilderness, were constituted types and emblems of the spiritual mysteries, in order that when the truth came in Christ in the last days you might be able to perceive that these things were fulfilled. For He saith unto him: “ And thou shalt make the ark of incorruptible wood, and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold within and without; and thou shalt make the length of it two cubits and a-half, and the breadth of it a cubit and a-half, and the height of it a cubit and a-half;” which, being added together, makes — five cubits and a-half, that the five thousand five hundred years might be made known, at which time the Saviour coming [born] of the Virgin, presented in the world the ark, His own body, overlaid with pure gold: within with the Word, and without with the Spirit. So that the truth has been demonstrated and the ark made manifest. From the birth of Christ we must, then, reckon five hundred years altogether to complete the six thousand years; and thus shall the end be. But that in the time which was the fifth and a-half the Saviour was present in the world, bearing the incorruptible ark, His own body, John declares: ‘‘ Now it was the sixth hour;” that he might point out to us the half of the day, for a day with the Lord is a thousand years; therefore the half of these is five hundred. For neither was it possible that He should come sooner; for the burden of the law still endured, the sixth day not yet being completed (for there shall be also the cleansing bath); but on the day, that is the fifth and a-half, that in the re- - maining half time the Gospel might be preached unto all the world; and when the sixth day was completed He might bring to an end the life that now is. For since the Persians held fast the dominion, reigning for two hundred and thirty years, and after them the Greeks, as being more illustrious, for three hundred years, the fourth beast, as being strong, and being greater than all that went before it, must needs reign for five hundred years; and when these periods are completed, and in the last days the ten horns arise out of it, there shall appear among them the Antichrist about whom we spoke before. While he is warring, and persecuting the saints, at that time we must expect from heaven the appearing of the Lord, when once more He shall be clearly revealed as the King of kings, and at His coming shall be openly announced as the Judge of judges. For all things that were predetermined of God to take place, and were proclaimed beforehand by the prophets, shall thus be fulfilled in their own times. * * * * 4 se 4 *
These things having been thus spoken, the prophet, wishing to meddle too much by inquiring more closely what shall be the state after the Resurrection, answered him, and said: ‘‘ Lord, what shall be the issue of these things? And He said, Come hither, Daniel; because these words are closed up and sealed up till the end of the time, till many shall be chosen out, and shall be made white, and shall be purified, and the wicked shall do wickedly, and the wise shall understand. And do thou come hither, and desist: for there are yet days to elapse before the end is fulfilled; and thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” For since man is not able now to tell out fully the things which God prepared for His saints; for ‘“‘neither did his eye see them nor his ear hear them, nor did they enter into the heart of man,” ‘‘ which things angels desire to look into;” on account of this He said to him, ‘‘ these words are closed up till the end of the time, till many be chosen out, and made white, and purified.” Now who are they who are chosen out, but they who are found worthy of the kingdom? And who are they who are made white, but they who, believing in the word of truth, that they may through it be made white, and casting away the filth of their sins, clothe themselves with the pure and translucent Holy Spirit which is from heaven, that when the Bridegroom cometh they may straightway enter in together with Him? And who are they that are purified wholly, but those who go through fire and water by means of the spiritual laver of regeneration, and do the will of God while passing through | the refiner’s fire of many temptations and tribulations? ‘And the wicked shall do wickedly, and the wise shall understand.” These by means of their power of free agency doing wickedly, and again some by its means being wise, and pleasing [God]. When, therefore, the Lord was telling His disciples about the future kingdom of the saints, how it should be glorious and wonderful, Judas, struck with amazement at the things that were spoken, said: ‘‘ And who, then, shall see these things?” But the Lord said: ‘‘ They shall see them who have become worthy.” And see, O man, the things that in old time were sealed up, and could not be known, are now openly proclaimed upon the housetops, and the Book of Life has been unfolded, being stretched out visibly upon a cross, having a title written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, so that both Romans and Greeks and Hebrews might be taught, in order that men looking for the good things that are coming may believe the things that are written in this Book of Life, and the things that are preached in all the world; and, having learned the evils that are coming, fearing the judgment, may escape also the everlasting punishment; so that we all, being found worthy of the King, may receive Him who is pure, with bodies pure, and souls radiant, and being clad in fair apparel, having trimmed our lamps with translucent oil; lest being deceived by the surfeit- ing, and the drunkenness, and by all the varied pomp and the pleasure of this life, and having counted the things that are temporal and earthly and corruptible as greater than the good things, which are eternal and incorruptible and undefiled; having dropped off to sleep over our watch, we may fall from the life eternal. But God is able to render us all watchful, to be merciful to us, to guard us, to keep us safe from all temptation and affliction; that, having escaped the fiery judgment that is coming, we may anticipate even the appearing of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to meet Him with joy, glorifying Him; for His is the glory and the power, for ever and ever. Amen.