St. Hippolytus
Feastday 13th August
Born 170
Died 236
Martyr (236), antipope (217-235),
died Sardinia. Little historically certain is known of his life due to the discordant
traditions which are extant. After the death of Pope Zephyrinus he secured his
election by a small band of followers in opposition to Callistus I whom he
considered a heretic. He remained antipope during the reigns of Urban I and
Pontian, and was banished to Sardinia, 235, where he became reconciled with the
Church. Hippolytus was one of the most important and prolific theological
writers of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantinian era. Most of his writings
have been lost but his "Philosophumena" (Refutation of all Heresies)
was discovered in a monastery at Mount Athos, 1842. Of the 10 books the second,
third, and part of the fourth are missing. The "Philosophumena" is
written in Greek, as are all his writings, and discusses the early heresies under
five headings: Ophites; Simonists; Basilidians; Docetae; Noetians. It comprises
the most valuable source for the history of the early heresies.1
1.
Taken from the New Catholic Dictionary at
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/ncd03954.htm
1. Discourse on the End of
the World
Chapter 1
The blessed prophets have been our eyes, setting forth for our behalf a clear declaration of things secret, both through life, through declaration, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They also spoke of things that have not yet come to pass. In this way they have presented, for serious consideration and action, pictures of the most important subjects ever, to all generations. In this way, they preached concerning the coming of God in the flesh to the world. They spoke of His appearing, by Mary, respecting His birth, His growth, His way of life and conversation with men. They spoke of His manifestation at baptism, the new birth that was possible to all men, the regeneration by the washing, the multitude of His miracles, His blessed suffering on the cross, the insults which He bore at the hands of the Jews, His burial, and His descent into Hades. They told of His return, His redemption of those spirits that were from old, the destruction of death, His life-giving resurrection from the dead, His re-creation of the whole world, His return to heaven, and His promise of the Spirit (of which the apostles were deemed worthy) including His second coming, which is destined to prove all things. Because they were designated prophets, they, due to necessity, signaled and spoke of these things before they happened.
Chapter 2
Consequently, they indicated the day of the end for us. They signified, beforehand, the day of the "apostate" that will appear and deceive men in the last days. They have shown the beginning and end of his kingdom, including the appearing of the Judge and the life of the righteous. The punishment of sinners was declared, in order that we all might remember these things day by day and hour by hour, being children of the Church. Bearing this in mind, we can know that "not one jot nor one tittle of these things will fail," as the Saviour's own word announced. Let all of you, then, of necessity, open the eyes of your hearts and the ears of your soul, so as to receive the word which we are about to speak. For I will unfold unto you today a narration full of horror and fear. In other words, an account of the end. In particular, about the seduction of the whole world by the enemy, the devil, after which will be the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter 3
Where then, friends of Christ, will I begin? With what will I make my commencement, or what will I explain? What witness will I cite concerning the things spoken? But let us talk about those (i.e.-the prophets) with whom we began this discourse (presenting them as credible witnesses) so as to confirm our position on the matters discussed. After this, we will refer to the teaching (or rather the prophecy) of the apostles, in order to see how, throughout the whole world, they too heralded the day of the end. Since the prophets have shown things that have not yet come to pass, and have declared the devices and deceits of wicked men, who are destined to be made manifest, let us bring forth Isaiah as our first witness, because he teaches us about the last days. What does he say? "Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence: the daughter of Zion will be left as a cottage in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." (Isaiah 1:7 Sept.) Do you see, beloved, the prophet's enlightenment, whereby he spoke of that time so many generations before. For it is not of the Jews that he spoke these words of old, nor of the city of Zion, but of the Church. For all the prophets have declared Zion to be the bride brought from the nations.
Chapter 4
Let us, therefore, direct our discourse onto a second witness. And of what sort is this one? Listen to Hosea, as he speaks this grandly: "In those days the Lord will bring on a burning wind from the desert against them, and will make their veins dry, and will make their springs desolate; and all their goodly vessels will be spoiled. Because they rose up against God, they will fall by the sword, and their women with child will be ripped up." (Hosea 13:15) What else could this burning wind from the east be, other than the Antichrist, who will destroy and dry up the veins (rivers) of the waters and the fruits of the trees in his times, because men have set their hearts on his works? For this reason, he (the Antichrist) will indeed destroy them, and they will serve him in his pollution.
Chapter 5
Mark this agreement of prophet with prophet. Now, acquaint yourself with another prophet who expresses himself in like manner. For Amos prophesied about the same things in quite the same manner as those just cited: "Thus saith the Lord, forasmuch therefore as you have beaten the poor with the fist, and taken choice gifts from him: you have built houses, but you will not dwell in them: you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you will not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold transgressions, in trampling justice beneath your foot, and taking a bribe, and turning aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent will keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time." Learn, beloved the wickedness of the men of that coming time, how they spoiled houses and herds, and took justice even from the just; for when these things come to pass, you will know that it is the end. It is for this reason you are instructed in the wisdom of the prophet, and the revelation of those days. All the prophets, as we have already said, have clearly signified the things that are coming to pass in the last times, just as they have also declared things of old.
Chapter 6
But not to exhaust our argument entirely by going over the words of all the prophets, let us cite one more before we return to the matter in hand. What is it, then, that Micah says in his prophecy? "Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry to him, Peace; and if it was not put into their mouth, they prepared war against him. Therefore night will be unto you, that you will not have a vision; and it will be dark unto you, that you will not divine; and the sun will not go down over the prophets, and the day will be dark over them. And the seers will be ashamed, and the diviners confounded." (Micah 3:5-7 Sept.) These things we have told you beforehand, so that you may know the pain that will be in the last days. It is so that you will know the turmoil, the manner of life on the part of all men toward each other; their envy, hatred, strife, and the negligence of the shepherds toward the sheep, as well as the unruly disposition of the people towards their bishops."
Chapter 7
What will the World be like? Therefore, all will walk after their own will. Children will lay hands on their parents. The wife will give her own husband to death, and the husband will bring his own wife to judgement like a criminal. Masters will lord it over their servants savagely. Servants will assume an unruly demeanor towards their masters. No one will reverence the grey hairs of the elderly. No one will have pity upon the beauty of the youth. The temples of God will be like houses, and churches will be destroyed everywhere. The Scriptures will be despised.They will sing the songs of the adversary everywhere. Fornications, adulteries, and perjuries will fill the land. Sorceries (drugs), witchcrafts, and divinations will follow after everyone with much force and zeal. What will the Church be like? For the most part, from among those who profess to be Christians, there will rise up false prophets, apostles, impostors, mischief-makers, evil-doers, liars against each other, adulterers, fornicators, robbers, seekers of prosperity, perjured persons, deceivers, hating each other. The shepherds will be like wolves; the bishops will embrace falsehood; those involved in Christian work will lust after the things of the world; the rich will become hard hearted; the rulers will not help the poor; the powerful will cast off all pity; the judges will remove justice from the just, and (blinded with bribes) they will bring in unrighteousness.
Chapter 8
And what am I to say concerning men, when the very elements themselves will resist their natural order? There will be earthquakes in every city, and plagues in every country, and massive thundering, and frightful lightning that will burn up both houses and fields. Wind storms will disturb both the sea and the land beyond reason; and the earth will become unfruitful, There will be a roaring in the sea, and an intolerable agitation on account of men's hearts failing them concerning the destruction. There will be signs in the sun, and signs in the moon, deviation of the stars, distresses of nations, pollution in the atmosphere, discharges of hail upon the face of the earth, winters that are of excessive severity, different frosts, relentless scorching winds, unexpected thundering, unexpected huge destructive fires; and in general, lamentation and mourning all over the whole earth, without any consolation. For, "because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax cold." (Matt. 24:12) Because of the agitation and confusion of all these things, the Lord of the universe cries in the Gospel, saying, "Take heed that ye be not deceived; for many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye will hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet by and by." (Luke 21:8-9) Let us pay attention to the word of the Saviour. Remember how He always admonished us with concern for our security: "Take heed that you be not deceived: for many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ."
Chapter 9
Now after He was taken up again to the Father, there arose some, saying, "I am Christ," like Simon Magus and the rest, whose names we do not have time to mention at present. Therefore also in the last days, it must be destined that false Christs will arise again saying, "I am Christ," and they will deceive many. Multitudes of men will run from the east even unto the west; from the north even unto the sea, saying, 'Is Christ here?' 'Is Christ there?' But being filled with vain conceit, and failing to read the Scriptures carefully, not being of an upright mind, they will seek for a name which they will be unable to find. For these things must happen first. This way the son of perdition&emdash;that is to say, the devil&emdash;must be seen.
Chapter 10
The apostles, who always speak of God, in establishing the truth of the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, have indicated the appearing of these abominable and ruin-working men. They have openly revealed the lawless deeds done by these men. Firstly, Peter, a pillar of the faith (whom Christ our God called blessed) the teacher of the Church and Jesus' first disciple, has instructed us as follows: "Know this first, children, that there will come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And there will be false teachers among you, who privily will bring in damnable heresies." (2 Peter 2:1) Secondly, John, the theologian and the beloved of Christ, in harmony with Peter cries, "the children of the devil are manifest; and even now are there many antichrists; but go not after them. Believe not every spirit, because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 Jn. 3:10, 2:18; Lk. 21:8; 1 Jn. 4:1) Then Jude, the brother of James, speaks in like manner: "In the last times there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts. There be they who, without fear, feed themselves. (Jude 18-19) Now you have seen the agreement among the theologians and apostles, as well as the harmony of their doctrine.
Chapter 11
Finally, listen to Paul as he speaks boldly. Mark how clearly he reveals this: "Beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (The concision-Circumcision being now ceased, the apostle will not call them the circumcision, but coins a term on purpose, taken from the Greek word). Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy (psychology, etc.?) and vain deceit. See that you walk circumspectly (Greek-exactly, accurately, diligently), because the days are evil. (Phil. 3:2; Col. 2:8; Eph. 5:15-16) In plain terms then, what man in the Church will have any excuse who hears these things from the prophets and apostles (and from the Lord Himself) and still gives no heed to the care of his soul? What will they do in the time of the end? What will they do in that approaching hour when we will have to stand at the judgement seat of Christ?
Chapter 12
Having finished with this portion of the last days, let us turn our attention to those matters which come next. I will offer therefore, a witness altogether worthy of credit; namely, the prophet Daniel. He interpreted the vision of Nebuchadnezzar. From the beginning of the kings of Babylon down to their last, he indicated the right way for those who seek to walk therein; in other words, the manifestation of the truth. What did the prophet Daniel say? He clearly revealed the matter to Nebuchadnezzar in the following terms: "You O king, sawest, and behold a great image standing before You, whose head was of gold, its arms and shoulders of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay. You sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands; and it smote the image upon its feet, which were part of iron and part of clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the clay and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloor; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."
