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at the same time kings will arise, of whom some will be powerful, and others very weak. For this he also taught in the dream of the image; for there also "the toes of the feet were ten, and these were partly of iron, and partly of clay;" and interpreting, the blessed Daniel said that "part of the kingdom will be strong, and part of it will be weak." So it is clear that both dreams signify the same things. "And it had ten horns," he says. (8.) "I was considering," he says, "its horns, and behold, another little, conspicuous horn came up among them, and three of the former ones were uprooted from before it; and behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things and it was making war against the saints." Here he alludes to the Antichrist, appearing from among the ten horns. He says that he also uprooted three of the former horns; he alludes to the fact that he will overthrow three kings from the ten who are ruling at the same time. He calls it a little horn, as springing from a small tribe of the Jews; and conspicuous, as becoming distinguished after these things. And by 81.1421 the eyes he signified the intelligence and craftiness 81.1421 which he will use to deceive many. But also a mouth, he says, speaking great things, that is, boastful and arrogant things. The blessed Paul clearly teaches us this, saying: "Let no one deceive you in any way; for unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." Alluding to this, the blessed Daniel also said: "And a mouth speaking great things, and it was making war with the saints." For he contrives all things, he says, desiring to make all men partakers of his wickedness and his punishment. But in doing these things, he says, he will not last for long, but will be destroyed most quickly. 9, 10. "For I was watching," he says, "until thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat, and his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head was like pure wool; his throne was a flame of fire, its wheels were burning fire. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him, a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened." The horn speaking great, boastful, and arrogant things, and warring against the saints, he says, dared all those things, until the court sat in judgment. It is fitting to know that God, being bodiless, both simple and unformed, accepting no circumscription, but having an uncircumscribed nature, often forms visions for a useful purpose, as he wishes. And it is possible to see him appearing in one way to Abraham, in another way to Moses, and differently to Isaiah, and likewise to Ezekiel he showed another sight. Therefore, when you see the difference in the revelations, do not suppose the Godhead to be multiform, but hear him saying through Hosea the prophet: "I have multiplied visions, and by the hand of the prophets I was represented." He said, "I was represented," not "I was seen;" for as he wills, he forms the visions. Just as, indeed, the blessed Ezekiel, having seen the one who appeared composed of amber and fire, after recounting the revelation added: "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." And he did not say that he had seen the Lord himself, nor the glory of the Lord itself, but the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And here, therefore, the blessed Daniel is taught the eternal through the Ancient of Days; for thus also some of the interpreters, having understood 81.1424 it, have put 'the one who makes the days old' instead of 'the Ancient of Days.' He sees also the purity of the hair and the brightness of the garments, being taught the blameless and holy from every side, not only of the divine nature, but also of the things conceived around it, that is, of righteousness, providence, care, judgment. For since he saw "the horn with arrogant things

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κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἀναστήσονται βα σιλεῖς, ὧν οἱ μὲν ἔσονται δυνατοὶ, οἱ δὲ λίαν ἀσθενεῖς. