Commentary on Daniel 7.26
Greek text: PG 81.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 7
7.26PG 81
κς΄. « ᾿Αλλὰ τὸ κριτήριον, φησὶν, ἐκάθισε "", καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ μεταστήσουσι, τοῦ ἀφανίσαι καὶ τοῦ." ἀπολέσαι ἕως τέλους. » Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἡμᾶς σαφῶς ἐδίδαξε Παῦλος. Εἱρηκὼς γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ἃ προειρήκαμεν 5, προσέθηκε καὶ ταῦτα᾽ « Μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται, καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος, ὃν ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἀναλώσει τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὑτοῦ, καὶ κατἀργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ποῦ Σατανᾶ ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει, καὶ σημείοις, καὶ τέρασι ψεύδους, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ τῆς ἀδικίας ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις. ν» Ὃ δὲ λέγε: τοιοῦτόν ἐστι" Δεῖ τὸ κατέχον ἄρτι ἐκ μέσου γενέσθαι. Σδεσθήσεται γὰρ ἡ κατέχουσα πλάνη, καὶ λήξει ἡ τῶν εἰδώλων ἐξαπάτη, καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἔφη. « Κηρυχθήσεται γὰρ τὸ Εὐσγγέλιον "" εἰς πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς, καὶ τότε ἧξει τὸ τέλος. » Ἐκεῖθεν τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος διδάσκει Θεσσαλονιχέας, καὶ δι᾽ ἐχείνων ἅπαντας τοὺς 15 τῆς εὐσεδείας ἐραστὰς, ὅτι Μὴ νομίσητε νῦν παλ, φανήσεσθαι τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρόν" δεῖ γὰρ πρό- Α καὶ κρατυνθῆναι τῶν Εὐαγγελίων τὸ κήρυγμα, οὕτως ἀποκαλυφθῆναι τὸν ἄνομον. Εἶτα ὑποδείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν ὄλεθρον" « Ὃν ὁ Κύριος, φησὶν 5, Ἰησοῦς ἀναλώσει τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὑτοῦ, τὶ τ΄, καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὑτοῦ.» Ἔπειτα "Ἱ δείκνυσι καὶ κίνα τρόπον ἐπιφαίνεται: δὶ « Οὗ ἐστι δ, φησὶν, ἢ παρουσία κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ.» Μιμήσεται γὰρ ὁ διάβολος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν - καὶ καθάπερ ὁ Κύριος δι᾿ ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως ἐπιφανεὶς, τὴν πέραν ἐπραγματεύσατο σωτηρίαν οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάδοαὑτοῦ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐνέργειαν ἐπιδείξεται, ψευδέσι σητί δήποτε ταῦτα συγχωρεῖ γενέσθαι ὁ τῶν ὅλων βού Θεὸς, ἐπήγαγεν" εἰΑνθ᾽ ὧν τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀλη- θείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτοὺς, καὶ διὰ εἰς τὸ πιστεῦσαι αὐτοὺς, τῷ ψεύδει, ἵνα κριθῶσι πάντες οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ σαντες τῇ." ἀδικίᾳ. » Ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος θην πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἔφη" « Ἐγὼ ἦλθον ᾽"ὁ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ἴη τοῦ Πατρός μου, καὶ οὐκ ἐδέξασθέ με’ ἔρχεται ἄλλος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, κἀκεῖνον λήψεσθε. ν Ταῦτα δὲ διδάσκων ὁ ἄγγελος τῷ Δανιὴλ ἔφη, ὅτι ε« Λόγους πρὸς τὸν Ὕψιστον λαλήσει, καὶ τοὺς λοιῶσαι καιροὺς καὶ νόμον " καὶ δοθήσεται ἐν χειρὶ αὑτοῦ ἕως καιροῦ, καὶ καιρῶν, καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ: