Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 50
Quest. 50. Of the end of Antiochus, and such things as immediatly went before.
In this last part of this propheticall narration, there are first shewed the signes and forerunners of this cruell Tyrants ende and sudden destruction: secondly, his ende and ruine it selfe: there ate three signes which went before, as ominous accidents. 1. the rumors which he heard from the East and the North. 2. his indignation and furie thereuppon. 3. the planting of his tabernacle in the holy mount. 4. then followeth his finall ruine.
1. What these rumors should be, there are diuerse opinions. 1. Hierome vnderstandeth it of the fame and rumor of warres, which should be raised by the faithfull and Chrstian people against Antichrist in the ende of the world: But such an Antichrist to be one particular person to come in the ende of the world, hath no ground in Scripture: neither is the accomplishment hereof to be deferred so long vntounto the ende of the world.
2. M. Calvin still continueth his interpretation of the Romane state: these rumors which troubled them, were the euill newes which was brought them, how Crassus was vanquished at Carras, and Antonie also after that, was there foyled with all the power of the Romanes: But this text speaketh of one particular man, whose ende is described: it cannot be referred then to a whole state or Monarchie.
3. These rumors, M. Bullinger thinketh, to be the tydings brought to the Romane Antichrist, concerning the warres of the Turke: whereupon Gregor. the 2. combined all Christian princes to ioyne together against the common enemie the Turke, which was the beginning of those long and bloodie warres, called the holy warres.
4. Osiander and Pappus vnderstanding here also the Romane Antichrist, by these rumors thinke to be meant the preaching of the Gospel, which beganne in the parts of Germanie, which are East and North vntounto Rome: But though this prophesie analogically may be applyed to Antichrist, yet there is another historicall meaning, as shall be shewed afterward.
5. Melancthon will hauehave the Turke here to be described, who shall be terrified with rumors: that is, whereas by humane force he could not be resisted, the Lord from heauen shall stay his rage: But we must not deferre the fulfilling of this prophesie so long: it serued specially for the comfort of those times.
6. These rumors then were the tidings of warres which were brought vntounto Antiochus, and drewe him out of Egypt: these rumors from the East, were of the Parthians, which inuaded his kingdome; and from the north, of the Romanes whose nauies and shippes were in the coasts of Cilicia: Iun. annot. who in his commentarie thinketh that these rumours were onelyonly of the ouerthrowe of his captaines in Iudea, while he was in Persia: the newes whereof was brought him both to Persepolis which was in the East, and to Ecbatane in the North, 2. Macchab, 9. 2. 3. Porphyrius by these rumors vnderstandeth the fame of warres which were intended against him from the East, by Artaxias king of Armenia: But Polanus better ioyneth these together: that first the rising of the Parthians and Persians troubled him, which was the cause that brought him into that countrey; and beeing there he was much more vexed, hearing of the euill successe that his captaines Timotheus and Bacchides had in Iudea, whom Iudas Macchabeus vanquished, and slewe at one time 20. thousand of their armie: see 2. Macchab. 8. 30. and c. 9. 3.
2. The second precedent of Antiochus ruine, was his great wrath and indignation, with the which he went forth and destroyed many. But this is likewise diuersely interpreted. 1. Hierome vnderstands it of Antichrists rage, against those which shal not receiue his decrees: so also Pererius. 2. M. Calvin of Augustus Caesar, who ouercame the Parthians, and recouered that which Antonie had lost. 3. M. Bullinger of the combination made by Pope Gregorie 2. whetting and stirring vp Christian Princes to take in hand the warres for the holy land. 4. Osiander of the cruell rage of Antichrist against the preachers of the gospell, Luther, with others, the rumor whereof troubled him. 5. Melancthon of the rage of the Turke. 6. Porphyrius of the ouerthrowe, which Antiochus gaue to Artaxia… king of Armenia, subduing also the Aradians and Phenicians in the way. 7. But the euent of this prophesie sheweth, that this cruell rage of Antiochus was but against the Iewes, intending to make an vtter destruction and desolation of them, as is declared 1. Macchab. 3. 27. when king Antiochus heard these tidings, he was angrie in his minde, wherefore he sent forth and gathered all the power of his realme, a verie strong armie: and what he intended against them, is further shewed, v. 35. 36. 37.
3. Then followeth the third ominous and precedent signe, of the planting of the tabernacles of his palace betweene the Seas in the glorious and holy mo…ntaine. 1. Aquila maketh Apadno, which signifieth his tabernacle, a proper name, and Saba he maketh the name of an hill: the holy mountaine Saba, which is translated glorious: so likewise Th…dotian interpreteth, whom Theodoret followeth, taking Apadno to be the name of a place neere to Ierusalem, where Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne: But it is euident, that the word tzebi, glorious, is here no proper name, as before it is an epithite giuen vntounto Iudea: and as Hierome noteth, aphadno is compounded of two words, aphad, which signifieth a throne, and no, his.
