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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 5 · Chapter 34 About this work A five-book account and refutation of competing Christian movements that also develops Irenaeus’s positive theology of creation, Scripture, apostolic tradition, incarnation, salvation, and recapitulation in Christ.
Author Irenaeus of Lyons
Date c. AD 175–185
Origin Lyons, Gaul
Genre Heresiology He fortifies his opinions with regard to the temporal and earthly kingdom of the saints after their resurrection, by the various testimonies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel; also by the parable of the servants watching, to whom the Lord promised that He would minister. Section 1 1 . Then , too , Isaiah himself has
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plainly
declared
that
there
shall
be
joy
of
this
nature
at
the
resurrection
of
the
just
,
when
he
says
:
“
The
dead
shall
rise
again
;
those
,
too
,
who
are
in
the
tombs
shall
arise
,
and
those
who
are
in
the
earth
shall
rejoice
.
For
the
dew
from
Thee
is
health
to
them
.
”
And
this
again
Ezekiel
also
says
:
“
Behold
,
I
will
open
your
tombs
,
and
will
bring
you
forth
out
of
your
graves
;
when
I
will
draw
my
people
from
the
sepulchres
,
and
I
will
put
breath
in
you
,
and
ye
shall
live
;
and
I
will
place
you
on
your
own
land
,
and
ye
shall
know
that
I
am
the
Lord
.
”
And
again
the
same
speaks
thus
:
“
These
things
saith
the
Lord
,
I
will
gather
Israel
from
all
nations
whither
they
have
been
driven
,
and
I
shall
be
sanctified
in
them
in
the
sight
of
the
sons
of
the
nations
:
and
they
shall
dwell
in
their
own
land
,
which
I
gave
to
my
servant
Jacob
.
And
they
shall
dwell
in
it
in
peace
;
and
they
shall
build
houses
,
and
plant
vineyards
,
and
dwell
in
hope
,
when
I
shall
cause
judgment
to
fall
among
all
who
have
dishonoured
them
,
among
those
who
encircle
them
round
about
;
and
they
shall
know
that
I
am
the
Lord
their
God
,
and
the
God
of
their
fathers
.
”
Now
I
have
shown
a
short
time
ago
that
the
church
is
the
seed
of
Abraham
;
and
for
this
reason
,
that
we
may
know
that
He
who
in
the
New
Testament
“
raises
up
from
the
stones
children
unto
Abraham
,
”
is
He
who
will
gather
,
according
to
the
Old
Testament
,
those
that
shall
be
saved
from
all
the
nations
,
Jeremiah
says
:
“
Behold
,
the
days
come
,
saith
the
Lord
,
that
they
shall
no
more
say
,
The
Lord
liveth
,
who
led
the
children
of
Israel
from
the
north
,
and
from
every
region
whither
they
had
been
driven
;
He
will
restore
them
to
their
own
land
which
He
gave
to
their
fathers
.
”
Section 2 2 . That the whole creation shall , according to God’s will , obtain a vast increase , that it may bring forth and sustain fruits such [ as we have mentioned ] , Isaiah declares : “ And there shall be upon every high mountain , and upon every prominent hill , water running everywhere in that day , when many shall perish , when walls shall fall . And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun , seven times that of the day , when He shall heal the anguish of His people , and do away with the pain of His stroke . ” Now “ the pain of the stroke ” means that inflicted at the beginning upon disobedient man in Adam , that is , death ; which [ stroke ] the Lord will heal when He raises us from the dead , and restores the inheritance of the fathers , as Isaiah again says : “ And thou shall be confident in the Lord , and He will cause thee to pass over the whole earth , and feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father . ” This is what the Lord declared : “ Happy are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching . Verily I say unto you , that He shall gird Himself , and make them to sit down [ to meat ] , and will come forth and serve them . And if He shall come in the evening watch , and find them so , blessed are they , because He shall make them sit down , and minister to them ; or if this be in the second , or it be in the third , blessed are they . ” Again John also says the very same in the Apocalypse : “ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection . ” Then , too , Isaiah has declared the time when these events shall occur ; he says : “ And I said , Lord , how long ? Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant , and the houses be without men , and the earth be left a desert . And after these things the Lord shall remove us men far away ( longe nos faciet Deus homines ) , and those who shall remain shall multiply upon the earth . ” Then Daniel also says this very thing : “ And the kingdom and dominion , and the greatness of those under the heaven , is given to the saints of the Most High God , whose kingdom is everlasting , and all dominions shall serve and obey Him . ” And lest the promise named should be understood as referring to this time , it was declared to the prophet : “ And come thou , and stand in thy lot at the consummation of the days . ”
Section 3 3 . Now , that the promises were not announced to the prophets and the fathers alone , but to the Churches united to these from the nations , whom also the Spirit terms “ the islands ” ( both because they are established in the midst of turbulence , suffer the storm of blasphemies , exist as a harbour of safety to those in peril , and are the refuge of those who love the height [ of heaven ] , and strive to avoid Bythus , that is , the depth of error ) , Jeremiah thus declares : “ Hear the word of the Lord , ye nations , and declare it to the isles afar off ; say ye , that the Lord will scatter Israel , He will gather him , and keep him , as one feeding his flock of sheep . For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob , and rescued him from the hand of one stronger than he . And they shall come and rejoice in Mount Zion , and shall come to what is good , and into a land of wheat , and wine , and fruits , of animals and of sheep ; and their soul shall be as a tree bearing fruit , and they shall hunger no more . At that time also shall the virgins rejoice in the company of the young men : the old men , too , shall be glad , and I will turn their sorrow into joy ; and I will make them exult , and will magnify them , and satiate the souls of the priests the sons of Levi ; and my people shall be satiated with my goodness . ” Now , in the preceding book I have shown that all the disciples of the Lord are Levites and priests , they who used in the temple to profane the Sabbath , but are blameless . Promises of such a nature , therefore , do indicate in the clearest manner the feasting of that creation in the kingdom of the righteous , which God promises that He will Himself serve .
Section 4 4 . Then again , speaking of Jerusalem , and of Him reigning there , Isaiah declares , “ Thus saith the Lord , Happy is he who hath seed in Zion , and servants in Jerusalem . Behold , a righteous king shall reign , and princes shall rule with judgment . ” And with regard to the foundation on which it shall be rebuilt , he says : “ Behold , I will lay in order for thee a carbuncle stone , and sapphire for thy foundations ; and I will lay thy ramparts with jasper , and thy gates with crystal , and thy wall with choice stones : and all thy children shall be taught of God , and great shall be the peace of thy children ; and in righteousness shalt thou be built up . ” And yet again does he say the same thing : “ Behold , I make Jerusalem a rejoicing , and my people [ a joy ] ; for the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her , nor the voice of crying . Also there shall not be there any immature [ one ] , nor an old man who does not fulfil his time : for the youth shall be of a hundred years ; and the sinner shall die a hundred years old , yet shall be accursed . And they shall build houses , and inhabit them themselves ; and shall plant vineyards , and eat the fruit of them themselves , and shall drink wine . And they shall not build , and others inhabit ; neither shall they prepare the vineyard , and others eat . For as the days of the tree of life shall be the days of the people in thee ; for the works of their hands shall endure . ”
