XXI.
For through the Scriptures we are instructed in
two advents of the Christ and Saviour. And the first after the
flesh was in humiliation, because He was manifested in lowly
estate. So then His second advent is declared to be in glory; for
He comes from heaven with power, and angels, and the glory of His
Father. His first advent had John the Baptist as its forerunner;
and His second, in which He is to come in glory, will exhibit Enoch,
and Elias, and John the Divine.1943
| 1943 Or,
the theologian. The Apocalypse (xi. 3) mentions only two witnesses, who
are understood by the ancients in general as Enoch and Elias. The
author of the Chronicon Paschale, p. 21, on Enoch, says:
“This is he who, along with Elias, is to withstand Antichrist in
the last days, and to confute his deceit, according to the tradition of
the Church.” This addition as to the return of John the
Evangelist is somewhat more uncommon. And yet Ephraem of Antioch,
in Photius, cod. ccxxix., states that this too is supported by ancient,
ecclesiastical tradition, Christ’s saying in John xxi. 22 being understood to that
effect. See also Hippolytus, De Antichristo, ch. l. p.
213, supra.—Migne. [Enoch and Elias
are not dead. But see Heb. ix. 27.] |
Behold, too, the
Lord’s
kindness to man; how even in the last times He shows His care for
mortals, and pities them. For He will not leave us even then
without
prophets, but will send them to us for our
instruction and
assurance, and to make us give heed to the
advent of the
adversary, as
He intimated also of old in this Daniel. For he says, “I
shall make a
covenant of one
week, and in the midst of the
week my
sacrifice and libation will be removed.” For by one
week he
indicates the showing forth of the seven years which shall be in the
last times.
1944
And the
half of the
week the two
prophets, along with John, will take for the
purpose of proclaiming to all the
world the
advent of
Antichrist, that
is to say, for a “
thousand two
hundred and sixty days
clothed in
sackcloth;”
1945
and they will
work signs and
wonders with the object of making men
ashamed and
repentant, even by these means, on account of their surpassing
lawlessness and impiety. “And if any man will hurt them,
fire will proceed out of their mouth, and
devour their
enemies.
These have
power to shut
heaven, that it rain not in the days of the
advent of
Antichrist, and to turn waters into
blood, and to
smite the
earth with all
plagues as often as they will.”
1946
| 1946
Rev. xi. 6; [1 Kings xvii. 1;
Ecclus. xlviii. 3]. |
And when they have proclaimed all
these things they will fall on the
sword,
cut off by the
accuser
1947
| 1947
παρὰ
τοῦ
διαβόλου. [That
is, by the devil.] |
. And they
will fulfil their
testimony, as Daniel also says; for he foresaw that
the
beast that came up out of the
abyss would make
war with them,
namely with
Enoch,
Elias, and John, and would overcome them, and
kill
them, because of their refusal to give
glory to the accuser, that is
the little
horn that sprang up.
1948
| 1948
ἀναφανέν. But
Cod. B reads ἀναφυέν. |
And he, being lifted up in
heart,
begins in the end to exalt himself and glorify himself as God,
persecuting the saints and blaspheming Christ.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