Chapter 13
Therefore, bringing the visions of Daniel together with that of Nebuchadnezzar's, we will make one narrative out of the two. We will show how true and consistent were the things which Daniel, the prophet, saw in the vision to those which Nebuchadnezzar saw beforehand. For the prophet speaks thus: "I Daniel saw, and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lioness, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given it. And behold, a second beast, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo a third beast, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: the beast had also four heads. After this I saw, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; its great iron teeth and its claws of brass devoured and brake in pieces and it stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse exceedingly from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered its horns, and behold, there came up among them a little horn, and before it there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." (Dan. 2:31-35)
Chapter 14
Now since these things, which were spoken by the prophet, are mystical and hard to understand for everyone, we will not conceal anything from those who are possessed of a sound mind. When he mentions the first beast, namely the lioness that comes up out of the sea, Daniel means the kingdom of the Babylonians which was set up in the world. This is the "golden head" of Nebuchadnezzar's image. And by speaking of its "wings like an eagle," he shows that king Nebuchadnezzar was elevated, and exalted himself against God. when he says that its "wings were plucked out," he means that his glory was subverted, for he was driven from his kingdom. And in stating that a "man's heart was given it, and it was made stand upon the feet like a man," he means that Nebuchadnezzar repented, and acknowledged that he was himself but a man, and gave glory to God. Behold, I have just revealed to you the representation of the first beast.
Chapter 15
Now after the lioness, the prophet saw a second beast like a bear, which denotes the Persians. After the Babylonians, the Persians had the sovereignty. In saying, "I saw three ribs in the mouth of it," he referred to three nations, the Persians, Medes, and Babylonians. These were also expressed by the silver that appeared below the gold in Nebuchadnezzar's image. Behold, we have explained the second beast also.The third beast was a leopard, which denoted the Greeks. After the Persians, Alexander the Great, king of the Macedonians held the sovereignty, after he had destroyed Darius. This is expressed by the brass in Nebuchadnezzar's image. When he speaks of "four wings of a fowl, and four heads in the beast," he showed, most clearly, how the kingdom of Alexander was divided into four parts. For it had four heads, namely, the four kings that rose out of it. Alexander, on his death-bed, divided his kingdom into four parts. Behold, we have disclosed the third beast also.
Chapter 16
Next he tells us about the "fourth beast, dreadful and terrible; its teeth were of iron, and its claws of brass." What is meant by this is the kingdom of the Romans. The iron means that it will crush all the rulers of empires that were before it, and that Rome will rule over the whole earth. Finally, nothing is left for us to interpret except what the prophet saw: the "toes of the image, in which part was of iron and part of clay, mingled together in one." By the ten toes in the image, he meant, figuratively, the ten kings who sprang out from it, as Daniel also interpreted the matter. "For," he says, "I considered the beast, namely the fourth; and behold ten horns after it, among which another horn arose like an offshoot; and it will pluck up by the root three of those before it."
By this offshoot horn none other is signified than the Antichrist who is to restore the kingdom of the Jews. And the three horns which are to be rooted out by it signify three kings, namely those of Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia, whom he will destroy in the array of war; and when he has vanquished them all, being a savage tyrant, he will raise tribulation and persecution against the saints, exalting himself against them.
Chapter 17
You can see how Daniel interpreted for Nebuchadnezzar concerning the dominion of the kingdoms. You see how he explained the form of the image in all its parts. You have observed how he indicated, prophetically, the meaning of the four beasts who came out from the sea. It still remains for us to show you the things done by the Antichrist in particular. As far as is in our power, we will show you, by using the Scriptures and the prophets, how he (Antichrist) wanders across the whole earth, and about his lawless appearance.
Chapter 18
The Lord Jesus Christ made His sojourn with us in the flesh (which He received from Mary). He took to Himself the tribe of Judah, coming forth from it, as the Scripture declared His royal lineage in the words of Jacob. When Jacob, in his benediction, addressed himself to his son in these terms: "Judah, You art he whom thy brethren will praise: thy hands will be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children will bow down before You. Judah is a lion's whelp; from a sprout, my son, You are gone up: he stooped down, he rested as a lion, and as a lion's whelp: who will rouse him up? A ruler will not depart from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until what is in store for him will come, and he is the expectation of the nations." Mark these words of Jacob which were spoken to Judah, and are fulfilled in the Lord. In the same way, moreover, does the patriarch (Jacob) express himself regarding Antichrist. Therefore, as he prophesied respecting Judah, he also did with respect to his son Dan. For Judah was his fourth son; and Dan, furthermore, was his seventh son. And what, then, did he say of Dan? "Let Dan be a serpent sitting by the way, that biteth the horse's heel?" And what other serpent is there, but the deceiver who was in the beginning; that one who was named in Genesis, deceived Eve, and bruised Adam in the heel?
Chapter 19
However, seeing that we must now prove what we say in more detail, we will not delay the task. For it is certain that he (the Antichrist) is destined to spring from the tribe of Dan, and to put himself in opposition, like a princely tyrant, a terrible judge and accuser, as the prophet testifies when he says, "Dan will judge his people, as one tribe in Israel." (Gen. 49:16) But some may say that this was spoken of Samson, who sprang from the tribe of Dan, and judged his people for twenty years. That prophecy, however, was only partially true in the case of Samson, but will be completely fulfilled in the case of the Antichrist.
Jeremiah, as well, speaks in this manner: "From Dan we will hear the sound of the sharpness of his horses, at the sound of the neighing, of his horses the whole land trembled." (Jer. 8:16) Furthermore, Moses says: "Dan is a lion's whelp, and he will leap from Bashan." (Deut. 33:22) So that no one will make the mistake of thinking that this was spoken of the Saviour, let him notice this. When he says, "Dan is a lion's whelp", he is naming the tribe of Dan as the one where the accuser is destined to come forth. He has made the matter at hand quite clear. For in the same way that Christ is born of the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist will be born of the tribe of Dan. As our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was spoken of in prophecy as a lion, due to His royalty and glory, so in like manner the Scripture prophetically described the accuser as a lion, because of his tyranny and violence.
Chapter 20
For the deceiver will in every respect seek to make himself appear as the Son of God: Christ is a lion, and Antichrist is a lion. Christ is King of things celestial (heavenly) and things terrestrial (earthly), and Antichrist will be king upon earth. The Saviour was manifested as a lamb; Antichrist will appear as a lamb, while he is a wolf within.The Saviour was circumcised, and he will likewise appear in circumcision.The Saviour sent the apostles into all the nations, and he (Antichrist) will send false apostles.Christ gathered together the dispersed sheep, and he will likewise gather together the dispersed people of the Hebrews. Christ gave to those who believed on Him the honourable and life-giving cross, and he will likewise give his own sign.Christ appeared in the form of man, and he will likewise come forth in the form of man.Christ arose from the Hebrews, and he will spring from among the Jews. Christ spoke of his flesh as a temple and raised it up on the third day; and he too will raise up again the temple of stone in Jerusalem. All the deceptions fabricated by Antichrist will become quite clear to those who will listen to this attentively, especially from what will be explained next.
Chapter 21
Throughout the Scriptures, we are taught about the two comings of Christ, the Saviour. His first was in humility after the flesh, because He was manifested in a lowly estate. But, His second coming is declared to be in glory, for He comes from heaven with power, and angels, and the glory of His Father. His first coming used John the Baptist as His forerunner. His second, in which He is to come in glory, will exhibit Enoch, Elijah, and John the Apostle (John 21:22 taken by early Church to mean John as well). Take note of the Lord's kindness to men: how even in the last times He shows His care for mortals, and pities them. For He will not leave us without prophets even then, but will send them to us for our instruction and assurance. They will force us to see the coming of the adversary, the same way He has warned us by Daniel of old. For he says, "I will make a covenant of one week, and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and libation will be removed." (Dan. 9:29) By this one week he means seven years which will be in the last times. During this half a week, the two prophets, along with John, will proclaim to all the world the coming of Antichrist. In other words, for a "Thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth" (Rev. 11:3), they will work signs and wonders with the intention of making men ashamed and repentant, because of man's overwhelming lawlessness (Antinomianism) and ungodliness. "And if any man will hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and devour their enemies. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of the coming of Antichrist and to turn waters into blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will." (Rev. 11:6) And after they've done all these things, they will fall by the sword, cut down by the accuser. Thus they will fulfill their testimony, as Daniel also says, because he foresaw that the beast (that came up out of the abyss) would make war with them (namely, Enoch, Elijah, and John) and would overcome them, and kill them, because of their refusal to give glory to the accuser (Antichrist). this is the little horn that sprang up. Therefore the Antichrist, being lifted up in heart, in the end will begin to exalt himself and glorify himself as God, persecuting the saints and blaspheming Christ.
Chapter 22
Progressing right along with our discussion, we are forced to bring up the matter which concerns the adversary's days of dominion. It is necessary to state, first of all, details concerning his birth and growth. Furthermore, we must direct our discourse, as we have said before, towards the exposition of this matter. In other words, the accuser, the son of lawlessness, will make himself like our Saviour in all respects. Therefore the following illustration will make the matter clear to us. The Saviour of the world, for the purpose of saving the human race, was born of the virgin, Mary, and in the form of flesh, crushed the enemy under foot, in exercising the power of His own proper divinity. On the other hand, the accuser will come forth from an impure woman on the earth, but will appear to be born of a virgin as well. Our God sojourned with us in the flesh, yet without sin, having the same flesh which He gave to Adam and all of Adam's posterity. However, the accuser, although he takes on flesh, will do it only in appearance, because how can he take on human flesh which he did not create himself, but has sought to destroy everyday? (It is my opinion, beloved, that he will assume an extraordinary type of flesh as an instrument) This is also why he will appear to be born of a virgin, although really being a spirit, and will appear to everyone as flesh. Concerning being born of a virgin, we know this is the case respecting the holy virgin only, who bore the Saviour who was truly clothed in flesh. For Moses says, "Every male that openeth the womb will be called holy unto the Lord." (Ex. 34:19; Num. 8:16; Lk. 2:23) Such is by no means the case with the adversary. The adversary will not open the womb, so he will not take on himself real flesh, nor be circumcised as Christ was circumcised. Even as Christ chose His apostles, so Antichrist will take on a whole people of disciples, who are like himself in wickedness.
Chapter 23
Furthermore, above all, the adversary will love the nation of the Jews (Editor's side note-at the time of Hippolytus' writing, the nation of Israel no longer existed). With all these he will work signs and mighty wonders (false wonders and lies) in order to deceive his impious equals. For if it were possible, he would even seduce the elect from the love of Christ. (Matt. 24:24) However, when he first appears, he will be gentle, lovable, quiet, pious, peaceful, hating injustice, detesting gifts, and not allowing idolatry. He will let on that he loves the Scriptures, by respecting bishops, honouring his elders, renouncing fornication, detesting adultery, refusing to hear slanders, and not allowing oaths. He will be kind to strangers, kind to the poor, and compassionate. After this, he will work wonders by: cleansing lepers, raising up cripples, expelling demons (Ed.-psychology?),stating things in the future just as though they were things present, raising the dead, helping widows, defending orphans, loving all, reconciling men who contend in a loving way by saying to them, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Eph. 4:26), and he will not acquire gold, nor love silver, nor seek riches.
Chapter 24
However, he will do all this dishonestly and deceitfully, for the purpose of deceiving everyone into making him king. When all peoples and tribes see such wonderful virtues and such great powers in him, they will all, with one accord, assemble together to make him king. More than any of the others, the nation of the Hebrews will be dear to the tyrant himself (Editor's side note-at the time of Hippolytus' writing, the nation of Israel no longer existed). They will say to each other, 'Is there anywhere in our generation such a man as this-so good and just?' This will be predominate among the Jews, as I said before. Thinking the way they do, that they are beholding the king himself in such power, they will approach him and say, 'We all confide in You, and acknowledge You to be virtuous upon the whole earth. We all hope to be saved by You; for by thy mouth we have received just and incorruptible judgment.'
