Chapter 117

¹ Since, then, the prophet, wishing in every way to persuade us and to reconcile us to the truth of the things seen by him, inquires of one of the angels standing by, so that he himself might be more accurately instructed concerning the fourth beast—for “I sought,” he says, “more carefully concerning it, because it was terrible and astounding”—the angel, therefore, instructing him, or rather through him persuading us also to believe the things rightly seen by him, recounts to him all the things that are to come to pass in the last days: the division of the fourth beast into the ten horns that arise from it, the manifestation of the Antichrist among them, his war against the saints, and the duration for which he is destined to hold power.

² “For it will be given,” he says, “into his hand until a time and times and half a time”—which signifies three and a half years—and after these things the judgment that is to be; “for thrones,” he says, “were set, and the court sat, and the kingdom was given to the saints of the Most High, but the body of the beast was given over to the burning of fire.”

³ For the time arrived—that is, the whole span of time was fulfilled—and the saints will hold the kingdom, when the Judge of judges and King of kings comes at last from heaven, who will remove all the rule and power of the adversary and will burn up all, punishing the unrighteous with eternal fire, but to his servants—prophets and martyrs and all who fear him—he will give the eternal kingdom.

⁴ As the prophet says: “Thus far is the end of the matter. I, Daniel—my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my appearance was changed, and I kept the word in my heart.”