Demonstration 21: On Persecution

I have heard a reproach that has troubled me greatly. The unclean, that is, the pagans, say that this people, which has been gathered together out of all the nations, has no God. And this is what the impious say: “If they have a God, why does he not avenge his people?” And the darkness has grown still thicker over me, because the Jews too reproach us and exalt themselves over the children of our people. One day a man who is called wise among the Jews questioned me. He said: “Jesus, who is called your Teacher, wrote for you: ‘If there is in you faith like one grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move, and it will move from before you; and you will even say, Be lifted up and fall into the sea, and it will obey you.’ So it seems that in all your people there is not one wise man whose prayer is heard, and who asks God that your persecutors should leave you alone. For it is plainly written for you in that passage, ‘There is nothing that you will not be able to do.’” [a] When I saw that he was blaspheming and speaking at length against the Way, that is, the Christian faith, my mind was troubled, and I understood that he would not accept the interpretation of the words he had quoted to me. So I in turn questioned him on sayings from the Law and the Prophets. I said to him: “Do you trust that God is with you even while you are scattered?” And he declared to me: “God is with us, because God said to Israel, ‘Even in the lands of their enemies I did not forsake them, nor did I break my covenant with them.’” In answer I said to him: “What I have heard from you is very good, that God is with you. Now I in turn will speak to you against your own words. For,” I said, “the prophet said to Israel, as from the mouth of God: ‘If you pass through the sea, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overflow you; and if you walk on fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not search you out; because the Lord your God is with you.’ Yet there is not one righteous, good, and wise man in all your people who could pass through the sea and live and not be drowned, or through the river without its overflowing him, or who could walk over fire and see whether he would not be scorched and the flame would not burn him. And if you bring me an explanation, I will not be persuaded by you, just as you do not accept from me the interpretation of the words you questioned me about.” [b]

I also questioned him about another saying, one written in Ezekiel, where he said to Jerusalem: “Sodom and her daughters will be built up as of old, and you and your daughters will become as of old.” He explained this saying to me and began to argue his case. He said to me: “As for what God said to Jerusalem by the prophet, ‘Sodom and her daughters will be built up as of old, and you and your daughters will become as of old,’ the force of the passage is this: Sodom and her daughters will be in their place as of old, and will be made subject to Israel; and Jerusalem and her daughters will be in the splendor of royalty as of old.” When I heard this defense from him, it seemed very contemptible to me, and I said to him: “Since the prophet’s words were spoken in wrath, is the whole passage wrathful, or is part of it wrathful and part of it gracious?” He answered: “A wrathful passage is wrath altogether, and there is no peace in it.” And I said to him: “Since you have taught me that there is no peace in that wrathful passage, listen without arguing and do not blaspheme, and I will teach you about this saying. From top to bottom the whole passage is spoken in wrath. For he said to Jerusalem: ‘As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom and her daughters did not do at all as you and your daughters have done.’ And he said to her, to Jerusalem: ‘Be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have outdone your sisters in your sins, and they are shown to be more in the right than you.’ “Since he says that Sodom and her daughters were more in the right than Jerusalem and her daughters, and that Jerusalem outdid Sodom in her sins, it is right that when Israel is gathered together, its home should be in Sodom and Gomorrah. For ‘their vine is from the vine of Sodom, and from the planting of Gomorrah; their grapes are bitter, and their clusters are gall to them.’ And Isaiah also calls them ‘rulers of Sodom’ and ‘people of Gomorrah.’ “So if Israel is gathered together, they ought to live in Sodom and Gomorrah with the rulers of Sodom and the people of Gomorrah; to eat bitter grapes from the vine of Sodom and the planting of Gomorrah, and to gather clusters of gall; to eat the eggs of the basilisk and clothe themselves with spiders’ webs; to be treated like the wild grapes of the vineyard; and to be turned into rejected silver. And Sodom and her daughters, who were more in the right than Jerusalem, will be built up as of old. But Jerusalem, which surpassed Sodom in her sins, will continue in her sins, and will remain desolate until the things decreed are accomplished, forever.” [c]

