Gregory the Dialogist — Commentary on Scripture

Daniel 2:18

What a skillful workman the Spirit is! There is no question of delay in learning. It no sooner touches the mind in regard to anything it chooses than it teaches; its very touch is teaching. It changes a human mind in a moment to enlighten it; suddenly what it was no longer is, suddenly it is what it was not.

FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 30

Daniel 2:24-30

“To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.” And a little later, “You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image.” … Daniel, therefore, in reverently indicating that the dream was to be fulfilled and in telling from what thoughts it arose, shows clearly that dreams often rise from our thoughts and from revelation. Seeing, then, that dreams may arise from such a variety of causes, one ought to be very reluctant to put one’s faith in them, since it is hard to tell from what source they come.… If the mind is not on its guard against these, it will be entangled in countless vanities by the master of deceit, who is clever enough to foretell many things that are true in order finally to capture the soul by but one falsehood. This happened recently to one of our people who believed strongly in dreams. In one of them he was promised a long life. After collecting a large sum of money to last him for many years, he died suddenly, leaving all of his wealth behind untouched, without having so much as a si…

“To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.” And a little later, “You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image.” … Daniel, therefore, in reverently indicating that the dream was to be fulfilled and in telling from what thoughts it arose, shows clearly that dreams often rise from our thoughts and from revelation. Seeing, then, that dreams may arise from such a variety of causes, one ought to be very reluctant to put one’s faith in them, since it is hard to tell from what source they come.… If the mind is not on its guard against these, it will be entangled in countless vanities by the master of deceit, who is clever enough to foretell many things that are true in order finally to capture the soul by but one falsehood. This happened recently to one of our people who believed strongly in dreams. In one of them he was promised a long life. After collecting a large sum of money to last him for many years, he died suddenly, leaving all of his wealth behind untouched, without having so much as a single good work to take with him.

DIALOGUE 4:50.5-6

Daniel 4:24

Often, when resources are abundant and many things can be done for subordinates to admire, the mind prides itself in thought and fully provokes the anger of the judge, though no overt acts of iniquity take place. For the judge lies within; that which is judged lies within. When, then, in heart we transgress, what we are doing within ourselves is hidden from others. but yet in the eyes of the judge we sin. For the king of Babylon did not first stand guilty of pride when he came to utter proud words, inasmuch as even before, when he had given no utterance to his pride, he heard the sentence of reprobation from the prophet’s mouth. For he had already wiped clean the fault of the pride he had been guilty of, when he proclaimed to all the nations under him the omnipotent God whom he found himself to have offended.… For the strict judge first sees invisibly what he afterward reproves by public chastisement. Therefore the Judge turned him into an irrational animal.

PASTORAL RULE 1:4

Daniel 7:10

But Dionysius the Areopagite, that ancient and venerable Father, is said to declare that from the lesser hosts of angels some are sent forth to fulfill their ministry either visibly or invisibly, namely because angels or archangels come for human consolation. For those higher hosts never withdraw from the inner places, since those who are preeminent have no function of external ministry. This is supported by what is said through Daniel: "Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him." For ministering is one thing, and standing before is another, because those minister to God who also go out to us announcing; but those stand before who so enjoy inward contemplation that they are not at all sent forth to accomplish external works.

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 34