Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 7 · Doctrines 1 · Question 36 – Question 38
36. Quest. Of the number of Angels that ministred vntounto God: thousand thousands, &c. v. 10.
Some hauehave taken vponupon them to scanne the number of the Angels, where there are diuers opinions. 1. Athanasius reporteth the opinion of some,…. that thought there were so many Angels as men, because of that place, Deut. 32. 8. which the Septuag. thus translate, he appointed the number of the people, according to the number of the Angels: But this text prooueth no such thing, which is thus truly translated, he appointed the borders of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
2. Gregorie seemeth to be of opinion,Hom. 34. in Evangel. that there are more men put good and bad together, then Angels good and bad: for first he setteth this downe, that there shall be as many men elected as Angels: but there are farre more men damned, then are saued: contrariwise he thinketh that there are more elect Angels then reprobate angels, as some would gather by that place, Apoc. 12. 4. how the dragon with his taile drew the third part of the starres of heauen: If then the elect men be equiualent in number to the elect Angels, and the reprobate men are more then the elect, but the reprobate angels are fewer then the elect Angels; it will follow that the number of men is greater, then of Angels. But this opinion is builded vponupon an vncerten ground, that the number of the elect among men, is equiualent to the number of the elect Angels.
3. A third opinion is, that the number of Angels, farre exceedeth the number of men. Athanasius saith, that some thought, the Angels in number were more then men, as 99. to one; which they would gather out of that parable of the lost sheepe, when the shepheard left 99. to seeke that one. Lyranus, whome Pererius followeth, maketh this collection, that as the celestiall bodies the starres doe in bignesse farre exceede the things below, for one starre is bigger then the earth: in the same proportion because Angels doe not exceede men in quantitie, they doe exceede them, incomparabiliter in numerositate, without comparison in number.
4. But these things are more boldly then certenly affirmed: out of this place no such thing can be gathered: for it is agreed of all hands, that here a certen and finite number is put for an indefinite: as Hierome saith, non quia ministrorum Dei numerus definitus sit, &c. not that the number of Gods ministers is here defined, &c. but because a greater number can not be expressed by mans speech. Yet as touching this question, some things may certenly be resolued vponupon, some things are doubtfull: 1. that the number of elect men is smaller then of the reprobate, is certen: for many enter in at the broad gate, and few finde out the narrow way, Matth. 7. 13, 14. 2. But the number of the elect Angels is greater then of those which fell: because the Prophet saith, when he shewed the young man the Lords fierie horse and chariots round about vponupon the mountaines, They that are with vsus, are more then they which be with them, 2. king. 6. 16. And in Scripture the good Angels are expressed in greater numbers, then the euill: we read in the Gospel of 12. legions of Angels, Matth. 26. 53. but of one legion of deuills, Mark. 5. 9. And in this place, tenne thousand thousands of Angels are named. These things are certen. These following are probable. 3. That the number of the Elect men is greater then of the euill and reprobate angels, as Augustine thinketh,lib. 22. de civ. ca. that the angels which fell shall be supplied out of the numbers of the Elect: As our blessed Sauiout said vntounto his Apostles, HaueHave I not chosen you twelue, and one of you is a deuill, Ioh. 6. 70. there was one deuill to 12. elect Apostles. 4. Likewise the number of the elect Saints may seeme to be greater then of the elect Angels, by that vision Apoc. 4. the foure beasts about the throne represent the blessed Angels, the 24. Elders the Saints. 5. It may be also coniectured, that the Elect Angels are more in number then the Saints which are at once vponupon the earth; because two hosts of Angels attended at once vponupon Iacob, Gen. 32. 1. when his brother Esau came against him, whereupon he called the place Mahana…m, the Lords hosts. 6. But whether the Angels good and bad, be equiualent in number to men good and bad, that liue at once vponupon the earth, it can not be gessed at. And let this suffice of this question: It is not safe wading too farre without a bottome. Concerning the diuers offices and degrees of Angels, which Pererius taketh occasion here to note, it shall be discussed among the controversies following.
37. Quest. What bookes these were which were opened, v. 10.
1. Hierome, whome Lyranus, and gloss. ordinar. follow, vnderstandeth here two bookes, the one of life, which is held in Gods hand, the other of death, qui tenebitur in manu accusatoris, which shall be held in the accusers hand, which is the deuill. But 1. as Augustine saith, non sic datur liber mortis, &c. there is not found to be a booke of death, as there is of life; onelyonly they which are elected are said to be written, and the reprobate not to be written in the booke of life. 2. And whereas Pererius answereth, that though there be no such booke of death with God, yet the deuill may, hauehave such a booke: neither doth the deuill know who are saued, who condemned, and therefore he can hauehave no such booke: neither is there any booke mentioned in Scripture, but of the Lords writing, as Moses saith, Exod. 32. 32. Rase me out of the booke of life which thou hast written. 3. Apoc. 20. 12. there are other bookes saide to be opened beside the booke of life; then is not the booke of life here comprehended.
