A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 11
The Coneluſion of Daniel's Prophetick Hiſtory.
REmark the Firſt. Hereupon is the variety of Sentiments among the Learned, ſome confining this Hiſtorical Prophecy of Daniel unto this Mad Antiochus only; and others are of Opinion, that it ought to be confined unto the Roman Antichriſt only, producing their Arguments on both ſides to prove it. But in my Judgment, the beſt Opinion is, that both Antiochus and Antichriſt are included in this Prophecy; the former as a Type, and the latter as the Antitype: Though the Scripture ſpeak nothing in expreſs Words of the Types of Antichriſt, as it doth of our Lord Chriſt's Types and Figures; yet ſome, both Antient and Modern Writers do affirm, there be Types of Antichriſt in the Old Teſtament: As 1. Cyprian Interprets the King of Babylon, Iſa. 14.13. to be his Type; rendring this Reaſon, if Babylon Literal be a Type of Rome, which is Babylon Myſtical in the Revelation, then the King of Babylon muſt be a Type of the Roman Antichriſt. 2. Others make the Adultereſs Harlot, Prov. 5.15, &c. to be the Image and Reſemblance of the Whore of Rome. 3. Others repreſent Antichriſt from Gog and Magog, Ezek. 38. and Rev. 20.8. But 4. and Laſtly, Many Learned Men make this Antiochus the Type of Antichriſt, becauſe of the great Congruity between them in Daniel's Deſcription: As 1. Both were bitter Enemies to God's Church, the one to the Jewiſh, and the other to the Chriſtian Church. 2. As the one came before the firſt coming of Chriſt, ſo the other before his ſecond coming.
Remark the Second, Though Bellarmine miſimprove this ſecond Parallel, inferring from thence, that Antichriſt muſt Reign but bare three Years and half immediately before the ſecond coming of Chriſt, yet this is but a frivolous Conſequence, and not unlike that, becauſe Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon (Cyprian's Type of Antichriſt) reigned thirty ſeven Years, therefore Antichriſt muſt Reign but thirty ſeven Years only, but the Scripture of Truth giveth a far longer Leaſe to the Beaſt Antichriſt, &c. Maldonate himſelf confeſſeth, that the Spirit in Daniel ſeems to ſlide from the Life of Antiochus to that of Antichriſt, as was the Manner of the Prophets, and of Chriſt our Saviour too; thus David ſpeaking of Solomon brings in Chriſt, Pſalm 72.8, &c. ſo Pſalm 16. and Iſa. 49. and 54. and 60. Chapters, ſo Hoſ. 11.1. with Matth. 2.15. and thus our Saviour ſpeaking of the Temple, ſpeaks together with it of the end of the World, Matth. 24. as the burning of the Temple was a figure of that laſt burning of the World: Even ſo this Prophecy of Daniel, after the Deſcription of the two Parallel's Antiochus and Antichriſt, altogether alike in Pride, Avarice, Craft and Cruelty againſt God's People, and in Idolatry and Blaſphemy againſt God himſelf, ends it with the end of the World, but ſpeaks not one Word, that Antichriſt ſhall Reign no longer than three Years and half; therefore the Argument is frivolous and falls to the ground.
Remark the Third, Though we have four Terms expreſly declared by Daniel, concerning the Perſecution of Antiochus: As 1. By the two thouſand three hundred Days, Dan. 8.14. which makes ſix Years three Months and twenty Days. 2. A Time, Times, and part of a Time, Dan. 7.25. and 12.7. that is, three Years and a part, the former Date ended before the Sanctuary was defiled, but during this ſecond Term, the daily Sacrifice was diſcontinued. 3. Another Time ſet is one thouſand two hundred and ninety Days, Dan. 12.11. which ended at ſuch Time as God's Altar was rebuilt, and God's true Worſhip was reſtored by Judas Maccabeus. And 4. Forty five Days more are added to the number aforeſaid, making them one thouſand three hundred and thirty five Days, Dan. 12.12. which forty five Days overplus ended at the Death of Antiochus, moſt joyful Tidings to God's poor perſecuted People; for notwithſtanding Antiochus's pretended Repentance, &c. we are told of, 2 Maccab. 9.13, 28. and Chap. 11. the Jews could have no Confidence in the Words of ſuch an Hypocrite, but his Death did fully free them from all their fears of him: Yet may we not expect to find any ſuch ſet Times of Antichriſt's Perſecution, to be ſet down upon Record by Daniel the Old Teſtament Prophet; no, that Work was reſerved for John the Divine in the laſt Book of the New Teſtament: Wherein the number of the Beaſt or Antichriſt's Name, carries a marvelous Harmony with theſe numbers in Daniel, for the number of that Man of Sin is ſaid to be ſix hundred and ſixty ſix, Rev. 13.18. now twice ſix hundred and ſixty ſix, make one thouſand three hundred and thirtȳt two, and three Years and an half make up Daniel's number, which is one thouſand three hundred and thirty five compleat, &c.
Remark the Fourth, Dr. Willet hath moſt learnedly anſwer'd great Graſerus his great Arguments, wherein he contends to prove, that this Prophecy of Daniel doth Literally and Hiſtorically concern the Roman Antichriſt, and not this Mad Antiochus: The Diſcourſe is extended into ten large Exerciſes, too long here to Epitomize, and therefore muſt I refer the Reader to Dr. Willet's Appendix to his Hexapla upon Daniel, page 495, to 520. As likewiſe to Mr. Joſeph Mede's Works, who makes the Hiſtory of the Type Antiochus, to lead us by the Hand, to underſtand the Myſtery of the Antitype Antichriſt, that grand Head of the Apoſtaſy in the laſt Times foretold, 1 Tim. 4.1, &c. bringing in the Doctrine of Daemons, the forbidding of Meats and Marriages, &c. He ſhall magnifie himſelf (as Antiochus did, Dan. 11.37.) Above all, 2 Theſſ. 2.3, 4, to ver. 10. Rev. 13. per totum, and Rev. 17.3, &c. as to Antiochus's Magnuzzim, Heb. the God of Forces which he worſhipped, Dan. 11.38. the ſame Mr. Mede moſt excellently Interprets the Daemons or Tatelar Saints and Angels, which Antichriſt worſhips together with our Lord Chriſt in the Romiſh Church: Nor is this any Novel Opinion for many of the Fathers, make this Magnuzzim the Idol which Antichriſt ſhould Worſhip: So that none comes nearer the Truth, among many other Conjectures than Mr. Mede: Much more of this abſtruſe Point, the Reader may find in my Diſcovery of the Perſon and Period of Antichriſt: A little Book which Dr. Thomas Goodwin approved, and promoted while he lived, &c.