And Ezekiel said: “This is the iniquity of Sodom and her daughters, that they did not take the poor and needy by the hand; and when I saw these things in them, I overthrew them.” Consider and see: from the time Sodom was overthrown until Jerusalem was built, there were eight hundred and ninety-six years. From the time Abraham was told by God through the angel, “At this time next year I will return to you, and Sarah your wife will have a son,” until Jacob went into Egypt was a hundred and ninety-one years; and the children of Jacob were in Egypt two hundred and twenty-five years. So all the years from the time Isaac was conceived and Sodom was overthrown were four hundred and sixteen years. And from Israel’s exodus from Egypt until the great edifice of Jerusalem was built up by Solomon and the temple was built, there were four hundred and eighty years. Therefore all the years from the conception of Isaac and the overthrow of Sodom until the great building of Jerusalem were eight hundred and ninety-six years. And from the great building of Jerusalem until the destruction of Jerusalem there were four hundred and twenty-five years. The total of all the years from the overthrow of Sodom until Jerusalem was laid waste was one thousand three hundred and twenty-one. These are all the years that Sodom and her daughters lay waste before Jerusalem was laid waste. And she who was more in the right than Jerusalem is not yet inhabited. So the whole sum of the years from the overthrow of Sodom until the six hundred and fifty-fifth year of the kingdom of Alexander, the son of Philip of Macedon, is two thousand two hundred and seventy-six years. And from the time Jerusalem was laid waste by the Babylonians until the present time is nine hundred and fifty-five years. After the Babylonians laid it waste, Jerusalem was inhabited during those seventy weeks of which Daniel testified. Then it was laid waste in its last destruction by the Romans, and it will never be inhabited again, for it remains desolate until the things decreed are accomplished. So then, all the years of the former and the latter desolation of Jerusalem have been four hundred and sixty-five years; and when you subtract the seventy years of Babylon from them, they have been three hundred and ninety-five years. [e]

I have written all this argument to you because the Jews pride themselves, saying, “It has been promised to us by covenant that we will be gathered together.” For if Sodom, whose iniquity was not as great as that of Jerusalem, is not yet inhabited, and if we say that it will never be restored, how will Jerusalem be restored, whose iniquity is greater than that of Sodom and her daughters? God has not had mercy on Sodom for two thousand two hundred and seventy-six years; are we to say that he will have mercy on Jerusalem? For up to now there have been only three hundred and ninety-five years since the day she was laid waste, according to the calculation written above. But as to his saying, “Sodom and her daughters will be possessed as of old,” and his saying about Jerusalem, “You and your daughters will become as of old,” the force of the passage is this: that they will never be inhabited. For the Lord also cursed in this way the land he was angry with: “It will not be sown, nor will it produce, nor will any plant spring up in it; but it will be like Sodom and Gomorrah, with which the Lord was angry and toward which he was not appeased.” So be sure, my listener, that Sodom and her daughters will never be inhabited. They will be as of old, that is, as at the time when they were not yet inhabited, and as at the time when the Lord was angry with them and was not appeased toward them. And Jerusalem and her daughters will be as of old, that is, as in the former time when the mountain of the Amorites lay desolate, on which Abraham built the altar when he bound his son Isaac on it; and as it was desolate when David bought the threshing floor from Araunah the Jebusite and built the altar there. For consider and see: this mountain on which Abraham offered his son is the mountain of Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And this place of the threshing floor that David bought from Araunah is the place where the temple was built. So Jerusalem will be desolate as of old. And consider that when Ezekiel prophesied this passage, Jerusalem was still sitting in her greatness, and those in her were rebelling against the king of Babylon. And what the prophet spoke, he said in wrath and reproach against Jerusalem. [f]

Consider and observe, my listener: if God had given a hope to Sodom and her companions, he would not have overthrown them with fire and brimstone, the sign of the last day of the world, but would have handed them over to one of the kingdoms to be punished. For it is written that when Jeremiah made the nations and kingdoms drink the cup of wrath, he said concerning each of the cities that after they had drunk the cup, “I will bring back the captives of Elam, of Tyre, of Sidon, of the children of Ammon, of Moab, and of Edom.” Concerning each one of these kingdoms he said: “In the last days I will bring back her captives.” Now we see that Tyre was inhabited and grew rich after she had wandered for seventy years, after she had received the wages of her prostitution and had committed fornication with all the kingdoms. And she took the harp and played it sweetly and multiplied her songs. The region of Elam too is inhabited and rich. But about Babylon Jeremiah said: “Babylon will fall and will not rise.” And look: to this day it remains desolate, and it will stay so forever. And about Jerusalem too he said: “The virgin of Israel will fall and will not rise again. She is forsaken on the ground, and there is no one to raise her up.” For if the prophecy that Jeremiah spoke about Babylon is true, the one about Jerusalem is also true and worthy of belief. And Isaiah said to Jerusalem: “I will not be angry with you again, nor will I rebuke you.” Truly he will not be angry with her again, nor will he rebuke her, forever; for he will not rebuke what lies desolate, nor will she provoke him to anger. [g]

