DP AY NES Pe Ee
but after the times of Chrift. But many fhall cleave to them with flatteries; feeing Mattathias and his fons fucceed, fome of thofe, who had been apoftates from their religion, or not heartily friends to it, joined them, but not fincerely; pretended to be © on their fide, and commended their bravery and courage; and being ambitious of honour and fame, took with them, in order to fhare the glory of their actions, fuch were Fo/eph the fon of Zachariah, and Azarias, 1 Maccab. v. 56, 57. and thofe under whofe cloaths were found idols, or what belonged to them, at ‘famnia, when they were flain, 2 Maccab. xii. 40. and Rbodecus, a foldier of the Fewi fh army, who betrayed their fecrets, 2 Maccabd. xiii. 21. Cocceius applies this to antichrift and his followers, pretending to be for Chrift and his church, but were not.
¥. 35. And fome of them of underftanding fhall fall, &c.] Not into fin, or from the religion they profefs, and the doétrines they have an underftanding of, and have inftructed others in; but into diftrefles and calamities for their ftedfaft adherence to the word, worfhip, and ordinances of God: fo try them, and purge and make them white; to try their faith, patience, and other graces, and whether they would hold faft their profeffion, and perfevere in the good ways of God; and to purge and feparate them from others, that were like chaff, hypocrites, that fo they might be manifeft, both the one and the other, and thefe good men appear to be fincere and upright: moreover, the beft of men have their drofs, and chaff, and fpots, to be removed from them; and this is one way of doing, it, even by afflictions: the allufion, in the firft word, is to the melting, purifying, and refining of metals, gold and filver; the fecond to the winnowing of a corn-floor, and feparating the chaff from the wheat; and the third to the cleanfing and whitening of cloths, and taking the fpots out of them by the fuller. Afflictions are the furnace in which the Lord refines and purifies his people; the fan with which he purges his floor; and the fuller’s foap with which he makes his people white; by all this the iniquity of Facob is purged, and the fruit of it is to take away fin, If. xxvii. 9. fo that - affiictions are not hurtful, but beneficial to the faints, even thofe more violent ones, fevere perfecutions. Even to the time of the end, becaufe it is yet for a time appointed, thefe diftrefles, calamities and perfecutions, would have an end, and the time for it was appointed of God; as yet it was not come, but quickly would, and then an end would - be put to the third or Grecian monarchy; an hint of the Roman power over that being given, ¥, 30. hence we have no further account of Antiochus or his fons. Very remarkable are the words of 4milius Sura™, “* the Affyrians firft were poffeffors -of “© monarchy; then the Medes; afterwards the Per- “¢ fians; then the Macedonians; from that time the “ kings, Péilip and Antiochus, who fprung from ‘* the Macedonians, being conquered, not long “< after Carthage was fubdued, the fupreme power ‘© of empire came to the Roman people,” of whom, under one chara¢ter or another, the following part of the prophecy is chiefly to be underftood. So another hiftorian fays ", Antiochus being drove out — of Afia, the Romans firft fet footing there: and another ° obferves, that Antiochus being defeated by thing to be done, not in the times of Antiochus, L. Cornelius Scipio, he took the name of Afiaticus,
™ De annis populi Romani apud Velleii © Eutropii Hilt. Rom. L. 4. So Plutarch.
becaufe he had conquered 4fa; as his brother was called Africanus, from his fubduing Africa: wherefore Afia and Africa being now in the hands of the Romans, the fupreme power might well be faid to be with them; and therefore, hence forward, are only fpoken of, and particularly the Roman antichrift.
