When I ceased Trypho said: Sir, these and suchlike passages of scripture compel us to await One who is great and glorious, and takes over the everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of days as Son of man. But this your so-called Christ is without honour and glory, so that He has even fallen into the uttermost curse that is in the Law of God, for He was crucified.
To whom I replied: If, Gentlemen, it had not been said by the scriptures which I have already related, that His form would be without glory and His generation not to be described, and that for His death the rich should suffer death, and that by His stripes we were healed, and that He would be brought as a sheep; and I had not expounded that two Advents of His would take place, one in which He was pierced by you, and a second when ye will recognize Him whom ye pierced, and all your tribes will lament, tribe over against tribe, the women alone and the men alone,Zechariah 12:10-14 I should seem to be making obscure and impossible statements. But now I am bringing all my proofs by all the words that I adduce from the passages of scripture, which are held by you to be holy and to belong to the prophets, because I hope that some one of you can be found to belong to [the seed] which, according to the grace given by the Lord of Sabaoth is left over unto eternal salvation.
In order therefore that the subject under discussion may be clearer to you, I will say to you also other words which have been spoken by blessed David, from which you will see that Christ has been called even Lord by the Holy Spirit of prophecy, and that the Father who is Lord of all was leading Him up from the earth and seating Him on His right hand, until He should make His enemies His footstool. For this comes to pass from the time that our Lord Jesus Christ was taken up into heaven after His rising from the dead. For the times were nigh completion, and he that was to speak bold and blasphemous words against the Most High was already at the doors, who, Daniel declares, will hold dominion for a season, seasons and half a season.
And ye, not knowing how long a time he must hold dominion, think otherwise; for you explain a season as a hundred years. But if this is so, the man of iniquity must reign at least three hundred and fifty years, supposing we calculate the expression of holy Daniel, and seasons, as two seasons only.
And all these things which I said by way of digression do I say unto you, in order that by obeying at last God’s word against you, namely, Ye are children without understanding, and again, Therefore will I proceed further to remove this people, and I will remove them, and will take away the wisdom of the wise, and will hide the understanding of those of them that understand, you may cease leading both yourselves and them that hear you astray, and be learning from us who have been made wise by the grace of Christ.
These then are also the words which were spoken by David, The Lord said to my lord: Sit on My right hand, until I place Thine enemies under Thy feet. A rod of power shall the Lord send out for Thee out of Sion, and rule thou as Lord in the midst of thy enemies. With Thee is the dominion in the day of Thy power, in the splendours of Thy holy ones; from the womb before the morning-star did I beget Thee. The Lord sware, and will not repent: Thou art priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord is on Thy right hand. He crushed kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations; He shall fill corpses. Of a brook in the way shall He drink, therefore shall He lift up His head.