Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 7 · Doctrines 1 · Question 44 – Question 47
Quest. 44. That this kingdome giuen to the Sonne of man, shall not be in earth: against the Chiliastes.
1. Some of the auncient writers were of opinion, that after 6. thousand yeares (for so long they held the world should continue, for euerie of the sixe dayes of the creation counting a thousand yeares) Christ should come, and raigne with his Saints a thousand yeares in all prosperitie in the earth: they should be raised from the dead (which they call the first resurrection) and liue in peace and all happinesse, marrying wi…es, and begetting children: And after these thousand yeares Sathan should be let loose, and then should be the greatest persecution that euer was by Antichrist, after which time the dead should be raised to life, which they say is the second resurrection, and then the Saints should raigne with Christ in heauen for euer.
2. Of this opinion was Papias, whom Ireneus affirmeth to hauehave beene one of Iohns disciples: who for his antiquitie mooued others to embrace the same opinion: as Iustinus dialog: cum Tryphon. Iereneus, Tertullian, also as Hierome thinketh, lib. 11. in Ezekiel, Victorinus in Apocalyps. Lactantius also, and Seruius Sulpitius: But the simplicitie of Papias gaue occasion to this error, who vnderstood literally those things which the Apostles spiri…ually meant, of the glorie and peace of Christs kingdome: and to Eusebius giueth this testimony of Papias, that he was a man, ingenij perquam tenuis, of a verse slender wit, as may appeare by his writings.
3. The chiefe ground of this errour is by the mistaking of that place, Apocal. 20. 2. that Sathan should be bound for a thousand yeares: and that the Saints liued and raigned with Christ a thousand yeares: this is the first resurrection: But this place maketh nothing at all for this opinion, as shall be shewed afterward.
4. Cerinthus the heritike had the like conceite of Christs raigning in earth a thousand yeares, as Eusebius testifieth, lib. 3. histor. Ecclesiast. c. 22.… But herein they differed: Cerinthus thought, that men vnderunder this kingdome of Christ should liue in carnall pleasure and voluptuousnesse. This opinion Augustine alwaies misliked, but he confesseth that sometime he approoued the other, lib. 20. de ciuit. dei c. 7.
Cont…a. But now briefely it shall be shewed how vaine and false this opinion is. 1. Our Blessed Sauiour himselfe saith, that his kingdome is not of this world. 2. Christs kingdom is perpetuall, it is an euerlasting dominion, which neuer shall be taken away, v. 14. but this kingdome which they imagine, shall be but for a thousand yeares. 3. They which held this opinion, thought that the last of the sixe thousand yeares was begunne many yeares since: Augustine thought that in his time the last of the sixe thousand was entred, following the erroneous account of the Septuag. from the beginning of the world: and Lactantius who liued in Constantines time, thought that there were but 200. yeares remayning of the sixe thousand: In their opinion then, now the eight thousand yeare should be a foote, and yet their supposed kingdome is not begunne.
4. But as concerning that place in the Reuelation,The thousand yeares expounded, Apoc. …0. 2. during which time Sathan should be bound. it is greatly mistaken by them: there are diuerse expositions thereof. 1. Pererius by the first resurrection vnderstandeth the deliuerance of the soules from the bodies, & their receiuing vp into heauen: & by the thousand yeares he would hauehave signified, taking a finite number for an indefinite, all that time, which the soules of the Saints should reigne in heauen with Christ til his second comming: But this cannot be the meaning: for after these thousand yeares expired, Satan shall be loose: now at Christs comming Sathan shall be more bound then euer he was, and receiue his euerlasting doome.
2. Some doe vnderstand here the libertie which Christs Church shall hauehave in earth, but by a thousand yeares they thinke no definite or certaine time to be expressed: but in propheticall predictions, numbers must be taken properly and literally, especially, where a time is limited: as after these 1000. yeares Sathan must be let loose: if now a certaine time be not defined, before his loosing the Church should hauehave no certaine direction to expect it, and so they should hauehave small vse of this prophesie.
3. Some doe vnderstand here precisely so many yeares, as are named: and some beginne the account from Christs natiuitie, and ende it in the time of Pope Siluester the second: Genevens. Some beginne in the 36. yeare after Christ, and extend the 1000. yeares vntounto the time of Hildebrand called Gregorie the 7. that forcerer, whom Satan vsed as his instrument in oppressing the Church of Christ, Iun. annot. in Apocalyps. But both these doe make the 300. yeares of persecution vnderunder the Romane Emperours, a part of this thousand yeares when Sathan should be bound, which cannot be, for then Satan raged against Christ and his members.
4. Therefore these thousand yeares for that reason must beginne, after the 10. persecutions vnderunder the Romane Empire, in the time of Constantine the great: from thence Sathan was shut vp for a 1000. yeares, vntounto the time of Iohn Wickleffe, and Iohn Husse: then beganne againe the generall persecutions of Christs Church, Fox Martyrolog. p. 101. And by the first resurrection is vnderstood the renewing of the soule, and the rising from dead workes by the preaching of the Gospell: So S. Paul vnderstandeth this first resurrection, Rom. 6. 4. Coloss 3. 1. and in diuerse other places.
Quest. 45. Of the excellencie of Christs kingdome beyond other kingdomes.