2. Hierome therefore giueth this sense, whom Lyranus, Pintus, Pererius followe, that Antichrist shall pitch his tabernacle in Iudea, betweene the two Seas, the dead Sea, and Mediterranean Sea: in the holy mountaine, mount Sion or mount Oliuer, where Christ ascended, where Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne: of which mountaine Hierome lib. de locis hebraic. telleth two strange things: that in mount Oliuet in his time were to be seene the print of Christs feete on the ground, where he last stood, when he ascended; and beside in the same place where Christ is thought to hauehave ascended, there is a Church, which will not endure a roofe or couering vponupon it. But I will leaue the credit of these strange reports to those, which hauehave seene those countreys, which doe finde no such thing: either Herome might be too credulous in reporting such things, or some forging finger hath thrust it in: If this report hauehave no more truth, then that other conceit of Antichrists spreading his palace in mount Oliuet, they are both meere fables.
3. Porphyrius taketh these two Seas to be Tigris and Euphrates, and Apadno to be the name of a place betweene those riuers: and this mountaine he thinketh to be in Elymais, Armenia, or Mesopotamia, where Antiochus pitched his pauilion: But though this prophesie were historically fulfilled in Antiochus, wherein he gesseth right: yet the other are but his fansies, by two Seas to vnderstand two riuers: and why should any such hill among the idotrous Persians be called holy, vnles he thinke it were for the superstitious adoration of some Gentile idols there: which the spirit of God would neuer in that respect hauehave called holy.
4. Some applying this to the Turke, doe shewe how his seate at Constantinople is betweene the two Seas Aegeum and Euxinum, where sometime the Church of God was, called the holy mountaine, Melancthon. M. Calvin sheweth how the Romanes set their palace and dominion in those countreys, and especially in Iudea, after they had quieted those parts: But this prophecie was not deferred so long, as to reach vntounto the Turkes: and it is euident, that some singular person is here described, whose ende is foreshewed: therefore not the whole state of the Romanes.
5. Some doe interpret it of the Romane Antichrist, whose seate is betweene the two Seas, Tyrrhenum, and Adriaticum: and they thinke Rome to be called the holy mountaine, because sometime there Paul planted a famous Church, Osiand. Pappus. But though this by way of application may be referred to Antichrist, that is not the originall and historicall sense: and it seemeth to be somewhat hard, to call the seate of Antichrist great Babylon, the citie of abhominations, the holy mountaine.
6. Oecolampadius likewise here vnderstanding Antichrist, taketh this holy mountaine for the Church of God, which was prefigured by Iudea, which was situate betweene the two Seas, the dead Sea, and the mediterrane sea: But it is euident that the glorious mountaine is here taken for Iudea, as it is called before the beautifull or glorious land, v. 16. 41.
7. Iunius in his commentarie taketh Apadno for Mesopotamia, for he saith that countrey was called Apadan: as Theodotian retaineth the same word Apadon, and there Antiochus pitched his pauilion betweene the Seas, among the Chalde fennes: and in the holy mountaine he interpreteth, when they went against the holy mountaine, that is Iudea, which was an hilly countrey: And this may seeme some probabilitie hereof, because the word padan is taken for Mesopotamia in Scripture, which commeth somewhat neere the word aphadno: But the two seas cannot properly be said to be fennes: And the verie description of the holy mountaine betweene the two Seas, sheweth that Iudea is vnderstood by the right situation thereof.
8. Some doe thinke, that Antiochus himselfe returning out of Persia, was entring into the borders and confines of Iudea, when he was stricken of God: and then he pitched his princely tents betweene the dead sea, and the Mediterranean: so Polanus out of Iosephus, who thus writeth, that Iudas Macchabeus, eum in sines Iudaeae ingredientem, vehementissima plaga percussum, repressit, &c. did recoile him or driue him backe entring into the borders of Iudea, beeing striken with a great plague, &c. lib. 1. de bello Iudaic. c. 1. But this cannot stand with that report, 1. Macchab. 9. 4. that Antiochus fell sicke in Babylon, and their died: he was dead then before he came neere Iudea: and he could not spread his tents there after he was returned from Persia: wherefore either Iosephus writeth here somewhat loosely and slenderly of this matter, as he doth elsewhere: or he speaketh of some other foyle that Iudas gaue vntounto Antiochus, and not at that time, when he had beene in Persia.
9. Wherefore the meaning is this, that not Antiochus should pitch his pauilion in his owne person, but his viceroy Lysias, with whom he had left his sonne Antiochus, and halfe of his armie, and made him gouernour in his absence of all his kingdome from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt: then he pitched in Emmaus with the kings forces, 1. Macchab. 3. v. 32. 40. H. Br. in Daniel. which was since called Nicopolis: which though it be said to be in the plaine, yet there the hilly tract beginneth, that extendeth to Ierusalem, the mount Oliuet not beeing aboue a mile from Emmaus, Lyran. Hugo. the two Seas are the dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, which are the limites of Iudea, Iun.