καὶ τὸ κριτήριον ἐκάθισε, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ με- τέλους. » Ὁρᾶτε πῶς τὰ αἰνιγματωδῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἡρμηνευμένα σαφῶς ὁ μακάριος ἐδίδαξε ᾳυὰ - Παῦλος. Καὶ ὁ Κύριος δὲ τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἐπμεγάλη, οἵα οὐ γέγονεν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς κόσμου ἕως τοῦ νῦν, οὐδ' 35 οὐ μὴ γένηται" καὶ εἰ μὴ ἐχολοδώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ᾽ διὰ δὲ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς χολοδωθήσονται αἱ ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι. » δι᾽ ἐκείνων πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, μὴ ἐξαπατᾶσθαι τοῖς ποῦ φανήσεται, ἐπήγαγε « Τότε ὄψονται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς, καὶ ἀποστελεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὑτοῦ μετὰ σάλπιγγος μεγάλης 3. καὶ ρὼν ἀνέμων, ἀπ᾽ ἄκρων τῶν οὐρανῶν ἕως ἄκρου αὐτῶν. ν Ταῦτα καὶ τῷ Δανιὴλ προλέγων ὁ ἄγγελος ἐπήγαγεν οἷς ἤδη εἶπε Ἶ"" ( "ὁ φησ, κζ΄. ε Καὶ ἡ βατιλεία, καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία, καὶ ἡ με. γαλωσύνη τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ὑποχάτω παντὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐδόθη ἁγίοις 'ὙψΨέστου " καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὖ» τοῦ βασιλεία αἰώνιος, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἀρκαὶ αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσ: καὶ ὑπακούσονται" ἕως "δ΄ ὧδε τὸ πέρας που λόγου. » Τουτέστι, πάντων τῶν τοῦ βίου "" πρὰ- Ὑμάτων τοῦτο τὸ τέλος " τὸ παύσασθαι μὲν ἁπάσας τῆς γῆς "΄ τὰς βασιλείας, δοθῆναι δὲ τοῖς τοῦ ἁγίοις τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείαν" βασιλεύοντας δὲ ὑπακούειν αὐτῷ καὶ δουλεύειν εὐνοϊχῶς “ αἰώνιος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ τὸ ᾽5 τέλος οὐ δεχομένη. Τούτων ἀκούσας, φησὶν, ἐγὼ Δανιὴλ δέους ἐνεπλήσθην πολλοῦ, ὡς μήτε τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἡπυχάζειν ἐν ἐμοὶ, ἀλλὰ κυχᾶσθαι, καὶ " διηνεκῶς ταράττεσθαι, καὶ τὴν μορφήν μου πολλὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἐντεῦθεν δέξασθαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως οὖκ ἔχπυστα ὅ᾽ πεποίηκα τὰ ὑποδειχθέντα μοι ' μυστήρια, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ πηρῶν αὐτὰ διξτέλουν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν μακάριος Δανιὴλ ταῦτα ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τῶν 35 Ἰουδαίων κατηγορίαν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀφεὶς, θαυμάζω κομιδῇ τῶν τῆς εὐτεδείας διδασκάλων τινὰς Μαχεδονιχὴν βασιλείαν τὸ τέταρτον θηρίον ἀποχαλέσαντας᾽ ἕδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι τὸ τρίτον θηοἷον τέσσαρας εἶχε δ κεφαλὰς, ὃ σαφῶς ἐδήλου τὴν γεγενημένην μετὰ τὴν τοῦ "" ᾿Αλεξάνδρου τελευτὴν «ἧς βασιλείας εἰς τέσσαρα μέρη διαίρεσιν" ἔπειτα δὲ προσέχειν ἔδει, ὅτι" καὶ τὸ τέταρτον θηρίον δέκα κατὰ ταὐτὸν χέρατα ἔσχεν, καὶ ᾽ τὸ μικρὸν χέρας τρεῖς ἐχριζῶσαι τῶν πρὸ αὑτοῦ" τέσσαρες δὲ, ἀλλ᾽ ξαντο. Καὶ ἵνα τὰ ἄλλα καταλιπὼν ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος ἔλθω, ἔδει καὶ τοῦτο συνιδεῖν, ὅτι μετὰ τοῦ τετάρτου θηρίου τὴν ἀναίρεσιν 1 τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῦ Ὑψίστου τὴν βασιλείαν ἔφη δοθήσεσθαι 35. Διὸ καὶ τὸ κριτήριον ἐκάθισεν" οἱ δὲ ἅγιοι τοῦ Ὑψίστου οὗ μετὰ ᾿Αντίοχον τὸν Ἐπιφανῇ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐδέξαντο. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰσχύν τινα ἔλαδον οἱ μακάριοι Μαχκαθαῖοι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἰούδας τρία ἐστρατήγησεν ἔτη ὁ δὲ Ἰωνάθαν ἐννέα καὶ δέχα᾽ ὁ δὲ Σίμων ὀχεώ" καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι δὲ, ἵνα μὴ καθ᾽ ἕχασταν διεξιὼν, μῆκος ἐργάσωμαι τῷ λόγῳ, ὀλίγον τινὰ κρατοῦντες χρόνον, ἣ τῷ θανάτῳ ἐσδέννυντο, ἢ περιστάσεσί τισι ζῶντες τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐστέρηντο. “Ἄλλως τε δὲ 3 οὔτε πάντες ἅγιοι" οὗτοι ἕνιοι γὰρ "' καὶ πάντας αὑτοὺς ἁγίους εἶναι, τούτους Ἡρώδης καταλύσας ἀπάσης βασιλεὺς ἀνεδείχθη τῆς Ἰουδαίας, Πῶς τοίνυν ἀληθὲς τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου εἰρημένον, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν τοῦ κέρατος ἐχείνου κατάλυσιν ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία, καὶ ἣ μεγαλωσύνη τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ὑποχάτω παντὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐδόθη ἁγίοις “Ὑψίστου, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ βασιλεία αἰώνιος; Τούτων γὰρ οὐδὲν ἁρμόττει τοῖς Μαχχαδαίοις. Οὔτε τὸν γὰρ βασιλείαν ἐπιστεύθησαν, ἀλλὰ στρατηγοῦντες Α ἐνίχων, καὶ ταχὺ τέλος" ἐδέξαντο. Λείπεται τοίνυν τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν βασιλείαν νοεῖν τὸ τέταρτον θηρίον. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ταύτης τέλει, οἱ μὲν δέκα βασιλεῖς κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἀναστήσονται, ὁ δὲ πάσης πονηρίας δημιουρ γὸς καὶ διδάσκαλος ἔσχατος ἀνατανήσεται, ἐκεῖνᾳ ποιῶν τε καὶ πάσχων, ἃ ἐδιδάχθημεν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐχείνου κατάλυσιν, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀναξανήσεται παρουτία, καὶ τὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων γενήσεται κριτήριον, καὶ ἀνοιγήσονται μὲν αἱ βίδῖοι, τῶν ἑκάστῳ βεδιωμένων αἱ μνῆμαι. ε« Παραδοθήσεται δὲ πυρὶ τὸ τοῦ θηρίου σῶμα, » τουτέστιν, οἱ μὲν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφελόμενοι τὸ κράτος, τῷ δὲ σώματι τὴν ἐξουτέαν προσνείμαντες, καὶ σαρκικῷ φρονήματι διὰ βίου " χρησάμενοι, ᾿Αποδώσει δὲ ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς τοῖς ἁγίοις τὴν βασιλείαν, βοῶν " « Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν πρὸ "5 καταδολῆς κόσμου" » ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Σριστοῦ, μεθ᾽ οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα", σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν.
ks΄. « ᾿Alla to kritērion, phēsin, ekathise "", kai tēn archēn autou metastēsousi, tou aphanisai kai tou." apolesai heōs telous. » Touto de kai ho makarios hēmas saphōs edidaxe Paulos. Heirēkōs gar ekeina ha proeirēkamen 5, prosethēke kai tauta᾽ « Monon ho katechōn arti heōs ek mesou genētai, kai tote apokalyphthēsetai ho anomos, hon ho Kyrios Iēsous analōsei tǭ pneumati tou stomatos hautou, kai katargēsei tę̄ epiphaneią tēs parousias kat᾽ energeian pou Satana en pasę̄ dynamei, kai sēmeiois, kai terasi pseudous, kai en pasę̄ apatę̄ tēs adikias en tois apollymenois. n» Ho