Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 89
89. Quest. v. 27. Whether the desolation of Ierusalem here spoken of, should be finall.
The words are thus translated, vntill the consummation euen determined, shall it be powred vponupon the desolate, Iun. the meaning of which words is, that like a continuall dropping and ouerflowing, so shall one calamitie follow an other, vntill they be vtterly made desolate.
1. R. Salomon vnderstandeth this consummation of the last battell of Gog and Magog in the ende of the world: vntill that time should this desolation be: but then the Messiah should ouercome all the aduersaries of the Iewes, and the citie and Temple should be reedified againe. But the battell of Gog and and Magog was past long before Christs time, neither should the Messiah come into the world as a victorious Prince, he was to be put to death, as here the Angel foresheweth: see this opinion before confuted, qu. 78.
2. Lyranus inferreth vponupon these words, vsque ad consummationem & finem, vntounto the consummation and ende, &c. that, prope finem mundi, &c. toward the ende of the world the falsenesse of Antichrist beeing detected by the preaching of Henoch and Elias, the Iewes shall be conuerted vntounto Christ, and vntill that time this desolation shall be, &c. But that conceit of Henoch and Elias preaching in the ende of the world, hath no ground: neither shall the comming of Antichrist be deferred so long vntounto the ende of the world: the Iewes conuersion is expected, but their citie and Temple shall neuer be restored againe, for that would hinder their conuersion vntounto Christ.
3. Wherefore out of this place rather it may be concluded, that this ouerthrowe of the citie, which is here spoken of, should be the beginning of their finall and perpetuall desolation, which may thus further appeare.
1. This is testified in other places of the Scripture, that a finall destruction was determined ouer this people, as Ier. 19. 11. I will breake this people and this citie, as one breaketh a potters vessell, that cannot be made whole againe: so also the Prophet Isay saith after he had prophesied of diuerse calamities which should fall vponupon them, yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Hereunto agreeth S. Paul, speaking of the Iewes, who both killed the Lord Iesus, and their owne Prophets, and hauehave persecuted vsus, and God they pleased not, and are contrarie to all men, &c. for the wrath of God is come vponupon them to the vtmost, &c. 1. Thess. 2. 16. And yet the Prophet Isay more euidently prophesied of the finall ruine of the citie, c. 25. 1. 2. O Lord thou art my God, I will exalt thee: for thou hast made of a citie an heape, of a strong citie a ruine, &c. it shall neuer be built againe.
2. This further may appeare by comparing this desolation of Ierusalem, with the former times of their captiuitie. In Babylon they were captiue but 70. yeares: afterward the citie and Temple were repaired: vnderunder Antiochus the Temple and citie lay wast 2300. daies, Dan. 8. 14. that is, 6. yeares, 3. moneths and an halfe: But this desolation and captiuitie hath now continued aboue 1500. yeares. Now whereas the Prophet Hagge saith, c. 2. 7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet a little while, and I will shake the heauens and the earth, &c. I will …one all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: seeing that in the Prophet Hagges time, which is almost 2000. yeares since, the Messiah was then to come within a little while, what hope can the Iewes now hauehave after so many yeares to expect an other Messiah?
3. Beside, this is an euident argument of the finall and perpetuall desolation of the Iewes citie and Temple, because they hauehave attempted since this destruction by Titus, to hauehave restored their Temple and Commonwealth, but they were hindred from going forward: vnderunder Adrian the Emperour some 64. yeares after this calamitie, the Iewes vnderunder their captaine Benchochab, or Barchochab, thought to recouer their libertie: they held 50. castles, and 980. townes, and fortified Beth-oron: Adrian came and besieged the citie 3. yeares and 6. moneths: at the length, he tooke it, killed the captaine, and put to the sword (as Dia writeth) 50. thousand Iewes. And beside, as Eusebius saith, lib. 4. histor. Eccl. c. 6. the Iewes were banished out of Iudea, and forbidden euer to returne to Ierusalem, which he repaired, and called it by his owne name Aelia, that the Iewes should neuer inhabit it againe.
Chrysostome also lib. 2. cont. Iud. maketh mention, how vnderunder the Empire of Constantine the great, the Iewes began to rebell, and thereupon the Emperour caused their eares to be cut off, and themselues to be dispersed among all nations, that their treacherie might be made knowne to all the world.
After this in Iulians time the Iewes had license from the Emperour, who thought by this meanes to disgrace the Christian religion, to build their Temple again: who busily set themselues about that worke: at that time Cyrillus Bishop of Ierusalem, animated the Christians, shewing out of this place of Daniel, and Matth. 24. that their Temple should neuer be builded againe: And it came so to passe: for there were three miraculous accidents, whereby the worke was hindred. 1. after they had raised the building vponupon the old foundation, all was tumbled and cast downe in the night. 2. there came forth a fire, which consumed all their engines and instruments. 3. there appeared bright redde markes like the crosse vponupon their garments, which they could by no meanes rubbe or wash out: and so the Iewes were faine to giuegive ouer. The truth of this storie Chrysostome auoucheth, which was done but 20. yeares before his time, oration. 2. cont. Iudaeos. And further to conuince the Iewes, he sheweth, that they were not thus crossed and hindred vnderunder a Christian Emperour, but vnderunder an enemie to Christian religion, when Christians generally were persecuted: that this might appeare onelyonly to be Gods worke: this historie is reported by Ruffin. lib. 1. c. 37, 38. by Socrates lib. 3. c. 20. Theodoret. lib. 3. c. 20. And to this day the Iewes neuer were able to preuaile in their purpose and desire, to recouer their countrey, citie, or Temple: So that the veritie and certentie of Daniels prophesie is euident to all the world, that desolation shall be powred vponupon them euen vntounto the ende.
Thus hauehave I now by Gods speciall assistance, finished this wearisome taske, and most difficult question of Daniels weekes. In the skanning and calculating whereof, I confesse, I was as many weekes in painfull studie and meditation, as Daniel was in heauines, when he had that vision in the next chapter, c. 10. 2. I hauehave not omitted any thing to my knowledge, that affoarded matter of doubt or question. And in such great diuersitie of opinion, which breedeth distraction, though it be hard to finde out the best, yet I am perswaded, I hauehave resolued of the most probable and reasonable interpretation: yet so, as I will not preiudice the iudgement of any, but leaue the Reader to his choice, not doubting, but that all reasons weighed, circumstances duely considered, inconueniences auoided, he will incline to mine opinion. Now I will proceede to other matters of note obserued out of this Chapter.