Commentary on Daniel, Appendix · Exercise 7
The 7. Exercise.
Wherein Graserus expoundeth the 41. verse, and taketh vponupon him to prooue, that it can not be vnderstood of the expedition of Antiochus against Iudea, but of the attempts of the Bishop of Rome against the Saracens.
Argum. 1. Graserus first confuteth their opinion, who thinke all this to be vnderstood of the king of the South, that he should enter into the land of Palestina, applying it to the Saracens, who possessed that countrey: But this he well sheweth, can not be so: for the king of the North is brought in as the principall: the king of the South is mentioned but by occasion of the other, as it were by an accident: and therefore the storie still runneth vponupon the acts and exploits of the king of the North. p. 148. 149. Then he commeth to examine Iunius opinion, that interpreteth all this of Antiochus, who in his returne out of Egypt, inuaded Iudea, but spared the Edomites, Moabites, and the chiefe of the Ammonites, as confederate with him. His reasons are these:
1. If by the pleasant land were here meant the land of Iudea, why is it not described by that name, in all this whole propheticall vision of Antiochus, wherein so many attempts of his are described against the Iewes? this therefore sheweth, that by this name giuen vntounto that land, some other thing is signified. 2. And if the Moabites and Edomites be here meant, who were in such league and amitie with Antiochus, that they ayded him in his warres, and Iudas Macchabeus was reuenged vponupon them, as his enemies: it could not be said of them, that they escaped out of his hands, which phrase rather presupposeth some former hostilitie and persecution, out of the which they hardly escaped. 3. And why should he say the first and chiefe of the Ammonites: if the Edomites and Moabites were wholly spared, who were as in the heart of Syria, why should the first and nearer parts of the Ammonites onelyonly escape, whose countrey is extended to Arabia? Graser. p. 353. 354.
Ans. 1. Iudea is before described by this name of the pleasant land, v. 16. when Antiochus the great father to Antiochus Epiphanes, first subdued it: therefore Iudea beeing before expressed by that name, is most likely also to be signified here: the reason, why in the prophesie of Antiochus expeditions against the people of God, it is described by other names, as the holy couenant, and Sanctuarie, is, because Antiochus sought more to deface their religion, then to inuade their land.
2. The Edomites and Moabites are said to escape his hand, not as though he attempted any thing against them, but because their countries lying and bordering vponupon Palestina, were in danger also to hauehave beene smitten and oppressed by him, but that he spared them as his confederates: so they are saide to escape, in regard of their present danger, in respect of the nearnes of the place.
3. The reason is euident, why onelyonly the first and nearest of the Ammonites doe escape, because their countrey was more remote from Syria, then Edom and Moab was, extending to Arabia: and therefore the nearest parts of the Ammonites were most in danger: see before c. 11. qu. 48.
Argum. 2. Further Graserus would prooue by the phrase and words, that Antiochus inuading of Iudea is not here meant.
1. By the inuading of the pleasant land, such warre is here vnderstood, in quo de terrae illius poss…ssione praecipuum certamen fuit, wherein the chiefest strife was about the possession of that land: Now Antiochus had that land in subiection before, he now sought onelyonly to roote out their religion: But this very well agreeth to those holy warres made betweene the Christians and Saracens, which was for the possession of that countrey.
2. Againe, the king of the South and North stroue about this countrey: but Ptolome letted not Antiochus, neither resisted him in his proceedings against Iudea.
3. It is saide that many shall be ouerthrowne: which is fitly applied to those bloodie warres betweene the Christians and Saracens, wherein so much blood was shedde, as Vrspergensis writeth, vt in ipsius Templi pavimento is equorum genua attigerit, that in the pauement of the Temple, it tooke the horse vp to the knees.
4. And whereas the word rabbath, many, is put in the feminine gender, here may very well be vnderstood the word keholoth, Churches; because indeede many Churches should be ruinated and made desolate at the comming of Antichrist. pag. 355. to p. 362.