1. It excelleth all other kingdomes in the continuance and diuturnitie: the spirituall kingdome of our Blessed Sauiour hath alreadie continued 16. hundred yeares, and shall indure vntounto the ende of the world, and be perfited for euer to remaine in the next. Among earthly Monarchies, the kingdome of the Assyrians was of the longest time: but it reached not to a 1400. yeares: but the kingdome of Christ shall be euerlasting. 2. none of these terrene kingdomes was vniuersall ouer all the world: but all nations and languages hauehave beene subdued to the spirituall kingdome of Christ. 3. It excelleth in force and efficacie: other kingdomes hauehave but power ouer the goods and bodies of men: but this kingdome of Christ worketh vponupon the soule and conscience. 4. Other kingdomes doe but intend the publike peace, and maintenance of ciuill societie: this kingdome deliuereth men from the dominion of sinne and Sathan, and planteth in them true veritie and pietie. 5. Other kingdomes hauehave beene enlarged by force and armes: but Christs kingdome hath beene propagated by humilitie and patience: Our Blessed Sauiour hath founded by his glorious passion, and his faithfull seruants the Martyrs, hauehave by their patient & constant sufferings propagated the church. 6. This kingdome in the excellencie of lawes and precepts farre surpasseth all other: If the Prophet Dauid spake such excellent things of the lawe of Moses, Psal. 19. 4. The lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule, the testimonie of the Lord is sure, and giueth wisedome vntounto the simple: much more excellent is the Gospel of Christ: which is a perfect rule of righteousnesse, which was first preached by the Lord himselfe. 7. They differ in the ende: Terrene kingdomes doe but procure the outward peace and welfare of the people: but the gospel and kingdome of Christ doe bring the faithfull vntounto euerlasting life. 8. Lastly, these kingdomes are diuerse in respect of their gouernours: These terrene dominions are ruled many times by vnwise, often by vniust, but alwaies by infirme, mortall, and weake men: But this spirituall kingdome of the Church, hath a Prince most prudent, most iust, most mighty: as the Prophet Esay describeth this Blessed Prince,… 9. 7. by sixe titles: which may thus be sorted out to these properties before named: two of them shewe his power; he is wonderfull and mightie, two of them his wisedome, he is a counsellour, and the Prince of peace; by his heauenly wisedome procuring the euerlasting peace of his Church: and for his iustice, he is an euerlasting father, not as an hard Lord ouer his people, but gouerning them as a foster father: And all these three, his wisedome, iustice, and power, are comprehended in that one title, he is the mightie God.
Quest. 46. How the kingdome of Christ is said to be euerlasting, seeing it shall be deliuered vp vntounto God, 1. Cor. 15. 24.
1. Whereas the Apostle saith, then shall be the end, when he hath deliuered the kingdome to God, 1. Cor. 15. 24. and vers. 28. And when all things shall be subdued vntounto him, then shal the sonne also himselfe be subiect vntounto him, that did subdue all things vnderunder him, &c. Some vnderstand this of Christ in his members: Sancti, in quibus viuit filius puriss…me agnoscunt Regem ac dominum, the Saints, in whom the Sonne liueth, shall hartily acknowledge their Lord and king: and so Christ in his members shall be subiect vntounto God: Oecolampad. But it is euident in the text, that the Apostle speaketh of Christ in his owne person: v. 24. He shall deliuer the kingdome to God the father, when he hath put downe all rule, &c. But Christ himselfe, and not his members, doth subdue and put downe all rule, &c.
2. Some doe thus interpret the Apostle, that Christ as man and head of his Church, shall: be subiect vntounto God, and deliuer vp the kingdome vntounto his father, Geneuens. who is said then to be subiect to his father as man, not that he was not subiect before, but because the Church which is his bodie, which shall be also subiect, is not yet perfect, Beza. This is most true, that the Sonne as man, is subiect vntounto God: as Augustine saith, Christus vt Deus nos cum patre subiectos habet, vt sacerdos nobiscum patri subiectus est▪ Christ as God together with his father hath vsus subiect vntounto him, as he is the Priest, he is together with vsus subiect to his father, lib. 1. de Trinitat. cap. 8. yet this doth not fully satisfie how Christ shall deliuer vp his kingdome; for as he is the Sonne of man, he is said here to hauehave a… euerlasting kingdom, and he shall be adored and worshipped for euer, as the king of his Church.
3. Therefore this is to be vnderstood of the manner of his kingdome: that it shall not be administred in the next world as now, per ministerium verbi & sacramentorum, by the ministerie of the word, and Sacraments, Osiand. And that part of Christs kingdome shall cease, which is exercised in the subduing and vanquishing of his enemies: for then there shall be no enemies at all to be subdued: this execution of Christs kingdome shall cease: yet Christ shall remaine king of his Church for euer, to be adored of his Angels, and of all his Elect.
47. Quest. v. 17. Of the rising of the foure beasts.
1. Where it is in the text, these foure beasts, are foure kings, Calvin following the vulgar Latine, readeth kingdomes: but the word is malchin, kings: malcutha signifieth a kingdome, v. 18. But yet by Kings, we must vnderstand kingdomes, Iun. Vatab. for there were diuers kings in the second Monarchie of the Persians, and in the fourth of the Seleucians. 2. It is saide, they shall arise, by a synecdoche, the greater part beeing taken for the whole: for the Chalde Monarchie was alreadie not onelyonly risen, but almost at an ende: the other three were yet to rise, Polan. 3. They shall arise out of the earth: before it is said out of the Sea: sed metaphorice posuerat nomen maris, the name of the Sea he put metaphorically: the earth in respect of the troubles thereof, is compared vntounto a turbulent, and vnquiet sea, Calvin.