Wesley Corpus

All these were variously situated; to the east, Babylon and Syria; to the south, Egypt; to the north, Asia the less; to the west, Greece. A little horn - This little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes. The south - Egypt where he besieged and took many places. The east - In Syria, Babylon, Armenia. The pleasant land - Judea, so called because of the temple and people of God in it, and the fruitfulness of it. The host of heaven - The church of God militant, who worship the God of heaven, who are citizens of heaven, whose names are written in heaven; and among these the priests, and champions, who were as stars shining above the rest; these he profaned and slew cruelly. The prince - Not only against the high - priest, but against God himself. Was cast down - He took away the use of the temple as to the holy service and sacrifices. By reason of transgression - Both the transgression of the priests, and of the people. One saint - That is, one holy angel. How long - How long shall Antiochus continue his vexations against the people and prevent the worship of God This is, the treading down of the sanctuary, and the host. He - That angel. Then - Just so long it was, from the defection of the people, procured by Menelaus, the high - priest, to the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the re - establishment of religion among them. The meaning - A more clear discovery of those things. The appearance of a man - Probably Gabriel. A man's voice - Of him before mentioned, namely, Christ. He came near - That he might speak more familiarly to him, yet Daniel could not bear the glory of it. How much less can we bear the glory of God, and how graciously hath the Lord dealt with us, to teach us by men, and not by angels O son of man - He calls him son of man, to make him mind his frailty, and not to be lifted up with this great condescension of heaven. At the time - In God's appointed time, in the latter day, but not now in thy life - time. Toward the ground - Being terrified with the splendor and grandeur both of the messenger and message. Set me upright - By one touch only.