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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 3 · Chapter 24

About this work

A sustained refutation of Marcion’s theology and edited Scriptures, defending the unity of the Creator and Christ’s Father and reading the Gospel and Pauline letters against Marcionite claims.

Author: Tertullian
Date: Early 3rd century
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Heresiology

Chapter XXIV.—Christ’s Millennial and Heavenly Glory in Company with His Saints.

Yes, certainly, you say, I do

‹ Book 3 · Chapter 23 Book 4 · Chapter 1 ›

hope

from

Him

that

which

amounts

in

itself

to

a

proof

of

the

diversity

(

of

Christs

)

,

God’s

kingdom

in

an

everlasting

and

heavenly

possession

.

Besides

,

your

Christ

promises

to

the

Jews

their

primitive

condition

,

with

the

recovery

of

their

country

;

and

after

this

life’s

course

is

over

,

repose

in

Hades

in

Abraham’s

bosom

.

Oh

,

most

excellent

God

,

when

He

restores

in

amnesty

what

He

took

away

in

wrath

!

Oh

,

what

a

God

is

yours

,

who

both

wounds

and

heals

,

creates

evil

and

makes

peace

!

Oh

,

what

a

God

,

that

is

merciful

even

down

to

Hades

!

I

shall

have

something

to

say

about

Abraham’s

bosom

in

the

proper

place

.

As

for

the

restoration

of

Judæa

,

however

,

which

even

the

Jews

themselves

,

induced

by

the

names

of

places

and

countries

,

hope

for

just

as

it

is

described

,

it

would

be

tedious

to

state

at

length

how

the

figurative

interpretation

is

spiritually

applicable

to

Christ

and

His

church

,

and

to

the

character

and

fruits

thereof

;

besides

,

the

subject

has

been

regularly

treated

in

another

work

,

which

we

entitle

De

Spe

Fidelium

.

At

present

,

too

,

it

would

be

superfluous

for

this

reason

,

that

our

inquiry

relates

to

what

is

promised

in

heaven

,

not

on

earth

.

But

we

do

confess

that

a

kingdom

is

promised

to

us

upon

the

earth

,

although

before

heaven

,

only

in

another

state

of

existence

;

inasmuch

as

it

will

be

after

the

resurrection

for

a

thousand

years

in

the

divinely

-

built

city

of

Jerusalem

,

“

let

down

from

heaven

,

”

which

the

apostle

also

calls

“

our

mother

from

above

;

”

and

,

while

declaring

that

our

πολίτευμα

,

or

citizenship

,

is

in

heaven

,

he

predicates

of

it

that

it

is

really

a

city

in

heaven

.

This

both

Ezekiel

had

knowledge

of

and

the

Apostle

John

beheld

.

And

the

word

of

the

new

prophecy

which

is

a

part

of

our

belief

,

attests

how

it

foretold

that

there

would

be

for

a

sign

a

picture

of

this

very

city

exhibited

to

view

its

manifestation

.

This

prophecy

,

indeed

,

has

been

very

lately

fulfilled

in

an

expedition

to

the

East

.

For

it

is

evident

from

the

testimony

of

even

heathen

witnesses

,

that

in

Judæa

there

was

suspended

in

the

sky

a

city

early

every

morning

for

forty

days

.

As

the

day

advanced

,

the

entire

figure

of

its

walls

would

wane

gradually

,

and

sometimes

it

would

vanish

instantly

.

We

say

that

this

city

has

been

provided

by

God

for

receiving

the

saints

on

their

resurrection

,

and

refreshing

them

with

the

abundance

of

all

really

spiritual

blessings

,

as

a

recompense

for

those

which

in

the

world

we

have

either

despised

or

lost

;

since

it

is

both

just

and

God

-

worthy

that

His

servants

should

have

their

joy

in

the

place

where

they

have

also

suffered

affliction

for

His

name’s

sake

.

Of

the

heavenly

kingdom

this

is

the

process

.

After

its

thousand

years

are

over

,

within

which

period

is

completed

the

resurrection

of

the

saints

,

who

rise

sooner

or

later

according

to

their

deserts

there

will

ensue

the

destruction

of

the

world

and

the

conflagration

of

all

things

at

the

judgment

:

we

shall

then

be

changed

in

a

moment

into

the

substance

of

angels

,

even

by

the

investiture

of

an

incorruptible

nature

,

and

so

be

removed

to

that

kingdom

in

heaven

of

which

we

have

now

been

treating

,

just

as

if

it

had

not

been

predicted

by

the

Creator

,

and

as

if

it

were

proving

Christ

to

belong

to

the

other

god

and

as

if

he

were

the

first

and

sole

revealer

of

it

.

