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| Chapter CX.—A portion of the prophecy already fulfilled in the Christians: the rest shall be fulfilled at the second advent.
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Chapter CX.—A portion of the prophecy
already fulfilled in the Christians: the rest shall be fulfilled at the second
advent.
And when
I had finished these words, I continued: “Now I am aware that your
teachers, sirs, admit the whole of the words of this passage to refer to
Christ; and I am likewise aware that they maintain He has not yet come;
or if they say that He has come, they assert that it is not known who He
is; but when He shall become manifest and glorious, then it shall be
known who He is. And then, they say, the events mentioned in this passage
shall happen, just as if there was no fruit as yet from the words of the
prophecy. O unreasoning men! understanding not what has been proved by
all these passages, that two advents of Christ have been announced: the
one, in which He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonoured, and
crucified; but the other, in which He shall come from heaven with glory,
when the man of apostasy,2367
who speaks strange things against the Most
High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us
the Christians, who, having learned the true worship of God from the law,
and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the apostles of
Jesus, have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and God of Israel; and we
who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness,
have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons,—
our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage,
—and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and
hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was
crucified; and sitting each under his vine, i.e., each man possessing his
own married wife. For you are aware that the prophetic word says,
‘And his wife shall be like a fruitful vine.’2368
Now it is evident that no one can terrify or
subdue us who have believed in Jesus over all the world. For it is plain
that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and
chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our
confession; but the more such things happen, the more do others and in
larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God through the name
of Jesus. For just as if one should cut away the fruit-bearing parts of a
vine, it grows up again, and yields other branches flourishing and
fruitful; even so the same thing happens with us. For the vine planted by
God and Christ the Saviour is His people. But the rest of the prophecy
shall be fulfilled at His second coming. world" title="254" id="viii.iv.cx-p3.2"/>For the
expression, ‘He that is afflicted [and driven out],’ i.e.,
from the world, [implies] that, so far as you and all other men have it
in your power, each Christian has been driven out not only from his own
property, but even from the whole world; for you permit no Christian to
live. But you say that the same fate has befallen your own nation. Now,
if you have been cast out after defeat in battle, you have suffered such
treatment justly indeed, as all the Scriptures bear witness; but we,
though we have done no such [evil acts] after we knew the truth of God,
are testified to by God, that, together with the most righteous, and only
spotless and sinless Christ, we are taken away out of the earth. For
Isaiah cries, ‘Behold how the righteous perishes, and no man lays
it to heart; and righteous men are taken away, and no man considers
it.’2369
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