The certainty of prophecy

Since, then, we demonstrate that everything that has already happened was proclaimed beforehand through the prophets before it happened, it is necessary also to have confidence that the things prophesied in the same way but still to come will certainly happen. For just as the things that have already happened came about after being proclaimed beforehand even though they were unknown, so the things that remain will also happen, even if they are unknown and disbelieved.

The prophets proclaimed two appearances of Christ beforehand. The first, which has already taken place, was as a dishonored and suffering human being. The second has been proclaimed as occurring when he comes from heaven with glory together with his angelic host. Then he will also raise the bodies of all human beings who have ever lived; those of the worthy he will clothe with incorruption, while those of the unjust he will send, in eternal consciousness, together with the evil demons into eternal fire.

We will show that these things too were foretold as going to happen. It was said through the prophet Ezekiel: “Joint shall be joined to joint and bone to bone, and flesh shall grow again.” And: “Every knee shall bend to the Lord, and every tongue shall confess him.”

Hear also what was said concerning the condition and punishment in which the unjust will be: “Their worm shall not cease, and their fire shall not be quenched.” Then they will repent, when repentance will no longer benefit them.

And what the peoples of the Jews will say and do when they see him coming in glory was prophesied through the prophet Zechariah in this way: “I will command the four winds to gather the scattered children; I will command the north wind to bring them and the south wind not to hinder them. Then there shall be great mourning in Jerusalem—not mourning of mouths or lips, but mourning of the heart. They shall not tear their garments, but their minds. Tribe by tribe they shall mourn, and then they shall look upon the one whom they pierced and say, ‘Why, Lord, have you led us astray from your way? The glory that our fathers blessed has become a disgrace to us.’”