Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 7 · Doctrines 1 · Question 39 – Question 40
39. Quest. v. 12. When the other beasts had their dominion taken away, and how their liues were prolonged.
1. Some doe interpret these words by the time past, that before the destruction of this last beast, the other three had beene destroyed: so Calvin, Vatablus: ante interitum quartae bestiae evanuerāt, they had vanished away before the ouerthrow of the fourth beast, Osiand. And though mention be made hereof after the destruction of the fourth beast, yet the other beasts were before remooued and taken out of the way, Calvin. But to what ende is it said that after the dominion of the other three beasts was taken away, their liues were prolonged, if there had not beene some remainder of the other Monarchies, the Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian, after their dominion ceased.
2. Some on the contrarie hee thinke, that here is signified a prorogation and continuance of other kingdomes, after the fourth beast is destroied: for after Antichrist is destroied, non statim omnes reges sine onima regna cessabu…, not presently shall all the kings or kingdomes of the earth cease, but they shall hauehave a time giuen them to repent, Hugo. But it is euident by the interpretation of the Angel, v. 26, 27. that after the dominion of the fourth beast is taken away, then all these dominions shall cease, and all the kingdome and dominion shall be giuen to the people of God: Christ onelyonly shall raigne.
3. Bullinger thinketh, that here is shewed a difference betweene the ruine of this fourth kingdome, and the other three: innuit nullum ex omnibus regnis tam horribilem consequutum esse exitum, &c. he sheweth that none of all the other kingdomes, had so horrible an ende, as this last. True it is that there is a difference, for there was some remainder of the other Monarchies, after they were depriued of their dominion, but this fourth had nothing remayning, it was vtterly destroyed: yet this is not all: here is described the ende of all those kingdomes together: that although the Lord had forborne them a great while, yet at length they are iudged.
4. Oecolampadius and Pellican make this the meaning, that whereas in the dissolution of the other kingdoms, one still succeeded another, post hunc quartum non sequutura alia, after this fourth, which he expoundeth of Antichrist, there shall followe no other: But this according to our former exposition (the fourth beast beeing vnderstood to be the kingdome of the Seleucians) cannot stand: for the Romane Monarchie succeeded, which destroyed all the rest.
5. Hierome, whom the ordinar. gloss. followeth, so taketh this prophesie, as that together with Antichrist, Romanum imperium, & alia omnia regna delabuntur, the Romane Empire, and all other kingdomes shall be destroyed in the ende of the world: But this prophesie is not to be referred vntounto the second comming of Christ, it must be vnderstood of his first comming, as is before shewed, quest. 31.
6. The interlinear, gloss. expoundeth these words, their liues were prolonged, of the elect and Saints, which should liue vnderunder the raigne of Antichrist: But here is no mention made of the Saints, but of the beasts, whose liues should be prolonged till the time appointed.
7. Lyranus, wheras it is said, their liues were prolonged for a certaine time and season, vnderstandeth by the first time, the persecution of the faithfull before the first comming of Christ, by the second the persecution following vntounto the second comming of Christ: But it is euident; that all these fowre beasts must be destroyed before the Messiah should come in the flesh, and take possession at his ascension of his euerlasting kingdome.
8. Wherefore this is the meaning, that together with the fourth beast should be destroyed the remainder of the other kingdomes, and all should be dissolued by the Romanes: there was some reliques of the ancient Monarchies, after their dominion ceased, as of the Babylonians in the Armenians, of the Persians in the kingdome of the Parthians, of the Grecians in the kingdome of Macedonia, and Egypt: But all these were vtterly extinguished by the Romanes, Iun. Pol. Perses the last king of Macedonia was subdued by P. Aemilius, and the kingdome made a Prouince of the Romane Empire: & this was in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, then some 90. yeares after that the kingdome of Syria was by Pompey reduced to the forme of a prouince: and some 50. yeare after Augustus ouercomming Antonie and Cleopatra, made a prouince of Egypt, ex tabul. chron. Bulling.
Quest. 40. Why it is said, v. 13. one like the sonne of man.
1. Lyranus thinketh that this note of similitude is added, quia plus est quam filius hominis, because Christ is more then the sonne of man, he is also the sonne of God: But the Prophet describeth here the figure of man, which he saw: the Godhead could not be figured.
2. Pintus giueth this sense: quasi non similitudinem significat, sed certissimam confirmationem: this word as or like, signifieth not here a similitude, but a most certaine confirmation, as the word is taken, Ioh. 1. 14. we sawe the glorie thereof, as the glorie of the onelyonly begotten sonne of the father. But it cannot be so taken here, because Christ was not yet incarnate indeede.
3. Oecolampadius vnderstandeth this to be spoken of Christ now tryumphing in glorie, he was as the sonne of man, that is true man, but not now mortall and subiect to humane infirmities, as other men are, and therefore he is said to be like: he is not now altogether the same: But as yet the sonne of man had not taken vponupon him our nature, with the infirmities thereof: therefore this cannot conueniently be vnderstood of the laying aside and putting off those infirmities.
4. The ordinar. gloss. expoundeth this by that place, Philippi. 2. 7. He tooke vponupon him the forme of a seruant, and was made like vntounto man: But in this place, as Calvin well noteth, non loquitur de essentia naturae humanae, sed de statu, the Apostle speaketh not of the essence of humane nature, but of the state and condition: that Christ came in a lowely state & condition, as the Apostle said before in the forme of a seruant: But the sonne of man is here seene in the clouds, and in glory: his humble and abiect state cannot be here signified.
5. Iunius in his commentarie giueth this sense, in similitudine carnis peccati verus hominis silius, the true sonne of man in the similitude of sinnefull flesh, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8. 3. And therefore he is said to be as the Sonne of man.
6. But the better sense is: that he is said to be as the Sonne of man, because he sawe onelyonly a figure of the sonne of man: for at this time, when Daniel sawe this, he was not yet the Sonne of man, but was to be borne, and become man in his time: Bulling. quia nondum induerat Christus carnem nostram, because Christ had not yet put on our flesh: yea after Christ was incarnate, when he was seene figuratiuely in vision, he is said to be as the Sonne of man, as Reuel. 14. 14. I sawe vponupon the cloud one sitting; as the sonne of man: because he was not seene in his substance, but in figure onelyonly.