Visions and Prophecies of Daniel Expounded, Prophecy 5 · Part 2 · Section 10
Sect. 10. The particular Deſcription of the ſecond War of Antichrist, againſt the Waldenſes and the Albingenſes.
VErſe 30. And the inhabitants of the waste places of Kittim] Kittim is Italy, or rather more generally the Countreys of Europe. Graſ. de Antie. p. 457.And foreign not foreign doth never ſignifie ſhips, but properly the Inhabitants of waſte, deſert, or thirſty places, Iſai. 13.21. and 34.14. with Luke 11.24. Iſal. 23.13. and the word is applied to the Saints, Pſa. 72.9. and 74.13. Theſe are the Waldenſes, that inhabited the waſte and deſert places, whereabout they roſe at firſt, and wherein they retired themſelves to eſcape the rage of Antichriſt: The Alps and Pirenean Mountains were their habitation. They were hidden alſo in the Wilderneſſe ſpiritually, Apoc. Morn. Myſt. Iniq. p. 327.328.12.6, 14. and 17.3.
ſhall come againſt him] By the ſpiritnal ſword, from the yeer 1160. by the material ſword alſo, from the yeer 1209.
therefore he ſhall be ſore grieved] So ſignifieth foreign, from the root foreign, and it noteth exceſſe or an extreme degree of ſorrow, ſuch as vexeth inwardly, and bewrayeth it ſelf by dejection of countenance, Pſal. 109.16. Prov. 15.13. ſuch as conſumeth the body, and cauſeth the fleſh to pine away, Prov. 17.22. ſuch as is deſperate and intolerable, Prov. 18.14. And ſuch was the ſorrow of Antichriſt for the unproſperous ſucceſſe: and the greatneſſe of his ſorrow is ſignified for two cauſes, his unproſperous ſucceſſe againſt the Turks and Saraſins, Verſe 29. and the riſing of the Waldenſes, Verſe 30. Uſſer de ſue Eccleſ. pag. 261.And for the former cauſe Pope Lucius and Urban died for grief, neither could the latter leſſe afflict him.
and ſhall return] That is, from the Turkiſh war; for he immediately converted his forces from the Turks and Saraſins; upon the Waldenſes: And the duplicity of his war is implyed in that he is ſaid to do by courſe, going and returning from the one unto the other.
and have indignation againſt the Holy Covenant] An indignation furious and tending to deſtruction, ſo foreign Zeph. 3.8. Iſa. 30.27. Cumres ex animi ſententia non ſuccederet, Cont. 13. cap. 2. p. 12. l. 1.(ſaith one) Papa indignatus, alterum gladium pro ſuo more vibrat. Firſt, his heart was onelyonly againſt the Holy Covenant, Verſe 28. The Waldenſes ariſing in defence thereof, his deſire ſtriketh down into deep ſorrow, Verſe 30. Laſtly, hope of victory coming on, his deep ſorrow aſcendeth upward into a furious indignation: His indignation is vented on the Waldenſes, by a deſtroying war, but properly (as it is here ſaid) againſt the Holy Covenant in them.
and he ſhall do and return] The manner of the war of his Souldiers of the Croſſe is deſcribed, as before againſt the Turks: Their various and frequent expeditions, with ſhort diſpatch and quick returnings. See Hiſt. Albin. pag. 2. This war began in the yeer 1209. By ſundry expeditions the holy people were cruelly deſtroyed, until the yeer 1…18, when they recovered themſelves, and prevailed: Neither could the Pope any more by force prevail againſt them. At length by deceitful and fraudulent deviſes, in the yeer 1229, he oppreſſed them utterly, and ſcattered the remainders of them, and being ſcattered he endeavoured to conſume them by perſecutions. And this is the ſecond means whereby Antichriſt came unto the perfection of his Kingdom, as it may be proved by two Arguments. Firſt, becauſe of thoſe three means Chap. 8.9, 10, 11. the firſt of them whereby Antichriſt grew up unto the Mahometans, is ſet immediately before this Verſe: But the third means whereby he grew up to the Prince of the hoſt of Heaven, by taking away the daily ſacrifice, is ſet immediately after, to wit Verſe 31. and therefore the ſecond of thoſe means, whereby he grew up to the army or hoſt it ſelf, to wit the Waldenſes and Albingenſes, is put between. But it is neceſſary that it ſhould be interpoſed in this Verſe 30. and expreſſed in the words before deſcribed, or elſe it muſt needs be altogether omitted. The ſecond reaſon is, becauſe his indignation ariſing againſt the holy Covenant, by the occaſion of the Inſurrection of the Albingenſes inhabiting the deſerts, and declared by doing and returning, as before it hath been ſaid in the deſcription of the war againſt the Mahometans Verſe 28. muſt properly and naturally be expounded of the war and perſecutions intended againſt the Albingenſes.
and he ſhall have reſpect to them that forſake the holy Covenant.] So foreign is expounded with foreign following Verſe 37. Theſe that forſake the holy Covenant, are the Antichriſtian apoſtates, the Princes and people of the Weſt, as alſo the Princes of the Albingenſes, which had revaulted from their Faith: Whom Antichriſt (the Albingenſes being now oppreſſed in the yeer 1229.) forced to take utterly away the daily Sacrifice, to wit, by a fuller and more perfect apoſtacy, as it is declared in the words following.
Verſe 31. And arms ſhall ſtand for him,] That is, the Emperours, Kings and Princes of the Chriſtian world ſhall ſtand for Antichriſt or on his ſide: at his inſtigation falling into a more full and abſolute apoſtaſie.
and they ſhall pollute the ſanctuary, the ſtrong hold] That is, the Temples or places of worſhip.
and they ſhall take away the daily ſacrifice,] That is, the true doctrine, and worſhip inſtituted by Chriſt.
and ſhall ſet up the abomination making deſolate.] That is, Antichriſtian idolatries and ſuperſtitions, corrupt doctrine and unlawful worſhip. The ſame which was begun from the beginning of the 1290 dayes, Dan. 12.11. Now the Albingenſes being oppreſſed was brought unto perfection; as it is expreſly declared in the Hiſtory of the Waldenſes and Albingenſes. Hiſt. Albing. boak 2. chap. 7. at the yeer 1229.
Verſ. 32. And ſuch as do wickedly againſt the Covenant, ſhall he corrupt by flatteries:] Or, he ſhall cauſe them to play the hypocrites, by reaſon of flatteries, To wit, by reaſon of the deceiveableneſſe of iniquity, 2 Theſ. 2.10. Or, by the enticements of riches, pleaſures and honours, and by the baits of liberty and immunity, he ſhall draw them to hypocriſie, and unto conſent in Apoſtatical Religion.
but the people that do know their God, ſhall prevail and do great things.] For the Waldenſes themſelves being ſcattered abroad, by little and little increaſed, propagating the Goſpel; and a little after, Wickcliff and his followers aroſe, and the Huſsites in Bohemia, reſtoring the doctrine of the Waldenſes, and both by the Word and War prevailing and doing great things.
Verſe 33. And they that underſtand among the people, ſhall inſtruct many] By converting many out of Antichriſtianiſm; which was done eſpecially ſince the ſtanding up of Luther, to wit, in Germany, Helvetia, Swedeland, Denmark, France, Low-Countreys, England and Scotland.
yet they ſhall fall by the ſword, and by the flame, by captivity, and by ſpoil for certain dayes] So foreign without foreign and ſo in moſt of the foreſaid Countreys, the Saints oppreſſed for a time with ſhort afflictions, did ſuddenly ariſe triumphing into a ſtate of liberty and ſecurity; which is ſo cleer and commonly known, that it hath no need of farther Declaration out of Hiſtory.
Verſe 34. Now when they ſhall fall, they ſhall be holpen with a little help] That is, with a help little in its own nature, infirm and deſpicable in the eye of fleſh. So it came to paſſe in Germany, France, Flanders, England and Scotland, as appeareth out of Hiſtories. The Reformers in Germany holpen by weak means, aroſe at laſt in the yeer 1555. In England they aroſe in the yeer 1558. the next yeer in Scotland; and a little after in France, and the Low-Countreys, they aroſe alſo from weak beginnings, and by mean ſtrength, after ſhort guſts of perſecution.
but many ſhall cleave to them by flatteries.] That is, many prophane perſons and hypocrites, and many falſe brethren of the faction of Antichriſt, ſhall adjoyn themſelves unto the reformed Saints coming out of the myſtical Egypt and ſpiritual Babylon: as a mixt company went forth with the Jews out of Egypt temporal, Exod. 12.38. And as in the return out of Babylon temporal many were adjoyned, that married ſtrange wives, whoſe children ſpake partly the Language of the Jews, and partly the Language of Aſhdod; alſo many that had ſecret intelligence with the enemies, and favoured traitourouſly their deſignes. Now by reaſon of the Conjunction of ſuch perſons, the Holy Ghoſt ſeemeth to intimate, that the Reformed Church in its firſt and imperfect ſtate ſhould be in part impure: So that the ſound brethren ſhould need purgation by affliction, and the falſe brethren ſhould come to be purged out and ſeparated by judgement, after that the Church ſhould be overgrown with bryars and thorns by reaſon of the long continuance and prevailing of them, which is alſo expreſſely declared in the next Verſe.
Verſe 35. And ſome of them of understanding ſhall fall, to refine among them, and to purge, and to make white,] The end of their afflictions is ſignified, the purification of them in manners and doctrine.
even to the time of the end, becauſe it is yet for a time appointed.] The affliction and fall of them, and their purgation thereby, hath hit herto continued by ſeveral kindes and degrees and guſts of perſecution: The laſt part thereof ſhall be the three dayes and half, and there withall ſhall expire the one thouſand two hundred and ninety dayes of Antichriſt: And this is the time of the end here ſpoken off. See Verſe 40.