Visions and Prophecies of Daniel Expounded, Prophecy 5 · Part 2 · Section 9
Sect. 9. The particular deſcription of the War of Antichriſt againſt the Turks and Saraſins.
VErſe 25. And he ſhall ſtir up his power] Heb. foreign Awaken it. His power, was the power of the Chriſtian Princes and People of the Weſt: His power being mighty, but not in his own power, Chap. 8.24. He ſtirred up or awakened it, by a moſt effectual oration made before them, firſt at Claremont, An. 1095. Afterwards by his Preachers in all the Countreys of the Weſt, whereby he did incredibly inflame them to the war againſt the Turks and Saraſins, for the recovery of the holy Land.
and his heart] That is, great affection.
ſhall be against the King of the South] That is, againſt the Sultans of the Turks and Saraſins, who had overflown the South, Paul. Aemyl.the holy Land, with a great army, Six hundred thouſand Foot, and One hundred thouſand Horſe. But being conſumed by ſword, famine, peſtilence, they were greatly diminiſhed, beſide the parting of the Army: And therefore the hoſtile army is propoſed in greater terms.
and the King of the South ſhall be ſtirred up to battle with a very great, and mighty army] For Solyman Sultan of Aſia, Paul. Aemyl. in vita Phil. f. 77.6.firſt oppoſed with an incredible multitude: Then Caſsianus and Corbanas in Syria with an hoſt innumerable: Laſtly, the Caliph of Egypt with Three hundred thouſand. See Verſe 22. Chap. 8.24,
but he ſhall not ſtand] For he was broken down by the armies of Antichriſt: The three Kings ſubdued: Solyman in Aſia, Gaſsianus in Syria, the Egyptian Caliph in Judea. The firſt, by paſſing to the South from Nicea, to Lycia, Pamphilia, Cilicia: The ſecond, to the Eaſt, even to Edeſſa: The third, to the pleaſant Land, Chap. 7.8. and 8.9, 10. But policy and treaſon opened the way to theſe victories, as it followeth.
for they ſhall forecaſt devices againſt him.] For the Chriſtian Captains made paſſage for their conqueſts by politike deſignes, plotted with the native and domeſtick Chriſtians of Aſia and Syria, from Nicea forward: Without which they had not conquered the enemy, as the Hiſtory doth accurately and expreſſely ſhew. See Paul. Aemyl. Jere. 49.30. Ezek. 38.10. Eſth. 8.5, 3. and 9.25.
Verſe 26. And eating of the portion of his meat, they ſhall break him down] So I tranſlate according to the Hebrew verity. And this was done at Antioch, where the Chriſtian army of Antichriſt under pretence of truce and peaceable commerce, and table-ſociety, plotted deſignes againſt the Turk with Hemirpherrus the Scribe of Caſsianus, whereby they brake him down.
and his army ſhall overflow] Way being made by fore-caſting of devices, from Nicea forward, his army overflowed Aſia. Afterward in Syria at Antioch, making way by pretence of peaceable commerce, and table-ſociety, the army forthwith prevailing, overflowed into all parts, like a torrent running over.
and many ſhall fall down ſlain.] For of the army for Solyman in Aſia were ſlain fourty thouſand: of the army for Caſsianus in Syria, above one hundred thouſand: of the army for the Egyptian Caliph, about the holy Land, above one hundred thouſand: beſides ten thouſand in Antioch, ten thouſand in Jeruſalem, and many more in other times and places.
Verſes 27. And both theſe Kings hearts] That is, the heart of Antichriſt in his Captains of the Weſt, and the Turkiſh King with his people.
ſhall be to do miſchief,] That is, to miſchief one another, by what means they can.
and they ſhall ſpeak lies at one table] That is, pretend favour, and intend miſchief, in commerce of ſpeech, and tableſociety.