Chapter 25
At first, indeed, this deceitful and lawless one, with crafty deceitfulness, will refuse such glory. However, because men will be persistent, and will stick by him, they will declare him king. Afterwards, he who was formerly gentle, will be lifted up in his heart and will become violent. He who pursued love will become pitiless. The (so called) humble in heart, will become haughty and inhuman. This supposed hater of unrighteousness will persecute the righteous. When he is elevated in his kingdom, he will start wars. In his wrath, he will smite three mighty kings, -namely Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia. After this he will build the temple in Jerusalem, and will speedily restore it, giving it over to the Jews. Then, his heart will be lifted up against every man. Yes, he will even speak blasphemies against God, thinking in his deceit, that he will be king upon the whole earth forever. He will not know, miserable wretch, that his kingdom will be quickly brought to nothing, and that he will have to quickly meet the fire which is prepared for him, along with all who trust him and serve him. For when Daniel said, "I will make my covenant for one week," (Dan. 9:27) he was indicating seven years. The first half of the week is for the preaching of the prophets, and for the last half of the week (that is to say, for three and a half years) the Antichrist will reign upon the earth. After this, his kingdom and his glory will be taken away. Beware, all of you who love God, concerning the type of tribulation that will rise in those days, such as has never been from the foundation of the world, no, nor ever will be, except in those days only. The lawless one being lifted up in heart, will gather together his demons in the form of men. He will defile those who called him to his kingdom, and will pollute many souls.
Chapter 26
He will set up princes over men from among the demons. But he will no longer appear to be pious. In everything, he will be harsh, severe, hot-headed, wrathful, terrifying, changeable, dreadful, irritable, hateful, abominable, savage, vengeful, unfair. Being determined to cast the whole human race into the pit of perdition, he will increase false wonders. When all the people greet him with praise at each miracle, the ground near him on which the multitudes stand will shake, when he shouts with a strong voice: "Ye peoples, and tribes, and nations. Acquaint yourselves with my mighty authority and power, and the strength of my kingdom. What prince is as great as I am? What great God is there but I? Who will stand up against my authority? In plain view of spectators, he will: move mountains out of their place, he will walk on the sea with dry feet, he will bring fire down from heaven, he will turn the day into darkness and the night into day, he will move the sun about wherever he pleases. In short, in presence of those who behold him, he will show that all the elements of earth and sea are subject to him and are in the power of his deceptive appearance. Before he shows himself to be the son of perdition, he will raise and excite open war against us, especially battles and slaughters. During this time he will reveal himself for who he is. Then, men will see him as he really is, realizing that his schemes, deceits and delusions are meant to seduce all men and lead them off from the way of truth, and the gate of the kingdom of God.
Chapter 27
After all these things happen: the heavens will not give their dew, the clouds will not give their rain, the earth will refuse to yield its fruits, the sea will be filled with a stench, the rivers will lie dried up, the fish of the sea will die, men will perish from hunger and thirst, and the father embracing his son, and mother embracing her daughter, will die together and there will be no one to bury them. The whole earth will be filled with a stench caused by all the dead bodies everywhere. Because the sea no longer receives water from the rivers, it will become like a swamp, filled with unlimited amounts of smell and stench. Then there will be a mighty epidemic upon the whole earth. Then, as well, there will be inconsolable lamentation, measureless weeping, and unceasing mourning. Men will deem those happy who died before them, and will say to them, "Open your sepulchers, and take us miserable beings in. Open your graves for the reception of your wretched kinsmen and acquaintances. Happy are you, because you have not seen our days. Happy are you, because you have not had to witness this painful life of ours, nor this hopeless epidemic, nor the predicament that controls our souls.
Chapter 28
Then this abominable one will send his orders to every government by demons and visible men saying: "A mighty king has arisen upon the earth; come ye all to worship him; come ye all to see the strength of his kingdom: for, behold, he will give you corn; and he will bestow upon you wine, and great riches, and lofty honours. For the whole earth and sea obeys his command. Come ye all to him." Because there will be no food, everyone will come to him and worship him. He will put his mark on their right hand and on their forehead, so that no one can put the sign of the honourable cross upon his forehead with his right hand, because his hand is bound. From that time on, no one will have any power to control his body, but will be attached to the deceiver to serve him. In being this way there is no repentance, but such a person is lost at once to God and to men. The deceiver will give them a meager amount of food by reason of his abominable seal. His seal upon the forehead and upon the right hand is the number, "Six hundred and sixty six." (Rev. 13:18)
Chapter 29
In the time of this hater of all good, the same type of use will be used respecting his seal (mark). the substance of it will be this: 'I deny the Maker of heaven and earth, I deny the baptism, I deny my (former) service to Christ Jesus and attach myself to you, and I believe in you'. This is exactly what the prophets Enoch and Elijah will preach against: 'Believe not the enemy who is to come and be seen; for he is an adversary and corrupter. He is the son of perdition, and deceives you. Because of this he will kill and smite you with the sword.' Note the deceitfulness of the enemy. Know the schemes of the beguiler, and how he seeks to utterly darken the minds of men. He will bring forth his demons to appear as brilliant angels. He will bring in hosts from the spirit world without number. In everyone's presence it will look as though he has been taken up into the heavens with trumpets and sounds, while those who watch, will hail him with marvelous hymns and mighty cheers. This heir of darkness himself, shining like a light, will soar to the heavens one time, and then later, will come back down to the earth with great glory. Furthermore, he will command the demons, appearing as angels, to execute his orders, with much fear and trembling. He will send troops of these demons into the mountains, caves and dens of the earth, for the purpose of tracking down those who have been hiding and concealed from his eyes. These will be brought back to worship him. Any who yield to him will be sealed with his seal. Those, who refuse to submit to him, will be devoured with incomprehensible pains using the bitterest torments and schemes, which have never been heard by the ears of man, nor seen by the eyes of mortals.
Chapter 30
Blessed are they who overcome the tyrant during this time. For they will be honoured as more distinguished and elevated than the previous martyrs. The former martyrs only overcame his assistants, but these will overthrow and conquer the accuser himself, the son of perdition. What commendation and crowns will they be adorned by our King, Jesus Christ!
Chapter 31
Let us get back to the matter at hand. After the people receive his seal (mark), but receive neither food nor water, they will come to him with a voice of anguish, saying, 'Give us to eat and drink, for we all are faint with hunger and all manner of crisis. Tell the heavens to give us water, and then drive away the beasts that devour us.' To this will that crafty one answer them mockingly, with absolute inhumanity, saying, 'If the heavens refuse to give you rain, and the earth does not yield its fruits, from where will I give you food?' When they hear such words from this deceiver, these miserable men will realize that he is the wicked accuser. They will mourn in anguish, weeping vehemently. While beating their faces with their hands, they will tear out their hair, and lacerate their cheeks with their finger nails. They will say to each other: 'Woe because of our calamity! woe because of the bitter contract we've made! woe because of our deceitful covenant! woe because of our mighty misfortune! How is it that we were tricked by the deceiver! how is it that we've joined to him! how is it that we were caught in his toils! how is it that we were caught in his abominable net! how is it that we heard the Scriptures, but could not understand them!' The answer is this: Truly those, who are engrossed with the cares of this life and with the desires of this world, will easily be brought over to the accuser, and then, sealed by him. (Matt. 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14, 21:34; 1 John 2:15)
Chapter 32
Those who know Jesus in Humility of Heart Many who listen to the divine Scriptures, and have them in their hands, keeping them in mind with understanding, will not be deceived. These will clearly see through his treacherous appearance and his deceitful hoax. These will flee from his hands into the mountains, and will hide themselves in the caves of the earth. These will seek after the Friend of man with tears and a contrite heart. Then, He will deliver them from the deceiver. those, who make supplication to Him in a worthy and righteous manner, will He protect, with His right hand, from the deceiver's snares.
Chapter 33
You need to see how, with fasting and prayer, the saints will discipline themselves at that time. Notice, also, how hard this age and times will be on those who dwell in both cities and country alike. During this time, they will be brought from the east to the west, and from the west to the east. They will weep greatly and wail vehemently. Their daily life will be as follows: when day begins to dawn, they will long to see the night, so that they will can rest from their labours. When night comes on them, because of the continuous earthquakes and violent storms, they will desire to see the light of the day. They will look for a way to die a bitter death. At that time the whole earth will complain, because of a life of anguish. Even, the sea and the skies will protest. The sun will wail, as well. wild beasts and birds will wail. The mountains, hills, and the trees of the plains, will cry out, because all men have turned away from the holy God. Instead, they have obeyed the deceiver, and received that abominable one's mark, (the enemy of God) instead a life marked by the quickening cross of the Saviour.
Chapter 34
The church: will wail with a mighty lamentation as well, because (in a spiritual sense) neither "oblation nor incense" is given. Neither is there any service done that is acceptable to God. The sanctuaries of the church will become like garden-watcher's huts (Isaiah 1:8). The holy body and blood of Christ will not be spoken of in those days. Public worship meetings of God will be extinguished. Hymn singing will cease. The Scriptures will not be heard being read. For men: there will be darkness, and lamentation upon lamentation, woe upon woe. At that time silver and gold will be thrown out in the streets as worthless, and no one will want it. To do so will be looked on as a crime. Everyone will be eager to escape and to hide themselves. However, they will not be able go anywhere to hide themselves from the snares of the adversary, because they carry his mark on them. His mark makes them easy to be recognized and declared to be his.There will be fear and trembling everywhere, during both the night and the day. Dead bodies will be left in the streets as well as in houses. hunger and thirst will be found everywhere in the streets as well as in houses. The streets will have riots and the houses lamentations. The beauty of one's face will be withered, because their appearance will be like the dead. the beauty of women will fade, and the desire of all men will vanish.
Chapter 35
Nevertheless, our merciful and benevolent God will not leave the human race without any comfort. He will shorten those days to a period of three and a half years. He will bring those days to an end, because of the remnant of those who hide themselves in the mountains and caves. This way the encampment of all the saints will not utterly perish. These days will quickly run their course, and the deceiver and Antichrist's kingdom will soon be removed. Then, in a moment, in a twinkle of an eye, the fashion of this world will pass away. The power of men will be brought to nothing, and all these visible things will be destroyed.
Chapter 36
These things, of which we speak, are coming in the future, beloved. When the one week is divided into parts, and the abomination of desolation has come, and the forerunners of the Lord have finished their proper course; when the whole world, in a moment, comes to its end, nothing will be left, except for the manifestation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, from heaven. He it is on whom we have hoped. He will bring forth fire and all just judgment against those who have refused to believe in Him. The Lord says, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so will also the coming of the Son of man be; for wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together". (Matt. 24:27-28) The sign of the cross will arise from the east even unto the west, brighter than the sun. It will announce the coming and manifestation of the Judge, to give to every one according to his works. Daniel speaks, concerning the general resurrection and the kingdom of the saints, as follows: ''And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Dan. 12:2) Isaiah says: "The dead will rise, and those in the tombs will awake, and those in the earth will rejoice." (Isaiah 26:19) our Lord says: "Many in that day will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear will live." (John 5:25)
Chapter 37
During this time, the trumpet will sound, awakening those that sleep from the lowest parts of the earth, the righteous and sinner alike. And every kindred, and tongue, and nation, and tribe will be raised in the twinkling of an eye. (1 Cor 15:52) They will all stand on the face of the earth, in indescribable fear and trembling, waiting for the coming of the righteous and terrible Judge. Rivers of fire will come forth in fury, like an angry sea, and will burn up mountains and hills. This fire will cause the sea to vanish and, with its heat, it will dissolve the atmosphere like wax. The stars of heaven will fall, the sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon will be turned into blood. Heaven will be rolled together like a scroll.The whole earth will be consumed by fire, because of the corrupt deeds which men did in it (their fornications, adulteries, lies, uncleanness, idolatries, murders, and wars). There will be a new heaven and a new earth.
