In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters. Ver. 1. _In the first year of Belshazzar._] Here beginneth, to speak properly, the prophecy of Daniel, or rather the second part of Da... [ Continue Reading ]
Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. Ver. 2. _Daniel spake and said._] His writing is called his speaking, to teach us to receive the writings of the prophets and apostles with no less reverence than if we had heard... [ Continue Reading ]
And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. Ver. 3. _And four great beasts._] _Regnorum feritas bestiarum nomine demonstratur,_ saith Jerome. The fierceness of the four kingdoms is set forth by the name of beasts. _Bellum a belluis._ Monarchies are mostly gotten, kept, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: 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._ Ver. 4. _The first was like a lion._] Which is the king of beasts (as the eagle is of bi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And behold another beast, a second, 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._ Ver. 5. _And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear._] Which is nothing so gen... [ Continue Reading ]
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. Ver. 6. _After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard._] Which is a creature cruel, desirous of man's blood, crafty, spotted,... [ Continue Reading ]
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten h... [ Continue Reading ]
_I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom 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._ Ver. 8. _And I considered the horns._] For wit... [ Continue Reading ]
_I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient 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._ Ver. 9. _I beheld till the thrones were cast down._] All these tyra... [ Continue Reading ]
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. Ver. 10. _A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him._] The last and great judgment must nee... [ Continue Reading ]
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. Ver. 11. _I beheld even till the beast was slain._] Till the whole body of the monster, and with it the Papal kingdom, came t... [ Continue Reading ]
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. Ver. 12. _As concerning the rest of the beasts._] The four great monarchies, as was before noted, had their times and their turns - their rise and their ruin. _ Yet their... [ Continue Reading ]
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 they brought him near before him. Ver. 13. _I saw in the night visions, &c._] Here comes in the fifth monarchy, properly so called, the kingdom being wrested from... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed._ Ver. 14. _And there was given him dominion._] Christ ha... [ Continue Reading ]
I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me. Ver. 15. _I Daniel was grieved in my spirit._] Chald., My spirit was scabbed through, so that my body became as an empty sheath or scabbard. Oh, the terror of that last judgment, when such a man as... [ Continue Reading ]
I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. Ver. 16. _I came near unto one of them that stood by,_] _i.e., _ To one of the holy angels. _as _ Dan 7:10 Let us have recourse in like case to Christ's... [ Continue Reading ]
These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth. Ver. 17. These great beasts … are four kings,] _i.e., _ A succession of kings, all of them truculent and savage towards the saints. _ Which shall arise out of the earth._] And as toads, strive who shall die... [ Continue Reading ]
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Ver. 18. _But the saints of the Most High._] Or, The most high saints, highly exalted in Christ, and preferred far above those earth sprung mushroom monarchs, Dan 7:17 who are of the ea... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; Ver. 19. _Then I would know the truth._] See Daniel 7:16. And t... [ Continue Reading ]
And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows. Ver. 20. _And of the ten horns._] See Daniel 7:7 . _ And of the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Ver. 21. _I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints._] With the Waldenses, against whom the Pope turned his _croisados,_ those armies of the Cross which had been first appointed against the Saracens. _a_ Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Ver. 22. _Until the Ancient of days came._] Not by change of place, but change of providence. Zec 14:3-4 _ And judgment was given to the saints._] As uppr... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. Ver. 23. _Thus he said._] So ready are the holy angels to further good desires. Mat 28:1-2... [ Continue Reading ]
And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. Ver. 24. _And the ten horns out of this kingdom._] He saith not kingdoms: this maketh against those that make the Sel... [ Continue Reading ]
And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Ver. 25. _And he shall speak great words._] As Pope Julius III did, when... [ Continue Reading ]
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end. Ver. 26. _But the judgment shall sit._] And then an end of him howsoever.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Ver. 27. _And the kingdom and dominion._] When once Christ's foe... [ Continue Reading ]
Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. Ver. 28. _Hitherto is the end of the matter._] This seemeth added, to stop all curious inquiries after things not revealed. _ My cogitations... [ Continue Reading ]