Augustine of Hippo : Just as God's promise made to Abraham is already visibly fulfilled in Christ, so other promises made to the seed of Abraham will be no less certainly fulfilled. The promise to Abraham was that "all the nations of the earth will be blessed in your seed." It is one of many such promises. Some of the prophecies concerning Abraham's seed say, "The dead shall rise again.… There shall be a new heaven and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered, and they will not come on the earth, but they will be glad and rejoice forever in these things. For see, I shall make Jerusalem a rejoicing and my people joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping will be heard in it no more." Then there are the promises made to and through another prophet, saying, "At that time your people will be saved, everyone that will be found written in the book. And every one of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken, some to everlasting life and others to reproach and everlasting confusion.… But the saints of the most high God will take the kingdom, and they will possess the kingdom forever and ever … whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." — City of God 22.3 Augustine of Hippo : But then there had not yet risen the prophet Daniel to say, "The saints shall receive the kingdom of the Most High." For by these words he foretold the merit not of the Old but of the New Testament. In the same manner did the same prophets foretell that Christ himself would come, in whose blood the New Testament was consecrated. — PROCEEDINGS OF PELAGIANS 14 Hippolytus of Rome : So that we may not turn aside from what is set before, so that what was seen by the prophet may be shown as true and so that what was perceived by us in the grace of the Lord and what was spoken may be sure, let us see if the angel confirms our words, who teaches the blessed Daniel, for he speaks in this way, "These four beasts are four kingdoms which shall arise upon the earth, and which shall be removed, and the saints of the most high shall inherit the kingdom and possess it forever and ever." [Daniel 7:17-18] And so it is necessary for the three beasts to have already passed away and to have ceased, just as was shown above, and while one beast is yet beginning to culminate, if this also is removed, the remaining earthly things cease, but the heavenly things begin, so that the perpetual and eternal kingdom of the saints may be shown and the heavenly kingdom may be clearly displayed to all, neither through a form as seen on the mountain of Sinai, nor in a pillar of cloud as revealed on the mountain peak, but with powers and armies of angels, incarnate God and man, son of God and of Man, the judge who is coming from the heavens into the world. Who shall remove all kingdoms which are in this world and shall thresh and shall winnow and shall scatter them as chaff from the summer threshing floor. And shall give the kingdom to the saints of the Most High as he collects grain for his barn, but the chaff heap he burns with unquenchable fire, though now he is despised by the godless and impious, and blasphemed by the unbelievers, who do not consider what is written, nor consider the authority of judgment laid upon them. For though he now also delays for a time, not wishing to bear judgment to the world, and so fulfills the prescription of his Father, but when he comes he will come with his armies and render to each according to his works. — Commentary on Daniel 4.10.1-4 Theodoret of Cyrus : These kingdoms will be wiped out and the true, eternal kingdom will be handed over to the saints of the Almighty. Thus, while waiting for that eternal kingdom, count the kingdoms of this present age to be as nothing, which will soon enough come to their end. — COMMENTARY ON Daniel 7:17-18