Chapter 38
The holy angels will hurry to complete their commission. They will gather together all the nations, during that fearful trumpet sound, which awakens them out of their sleep. All, who were once kings, rulers, chief priests and pastors, will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. They will give an account of their management, and of their flock, concerning the losing of one sheep out of the flock through their negligence. Then soldiers, will be brought forward who were not content with their wages, but oppressed widows and orphans and beggars. Then tax collectors, will be on trial, who robbed the poor man of more than what was ordered. Every tax collector who made real gold out to be worthless, in order to cheat the needy of their fields, houses and churches will stand trial. Then the lewd will come forward in shame, because they have not kept their bed undefiled. Instead they have been ensnared by all manner of fleshly beauty, and have gone in the way of their own lusts. Then those, who have not kept themselves in love of the Lord, will come speechless and gloomy, because they spurned the simple commandment of the Saviour, which says, "You shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". Those, who have possessed the unjust balance, unjust weights and measures, and dry measures, will weep as they wait for the righteous Judge.
Chapter 39
Why should we mention anymore words about those who are summoned before the bar? At this time the righteous will shine forth like the sun, while the wicked will be speechless and gloomy. Both the righteous and the wicked will be raised incorruptible: the righteous, to be honoured eternally, and to taste immortal joys, but the wicked, to be punished in judgment eternally. Each will ponder the question as to what answer he will give to the righteous Judge for his deeds, whether good or bad. Everyone's actions will surround him as to whether he was good or evil. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. Fear and trembling will consume all things, both in heaven, earth and things under the earth. every tongue will confess Him openly. They will confess Him, who comes to judge righteous judgment, the mighty God and Maker of all things. angels, thrones powers, principalities, dominions, the cherubim and seraphim with their many eyes and six wings, will come with fear and astonishment, and cry aloud with a mighty voice, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, omnipotent; the heaven and the earth are full of Thy glory". (Isaiah 6:3) Then the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Judge who accepts no man's person, the Jurist who distributes justice to every man, will be revealed upon His fearful and lofty throne. All the flesh of mortals will see His face with great fear and trembling, both the righteous and sinner alike.
Chapter 40
Then the son of perdition will be brought forward (in other words the accuser) with his demons and with his servants, using stern and firm angels. These will be given over to the fire that is never quenched, and to the worm that never sleepeth, and to the outer darkness. The people of the Hebrews will see Him (Jesus) in human form. They will see Him just like He looked when He came, by the virgin:in the flesh,when He was crucified. He will show them the nail prints in His hands and feet, and His side which was pierced with the spear, andHis head which was crowned with thorns, and His honourable cross. When the Hebrew people see all these things, they will mourn and weep, as the prophet exclaims, "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced". (Zech. 12:10; John 19:37) However, there will be no one to help them or pity them, because they did not repent, nor turn aside from the wicked way. These shall go away into everlasting punishment with the demons and the accuser.
Chapter 41
After this, He will gather together all nations, as the holy Gospel so clearly states. what does Matthew the evangelist, or rather the Lord Himself, say in the Gospel? ''When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matt. 25:31-34) Come, ye prophets, who were cast out for My name's sake. Come, ye patriarchs, who before My advent were obedient to me, and longed for My kingdom. Come, ye apostles, who were My fellows in My sufferings in My incarnation, and suffered with me in the Gospel. Come, ye martyrs, who confessed me before tyrants, and endured many torments and pains. Come, ye ministers, who did me sacred service blamelessly day and night, and offered the Eucharist (communion service, meaning 'thanksgiving') daily.
Chapter 42
Come, ye saints, who disciplined yourselves while in the mountains, caves and dens of the earth; who honoured My name by purity, prayer and virginity. Come, ye maidens, who desired My bride-chamber, and loved no other bridegroom than me; who by your testimony and your habit of life were wedded to me, the immortal and incorruptible Bridegroom. Come, ye friends of the poor and the stranger. Come, ye who kept My love, as I am love. Come, ye who possess peace, for I own that peace. Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you: ye who esteemed not riches ye who had compassion on the poor, who aided the orphans, who helped the widows, who gave drink to the thirsty, who fed the hungry, who received strangers, who clothed the naked, who visited the sick, who comforted those in prison, who helped the blind, who kept the seal of the faith inviolate, who assembled yourselves together with the churches, who listened to My Scriptures, who longed for My words, who observed My law day and night, who endured hardness with me like good soldiers, seeking to please me, your heavenly King. Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Behold, My kingdom is made ready. behold, paradise is open. Behold, My immortality is shown in its beauty. (Isaiah 33:17) Come all, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Chapter 43
Then shall the righteous answer, being astonished at the mighty and wondrous fact that He, whom the hosts of angels cannot look upon openly; that He addresses them as friends. They shall cry out to Him and say, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and we fed You? Master, when did we see You thirsty, and we gave You drink? You Terrible One, when did we see You naked, and we clothed You? Immortal one, when did we see You a stranger, and we took You in? You Friend of man, when did we see You sick or in prison, and we came unto You? (Matt. 25:37, etc.) You are the ever-living One. You are without beginning, like the Father, and co-eternal with the Spirit. You are He who made all things out of nothing. You are the prince of the angels. You are He at whom the depths tremble. (4 Edras 3:8) You are He who is covered with light as with a garment. (Ps. 104:2) You are He who made us, and fashioned us of earth. You are He who formed things invisible. (Col. 1:16) From Your presence the whole earth fleeth away. (Rev. 20:11) how have we cordially received Your kingly power and lordship?"
Chapter 44
Then shall the King of kings answer them again, and say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Inasmuch as ye have received those of whom I have already spoken of to you and clothed them, fed them, gave them to drink, meaning the poor who are My members, ye have done it unto me. But come ye into the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34 & 40). Enjoy, for ever and ever, that which is given you by My Father in heaven, and the holy and quickening Spirit. What mouth will be able to explain the blessings which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him?" (Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corth. 2:9)
Chapter 45
You have just heard of the ceaseless joy. You have just heard of the immovable kingdom. You have just heard of the feast of blessings without end. Now hear also the speech of anguish with which the just Judge and the benignant God shall speak to those on the His left hand. In unmeasured anger and wrath He shall say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. You have prepared these things for yourselves. take the enjoyment of them to yourselves also. "Depart from me, ye cursed, into the outer darkness, and into the unquenchable fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. I made you, and you gave yourselves to another. I am He who brought you forth from your mother's womb, and you rejected me. I am He who fashioned you from the earth by My word of command, and you gave yourselves to another. I am He who nurtured you, and you served another. I ordained the earth and the sea for your preservation and the limit of your life, but you did not listen to My commandments. I made the light for you, that you might enjoy the day, and the night also, that you might have rest. However, you vexed me, and set me at nought with your wicked words, while opening a door to your passions. Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. I do not know you. I do not recognize you. You made yourselves the workmen of another lord - namely, the devil. Go with him and inherit the darkness, and the fire that is not quenched, and the worm that sleepeth not, and the gnashing of teeth."
Chapter 46
"For I was an hungry, and ye gave me no meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in. naked, and ye clothed me not. Sick, and ye visited me not. I was in prison, and ye came not unto me. I made your ears that you might hear the Scriptures, but you prepared them to hear the songs of demons, Lyres, and jesting. I made your eyes that you might see the light of My commandments, and keep them, but instead you called in fornication, wantonness, and opened your eyes to all manner of uncleanness. I prepared your mouth for the utterance of adoration, praise, psalms, spiritual poems and for the exercise of continuous reading, but you fitted it for railing, swearing, and blasphemies, while you sat and spake evil of your neighbours. I made your hands that you might stretch them forth in prayers and supplications, but you put them to use for robberies, murders, and the killing of each other. I ordained your feet to walk in the preparation of the Gospel of peace both in the churches and houses of My saints, but you taught them to run for adulteries, fornications, theaters, dancing, and tossings (Grk-metewrismouv body jumpings in displays of unrestraint).
Chapter 47
When this assembly is finally dissolved, the spectacle of things relating to this life will cease. Its deceit and its appearance are passed away. "Cleave to me, to whom every knee boweth, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth. For all who have been negligent, and have not shown pity by doing well for others on earth, have nothing else due them than the unquenchable fire. For I am the friend of man, and yet I am also a righteous Judge to all. For I shall award a payment according to what you deserve. I shall reward according to each man's labour. I shall render back according to each man's spiritual battle. "I wish to show pity, but I see no oil in your vessels. I desire to have mercy, but you have passed through life entirely without being merciful. I long to have compassion, but your lamps are dark because of the hardness of your heart. Depart from me. For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy." (James 2:13)
Chapter 48
Then they shall answer the dreaded Judge, who accepts no man's person, (Scene from Matt 25:31-45)"Lord, when saw we You an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and ministered not unto You? "Lord, dost You know us not? "You didst form us. You didst fashion us. You didst make us of four elements. "You didst give us spirit and soul. "On You we believed. "Thy seal we received."Thy baptism we obtained. "We acknowledged You to be God. We knew You to be Creator. "In You we wrought signs; through You we cast out demons. "For You we restrained the flesh. for You we preserved our virginity (celibacy?). "For You we practiced chastity. "for You we became strangers on the earth (ed.-Amish, Hutterites, etc.?). "How can You say, 'I know you not, depart from me!'" Then shall He answer them and say, "You acknowledged me as Lord, but you kept not My words. "You were marked with the seal of My cross, but you denied it by the hardness of your heart. "You obtained My baptism, but you observed not My commandments. "You subdued your body to virginity, but you did not keep mercy. Instead, you did not cast out of your souls your practice of hating your bothers (Greek-exoutheneo: to set at nought; esteem least; to make of no account). "For not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall be saved, but he that doeth my will." (Matt. 7:21) Then these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. (Matt. 25:46)
Chapter 49
''Be Thou faithful unto death, and I will give You the crown of life." (Rev. 2:10) You have heard, beloved, what the Lord answered. you have learned the sentence of the Judge. you have just been given understanding respecting what kind of awful scrutiny awaits us. You know what day and what hour is before us. Let us therefore ponder this every day. Let us meditate on this both day and night, in our house, by the way, with the church, so that we may not stand forth at that dreaded and impartial judgement condemned, abased, and sad. Instead may we stand with purity of action, life, conversation, and confession, so that the merciful and benevolent God may say to us as well, "Thy faith hath saved You, go in peace". (Luke 7:50) Furthermore may He say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matt. 25:21; Matt. 25:23; Luke 19:17). This joy may it be ours to reach, by the grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ (to whom pertains glory, honour, and adoration), with His Father (who is without beginning), and His holy, and good, and quickening Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of the ages. "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. 2:10)Amen
2. Treatise on Christ and
Antichrist
1. As it was your desire, my beloved brother Theophilus, to be thoroughly informed on those topics which I put summarily before you, I have thought it right to set these matters of inquiry clearly forth to your view, drawing largely from the Holy Scriptures themselves as from a holy fountain, in order that you may not only have the pleasure of hearing them on the testimony of men, but may also be able, by surveying them in the light of (divine) authority, to glorify God in all. For this will be as a sure supply furnished you by us for your journey in this present life, so that by ready argument applying things ill understood and apprehended by most, you may sow them in the ground of your heart, as in a rich and clean soil. By these, too, you will be able to silence those who oppose and gainsay the word of salvation. Only see that you do not give these things over to unbelieving and blasphemous tongues, for that is no common danger. But impart them to pious and faithful men, who desire to live holily and righteously with fear. For it is not to no purpose that the blessed apostle exhorts Timothy, and says, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith." And again, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me in many exhortations, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." If, then, the blessed (apostle) delivered these things with a pious caution, which could be easily known by all, as he perceived in the spirit that "all men have not faith," how much greater will be our danger, if, rashly and without thought, we commit the revelations of God to profane and unworthy men?