2. Augustine by these bookes,lib. 2 de civit. Dei, c. 14. vnderstandeth the Saints which shall come with Christ to iudgement, In whose godly life and conuersation the good will of God appeared: and in them the wicked, as in bookes may see, what they should hauehave done: But by the opening of these bookes not onelyonly the wicked, but the rightehus are iudged: Apoc. 20. 12. The dead were iudged of those things, which are written in the bookes.
3. Beda by these bookes which shall be opened in the day of the Lord, vnderstandeth the sacred Scriptures, according to the which mens doings shall be examined, and sentence giuen according to the same: But the Scriptures are called a booke, Apoc. 10. 9. not bookes.
4. Calvin by the opening of the bookes, would hauehave signified the manifestation of the knowledge of God vntounto the world at the comming of Christ, which before lay hid: But here bookes are not opened for instruction vntounto saluation, but for triall and examination vntounto iudgement.
5. Therefore these bookes are better interpreted to be eueryevery ones conscience, wherein all their doings good and bad are written: whereof S. Paul speaketh, Their conscience also bearing witnesse, and their thoughts accusing one an other, or excusing, in the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ, Rom. 2. 15. And thus are those bookes interpreted, Apoc. 20. 12. The dead, were iudged of those things, which were written in the bookes, according to their workes. So Hierome, conscientiae, & opera singulorum in vtraque parte, bona vel mala revelabuntur, the consciences and works of eueryevery one shall be reuealed whether good or bad, &c. To the same purpose also Rupertus. As here the acts and workes of this fourth beast are examined before sentence giuen.
6. But as Chrysostome well noteth, these bookes are not opened, that God should receiue information thereby, to whome all mens hearts are opened: like as in earthly tribunalls, bookes are brought forth, non so…um vt princeps in instruatur, sed vt iudicium iustum appareat, not onelyonly to informe the Prince, but that the iudgement may appeare iust, &c. So God openeth eueryevery mans conscience, that they may themselues see and confesse, that their iudgement is most iust, whether to life or death. Oecolampad.
38. Quest. Of the destruction of the fourth beast, v. 11.
v. 11. I beheld till the beast was slaine, &c. Hierome, whome Lyranus followeth, vnderstandeth this of the destruction of Antichrist, in the ende of the world, whome Christ shall destroy with the spirit of his mouth: so also Vatablus, Antichristus significatur & eius membra, Antichrist is signified, and his members. But in this sense this prophesie should not yet be fulfilled, whereas it is euident, that all this was fulfilled before the first comming of Christ.
2. Calvin applying this to the Romane Empire, thinketh that the beast was destroyed when the Empire beganne to decay, which was immediatly after Traiane the Emperours time: for after that time, well nigh these 15. hundred yeares, nullus Romano potitus est Imperio, none hath enioyed the Romane Empire: But, though the state of that Empire was somewhat empayred, yet it was not then wholly destroied, but continued in great power and glorie many hundred yeares after Traians time: but here the beast is slaine, and his body vtterly destroied.
3. Bullinger expoundeth this of the ruine of the Papall kingdome.
4. Osiander of the decay of the Turkish dominion, togither with the Romane Empire: so also Oecolampad. expoundeth it of the destruction of the Pope and Turke togither, by that prophesie Apoc. 19. 20. of the taking of the beast, and the false prophet. But these prophesies must be distinguished: Daniels extendeth to the first comming of Christ, Iohns Reuelation to the second.
5. Iunius in his Commentarie, applieth this prophesie vntounto Antiochus Epiphanes: his iudgement is set forth in three degrees. 1. the beast is slaine: the death of Epiphanes is foreshewed, who hauing receiued euill tidings first at Persepolis, then at Elymais fell into a grieuous and incurable disease, as is set forth, 1. Macchab. 6. 2. Macchab. 9. 2. his bodie is destroyed: his armies were ouerthrowne, and all his posteritie rooted out: for Antiochus Eupator his sonne raigned not aboue 3. yeares, and in him the whole familie of Epiphanes was extinct, and the kingdome returned to the right heires. 3. his bodie is giuen to the burning fire: whereby is signified the grieuous torments of his disease, which he endured, 2. Macch. 9.
6. But seeing Antiochus Epiphanes is the little horne of the fourth beast, and this iudgement belongeth to the whole beast; here rather is described the ruine and destruction of the whole kingdome of the Seleucians: the meaning then is this rather: 1. that the power of the Seleucians after Epiphanes began to abate, and their kingdome to be much …olested by enemies without, the Parthians and Armenians, and by commotions within: and so the beast was slaine:See appendix in the ende of the booke, exercise 1. argu. 8. answ. 3. & argu. 11. answ. 1. then the bodie of the beast was destroyed: the kingdome beeing taken from the house of the Seleucians, and giuen to Tygranes king of Armenia, as Iustine writeth, lib. 40. And this bodie was giuen to the fire, when Tigranes beeing taken, the kingdome was dissolued, and made a Prouince by Pompey. Polan.