¥. 36. And the king fhall do according to bis will, &c.] Not Antiochus, for he could not do as he would, being curbed by the Romans, as has been obferyed; and there are many things which follow, that cannot be applied to him; rather the Roman people, under the name of a king or kingdom, rifing up to univerfal monarchy, upon the decline of the Grecian empire, are meant; and who did what they would, fubdued kingdoms at pleafure, and gave laws to the whole world; and particularly in the little horn or Rome papal, antichrift, ch. vii. 8,.20, 24, 25. of which Autiochus was a type, and is called by the fame name, ch. viii. 9, and the tranfition is eafy, from the type to the antitype, with whom every thing faid agrées: for the pope of Rome claiming infallibility, does, or has done, whatfoever he pleafes; regarding neither the laws of God or man, but difpenfing with both at his pleafure; coining new doctrines; appointing new ordinances; fetting himfelf up above councils and princes; taking upon him a power to depofe kings, and fet them up as he pleafes; with many other things done by him in an arbitrary and defpotic way, both civil and religious; and with none does the character agree as with him, as well as what follows: aud magnify bimfelf above every God; that is fo called, whether angels whom he commands, or the kings of the earth he claims an authority over, thofe gods in heaven, and gods on earth; which is the exact defcription of antichrift, as given by the apoftle, who has manifeftly a reference to this paflage, 2 Theff. ii. 4. fee the note there: and fhall {peak marvellous things againft the God of gods; the true God, to whom angels and civil magiftrates are fubject, being his creatures, and acting under him; but fuch is the arrogance of the man of fin, that he takes upon him to fpeak againft God, and fuch things as are aftonifhing; and it may be extremely wondered at, that he fhould dare to fpeak them, as to call himfelf God on earth; to take fuch things to himfelf, which only belong to God, as by claiming all power in heaven, earth, and hell; power to bind the confciences of men, and impofe what he pleafes on them; to make new articles of faith; to pardon the fins of men; to open and fhut the gates of heaven when he pleafes; with other blafphemies againft God, his mouth, given him to f{peak, utters; fee Rev. xiii. 5, 6: and fhall profper until the indignation be accomplifoed, the wrath of God upon the Fewifh nation for their rejection of the Meffiah; until the time of their converfion is come; and then antichrifl fhall be deftroyed, to make way for it; till that time he fhall profper and flourith, more or lefs, until the 1260 days or years are ended, the date of his reign, Rev. xi. 2, 3. and xiii. 5: for that that is determined fhall be done, all the decrees and purpofes of God fhall be accomplifhed; all refpecting the ftate and condition of the people of God under antichrift, particularly the people of the Yews, and concerning the reigti and ruin of antichrift.
¥. 37. Neither foall he regard the God of bis fathers, &c.] Of the apoftles of Chrift, from whom he pretends to defcend, and whofe fucceffor he would be thought to be: now their God was the Lord Jefus Chrift, whom they worfhipped and adored, believed in, embraced, profefled, and preached; but whom antichrift diftegards, tho’ he would be thought to be his vicar on earth; yet flights him, yea oppofes and a¢ts contrary to him, in his offices of prophet, prieft, and king, and therefore is rightly called antichrift: nor the defire of women; or wives ®; not defirous of having wives, or enjoying women in lawful marriage; but forbidding his priefts to marry, as is notorioufly a tenet of antichrift, and foretold by the apoftle in agreement to this prophecy, 1 Zim. iv. 3. otherwife, none more luftful or defirous of women in an unlawful way than the Romijh priefts: nor regard any god, either the true God and his laws, or any god in a metaphorical fenfe, any king or potentate on earth; fhewing no refpect to any authority, or to any laws divine or human: for be Shall magnify bimfelf above all, above all gods, real or nominal, as in 2 Theff. ii. 4.
¥. 38. But in bis eftate fhall he honour the god of forces, &c.] Or god Mahuzzim*;, departed faints and their images, whom the papifts make their protectors, defenders, and guardians: the word fignifies towers, ftrong-holds, fortrefles; and by thefe titles the martyrs, faints departed, are called by the ancient fathers, who firft introduced the worfhip of them. So Bafi*, fpeaking of the forty martyrs, fays, ‘‘ thefe are they, who obtaining “¢ our country, like certain towers, afford us a re- ‘* fuge againft the incurfion of enemies:’—and a little after thus addreffés them, “* O ye common ‘* keepers of mankind, the beft companions of our “* cares, the fuffragans of our prayers and withes, ‘© moft powerful ambaffadors with God, ec.” and elfewhere * he prays, ** that God would keep the *< church unmoved, and fortified with the great “© fowers of the martyrs;” fo Chry/oftom ' calls them patrons and protectors. Or, with God be Joall honour *; thefe along with him, or befides him; thefe fhall be the objects of religious worfhip and honour, as they are: and that iz dis eftate; or in his room and ftead, that is, of the true God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, the only Mediator between God and man; and yet angels and departed faints are fet up as mediators in his ftead: and a god whom his fathers knew not fhall be honour; the hott, the wafer, the breaden god, made a god by the words of a muttering prieft; this is fuch a god as the apoftles, and Perer particularly, from whom the popes of Rome pretend to derive their fucceffion, never knew, nor once dreamed of; and yet this is received as a god, bowed unto, and worfhipped, and honoured: with gold and fiver, and with precious ftones, and pleafant things; with rich and coftly ornaments, with which the pyxis or box, in which it is carried in proceffion, is adorned. 2