2. For as the blessed prophets were made, so to speak, eyes for us, they foresaw through faith the mysteries of the word, and became ministers of these things also to succeeding generations, not only reporting the past, but also announcing the present and the future, so that the prophet might not appear to be one only for the time being, but might also predict the future for all generations, and so be reckoned a (true) prophet. For these fathers were furnished with the Spirit, and largely honoured by the Word Himself; and just as it is with instruments of music, so had they the Word always, like the plectrum, in union with them, and when moved by Him the prophets announced what God willed. For they spake not of their own power (let there be no mistake as to that), neither did they declare what pleased themselves. But First of all they were endowed with wisdom by the Word, and then again were rightly instructed in the future by means of visions. And then, when thus themselves fully convinced, they spake those things which were revealed by God to them alone, and concealed from all others. For ith what reason should the prophet be called a prophet, unless he in spirit foresaw the future? For if the prophet spake of any chance event, he would not be a prophet then in speaking of things which were under the eye of all. But one who sets forth in detail things yet to be, was rightly judged a prophet. Wherefore prophets were with good reason called from the very first "seers." And hence we, too, who are rightly instructed in what was declared aforetime by them, speak not of our own capacity. For we do not attempt to made any change one way or another among ourselves in the words that were spoken of old by them, but we make the Scriptures in which these are written public, and read them to those who can believe rightly; for that is a common benefit for both parties: for him who speaks, in holding in memory and setting forth correctly things uttered of old; and for him who hears, in giving attention to the things spoken.
Since, then, in this there is a work assigned to both parties together, viz., to him who speaks, that he speak forth faithfully without regard to risk, and to him who hears, that he hear and receive in faith that which is spoken, I beseech you to strive together with me in prayer to God.
3. Do you wish then to know in what manner the Word of God, who was again the Son of God, as He was of old the Word, communicated His revelations to the blessed prophets in former times? Well, as the Word shows His compassion and His denial of all respect of persons by all the saints, He enlightens them and adapts them to that which is advantageous for us, like a skilful physician, understanding the weakness of men. And the ignorant He loves to teach, and the erring He turns again to His own true way. And by those who live by faith He is easily found; and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, He opens immediately. For He casts away none of His servants as unworthy of the divine mysteries. He does not esteem the rich man more highly than the poor, nor does He despise the poor man for his poverty. He does not disdain the barbarian, nor does He set the eunuch aside as no man. He does not hate the female on account of the woman's act of disobedience in the beginning, nor does He reject the male on account of the man's transgression. But He seeks all, and desires to save all, wishing to make all the children of God, and calling all the saints unto one perfect man. For there is also one Son (or Servant) of God, by whom we too, receiving the regeneration through the Holy Spirit, desire to come all unto one perfect and heavenly man.
4. For whereas the Word of God was without flesh, He took upon Himself the holy flesh by the holy Virgin, and prepared a robe which He wove for Himself, like a bridegroom, in the sufferings of the cross, in order that by uniting His own power with our moral body, and by mixing the incorruptible with the corruptible, and the strong with the weak, He might save perishing man. The web-beam, therefore, is the pass on of the Lord upon the cross, and the warp on it is the power of the Holy Spirit, and the woof is the holy flesh wrought (woven) by the Spirit, and the thread is the grace which by the love of Christ binds and unites the two in one, and the combs or (rods) are the Word; and the workers are the patriarchs and prophets who weave the fair, long, perfect tunic for Christ; and the Word passing through these, like the combs or (rods), completes through them that which His Father willeth.
5. But as time now presses for the consideration of the question immediately in hand, and as what has been already said in the introduction with regard to the glory of God, may suffice, it is proper that we take the Holy Scriptures themselves in hand, and find out from them what, and of what manner, the coming of Antichrist is; on what occasion and at what time that implores one shall be revealed; and whence and from what I tribe (he shall come); and what his name is, which is indicated by the number in the Scripture; and how he shall work error among the people, gathering them from the ends of the earth; and (how) he shall stir up tribulation and persecution against the saints; and how he shall glorify himself as God; and what his end shall be; and how the sudden appearing of the Lord shall be revealed froth heaven; and what the conflagration of the whole world shall be; and what the glorious and heavenly kingdom of the saints is to be, when they reign together with Christ; and what the punishment of the wicked by fire.
6. Now, as our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also God, was prophesied of under the figure of a lion, on account of His royalty and glory, in the same way have the Scriptures also aforetime spoken of Antichrist as a lion, on account of his tyranny and violence. For the deceiver seeks to liken himself in all things to the Son of God. Christ is a lion, so Antichrist is also a lion; Christ is a king, so Antichrist is also a king. The Saviour was manifested as a lamb; so he too, in like manner, will appear as a lamb, though within he is a wolf. The Saviour came into the World in the circumcision, and he will come in the same manner. The Lord sent apostles among all the nations, and he in like manner will send false apostles. The Saviour gathered together the sheep that were scattered abroad, and he in like manner will bring together a people that is scattered abroad. The Lord gave a seal to those who believed on Him, and he will give one like manner. The Saviour appeared in the form of man, and he too will come in the form of a man. The Saviour raised up and showed His holy flesh like a temple, and he will raise a temple of stone in Jerusalem. And his seductive arts we shall exhibit in what follows. But for the present let us turn to the question in hand.
7. Now the blessed Jacob speaks to the following effect in his benedictions, testifying prophetically of our Lord and Saviour: "Judah, let thy brethren praise thee: thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the shoot, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lion's whelp; who shall rouse him up? A ruler shall not depart from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until he come for whom it is reserved; and he shall be the expectation of the nations. Binding his ass to a vine, and his ass's colt to the vine tendril; he shall wash his garment in wine, and his clothes in the blood of the grapes. His eyes shall be gladsome as with wine, and his teeth shall be whiter than milk."
8. Knowing, then, as I do, how to explain these things in detail, I deem it right at present to quote the words themselves. But since the expressions themselves urge us to speak of them. I shall not omit to do so. For these are truly divine and glorious things, and things well calculated to benefit the soul. The prophet, in using the expression, a lion's whelp, means him who sprang from Judah and David according to the flesh, who was not made indeed of the seed of David, but was conceived by the (power of the) Holy Ghost, and came forth from the holy shoot of earth. For Isaiah says, "There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall grow up out of it." That which is called by Isaiah a flower, Jacob calls a shoot. For first he shot forth, and then he flourished in the world. And the expression, "he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lion's whelp," refers to the three days' sleep (death, couching) of Christ; as also Isaiah says, "How is faithful Sion become an harlot! it was full of judgment; in which righteousness lodged (couched); but now murderers." And David says to the same effect, "I laid me down (couched) and slept; I awaked: for the Lord will sustain me;" in which words he points to the fact of his sleep and rising again. And Jacob says, "Who shall rouse him up?" And that is just what David and Paul both refer to, as when Paul says, "and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead."
9. And in saying, "A ruler shall not depart from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until he come for whom it is reserved; and he shall be the expectation of the nations," he referred the fulfilment (of that prophecy) to Christ. For He is our expectation. For we expect Him, (and) by faith we behold Him as He comes from heaven with power.
10. "Binding his ass to a vine:" that means that He unites His people of the circumcision with His own calling (vocation). For He was the vine. "And his ass's colt to the vine-tendril:" that denotes the people of the Gentiles, as He calls the circumcision and the uncircumcision unto one faith.
11. "He shall wash his garment in wine," that is, according to that voice of His Father which came down by the Holy Ghost at the Jordan. "And his clothes in the blood of the grape." In the blood of what grape, then, but just His own flesh, which hung upon the tree like a cluster of grapes?--from whose side also flowed two streams, of blood and water, in which the nations are washed and purified, which (nations) He may be supposed to have as a robe about Him.
12. "His eyes gladsome with wine." And what are the eyes of Christ but the blessed prophets, who foresaw in the Spirit, and announced beforehand, the sufferings that were to befall Him, and rejoiced in seeing Him in power with spiritual eyes, being furnished (for their vocation) by the word Himself and His grace?
13. And in saying, "And his teeth (shall be) whiter than milk," he referred to the commandments that proceed from the holy mouth of Christ, and which are pure (purify) as milk.
14. Thus did the Scriptures preach before-time of this lion and lion's whelp. And in like manner also we find it written regarding Antichrist. For Moses speaks thus: "Dan is a lion's whelp, and he shall leap from Bashan." But that no one may err by supposing that this is said of the Saviour, let him attend carefully to the matter. "Dan," he says, "is a lion's whelp;" and in naming the tribe of Dan, he declared clearly the tribe from which Antichrist is destined to spring. For as Christ springs from the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist is to spring from the tribe of Dan. And that the case stands thus, we see also from the words of Jacob: "Let Dan be 'a serpent, lying upon the ground, biting the horse's heel." What, then, is meant by the serpent but Antichrist, that deceiver who is mentioned in Genesis, who deceived Eve and supplanted Adam (pternisas, bruised Adam's heel)? But since it is necessary to prove this assertion by sufficient testimony, we shall not shrink from the task.
15. That it is in reality out of the tribe of Dan, then, that that tyrant and king, that dread judge, that son of the devil, is destined to spring and arise, the prophet testifies when he says, "Dan shall judge his people, as (he is) also one tribe in Israel." But some one may say that this refers to Samson, who sprang from the tribe of Dan, and judged the people twenty years. Well, the prophecy had its partial fulfilment in Samson, but its complete fulfilment is reserved for Antichrist. For Jeremiah also speaks to this effect: "From Dan we are to hear the sound of the swiftness of his horses: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing, of the driving of his horses." And another prophet says: "He shall gather together all his strength, from the east even to the west. They whom he calls, and they whom he calls not, shall go with him. He shall make the sea white with the sails of his ships, and the plain black with the shields of his armaments. And whosoever shall oppose him in war shall fall by the sword." That these things, then, are said of no one else but that tyrant, and shameless one, and adversary of God, we shall show in what follows.
16. But Isaiah also speaks thus: "And it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will punish (visit) the stout mind, the king of Assyria, and the greatness (height) of the glory of his eyes. For he said, By my strength will I do it, and by the wisdom of my understanding I will remove the bounds of the peoples, and will rob them of their strength: and I will make the inhabited cities tremble, and will gather the whole world in my hand like a nest, and I will lift it up like eggs that are left. And there is no one that shall escape or gainsay me, and open the mouth and chatter. Shall the axe boast itself without him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself without him that shaketh (draweth) it? As if one should raise a rod or a staff, and the staff should lift itself up: and not thus. But the Lord shall send dishonour unto thy honour; and into thy glory a burning fire shall burn. And the light of Israel shall be a fire, and shall sanctify him in flame, and shall consume the forest like grass."