This was done (as hath been ſaid) at Antioch, the head City of the Eaſt, the main ſtay of hope and refuge to the Turks, on the taking or loſing whereof the iſſue of this war fundamentally depended. See Paul. Aemyl. There the Weſtern hoſt, and the Turks within, being both brought to the laſt extremity, Paul. Aemyl. f. 85.6.made truce: During which, the Turks uſually came into the camp of the Chriſtians, and again the Chriſtians among the Turks, as it were in a faithful commerce of peace, as the Hiſtorian ſpeaketh: In which kinde of ſociety, the adverſe parts uſually eat and drink together. But in this commerce they ſpake lies, intending really to miſchief one another. For Caſsianus pretended this truce as a pledge of yeelding: But under this pretence, he ſought the utter ruine of the Chriſtian army, by the expected hoſt of Perſians. Boemund alſo with the Chriſtians on the other ſide, under colour of this friendſhip and ſociety, plotted deſignes of treaſon with Hemirpherrus, which alſo with admirable opportunity he accompliſhed, taking Antioch before the coming of the Perſians. The army by this occaſion prevailing, forthwith overflowed into all parts. Or it may be another project is here ſignified after the taking of Antioch. So the Communion of the Pope by his Legats may be underſtood that which he had with the Egyptian Caliph, with whom they ſtaying a certain time, intended their own ends; and the Caliph alſo under pretence of a firm Covenant, being altogether diſpoſed to work miſchief, took advantage thereby of catching away Judea from before the Latines, and ſo of making fruſtrate ſo far as he could, their hope of going forward after the taking of Antioch. Read Paul. Aemyl. fol. 85.
but he ſhall not proſper; for yet the end ſhall be for the time appointed] For Antioch was taken, and afterward that and all the Country loſt again by the Pope. Alſo the Egyptian Caliph being afterward overcome by the Latines, loſt Judea, Verſe 40. And both Pope and Mahomet ſhall come to their full end at laſt.
Verſe 28. Then ſhall he return into his Land] For after Conqueſt of Aſia, Syria, Judea, a great part of the Popes army joyfully returned.
with great riches] Got in the Tents of Corbanas, and from the Saraſins at Askelon in Antioch, Jeruſalem, as the Hiſtory doth ſhew. Paul. Aemyl. l. 4. in fine.Caeteri preceres (ſaith one) domum revertere, pleni gloria, & divitiis.
and his heart ſhall be againſt the Holy Covenant.] As his heart was againſt the Turks abroad, Verſe 25. ſo againſt the Holy Covenant at home. This is the Goſpel, and it comprehendeth all the Ordinances of Chriſt, Iſai. 24.4, 5. Pſal. 25.10. and 44.18. And Antichriſt here is ſaid to be againſt the Covenant, by labouring to ſubvert the Ordinances of Chriſt, and to ſet up his own Antichriſtian devices and abominations Verſ. 31. which now he wrought more effectually then ever before, after the over flowing of the Turks, as the Hiſtory doth ſhew. For Paſchal the ſecond and Calliſtus ſo promoted the Kingdom and Errours of Antichriſt, that by the yeer 1122. he attained to his full and perfect ſwinge, in the actual execution of his Antichriſtian devices. See Char. Chron. Myst. Iniq. p. 280, &c. p. 289, 290.
and he ſhall do, and return to his own Land] That is, againſt the Turks and Saraſins, as appeareth Verſe 29. various expeditions of the armies of the Pope are ſignified: Whoſe cuſtome was to do and return, do and return, to their own Land. Their doing ſhort, ſudden: their returning quick, haſty: both frequent and various.
Verſe 29. At the time appointed] Which I take to be the yeer 1146. and thence forward, to 1291.
he ſhall return and come toward the South] Againſt the Turks and Saraſins by various and potent Expeditions.
but it ſhall not be as the former, even ſo the latter] Or it ſhall not be as at the firſt, even ſo at the laſt. See Deut. 13.9. Dan. 8.3. Iſai. 24.2. Gen. 18.25. Deut. 1.17. and ſo it came to paſſe. From the foreſaid time forward, God blaſted theſe latter Expeditions, even until the Kingdom of Jeruſalem was loſt, and the Chriſtian forces utterly expelled.