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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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