Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 20 – Question 24
Quest. 20. The meaning of these words, v. 24. to finish or rather restraine wickednesse.
1. R. Salamon, who endeth these 70. weekes at the second destruction of the citie and Temple by Titus, thus interpreteth, that then the Iewes should endure a longer captiuitie, then before: and thereby should learne, to leaue off their sinnes, and by their long punishment merit forgiuenesse of their sinne.
Contra. 1. Lyranus thus refelleth the Rabbine: that the Iewes are so farre off from leauing their sinnes by this long captiuitie, that they are rather worse: for their periuries, vsurie, profane oathes, are notoriously knowne. And seeing God punished their idolatrie, but with captiuitie of 70. years, and now they hauehave endured captiuitie more then twice 7. hundred yeares, it must needs be a greater sinne for the which they sustaine so long a time of punishment, which can be none other, then their killing the Lord of life the Blessed Messiah. 2. Paulus Burgen. addeth further, that this finishing of iniquitie must be within the 70. weeks, but that ceasing from sinne which the Rabbine imagineth, must follow after these 70. weeks expired. 3. adde hereunto, that no man by the workes of the law is iustified, or can doe any thing acceptable vntounto God: how then can the Iewes without the Messiah obtaine remission of sinnes? And againe, men by their punishment, though it be neuer so long and great, cannot satisfie for their sinnes; for then they which are tormented in hell, might at length satisfie for their iniquitie. Polan.
2. Some following the Latine text, to consummate or finish sinne, doe thus interpret it, to make perfect sinne: as the Iewes were come to the height of sinne when they crucified Christ: in this sense our Sauiour saith, Matth. 23. Fulfillye the measure of your fathers: thus expound Chrysostome, orat. 2. cont. Iudaeos. Theodoret vponupon this place, and Eusebius, lib. 8. de praeparat. Euang. but the next words following, to seale vp …, and reconcile iniquitie, doe shewe, that this phrase signifieth rather the consumption, then consummation of sinne.
3. Some reading to finish sinne, vnderstand it of the consumption of sinne, and taking of it away by the death of Christ: as a candle is said to be ended, when it is consumed, Hugo. so is the word finishing taken, Isa. 40. 2. Speake comfortably to Ierusalem, &c. that her warfare is finished, and her iniquitie is pardoned. Perer. so also Calv. Genevens. Vatabl. Pintus: this sense is not to be misliked, sauing that the word is not well interpreted, which signifieth not to finish, but rather to restraine or shut vp.
4. The word cala, with aleph, (which is here vsed) signifieth to shut vp, but cal…h with he, is to finish and consummate: the meaning then is, to restraine sinne: which Iunius, and Polanus following him, doe interpret of the preseruing of the elect from that generall defection and falling away of the Iewes, which began in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes.
5. But seeing the words following, to seale vp sinnes, &c. are generall, not of any speciall iniquitie, or of some speciall nation, but of the sinnes of all; these words are better vnderstood also generally, that by the comming of Christ, and preaching of the Gospel, there should be a generall restraint of sinne: as many which made no conscience before of adulterie, idolatrie, couetousnes, and such like, should be reclaimed by the Gospel▪ Bullinger. as the Apostle saith, hauing made mention of idolaters, fornicatours, adulterers, and such like, who shall not inherit the kingdome of God, addeth, but such were some of you, but ye are washed, ye are sanctified, &c. 1. Cor. 6. 10.
22. Quest. Of the sealing of sinnes.
1. The Latine translatour readeth, to finish sinne: whereupon Pererius taketh occasion to shew how diuers waies sinne was finished by the death of Christ, in that he paied the ransome for our sinne, abolished idolatrie, conquered Sathan: So M. Lively preferreth this reading, and expoundeth it by that place, Ioh. 1. 29. Behold the lambe of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world.
2. But seeing the word is chatam, which signifieth to seale vp, and so the Septuagint read, foreign, in sealing, therefore this reading is to be preferred, to seale vp sinnes: that is, to binde vp as it were, and to seale and cloase them, as neuer any more to be opened, read, or declared against vsus: for as writings are vnfolded and opened to be rehearsed, and read, so they are sealed vp to be concealed and buried in obliuion: which S. Paul calleth, the putting out of the hand-writing, &c. which was against vsus, Coloss. …. 14. Polan.
Quest. 22. What it is to reconcile iniquitie.
1. The vulgar Latine readeth, to take away sinne: so also Lyranus, Hugo, Pintus, with others: and hereupon Pererius sheweth how three wayes a thing may be taken away, by washing and wiping, by scraping, as a blot in writing, and by dissipating or dissoluing, as when a cloud or mist is dispersed: and so in all these phrases sinne is said to be taken away: as Dauid saith, Psal. 51. wash away my sinne, and S. Paul, that Christ hath rased out the handwriting of our sinne, Colos. 2. And Isay 44. 22. the Lord saith, I hauehave put away thy transgression as a cloud: This sense is true, but it is not well grounded: for the word caphar, signifieth to expiate, reconcile, not to take away.
