Letter 29

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An inquirer
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains the prophetic vision of the four beasts in Daniel.

The celebrated vision of the divine Daniel represents the succession of empires that would rule the world: the Assyrians and Medes, the Persians, the Macedonians under Alexander, and finally the Romans. Each beast corresponds to the character of the empire it represents — some fierce, some cunning, some overwhelming in brute strength. But the point of the vision is not political history. It is this: every empire, no matter how powerful, is temporary. They rise, they devour, and they fall. Only the kingdom of the Son of Man endures forever. Daniel saw what every generation must learn — that the powers of this world are passing, and only God's rule is permanent.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.