V. CYRIL-STRESSES PRESENT FALLING AWAY AND IMPENDING ANTICHRIST
CYRIL (c. 315-386), bishop of Jerusalem, was born of Christian parents, probably in Jerusalem or its environs, shortly before the outbreak of Arianism in a.d. 318, and lived to see its suppression by Theodosius, in 380. Cyril was thus deeply involved in the controversy throughout his public life. Made a deacon, perhaps in 335, he was ordained to the priesthood about 345 by Maximus, his predecessor, after whose death (c. 351)PFF1 410.1
Cyril soon succeeded to the episcopal chair at Jerusalem.PFF1 410.2
The first few years of his episcopate fell within the so-called “golden decade” of suspension of hostilities in the Arian controversy—but a turbulent time for Cyril, as will appear. Presiding over “the Mother of all the Churches,” Cyril claimed exemption from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Caesarea. But he became involved in a dispute with the Arian bishop Acacius of Caesarea, who engineered his deposition in 357. At an Arian council held at Constantinople in 360, Cyril’s deposition was confirmed. PFF1 410.3
However, on the accession of the emperor Julian (361), Cyril was reinstated in his see, together with all other exiled bishops, only to be expelled a third time, and with all other orthodox bishops driven into exile by edict of the Arian emperor Valens of the East, leaving the churches of the East in Arian hands. This banishment lasted until the defeat and death of Valens in the battle against the Goths at Adrianople (378), which finally brought respite to the defenders of the Nicene doctrine. Then, at the accession of Theodosius, in 379, Cyril was at last permitted to return to Jerusalem, to remain quietly for the last eight years of his life. PFF1 410.4
In 381 Theodosius summoned the Eastern bishops to a second ecumenical council at Constantinople to settle the disputes that had long distracted the empire, and to secure the triumph of the Nicene faith over Arianism. Cyril was present and took rank with the bishops of Alexandria and Antioch.PFF1 411.1
As noted, Cyril’s incumbency at Jerusalem covered the brief reign of Julian, who wore the purple but a year and a half (361-363). Julian, the nephew of Constantine, scorned the Christians who ardently expected the kingdom of God, and attempted to restore Graeco-Roman paganism to its former power and glory in the empire -such being the reaction of heathenism against legalized Christianity.PFF1 411.2
During Cyril’s incumbency came Julian’s frustrated plan to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem at public expense. The story goes that he intended thus to invalidate a strong proof of the gospel used by the Christians, who were firmly ‘persuaded that a sentence of everlasting destruction had been pronounced against the whole Mosaic system; but that Julian was” finally compelled to cry, “Galilean, Thou hast conquered”-thus bearing involuntary testimony to the historicity of Jesus and to the credibility of New Testament prophecy; furthermore, that Cyril had foretold the failure of Julian’s undertaking on the basis of the prophecies of Daniel and of Christ. PFF1 411.3
Cyril’s Catechetical Lectures on the articles of the creed follow the form of the Apostles’ Creed, as then in use in the churches of Palestine, which approximated the Nicene form. In this work he supports the various articles with passages of Scripture, and defends them against heretical perversions. His Catecheses form the first popular religious compendium available. It is in the fifteenth of these discourses, regarding the clause “And shall come in glory to judge the quick and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end,” that Cyril discusses Daniel 7 1 Thessalonians 4 2 Thessalonians 2, Matthew 24, and related texts, stressing the various factors centering in the second advent. Here are key excerpts from the impressive and rather extensive witness of Cyril.PFF1 411.4
1. SECOND ADVENT CONTRASTED WITH FIRST
The two contrasting advents of Christ are clearly recognized.PFF1 412.1
“We preach not one advent only of Christ, but a second also, far more glorious than the former. For the former gave a view of His patience; but the latter brings with it the crown of a divine kingdom.... In His former advent, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in His second, He covereth Himself with light as with a garment. In His first coming, He endured the Cross, despising shame; in His second, He comes attended by a host of Angels, receiving glory. We rest not then upon His first advent only, but look also for His second.” PFF1 412.2
2. SECOND ADVENT AT END OF WORLD
He places the second advent at the last day:PFF1 412.3
“We believe in Him, who also ascended into the heavens, and sat DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, AND SHALL COME IN GLORY TO JUDGE QUICK AND DEAD; WHOSE KINGDOM SHALL HAVE NO END.PFF1 412.4
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, comes from heaven; and He comes with glory at the end of this world, in the last day. For of this world there is to be an end, and this created world is to be re-made anew.” PFF1 412.5
That end, he declares, will come when the gospel is preached in all the world, and the advent in glory will be attended by myriads of angels. PFF1 412.6
3. RESURRECTION CONTINGENT UPON SECOND ADVENT
This second feature of the resurrection is similarly clear:PFF1 412.7
“May He ... keep unshaken and unchanged your hope in Him who rose again; raise you together with Him from your dead sins unto His heavenly gift; count you worthy to be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, in His fitting time; and, until that time arrive of His glorious second advent, write all your names in the Book of the living, and having written them, never blot them out (for the names of many, who fall away, are blotted out).” PFF1 412.8
