Book 4
Concerning the visions of the prophet Daniel1
Chapter 41
1. “And now,” he says, “I will proclaim to you the truth.”6 And so was the truth able to proclaim some other thing beyond the truth? The truth was what was seen by Daniel and he proclaimed the truth. He himself, with the truth being revealed in the world, teaches the truth. On account of1 which the blessed disciples are taught by Christ.
2. And so he says to him, “Behold, still three kings shall arise in Persia and the fourth will be rich with greater riches than all. And after he himself masters his riches he shall rise against all the kingdoms of the Greeks. And a mighty king shall arise, and he shall be lord of a great dominion and he shall do according to his will. And as his kingdom rises it shall be shattered and divided to the four winds of heaven.”2
3. And so we have already described these things above when we made the account concerning the four beasts, but since now Scripture describes all these things again in detail, it is absolutely necessary also for us to make a second account, so that we do not forsake Scripture as idle and indemonstrable.
4. “Still three,” he says, “kings shall arise in Persia and the fourth will be rich with greater riches than all.”3 For after Cyrus, Darius arose, then Artaxerxes, next Xerxes. These three were kings. Scripture is fulfilled.
5. “And the fourth will be rich with greater riches.”4 Who is this but Darius, who after reigning and being glorious, became wealthy and rose against all the kingdoms of the Greeks?
6. Alexander of Macedon rose against him, who was the son of Philip, and he seized his kingdom. And after he subjected the Persians, his kingdom was divided to the four winds of heaven. For while dying, Alexander divided his kingdom to four chiefs.
6 Daniel 11:2
1 Lit: For
2 Daniel 11:2-4
3 Daniel 11:2
4 Daniel 11:2
Chapter 42
1. “And another mighty king shall arise and he shall enter into the strongholds of the king of Egypt.”5
2. For one named Antiochus became king of Syria.
3. This one reigned in the one hundredth and thirtieth and seventh year of the kingdom of Greeks (175 BC).
4. And at this point, then in those times he engaged in war with Ptolemy king of Egypt, and having prevailed over him he ruled.
5. This one, returning from Egypt, went up to Jerusalem in the one hundredth and forty-third year (169 BC) and taking all the treasures which were in the house of the Lord he went to Antioch.
6. After these things happened in this way, two years later the king sent his own tax collector to
compel the Jews in the cities of Judea to transgress the laws of their fathers and to be subjected to the decrees and laws of the king.
7. And at this point when he arrived in the city of Modein, he summoned a certain righteous and pious man by the name of Matthias, who was from priestly stock, to whom he, answering, said, “Come now, Matthias, sacrifice and do what is prescribed by the king, just as he made all nations, because you are a great chief and a ruler in the city and are established in children and you will be a friend of the king.”1
8. But he, answering, said, “Though all nations and every man marches behind the king to do according to his command, I myself and my house and the house of my father will never do according to the prescription of the king; may we never depart from the law and covenant of our fathers; we will not listen to the words of the king to turn from our way right or left!”2
9. While he was still speaking these words, behold, a Jewish man, coming before his face, came to sacrifice upon the altar of Modein. But Matthias, seeing him, was zealous for the law and his innards trembled, and he stood up in the fury of judgment and having fixed his mind to the task, he killed the
Jewish man and also overpowered the guard of the king, and destroyed the altar and shouted, saying in the city, “Whoever is for the Lord who maintains the holy covenant let him follow after me!”1
10. And they left all their things in the city and fled into the mountains and an assembly of strong men clung to him with might and they became for him a support.
5 Daniel 11:3
1 1 Maccabees 2:17-18
2 1 Maccabees 2:19-22
1 1 Maccabees 2:23-27
Chapter 43
1. Then at this point, the army, which dwelt in Syria, having heard what happened, ran against them and made war against them on the day of the Sabbath. Those who feared the law of God and who kept the commandment of God did not lift up their hands against them, nor throw a stone against them, nor devise hiding places.
