When I had finished this I added: And that your teachers, Gentlemen, acknowledge that all the words of this chapter are spoken of the Christ, I am aware. And that they say He has not yet come, this also I know. But they say that even if He has come it is not known who He is, but when He shall become manifest and glorious, then, so they affirm, will it be known who He is.
And then, they say, will all that is spoken in this chapter come to pass, as though there were as yet no fruit at all come from the words of the prophecy. Most unreasonable men! For they do not understand what is shown by all these words, that two Advents of His have been announced; one in which He has been proclaimed as liable to suffering, and without glory, and without honour, and crucified; and the second, in which He will come with glory from the heavens, when also the Man of the apostasy, who also speaketh strange things against the Most High, will dare to do lawless deeds on earth against us Christians. For we, who have come to know the true worship of God from the Law, and the Word that went forth from Jerusalem by the apostles of Jesus, have fled for refuge to Him who is God of Jacob and God of Israel.
And we who were filled full of war, and slaughter one of another, and every kind of evil, have from out of the whole earth each changed our weapons of war, our swords into ploughshares and our pikes into farming tools, and we farm piety, righteousness, the love of man, faith, and hope which comes from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified, each of us dwelling under his own vine, that is, each enjoying only his own wedded wife. For ye know the word of prophecy, and his wife as a thriving vine.
And that there is none that maketh afraid, and leadeth into captivity us who throughout all the earth have set our faith on Jesus, is evident. For though we are beheaded, and crucified, and exposed to beasts and chains and fire and all other forms of torture, it is plain that we do not forsake the confession of our faith, but the more things of this kind happen to us so much the more are there many others who become believers and truly religious through the name of Jesus. Just as when one cuts away the parts of a vine that have borne fruit, it so bursts forth that other flourishing and fruitbearing branches shoot up — in that very way is it also with us. For the vine that has been planted by God, and Christ the Saviour, is His people.
Now the other parts of the prophecy will take place at His second Coming. For the phrase, her that has been afflicted and thrust out,Micah 4:6 namely from the world, means that so far as it rests with you and all other men, each Christian has been cast out not only from his own possessions but even from all the world. For they suffer no Christian even to live.
But you affirm that this has happened to your people. Now if you were cast out by being conquered in war, with justice have you endured such suffering, as all the Scriptures bear witness. But we, having done no such thing after knowing the truth of God, are borne witness to by God, that we are taken away from earth together with Christ the wholly righteous and only spotless One, who is free from any sin. For Isaiah cries aloud: Behold how the righteous has perished, and none layeth it to heart. And righteous men are taken away, and none considereth it.