de lege: toiouton esti" Dei to katechon arti ek mesou genesthai. Sdesthēsetai gar hē katechousa planē, kai lēxei hē tōn eidōlōn exapatē, kai tote apokalyphthēsetai ho anomos. Touto de kai ho Kyrios en tois hierois Euangeliois ephē. « Kērychthēsetai gar to Eusngelion "" eis panta ta perata tēs gēs eis martyrion autois, kai tote hēxei to telos. » Ekeithen touto mathōn ho makarios Paulos didaskei Thessalonicheas, kai di᾽ echeinōn hapantas tous 15 tēs eusedeias erastas, hoti Mē nomisēte nyn pal, phanēsesthai ton tēs alētheias echthron" dei gar pro- A kai kratynthēnai tōn Euangeliōn to kērygma, houtōs apokalyphthēnai ton anomon. Eita hypodeiknysin autou kai ton olethron" « Hon ho Kyrios, phēsin 5, Iēsous analōsei tǭ pneumati tou stomatos hautou, ti t΄, kai katargēsei tę̄ epiphaneią tēs parousias hautou.» Epeita "Hi deiknysi kai kina tropon epiphainetai: di « Hou esti d, phēsin, ē parousia kat᾽ energeian tou Satana.» Mimēsetai gar ho diabolos tou Theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn tēn enanthrōpēsin - kai kathaper ho Kyrios di᾿ anthrōpeias physeōs epiphaneis, tēn peran epragmateusato sōtērian houtō kai ho diadoautou tēn oikeian energeian epideixetai, pseudesi sēti dēpote tauta synchōrei genesthai ho tōn holōn bou Theos, epēgagen" eiAnth᾽ hōn tēn agapēn tēs alē- theias ouk edexanto eis to sōthēnai autous, kai dia eis to pisteusai autous, tǭ pseudei, hina krithōsi pantes hoi mē pisteusantes tę̄ alētheią, all᾽ santes tę̄." adikią. » Tauto de touto kai ho Kyrios thēn pros Ioudaious ephē" « Egō ēlthon ᾽"ho en tǭ onomati iē tou Patros mou, kai ouk edexasthe me’ erchetai allos en tǭ onomati tǭ idiǭ, kakeinon lēpsesthe. n Tauta de didaskōn ho angelos tǭ Daniēl ephē, hoti e« Logous pros ton Hypsiston lalēsei, kai tous loiōsai kairous kai nomon " kai dothēsetai en cheiri hautou heōs kairou, kai kairōn, kai hēmisy kairou: kai to kritērion ekathise, kai tēn archēn autou me- telous. » Horate pōs ta ainigmatōdōs hypo tou angelou hērmēneumena saphōs ho makarios edidaxe ąua - Paulos. Kai ho Kyrios de tas kata tōn hagiōn epmegalē, hoia ou gegonen ap' archēs kosmou heōs tou nyn, oud' 35 ou mē genētai" kai ei mē echolodōthēsan hai hēmerai ekeinai, ouk an esōthē pasa sarx᾽ dia de tous eklektous cholodōthēsontai hai hēmerai ekeinai. » di᾽ ekeinōn pasin anthrōpois, mē exapatasthai tois pou phanēsetai, epēgage « Tote opsontai ton Huion tou anthrōpou erchomenon epi tōn nephelōn tou ouranou, meta dynameōs kai doxēs pollēs, kai apostelei tous angelous hautou meta salpingos megalēs 3. kai rōn anemōn, ap᾽ akrōn tōn ouranōn heōs akrou autōn. n Tauta kai tǭ Daniēl prolegōn ho angelos epēgagen hois ēdē eipe I"" ( "ho phēs, kz΄. e Kai hē batileia, kai hē exousia, kai hē me. galōsynē tōn basileōn tōn hypochatō pantos tou ouranou edothē hagiois 'HypsPsestou " kai hē basileia au» tou basileia aiōnios, kai pasai hai arkai autǭ douleusous: kai hypakousontai" heōs "d΄ hōde to peras pou logou. » Toutesti, pantōn tōn tou biou "" pra- Hymatōn touto to telos " to pausasthai men hapasas tēs gēs "΄ tas basileias, dothēnai de tois tou hagiois tēn aiōnion basileian" basileuontas de hypakouein autǭ kai douleuein eunoïchōs “ aiōnios gar autou hē basileia, kai to ᾽5 telos ou dechomenē. Toutōn akousas, phēsin, egō