3 A vision of four beasts is shewed unto Daniél 8 The ten horns of the fourth beast. 27 Of the everlasting kingdom of Christ.
1.In the first year of Belshazzár King of Babél, Daniél saw a dream, and there were visions in his head, upon his bed: athen he wrote the dream, and declared the sum of the matter.
2.Daniél spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon bthe great sea:
3.And four great beasts came up from the sea one divers from another.
4.The first was as a clion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld, til the wings thereof were plukte off, and it was lifted up from the earth, & set upon his feet as a man, & a man’s heart was given him.
5.And behold, another beast which was the second, was like a dbear and stood upon the eone side: and he had three ribs in his fmoutn between his teeth, gand they said thus unto him, Arise and devour much flesh.
6.After this I beheld, and lo, there was an other like a hleopard, which had upon his back ifour wings of a fowl: the beast had also four heads, and kdominion was given him.
7.After this I saw in the visions by night, and behold, the lfourth beast was fearful and terrible and very strong. It had great miron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces and stamped nthe residue under his feet: and it was unlike to the beasts that were before it: for it had oten horns.
8.As I considered the horns, behold, there came up among them another little phorn, before whom there were qthree of the first horns plukt away: and behold, in this horn were reyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things,
9.I beheld, till the sthrones were set up, and the tAncient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10.A fiery stream issued, and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand uthousands stood before him: the judgement was set, and the xbooks opened.
11.Then I beheld, ybecause of the voice of the presumptuous words, which the horn spake: I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning fire.
12.As zconcerning the other beasts, they had taken away their dominion yet their lives were prolonged for a certain time and season.
13.¶ As I beheld in visions by night, behold, aone like the Son of man came in the clouds of heaven, and bapproached unto the Ancient of days, and they brought him before him.
14.And he gave him cdominion, and honour, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shal never be taken away: and his kingdom shal never be destroyed.
15.¶ I Daniél was dtroubled in my spirit, in the middes of my body, and the visions of mine head made me afraid.
16.Therefore I came unto eone of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this: so he told me, and shewed me the interpretation of these things.
17.These great beasts which are four, are four Kings, which shal arise out of the earth,
18.And they shal take the fkingdom of the Saints of the gmost high, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
20.Also to know of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, before whom three fell, and of the horn that had eyes, and of the mouth that spake presumptuous things, whose klook was more stout then his fellows.
21.I beheld, and the same lhorn made battle against the Saints, yea, and prevailed against them,
22.Until mthe Ancient of days came, and judgement was given to the Saints of the most high: and the time approached, that the Saints possessed the kingdom.
23.Then he said, The fourth beast shalbe the fourth kingdom in the earth, which shal be unlike to all the kingdoms, and shal devour the whole earth, and shal tread it down and break it in pieces.
24.And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten Kings that shal rise: and another shal rise after them, and he shalbe unlike to the first, and he shal subdue nthree Kings.
25.And shal speak words against othe most high, and shal consume the Saints of the most high, and think that he may pchange times and laws, and they shalbe given into his hand, until a qtime, and times and the dividing of time.
26.But the rjudgement shal sit, and they shal take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end.
27.And the skingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shalbe given to the holie people of the most high, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all tpowers shal serve and obey him.
28.Even this is the end of the matter, I Daniél had many ucogitacions which troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in mine heart.
Where as the people of Israel looked for a continual quietness after these seventy years, as Jeremiah had declared, he shows that this rest shall not be a deliverance from all troubles, but a beginning, and therefore encouraged them to look for a continual affliction till the Messiah be uttered and revealed, by whom they should have a spiritual deliverance, and all the promises fulfilled: whereof they should have a certain token in the destruction of the Babylonical kingdom.
Meaning the Assyrian and Caldean empire, which was most strong and fierce in power, & most soon come to their authority as though they had had wings to fly: yet their wings were pulled by the Persians, and they went on their feet, & were made like other men which is here meant by man’s heart.
