Daniel 9 · The Lantern

In anno primo Darii filii Assueri de semine Medorum, qui imperavit super regnum Chaldæorum,

anno uno regni ejus, ego Daniel intellexi in libris numerum annorum, de quo factus est sermo Domini ad Jeremiam prophetam, ut complerentur desolationis Jerusalem septuaginta anni.

And so since even the angel Gabriel, just as it is understood by us, described these things in this way to the prophet, these things also happened and all these things are plainly recorded in the Maccabees, let us also see what he says in the vision of the weeks.

Darius, the son of Astyages, who destroyed the Babylonian Empire with the help of his kinsmen Cyrus, was sixty-two years old when he attacked Babylon. He is called by another name by the Greeks. He took the prophet Daniel and led him into the middle of his court and feted him with every honor.

When the time fixed for the captivity is completed, Daniel begins to pray for the return; indeed, he had not dared to pray [to that purpose] before that moment, in order not to press God needlessly and in order not to hear the word that had been addressed to Jeremiah: "Do not pray for this people, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you." But after seeing that the…

Et posui faciem meam ad Dominum Deum meum rogare et deprecari in jejuniis, sacco, et cinere.

Et oravi Dominum Deum meum, et confessus sum, et dixi: Obsecro, Domine Deus magne et terribilis, custodiens pactum, et misericordiam diligentibus te, et custodientibus mandata tua:

peccavimus, iniquitatem fecimus, impie egimus, et recessimus: et declinavimus a mandatis tuis ac judiciis.

Although Daniel has already received manifold grace due to his faith and innocence and although he has received quite a reputation before the Lord in regard to his virtues and praises, he strives with fasting to be worthy of God; he puts on sackcloth and ashes and makes confession with tears.

Verse 5. "'We have sinned, we have behaved wickedly and impiously, and we have departed...'" He reviews the sins of the people as if he were personally guilty, on the ground of his being one of the people, just as we read the Apostle does also in his Epistle to the Romans.

Then to bring out God's constant care for them and the people's great insensitivity, [Daniel] went on, "We have not hearkened to your servants the prophets, who kept speaking in your name to our kings, to our rulers, to our fathers and to the whole people of the land." Your grace did not cease watching over us and speaking through the prophets, at one time to kings and rulers,…

Non obedivimus servis tuis prophetis, qui locuti sunt in nomine tuo regibus nostris, principibus nostris, patribus nostris, omnique populo terræ.

Tibi, Domine, justitia: nobis autem confusio faciei, sicut est hodie viro Juda, et habitatoribus Jerusalem, et omni Israël, his qui prope sunt, et his qui procul in universis terris, ad quas ejecisti eos propter iniquitates eorum, in quibus peccaverunt in te.

"Yours is the victory, O Lord, in this case," because you foresaw our many sins and threatened those about to sin with many curses, keeping your watch lest we might sin. Righteousness is on your side, O Lord, because no evil will besiege us that was not announced to us beforehand. So now confusion has overwhelmed us everywhere, and we are dispersed in every place.

Verse 7. "'Justice belongeth unto Thee, O Lord, but for us there is only confusion of face...'" It is of course just that we suffer what we deserve.

Lord, the things done by you proclaim your righteousness. But we are ashamed because of our great transgression and denounced for our own ingratitude. No harm comes to you because of our godlessness, but we have reaped the fruit of these seeds. He speaks in a pitiable fashion. Daniel both accuses his kin and associates himself with their trespasses.

Domine, nobis confusio faciei, regibus nostris, principibus nostris, et patribus nostris, qui peccaverunt.

Tibi autem Domino Deo nostro misericordia et propitiatio, quia recessimus a te,

et non audivimus vocem Domini Dei nostri ut ambularemus in lege ejus, quam posuit nobis per servos suos prophetas.

Et omnis Israël prævaricati sunt legem tuam, et declinaverunt ne audirent vocem tuam: et stillavit super nos maledictio et detestatio quæ scripta est in libro Moysi servi Dei, quia peccavimus ei.

Et statuit sermones suos, quos locutus est super nos et super principes nostros, qui judicaverunt nos, ut superinduceret in nos magnum malum, quale numquam fuit sub omni cælo, secundum quod factum est in Jerusalem.

Sicut scriptum est in lege Moysi, omne malum hoc venit super nos: et non rogavimus faciem tuam, Domine Deus noster, ut reverteremur ab iniquitatibus nostris, et cogitaremus veritatem tuam.

Et vigilavit Dominus super malitiam, et adduxit eam super nos. Justus Dominus Deus noster in omnibus operibus suis, quæ fecit: non enim audivimus vocem ejus.

Et nunc Domine Deus noster, qui eduxisti populum tuum de terra Ægypti in manu forti, et fecisti tibi nomen secundum diem hanc: peccavimus, iniquitatem fecimus.

Domine, in omnem justitiam tuam avertatur, obsecro, ira tua et furor tuus a civitate tua Jerusalem, et monte sancto tuo. Propter peccata enim nostra, et iniquitates patrum nostrorum, Jerusalem et populus tuus in opprobrium sunt omnibus per circuitum nostrum.

Nunc ergo exaudi, Deus noster, orationem servi tui, et preces ejus: et ostende faciem tuam super sanctuarium tuum, quod desertum est propter temetipsum.

