26. Protestants say almost exactly the same things as Roman Catholics do about the rewards we gain for our good works, as is clear from the statements copied from the Formula of Concord above to the effect that, because of the promises made to us and because of grace, our good works are deserving of both physical and spiritual rewards; see §14 i, j, k, m; and that God crowns his gifts with rewards; see §14 h, m.

Very similar statements occur in the Council of Trent, namely, that because of his grace, God makes his gifts our rewards; see §5 f; and that salvation comes not as a result of our good works but as a result of God’s promise and grace, because it is God who produces those good works through the Holy Spirit; see §5 e, f, g, h, i, j.

83. Brief Analysis

In Daniel we read the following:

In a vision I saw a ram that had two tall horns, the taller of which rose up behind [the other]. With its horn the ram pushed westward, northward, and southward and became enormous.

Then I saw a goat that came from the west across the surface of the whole earth; it had a horn between its eyes. It charged at the ram in the fury of its strength, broke the ram’s two horns, and cast the ram to the ground and trampled it. The large horn of the goat was broken, and four horns sprang up in its place. A little horn came out of one of them, which grew tremendously toward the south, toward the dawn, and toward the beautiful [land], and even to the host of the heavens, and cast down to earth some of the host and some of the stars, and trampled them. The goat even exalted itself toward the Leader of the Host, and took the daily offerings away from him and cast down the dwelling place of his sanctuary, because it cast truth to the ground. And I heard a holy one saying, “How long will this vision last concerning the daily offerings and this destructive sinning, the trampling of the holy place and the host?” And he said, “Until the evening [and] the morning: then the holy place will be set right.” (Daniel 8:2– 14)

It is obvious that this vision foretells states the church is going to go through in the future, since it says that the goat took the daily offerings away from the Leader of the Host, that it cast down the dwelling place of his sanctuary, and that it cast truth to the ground. This is also clear from the fact that a holy one said, “How long will this vision last concerning the trampling of the holy place and the host?” and is told this would continue until the evening [and] the morning: then the holy place will be set right. “The evening [and] the morning” means the end of the old church, when a new church arises.