17. And again he says in another place: "How bath the exactor ceased, and how hath the oppressor ceased! God hath broken the yoke of the rulers of sinners, He who smote the people in wrath, and with an incurable stroke: He that strikes the people with an incurable stroke, which He did not spare. He ceased (rested) confidently: the whole earth shouts with rejoicing. The trees of Lebanon rejoiced at thee, and the cedar of Lebanon, (saying), Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. Hell from beneath is moved at meeting thee: all the mighty ones, the rulers of the earth, are gathered together--the lords from their thrones. All the kings of the nations, all they shall answer together, and shall say, And thou, too, art taken as we; and thou art reckoned among us. Thy pomp is brought down to earth, thy great rejoicing: they will spread decay under thee; and the worm shall be thy covering. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! He is cast down to the ground who sends off to all the nations. And thou didst say in thy mind, I will ascend into heaven, I will set my throne above the stars of heaven: I will sit down upon the lofty mountains towards the north: I will ascend above the clouds: I will be like the Most High. Yet now thou shalt be brought down to hell, and to the foundations of the earth! They that see thee shall wonder at thee, and shall say, This is the man that excited the earth, that did shake kings, that made the whole world a wilderness, and destroyed the cities, that released not those in prison. All the kings of the earth did lie in honour, every one in his own house; but thou shall be cast out on the mountains like a loathsome carcase, with many who fall, pierced through with the sword, and going down to hell. As a garment stained with blood is not pure, so neither shall thou be comely (or clean); because thou hast destroyed my land, and slain my people. Thou shalt not abide, enduring for ever, a wicked seed. Prepare thy children for slaughter, for the sins of thy father, that they rise not, neither possess my land."
18. Ezekiel also speaks of him to the same effect, thus: "Thus saith the Lord God, Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the sea; yet art thou a man, and not God, (though) thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God. Art thou wiser than Daniel? Have the wise not instructed thee in their wisdom? With thy wisdom or with thine understanding hast thou gotten thee power, and gold and silver in thy treasures? By thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy power? Thy heart is lifted up in thy power. Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God: behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, plagues from the nations: and they shall draw their swords against thee, and against the beauty of thy wisdom; and they shall level thy beauty to destruction; and they shall bring thee down; and thou shall die by the death of the wounded in the midst of the sea. Wilt thou yet say before them that slay thee, I am God? But thou art a man, and no God, in the hand of them that wound thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord."
19. These words then being thus presented, let us observe somewhat in detail what Daniel says in his visions. For in distinguishing the kingdoms that are to rise after these things, he showed also the coming of Antichrist in the last times, and the consummation of the whole world. In expounding the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, then, he speaks thus: "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image standing before thy face: the head of which was of fine gold, its arms and shoulders of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, and its legs of iron, (and) its feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest, then, till that a stone was cut out without hands, and smote the image upon the feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to an end. Then were the clay, the iron, the brass, the silver, (and) the gold broken, and became like the chaff from the summer threshing-floor; and the strength (fulness) of the wind carried them away, and there was no place found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."
20. Now if we set Daniel's own visions also side by side with this, we shall have one exposition to give of the two together, and shall (be able to) show how concordant with each other they are, and how true. For he speaks thus: "I Daniel saw, and behold the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first (was) like a lioness, and had wings as of an eagle. I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold a second beast like to a bear, and it was made stand on one part, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it. I beheld, and lo a beast like a leopard, and it had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl, and the beast had four heads. After this I saw, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; it had iron teeth and daws of brass, which devoured and brake in pieces, and it stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered its horns, and behold there came up among them another little horn, and before it there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."
21. "I beheld till the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days did sit: and His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool: His throne was a flame of fire, His wheels were a burning fire. A stream of fire flowed before Him. Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood around Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake, till the beast was slain and per ished, and his body given to the burning of fire. And the dominion of the other beasts was taken away."
22. "I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the Son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and was brought near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and honour, and the kingdom; and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed."
23. Now since these things, spoken as they are with a mystical meaning, may seem to some hard to understand, we shall keep back nothing fitted to impart an intelligent apprehension of them to those who are possessed of a sound mind. He said, then, that a "lioness came up from the sea," and by that he meant the kingdom of the Babylonians in the world, which also was the head of gold on the image. In saying that "it had wings as of an eagle," he meant that Nebuchadnezzar the king was lifted up and was exalted against God. Then he says, "the wings thereof were plucked," that is to say, his glory was destroyed; for he was driven out of his kingdom. And the words, "a man's heart was given to it, and it was made stand upon the feet as a man," refer to the fact that he repented and recognised himself to be only a man, and gave the glory to God.
24. Then, after the lioness, he sees a "second beast like a bear," and that denoted the Persians. For after the Babylonians, the Persians held the sovereign power And in saving that there were "three ribs in the mouth of it," he pointed to three nations, viz., the Persians, and the Medes, and the Babylonians; which were also represented on the image by the silver after the gold. Then (there was) "the third beast, a leopard," which meant the Greeks. For after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon obtained the sovereign power on subverting Darius, as is also shown by the brass on the image. And in saying that it had "four wings of a fowl," he taught us most clearly how the kingdom of Alexander was partitioned. For in speaking of "four heads," he made mention of four kings, viz., those who arose out of that (kingdom). For Alexander, when dying, partitioned out his kingdom into four divisions.
25. Then he says: "A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible; it had iron teeth and claws of brass." And who are these but the Romans? which (kingdom) is meant by the iron--the kingdom which is now established; for the legs of that (image) were of iron. And after this, what remains, beloved, but the toes of the feet of the image, in which part is iron and part clay, mixed together?
And mystically by the toes of the feet he meant the kings who are to arise from among them; as Daniel also says (in the words), "I considered the beast, and lo there were ten horns behind it, among which shall rise another (horn), an offshoot, and shall pluck up by the roots the three (that were) before it."
And under this was signified none other than Antichrist, who is also himself to raise the kingdom of the Jews. He says that three horns are plucked up by the root by him, viz., the three kings of Egypt, and Libya, and Ethiopia, whom he cuts off in the array of battle. And he, after gaining terrible power over all, being nevertheless a tyrant, shall stir up tribulation and persecution against men, exalting himself against them. For Daniel says: "I considered the horn, and behold that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, till the beast was slain and perished, and its body was given to the burning of fire."
26. After a little space the stone will come from heaven which smites the image and breaks it in pieces, and subverts all the kingdoms, and gives the kingdom to the saints of the Most High. This is the stone which becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth, of which Daniel says: "I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and was brought near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, tribes, and languages shall serve Him: and His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed." He showed all power given by the Father to the Son, who is ordained Lord of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and Judge of all: of things in heaven, because He was born, the Word of God, before all (ages); and of things on earth, because He became man in the midst of men, to re-create our Adam through Himself; and of things under the earth, because He was also reckoned among the dead, preaching the Gospel to the souls of the saints, (and) by death overcoming death.
27. As these things, then, are in the future, and as the ten toes of the image are equivalent to (so many) democracies, and the ten horns of the fourth beast are distributed over ten kingdoms, let us look at the subject a little more closely, and consider these matters as in the clear light of a personal survey.
28. The golden head of the image and the lioness denoted the Babylonians; the shoulders and arms of silver, and the bear, represented the Persians and Medes; the belly and thighs of brass, and the leopard, meant the Greeks, who held the sovereignty from Alexander's time; the legs of iron, and the beast dreadful and terrible, expressed the Romans, who hold the sovereignty at present; the toes of the feet which were part clay and part iron, and the ten horns, were emblems of the kingdoms that are yet to rise; the other little horn that grows up among them meant the Antichrist in their midst; the stone that smites the earth and brings judgment upon the world was Christ.
29. These things, beloved, we impart to you with fear, and yet readily, on account of the love of Christ, which surpasseth all. For if the blessed prophets who preceded us did not choose to proclaim these things, though they knew them, openly and boldly, lest they should disquiet the souls of men, but recounted them mystically in parables and dark sayings, speaking thus, "Here is the mind which hath wisdom," how much greater risk shall we run in venturing to declare openly things spoken by them in obscure terms! Let us look, therefore, at the things which are to befall this unclean harlot in the last days; and (let us consider) what and what manner of tribulation is destined to visit her in the wrath of God before the judgment as an earnest of her doom.
30. Come, then, O blessed Isaiah; arise, tell us clearly what thou didst prophesy with respect to the mighty Babylon. For thou didst speak also of Jerusalem, and thy word is accomplished. For thou didst speak boldly and openly: "Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate as overthrown by many strangers. The daughter of Sion shall be left as a cottage in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city."
What then? Are not these things come to pass? Are not the things announced by thee fulfilled? Is not their country, Judea, desolate? Is not the holy place burned with fire? Are not their walls cast down? Are not their cities destroyed? Their land, do not strangers devour it? Do not the Romans rule the country? And indeed these impious people hated thee, and did saw thee asunder, and they crucified Christ. Thou art dead in the world, but thou livest in Christ.
31. Which of you, then, shall I esteem more than thee? Yet Jeremiah, too, is stoned. But if I should esteem Jeremiah most, yet Daniel too has his testimony. Daniel, I commend thee above all; yet John too gives no false witness. With how many mouths and tongues would I praise you; or rather the Word who spake in you! Ye died with Christ; and ye will live with Christ. Hear ye, and rejoice; behold the things announced by you have been fulfilled in their time. For ye saw these things yourselves first, and then ye proclaimed them to all generations. Ye ministered the oracles of God to all generations. Ye prophets were called, that ye might be able to save all. For then is one a prophet indeed, when, having announced beforetime things about to be, he can afterwards show that they have actually happened. Ye were the disciples of a good Master. These words I address to you as if alive, and with propriety. For ye hold already the crown of life and immortality which is laid up for you in heaven.
32. Speak with me, O blessed Daniel. Give me full assurance, I beseech thee. Thou dost prophesy concerning the lioness in Babylon; for thou wast a captive there. Thou hast unfolded the future regarding the bear; for thou wast still in the world, and didst see the things come to pass. Then thou speakest to me of the leopard; and whence canst thou know this, for thou art already gone to thy rest? Who instructed thee to announce these things, but He who formed thee in (from) thy mother's womb? That is God, thou sayest. Thou hast spoken indeed, and that not falsely. The leopard has arisen; the he-goat is come; he hath smitten the ram; he hath broken his horns in pieces; he hath stamped upon him with his feet. He has been exalted by his fall; (the) four horns have come up from under that one. Rejoice, blessed Daniel! thou hast not been in error: all these things have come to pass.
33. After this again thou hast told me of the beast dreadful and terrible. "It had iron teeth and claws of brass: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it." Already the iron rules; already it subdues and breaks all in pieces; already it brings all the unwilling into subjection; already we see these things ourselves. Now we glorify God, being instructed by thee.
