John Chrysostom, On Isaiah

they might become better by hearing the threats, they might escape the punishment that comes through experience; but if they persist in their insensibility, then indeed He might bring retribution upon them. Perceiving this, the devil, and understanding how great the gain is, sent forth the false prophets, who contradicted the prophets who threatened famines, plagues, wars, the assault of barbarians, by reporting good things. For just as God, by the fear of His words, wished to ward off the punishment that comes through experience, so too the devil worked the opposite; by the grace of his words, weakening and making them more indolent, he placed them under the necessity of enduring the punishment that comes through deeds. Then, since after this, by believing the false prophets and making no account of virtue, but persisting in their own sins they drew down upon themselves punishment, and from the outcome the truth of the prophets was clearly shown and the falsehood of the false prophets was refuted, he again devises another contrivance for the destruction of those who were being captured. For he persuaded them, being easily deceived, that these [terrible things] that had happened came from the anger of the demons, who were being neglected and despised by them. God, therefore, removing this bait, from long ago foretells the terrible things that are about to overtake them, so that it might not be possible for those who deceive them to attribute the events to the anger of the demons. And that I do not say these things by conjecture, hear Isaiah saying: I knew that you are stubborn, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze. For this reason I have spoken to you from the beginning, lest you should say, 'My idols have done <this> for me, and my graven and molten images have prepared this.' You neither knew it, nor was it heard by you. Since, therefore, as I said, as it is possible to see from the testimony, they attributed these things to them, prophecy forestalls this deception by removing it and proclaiming them many years before. But since even so it was likely that they, being ungrateful, would say, 'You did not foretell, we did not hear beforehand, now you are fabricating after the event; for you did not know what was going to happen;' whence then is it clear that this was said? See how clearly He prepares an inescapable refutation for them and sews up their shameless mouths. For He does not permit it only to be spoken, but He commands that the things being said also be written on a scroll, and not simply written, lest it be possible for them to say that he fabricated it afterwards, but He also calls as witnesses of the writings men who are trustworthy both from their rank and from their character. For make for me, He says, faithful men as witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Barachias; so that when it comes to pass and they say that these things were not spoken many years before, the book being brought forth and the witnesses being present might silence them when they are being shameless. For this reason He says: Take a new scroll of paper, so that it may not perish having grown old, but may remain, being extended in time, and accusing them through the writings themselves. And write with a man's stylus, that is with a reed, the things that are to be. And what are the things that are to be? War, barbarian victory, distribution of booty, seizure of spoils. Write all these things, therefore, He says, 'To make a swift plunder of spoils. For He is here.' What is, 'For He is here'? This saying declares these two things: that the magnitude of their sins was already then demanding justice and the punishment was at the gates. But He Himself postpones it, wishing by long-suffering to make them better and to ward off the punishment; and that it is easy and effortless for Him merely to nod and bring all things to their conclusion. For since the discourse was about barbarians who were about to campaign, 'Do not suppose,' He says, 'that the length of the road and the multitude of the army cause any delay; things which are naturally so in the case of men.'

8.2 For to God, even he who is far off is present; so easy and effortless is it for Him in one turn of time and in an instant to bring immediately and set upon them from the ends of the earth, even if they be many. And make for me faithful men as witnesses,

