752

Herod was believed to be the Messiah.  He had taken away the sceptre from
Judah, but he was not of Judah.  This gave rise to a considerable sect.

Curse of the Greeks upon those who count three periods of time.

In what way should the Messiah come, seeing that through Him the sceptre was to be eternally in Judah, and at His coming the sceptre was to be taken away from Judah?

In order to effect that seeing they should not see, and hearing they should not understand, nothing could be better done.

753

Homo existens te Deum facit.

Scriptum est, Dii estis, et non potest solvi Scriptura.

Haec infirmitas non est ad vitam et est ad mortem.

Lazarus dormit, et deinde dixit:  Lazarus mortuus est._[281]

754

The apparent discrepancy of the Gospels.[282]

755

What can we have but reverence for a man who foretells plainly things which come to pass, and who declares his intention both to blind and to enlighten, and who intersperses obscurities among the clear things which come to pass?

756

The time of the first advent was foretold; the time of the second is not so; because the first was to be obscure, and the second is to be brilliant, and so manifest that even His enemies will recognise it.  But, as He was first to come only in obscurity, and to be known only of those who searched the Scriptures ...

757

God, in order to cause the Messiah to be known by the good and not to be known by the wicked, made Him to be foretold in this manner.  If the manner of the Messiah had been clearly foretold, there would have been no obscurity, even for the wicked.  If the time had been obscurely foretold, there would have been obscurity, even for the good.  For their [goodness of heart] would not have made them understand, for instance, that the closed mem signifies six hundred years.  But the time has been clearly foretold, and the manner in types.

By this means, the wicked, taking the promised blessings for material blessings, have fallen into error, in spite of the clear prediction of the time; and the good have not fallen in error.  For the understanding of the promised blessings depends on the heart, which calls “good” that which it loves; but the understanding of the promised time does not depend on the heart.  And thus the clear prediction of the time, and the obscure prediction of the blessings, deceive the wicked alone.

758

[Either the Jews or the Christians must be wicked.]

759