The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

V. Wyclif s Remarkable Expositions of Daniel’s Prophecies

As might be expected, Wyclif reached his conclusions relative to the Papacy on the basis of the prophecies of Daniel, Paul, and John, just as did the Waldenses of the valleys, Eberhard of Salzburg, ⁴⁴ and Milicz and Matthias of Janow in Bohemia. By these inspired symbols he was guided and nerved for conflict in the battle and break with Rome. His expositions, however, are not commonly known, as they are in Latin, with no complete English translation thus far available. PFF2 54.3

1. FOUR PROPHETIC EMPIRES OF Daniel 2 ENUMERATED

Naming Assyria (Babylon), Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome as the four world powers of prophecy, Wyclif brings in the Medo-Persian ram, the Grecian goat and Alexander as the notable horn of Daniel 8, to establish the identity and sequence of the second and third empires. PFF2 54.4

“The second prophecy is that ... in the second chapter of Daniel relating to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, to whom appeared the image consisting of four parts, signifying four monarchies, so that the head of gold represents the kingdom of the Assyrians, as Daniel explains in the same place, the second kingdom represented by the breast and arms of silver, was the kingdom of the Persians and the Medes, and the third kingdom, represented by the belly and thighs of brass, was the kingdom of the Greeks. For in the eighth chapter of Daniel we read, how he saw a ram, brandishing his horns toward the west, toward the north, and toward the south, and how all beasts were unable to resist him, or to be freed from his hands. And afterward Gabriel explains this as related to the king of the Persians and Medes, and the vision in which he saw the he-goat with one notable horn conquering the ram; Gabriel explains as relating to the king of the Greeks, which he had proved after the occurrence of the event, as is shown in the eighth chapter of Daniel and the first of the Maccabees concerning Alexander the Great. Moreover the fourth part of the image, represented by the feet of iron, is explained concerning the kingdom of the Romans, which by civil law and by wars overthrew the four horns coming forth from Alexander.” ⁴⁵ PFF2 54.5

2. PAPAL ANTICHRIST IS LITTLE HORN OF Daniel 7

Striking at the popular Catholic fallacy of a future Antichrist, Wyclif, in England, applies the lawless, persecuting Little Horn to the papal Antichrist, as did Eberhard in Austria, and the ten horns to “the whole of our temporal rulers.” Here is Wyclif’s clear depiction: PFF2 55.1

“Why is it necessary in unbelief to look for another Antichrist? Hence in the seventh chapter of Daniel Antichrist is forcefully described by a horn arising in the time of the fourth kingdom. For it grew from [among] our powerful ones, more horrible, more cruel, and more greedy, because by reckoning the pagans and our Christians by name, a lesser [greater?] struggle for the temporals is not recorded in any preceding time. Therefore the ten horns are the whole of our temporal rulers, and the horn has arisen from the ten horns, having eyes and a mouth speaking great things against the Lofty One, and wearing out the saints of the Most High, and thinking that he is able to change times and laws.” ⁴⁶ PFF2 55.2

After quoting Daniel 7:8, 25, concerning this Little Horn “having eyes and a mouth speaking great things against the Lofty One,” Wyclif expressly states: “For so our clergy foresee the lord pope, as it is said of the eighth blaspheming little head.” ⁴⁷ PFF2 55.3

And after quoting Zechariah 3:8, 9, Wyclif applies to Christ the very words that for centuries had been usurped by the pope—“Servus servorum” (servant of servants). PFF2 55.4

Picture 2: VITAL SCENES IN WYCLIF’S LIFE WITNESS
Interior of Wyclif’s lutterworth Curch, with pulpit at left, from which he thundered forth his message of saving truth and his exposure of the errors of the papacy and its identity as antichrist (upper); exterior of famous lutterworth Ccrch (Left); Wyclif battled the friars until his deathbed, refusing to capitulate (center right); little brook called the swift into whose Waters Wyclif’s bones were cast after being burned near by (lower)
Page 57

“It seems to me that this scripture cannot be more soundly or more fittingly understood than concerning our Jesus, who was servant of servants, coming forth from high heaven.” ⁴⁸ PFF2 57.1