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ τῆς εἰκόνος ἐνυπνίῳ ἐδίδαξε· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ "οἱ δάκτυλοι τῶν ποδῶν δέκα, καὶ οὗτοι μέρος μὲν εἶχον σιδήρου, μέρος δέ τι ὀστρά κου·" ἑρμηνεύων δὲ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη ∆ανιὴλ, ὡς "Τῆς βασιλείας μέρος μέν τι ἔσται ἰσχυρὸν, μέρος δέ τι ἀσθενές." Ὡς εἶναι δῆλον, ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ σημαίνει ἀμφότερα τὰ ἐνύπνια. "Καὶ κέρατα αὐτῷ δέκα, φησί. (ηʹ.) Προσενόουν, φησὶ, τοῖς κέρασιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ κέρας ἕτερον μικρὸν θεωρητὸν ἀνέβαινεν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ τρία ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἐξεῤῥιζώθη ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὀφθαλμοὶ ὡσεὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῷ κέρατι τούτῳ, καὶ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ ἐποίει πόλεμον πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους." Ἐνταῦθα τὸν Ἀντίχριστον αἰνίττεται, μεταξὺ τῶν δέκα κεράτων ἀναφαινόμενον. Λέγει δὲ ὅτι καὶ τρία κέρατα ἐξεῤῥί ζωσε τῶν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· αἰνίττεται δὲ ὅτι τρεῖς βασιλεῖς καταλύσει ἀπὸ τῶν δέκα κατὰ ταὐτὸν βασι λευόντων. Μικρὸν δὲ αὐτὸ κέρας καλεῖ, ὡς ἀπὸ μι κρᾶς φυλῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων φυόμενον· θεωρητὸν δὲ, ὡς ἐπίσημον μετὰ ταῦτα γινόμενον. ∆ιὰ δὲ 81.1421 τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ πανουργίαν 81.1421 ᾐνίξατο, ᾗ χρώμενος ἐξαπατήσει πολλούς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ στόμα, φησὶ, λαλοῦν μεγάλα, τουτέστιν, ἀλαζονικὰ καὶ ὑπέρογκα. Σαφῶς δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τοῦτο διδάσκει, λέγων· "Μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατάτω κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον, καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὁ ἀντικείμενος, καὶ ὑπεραιρό μενος ὑπὲρ πάντα λεγόμενον Θεὸν, ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε καὶ εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθόντα καθ ίσαι, ἀποδεικνύοντα ἑαυτὸν, ὅτι ἐστὶ Θεός." Τοῦτο αἰνιττόμενος καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη ∆ανιήλ· "Καὶ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα, καὶ ἐποίει πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων." Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, πραγματεύεται, κοινωνοὺς τῆς πονηρίας καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους λαβεῖν ἐφιέμενος. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ποιῶν, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ διαρκέσει, ἀλλ' ὡς τάχιστα καταλυθή σεται. θʹ, ιʹ. "Ἐθεώρουν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἕως ὅτου θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, καὶ Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν ἐκάθισε, καὶ τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ χιὼν λευκὸν, καὶ ἡ θρὶξ τῆς κε φαλῆς αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ ἔριον καθαρόν· ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ φλὸξ πυρὸς, οἱ τροχοὶ αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον. Ποταμὸς πύρινος εἷλκεν ἐκπορευόμενος ἔμπροσθεν αὐ τοῦ, χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ κριτήριον ἐκά θισε, καὶ βίβλοι ἠνεῴχθησαν." Ἐκεῖνα μὲν, φησὶν, ἅπαντα ἐτόλμα τὸ κέρας τὸ λαλοῦν τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἀλαζονικὰ καὶ ὑπέρογκα, καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις πολεμοῦν, ἕως ἐκάθισε τὸ κριτήριον. Προσήκει δὲ εἰδέναι, ὅτι ἀσώματος ὢν ὁ Θεὸς, ἁπλοῦς τε καὶ ἀσχημάτιστος, περιγραφὴν οὐδεμίαν δεχόμενος, ἀλλ' ἀπερίγραφον ἔχων τὴν φύσιν, σχηματίζει πολλάκις πρὸς τὸ χρή σιμον, ὡς ἐθέλει, τὰς ὀπτασίας. Καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἑτέ ρως μὲν αὐτὸν ἐπιφαινόμενον τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, ἑτέρως δὲ τῷ Μωσῇ, καὶ ἄλλως τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ, καὶ τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ δὲ ὡσαύτως ἑτέραν ὄψιν ἐπέδειξεν. Ὅταν τοίνυν τὴν τῶν ἀποκαλύψεων ἴδῃς διαφορὰν, μὴ πο λύμορφον ὑπολάβῃς τὸ Θεῖον, ἄκουσον δὲ αὐτοῦ λέ γοντος διὰ Ὠσηὲ τοῦ προφήτου· "Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα, καὶ ἐν χερσὶ προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην." Ὡμοιώθην εἶπεν, οὐκ ὤφθην· ὡς γὰρ βούλεται, σχηματίζει τὰς ὄψεις. Ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰεζεκιὴλ θεασάμενος ἐξ ἠλέκτρου καὶ πυρὸς συγκεί μενον τὸν ὀφθέντα, διηγησάμενος τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν ἐπήγαγε· "Τοῦτο ὁμοίωμα δόξης Κυρίου." Καὶ οὔτε αὐτὸν ἔφη τεθεᾶσθαι τὸν Κύριον, οὔτε αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου δόξαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὁμοίωμα τῆς δόξης Κυρίου. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ, διὰ μὲν τοῦ Παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν διδάσκεται τὸ αἰώνιον· οὕτω γὰρ καί τινες τῶν ἑρμηνευτῶν νενοη 81.1424 κότες, ἀντὶ τοῦ Παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν, ὁ Παλαιῶν τὰς ἡμέρας τεθείκασιν. Ὁρᾷ τε καὶ τῆς τριχὸς τὴν καθαρότητα, καὶ τῶν ἐνδυμάτων τὴν λαμπρό τητα, τὸ ἄμωμον πανταχόθεν καὶ ἅγιον, οὐ μόνον τῆς θείας φύσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν νοουμέ νων διδασκόμενος, τουτέστι δικαιοσύνης, προνοίας κηδεμονίας, κρίσεως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν "τὸ κέρας ἀλαζονικοῖς μὲν