Ans. 1. Antiochus did not onelyonly pollute and defile the Sanctuarie, but he made hauocke also of the cities and countrey: for his captaines spoiled Ierusalem, set it on fire, cast downe the houses and the walls, and tooke the women and children captiue, 1. Macchab. 1. 33. 34. Neither were those bloodie and most cruell warres betweene the Christians and Saracens taken in hand onelyonly vponupon a ciuill respect to possesse the countrey of Iudea, but because they had a superstitious opinion of that countrey, as beeing counted more holy then other, at the instigation of the Pope those troublesome warres were vndertaken, whereupon they were called the holy warres.
2. Neither is it here said, that the king of the North and South stroue about this countrey, but onelyonly that the king of the North shall inuade it, and enter into it, as before he set himselfe against the holy couenant, v. 29. 31. which thing Antiochus did: in his returne out of Egypt, he set vponupon Iudea.
3. Because many did fall in those warres, it followeth not, that they therefore should be comprehended here: it is not enough for one of the partes of this propheticall description to agree, but all must be made to accord.
4. We neede not seeke for any strange word here to be supplied: the word eeretz, earth, before vsed in the beginning of the verse, is most fit to be vnderstood here: and so the meaning is, that many nations and lands, sauing those few here excepted of the Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, should feele Antiochus hand.
Argum. 3. By the Edomites, Moabites, and the chiefe of the Ammonites, Graserus vnderstandeth the Church of the Grecians, Ethiopians, and the Elect, which all escape the tyrannie of Antichrist: which he would shew in this manner:
1. Like as the pleasant land generally betokeneth the Catholike visible Church, which shall be surprised by Antichrist: so by the other three, which were allied vntounto the people of God the Edomites, which came of Esau the brother of Iaakob, the Moabites and Ammonites, which issued from Lot Abrahams brothers sonne: by these three are vnderstood three sorts of people, which hauehave some affinitie with the Church of God: The Edomites may signifie the Grecians, which came nearest in iudgement of religion vntounto the Church of God in these West parts, as the Edomites were next in affinitie vntounto the Israelites.
2. The Moabites doe shadow forth the Ethiopians: that as they were also of affinitie vntounto Israel, but somewhat further off, and differed more in religion from the Israelites, then the Edomites did: so the Ethiopian Christians differ much from the Christianitie of the Westerne Churches: yet among them there are to be found some seedes and remainder of the Christian faith: for euen from the Apostles times, they had the Scriptures, as is euident in the historie of the Eunuch, who did read vponupon the Prophet Isai, as he sat in his charret: Act. 8. These two Churches of Grecia, and Ethiopia, the Romane Antichrist hath attempted to subdue vntounto his iurisdiction, but he hath not preuailed: and so the Edomites and Moabites hauehave escaped his hand.
3. The chiefe of the children of Ammon, which signifieth my people, are the elect of God, who also shall escape in the persecution of Antichrist: he shall hauehave no power to peruert them: thus it it is said, Apoc. 18. 4. Come out of her my people: and here c. 12. 1. the Angel saith, at that time thy people (that is, Ammon) shall escape: to this purpose Graser. from pag. 365. to pag. 378. this allegoricall interpretation he fathereth vponupon Theodoret. pag. 377.
Ans. 1. As by Egypt here is vnderstood literally the region, and countrey so called, so must the rest of the nations here named, of Edom, Moab, Ammon, be so taken likewise: and seeing that when the Prophet speaketh of the Grecians, he describeth them by the name of Iavan, c. 8. 21. c. 10. 20. who came of Iapheth; by the Edomites of Esau, of Isaak, who came of Sem, the Grecians can not properly be vnderstood.
2. And seeing expresse mention is made afterward of the Lybians and Ethiopians, by them rather the Church of the Ethiopians should be signified, then by the Moabites.
3. And as vnfitly by the Ammonites, are the elect people of God shadowed forth, seeing that the Ammonites in Scripture are vsually taken to be enemies vntounto the people of God: as Psal. 83. 5. They hauehave consulted together in heart, and made a league against thee, &c. as Gebal, Ammon, Amalek.
4. Wherefore, these nations are literally to be taken for the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, whome Antiochus spared, as beeing aduersaries and enemies vntounto the Iewes: and therefore Iudas Macchabeus did fight against them, namely the children in Idumea, and against Timotheus the captaine of the Ammonites, 1. Macchab. 5. 3. 6. There we see sensibly and euidently performed this prophesie: see further hereof before, chap. 11. qu. 48. 4.