βελτίους γένωνται τὰς ἀπειλὰς ἀκούοντες, τὴν διὰ τῆς πείρας κόλασιν διακρούσωνται· ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιμείνωσιν ἀναισθητοῦντες, τότε δὴ καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν αὐτοῖς ἐπαγάγῃ. Τοῦτο συνιδὼν ὁ διάβολος καὶ τὸ κέρδος ἡλίκον ἐστὶν ἐννοῶν, τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας ἀνῆκεν, οἳ τοῖς προφήταις ἀπειλοῦσι λιμούς, λοιμούς, πολέμους, βαρβάρων ἔφοδον, ἀντέλεγον, χρηστὰ ἀπαγγέλλοντες. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τῷ φόβῳ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐβούλετο τὴν διὰ τῆς πείρας ἀποκρούεσθαι τιμωρίαν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος τοὐναντίον εἰργάζετο· τῇ χάριτι τῶν λόγων ἐκλύων καὶ ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ποιῶν, εἰς ἀνάγκην καθίστη τοῦ τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ὑπομεῖναι τιμωρίαν. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ μετὰ ταῦτα τοῖς ψευδοπροφήταις πιστεύοντες καὶ ἀρετῆς οὐδένα ποιούμενοι λόγον, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτίαις ἐμμένοντες ἐφείλκοντο καὶ τὴν κόλασιν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους καὶ ἡ τῶν προφητῶν ἀλήθεια σαφῶς ἐδείκνυτο καὶ τὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν ψεῦδος διηλέγχετο, ἕτερον πάλιν κατασκευάζει μηχάνημα πρὸς ἀπώλειαν τῶν ἁλισκομένων. Ἀνέπειθε γὰρ αὐτοὺς εὐεξαπατήτους ὄντας, ὅτι δὴ ταῦτα [τὰ δεινὰ] τὰ συμβάντα ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν δαιμόνων ὀργῆς ἐγένετο, ἀμελουμένων παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ καταφρονουμένων. Τοῦτο τοίνυν τὸ δέλεαρ ἀναιρῶν ὁ Θεός, πρὸ πολλῶν ἄνωθεν χρόνων τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτοὺς καταλήψεσθαι δεινὰ προλέγει, ἵνα μὴ ἐξῇ τοῖς ἀπατῶσιν αὐτοὺς τῇ τῶν δαιμόνων ὀργῇ λογίζεσθαι τὰ συμβαίνοντα. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχαζόμενος ταῦτα λέγω, ἄκουσον Ἡσαΐου λέγοντος· Ἔγνων ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ καὶ νεῦρον σιδηροῦν ὁ τράχηλός σου καὶ τὸ μέτωπόν σου χαλκοῦν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐλάλησά σοι, ἵνα μὴ εἴπῃς, ὅτι τὰ εἴδωλά μοι <τοῦτο> ἐποίησε καὶ τὰ γλυπτὰ καὶ τὰ χωνευτὰ τοῦτο παρεσκεύασεν. Οὔτε ἠπίστασο, οὔτε ἀκουστά σοι ἐγένετο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν, ὅπερ ἔφην, ὡς καὶ ἐκ τῆς μαρτυρίας ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ἐκείνοις ταῦτα ἀνετίθεσαν, φθάνει ἡ προφητεία ταύτην ἀναιροῦσα τὴν ἀπάτην καὶ πρὸ πολλῶν αὐτὰ διαγορεύουσα χρόνων. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ οὕτως εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς ἀγνωμονοῦντας λέγειν, οὐ προείπετε, οὐ προηκούσαμεν, νῦν πλάττεσθε μετὰ τὴν ἔκβασιν· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδειτε τὰ συμβησόμενα· πόθεν οὖν τοῦτο δῆλον ὅτι εἴρηται; ὅρα πῶς σαφῶς ἄφυκτον αὐτοῖς κατασκευάζει τὸν ἔλεγχον καὶ τὰ ἀναίσχυντα ἀπορράπτων στόματα. Οὐ γὰρ ἀφίησιν εἰπεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ κελεύει καὶ ἐν χάρτῃ γραφῆναι τὰ λεγόμενα καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς γραφῆναι, ἵνα μὴ ἐξῇ αὐτοῖς λέγειν ὅτι μετὰ ταῦτα ἔπλασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάρτυρας καλεῖ τῶν γραμμάτων ἄνδρας ἀξιοπίστους καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξιώματος καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου. Ποίησον γάρ μοι, φησί, μάρτυρας πιστοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τὸν Οὐρίαν τὸν ἱερέα καὶ Ζαχαρίαν τὸν υἱὸν Βαραχίου· ἵνα ὅταν ἐξέλθῃ καὶ λέγωσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἐλέχθη ταῦτα πρὸ πολλῶν τῶν χρόνων, τὸ βιβλίον ἐξενεχθὲν καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες οἱ παρόντες καὶ ἀναισχυντοῦντας αὐτοὺς ἐπιστομίσωσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο φησι· Λάβε χάρτου τόμον καινόν, ἵνα μὴ παλαιωθεὶς ἀπόληται, ἀλλὰ μένῃ τῷ χρόνῳ παρεκτεινόμενος καὶ κατηγορῶν διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων αὐτῶν. Καὶ γράψον γραφίδι ἀνθρώπου, τουτέστι καλάμῳ, τὰ μέλλοντα ἔσεσθαι. Τίνα δὲ τὰ μέλλοντα; Πόλεμος, νίκη βαρβαρική, λαφύρων διανομή, σκύλων ἁρπαγή. Ταῦτα τοίνυν, φησίν, ἅπαντα γράψον, Τοῦ ταχέως προνομὴν ποιῆσαι σκύλων. Πάρεστι γάρ. Τί ἐστι, Πάρεστι γάρ; ∆ύο ταῦτα δηλοῖ αὕτη ἡ ῥῆσις· ὅτι τότε ἤδη τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν τὸ μέγεθος ἀπῄτει τὴν δίκην καὶ ἐπὶ θύραις ἡ τιμωρία. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἀναβάλλεται, τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς βελτίους ποιῆσαι καὶ ἀποκρούεσθαι τὴν τιμωρίαν· καὶ ὅτι ῥᾴδιον αὐτῷ καὶ εὔκολον νεῦσαι μόνον καὶ πάντα εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ περὶ βαρβάρων ὁ λόγος ἦν τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιστρατεύειν, μὴ νομίσητε, φησίν, ὅτι τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος καὶ τῆς στρατείας τὸ πλῆθος μέλλησίν τινα ποιεῖ· ἅπερ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων ἔσεσθαι πέφυκε.

8.2 Τῷ γὰρ Θεῷ πάρεστιν καὶ ὁ πόρρωθεν ὤν· οὕτως αὐτῷ ῥᾴδιον καὶ εὔκολον ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ καὶ ἐν ἀκαριαίῳ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων τῆς γῆς, κἂν πλείους ὦσιν, ἀγαγεῖν εὐθέως καὶ ἐπιστῆσαι. Καὶ μάρτυράς μοι ποίησον πιστοὺς ἀνθρώπους,