#76 The First Apology of Justin - Part 12

By Justin Martyr, from The Ante-Nicene Fathers

Chapter 52 - Certain Fulfillment of Prophecy

Since we prove that all things which have already happened had been predicted by the prophets before they came to pass, we must necessarily believe that those things similarly predicted but still to come will certainly happen.

Just as the things which have already taken place came to pass when foretold, even though unknown, so shall the things that remain, even though they be unknown and disbelieved, yet come to pass.

The prophets proclaimed two comings of Christ: the one that is already past, when He came as a dishonored and suffering man; and the second, when according to prophecy He shall come from heaven with glory, accompanied by His angelic host. Then He shall also raise the bodies of all people who have lived, and shall clothe those of the worthy with immortality, and shall send those of the wicked, with eternal feeling, into everlasting fire with the wicked demons.

That these things also have been foretold as yet to be, we will prove. By Ezekiel the prophet it was said: "The sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: and every knee shall bow to the Lord, and every tongue shall confess to God."

In what kind of feeling and punishment the wicked are to be, hear from what was said similarly: "Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched;" and then shall they repent, when it is too late.

What the Jewish people shall say and do when they see him coming in glory has been predicted by Zechariah the prophet:

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem. And the land shall mourn, every family apart."

Chapter 53 - Summary of the Prophecies

Though we could bring forward many other prophecies, we refrain, judging these sufficient to persuade those who have ears to hear and understand. Those persons can also see that we do not make mere claims without being able to produce proof, like the fables told about the so-called sons of Jupiter.

For why should we believe that a crucified man is the firstborn of the unbegotten God and will Himself pass judgment on the whole human race, unless we had found testimonies about Him published before He came and was born as man, and unless we saw that things had happened accordingly - the devastation of the Jewish land, and people of every race persuaded by His teaching through the apostles to reject their old habits in which they were deceived? Yes, we see ourselves too, knowing that Christians from among the Gentiles are both more numerous and more true than those from among the Jews and Samaritans.

All other human races are called Gentiles by the Spirit of prophecy, but the Jewish and Samaritan races are called the tribe of Israel and the house of Jacob.

The prophecy predicting that there should be more believers from the Gentiles than from the Jews and Samaritans ran thus: "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD."

All the Gentiles were "desolate" of the true God, serving works of their own hands. But the Jews and Samaritans, having the word of God delivered to them by the prophets and always expecting the Christ, did not recognize Him when He came, except for some few, of whom the Spirit of prophecy through Isaiah had predicted that they should be saved. He spoke as from their person: "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."

Sodom and Gomorrah, according to Moses, were cities of ungodly people which God burned with fire and sulfur and overthrew, with no inhabitant saved except a certain foreigner, a Chaldean by birth named Lot, along with his daughters.

Those who care may yet see their whole country desolate and burned and remaining barren. To show how those from among the Gentiles were foretold as more true and more believing, we will quote the prophet Jeremiah: "All the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart."

When so many things as these are seen with the eye, they are enough to produce conviction and belief in those who embrace the truth and are not bigoted in their opinions or governed by their passions.