As for those who reproach us, saying, “You are persecuted and are not rescued,” let them be ashamed of themselves; for at every time they have been persecuted, and for many years before they were rescued. They were made to serve in Egypt for two hundred and twenty-five years. The Midianites made Israel serve in the days of Barak and Deborah. The Moabites ruled over them in the days of Ehud; the Ammonites in the days of Jephthah; the Philistines in the days of Samson, and also in the days of Eli and of Samuel the prophet; the Edomites in the days of Ahab; the Assyrians in the days of Hezekiah. The king of Babylon uprooted them from their place and scattered them. And after he had tested and persecuted them greatly, they did not mend their ways, as God said to them: “In vain have I struck your sons, for they did not accept correction.” And again he said: “I have cut off the prophets, and slain them by the word of my mouth.” And to Jerusalem he said: “Be instructed by afflictions and scourges, O Jerusalem, or your life will depart from you.” But they forsook him and worshiped idols, as Jeremiah said about them: “Go to the distant islands, and send to Kedar, and consider well and see whether there has been anything like this: whether the nations change their gods, which are no gods. But my people have exchanged my honor for what does not profit. Be astonished at this, you heavens, and tremble and be greatly afraid, says the Lord; for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of the water of life, and they have gone and dug cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” The broken cisterns are the fear of images and idols. And he calls the heavens to be astonished because they worshiped the hosts of heaven. And the heavens will receive this as a penalty: they will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their host will fall. [h]

All this discourse that I have written to you from the beginning, my beloved, was because the Jew reproached the children of our people. But now, as far as I can understand it, I will teach you about the persecuted: that they have received a great reward, while the persecutors have come to scorn and contempt.

Jacob was persecuted, and Esau was a persecutor. Jacob received the blessings and the birthright, while Esau was cast out from both. Joseph was persecuted, and his brothers were persecutors. Joseph was exalted, and his persecutors bowed down before him, and so his dreams and his visions were fulfilled. Joseph who was persecuted was a type of the persecuted Jesus. His father clothed Joseph in a tunic of many colors; and his Father clothed Jesus with a body taken from the Virgin. His father loved Joseph more than his brothers; and Jesus is the dear and beloved one of his Father. Joseph saw visions and dreamed dreams; Jesus fulfilled the visions and the prophets. Joseph was a shepherd with his brothers; and Jesus is the Chief of Shepherds. When his father sent Joseph to visit his brothers, they saw him coming and plotted to kill him; and when his Father sent Jesus to visit his brothers, they said: “This is the heir; come, let us kill him.” His brothers threw Joseph into the pit; and his brothers brought Jesus down into the realm of the dead. Joseph came up from the pit, and Jesus rose from the realm of the dead. After Joseph came up from the pit, he had authority over his brothers; and after Jesus rose from the realm of the dead, his Father gave him a great and excellent name, so that his brothers should serve him and his enemies be put beneath his feet. After Joseph made himself known to his brothers, they were ashamed and afraid and amazed at his greatness; and when Jesus comes at the last time, when he is revealed in his majesty, his brothers will be ashamed and afraid and dismayed before him, because they crucified him. Moreover, Joseph was sold into Egypt by the counsel of Judah; and Jesus was handed over to the Jews by the hands of Judas Iscariot. When they sold Joseph, he answered his brothers nothing; Jesus too did not speak, and gave no answer to the judges who judged him. His master wrongfully handed Joseph over to the prison; and his countrymen wrongfully condemned Jesus. Joseph gave up his two garments, one into the hands of his brothers and the other into the hands of his master’s wife; and Jesus gave up his garments and divided them among the soldiers. Joseph, at thirty years old, stood before Pharaoh and became lord of Egypt; and Jesus, at about thirty years old, came to the Jordan to be baptized, received the spirit, and went out to preach. Joseph fed Egypt with bread; and Jesus fed the whole world with the bread of life. Joseph took as his wife the daughter of the wicked and unclean priest; and Jesus took as his bride the Church, taken from the unclean Gentiles. Joseph died and was buried in Egypt; and Jesus died and was buried in Jerusalem. His brothers brought Joseph’s bones up from Egypt; and his Father raised Jesus from the realm of the dead and took his body up with him to heaven, uncorrupted. [j]