2. And the soldiers2 answered them and said, “‘Come forth now and do the command of the king and live!’ but they said, ‘We will not come out, nor will we do the command of the king, we will die in our sincerity. Heaven and earth testifies against you because you kill us recklessly.’”3
3. Then they fell upon them in fire and murder and in captivity and killed from them over a thousand souls.
4. And so what was spoken to the blessed Daniel was fulfilled, “And he will go on a journey and his heart shall be lifted up against the holy covenant, and he shall want to do all according to his heart, and my slaves shall be persecuted and weakened in hunger and in sword and in captivity.”4.
2 Lit: those
3 1 Maccabees 2:29-37
4 Daniel 11:28
Chapter 44
1. But after he heard these things, Matthias and his sons lamented concerning their brothers and they spoke to one another, saying, “If we all should do just as our brothers did, our enemies shall come and quickly remove us from the earth. And so if war comes upon us on the Sabbath let us stand and make war on behalf of our souls and on behalf of our customs.”1
2. Then after that point they ran down upon them and they pursued them from their boundaries and they entered into the city and circumcised the young boys, as many as they found uncircumcised, and they threw down the altars and all the sacred places and the deed brought prosperity into their hand.2
3. But Daniel says, “they shall be held with little help.”3
4. For then, after Matthias arose, Judas the Maccabee arose and helped them and delivered them from the hand of the Greeks and what was spoken in Scripture was fulfilled.
1 1 Maccabees 2:39-40
2 1 Maccabees 2:45-47
3 Daniel 11:34
Chapter 45
1. Again he says, “And the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to make with him agreements and the arms of him who brings4 her shall not stand and he5 shall be crushed and both she and he who brings her shall fall.”6
2. And this also happened. For a certain7 Ptolemy, who reigned at this point in Egypt, went out with her two sons Ptolemy and Philometer, making agreements with Antiochus the king of Syria. And then she, having come to Scythopolis, was killed there, for he who led her betrayed her. Then at this point the two brothers engaged in war with one another and Philometer was killed, but Ptolemy ruled.
3. Accordingly, a meeting between Ptolemy and Antiochus happened again. For Scripture says thusly, “And the king of the south rose up against the king of the north and he rose up seed from her.”8
4. But what kind of seed except Ptolemy, who joined war with Antiochus?
5. At this Antiochus marched out and did not overpower him, being set to flight, he turned again to Antioch gathering a greater crowd.
6. Accordingly, Ptolemy took all the military equipment and brought it into Egypt. And the Scripture was fulfilled just as Daniel says, “And indeed he shall carry into Egypt their gods and their things formed from cast metal and every desirable golden vessel.”1
4 Or: leads
5 Or: she, it
6 Daniel 11:6
7 Or: perhaps “by the name of”
8 Daniel 11:6-7
1 Daniel 11:8
Chapter 46
1. After these things Antiochus came out a second time raising war against him and he overcame Ptolemy.
2. And then, after these things happened, Antiochus again stirred up the sons of Israel and he dispatched a certain Nicanor with a great army in order to make war against the Jews, while Judas, after the death of his father Matthias, ruled the people.
3. And so Nicanor, coming to Jerusalem, was defeated by the Maccabee and he reported these things to king Antiochus. But he, having heard this, summoned all his armies and gave to them allowances2 for one year and he commanded them to be ready for what was necessary.
4. At this point, having failed to fulfill the salaries, he wished to enter into Persia in order to take tributes.
5. Accordingly, as he was about to depart, he addressed his friend3, Lysias by name, and he set before him his own son Antiochus, and he commanded him to do all the things he willed, and he commanded him to send an army into Judea and to destroy the nation.
6. Accordingly, Lysias, having arisen with the boy Antiochus, went with a great army, to wage war against Jerusalem.
7. And he came and was defeated by the Maccabee and these things were reported in Persia to Antiochus, that all the armies which were sent into Judea were cut down and that Lysias went with an army against them and was overthrown from their faces, and also that the Jews1 were strong in arms
and were strong in every neighborhood and from every camp which he was cut down and that they fortified Mount Zion and that they had built a great and high wall around the city2.
8. But Antiochus3, having heard this, fell into sickness from grief because just as he did not will, it also happened, and just as he did not want, thus it also occurred.
9. And then being about to die, he called Philip his friend and he gave to him the diadem in order that he might restore it to his child Antiochus.
10. When Philip4 arrived he entered Antioch and he kept himself safe in the palace. For the greatest armies were with him.