¥. 39. Thus fall be do in the moft firong holds with a firange god, &c.| Or, in the ftrong holds of Mabuzzim™; that is, in the temples, churches, and
350 DAN FE D. Cheese geting tered ‘into fome parts of Europe, and did much damage. -" bal ‘¥. 41. He fhall enter alfo into the glorious land; &c.} The land of J/rael, as the Syriac verfion ex prefies it; or the land of Fudea, which’ the Turk entered into, and got poiféffion of, and till retains; notwithftanding all the attemlpts made by the Bi ropean princes to get it out of his hand: aad ma countries foall be overthrown; of whieh the eaftern empire confifted, as Bithynia, Myfia, Lycaonia, Phrygia and Caria,‘ and to the Helle/pont and the Euxine fea, conquered by Ortoman and his fon, Urchenes; Callipolis, Hadrianoplé, by Anurath, Theffalia, Macedonia, Phocis, Myfia; and Bulgaria, by Bajdzet; and at laft Conftantinople itfelf by Maho» met the Second, which put an end:'to: the eaftern empire: tho” perhaps thofe countries! and places may be here more efpecially meant, which lay near Fudea, and fell into the hands of the Turk when that did; as Comagene of Syria, Antioch, Damafeuss Tripolis, Berytus, Sidon,and all Paleftine,and all the fea= and chapels, dedicated to angels and departed faints; deck and adorn their images with gold, filver, pre-_ cious ftones, and with defirable things, which is notorious; as well as commit the grofieft idolatries with this ftrange breaden god; which they hold up in fuch places, cringe and bow to, and pay all religious worfhip and adoration to it: whom be foall acknowledge, and increafe with glory, as really God; the wafer being tranfubftantiated into the very body and blood of Chrift, as is faid’; and own it as fuch, as very God, and heap religious honour and glory upon it, which is due to Chrift: be foall canfe them to rule over many, that is, the Mabuzzim, the departed faints; one fhall rule over England, and be the patron and defender of it, as St. George; another ‘over Scotland, as St. Andrew, another over Jreland, as St. Patrick; another over France, as St. Dennis; another over Spain, as St. Fames: and foall divide the land for gain, or price”; the whole Romifh jurifdiction, all antichriftian ftates, which are divided among thofe tutelar faints; each of them have their proper country affigned them they are to defend; but this is not done without gain, arifing to the pope of Rome from thofe countries, as by firft-fruits, annates, Pefer’s pence, &e.
¥. 40. And at the time of the end, &c.| At-the end of the time appointed of God, when antichrift is arrived to the height of his power and authority:: jeall the king of the fouth pufh at him; not Philometor king of Egypt; nor is Antiochus meant in the next claule by the king of the north; for after he was required by the Romans to quit the land of Fgypt, there was no, more war between him and the king of Egypt; rather therefore the Saracens are meant by the king of the fouth, as Mr. Mede » and Cocceius think, who came from the fouth, from Arabia Felix: and fo Gravins interprets it of the king or Caliph of the Saracens, and his, facceffors; who extending their empire thro’ 4fa and Africa, reprefied the attempts of the Roman antichrift affecting primacy in the eaft; and this way goes Mr. Mede, who takes them to be the fame with the locufts in Rev. ix. 3.. that diftreffed antichritt: and the king of the north foall come againft him like a whirlwind; not Antiochus, as before obferved; but either emperors, kings, and chriftian princes, the chief of which was. Godfrey of Bullain, who was crowned king of Feru/falem, as Cocceius: or the Turks, as Facchiades, fo Mr. Brightman on the place, and Mr. Mede; who were originally Tartars or Scythians, and came from the north, the fame with the horfemen at Hupbrates, Rev. ix..15, 16. who alfo came againft antichrift; for he feems to be the im they both came againft; both the king’ of the fouth, and the king of the north, the two! woes that came upon Chriftendom, the Saracens are the firft wo, and the Turks the fecond; and who even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon, by which, according to Yerom, is meant Arabia, \eft untouched by him; fo’ Mr.’ Medeint terprets them of ‘Arabia and Petreay which fome of the above people formerly inhabited, as Facebi= ades obferves; and which Arabians were never fabs dued by the Turks, but are independent of therm to'this day; yea, the Turks pay a yearly'tribute to ther for the paffage of their pilgrims to Mecca, as well as pay for the ‘caravans that ‘pafs’ thro’ their country, as is affirmed * by modern travellers 3 and yet it may be obferved, that thefe countries: did not efcape Antiochus, who particularly took Rabe bath the metropolis of Ammon. TO. Vides y. 42. He fhall firetch forth his hand alfo upon the countries, &c.] ‘Before-mentioned, ‘and’ take pof= feffion of them, and rule over them, as‘the Zark does to this day: and the land of Egypt fball not efcope, the hands of the Turk, by whom it was taken from the Mamalucs; and is now a province
