Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Prophecies of the Cross. How these prophecies are satisfied in Christ alone.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
§35. Prophecies of the Cross. How these
prophecies are satisfied in Christ alone.
But, perhaps, having heard the prophecy of His
death, you ask to learn also what is set forth concerning the Cross.
For not even this is passed over: it is displayed by the holy men with
great plainness. 2. For first Moses predicts it, and that with a loud
voice, when he says: “Ye
shall see291
your Life hanging before your eyes, and
shall not believe.” 3. And next, the prophets after him witness
of this, saying: “But292
I as an innocent lamb
brought to be slain, knew it not; they counselled an evil counsel
against me, saying, Hither and let us cast a tree upon his293
| 293 Properly “let us destroy the tree with its bread”
(i.e. fruit). The LXX, translate belahmô
‘upon his bread,’ which is possible in itself; but
they either mistook the verb, or followed some wrong reading. Their
rendering is followed by all the Latin versions. For a comment on the
latter see Tertull. adv. Marc. iii. 19, iv. 40. | bread, and efface him from the land of the
living.” 4. And again: “They pierced294
my hands and my feet, they numbered all my bones, they parted my
garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.” 5. Now a
death raised aloft and that takes place on a tree, could be none other
than the Cross: and again, in no other death are the hands and feet
pierced, save on the Cross only. 6. But since by the sojourn of the
Saviour among men all nations also on every side began to know God;
they did not leave this point, either, without a reference: but mention
is made of this matter as well in the Holy Scriptures. For
“there295
shall be,” he saith, “the
root of Jesse, and he that riseth to rule the nations, on him shall the
nations hope.” This then is a little in proof of what has
happened. 7. But all Scripture teems with refutations of the disbelief
of the Jews. For which of the righteous men and holy prophets, and
patriarchs, recorded in the divine Scriptures, ever had his corporal
birth of a virgin only? Or what woman has sufficed without man for the
conception of human kind? Was not Abel born of Adam, Enoch of Jared,
Noe of Lamech, and Abraham of Tharra, Isaac of Abraham, Jacob of Isaac?
Was not Judas born of Jacob, and Moses and Aaron of Ameram? Was not
Samuel born of Elkana, was not David of Jesse, was not Solomon of
David, was not Ezechias of Achaz, was not Josias of Amos, was not
Esaias of Amos, was not Jeremy of Chelchias, was not Ezechiel of Buzi?
Had not each a father as author of his existence? Who then is he that
is born of a virgin only? For the prophet made exceeding much of this
sign. 8. Or whose birth did a star in the skies forerun, to announce to
the world him that was born? For when Moses was born, he was hid by his
parents: David was not heard of, even by those of his neighbourhood,
inasmuch as even the great Samuel knew him not, but asked, had Jesse
yet another son? Abraham again became known to his neighbours as296
| 296 Or
‘only after he had grown great,’ i.e. to man’s
estate. | a great man only subsequently to his birth.
But of Christ’s birth the witness was not man, but a star in that
heaven whence He was descending.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