Inclina, Deus meus, aurem tuam, et audi: aperi oculos tuos, et vide desolationem nostram, et civitatem super quam invocatum est nomen tuum: neque enim in justificationibus nostris prosternimus preces ante faciem tuam, sed in miserationibus tuis multis.

Exaudi, Domine; placare Domine: attende et fac: ne moreris propter temetipsum, Deus meus, quia nomen tuum invocatum est super civitatem et super populum tuum.

Cumque adhuc loquerer, et orarem, et confiterer peccata mea, et peccata populi mei Israël, et prosternerem preces meas in conspectu Dei mei, pro monte sancto Dei mei:

adhuc me loquente in oratione, ecce vir Gabriel, quem videram in visione a principio, cito volans tetigit me in tempore sacrificii vespertini.

From all these passages are revealed to us, not merely the particulars of the apostasy, and [the doings] of him who concentrates in himself every satanic error, but also, that there is one and the same God the Father, who was declared by the prophets, but made manifest by Christ.

Verse 21. "While I was still speaking in my prayer, behold the man Gabriel, whom I had seen at the beginning of the vision." He calls the previous vision preceding this one the beginning. The effect of his prayer was considerable, and the promise of God was fulfilled which says, "While thou art yet speaking, lo, I am at hand" (Isaiah 58:9).

As is clear to all, Daniel himself gave the name of the very angel in the book of his prophecy, when he learned from the angel those mysteries of the weeks that would take place concerning the birth of Christ.… According to the Gospel, the wonderful name of the very angel was found to have been given again in these times, for the same angel told Zechariah, "I am Gabriel and I s…

Et docuit me, et locutus est mihi, dixitque: Daniel, nunc egressus sum ut docerem te, et intelligeres.

Ab exordio precum tuarum egressus est sermo: ego autem veni ut indicarem tibi, quia vir desideriorum es: tu ergo animadverte sermonem, et intellige visionem.

Septuaginta hebdomades abbreviatæ sunt super populum tuum et super urbem sanctam tuam, ut consummetur prævaricatio, et finem accipiat peccatum, et deleatur iniquitas, et adducatur justitia sempiterna, et impleatur visio et prophetia, et ungatur Sanctus sanctorum.

The learned scholar Clement, presbyter of the church at Alexandria, regards the number of years as a matter of slight consequence, asserting that the seventy weeks of years were completed by the span of time from the reign of Cyrus, King of the Persians, to the reign of the Roman emperors, Vespasian and Titus; that is to say, the interval of four hundred and ninety years, with…

This means that there will be quietness for your people, so that the transgressions may be finished and the sins expiated through the seventy years of the bondage in Babylon may end, as well as all the crimes of the children of Israel.

The words "seventy weeks will linger," that is, until the destruction caused by the Romans. In fact, even though, in the meantime, they are sometimes afflicted, they will not be abandoned completely.

Scito ergo, et animadverte: ab exitu sermonis, ut iterum ædificetur Jerusalem, usque ad christum ducem, hebdomades septem, et hebdomades sexaginta duæ erunt: et rursum ædificabitur platea, et muri in angustia temporum.

Indeed it says, "and to return and a street and wall shall be built." [Daniel 9:25] And it really happened. For the people returned and built this city and temple and its wall in a circle.

Since there is much testimony from the writings of the Law and the Prophets concerning the coming of the Savior, so that the Jews cannot deny it, the more thoughtful among them admit that he will come but say that he has not yet come.

This is Daniel who prophesied in Babylon and who was also privileged to utter predictions concerning the Lord Christ, and he speaks thus: And thou shalt know and discern that from the going forth of the commandment to the response and the building of Jerusalem, until the anointed one a prince, shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks.

Et post hebdomades sexaginta duas occidetur christus: et non erit ejus populus qui eum negaturus est. Et civitatem et sanctuarium dissipabit populus cum duce venturo: et finis ejus vastitas, et post finem belli statuta desolatio.

Now you hesitate to believe what we have stated, although you see that these things have happened. Therefore we ought to seek again the times that were foretold, both as pertaining to the birth and suffering of Christ and the removal of the city Jerusalem, that is, its destruction.

Theodoret interprets ("the king who will come") as the foreign kingship and the unlawful doctrine. Others say, "With the king who will come," meaning with the Christ who will come.

The full accord of the witnesses is found in the words of Scriptures. Isaiah says: The virgin shall be with child; and Luke: Thou shalt conceive. One says: Christ shall be slain; and the Evangelist: Put Him to death. Whatever, then, had been foretold by the prophets was fulfilled through Christ.

Confirmabit autem pactum multis hebdomada una: et in dimidio hebdomadis deficiet hostia et sacrificium: et erit in templo abominatio desolationis: et usque ad consummationem et finem perseverabit desolatio.

This one will kill the two witnesses and precursors of Christ who herald his glorious advent from heaven, as he says through the prophet, "And I will give power to my two witnesses and they shall prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days wearing sack cloth." [Revelation 11:3] Just as also he spoke to Daniel, "And he shall establish a covenant with many for one week and it wi…

But what else did Daniel proclaim? He was prophesying not that which had already been done but that which would take place. What is the abomination of desolation that he proclaimed would take place when the Romans came, unless it is those things that now threaten?

Christ was killed not immediately after the sixty-two weeks but at the end of the seventieth week. As far as we can figure out, [Daniel] separates this last week from the others, for he was going to say more about this week.

Daniel9