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The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 46

About this work

A condensed presentation of Lactantius’s apologetic project, summarizing his case against pagan worship and his account of divine providence, true religion, justice, and Christian hope.

Author: Lactantius
Date: Early 4th century
Origin: Nicomedia or Gaul
Genre: Apology

Chap. XLVI.—It is Proved from the Prophets that the Passion and Death of Christ Had Been Foretold.

And the prophets had predicted that all these

‹ Chapter 45 Chapter 47 ›

things

would

thus

come

to

pass

.

Isaiah

thus

speaks

:

“

I

am

not

rebellious

,

nor

do

I

oppose

:

I

gave

my

back

to

the

scourge

,

and

my

cheeks

to

the

hand

:

I

turned

not

away

my

face

from

the

foulness

of

spitting

.

”

The

same

prophet

says

respecting

His

silence

:

“

I

was

brought

as

a

sheep

to

the

slaughter

,

and

as

a

lamb

before

its

shearers

is

dumb

,

so

He

opened

not

His

mouth

.

”

David

also

,

in

the

xxxivth

Psalm

:

“

The

abjects

were

gathered

together

against

me

,

and

they

knew

me

not

:

they

were

scattered

,

yet

felt

no

remorse

:

they

tempted

me

,

and

gnashed

upon

me

with

their

teeth

.

”

The

same

also

says

respecting

food

and

drink

in

the

lxviiith

Psalm

:

“

They

gave

me

also

gall

for

my

meat

,

and

in

my

thirst

they

gave

me

vinegar

to

drink

.

”

Also

respecting

the

cross

of

Christ

:

“

And

they

pierced

my

hands

and

my

feet

,

they

numbered

all

my

bones

:

they

themselves

have

looked

and

stared

upon

me

;

they

parted

my

garments

among

them

,

and

cast

lots

upon

my

vesture

.

”

Moses

also

says

in

Deuteronomy

:

“

And

thy

life

shall

hang

in

doubt

before

thine

eyes

,

and

thou

shall

fear

day

and

night

,

and

shall

have

none

assurance

of

thy

life

.

”

Also

in

Numbers

:

“

God

is

not

in

doubt

as

a

man

,

nor

does

He

suffer

threats

as

the

son

of

man

.

”

Also

Zechariah

says

:

“

And

they

shall

look

on

me

whom

they

pierced

.

”

Amos

thus

speaks

of

the

obscuring

of

the

sun

:

“

In

that

day

,

saith

the

Lord

,

the

sun

shall

go

down

at

noon

,

and

the

clear

day

shall

be

dark

;

and

I

will

turn

your

feasts

into

mourning

,

and

your

songs

into

lamentation

.

”

Jeremiah

also

speaks

of

the

city

of

Jerusalem

,

in

which

He

suffered

:

“

Her

sun

is

gone

down

while

it

was

yet

day

;

she

hath

been

confounded

and

reviled

,

and

the

residue

of

them

will

I

deliver

to

the

sword

.

”

Nor

were

these

things

spoken

in

vain

.

For

after

a

short

time

the

Emperor

Vespasian

subdued

the

Jews

,

and

laid

waste

their

lands

with

the

sword

and

fire

,

besieged

and

reduced

them

by

famine

,

overthrew

Jerusalem

,

led

the

captives

in

triumph

,

and

prohibited

the

others

who

were

left

from

ever

returning

to

their

native

land

.

And

these

things

were

done

by

God

on

account

of

that

crucifixion

of

Christ

,

as

He

before

declared

this

to

Solomon

in

their

Scriptures

,

saying

,

“

And

Israel

shall

be

for

perdition

and

a

reproach

to

the

people

,

and

this

house

shall

be

desolate

;

and

every

one

that

shall

pass

by

shall

be

astonished

,

and

shall

say

,

Why

hath

God

done

these

evils

to

this

land

,

and

to

this

house

?

And

they

shall

say

,

Because

they

forsook

the

Lord

their

God

,

and

persecuted

their

King

,

who

was

dearly

beloved

by

God

,

and

crucified

Him

with

great

degradation

,

therefore

hath

God

brought

upon

them

these

evils

.

”

For

what

would

they

not

deserve

who

put

to

death

their

Lord

,

who

had

come

for

their

salvation

?

Notes

1
Isa. l. 5.
2
Isa. liii. 7.
3
Ps. xxxv. 15, 16. See Instit., iv. 18.
4
Ps. lxix. 21.
5
Ps. xxii. 16–18.
6
Deut. xxviii. 66.
7
Num. xxiii. 19.
8
Zech. xii. 10.
9
Amos viii. 9, 10.
10
Jer. xv. 9.
11
1 Kings ix. 7–9.
12
See Instit., iv. 18, p. 121, supra.