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165

those who are saved to the nations, to Tarshish and Phud and Lud and Mosoch and Thobel and to Greece and to the islands afar off, who have not heard my name nor seen my glory, and they will declare my works among the nations.” 6.25.2 Plainly in these words also the coming of the Lord to men is declared. And since it has been said that he will come “as fire,” our Savior fittingly says: “I came to cast fire upon the earth, and what do I wish if it has already been kindled?” And as “his chariots” you might speak of the divine powers that attend him and the holy angels that minister to him, concerning whom it is said, “And angels came and ministered to him,” and his holy apostles and disciples, borne upon whom by a divine and invisible power the Word of God traversed the whole inhabited world. 6.25.3 Or it might be said otherwise, more literally, that “fire” and “chariots” are announced with his coming, on account of the siege that overtook Jerusalem after the arrival of our Savior, after which not long after the temple itself was set on fire and suffered utter desolation, and the city was surrounded by chariots and military camps, after which also the things foretold concerning all the nations in accordance with the prophecy met their end. 6.25.4 And who would not marvel, hearing the Lord saying through the prophet, “I am coming to gather all the nations and tongues,” seeing throughout the whole earth of men, through the coming and calling of our Savior Jesus Christ, the assemblies of the nations being gathered in the name of Christ, and the tongues of all the nations in all sorts of human dialects calling upon the one God and Lord? And in addition to all this, who, seeing all who have believed in Christ using the saving sign as a seal, would not reasonably be amazed, hearing the Lord saying long ago, “And they shall come and see my glory, and I will leave a sign upon them”? 6.25.5 In part, therefore, from this we already see with our own eyes the results of the divine oracles according to the first epiphany of our Savior to men; but these things would be fulfilled also at his second and glorious coming, when “all the nations” “shall see the glory” of him, and him coming from heaven “with power and great glory.” And the rest of what is declared in the prophecy might be referred to that time, as we shall establish according to our own thesis. Since we have collected so much for the present concerning the prophesied coming of God to men, it would be next to add what kind of manner his first advent into human life was proclaimed to be. 7.Pin.t These things are in the seventh book of the evangelical demonstration concerning our Savior. 7.Pin.1 1. What is the manner of God's visit to men. From the scriptures noted below. a. From Isaiah. b. From the same. c. From the same. 7.Pin.2 2. Where on earth it was prophesied Christ would be born. d. From Micah. e. From Psalm 131. 7.Pin.3 3. From what kind of family it was proclaimed he would come. f. From 2 Chronicles. g. From Psalm 71. h. From Isaiah. i. From Jeremiah. j. From Genesis. 7.t.1 Evangelical Demonstration Book 7. Having learned in the preceding book through the prophetic voices that God would come to men and live with men on earth, and that there would be two very great proofs of his coming: the calling of the nations throughout the world to the reception of the true knowledge of God, and the falling away and desolation of the Jewish nation on account of their unbelief in him; and having examined at the same time what end the foretold events met, next and consequently in this seventh book of the Evangelical Demonstration we shall attempt to survey the manner in which he says he made his advent to men.

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σεσωσμένους εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, εἰς Θαρσεὶς καὶ Φοὺδ καὶ Λοὺδ καὶ Μοσὸχ καὶ Θοβὲλ καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ εἰς τὰς νήσους τὰς πόρρω, οἳ οὐκ ἤκουσάν μου τὸ ὄνομα οὐδὲ ἑωράκασίν μου τὴν δόξαν, καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσί μου τὰ ἔργα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν». 