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Daniel prophesies of the last judgment in such a way as to indicate
that Antichrist shall first come, and to carry on his description to
the eternal reign of the saints. For when in prophetic vision he had
seen four beasts, signifying four kingdoms, and the fourth conquered
by a certain king, who is recognized as Antichrist, and after this
the eternal kingdom of the Son of man, that is to say, of Christ,
he says, "My spirit was terrified, I Daniel in the midst of my
body, and the visions of my head troubled me," etc. Some have
interpreted these four kingdoms as signifying those of the Assyrians,
Persians, Macedonians, and Romans. They who desire to understand
the fitness of this interpretation may read Jerome's book on Daniel,
which is written with a sufficiency of care and erudition. But he who
reads this passage, even half asleep, cannot fail to see that the
kingdom of Antichrist shall fiercely, though for a short time, assail
the Church before the last judgment of God shall introduce the eternal
reign of the saints. For it is patent from the context that the time,
times, and half a time, means a year, and two years, and half a
year, that is to say, three years and a half. Sometimes in
Scripture the same thing is indicated by months. For though the word
times seems to be used here in the Latin indefinitely, that is only
because the Latins have no dual, as the Greeks have, and as the
Hebrews also are said to have. Times, therefore, is used for two
times. As for the ten kings, whom, as it seems, Antichrist is to
find in the person of ten individuals when he comes, I own I am
afraid we may be deceived in this, and that he may come unexpectedly
while there are not ten kings living in the Roman world. For what if
this number ten signifies the whole number of kings who are to precede
his coming, as totality is frequently symbolized by a thousand, or a
hundred, or seven, or other numbers, which it is not necessary to
recount?
In another place the same Daniel says, "And there shall be a time
of trouble, such as was not since there was born a nation upon earth
until that time: and in that time all Thy people which shall be found
written in the book shall be delivered. And many of them that sleep in
the mound of earth shall arise, some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting confusion. And they that be wise shall shine as
the brightness of the firmament; and many of the just as the stars for
ever." This passage is very similar to the one we have quoted from
the Gospel, at least so far as regards the resurrection of dead
bodies. For those who are there said to be "in the graves" are here
spoken of as "sleeping in the mound of earth," or, as others
translate, "in the dust of earth," There it is said, "They shall
come forth;" so here, "They shall arise." There, "They that
have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done
evil, to the resurrection of judgment;" here, "Some to everlasting
life, and some to shame and everlasting confusion." Neither is it to
be supposed a difference, though in place of the expression in the
Gospel, "All who are in their graves," the prophet does not say
"all," but "many of them that sleep in the mound of earth." For
many is sometimes used in Scripture for all. Thus it was said to
Abraham, "I have set thee as the father of many nations," though
in another place it was said to him, "In thy seed shall all nations
be blessed." Of such a resurrection it is said a little afterwards to
the prophet himself, "And come thou and rest: for there is yet a day
till the completion of the consummation; and thou shall rest, and rise
in thy lot in the end of the days."
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