34. But as the task before us was to speak of the harlot, be thou with us, O blessed Isaiah.
Let us mark what thou sayest about Babylon. "Come down, sit upon the ground, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit, O daughter of the Chaldeans; thou shalt no longer be called tender and delicate. Take the millstone, grind meal, draw aside thy veil, shave the grey hairs, make bare the legs, pass over the rivers. Thy shame shall be uncovered, thy reproach shall be seen: I will take justice of thee, I will no more give thee over to men. As for thy Redeemer, (He is) the Lord of hosts, the Holy One of Israel is his name. Sit thou in compunction, get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: thou shall no longer be called the strength of the kingdom.
35. "I was wroth with my people; I have polluted mine inheritance, I have given them into thine hand: and thou didst show them no mercy; but upon the ancient (the elders) thou hast very heavily laid thy yoke. And thou saidst, I shall be a princess for ever: thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember thy latter end. Therefore hear now this, thou that art delicate; that sittest, that art confident, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and there is none else; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children. But now these two things shall come upon thee in one day, widowhood and the loss of children: they shall come upon thee suddenly in thy sorcery, in the strength of thine enchantments mightily, in the hope of thy fornication. For thou hast said, I am, and there is none else. And thy fornication shall be thy shame, because thou hast said in thy heart, I am. And destruction shall come upon thee, and thou shalt not know it. (And there shall be) a pit, and thou shalt full into it; and misery shall fall upon thee, and thou shalt not be able to be made clean; and destruction shall come upon thee, and thou shalt not know it. Stand now with thy enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, which thou hast learned from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to be profited. Thou art wearied in thy counsels. Let the astrologers of the heavens stand and save thee; let the star-gazers announce to thee what shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall all be as sticks for the fire; so shall they be burned, and they shall not deliver their soul from the flame. Because thou hast coals of fire, sit upon them; so shall it be for thy help. Thou art wearied with change from thy youth. Man has gone astray (each one) by himself; and there shall be no salvation for thee." These things does Isaiah prophesy for thee. Let us see now whether John has spoken to the same effect.
36. For he sees, when in the isle Patmos, a revelation of awful mysteries, which he recounts freely, and makes known to others. Tell me, blessed John, apostle and disciple of the Lord, what didst thou see and hear concerning Babylon? Arise, and speak; for it sent thee also into banishment. "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold, and precious stone, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of the fornication of the earth. Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.
37. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose name was not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet shall be.
38. "And here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not ye come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was and is not, (even he is the eighth,) and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
39. "And he saith to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
40. "After these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins did cleave even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her l iniquities.
41. "Reward her even as she rewarded (you), and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas! that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man shall buy their merchandise any more. The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and spices, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and goats, and horses, and chariots, and slaves (bodies), and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly have perished from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas! that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! for in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city? And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas! that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her fatness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
42. "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye angels, and apostles, and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
43. With respect, then, to the particular judgment in the torments that are to come upon it in the last times by the hand of the tyrants who shall arise then, the clearest statement has been given in these passages. But it becomes us further diligently to examine and set forth the period at which these things shall come to pass, and how the little horn shall spring up in their midst. For when the legs of iron have issued in the feet and toes, according to the similitude of the image and that of the terrible beast, as has been shown in the above, (then shall be the time) when the iron and the clay shall be mingled together. Now Daniel will set forth this subject to us. For he says, "And one week will make a covenant with many, and it shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease." By one week, therefore, he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world of which week the two prophets Enoch and Elias will take up the half. For they will preach 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth, proclaiming repentance to the people and to all the nations.
44. For as two advents of our Lord and Saviour are indicated in the Scriptures, the one being His first advent in the flesh, which took place without honour by reason of His being set at nought, as Isaiah spake of Him aforetime, saying, "We saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness, but His form was despised (and) rejected (lit. = deficient) above all men; a man smitten and familiar with bearing infirmity, (for His face was turned away); He was despised, and esteemed not." But His second advent is announced as glorious, when He shall come from heaven with the host of angels, and the glory of His Father, as the prophet saith, "Ye shall see the King in glory;" and, "I saw one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven; and he came to the Ancient of days, and he was brought to Him. And there were given Him dominion, and honour, and glory, and the kingdom; all tribes and languages shall serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away." Thus also two forerunners were indicated. The first was John the son of Zacharias, who appeared in all things a forerunner and herald of our Saviour, preaching of the heavenly light that had appeared in the world. He first fulfilled the course of forerunner, and that from his mother's womb, being conceived by Elisabeth, in order that to those, too, who are children from their mother's womb he might declare the new birth that was to take place for their sakes by the Holy Ghost and the Virgin.
45. He, on hearing the salutation addressed to Elisabeth, leaped with joy in his mother's womb, recognising God the Word conceived in the womb of the Virgin. Thereafter he came forward preaching in the wilderness, proclaiming the baptism of repentance to the people, (and thus) announcing prophetically salvation to the nations living in the wilderness of the world. After this, at the Jordan, seeing the Saviour with his own eye, he points Him out, and says, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" He also first preached to those in Hades, becoming a forerunner there when he was put to death by Herod, that there too he might intimate that the Saviour would descend to ransom the souls of the saints from the hand of death.
46. But since the Saviour was the beginning of the resurrection of all men, it was meet that the Lord alone should rise from the dead, by whom too the judgment is to enter for the whole world, that they who have wrestled worthily may be also crowned worthily by Him, by the illustrious Arbiter, to wit, who Himself first accomplished the course, and was received into the heavens, and was set down on the right hand of God the Father, and is to be manifested again at the end of the world as Judge. It is a matter of course that His forerunners must appear first, as He says by Malachi and the angel, "I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the day of the Lord, the great and notable day, comes; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, lest i come and smite the earth utterly." These, then, shall come and proclaim the manifestation of Christ that is to be from heaven; and they shall also perform signs and wonders, in order that men may be put to shame and turned to repentance for their surpassing wickedness and impiety.
47. For John says, "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." That is the half of the week whereof Daniel spake. "These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and devour their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over waters, to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their course and their testimony," what saith the prophet? "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them," because they will not give glory to Antichrist. For this is meant by the little horn that grows up. He, being now elated in heart, begins to exalt himself, and to glorify himself as God, persecuting the saints and blaspheming Christ, even as Daniel says, "I considered the horn, and, behold, in the horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things; and he opened his mouth to blaspheme God.
And that born made war against the saints, and prevailed against them until the beast was slain, and perished, and his body was given to be burned."
48. But as it is incumbent on us to discuss this matter of the beast more exactly, and in particular the question how the Holy Spirit has also mystically indicated his name by means of a number, we shall proceed to state more clearly what bears upon him. John then speaks thus: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him; and he made the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he did great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for if is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six."
49. By the beast, then, coming up out of the earth, he means the kingdom of Antichrist; and by the two horns he means him and the false prophet after him. And in speaking of "the horns being like a lamb," he means that he will make himself like the Son of God, and set himself forward as king. And the terms, "he spake like a dragon," mean that he is a deceiver, and not truthful. And the words, "he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed," signify that, after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the empire of Rome was established, he too will rule and govern, sanctioning everything by it, and taking greater glory to himself.
For this is the fourth beast, whose head was wounded and healed again, in its being broken up or even dishonoured, and partitioned into four crowns; and he then (Antichrist) shall with knavish skill heal it, as it were, and restore it. For this is what is meant by the prophet when he says, "He will give life unto the image, and the image of the beast will speak." For he will act with vigour again, and prove strong by reason of the laws established by him; and he will cause all those who will not worship the image of the beast to be put to death. Here the faith and the patience of the saints will appear, for he says: "And he will cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name." For, being full of guile, and exalting himself against the servants of God, with the wish to afflict them and persecute them out of the world, because they give not glory to him, he will order incense-pans to be set up by all everywhere, that no man among the saints may be able to buy or sell without first sacrificing; for this is what is meant by the mark received upon the right hand. And the word--"in their forehead"--indicates that all are crowned, and put on a crown of fire, and not of life, but of death. For in ibis wise, too, did Antiochus Epiphanes the king of Syria, the descendant of Alexander of Macedon, devise measures against the Jews. He, too, in the exaltation of his heart, issued a decree in those times, that "all should set up shrines before their doors, and sacrifice, and that they should march in procession to the honour of Dionysus, waving chaplets of ivy;" and that those who refused obedience should be put to death by strangulation and torture. But he also met his due recompense at the hand of the Lord, the righteous Judge and all-searching God; for he died eaten up of worms. And if one desires to inquire into that more accurately, he will find it recorded in the books of the Maccabees.
50. But now we shall speak of what is before us. For such measures will he, too, devise, seeking to afflict the saints in every way. For the prophet and apostle says: "Here is wisdom, Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six." With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a conjectural account of it; for when he appears, the blessed one will show us what we seek to know. Yet as far as our doubtful apprehension of the matter goes, we may speak. Many names indeed we find, the letters of which are the equivalent of this number: such as, for instance, the word Titan, an ancient and notable name; or Evanthas, for it too makes up the same number; and many others which might be found. But, as we have already said, the wound of the first beast was healed, and he (the second beast) was to make the image speak, that is to say, he should be powerful; and it is manifest to all that those who at present still hold the power are Latins. If, then, we take the name as the name of a single man, it becomes Latins. Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not be otherwise designated. But having the mystery of God in our heart, we ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by the blessed prophets, in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for them, and not deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of whom these thing are said, will be manifested.
51. But not to confine ourselves to these words and arguments alone, for the purpose of convincing those who love to study the oracles of God, we shall demonstrate the matter by many other proofs. For Daniel says, "And these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon." Ammon and Moab are the children born to Lot by his daughters, and their race survives even now. And Isaiah says: "And they shall fly in the boats of strangers, plundering the sea together, and (they shall spoil) them of the east: and they shall lay hands upon Moab first; and the children of Ammon shall first obey them."
52. In those times, then, he shall arise and meet them. And when he has overmastered three horns out of the ten in the array of war, and has rooted these out, viz., Egypt, and Libya, and Ethiopia, and has got their spoils and trappings, and has brought the remaining horns which suffer into subjection, he will begin to be lifted up in heart, and to exalt himself against God as master of the whole world. And his first expedition will be against Tyre and Berytus, and the circumjacent territory. For by storming these cities first he will strike terror into the others, as Isaiah says, "Be thou ashamed, O Sidon; the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea hath spoken, saying, I travailed not, nor brought forth children; neither did I nurse up young men, nor bring up virgins. But when the report comes to Egypt, pain shall seize them for Tyre."
53. These things, then, shall be in the future, beloved; and when the three horns are cut off, he will begin to show himself as God, as Ezekiel has said aforetime: "Because thy heart has been lifted up, and thou hast said, I am God." And to the like effect Isaiah says: "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven: I will be like the Most High. Yet now thou shall be brought down to hell (Hades), to the foundations of the earth." In like manner also Ezekiel: "Wilt thou yet say to those who slay thee, I am God? But thou (shall be) a man, and no God."
54. As his tribe, then, and his manifestation, and his destruction, have been set forth in these words, and as his name has also been indicated mystically, let us look also at his action. For he will call together all the people to himself, out of every country of the dispersion, making them his own, as though they were his own children, and promising to restore their country, and establish again their kingdom and nation, in order that he may be worshipped by them as God, as the prophet says: "He will collect his whole kingdom, from the rising of the sun even to its setting: they whom he summons and they whom he does not summon shall march with him." And Jeremiah speaks of him thus in a parable: "The partridge cried, (and) gathered what he did not hatch, making himself riches without judgment: in the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool."
