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This text
dates, in the original to around A.D. 380. It is said to have undergone many
revisions, making it difficult for us to know what is original and what are
accretions.
Then will arise a king of the Greeks whose name is Constans. He will be king
of the Romans and the Greeks. He will be tall of stature, of handsome appearance
with shining face, and well put together in all parts of his body. His reign
will be ended after one hundred and twelve years.
In those days there will be great riches and the earth will give fruit abundantly
so that a measure of wheat will be sold for a denarius, a measure of wine
for a denarius, and a measure of oil for a denarius. The king will have a
text before his eyes that says: "The king of the Romans will claim the whole
Christian empire for himself." He will devastate all the islands and the
cities of the pagans and will destroy all idolatrous temples; he will call
all pagans to baptism and in every temple the Cross of Christ will be erected.
"Then Egypt and Ethiopia will be eager to stretch their hands to God."
Whoever does not adore the Cross of Jesus Christ will be punished by the
sword. When the one hundred and twelve years have been completed, the Jews
will be converted to the Lord, and "his sepulchre will be glorified by all."
In those days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell with confidence.
At that time the Prince of Iniquity who will be called Antichrist will arise
from the tribe of Dan. He will be the Son of Perdition, the head of pride,
the master of error, the fullness of malice who will overturn the world and
do wonders and great signs through dissimulation. He will delude many by
magic art so that fire will seem to come down from heaven. The years will
be shortened like months, the months like weeks, the weeks like days, the
days like hours, and an hour like a moment. The unclean nations that Alexander,
the Indian king, shut up (i.e., Gog and Magog) will arise from the North.
These are the twenty-two realms whose number is like the sand of the sea.
When the king of the Romans hears of this he will call his army together
and vanquish and utterly destroy them. After this he will come to Jerusalem,
and having put off the diadem from his head and laid aside the whole imperial
garb, he will hand over the empire of the Christians to God the Father and
to Jesus Christ His Son.
When the Roman empire shall have ceased, then the Antichrist will be openly
revealed and will sit in the House of the Lord in Jerusalem. While he is
reigning, two very famous men, Elijah and Enoch, will go forth to announce
the coming of the Lord. Antichrist will kill them and after three days they
will be raised up by the Lord. Then there will be a great persecution, such
as has not been before nor shall be thereafter. The Lord will shorten those
days for the sake of the elect, and the Antichrist will be slain by the power
of God through Michael the Archangel on the Mount of Olives.
Translated from the edition of
E. Sackur, Sibyllinische Texte und Forschungen. pp. 185—86. |
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