3. APPLIES YEAR-DAY PRINCIPLE TO PROPHETIC TIME

After discussing the relationship of the lunar and solar years, concerning which there is “varied exposition,” Wyclif clearly sets forth the year-day principle (a prophetic day equals a year) for prophetic time, citing the experience of Laban and Jacob in Genesis 29. ⁴⁹ PFF2 57.2

4. LITTLE HORN’S THREE AND HALF TIMES COVERS CENTURIES

Concerning the “period” that has been “assigned” to Antichrist for his “despotic rule, according to the prophetic sense,” Wyclif apparently expounds the first “time” of Daniel 7:25 as covering some three centuries, evidently from Constantine’s endowment to Mohammed, the two “times” as the period from Mohammed forward to the period when the clergy exercise their powers of excommunication, and the “dividing of time” as the last segment. That Wyclif understood these “times” to be precise prophetic years is doubtful. But here are his words. PFF2 57.3

“By a time Daniel understands the whole period in which the church apostatizes, from the time of its first endowment even to the time in which Mahomet prevailed; and by times he understands the diversity of times from this time up to the time when the secular rulers compute harmoniously their gifts which they bestow upon the poor; and by half a time he under stands the residue of time during which the clergy by the deceit of their excommunication and the thunderbolt of their censures against those who do good to them, foolishly kick back by taking away the remedy of their sin.” ⁵⁰ (Italics not in the original.) PFF2 57.4

The remarkable advance in this application lies in the fact that it is applied to the period assigned to the papal Little Horn, and that it contravenes the popular fallacy of three and a half literal years at the end of the age, just as truly as it controverts the concept of a yet future Antichrist. It is a truly Protestant interpretation, as clear as could be expected for the time. It is an indirect application of the year-day principle, reaching back across the centuries and tied to the historical Papacy. PFF2 57.5

5. SEVENTIETH WEEK OF Daniel 9 A “WEEK OF YEARS”

After declaring that it was “our Jesus” that was promised to the patriarchs, Wyclif discusses Daniel 9 and teaches that Christ was crucified three and a half years after the beheading of John the Baptist, in the seventieth “week of years.” PFF2 58.1

“Moreover in the last week of years our Jesus confirmed those things which He promised the ancient fathers, and in the second half of that week, namely, three and a half years from the beheading of John the Baptist, when Christ preached and suffered, the victim and sacrifice ceased gradually in the temple and a little after the death of Christ more completely.” ⁵¹ PFF2 58.2

6. ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION REMOVES CONTINUAL SACRIFICE

Citing Christ’s admonition to understand the “abomination of desolation,” as applied to the defiling of the sanctuary in Daniel 11, and the taking away of the “continual sacrifice,” Wyclif applies the “abomination of desolation” set up in the holy place to the doctrine of transubstantiation, ⁵² which he calls “this heresy about the host.” ⁵³ PFF2 58.3

7. LIVING IN “LAST AGE OF THE CHURCH”

Wyclif wrote a library of learned and powerful disquisitions. The earliest work attributed by some to him is a small treatise entitled The Last Age of the Chirche, written in 1356. It constitutes an indictment of the sins of the church and her priests—the church that had been cursed with persecutions, heresies, and simony. There is only one more trouble to follow: the devil at work in broad daylight, i.e., the Antichrist, with the end of the age impending. It should be noted that Joachim of Floris, Pierre Jean Olivi (Peter John Olivi, or Oliva), and Bernard of Clairvaux, as well as Bede, are frequently cited. ⁵⁴ PFF2 58.4

The calculation of the end is significant, being influenced by the 1260—and 1335—year prophecies. Though Wyclif was persuaded no one could foretell the day of judgment, he was certain the time was nigh at hand. It is said that the occasion of the writing was the terrible earthquakes and fearful pestilences decimating Europe. These were taken as indicating that the great designs of God were hastening toward their close. Believing that the final visitations were soon to take place, he styles the time “the last age of the Chirche.” PFF2 59.1