But

now

learn

that

it

has

been

,

in

fact

,

predicted

by

the

Creator

,

and

that

even

without

prediction

it

has

a

claim

upon

our

faith

in

respect

of

the

Creator

.

What

appears

to

be

probable

to

you

,

when

Abraham’s

seed

,

after

the

primal

promise

of

being

like

the

sand

of

the

sea

for

multitude

,

is

destined

likewise

to

an

equality

with

the

stars

of

heaven

—

are

not

these

the

indications

both

of

an

earthly

and

a

heavenly

dispensation

?

When

Isaac

,

in

blessing

his

son

Jacob

,

says

,

“

God

give

thee

of

the

dew

of

heaven

,

and

the

fatness

of

the

earth

,

”

are

there

not

in

his

words

examples

of

both

kinds

of

blessing

?

Indeed

,

the

very

form

of

the

blessing

is

in

this

instance

worthy

of

notice

.

For

in

relation

to

Jacob

,

who

is

the

type

of

the

later

and

more

excellent

people

,

that

is

to

say

ourselves

,

first

comes

the

promise

of

the

heavenly

dew

,

and

afterwards

that

about

the

fatness

of

the

earth

.

So

are

we

first

invited

to

heavenly

blessings

when

we

are

separated

from

the

world

,

and

afterwards

we

thus

find

ourselves

in

the

way

of

obtaining

also

earthly

blessings

.

And

your

own

gospel

likewise

has

it

in

this

wise

:

“

Seek

ye

first

the

kingdom

of

God

,

and

these

things

shall

be

added

unto

you

.

”

But

to

Esau

the

blessing

promised

is

an

earthly

one

,

which

he

supplements

with

a

heavenly

,

after

the

fatness

of

the

earth

,

saying

,

“

Thy

dwelling

shall

be

also

of

the

dew

of

heaven

.

”

For

the

dispensation

of

the

Jews

(

who

were

in

Esau

,

the

prior

of

the

sons

in

birth

,

but

the

later

in

affection

)

at

first

was

imbued

with

earthly

blessings

through

the

law

,

and

afterwards

brought

round

to

heavenly

ones

through

the

gospel

by

faith

.

When

Jacob

sees

in

his

dream

the

steps

of

a

ladder

set

upon

the

earth

,

and

reaching

to

heaven

,

with

angels

ascending

and

descending

thereon

,

and

the

Lord

standing

above

,

we

shall

without

hesitation

venture

to

suppose

,

that

by

this

ladder

the

Lord

has

in

judgment

appointed

that

the

way

to

heaven

is

shown

to

men

,

whereby

some

may

attain

to

it

,

and

others

fall

therefrom

.

For

why

,

as

soon

as

he

awoke

out

of

his

sleep

,

and

shook

through

a

dread

of

the

spot

,

does

he

fall

to

an

interpretation

of

his

dream

?

He

exclaims

,

“

How

terrible

is

this

place

!

”

And

then

adds

,

“

This

is

none

other

than

the

house

of

God

;

this

is

the

gate

of

heaven

!

”

For

he

had

seen

Christ

the

Lord

,

the

temple

of

God

,

and

also

the

gate

by

whom

heaven

is

entered

.

Now

surely

he

would

not

have

mentioned

the

gate

of

heaven

,

if

heaven

is

not

entered

in

the

dispensation

of

the

Creator

.

But

there

is

now

a

gate

provided

by

Christ

,

which

admits

and

conducts

to

glory

.

Of

this

Amos

says

:

“

He

buildeth

His

ascensions

into

heaven

;

”

certainly

not

for

Himself

alone

,

but

for

His

people

also

,

who

will

be

with

Him

.

“

And

Thou

shalt

bind

them

about

Thee

,

”

says

he

,

“

like

the

adornment

of

a

bride

.

”

Accordingly

the

Spirit

,

admiring

such

as

soar

up

to

the

celestial

realms

by

these

ascensions

,

says

,

“

They

fly

,

as

if

they

were

kites

;

they

fly

as

clouds

,

and

as

young

doves

,

unto

me

”

—

that

is

,

simply

like

a

dove

.

For

we

shall

,

according

to

the

apostle

,

be

caught

up

into

the

clouds

to

meet

the

Lord

(

even

the

Son

of

man

,

who

shall

come

in

the

clouds

,

according

to

Daniel

)

and

so

shall

we

ever

be

with

the

Lord

,

so

long

as

He

remains

both

on

the

earth

and

in

heaven

,

who

,

against

such

as

are

thankless

for

both

one

promise

and

the

other

,

calls

the

elements

themselves

to

witness

:

“

Hear

,

O

heaven

,

and

give

ear

,

O

earth

.