Moses too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. When Moses was born, they hid him so that he would not be killed by his persecutors. When Jesus was born, they carried him off in flight into Egypt, so that Herod, his persecutor, would not kill him. In the days when Moses was born, children were being drowned in the river; and at the birth of Jesus the children of Bethlehem and its region were killed. God said to Moses: “The men who were seeking your life are dead”; and the angel said to Joseph in Egypt: “Get up, take the child, and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life, to take it away, are dead.” Moses brought his people out of the service of Pharaoh; and Jesus delivered all the nations from the service of Satan. Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s house; and Jesus grew up in Egypt when Joseph brought him there in flight. Miriam stood on the riverbank when Moses was floating in the water; and Mary gave birth to Jesus after the angel Gabriel had brought her the announcement. When Moses sacrificed the lamb, the firstborn of Egypt were killed; and when they crucified Jesus, the true Lamb, the people who killed him perished through his killing. Moses brought down manna for his people; and Jesus gave his body to the nations. Moses sweetened the bitter waters with the wood; and Jesus sweetened our bitterness by his cross, by the wood of the tree of his crucifixion. Moses brought down the Law to his people; and Jesus gave his covenants to the nations. Moses defeated Amalek by the spreading out of his hands; and Jesus defeated Satan by the sign of his cross. Moses brought water out of the rock for his people; and Jesus sent Simon Cephas, the Rock, to carry his teaching among the nations. Moses lifted the veil from his face and spoke with God; and Jesus lifted the veil from the face of the nations, so that they might hear and receive his teaching. Moses laid his hand on his messengers, his apostles, and they received the priesthood; and Jesus laid his hand on his apostles, and they received the Holy Spirit. Moses went up the mountain and died there; and Jesus went up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of his Father. [k]

Joshua the son of Nun was also persecuted, as Jesus our Redeemer was persecuted. Joshua the son of Nun was persecuted by the unclean nations; and Jesus our Redeemer was persecuted by the foolish people. Joshua the son of Nun took the inheritance away from his persecutors and gave it to his people; and Jesus our Redeemer took the inheritance away from his persecutors and gave it to foreign nations. Joshua the son of Nun made the sun stand still in the sky and took vengeance on the nations that persecuted him; and Jesus our Redeemer made the sun set in the middle of the day, so that the persecuting people who crucified him might be put to shame. Joshua the son of Nun divided the inheritance among his people; and Jesus our Redeemer has promised to give the nations the land of life. Joshua the son of Nun let Rahab the prostitute live; and Jesus our Redeemer gathered the Church together and gave it life, though it was polluted by the prostitution of idolatry. On the seventh day Joshua the son of Nun overthrew and threw down the walls of Jericho; and on the seventh day of Jesus our Redeemer, on the Sabbath of God’s rest, this world will be dissolved and fall. Joshua the son of Nun stoned Achor, because he stole from what had been devoted to destruction; and Jesus our Redeemer separated Judas from the disciples, his friends, because he stole from the money of the poor. When Joshua the son of Nun was dying, he laid down a testimony among his people; and when Jesus our Redeemer was taken up, he laid down a testimony among his apostles. [m]

Jephthah too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. His brothers drove Jephthah out of his father’s house; and his brothers drove Jesus out, lifted him up, and crucified him. Though persecuted, Jephthah rose up as leader of his people; though persecuted, Jesus rose and became King of the Nations. Jephthah made a vow and offered up his firstborn daughter as a sacrifice; and Jesus was lifted up as a sacrifice to his Father for all the Gentiles.

