John Calvin Commentary Daniel 7:25

"And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time." — Daniel 7:25 (ASV)

The angel now explains a little more clearly what the Prophet had previously touched upon but briefly: namely, that this last king would be a manifest and professed enemy to the Church. Yesterday, we showed how miserably and cruelly the Church had been harassed by many tyrants. And if we compare these tyrants with each other, we will find the Church to have been much more heavily afflicted after Christ’s advent, and to have been opposed by the Caesars in open warfare.

The occasion arose in this way. The doctrine of the Gospel had been dispersed throughout almost all the provinces of the empire. The Jewish name was hateful, and the novelty of the teaching added greatly to that unpopularity. People thought the Jews had invented a new deity for themselves—even Christ—as their language seemed to imply the worship of a new divinity.

Therefore, as some material for rage against the pure worship of God was provided to them, the Caesars became more and more stirred up to carry on war against the elect and to oppress the Church. It was not their fault if they did not extinguish the whole light of the celestial doctrine, abolish true religion, and banish the knowledge of God from the world.

This agrees very well with what Daniel relates concerning this king becoming so headstrong as to utter words against the most High God. Some translate it, on the part of the most High, but I know of no reason for them to do so. לצד, letzed, signifies on the side or the region.

The equivalent phrase is this: so great would be the pride of this new king, who did not exercise his power openly but by hidden deceit, that he would sit, as it were, on the side of God and in opposition to him. This means he would be manifestly God’s enemy.

Those who understand this as referring to Antichrist think their opinion is confirmed by the conduct of other tyrants who carried on their warfare against God with arms and violence, but not by words. But the Prophet does not speak so subtly here. For by words he does not here mean doctrine, but that verbal boasting by which the Caesars dared to promulgate their edicts throughout the whole world, urging all the proconsuls to punish the Christians and not to permit that impious and cursed sect to flourish; and thus terrors flew about throughout the whole world.

What Daniel now relates was then fulfilled, namely, the utterance of words of defiance against God; for those tyrants thought their own edicts, without the armament of soldiers, would be sufficient to extinguish the memory of Christ. Thus, also, true piety was disgracefully vilified, and the very name of Christ lacerated by horrible reproaches, as historians have amply informed us.

This explanation, therefore, is most suitable to the little horn speaking or uttering words against the most High. He shall afflict, says he, the saints of the lofty ones. We have already briefly explained the meaning of this expression, according to its grammatical construction. By saints, he doubtless means sons of God, or His elect people, or the Church.

He calls these “saints of lofty ones,” because as elect they depend upon heaven; and although they are pilgrims in the world, yet their life is in heaven, where the eternal inheritance remains for them which was obtained by Christ. Therefore, as their treasure is now in heaven, they deservedly boast of being citizens of heaven, and allies and brethren of angels. Thus they are properly called “saints of lofty ones”; they are separated from the world and know themselves to live here day by day until they arrive at firm and enduring repose.

We know this to have been fulfilled, because overwhelming terror fell upon all the pious, and the Church almost perished, while multitudes who were suspected of being Christians were subjected to cruel tortures. The prevalence of this universal license for persecuting all the pious explains how the saints were then afflicted by the small horn.

The Prophet, or rather the angel, next says, He will think, or meditate, to change time and law, and they shall be delivered into his hand. As for the time spoken of here, many refer it to holy days. But we may understand it generally as the small horn overthrowing whatever was previously customary in the world; and thus I also interpret the word רת, reth—not as the Law of God or the Gospel, but as any rites, customs, and institutions.

While interpreters are contending about this word, some referring it to the Decalogue and others to the preaching of the Gospel, I think the simple sense of the Prophet is this: the Caesars perverted all laws, both human and divine. We have seen how they attempted this and how far they accomplished it.

It is not surprising then if the Prophet assigns this unbridled audacity to this last king, who thought to change whatever had been previously ordained in the world. And for this reason it had been previously said this horn would be equipped with human eyes, and next, would speak mightily, thundering horribly, and inspiring all people with fear through its voice alone.

We know this to have been vividly illustrated if we consider how far the Caesars proceeded in their arrogance. First, regarding Octavius, while he restrained himself within due bounds politically, he allowed himself to be adored as a god, and altars to be erected to him; he wished the public to be persuaded of his deity and celebrated a banquet in which he sat among the superior deities.

Tiberius neglected religious ceremonies entirely, and yet we see how he despised all people. Although he was of an obtuse disposition, in his daring he was extreme and was all the while craftily deceiving the senate. Next, regarding Caligula, he threatened Jupiter in this way: “What! You are an exile here and I am a native; I will banish you into Greece, your native place.” He often inflicted blows upon the statue of Jupiter, and not content with the name of a god, he ordered the chief sacrifices to be offered to himself.

This diabolic fury increased in Domitian. And considering the Caesars as men, what was their character? One of them said, “I wish the Roman people had but one need.” He enjoyed the slaughter of the senate as a sport and wished to make his horse a consul. How disgraceful was such conduct!

