St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Daniels prophecy of Antichrist; of the iudgement, and of the Kingdome of the Saints. CHAP. 23.

OF this Iudgement Daniel prophecieth, saying, that Antichrist shall fore-run it: and so hee proceedeth to the eternall Kingdome of the Saints: for ha∣uing in a vision beheld the foure beasts, types of the foure Monarchies, and the fourth ouer-throwne by a King which all confesse to bee Antichrist; and then seeing the eternall Empire of the Sonne of man (CHRIST) to follow:] Dani∣ell (saith hee) Was troubled in spirit, in the middest of my body, and the visions of * 1.1 mine head made mee affraide. Therefore I came to one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this: so hee told mee and shewed mee the interpretation of these things. These foure great beasts are foure Kings, which shall arise out of the earth, and they shall take away the Kingdome of the most high, and possesse it for e∣uer, euen for euer and euer. After this, I would know the truth of the fourth beast which was so vnlike the other, verie fearefull, whose teeth were of Iron, and his nayles of Brasse, which deuoured, brake in peeces and stamped the rest vnder his feete. Also to knowe of the tenne hornes that were on his head, and of the other that came vppe, before whom three fell, and of the horne that had eyes, and of the month that spake presumptuous things, whose looke was more stoute then his fellowes: I beheld, and the same horne made battaile against the Saints, yea and preuailed a∣gainst them, vntill the Ancient of daies came, and Iudgement was giuen to the Saints of the most high: and the time approached that the Saints possessed the Kingdome.

All this Daniel inquired, and then hee proceedeth. Then hee sayd, the fourth beast shalbe the fourth Kingdome on the earth, which shalbe vnlike to all the Kingdomes and shall deuoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe and shall breake it in peeces. And the tenne hornes are tenne Kings that shall rise, and another shall rise after them, and hee shalbe vnlike to the first, and hee shall subdue three Kings, and shall speake wordes against the most high, and shall consume the Saints, of the most high, and thinke that hee may change times and lawes; and they shal∣bee giuen into his hand vntill a time, and halfe a time.

But the iudgement shall sit and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it vnto the end: And the kingdome, and dominion, and the greatnesse of the

Kingdome vnder the whole Heauen shalbe giuen vnto the holy people of the most high whose Kingdome is an euerlasting Kingdome, and all powers shall serue and obey him. Euen this is the end of the matter. I Daniell had many cogitations which troubled me, and my countenance changed in me but I kept the matter in mine heart. These foure Kingdomes, some hold to bee (a) those of the Assirians, Persians, Macedoni∣ans, and Romaines.

How fittly, read Hieromes commentaries vpon Daniel, and there you may haue full instruction. But that Antichrists Kingdome shalbe most cruell against the Church (although it last but a while) vntill the Saints receiue the Soueraign∣ty, none that reads this place, can make question of. The time, times and halfe a time is three yeares and a halfe: a yeare, two yeares and halfe a yeare, and this is declared by a number of daies afterwards, and by the numbers of monethes in other places of the Scriptures. Times in this place seemeth indefinite; but the (b) duall number is here vsed by the LXX. which the Latines haue not: but both the Greekes and (c) Hebrewes haue. Times then standeth but for two times. Now I am afraid (indeede) that wee deceiue our selues in the ten Kings whome Antichrist shall find, as tenne men, by our account, but there are not so many Kings in the Romaine Monarchy, so that Antichrist may come vpon vs ere wee bee aware. What if this number imply the fullnesse of regality, which shalbe expired ere hee come, as the numbers of a thousand, a hundred, seauen, and diuers more do oftentimes signifie the whole of a thing? I leaue it to iudgement. On with Daniel, There shalbe a time of trouble (saith hee chap. 12) such as neuer was since there began to bee a nation vnto that same time, and at that time thy people shalbe deliuered, euery one that shalbe found written in the booke. And many that sleepe in the dust of the Earth shall awake: some to euerlasting life, and some to shame and perpetuall contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament, and they that turne to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres, for euer and euer. How like is this place vnto that of the Ghospell concerning the resurection? that saith: They that are in the graues: This, they that are in the dust of the Earth that saith, shall come forth: this, shal awake, that, they that haue done good, vnto eternall life, and they that haue done euill vnto euerlasting damnation: this, some to euerlasting life, and some to perpetuall shame and contempt. Nor thinke they differ in that the Gospell saith, all that are in the graues, and the Prophet saith •…•…t Many: for the Scripture sometimes vseth many for all. So was it said vnto Abra∣ham, thou shalt bee a father of many nations, and yet in another place, in thy seed shall all nations be blessed. Of this resurrection, it was said thus to Daniell him-selfe a little after; Go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand vp in thy lot at the end of the daies.

L. VIVES.

THose of the (a) Assirians.] For the first beast was like a Lyonesse, bloudy and lustful and like an Eagle, proud, and long liued: and such was the Assirian Empire: The second like a Beare, rough and fierry, such was Cyrus founder of the Persian Monarchy. The third like a winged Leopard, head-long, bloudy, and rushing vpon death: such was the Macedon, who seemed rather to fly to souerainety then goe on foote: for how soone did hee bring all Asia vn∣der? the forth, the strangest, strongest, bloudiest. &c. Of all: such was the Romaine

Empire, that exceeded Barbarisme in cruelty, filling all the world with the rust of hir owne breeding, with bones of her massacring, with ruines of her causing. (b) The Duall] The an∣cient Greekes had but singular and plurall: the duall was added afterwards, which the Latines would not imitate. (Dionys. Grammat.) yet the Greeke Poets doe often vse the plurall for the duall, as yee may obserue in Homer, &c. (c) Hebrewes haue] So saith Hierome vpon Daniel.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dan. 7.