David too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. David was anointed by Samuel to be king in place of Saul, who had sinned; and Jesus was anointed by John to be High Priest in place of the priests, the ministers of the Law. David was persecuted after his anointing; and Jesus was persecuted after his anointing. David reigned at first over one tribe only, and afterward over all Israel; and Jesus reigned from the beginning over the few who believed in him, and in the end he will reign over all the world. Samuel anointed David when he was thirty years old; and Jesus, when about thirty years old, received the laying on of the hand from John. David married two daughters of the king; and Jesus married two daughters of kings, the congregation of the People and the congregation of the Gentiles. David repaid Saul his enemy with good; and Jesus taught, “Pray for your enemies.” David was the heart of God; and Jesus was the Son of God. David received the kingdom of Saul, his persecutor; and Jesus received the kingdom of Israel, his persecutor. David wept and sang laments over Saul his enemy when he died; and Jesus wept over Jerusalem, his persecutor, which was going to be laid waste. David handed the kingdom over to Solomon and was gathered to his people; and Jesus handed the keys over to Simon, and went up and returned to the one who sent him. For David’s sake sins were forgiven to his descendants; and for Jesus’ sake sins are forgiven to the nations. [n]

Elijah too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Jezebel the murderer persecuted Elijah; and the persecuting and murderous congregation persecuted Jesus. Elijah withheld rain from the heavens because of the sins of Israel; and Jesus by his coming withheld the Spirit from the prophets because of the sins of the people. Elijah destroyed the servants of Baal; and Jesus trampled on Satan and his hosts. Elijah raised the widow’s son to life; and Jesus raised the widow’s son to life, as well as Lazarus and the daughter of the synagogue ruler. Elijah kept the widow alive with a little bread; and Jesus fed thousands to the full with a little bread. Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot; and our Redeemer went up and took his seat at the right hand of his Father. Elisha received the spirit of Elijah; and Jesus breathed on the faces of his apostles. Elisha too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Elisha was persecuted by the son of Ahab, the son of the murderer; and Jesus was persecuted by the murderous people. Elisha prophesied, and plenty came to Samaria; and Jesus said: “Whoever eats of my body and drinks of my blood will live forever.” Elisha fed a hundred men to the full with a little bread; and Jesus fed four thousand men to the full, besides women and children, with five loaves. Elisha made oil out of water; and Jesus made wine out of water. Elisha rescued the widow from her creditor; and Jesus rescued the nations that were in debt. Elisha made the iron float and the wood sink; and Jesus raised up what had sunk in us, and sank what was light. A dead man laid on the bones of Elisha came back to life; and all the nations, who were dead in their sins, were cast upon the bones of Jesus and came back to life.

Hezekiah too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Hezekiah was persecuted and taunted by Sennacherib his enemy; Jesus too was taunted by the foolish people. Hezekiah prayed and overcame his adversary; and by the crucifixion of Jesus our Adversary was overcome. Hezekiah was king of all Israel; and Jesus is King of all the nations. Because Hezekiah was sick, the sun turned backward; and because Jesus suffered, the sun was darkened from its light. The enemies of Hezekiah became corpses; and as for Jesus, his enemies will be cast down beneath his feet. Hezekiah was of the family of the house of David; and Jesus was, in the flesh, the son of David. Hezekiah said: “There will be peace and truth in my days”; and Jesus said to his disciples: “My peace I leave with you.” Hezekiah prayed and was healed of his sickness; Jesus prayed and rose from the realm of the dead. After Hezekiah rose from his sickness, he added to his years; and after his resurrection Jesus received great glory. After Hezekiah’s life was lengthened, death was given dominion over him; but now that Jesus has risen, death will never again have dominion over him. [o]

Josiah too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Josiah was persecuted, and Pharaoh the Lame killed him; and Jesus was persecuted, and the people who had been made lame by their sins killed him. Josiah cleansed the land of Israel of uncleanness; and Jesus cleansed uncleanness from all the earth and made it pass away. Josiah hallowed and glorified the name of his God; and Jesus said: “I have glorified his name, and I will glorify it.” Josiah tore his clothes because of the iniquity of Israel; and Jesus tore the veil of the holy temple because of the iniquity of the people. Josiah said: “Great is the wrath that will come upon this people”; and Jesus said: “Wrath will come upon this people, and they will fall by the edge of the sword.” Josiah cast uncleanness out of the holy temple; and Jesus cast the unclean traders out of his Father’s house. The daughters of Israel mourned and wailed for Josiah, as Jeremiah said: “O daughters of Israel, weep for Josiah”; and the daughters of Israel wept and mourned over Jesus, as Zechariah said: “The land will mourn, family by family.” [p]

