Theodoret of Cyrus — Commentary on Scripture

At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

“And he will return at his appointed time,” that is, he will not conquer and prevail in the same manner as before, but he will return in defeat. The phrase “at his appointed time” indicates the time suitable for warfare.

Daniel 11:30

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

“And those who arrive from Kittim will come to him, and they will be brought low.” He will ally himself with many Cypriots and other islanders (Kition to the present day is the main city of Cyprus); then he will set out against Egypt but return defeated and humiliated. “And he will return and become angry at the holy covenant.” He will spew forth against the holy covenant all his anger that came about because of his defeat. And he will show this anger in action, for he says, “and he will act.” At his second coming he will slaughter many, and he will make a treaty with those who had abandoned the holy covenant. He will accomplish every plan of the transgressors, that is, those who wish to deny that they are Jews and who wish instead to act as Greeks.

Daniel 11:31

And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

He calls the generals who assist him his “arms,” since after the manner of arms they fulfill the commands of the king. Therefore, he will send some to profane the sanctuary of the kingdom, that is, the temple dedicated to almighty God. He will erect an altar to an idol inside of it; he refers to it as the “desolating abomination.” The second book of the Maccabees teaches us this when it says, “And about this time Antiochus sent a second expedition to Egypt.” … Then he relates how the slaughter proceeded against all his comrades. The dead were numbered at eighty thousand. Shortly thereafter he says again, “Since Antiochus had a hostile disposition against the Jews, he sent the most loathsome Apollonius with an army of twenty thousand against two thousand and ordered them to slaughter everyone in every company they met.” And a little later he says again, “Soon thereafter the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to depart from their ancestral laws and not to conduct themselves any longer by the laws of God but to defile the temple in Jerusalem and to swear by Olympian Zeus.”

Daniel 11:32

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

He speaks enigmatically here about those around the blessed Mattathias, who was the first to oppose the decrees of Antiochus and to seek solitude with his sons; he took the field with few soldiers and prevailed against Antiochus’s generals.

Daniel 11:33

And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Those who properly use the knowledge supplied by God will utterly despise that fellow’s laws and will prefer death for the divine law to a life of godlessness. To suggest as much, he went on, “they will fall to the sword” … the impious one employed all kinds of different punishments in an attempt to move the godly, inflicting them untimely death and as it were robbing them of the remainder of their life.

Daniel 11:35

And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

Many of those who seem to be godly will turn to the other direction. “So that they may be refined.” … These things will not harm the people of this time; they will learn not to have confidence in their previous successes.… For the vicissitudes in the situation will purify them as if by fire and test them and will separate the false from the tried and true.… These things take place partly in the present life, but in the time to come a complete testing of the people will occur. Once he said these things concerning Antiochus Epiphanes, he changes the remainder of the passage from the type to the archetype.

Daniel 11:36

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

Antiochus will enjoy success, but not forever: “until his wrath has been spent,” that is, until he kindles and draws out God’s exceedingly great wrath. He calls the retribution God inflicts “his wrath,” for the divine nature has no passion.

Daniel 11:37

Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

But we find that Antiochus filled Jerusalem and all Judea with altars dedicated to idols and sacrificed to Zeus in the temple of God and called the temple in Jerusalem after Olympian Zeus and the temple on Mount Gerizim after Zeus Xenios. How, then, could it be said that this so superstitious man, this man so entranced by idols, “will not hearken to the gods of his fathers”? Antiochus spent all his time doing the opposite of the antichrist: he revered his fathers’ gods, while he rejected the God worshiped by the Jews. These prophecies do not fit Antiochus in the least, but rather the archetype of Antiochus, of whom Antiochus was a type and a foreshadowing, who will vie to outdo all the kings before him in his ungodliness.

Daniel 11:38

But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

Whereas all his ancestors acknowledged their natural limitations and did not presume to name themselves as god over all things, he gives himself the title God mighty and strong (the sense of Maozeim)—hence his putting “in his place,” meaning himself.

Daniel 11:39

Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

He says that he will raise temples for himself and adorn them with silver, gold and precious stones and subject many people to them; that is, he will subject the many people who have been deceived by his signs or who have been weakened by his punishments. But he will also “divide the land in exchange for gifts,” that is, he will bestow the largest portion of the land on those who have obediently chosen to be godless.

Daniel 11:40

And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

We have often said that the ten horns that appeared on the fourth beast represent ten kings who would reign at the same time at the end of the Roman Empire. From these kings the king of the south will wage war against this one, who is called the king of the north. “For from the north he will set ablaze all troubles against the inhabitants of the land.” Antiochus, who happened to be a type of the antichrist, also was called the king of the north. When the king of the south engages him in fight, he will march out against him with a multitude and with strong forces both on land and on sea and acquire the victory. The Lord in the holy Gospels foretold these wars: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, plagues and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the beginnings of the birth pangs.” Now that we have seen that the prediction of the Lord corresponds with this prophecy, we will be able to understand the verses before us.

Daniel 11:41-43

He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

These things do not fit at all with Antiochus. He never gained power over Libya or Ethiopia, or even Egypt itself. He was ordered by the Romans to leave, which he did. Therefore, the three horns that the little horn uprooted must refer to these three nations. The antichrist will destroy three great nations [Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya] governed by three kings, and he will subject them to himself.

Daniel 11:44

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

This does not apply to Antiochus either. I mean that the disturbances did not drive him out of Egypt, but rather the decree of the Romans, which came from the west, not from the east. But as far as the antichrist is concerned, the prophecy says that once he takes Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia and subjugates them to himself, he will return, because he will be troubled by a certain rumor, and he will come in great anger “to curse and to obliterate many.” This is a hendiadys: “to obliterate” is to be stripped naked of godliness, and “to curse” is to declare that godliness is foreign to oneself.

Daniel 12:1

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

That is, those worthy of salvation, who obeyed the preaching of Elijah, the ones whom he foreknew from the first and the very beginning. He calls the knowledge of God “the book.”

Daniel 12:2

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

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.

Daniel 12:3

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

“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.”

Daniel 12:4

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

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.

Daniel 12:7

And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

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.

Daniel 12:9

And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

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.

Daniel 12:11

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

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.