That is, his four chief captains, which had the empire among them after his death. Seleucus had Asia the great, Antigonus the less, Cassan- der, and after him Antipater was King of Macedonia, and Ptolmeus (Ptolemy) had Egypt.
It was not of himself nor of his own power that he got all these countries: for his army contained, but thirty thousand men, and he overcame in one battle Darius, which had ten hundred thousand, when he was so heavy with sleep that his eyes were scarce open, as the stories report: therefore this power was given him of God.
That which the Romans could not quietly enjoy in other countries, they would give it to other Kings and rulers that at all times when they would, they might take it again: which liberality is here called the stamping of the rest under the feet.
Which is meant of Julius Cesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, &c who were as Kings in effect, but because they could not rule, but by the consent of the Senate, their power is compared to a little horn. For Mahomet came not of the Roman empire, and the Pope had no vocation of government: therefore this can not be applied unto them and also in this prophecy the Prophet’s purpose is chiefly to comfort the Jews unto the revelation of Christ. Some take it for the whole body of Antichrist.
Meaning, a certain portion of the ten horns: that is, a part from the whole estate was plucked away. For Augustus took from the Senate the liberty of choosing the deputes to send into the provinces, and took the government of certain countries to himself.
These Roman Emperors at the first used a certain humanity and gentleness, and were content that others as the Consuls and Senate should bear the name of dignity, so that they might have the profit, and therefore in elections and counsels would behave themselves according as did other Senators: yet against their enemies and those that would resist them, they were fierce and cruel, which is here meant by the proud mouth.
Meaning, that he was astonied, when he saw these Emperors in such dignity, and pride, and so suddenly destroyed at the coming of Christ when this fourth monarchy was subject to men of other nations.
As the three former monarchs had an end at the time that God ap- pointed, although they flourished for a time, so shall this fourth have and they that patiently abide God’s appointment, shall enjoy the promises.
Which is meant of Christ who had not yet taken upon him man’s nature, neither was the son of David according to the flesh, as he was afterward: but appeared then in a figure, and that in the clouds - that is, being separate from the common sort of men by manifest signs of his divinity.
To wit, when he ascended into the heavens, and his divine majesty appeared, and all power was given unto him in respect of that that he was our Mediator.
That is meant of the beginning of Christ’s kingdom when God the Father gave unto him all dominion, as to the Mediator, to the intent that he should govern here his Church in earth continually till the time that he brought them to eternal life.
Because Abraham was appointed heir of all the world Rom. 4.13 and in him all the faithful, therefore the kingdom thereof is theirs by right, which these four beasts or tyrants should invade, and usurp until the world were restored by Christ: and this was to confirm them that were in troubles, that their afflictions should have an end at length.
That is, of the most high things, because God has chosen them out of this world, and they should look up to the heavens, whereon all their hope depends.
For the other three monarchies were governed by a King, and the Roman empire by Consuls: the Romans changed their governors yearly, and the other monarchies retained them for term of life: also the Romans were the strongest of all the other, & were never quiet among them- selves.
Till God showed his power in the person of Christ, and by the preaching of the Gospel gave unto his some rest and so obtained a famous name in the world, and were called the Church of God, or the kingdom of God.
These Emperors shall not consider that they have their power of God but think it is in their own power to change God’s laws and man’s, and as it were the order of nature, as appears by Octivius (Octavius), Tyberius (Tiberius), Caligula, Nero, Domitianus (Domitian), &c.
God shall suffer them thus to rage against his Saints for a long time, which is meant by the time and times but at length he will aswage these troubles and shorten the times for his elect’s sake, Mt. 24.22 which is here meant by the dividing of time.
He shows wherefore the beast should be destroyed, to wit, that his Church might have rest and quietness, which though they do not fully enjoy here, yet they have it in hope and by the preaching of the Gospel enjoy the beginning thereof, which is meant of Christ’s kingdom in this world, which kingdom the faithful have by the participation that they have with Christ their head.
Though he had many motions in his heart, which moved him to and fro to seek out the matter curiously: yet he was content with that which God revealed, & kept it in memory and wrote it for the use of the Church.