Bafba, with twenty-four princes under! him 4 This was not true of Antiochus, who after he had been checked by the Romans, never entered inte
Turk now 1s.,; ¥. 43. But be fhall have power over the treafures
Egypt, &c.] The land of Egyps, as itis a very filver, and precious things’; all which ‘came into the hands of the Turk along with it; forwhen’Selim, the ninth emperor-6f the Turks, conquered’ the Mamalucs, he caufed five hundred of the chiefett as likewife a great number of Mamalucs wives and chiefly affii€ted the antichriftian ftates, and,came like a whirlwind upon them, fuddenly, fwiftly, and with great rapidity and force: with chariots, and| with horfemen, and with many foips; which, well children, befides the Su/tan’s treafure, and other immenfe riches °. And the Lybians, and the Ethiopians hall be at bis fleps; at his command and pl agrees with the Turks, whofe armies chiefly confift of horfe; and he fhall enter into the countries, and jhall overflow, and pafs over; into the countries belonging to antichrift; particularly the Greek or eaftern empire; which they over-ran like a flood, feized it for themfelves, and fet up an empire for themfelves, which ftill continues; as well ‘as en- or go where he orders thém; that is, in all fhall be obedient to him.’ So we find that thefe very people will be in the army of Gog or the Turk, when he fhall march againft the land of Yudea, to
Ezek, xxxviii. 5. Thefe people, the Africans and Ethiopians, are near to Egypt, and therefore men-_ coaft to Egypt: but thefe hall efcape out of his hands’
of the Turkifo empire, and governed by a Turkifp
Egypt, and much lefs became matter’of it, asthe _ of gold aud filver, and over all the precious things of — large, fo a very rich country, abounding with gold, — Egyptian families to be tranfported to Conftantinople, - pleafure; fhall follow him, being taken captive, recover it from the ews, when poffeffed of it,
* Antiocbus, as Ferom obferves; but are now fubject to the Ottoman empire, and make apart of it; which is a very ftrong evidence of the Turk being the king of the north here {poken of.
¥. 44. But tidings out of the eaft,.and out of the north foall trouble him, &c.}] This, and 'the.following verfe, refpect times and things yet to come, and the interpretation of them is not fo certain;
perhaps this, claufe may have a regard to the news brought to the Turk of the Fews, upon their converfion, being about to return to their owh land, from the eaftern and northern parts of the world, where they chiefly are at this day; which will greatly alarm him, fince their land is part of his “dominions: or it may be, out of the eaft. ma "come tidings of fome commotions and difturbances ‘in the eaftern part of the world, as Zartary, &c. “which he may fear would be of bad confequence “to thé Ottoman empire; and news out of the north,
“of the northern chriftian princes preparing to affift the ews in the repoffeffion of their country; all which “may give him great uneafinefs. Therefore he fhall gc forth with great fury to deftroy, and utterly to make “away many; hearing the Yews are preparing to re- “turn to their own country, or that. they have got pofféffion of it; he will be enraged and provoked to the laft degree, and raife a prodigious army, and “march out of his own land with them to Fudea; and will come like a ftorm with the utmoft rage and ‘fary, and 7ike a cloud for number, and threaten -uttér ruin and deftruction to the nation of the Fews; this will be his end in view in coming out, ‘but he will not be able to accomplifh it; of all which fee Ezek. xxxviii. 2—12. where the Turk, ‘and this expedition of his, are prophefied of, and where he goes by the name of Gog.
¥. 45. And be foall plant the tabéruacles of bis palace, &c.] Or pavilions; the tents for his princes and generals that come with him; which fhall be placed about his own, and where he will think himfelf fafe and fecure, and fure of victory. Symmachus renders the words, the. tents of bis cavalry 4; or the ftables of his horfes,; which agrees well enough with the Turks, whofe cavalry is ufually very large, their armies chiefly confitting of horfe; fuch he fhall bring into the land of Fudea, and place them as after-mentioned, as if he had got the day, and had obtained a fettlement. The word ufed has’ the fignification of covering and clothing; hence fome tranflate it, she tents of bis curtain ® tents covered with curtains or veils, fuch as the tents of kings, generals, and principal officers were covered with, diftinguifhed from others by the fplendor and magnificence of them. It feems to be derived from the fame root as the epbed, a curious garment wore by the high-prieft among the ews; hence Saadiah interprets it here, a covering figured and wrought very artificially; and it is by fome rendered, the tents or tabernacles of his tunick or clothing‘. And it is an ingenious conjecture of a learned man of our own country *, that it may refer to an ancient cuftom of the Ro-: man emperors, who uled before a battel to have a fcarlet coat fpread over their tents, or hung up upon a fpear, to give notice of it, as appears ftom Plutarch, Ifidore, and others; and fo this furious c YTDN pretorii fai, Vatablus. So Aquila in Drufins.