Pascal's Pensées
One must be bold to predict the same thing in so many ways. It was
necessary that the four idolatrous or pagan monarchies, the end of the
kingdom of Judah, and the seventy weeks, should happen at the same time,
and all this before the second temple was destroyed.
709
_Prophecies._--If one man alone had made a book of predictions about
Jesus Christ, as to the time and the manner, and Jesus Christ had come
in conformity to these prophecies, this fact would have infinite weight.
But there is much more here. Here is a succession of men during four
thousand years, who, consequently and without variation, come, one after
another, to foretell this same event. Here is a whole people who
announce it, and who have existed for four thousand years, in order to
give corporate testimony of the assurances which they have, and from
which they cannot be diverted by whatever threats and persecutions
people may make against them. This is far more important.
710
_Predictions of particular things._--They were strangers in Egypt,
without any private property, either in that country or elsewhere.
[There was not the least appearance, either of the royalty which had
previously existed so long, or of that supreme council of seventy judges
which they called the _Sanhedrin_, and which, having been instituted by
Moses, lasted to the time of Jesus Christ. All these things were as far
removed from their state at that time as they could be], when Jacob,
dying, and blessing his twelve children, declared to them, that they
would be proprietors of a great land, and foretold in particular to the
family of Judah, that the kings, who would one day rule them, should be
of his race; and that all his brethren should be their subjects; [and
that even the Messiah, who was to be the expectation of nations, should
spring from him; and that the kingship should not be taken away from
Judah, nor the ruler and law-giver of his descendants, till the expected
Messiah should arrive in his family].
This same Jacob, disposing of this future land as though he had been its
ruler, gave a portion to Joseph more than to the others. "I give you,"
said he, "one part more than to your brothers." And blessing his two
children, Ephraim and Manasseh, whom Joseph had presented to him, the
elder, Manasseh, on his right, and the young Ephraim on his left, he put
his arms crosswise, and placing his right hand on the head of Ephraim,
and his left on Manasseh, he blessed them in this manner. And, upon
Joseph's representing to him that he was preferring the younger, he
replied to him with admirable resolution: "I know it well, my son; but
Ephraim will increase more than Manasseh." This has been indeed so true
in the result, that, being alone almost as fruitful as the two entire
lines which composed a whole kingdom, they have been usually called by
the name of Ephraim alone.
This same Joseph, when dying, bade his children carry his bones with
them when they should go into that land, to which they only came two
hundred years afterwards.
Moses, who wrote all these things so long before they happened, himself
assigned to each family portions of that land before they entered it, as
though he had been its ruler. [In fact he declared that God was to raise
up from their nation and their race a prophet, of whom he was the type;
and he foretold them exactly all that was to happen to them in the land
which they were to enter after his death, the victories which God would
give them, their ingratitude towards God, the punishments which they
would receive for it, and the rest of their adventures.] He gave them
judges who should make the division. He prescribed the entire form of
political government which they should observe, the cities of refuge
which they should build, and ...
711
The prophecies about particular things are mingled with those about the
Messiah, so that the prophecies of the Messiah should not be without
proofs, nor the special prophecies without fruit.
712
_Perpetual captivity of the Jews._--Jer. xi, 11: "I will bring evil upon
Judah from which they shall not be able to escape."
_Types._--Is. v: "The Lord had a vineyard, from which He looked for
grapes; and it brought forth only wild grapes. I will therefore lay it
waste, and destroy it; the earth shall only bring forth thorns, and I
will forbid the clouds from _[raining]_ upon it. The vineyard of the
Lord is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant. I
looked that they should do justice, and they bring forth only
iniquities."
Is. viii: "Sanctify the Lord with fear and trembling; let Him be your
only dread, and He shall be to you for a sanctuary, but for a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin
and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and many among them
shall stumble against that stone, and fall, and be broken, and be
snared, and perish. Hide my words, and cover my law for my disciples.
"I will then wait in patience upon the Lord that hideth and concealeth
Himself from the house of Jacob."
Is. xxix: "Be amazed and wonder, people of Israel; stagger and stumble,
and be drunken, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink.
