He likewise applies to him what is said by Daniel of _the little horn_, in Dan. vii. 8. 20-26; conceiving the _ten horns_ to be ten kings of different portions of the Roman Empire(510), and consequently believing that Antichrist will be a power, who will overthrow and kill three of the kings of those divisions, and reign for a space of three years and a half; during which time he will trample under foot the saints of the Most High(511).
He affirms that he is the _other_, mentioned by our Lord, (John v. 43,) _who will come in his own name_; and the _unjust judge, who feared not God nor regarded men_, to whom the widowed Jerusalem will come for redress against her enemy; in consequence of which he will transfer the seat of his dominion thither.
He declares him to be the _wicked king_ of Daniel, (viii. 23-25,) who for three years and a half will put down the pure offering which the saints offer to God, i. e. the Holy Eucharist(512).
He finds him under the _Beast_ of the Revelation of St. John, (xvii. 11-14,) who will drive the Church into the wilderness, and finally be vanquished by our Lord. He identifies the ten kings who will give their kingdom to the beast with the ten divisions of Daniel's fourth kingdom, (Dan. ii. 33,) of whom three will be killed by Antichrist; and the rest, submitting to him, will assist him in conquering Babylon, and burning it with fire: and he makes the stone cut out without hands to be Christ, who shall destroy temporal kingdoms, and set up an eternal one, (Dan. ii. 44, 45(513)).
Irenæus again sees Antichrist in the _beast_ (Rev. xiii. 2-18) whose head was wounded, who has a mouth given to him speaking great things, and receives power for forty and two months; who has an armour-bearer, called the false prophet, who will work great miracles by magical power, through the aid of evil spirits; the number of whose name is 666(514).
Respecting this number he enters into a special discussion, in which he first reproves those who hastily endeavoured to interpret it(515), and then endeavours to lay down correct principles of interpretation for it. He suggests that we must wait till the other signs of Antichrist begin to be fulfilled, such as the division of the Roman Empire into ten parts, and the sudden coming of another power to their discomfiture. We must also remark, he tells us, that Jeremiah (viii. 16) has foretold that he will be of the tribe of Dan(516). We must not be rash in applying the number to any particular individual or power, for many names will correspond with it, such as { ~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH PSILI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}, { ~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER LAMDA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH PERISPOMENI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}, (which he thinks very probable, as being the name of the last of the four empires,) and { ~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH VARIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}, for which he suggests many, to his apprehension, plausible recommendations(517).