2. Some by this expiation and reconciliation vnderstand the taking away of the guilt of sinne, whereby we are made guiltie of eternall damnation, Polan. but that seemeth to be signified before in the sealing of sinnes, that they should not be had in remembrance to ou… condemnation.
3. Hereby then rather is signified that Christ hath made reconciliation for sinne, that is, he satisfied in his death vponupon the crosse, pro culpa & poena, &c. for the fault and punishment, Bulling.
4. Thus by these three words here vsed, peshagh, chataoth, ghaven, which are translated, wickednesse, sinnes, iniquitie, all manner of sinnes whatsoeuer are implied, (sinne onelyonly against the holy Ghost excepted) Bulling. which may thus be distinguished, wickednesse against God, sinne in our selues, and iniquitie against our neighbour, Hugo. And here this benefit of taking away sinne is set forth in three degrees: in restraining the act, in sealing them vp in respect of the guilt vntounto condemnation, and in making expiation for the fault and offence it selfe.
Quest. 23. v. 24. How the Messiah brought euerlasting righteousnesse.
1. Some by this euerlasting iustice vnderstand Christ himselfe, Vatab. who is said to be our iustice fiue wayes. 1. exemplariter, because his iustice and righteousnesse is set before vsus to imitate and follow. 2. satisfactorie, because he hath satisfied the wrath of God by his righteousnesse for our sinnes. 3. meritorie, he hath by his righteousnes merited for vsus eternall life. 4. efficienter, he is the efficient cause of our iustice and righteousnes. 5. finaliter, because this is the ende of our holinesse and righteousnesse, to be made like and conformable to the image of the sonne, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8. 29. Perer. But here is vnderstood, not that righteousnesse which Christ hath in himselfe, but that which is communicated vntounto vsus: for here are two benefits rehearsed, which should come by the Messiah, the first is the taking away of sinne, which is before expressed: the other the bringing and giuing of righteousnesse.
2. Some by iustice vnderstand the preaching of righteousnesse by the gospel, as Lyranus, as it is taken, Isay. 45. 23. the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse, Pintus. But the preaching of the gospell shall not be euerlasting: for in the next world, there shall be no neede of preaching: the Saints shall enioy the presence and sight of the lambe, who shall be their light.
3. Some by iustice interpret the actiue iustice, which God exercised vponupon the crosse in not sparing his sonne, but giuing him for the redemption of the world, Hug. Card. But the verie phrase, to bring in euerlasting righteousnesse, sheweth, that such a iustice is here meant, not which was shewed vponupon Christ, but was communnicated to his members.
4. Wherefore by iustice here is vnderstood nothing els but our iustification, whereby the iustice of Christ is imputed vntounto vsus freely, and made ours by faith, Bulling. and in this sense, is the word iustice or righteousnesse taken, Iames. 2. 23. Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed to him for iustice, or righteousnesse, Pintus.
5. But we must take heede here of that Popish conceit of inherent iustice: as Pererius here vnderstandeth that iustice, quae in homine inest à Deo effecta, which is in …an wrought by God, &c. for this iustice which is wrought in man by faith, is nothing else but our sanctification, which is imperfect, and therefore it is not that euerlasting iustice, which is the iustice of Christ imputed vntounto vsus by faith.
Quest. 24. Why it is called euerlasting righteousnesse.
1. The iustice or righteousnesse of faith in Christ is called euerlasting, in respect of the iustice of the lawe: non euanescet sicut iustitia legis, it shall not vanish away as the iustice of the law, Osiand. which was a temporarie iustice consisting in the obseruation of legall rites and ceremonies, which were not to continue, Perer. such was the righteousnesse of Zacharie and Elizabeth, which are called iust, because they walked in all the commandements, and foreign, constitutions and ordinances of the lawe, Luk. 1. 6. so also the gloss. it is called eternall iustice, quae legis iustitiam vincat, which should exceede the iustice of the lawe.
2. This iustice of faith is euerlasting, because it is omnium temporum, for all times: all that euer liued in the world, were iustified by the iustice of faith in Christ, Bulling.
3. And is eternall, quia inchoatur in via, in patria perficitur, it is begunne here as in the way, and shall be perfited in our countrey, Pintus.
4. But it is rather so called in respect of the euerlasting force and vertue of this iustice, which shall neuer be extinguished, but shall make vsus accepted of God for euer, Polan. as the Prophet Isay saith, c. 45. 17. Israel shall be saned in the Lord with an euerlasting saluation, ye shall not be ashawed, nor confounded world without ende.