11. And so these things were reported to Lysias and the child Antiochus, for it happened that Lysias had raised a barricade against Jerusalem to besiege it because Philip had arrived carrying the diadem and because he ruled Antioch5.
12. But having heard this, he was troubled and said, “Let us give pledges to these men and let us have peace with them. For the place is strong and it is closed to us and to the armies of the kingdom.”6
13. And having given pledges, he departed and what was spoken in Scripture was fulfilled, “And rumors and engagements troubled him from the east and west.”7
2 Or: salaries
3 Lit: some of his friends
1 Lit: they
2 Lit: it
3 Lit: he
4 Lit: he
5 Lit: the city
6 1 Maccabees 6:58
7 Daniel 11:44
IChapter 47
1. After these things happened Scripture says again, “And another king shall arise8 and he shall prevail over the earth and the king of the south shall arise1 and he shall take his daughters to wife.”2
2. For it happened that a certain Alexander, the son of Philip arose. And in that time he rose up against Antiochus and, having made war with him, he killed him, and he ruled the kingdom.
3. Then he sent to Ptolemy king of Egypt, saying, “Give to me your daughter Cleopatra to wife. For behold, I sit upon the throne of the kingdom of my fathers.”3
4.And then Ptolemy took his daughter and brought her into Ptolmaeus and gave her to Alexander to wife. And Scripture was fulfilled as it says, “and he shall take his daughters to wife.”4
5. But it says, “And he shall corrupt her, she shall not be for him5.” And truly this was fulfilled. For when Ptolemy gave him his own daughter, he turned and saw the wondrous and glorious kingdom of Alexander, of which he was very eager to have, so he spoke deceitfully to Alexander.
6. But Scripture says, “And the kings shall speak lies to one another at one table.”6 For Ptolemy desired the kingdom of Alexander and ate with him at his table, but he thought evil and did not have agreement with him. And so Scripture was fulfilled.
7. And at this point Ptolemy, having come to Egypt and having levied a great army, came to the country when Alexander had gone to Cilicia. For it happened at that time that Tarsus and Mallus7 were thrown into confusion. He wished to repress them and came against them in haste, having left his own wife Cleopatra there.
8. Accordingly, Ptolemy went up to the country and mustered a watch guard against the city. Having conquered Judea, he came to his own daughter and sent a letter to Demetrius in the islands saying, “Come out and come here and I will give to you my daughter Cleopatra to wife because Alexander sought to kill me.”1 But he pretended these words wishing to lay blame upon Alexander.
9. Accordingly, Demetrius came and Ptolemy received him and gave his daughter to wife, who was the wife of Alexander. And what was spoken was fulfilled, “He shall corrupt her and she shall not be to him nor remain with him,”2 because “The kings, their hearts set on evil, even spoke lies to one another at one table.”3
10. In this way after these things happened, Alexander, having heard this, engaged in war with Ptolemy, and having not overpowered him, became a fugitive to the king of the Arabs. But he, removing the head of Alexander, sent it to Ptolemy and that one received it and the two diadems of Syria and Egypt were bestowed on him, which after being bestowed he died on the third day. And what was spoken in Scripture was fulfilled, “And they did not give to him the glory of kingdom.”4 For he died and he did not receive glory from anyone as king.
8 Or: rebel
1 Or: rebel
2 This is a mixture of verses in Daniel chapter 11 (Daniel 11:3,11:17).
3 1 Maccabees 10:51-58
4 Daniel 11:17
5 Daniel 11:17
6 Daniel 11:27
7 Μαλλεώτας
11 Maccabees 10:58
2 Daniel 11:17
3 Daniel 11:27
4 Daniel 11:21
Chapter 48
1. And so the prophet, having described what has already occurred and has been accomplished in its own time, he proclaims another mystery to us, making an indication of the end of times.