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. He will
close your eyes; He will cover your princes and your prophets that have
visions." (Daniel xii: "The wicked shall not understand, but the wise
shall understand." Hosea, the last chapter, the last verse, after many
temporal blessings, says: "Who is wise, and he shall understand these
things, etc.?") "And the visions of all the prophets are become unto you
as a sealed book, which men deliver to one that is learned, and who can
read; and he saith, I cannot read it, for it is sealed. And when the
book is delivered to them that are not learned, they say I am not
learned.
"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people with their lips do
honour me, but have removed their heart far from me,"--there is the
reason and the cause of it; for if they adored God in their hearts, they
would understand the prophecies,--"and their fear towards me is taught
by the precept of man. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a
marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder;
for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and their understanding
shall be [hid]."
_Prophecies. Proofs of Divinity._--Is. xli: "Shew the things that are to
come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: we will incline our
heart unto your words. Teach us the things that have been at the
beginning, and declare us things for to come.
"By this we shall know that ye are gods. Yea, do good or do evil, if you
can. Let us then behold it and reason together. Behold, ye are of
nothing, and only an abomination, etc. Who," (among contemporary
writers), "hath declared from the beginning that we may know of the
things done from the beginning and origin? that we may say, You are
righteous. There is none that teacheth us, yea, there is none that
declareth the future."
Is. xlii: "I am the Lord, and my glory will I not give to another. I
have foretold the things which have come to pass, and things that are to
come do I declare. Sing unto God a new song in all the earth.
"Bring forth the blind people that have eyes and see not, and the deaf
that have ears and hear not. Let all the nations be gathered together.
Who among them can declare this, and shew us former things, and things
to come? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be
justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
"Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen;
that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am He.
"I have declared, and have saved, and I alone have done wonders before
your eyes: ye are my witnesses, said the Lord, that I am God.
"For your sake I have brought down the forces of the Babylonians. I am
the Lord, your Holy One and creator.
"I have made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters. I am He
that drowned and destroyed for ever the mighty enemies that have
resisted you.
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not
know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the
desert.
"This people have I formed for myself; I have established them to shew
forth my praise, etc.
"I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own
sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put in remembrance your
ingratitude: see thou, if thou mayest be justified. Thy first father
hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me."
Is. xliv: "I am the first, and I am the last, saith the Lord. Let him
who will equal himself to me, declare the order of things since I
appointed the ancient people, and the things that are coming. Fear ye
not: have I not told you all these things? Ye are my witnesses."
_Prophecy of Cyrus._--Is. xlv, 4: "For Jacob's sake, mine elect, I have
called thee by thy name."
Is. xlv, 21: "Come and let us reason together. Who hath declared this
from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I, the
Lord?"
Is. xlvi: "Remember the former things of old, and know there is none
like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure."
Is. xlii: "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do
I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."
Is. xlviii, 3: "I have declared the former things from the beginning; I
did them suddenly; and they came to pass. Because I know that thou art
obstinate, that thy spirit is rebellious, and thy brow brass; I have
even declared it to thee before it came to pass: lest thou shouldst say
that it was the work of thy gods, and the effect of their commands.
"Thou hast seen all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee
new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know
them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; I have kept them
hidden from thee; lest thou shouldst say, Behold, I knew them.
"Yea, thou knewest not; yea, thou heardest not; yea, from that time that
thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou couldst deal very
treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb."
_Reprobation of the Jews and conversion of the Gentiles._--Is. lxv: "I
am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought
me not; I said, Behold me, behold me, behold me, unto a nation that did
not call upon my name.
"I have spread out my hands all the day unto an unbelieving people,
which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; a
people that provoketh me to anger continually by the sins they commit in
my face; that sacrificeth to idols, etc.
"These shall be scattered like smoke in the day of my wrath, etc.
"Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers, will I assemble
together, and will recompense you for all according to your works.
"Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one
saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it [and the promise of
fruit]: for my servants' sake I will not destroy all Israel.
"Thus I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah, an
inheritor of my mountains, and mine elect and my servants shall inherit
it, and my fertile and abundant plains; but I will destroy all others,
because you have forgotten your God to serve strange gods. I called, and
ye did not answer; I spake, and ye did not hear; and ye did choose the
thing which I forbade.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye