Theodoret of Cyrus — Commentary on Scripture

Daniel 12:2

Let those who try to apply these things to Antiochus tell us who was resurrected in his day—with some obtaining eternal life and others reaping the fruit of reproach and eternal shame. And if someone should say that the Maccabees are referred to by these words, inasmuch as they went out from the caves, he would incur rather much laughter, for the same people will have to be found to be both lovers of godliness and workers of iniquity, for the prophecy says, “Many of those sleeping in the tombs of the earth will rise, some to everlasting life and others to reproach and everlasting shame.” Therefore, if someone should apply these words to the Maccabees, they will say that the Maccabees themselves were both evil and good or that some of them were good and others evil. But this is impossible to find, for their whole company was godly. Moreover, “eternal life” does not fit them as far as the present life is concerned, since they all were killed and departed from this life. Then let us leave behind those old wives’ tales and learn about the common resurrection of the dead and the judgment…

Let those who try to apply these things to Antiochus tell us who was resurrected in his day—with some obtaining eternal life and others reaping the fruit of reproach and eternal shame. And if someone should say that the Maccabees are referred to by these words, inasmuch as they went out from the caves, he would incur rather much laughter, for the same people will have to be found to be both lovers of godliness and workers of iniquity, for the prophecy says, “Many of those sleeping in the tombs of the earth will rise, some to everlasting life and others to reproach and everlasting shame.” Therefore, if someone should apply these words to the Maccabees, they will say that the Maccabees themselves were both evil and good or that some of them were good and others evil. But this is impossible to find, for their whole company was godly. Moreover, “eternal life” does not fit them as far as the present life is concerned, since they all were killed and departed from this life. Then let us leave behind those old wives’ tales and learn about the common resurrection of the dead and the judgment that will take place after the resurrection. Some will receive eternal life, and others will be scorned and reproached forever.

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:2

Daniel 12:3

“And the wise will shine.…” And the Lord says in the holy Gospels, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun.” “And from their many righteous deeds, they will shine like the stars forever and ever.” The most upright above all will be compared with the brightness of the firmament and with the light of the sun itself. Those who are less than these (that is what he means by the word “many”) will imitate the luster of the stars, sending down this light forever. So also Paul distinguished the ranks of the godly: “The glory of the sun is one kind, the glory of the moon another, and the glory of the stars yet another, for star differs from star in glory.”

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:3

Daniel 12:4

He says, “Add to the book the seals of obscurity, and do not make matters clear to all until knowledge is increased and the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord,” like deep water covering the seas, in accordance with the prophecy. The grace of the divine Spirit along with the appearance of our Savior has removed the seals and has made clear to believers what had been unclear.

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:4

Daniel 12:7

Here we learn accurately that the one speaking at the time was not the Lord. For as the holy apostle says, “Since the Lord could not swear by anything greater than himself, he swore by himself, saying, ‘as I live, says the Lord.’ ” And blessed Moses shows him to say, “I will lift my hand to heaven, and I will swear by my right hand and say, ‘As I live forever.’ ” The man in our text is one of those subjected and well disposed to the Lord.“When the scattering of the holy people.…” The scattering of the sanctified people will prevail for three and a half years, and all these things will be accomplished. Then they will know the holy One. He alludes here to the great Elijah; around the end of the antichrist’s reign, great Elijah will appear and proclaim the second coming of our Savior.

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:7

Daniel 12:9

Not in vain have I said these rather obscure matters and put obscurity on these words as if they were seals, for divine matters must not be imparted to all indiscriminately, but the wise will understand it through the knowledge imparted to them from above. Those who pass their life in folly and impiety will not be able to understand any of the things contained here. And whenever the matters come to pass, then they will clearly learn the prophecies concerning these things. The workers of iniquity will be separated from the just, for fire will test all things.

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:9-10

Daniel 12:11

He calls the antichrist “the abomination of desolation.” He calls the order of the church’s worship, which would be disrupted and made to cease by the madness and raving of the antichrist.

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:11

Daniel 12:12

He suggests and indicates that when this person sustains a divine blow, the great Elijah will continue preaching the remaining forty-five days when the Lord will appear, borne on the clouds of heaven, and will crown those who kept inviolate their treasure acquired by patience. Also the Lord says this in the holy Gospels: “Whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:12

Daniel 12:13

“And as for you, rest and rise at your time”—a more correct reading would be “for your inheritance,” as will become clear from the things that follow—“at the end of the days.” He says in effect, “Now you must receive the end of your days; but you will rise—and not merely rise but rise for your inheritance, that is, with the company of like-minded people.” And once he has shown this, he adds, “at the end of the days.” So the divine archangel clearly taught the resurrection through the blessed, no, thrice-blessed Daniel.

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:13

Daniel 12:13

We have learned these things from the divine oracle of Daniel. The Jews mourned him as a righteous man, although they dare to place this divine prophet outside of the list of prophetic books. And yet from experience they have learned the truthfulness of this prophecy.… The Hebrew Josephus is a noteworthy witness that Jews of previous generations called blessed Daniel the greatest prophet. Josephus, to be sure, does not accept Christian teaching, but he cannot allow the truth to be hidden. In the tenth book of his Jewish Antiquities, Josephus said many other things about blessed Daniel but then adds the following: “Everything was freely given to him unexpectedly, as to one of the greatest prophets. During his lifetime he enjoyed honor and glory, both with kings and the common people. Although he died, his immortal memory lives on. The books that he composed and left behind are still read among us even now, and we have come to believe from them that Daniel consorted with God. Not only did he spend his time foretelling future events, as did the other prophets, but also he marked off the…

We have learned these things from the divine oracle of Daniel. The Jews mourned him as a righteous man, although they dare to place this divine prophet outside of the list of prophetic books. And yet from experience they have learned the truthfulness of this prophecy.… The Hebrew Josephus is a noteworthy witness that Jews of previous generations called blessed Daniel the greatest prophet. Josephus, to be sure, does not accept Christian teaching, but he cannot allow the truth to be hidden. In the tenth book of his Jewish Antiquities, Josephus said many other things about blessed Daniel but then adds the following: “Everything was freely given to him unexpectedly, as to one of the greatest prophets. During his lifetime he enjoyed honor and glory, both with kings and the common people. Although he died, his immortal memory lives on. The books that he composed and left behind are still read among us even now, and we have come to believe from them that Daniel consorted with God. Not only did he spend his time foretelling future events, as did the other prophets, but also he marked off the time when these things would take place.”

COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 12:14