Chapter 115

¹ Since, then, all the prophets and apostles bear witness to him, while the lawless in their unbelief blaspheme him and despise the things he says, and harass his servants by persecuting them, and do not expect these things to come about—let us, who believe in the word of truth and are guided by that very Word toward eternal life, and are taught by the prophets and enlightened by the Spirit, that being made wise through his grace we may recognize the things proclaimed of old yet coming to pass and to be fulfilled in their seasons—keeping the judgment of God before our eyes, let us guard ourselves from every evil, that we may escape the eternal fire and the punishment that never ceases.

² For even if these things do not come about now in our own day, because the times are not yet fulfilled, still we ought to pray that we may not be found in such seasons in which these things will come to pass, lest anyone, worn out by the great tribulation that is coming upon the world, should fall away from eternal life.

³ For we must observe closely what the prophet says: “And I sought carefully concerning the fourth beast, that it was different from every beast, exceedingly terrible; its teeth were of iron and its claws of bronze, devouring and crushing fine, and it trampled the remainder with its feet; and concerning its ten horns that were on its head, and the other that came up and shook out three of the former ones, whose eyes and mouth spoke great things, and its appearance became greater than the rest. I watched, and that horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment to the saints of the Most High; and the time arrived, and the saints took possession of the kingdom.”

⁴ Since, then, as we said before, this denotes that fourth kingdom, beside which no other kingdom greater or even like it has been raised up on the earth, out of which ten horns are destined to spring up. For it will be divided into ten diadems, and among them another little horn will come up, which is that of the Antichrist, and he will uproot three of those before him—that is, he will destroy the three kings of Egypt, of the Libyans, and of the Ethiopians—wishing to secure the whole kingdom for himself,

⁵ who, having gained mastery over the remaining seven horns, then begins, puffed up by the alien and evil spirit within him, to raise war against the saints and to persecute everyone everywhere, wishing to be glorified by all and worshiped as God.

⁶ As Ezekiel also says concerning him: “Because your heart was lifted up and you said, ‘I am God,’ and again: will you indeed say to those who slay you, ‘I am God’? But you are a man and not God.”

⁷ And Isaiah likewise: “But you said in your mind, ‘I will ascend into heaven, above the clouds of heaven I will set my throne, I will sit on the holy mountain, I will be like the Most High.’”