”

Now

,

for

my

own

part

indeed

,

even

though

Scripture

held

out

no

hand

of

heavenly

hope

to

me

(

as

,

in

fact

,

it

so

often

does

)

,

I

should

still

possess

a

sufficient

presumption

of

even

this

promise

,

in

my

present

enjoyment

of

the

earthly

gift

;

and

I

should

look

out

for

something

also

of

the

heavenly

,

from

Him

who

is

the

God

of

heaven

as

well

as

of

earth

.

I

should

thus

believe

that

the

Christ

who

promises

the

higher

blessings

is

(

the

Son

)

of

Him

who

had

also

promised

the

lower

ones

;

who

had

,

moreover

,

afforded

proofs

of

greater

gifts

by

smaller

ones

;

who

had

reserved

for

His

Christ

alone

this

revelation

of

a

(

perhaps

)

unheard

of

kingdom

,

so

that

,

while

the

earthly

glory

was

announced

by

His

servants

,

the

heavenly

might

have

God

Himself

for

its

messenger

.

You

,

however

,

argue

for

another

Christ

,

from

the

very

circumstance

that

He

proclaims

a

new

kingdom

.

You

ought

first

to

bring

forward

some

example

of

His

beneficence

,

that

I

may

have

no

good

reason

for

doubting

the

credibility

of

the

great

promise

,

which

you

say

ought

to

be

hoped

for

;

nay

,

it

is

before

all

things

necessary

that

you

should

prove

that

a

heaven

belongs

to

Him

,

whom

you

declare

to

be

a

promiser

of

heavenly

things

.

As

it

is

,

you

invite

us

to

dinner

,

but

do

not

point

out

your

house

;

you

assert

a

kingdom

,

but

show

us

no

royal

state

.

Can

it

be

that

your

Christ

promises

a

kingdom

of

heaven

,

without

having

a

heaven

;

as

He

displayed

Himself

man

,

without

having

flesh

?

O

what

a

phantom

from

first

to

last

!

O

hollow

pretence

of

a

mighty

promise

!

Notes

1
Immo.
2
Apud inferos.
3
Placatus.
4
See below, in book iv. chap. iv.
5
Ita ut describitur, i.e., in the literal sense.
6
Persequi.
7
Allegorica.
8
Digestum.
9
On the Hope of the Faithful. This work, which is not extant (although its title appears in one of the oldest mss. of Tertullian, the Codex Agobardinus), is mentioned by St. Jerome in his Commentary on Ezekiel, chap. xxxvi.; in the preface to his Comment. on Isaiah, chap. xviii.; and in his notice of Papias of Hierapolis (Oehler).
10
Otiosum.
11
[See Kaye’s important Comment. p. 345.]
12
Rev. xxi. 2.
13
Gal. iv. 26.
14
Phil. iii. 20, “our conversation,” A.V.
15
Deputat.
16
Ezek. xlviii. 30–35.
17
Rev. xxi. 10–23.
18
That is, the Montanist. [Regarded as conclusive; but not conclusive evidence of an accomplished lapse from Catholic Communion.]
19
He means that of Severus against the Parthians. Tertullian is the only author who mentions this prodigy.
20
Evanescente.
21
Et alias de proximo nullam: or “de proximo” may mean, “on a near approach.”
22
Ratio.
23
Apud: or, “in the dispensation of the Creator.”
24
Dispositionis.
25
Gen. xxvii. 28.
26
Nostri, i.e., Christians. [Not Montanist, but Catholic.]
27
Luke xii. 31.
28
Gen. xxvii. 39.
29
Judæorum enim dispositio in Esau priorum natu et posteriorum affectu filiorum. This is the original of a difficult passage, in which Tertullian, who has taken Jacob as a type of the later, the Christian church, seems to make Esau the symbol of the former, the Jewish church, which, although prior in time, was later in allegiance to the full truth of God.
30
Temere, si forte, interpretabimur.
31
Gen. xxviii. 12–17.
32
Apud.
33
Amos ix. 6.
34
Isa. xlix. 18.
35
Isa. lx. 8.
36
In allusion to the dove as the symbol of the Spirit, see Matt. iii. 16.
37
Dan. vii. 13.
38
1 Thess. iv. 17.
39
Isa. i. 2.
40
Præjudicium.
41
Præconium.
42
Si forte.
43
Indulgentiæ.
44
Regiam: perhaps “capital” or “palace.”
45
Omne.