Daniēl deous eneplēsthēn pollou, hōs mēte tous logismous hēpychazein en emoi, alla kychasthai, kai " diēnekōs tarattesthai, kai tēn morphēn mou pollēn alloiōsin enteuthen dexasthai. ᾿All᾽ homōs ouk echpysta ho᾽ pepoiēka ta hypodeichthenta moi ' mystēria, all᾽ en tę̄ kardią pērōn auta dixteloun. Ho men oun makarios Daniēl tauta hēmas edidaxen. Egō de tōn 35 Ioudaiōn katēgorian epi tou parontos apheis, thaumazō komidę̄ tōn tēs eutedeias didaskalōn tinas Machedonichēn basileian to tetarton thērion apochalesantas᾽ hedei gar autous synidein, prōton men, hoti to triton thēoion tessaras eiche d kephalas, ho saphōs edēlou tēn gegenēmenēn meta tēn tou "" ᾿Alexandrou teleutēn «hēs basileias eis tessara merē diairesin" epeita de prosechein edei, hoti" kai to tetarton thērion deka kata tauton cherata eschen, kai ᾽ to mikron cheras treis echrizōsai tōn pro hautou" tessares de, all᾽ xanto. Kai hina ta alla katalipōn epi to telos elthō, edei kai touto synidein, hoti meta tou tetartou thēriou tēn anairesin 1 tois hagiois tou Hypsistou tēn basileian ephē dothēsesthai 35. Dio kai to kritērion ekathisen" hoi de hagioi tou Hypsistou hou meta ᾿Antiochon ton Epiphanę̄ tēn basileian edexanto. Ei de kai ischyn tina eladon hoi makarioi Machkathaioi, all᾽ ouk epi pleiston. Ho men gar Ioudas tria estratēgēsen etē ho de Iōnathan ennea kai decha᾽ ho de Simōn ocheō" kai hoi alloi de, hina mē kath᾽ hechastan diexiōn, mēkos ergasōmai tǭ logǭ, oligon tina kratountes chronon, hē tǭ thanatǭ esdennynto, ē peristasesi tisi zōntes tēs hēgemonias esterēnto. “Allōs te de 3 oute pantes hagioi" houtoi henioi gar "' kai pantas hautous hagious einai, toutous Hērōdēs katalysas apasēs basileus anedeichthē tēs Ioudaias, Pōs toinyn alēthes to hypo tou angelou eirēmenon, hoti meta tēn tou keratos echeinou katalysin hē basileia, kai hē exousia, kai hē megalōsynē tōn basileōn tōn hypochatō pantos tou ouranou, edothē hagiois “Hypsistou, kai hē basileia autou basileia aiōnios? Toutōn gar ouden harmottei tois Machchadaiois. Oute ton gar basileian episteuthēsan, alla stratēgountes A enichōn, kai tachy telos" edexanto. Leipetai toinyn tēn Rhōmaïkēn basileian noein to tetarton thērion. En gar tǭ tautēs telei, hoi men deka basileis kata tauton anastēsontai, ho de pasēs ponērias dēmiour gos kai didaskalos eschatos anatanēsetai, ekeiną poiōn te kai paschōn, ha edidachthēmen. Meta de tēn echeinou katalysin, hē tou Theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn anaxanēsetai paroutia, kai to pantōn anthrōpōn genēsetai kritērion, kai anoigēsontai men hai bidioi, tōn hekastǭ bediōmenōn hai mnēmai. e« Paradothēsetai de pyri to tou thēriou sōma, » toutestin, hoi men tēs psychēs aphelomenoi to kratos, tǭ de sōmati tēn exoutean prosneimantes, kai sarkikǭ phronēmati dia biou " chrēsamenoi, ᾿Apodōsei de ho dikaios kritēs tois hagiois tēn basileian, boōn " « Deute, hoi eulogēmenoi tou Patros mou, klēronomēsate tēn hētoimasmenēn hymin basileian pro "5 katadolēs kosmou" » hēs genoito pantas hēmas epitychein, chariti kai philanthrōpią tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Sristou, meth᾽ hou tǭ Patri doxa", syn tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati, eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿Amēn.
