"Completeness? Jesus has fulfilled prophesy and vision."
Greetings James. I'm thrilled that the Lord has given you boldness to proclaim His Word. Thanks for quoting St. Athanasius. I think the words of this holy Christian saint are worth repeating.
"Athanasius (345)AD (Commentary)
"So the Jews are indulging in fiction, and transferring present time to future. When
did prophet and vision cease from Israel? Was it not when Christ came, the Holy
One of holies? It is, in fact, a sign and notable proof of the coming of the Word that
Jerusalem no longer stands, neither is prophet raised up nor vision revealed among
them. And it is natural that it should be so, for when He that was signified had come,
what need was there any longer of any to signify Him? And when the Truth had
come, what further need was there of the shadow? On His account only they
prophesied continually, until such time as Essential Righteousness has come, Who
was made the Ransom for the sins of all. For the same reason Jerusalem stood until
the same time, in order that there men might premeditate the types before the Truth
was known. So, of course, once the Holy One of holies had come, both vision and
prophecy were sealed. And the kingdom of Jerusalem ceased at the same time,
because kings were to be anointed among them only until the Holy of holies had been
anointed. Moses also prophesies that the kingdom of the Jews shall stand until His
time, saying, "A ruler shall not fail from Judah nor a prince from his loins, until the
things laid up for him shall come and the Expectation of the nations Himself." And
that is why the Savior Himself was always proclaiming "The law and the prophets
prophesied until John." So if there is still king or prophet or vision among the Jews,
they do well to deny that Christ is come; but if there is neither king nor vision, and
since that time all prophecy has been sealed and city and temple taken, how can they
be so irreligious, how can they so flaunt the facts, as to deny Christ Who has brought
it all about?.. What more is there for their Expected One to do when he comes? To
call the heathen? But they are called already. To put an end to prophet and king and
vision? But this too has already happened. To expose the Goddenyingness of idols? It
is already exposed and condemned. Or to destroy death? It is already destroyed.
What then has not come to pass that the Christ must do? What is there left out or
unfulfilled that the Jews should disbelieve so light-heartedly? The plain fact is, as I
say, that there is no longer any king or prophet nor Jerusalem nor sacrifice nor vision
among them; yet the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of God, and the
Gentiles, forsaking atheism, are now taking refuge with the God of Abraham through
the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ." |