Stressing the prophecies and the resurrection, Cyril admonishes his hearers to “stand on the rock of the faith in the Resurrection,” and never to “speak evil of the Resurrection.” PFF1 413.1
4. DANIEL’S FOUR BEASTS EXPLAINED
Cyril enumerates the four prophetic kingdoms of Daniel 7:PFF1 413.2
“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall surpass all kingdoms. And that this kingdom is that of the Romans, has been the tradition of the Church’s interpreters. For as the first kingdom which became renowned was that of the Assyrians, and the second, that of the, Medes and Persians together, and after these, that of the Macedonians was the third, so the fourth kingdom now is that of the Romans.” PFF1 413.3
5. LITTLE HORN SUBDUES THREE OF TEN KINGDOMS
The Little Horn, says Cyril, will be an eleventh king, who, by rooting out three of the ten, will become the eighth king.PFF1 413.4
“And he shall speak words against the Most High. A blasphemer the man is and lawless, not having received the kingdom from his fathers, but having usurped the power by means of sorcery.” PFF1 413.5
6. ANTICHRIST APPEARS AFTER ROME’S DIVISION
The Antichrist, identified with the Little Horn, is soon to appear:PFF1 413.6
“But this aforesaid Antichrist is to come when the times of the Roman empire shall have been fulfilled, and the end of the world is now drawing near. There shall rise up together ten kings of the Romans, reigning in different parts perhaps, but all about the same time; and after these an eleventh, the Antichrist, who by his magical craft shall seize upon the Roman power; and of the kings who reigned before him, three he shall humble, and the remaining seven he shall keep in subjection to himself.” PFF1 413.7
7. ADVENT ENDS ANTICHRIST’S ALLOTTED REIGN
Looking to a literal three and a half years, as prophetic time was still counted literally by these early men, Cyril declares that Anti christ will be slain by the glorious second advent, smitten by the breath of the Lord’s mouth. PFF1 413.8
8. MAN OF SIN IDENTIFIED WITH ANTICHRIST AND LITTLE HORN
Quoting 2 Thessalonians on the Man of Sin, who seats himself in the temple of God, Cyril identifies him with Antichrist and with Daniel’s Little Horn. And Antichrist will deceive both Jew and Gentile. PFF1 414.1
9. ANTICHRIST’S TIME PERIOD FIXED
Daniel’s three and a half times, or three years and a half, are clearly applied to Antichrist’s reign. Cyril notes that some have also applied the 1290 and the 1335 days to the same reign of Antichrist. PFF1 414.2
10. MYSTERY OF INIQUITY ALREADY AT WORK
Most impressive is Cyril’s fear of the wars and schisms that he felt to be the mystery of iniquity already working-harbingers of the impending Antichrist.PFF1 414.3
“But enough on this subject; only God forbid that it should be fulfilled in our days; nevertheless, let us be on our guard. And thus much concerning Antichrist.” PFF1 414.4
11. FALLING AWAY ALREADY A PRESENT ACTUALITY
Declaring heretics to be manifesting themselves in the churches, he charges his hearers to prepare against possible imminent coming of Antichrist.PFF1 414.5
“Thus wrote Paul [having quoted 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 in full], and now is the falling away. For men have fallen away from the right faith; and some preach the identity of the Son with the Father, and others dare to say that Christ was brought into being out of nothing. And formerly the heretics were manifest; but now the Church is filled with heretics in disguise. For men have fallen away from the truth, and have itching ears.... This therefore is the falling away, and the enemy is soon to be looked for: and meanwhile he has in part begun to send forth his own forerunners, that he may then come prepared upon the prey. Look therefore to thyself, O man, and make safe thy soul. The Church now charges thee before the Living God; she declares to thee the things concerning Antichrist before they arrive. Whether they will happen in thy time we know not, or whether they will happen after thee we know not; but it is well that, knowing these things, thou shouldest make thyself secure beforehand.” PFF1 414.6
12. ETERNAL KINGDOM SUCCEEDS EARTHLY KINGDOMS
The stone kingdom that supersedes the earthly kingdoms has not yet been established, according to Cyril, and Christ’s coming kingdom shall never end.PFF1 415.1
“In relating and interpreting to Nebuchadnezzar the image of the statue, he tells also his whole vision concerning it: and that a stone cut out of a mountain without hands, that is, not set up by human contrivance, should overpower the whole world: and he speaks most clearly thus; And in the days of those kingdoms the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, and His kingdom shall not be left to another people.” PFF1 415.2
13. THE 69 “WEEKS OF YEARS” TO FIRST ADVENT
Cyril clearly applies the year-day principle to the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel 9. This time period he calculates, like Eusebius, by the Olympiads, as extending from the restoration of the temple in the sixth year of Darius to the time of Herod, in whose reign Christ was born.. PFF1 415.3
14. ALL REFERENCE TO MILLENNIUM OMITTED
Cyril’s omission of all reference to the millennium is significant, especially as the Apocalypse is omitted from the canonical list in his fourth lecture. This point is particularly stressed by the translator in footnote 4 to lecture 15, section 16, for Irenaeus and Hippolytus, whom Cyril, follows, combine the testimony of the Apocalpse with that of Daniel.PFF1 415.4