"But the court has sat," it says, "and they will take away his dominion, to destroy it and make it perish to the end." Blessed Paul also taught us this clearly. Having said what we quoted before, he added this too: "Only he who now restrains will do so until he is out of the way; and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the appearing of his coming; whose coming is by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with every deception of unrighteousness among those who are perishing." What he says is this: what now restrains must be out of the way. For the error that now prevails will be quenched, and the deceit of the idols will cease, and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord also said this in the holy Gospels: "For the Gospel will be preached to all the ends of the earth as a testimony to them, and then the end will come." Blessed Paul, having learned this from there, teaches the Thessalonians, and through them all lovers of piety: Do not think that the enemy of the truth will now … appear; for first the preaching of the Gospels must … and be made strong, and so the lawless one be revealed. Then he shows his destruction too: "Whom the Lord Jesus," he says, "will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the appearing of his coming." Next he shows in what way he will appear: "Whose coming," he says, "is by the working of Satan." For the devil will imitate the incarnation of our God and Savior; and as the Lord, appearing through human nature, accomplished our salvation, so the devil … will display his own working, with lying signs. … why the God of all permits these things to happen, he added: "Because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved; and for this reason [God sends them a working of error] so that they believe the lie, in order that all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness." The Lord said this same thing to the Jews: "I have come in my Father's name, and you did not receive me; another will come in his own name, and him you will receive." Teaching these things, the angel said to Daniel that "he will speak words against the Most High, and [will wear out] the saints … to change times and law; and it will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time; and the court sat, and they will take away his dominion … to the end." See how blessed Paul taught clearly what had been interpreted by the angel in riddles. And the Lord too … the [persecutions] against the saints: "[For then there will be great tribulation,] such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be; and if those days had not been cut short, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." … through them [he warned] all people not to be deceived by those who say [that the Christ is here or there] … where he will appear, and added, "Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Foretelling these things to Daniel, the angel added to what he had already said: "And the kingdom and the authority and the greatness of the kings under the whole heaven were given to the saints of the Most High; and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him. Here is the end of the matter." That is, this is the end of all the affairs of life: that all the kingdoms of the earth cease, and the eternal kingdom is given to the saints of [the Most High], and the rulers obey him and serve him with goodwill; for his kingdom is eternal and admits no end. Hearing this, he says, I, Daniel, was filled with great fear, so that my thoughts were not at rest within me but were stirred up and continually troubled, and my appearance was much changed by it. Yet I did not make public the mysteries shown to me, but kept them in my heart. This is what blessed Daniel taught us. For my part, setting aside for the present the charge against the Jews, I am greatly astonished at some teachers of piety who have called the fourth beast the Macedonian kingdom. They should have seen, first, that the third beast had four heads, which clearly showed the division of the kingdom into four parts after the death of Alexander; and then they should have noticed that the fourth beast had ten horns at the same time, and that the little horn uprooted three of those before it; but four … And to pass over the rest and come to the end: they should have seen this too, that after the destruction of the fourth beast he said the kingdom would be given to the saints of the Most High. That is why the court sat. But the saints of the Most High did not receive the kingdom after Antiochus Epiphanes. And if the blessed Maccabees gained some strength, it was not for very long. Judas was general for three years, Jonathan for nineteen, Simon for eight; and the others—not to go through them one by one and lengthen my discourse—held power for a short time and were either extinguished by death or, while still alive, deprived of rule by some circumstances. Besides, not all of them were holy … and [even granting that] all of them were holy, Herod overthrew them and was proclaimed king of all Judea. How then is what the angel said true, that after the destruction of that horn the kingdom and the authority and the greatness of the kings under the whole heaven were given to the saints of the Most High, and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom? None of this fits the Maccabees. For they were not entrusted with the kingdom; they won victories as generals and quickly came to their end. It remains, then, to understand the fourth beast as the Roman kingdom. At its end the ten kings will arise at the same time, and the maker and teacher of all wickedness will arise last, doing and suffering what we have been taught. After his destruction the coming of our God and Savior will dawn, and the judgment of all people will take place, and the books will be opened, the records of what each has lived. "The body of the beast will be given over to fire"; that is, those who took away the soul's rule and assigned authority to the body, living by the mind of the flesh throughout their lives. And the just Judge will give the kingdom to the saints, crying, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world"; which may we all obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, to the ages of ages. Amen.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Dan 7:26–28 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Thess 2:7–12 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:14 (quotation, high confidence) · John 5:43 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 7:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:21–22 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:23–26 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 24:30–31 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 7:6–8 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 25:34 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul's teaching on the lawless one and Christ's words on the last tribulation explain the judgment of the little horn; against teachers who made the fourth beast Macedonia and the Maccabees the saints, Theodoret argues that it is Rome, after whose end Christ will come and give the saints the eternal kingdom.
- The lemma is Dan 7:26–28 (Theodotion; verses 27–28 are marked inside the section). Quotations: 2 Thess 2:7–12; Matt 24:14; John 5:43; Matt 24:21–22, 30–31; Matt 25:34. The "teachers of piety" who took the fourth beast to be Macedonia are not named; the remark about "the charge against the Jews" is translated as written. The terms of office of Judas, Jonathan, and Simon follow 1 Maccabees. The two-column layout of Migne (Greek and Latin side by side) was merged line by line in the scan; the Latin pieces are removed by logged corrections, and where Greek words were lost the gaps are marked "…", with bracketed words supplying the sense from the quoted texts.
Notes on the original text
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Extrabiblical texts: 1 Macc 3:1-16.24 (1 Maccabees [in RC, EO canons]; allusion)
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 7.26 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/7-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/7-26
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.