55. It will not be detrimental, therefore, to the course of our present argument, if we explain the art of that creature, and show that the prophet has not spoken without a purpose in using the parable (or similitude) of the creature. For as the partridge is a vainglorious creature, when it sees near at hand the nest of another partridge with young in it, and with the parent-bird away on the wing in quest of food, it imitates the cry of the other bird, and calls the young to itself; and they, taking it to be their own parent, run to it. And it delights itself proudly in the alien pullets as in its own. But when the real parent-bird returns, and calls them with its own familiar cry, the young recognise it, and forsake the deceiver, and betake themselves to the real parent. This thing, then, the prophet has adopted as a simile, applying it in a similar manner to Antichrist. For he will allure mankind to himself, wishing to gain possession of those who are not his own, and promising deliverance to all, while he is unable to save himself.
56. He then, having gathered to himself the unbelieving everywhere throughout the world, comes at their call to persecute the saints, their enemies and antagonists, as the apostle and evangelist says: "There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city, who came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her."
57. By the unrighteous judge, who fears not God, neither regards man, he means without doubt Antichrist, as he is a son of the devil and a vessel of Satan. For when he has the power, he will begin to exalt himself against God, neither in truth fearing God, nor regarding the Son of God, who is the Judge of all. And in saying that there was a widow in the city, he refers to Jerusalem itself, which is a widow indeed, forsaken of her perfect, heavenly spouse, God. She calls Him her adversary, and not her Saviour; for she does not understand that which was said by the prophet Jeremiah: "Because they obeyed not the truth, a spirit of error shall speak then to this people and to Jerusalem." And Isaiah also to the like effect: "Forasmuch as the people refuseth to drink the water of Siloam that goeth softly, but chooseth to have Rasin and Romeliah's son as king over you: therefore, lo, the Lord bringeth up upon you the water of the river, strong and full, even the king of Assyria." By the king he means metaphorically Antichrist, as also another prophet saith: "And this man shall be the peace from me, when the Assyrian shall come up into your land, and when he shall tread in your mountains."
58. And in like manner Moses, knowing beforehand that the people would reject and disown the true Saviour of the world, and take part with error, and choose an earthly king, and set the heavenly King at nought, says: "Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? In the day of vengeance I will recompense (them), and in the time when their foot shall slide." They did slide, therefore, in all things, as they were found to be in harmony with the truth in nothing: neither as concerns the law, because they became transgressors; nor as concerns the prophets, because they cut off even the prophets themselves; nor as concerns the voice of the Gospels, because they crucified the Saviour Himself; nor in believing the apostles, because they persecuted them. At all times they showed themselves enemies and betrayers of the truth, and were found to be haters of God, and not lovers of Him; and such they shall be then when they find opportunity: for, rousing themselves against the servants of God, they will seek to obtain vengeance by the hand of a mortal man. And he, being puffed up with pride by their subserviency, will begin to despatch missives against the saints, commanding to cut them all off everywhere, on the ground of their refusal to reverence and worship him as God, according to the word of Esaias: "Woe to the wings of the vessels of the land, beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: (woe to him) who sendeth sureties by the sea, and letters of papyrus (upon the water; for nimble messengers will go) to a nation anxious and expectant, and a people strange and bitter against them; a nation hopeless and trodden down."
59. But we who hope for the Son of God are persecuted and trodden down by those unbelievers. For the wings of the vessels are the churches; and the sea is the world, in which the Church is set, like a ship tossed in the deep, but not destroyed; for she has with her the skilled Pilot, Christ. And she bears in her midst also the trophy (which is erected) over death; for she carries with her the cross of the Lord. For her prow is the east, and her stern is the west, and her hold is the south, and her tillers are the two Testaments; and the ropes that stretch around her are the love of Christ, which binds the Church; and the net which she bears with her is the layer of the regeneration which renews the believing, whence too are these glories. As the wind the Spirit from heaven is present, by whom those who believe are sealed: she has also anchors of iron accompanying her, viz., the holy commandments of Christ Himself, which are strong as iron. She has also mariners on the right and on the left, assessors like the holy angels, by whom the Church is always governed and defended. The ladder in her leading up to the sailyard is an emblem of the passion of Christ, which brings the faithful to the ascent of heaven. And the top-sails aloft upon the yard are the company of prophets, martyrs, and apostles, who have entered into their rest in the kingdom of Christ.
60. Now, concerning the tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon the Church from the adversary, John also speaks thus: "And I saw a great and wondrous sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child, cries, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man-child, who is to rule all the nations: and the child was caught up unto God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath the place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And then when the dragon saw it, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child. And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast (out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast) out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the saints of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus."
61. By the woman then clothed with the sun," he meant most manifestly the Church, endued wth the Father's word, whose brightness is above the sun. And by the "moon under her feet" he referred to her being adorned, like the moon, with heavenly glory. And the words, "upon her head a crown of twelve stars," refer to the twelve apostles by whom the Church was founded. And those, "she, being with child, cries, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered," mean that the Church will not cease to bear from her heart the Word that is persecuted by the unbelieving in the world. "And she brought forth," he says, "a man-child, who is to rule all the nations;" by which is meant that the Church, always bringing forth Christ, the perfect man-child of God, who is declared to be God and man, becomes the instructor of all the nations. And the words, "her child was caught up unto God and to His throne," signify that he who is always born of her is a heavenly king, and not an earthly; even as David also declared of old when he said, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at my right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." "And the dragon," he says, "saw and persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child. And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." That refers to the one thousand two hundred and threescore days (the half of the week) during which the tyrant is to reign and persecute the Church, which flees from city to city, and seeks conceal-meat in the wilderness among the mountains, possessed of no other defence than the two wings of the great eagle, that is to say, the faith of Jesus Christ, who, in stretching forth His holy hands on the holy tree, unfolded two wings, the right and the left, and called to Him all who believed upon Him, and covered them as a hen her chickens. For by the mouth of Malachi also He speaks thus: "And unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings."
62. The Lord also says, "When ye shall see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains, and let him which is on the housetop not come down to take his clothes; neither let him which is in the field return back to take anything out of his house. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." And Daniel says, "And they shall place the abomination of desolation a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand two hundred and ninety-five days."
63. And the blessed Apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, says: "Now we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together at it, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letters as from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for (that day shall not come) except there come the falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth (will let), until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: (even him) whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." And Esaias says, "Let the wicked be cut off, that he behold not the glory of the Lord."
64. These things, then, being to come to pass, beloved, and the one week being divided into two parts, and the abomination of desolation being manifested then, and the two prophets and forerunners of the Lord having finished their course, and the whole world finally approaching the consummation, what remains but the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from heaven, for whom we have looked in hope? who shall bring the conflagration and just judgment upon all who have refused to believe on Him.
For the Lord says, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." "And there shall not a hair of your head perish." "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." Now the fall took place in paradise; for Adam fell there. And He says again, "Then shall the Son of man send His angels, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds of heaven." And David also, in announcing prophetically the judgment and coming of the Lord, says, "His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and His circuit unto the end of the heaven: and there is no one hid from the heat thereof." By the heat he means the conflagration. And Esaias speaks thus: "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chamber, (and) shut thy door: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation of the Lord be overpast." And Paul in like manner: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness."
65. Moreover, concerning the resurrection and the kingdom of the saints, Daniel says, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise, some to everlasting life, (and some to shame and everlasting contempt)." Esaias says, "The dead men shall arise, and they that are in their tombs shall awake; for the dew from thee is healing to them." The Lord says, "Many in that day shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." And the prophet says, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." And John says, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power." For the second death is the lake of fire that burneth. And again the Lord says, "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun shineth in his glory." And to the saints He will say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." But what saith He to the wicked? "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, which my Father hath prepared." And John says, "Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever maketh and loveth a lie; for your part is in the hell of fire." And in like manner also Esaias: "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me. And their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be for a spectacle to all flesh."
66. Concerning the resurrection of the righteous, Paul also speaks thus in writing to the Thessalonians: "We would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive (and) remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice and trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive (and) remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
67. These things, then, I have set shortly before thee, O Theophilus, drawing them from Scripture itself, in order that, maintaining in faith what is written, and anticipating the things that are to be, thou mayest keep thyself void of offence both toward God and toward men, "looking for that blessed hope and appearing of our God and Saviour," when, having raised the saints among us, He will rejoice with them, glorifying the Father. To Him be the glory unto the endless ages of the ages. Amen.
3. Miscellaneous Prophecies
"When the times are fulfilled, and the ten horns spring from the beast in the last (times), then Antichrist will appear among them. When he makes war against the saints, and persecutes them, then may we expect the manifestation of the Lord from heaven.” 1
“In those times dew will not fall
from the heavens nor rain from the clouds, nor will the earth bear any fruits.
The sea will reek with a fearful stench because the rivers will have dried up and
fresh water will no longer flow into it from the mountain torrents. Pestilence
will spread across the whole world and because there will be few people left to
bury the earth in many localities will be strewn with corpses. Unconsolable
mourning, wailing and weeping will prevail everywhere. Men will consider those
fortunate those who died before them. Finally men will seek the help from
antichrist and because he will not be able to help them will come to the
realization than he is not god. When finally they understand how grossly he has
deceived them they will seek Jesus Christ. People will then cast away gold and
silver and no one will even stop to pick it up.” 2
“John says “I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. That is the half of the week whereof Daniel spake. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth….For this is what the prophets Enoch and Elias will preach…Let us observe somewhat in detail what Daniel says in his visions. For in distinguishing the kingdoms that are to rise after these things, he showed also the coming of Antichrist in the last times, and the consummation of the whole world. Daniel says “And one week will make a covenant with many and shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease”. By one week, therefore he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world…In every respect that deceiver seeks to make himself appear like the Son of God. Christ is a lion, and the Antichrist is a lion. Christ is king upon earth. The Saviour was manifested as a lamb; and he, too will appear as a lamb, while he is a wolf within…When Daniel says “I shall make a covenant for one week,” he indicated even years; and the one half of the week is for preaching of the prophets, and for the other half of the week -that is to say, for three years and a half –Antichrist will reign upon earth. And after this his kingdom and his glory will be taken away. And by reason of the scarcity of food, all will go to him and worship him; and he will put his mark on their right hand and on their forehead, that no one may put the sign of the honorable cross upon his forehead with his right hand; but his hand is bound…And his seal upon the forehead and upon the right hand is the number, six hundred threescore and six” 3
“The Great Gaulish Monarch, who shall subject all the East, shall come around the end of the world." 4
“Antichrist will order all things reminding him of Jesus Christ to be destroyed like the Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre on Mount Calvary and other holy places in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. In three and a half years will the antichrist reign as world emperor, he will prohibit under pain of death the administering of the sacraments and the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the mass. Mass will be celebrated mostly in the forests and in secret places as was the case in the first days of Christianity.” 5
1. Fragments from Commentaries, II, 7
2. Dr Franz Spigaro Details Conerning the Antichrist (R. Von Acken, Lingen (EMS), Hanover, Germany 1922) as quoted by Desmond A. Birch Trial Tribulation and Triumph: Before, During and After Antichrist, (Queenship Publishing. 1996) p 468
3. Rev R. Gerald. Culleton The Reign of Antichrist (Tan Books and publishers)
4. Rev R. Gerald. Culleton The Prophets and Our Times (Tan Books and Publishers 1941) p 107
5. Unknown source -please write in if you have any information