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| Chapter LXXXV.—He proves that Christ is the Lord of Hosts from Ps. xxiv., and from his authority over demons.
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“Moreover, some of you
venture to expound the prophecy which runs, ‘Lift up your gates, ye
rulers; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory
may enter,’2280
as if it referred likewise
to Hezekiah, and others of you [expound it] of Solomon; but neither to
the latter nor to the former, nor, in short, to any of your kings, can it
be proved to have reference, but to this our Christ alone, who appeared
without comeliness, and inglorious, as Isaiah and David and all the
Scriptures said; who is the Lord of hosts, by the will of the Father who
conferred on Him [the dignity]; who also rose from the dead, and ascended
to heaven, as the Psalm and the other Scriptures manifested when they
announced Him to be Lord of hosts; and of this you may, if you will,
easily be persuaded by the occurrences which take place before your eyes.
For every demon, when exorcised in the name of this very Son of God
—who is the First-born of every creature, who became man by the
Virgin, who suffered, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate by your
nation, who died, who rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven
—is overcome and subdued. But though you exorcise any demon in the
name of any of those who were amongst you—either kings, or
righteous men, or prophets, or patriarchs—it will not be subject
to you. But if any of you exorcise it in [the name of] the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, it will perhaps be
subject to you. Now assuredly your exorcists, I have said,2281
make
use of craft when they exorcise, even as the Gentiles do, and employ
fumigations and incantations.2282
| 2282 κατάδεσμοι, by
some thought to be verses by which evil spirits, once expelled, were kept
from returning. Plato (Rep.) speaks of incantations by which
demons were summoned to the help of those who practised such rites; but
Justin refers to them only as being expelled. Others regard them as
drugs. | But that they are angels and powers whom the word of
prophecy by David [commands] to lift up the gates, that He who rose from
the dead, Jesus Christ, the Lord of hosts, according to the will of the
Father, might enter, the word of David has likewise showed; which I shall
again recall to your attention for the sake of those who were not with us
yesterday, for whose benefit, moreover, I sum up many things I said
yesterday. And now, if I say this to you, although I have repeated it
many times, I know that it is not absurd so to do. For it is a ridiculous
thing to see the sun, and the moon, and the other stars, continually
keeping the same course, and bringing round the different seasons; and to
see the computer who may be asked how many are twice two, because he has
frequently said that they are four, not ceasing to say again that they
are four; and equally so other things, which are confidently admitted, to
be continually mentioned and admitted in like manner; yet that he who
founds his discourse on the prophetic Scriptures should leave them and
abstain from constantly referring to the same Scriptures, because it is
thought he can bring forth something better than Scripture. The passage,
then, by which I proved that God reveals that there are both angels and
hosts in heaven is this: ‘Praise
the Lord from the
heavens: praise Him in the highest. Praise Him, all His angels: praise
Him, all His hosts.’ ”2283
| 2283 Ps. cxlviii. 1, 2. [Kaye’s
citations (chap. ix. p. 181) from Tatian, concerning angels and demons,
are valuable aids to the understanding of Justin in his frequent
references to this subject.] |
Then one of those who had come with them on the second
day, whose name was Mnaseas, said, “We are greatly pleased that you
undertake to repeat the same things on our account.”
And I said, “Listen, my friends, to the Scripture
which induces me to act thus. Jesus commanded [us] to love even [our]
enemies, as was predicted by Isaiah in many passages, in which also is
contained the mystery of our own regeneration, as well, in fact, as the
regeneration of all who expect that Christ will appear in Jerusalem, and
by their works endeavour earnestly to please Him. These are the words
spoken by Isaiah: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at
His word. Say, our brethren, to them that hate you and detest you, that
the name of the Lord has been glorified. He has appeared to your joy, and
they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the
temple,2284
| 2284 In both mss. “people.”
| a voice of the Lord who rendereth recompense to the proud. Before
she that travailed brought forth, and before the pains of labour came,
she brought forth a male child. Who hath heard such a thing? and who hath
seen such a thing? has the earth brought forth in one day? and has she
produced a nation at once? for Zion has travailed and borne her children.
But I have given such an expectation even to her that does not bring
forth, said the Lord. Behold, I have made her that begetteth, and her
that is barren, saith the Lord. Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and hold a joyous
assembly, all ye that love her. Be glad, all ye that mourn for her, that
ye may suck and be filled with the breast of her consolation, that having
suck ye may be delighted with the entrance of His glory.’
”2285
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