2. For he speaks in this way, “And another shameless king shall arise and he shall be exalted over every god and shall be magnified and he shall say immoderate things and he shall prosper until the wrath is consummated. For it is to be consummated. And he shall not regard any god of his fathers nor desire women and he shall not regard any god, because he shall be magnified over all. And he shall glorify the god of Moazeim in his place and a god which his fathers did not know; he shall honor in gold and silver and precious stones and he shall multiply glory and shall subject many to them and divide the earth in gifts. And these shall be preserved from his hand, Edom and Moab and the chief of the sons of Ammon. And he shall stretch forth his hand upon the earth and the land of Egypt shall not be saved and he shall rule over the secret things of gold and silver and of all the desirable things of Egypt and Libya and Ethiopia in their fortresses. And he shall pitch his tent1 Efadano2 between the seas near the holy Mountain of Sabir3 and he shall come to his lot.”4
1 Or: tabernacle
2 “palace” in Hebrew according to Brenton (1851)
3 “beauty” in Hebrew according to Brenton (1851)
4 Daniel 11:36-45
Chapter 49
1. And so these things the prophet described in this way concerning the Antichrist, as he will be shameless and warlike and a tyrant daring to exalt himself over every god, who boasts in his own power and pillages the fortresses of cities, and bearing lofty things in gold and silver and precious stone, he shall speak immoderate words against God, wishing that he himself alone be worshiped as God.
2. Concerning him all Scripture is not silent and the prophets announced beforehand his coming for the destruction of many, and the Lord has testified to these things, and the apostles taught these things concerning him, and John in the Apocalypse mystically revealed his name through a number.
3. The Lord displayed this abomination of desolation and the apostle taught that this son of the devil
arrives according to the working of Satan.
4. This one, having struck the city of Tyre, will also desolate the land of Egypt, having waged war he will extend5 and destroy all the land of Libya, and he shall ruin the kingdom of the Ethiopians with his might in the slaughter of the sword.
5. He, being lifted up over every king and every god, shall build the city of Jerusalem and he shall raise the converted1 Temple, he shall restore both all the land and its borders to the Jews, and having summoned their people from the slavery of the nations, he shall exhibit himself to them as king, and at this the faithless2 shall worship him as God and shall bend the knee to him, considering him to be the Christ, not apprehending what was spoken by the prophet, how he is a deceiver and not truth.
6. For Jeremiah says, “Instead they disobeyed the truth, then a spirit shall deceptively speak to this people and to Jerusalem.”3
7. From which the apostle, when he saw a deceiver of the people, who will also be the work of Satan in them, said, “Whenever they say ‘Peace,’ and ‘Security,’ then suddenly ruin shall come upon them, just as the pain of birthing, and they shall not escape.”4
5 Lit: spread
1 Or: restored, twisted οἰκοδοµήσει τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴµ πόλιν καὶ τὸν ναὸν
τὸν ἐστραµµένον ἀναστήσει
2 Or: those who are disobedient to God
3 Jeremiah 4:11
4 1 Thessalonians 5:3
Chapter 50
1. This one will kill the two witnesses and precursors of Christ who herald his glorious advent from heaven, as he says through the prophet, “And I will give power to my two witnesses and they shall prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days wearing sack cloth.”5
2. Just as also he spoke to Daniel, “And he shall establish a covenant with many for one week and it will be that in the half of the week he shall take away my sacrifice and drink offering,”6 so that the one week may be shown as divided into two, after the two witnesses will have preached for three and a half years, the Antichrist will wage war against the saints the remainder of the week and will desolate all the world so that what was spoken may be fulfilled, “And they will give the abomination of desolation one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he who endures to Christ and reaches the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days!”1
3. For then there will be a great persecution like which there has not been such from the foundation of the world, while others from here and there are sent against every city and land in order to kill those who believe, and the Jews cheer at their destruction, and the nations rejoice and the unfaithful celebrate2 with them, but the saints, coming from the west to the east and others from the east to the south3 are pursued, but others will hide in the mountains and in caverns, everywhere the abomination will make war against them even through the sea and through dry places. He will kill them through the command and according to every way he will oppress them from the earth and not allow them to sell some of their own possessions nor to buy from another's things, unless one should carry on his hand the name of the beast, or one should bear his mark upon his forehead.
4. For then all the faithful will be banished from every place and will be displaced from their homes and will be expelled from their cities and will be swept away by the state4 and they will be punished with every punishment and will be cast out from all the world.
5 Revelation 11:3
6 Daniel 9:27
1 Daniel 12:11-12
2 Or: collect them
3 Or: mid-day
4 Or: dragged in the state
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