6.25.2 Ἄντικρυς καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἡ τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀνθρώπους παρουσία δηλοῦται. καὶ ἐπειδήπερ εἴρηται «ὡς πῦρ ἥξειν», εἰκότως φησὶν ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν· «πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τί θέλω εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη;» «ἅρματα» δὲ «αὐτοῦ» τὰς δορυφορούσας αὐτὸν θείας δυνάμεις καὶ τοὺς ἐξυπηρετουμένους αὐτῷ ἱεροὺς ἀγγέλους εἴποις ἄν, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· «καὶ προσῆλθον ἄγγελοι καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ», καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους αὐτοῦ καὶ μαθητάς, οἷς ἐποχούμενος ἐνθέῳ καὶ ἀοράτῳ δυνάμει ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος τὴν πᾶσαν διέδραμεν οἰκουμένην. 6.25.3 λέγοιτο δ' ἂν καὶ ἄλλως πρὸς λέξιν, «πῦρ» καὶ «ἅρματα» καταγγέλλεσθαι σὺν τῇ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ, διὰ τὴν καταλαβοῦσαν πολιορκίαν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἄφιξιν, μεθ' ἣν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ὁ μὲν νεὼς αὐτὸς ἐπυρπολεῖτο καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑπέμενεν ἐρημίαν, ἡ δὲ πόλις ἐκυκλώθη ὑπὸ ἁρμάτων καὶ στρατοπέδων πολεμικῶν, μεθ' ἃ καὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων προηγγελμένα συμφώνως τῇ προφητείᾳ τέλους ἔτυχεν. 6.25.4 Τίς δ' οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειεν ἀκούων τοῦ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «ἔρχομαι συναγαγεῖν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ τὰς γλώσσας», ὁρῶν καθ' ὅλης τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων γῆς διὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας τε καὶ κλήσεως τὰς τῶν ἐθνῶν συναγωγὰς ἐπ' ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ συγκροτουμένας, τάς τε γλώσσας ἁπάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐν παντοίαις διαλέκτοις ἀνθρώπων τὸν ἕνα θεὸν καὶ κύριον ἐπικαλουμένας; καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις, τίς θεώμενος τῷ σωτηριώδει σημείῳ πάντας τοὺς εἰς Χριστὸν πεπιστευκότας σφραγῖδι χρωμένους, οὐκ ἂν εὐλόγως καταπλαγείη ἀκούων πρόπαλαι τοῦ κυρίου εἰρηκότος· «καὶ ἥξουσι καὶ ὄψονται τὴν δόξαν μου, καὶ καταλείψω ἐπ' αὐτῶν σημεῖον»; 6.25.5 ἐν μέρει μὲν οὖν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη κατὰ τὴν προτέραν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρῶμεν τῶν θείων χρησμῶν τὰ ἀποτελέσματα· γένοιτο δ' ἂν ἐντελῆ ταῦτα καὶ κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ ἔνδοξον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν, ὅτε «πάντα τὰ ἔθνη» «ὄψονται τὴν δόξαν» αὐτοῦ ἐρχόμενόν τε αὐτὸν ἐξ οὐρανῶν «μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς». ἀναχθείη δ' ἂν εἰς ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἐν τῇ προρρήσει δηλουμένων, ὥσπερ οὖν συστήσομεν κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ὑπόθεσιν. Τοσούτων ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος συνειλεγμένων περὶ τῆς εἰς ἀνθρώπους θεσπιζομένης ἔσεσθαι παρουσίας θεοῦ, ἑξῆς ἂν εἴη ἐπισυνάψαι, ὁποῖός τις ὁ τρόπος τῆς προτέρας αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον παρόδου γενήσεσθαι προανεφωνεῖτο. 7.Pin.t Τάδε ἔνεστιν ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ συγγράμματι τῆς περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εὐαγγελικῆς ἀποδείξεως. 7.Pin.1 αʹ. Τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίας. ἐκ τῶν ὑποσεσημειωμένων γραφῶν. αʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου. βʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ. γʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ. 7.Pin.2 βʹ. Ποῦ γῆς ὁ χριστὸς γεννηθήσεσθαι προεφητεύετο. δʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Μιχαία. εʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ψαλμοῦ ρλαʹ. 7.Pin.3 γʹ. Ἀφ' οἵου γένους προελεύσεσθαι ἐβοᾶτο. ʹ. Ἀπὸ τῆς βʹ τῶν Παραλειπομένων. ζʹ. Ἀπὸ Ψαλμοῦ οαʹ. ηʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου. θʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου. ιʹ. Ἀπὸ τῆς Γενέσεως. 7.t.1 Εὐαγγελικῆς ἀποδείξεως τόμος ζʹ. Θεὸν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἀφίξεσθαι καὶ σὺν ἀνθρώποις ἐπὶ γῆς πολιτεύσεσθαι, δύο τε ταῦτα μέγιστα. τεκμήρια τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ἔσεσθαι, κλῆσιν ἐπ' ἀναλήψει τῆς ἀληθοῦς θεογνωσίας τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐθνῶν, ἀπόπτωσίν τε καὶ ἐρημίαν διὰ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπιστίαν τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου συγγράμματι διὰ τῶν προφητικῶν φωνῶν μεμαθηκότες, ἐπισκεψάμενοί τε κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ ὁποίου τέλους ἔτυχεν τὰ προηγορευμένα, ἑξῆς καὶ ἀκολούθως ἐν ἑβδόμῳ τούτῳ συγγράμματι τῆς Εὐαγγελικῆς Ἀποδείξεως τὸν τρόπον ἐπιθεωρῆσαι πειρασόμεθα, καθ' ὅν φησιν αὐτὸν τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ποιήσασθαι πάροδον.