We see, then, how this prediction was not uttered without a cause: namely, so great would be the arrogance of the small horn that it would dare to change and transform into something new almost all “law”—meaning all order of every kind—and “times”—meaning the very series and nature of all things.

The Prophet then says he thought. He does not express the result, but simply signifies the arrival of the small horn at such a degree of madness as to suppose it could draw down the sun from heaven, turn light into darkness, and leave nothing entire, nothing in order, throughout the world. Those occurrences really happened in accordance with this prophecy. I cannot enter into details here. I would have to detain you for many days or even months while citing history; I can only touch briefly upon what is necessary for explaining the Prophet’s words and the meaning of his prediction.

They shall be delivered into his hands means—however the small horn might leap forward in desperate fury, yet God would always rule over him, and nothing would happen without His permission. It was God, then, who delivered into his hands the saints, the political government, and the institutions of piety, allowing him to pour out human blood promiscuously, to violate every national right, and to ruin, as far as possible, all religion.

It brings us, then, no little comfort to know that God’s permission is given to tyrants to harass the Church and interfere with His lawful worship; for if we were left to the mercy of their lusts, how distressing would be the universal confusion! But He helps us, as the angel says, when tyrants assail us and disturb all order by their horrible licentiousness and cruel rage against the miserable and the innocent; He helps us, I say, so that they are unable to move a finger against us without God’s permission.

We are not permitted to know why God loosens the reins on the enemies of His Church; perhaps it is to prove and test the patience of His people. It is sufficient for us if, when tyrants scheme and plot in every way, they are unable to do anything without divine permission.

But a greater consolation is added in the last clause, even for a time and times, and the division of a time, or half, as some translate it; it is properly a division. Interpreters differ widely about these words, and I will not bring forward all their opinions, otherwise it would be necessary to refute them.

I would have no little trouble in refuting all their views, but I will follow my own custom of briefly expressing the genuine sense of the Prophet, and thus all difficulty will be removed. Those who consider a “time” to mean a “year,” are, in my opinion, wrong. They cite the forty-two months of the Apocalypse (Revelation 13:5), which make three years and a half; but that argument is not conclusive, since in that case a year will not consist of 365 days, but the year itself must be taken figuratively for any indeterminate time.

It is better, then, to keep close to the Prophet’s words. A “time,” then, does not stand for a certain number of months or days, nor yet for a single year, but for any period whose termination is in the secret counsel of God. They shall be given, then, for a time, he says, and afterwards adds times; that is, for a continuance of times; and again, even to a section or division of a time; meaning, these calamities would come to an end whenever God, in mercy to His Church, would restrain those tyrants by His wrath against them.

Therefore, as long as the cruelty of the Caesars oppressed God’s Church, it was committed into their hands. We have already seen how many Caesars were enemies of the true Church. First of all, Nero raged most cruelly, for he burned some thousands of Christians at Rome to extinguish the infamy that raged against himself.

The people could not endure his barbarity; for while one-fourth of the city was destroyed by Nero, he was enjoying his pleasure and rejoicing at so mournful a spectacle! As he feared the popular tumult against himself, he seized many Christians and offered them to the people as a kind of expiation.

Those who followed him did not cease to pour forth innocent blood, and those who seemed to be endowed with some degree of clemency and humanity were all at last seized with a diabolic fury. Trajan was esteemed a very excellent prince, and yet we know how he commanded the Christians everywhere to be slain, since he thought them obstinate in their error. And others were more savage still. No wonder, therefore, the angel predicts, even for a time, and times, and the division of a time, that license would be given to the tyrants and enemies of the Church to pervert all things, to despise God, to set aside all justice, and to carry out a cruel and barbarous slaughter.

This prediction served two purposes: first, so that the faithful would not fall away through the length of time, because when “the time”—a space of about ten years—had passed, they would come to the times, consisting of about fifty or a hundred years.

This, then, was one reason why God admonished the faithful concerning the time and times. But He also wished to mitigate their sorrow by adding half a time, thus promising some moderation and an end to such great calamities. The language of our Lord to His apostles concerning the various commotions of the earth corresponds very well with this view.

There shall arise wars and rumors of wars, and no end as yet, He says. He announces them as the preludes to greater evils, when the whole of Judea would be devastated with wars and other slaughters. He afterwards adds, Unless those days had been shortened (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7; Luke 21:9). This shortening of the days is noted here as if the Lord cut short a continued succession of them.

For when the grip of tyranny appeared fierce, then suddenly and beyond the expectation of all, God at last snatched away His Church, and then the evangelical doctrine emerged and was celebrated everywhere. God, therefore, shortened the days on account of His own elect, and this is understood by the last clause, “a division of a time.” I will defer the rest until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since we must be daily exercised by various contests, that we may never yield to the infirmities of the flesh and never forget Your holy calling. Animate us, we pray You, for all hostile engagements; may we stand unbroken against all the assaults of Satan and the wicked, and thus give ourselves up and devote ourselves to You. May we never hesitate to suffer death itself, if necessary, and even to offer ourselves daily to various kinds of death, until we have discharged our warfare and enjoy that happy and eternal rest which You have prepared for us in Your only-begotten Son. Amen.