Daniel too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Daniel was persecuted by the Chaldeans, a congregation of pagan men; and the Jews, a congregation of wicked men, persecuted Jesus. The Chaldeans accused Daniel; and the Jews accused Jesus before the governor. They threw Daniel into the lions’ pit, and he was rescued and came up out of it unharmed; and they sent Jesus down into the pit of the realm of the dead, and he came up, and death had no dominion over him. About Daniel they expected that once he had fallen into the pit he would not come up again; and about Jesus they said, “Since he has fallen, he will not rise again.” The mouth of the ravenous and destructive lions was shut from harming Daniel; and the mouth of death, ravenous and destructive of living forms though it is, was shut from harming Jesus. They sealed Daniel’s pit and guarded it carefully; and they guarded the grave of Jesus carefully, for they said, “Set guards to watch the tomb.” When Daniel came up, his accusers were put to shame; and when Jesus rose, all who had crucified him were put to shame. The king who judged Daniel was greatly grieved at the wickedness of his accusers, the Chaldeans; and Pilate, who judged Jesus, was greatly grieved, because he knew that the Jews were accusing him out of malice. At Daniel’s prayer the captives of his people went up from Babylon; and Jesus by his prayer brought back the captives of all the nations. Daniel interpreted the visions and dreams of Nebuchadnezzar; and Jesus explained and interpreted the visions of the Law and the Prophets. When Daniel explained the vision of Belteshazzar, he received authority over a third part of the kingdom; and when Jesus fulfilled the visions and the prophets, his Father handed over to him all authority in heaven and on earth. Daniel saw wonders and spoke of secrets; and Jesus revealed secrets and fulfilled what is written. Daniel was led away among the hostages on behalf of his people; and the body of Jesus was a hostage on behalf of all the nations. For Daniel’s sake the king’s wrath against the Chaldeans was appeased, so that they were not killed; and for Jesus’ sake the wrath of his Father against all the nations was appeased, so that they were not killed and did not die because of their sins. Daniel made a request of the king, and the king gave Daniel’s brothers authority over the affairs of the province of Babylon; and Jesus made a request of God, and God gave his brothers, his disciples, authority over Satan and his host. Daniel said of Jerusalem that she would remain desolate until the things decreed were accomplished; and Jesus said of Jerusalem, “There will not be left in her one stone upon another, because she did not know the day of her greatness.” Daniel foresaw the weeks that remained for his people; and Jesus came and fulfilled them. [s]

Hananiah and his brothers were also persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Hananiah and his brothers were persecuted by Nebuchadnezzar; and the people of the Jews persecuted Jesus. Hananiah and his brothers were thrown into the furnace of fire, and it was as cool as dew upon the righteous. Jesus too went down to the place of darkness, burst its gates, and brought out its prisoners. Hananiah and his brothers came up from the furnace of fire, and the flame burned their accusers; and Jesus came to life again and came up from the midst of darkness, and his accusers and those who crucified him will be burned in flames at the end. When Hananiah and his brothers came up from the furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar trembled and was amazed; and when Jesus rose from the realm of the dead, the people who crucified him were terrified and trembled. Hananiah and his brothers did not worship the image of the king of Babylon; and Jesus held the nations back from the worship of dead images. Because of Hananiah and his brothers, the nations and languages glorified God, who had rescued them from the fire; and because of Jesus, the nations and all languages will glorify God, who rescued his Son so that he did not see corruption. The fire had no power over the clothes of Hananiah and his brothers; and at the end the fire will have no power over the bodies of the righteous who have believed in Jesus. [v]

Mordecai too was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Mordecai was persecuted by the wicked Haman; and Jesus was persecuted by the rebellious People. Mordecai by his prayer rescued his people from the hands of Haman; and Jesus by his prayer rescued his people from the hands of Satan. Mordecai was rescued from the hands of his persecutor; and Jesus was rescued from the hands of his persecutors. Because Mordecai sat and clothed himself in sackcloth, he saved Esther and his people from the sword; and because Jesus clothed himself with a body and was illuminated, he saved the Church and her children from death. Because of Mordecai, Esther was pleasing to the king, and she went in and sat in place of Vashti, who had not done his will; and because of Jesus, the Church is pleasing to God, and has gone in to the king in place of the congregation that did not do his will. Mordecai urged Esther to fast with her maids, so that she and her people might be rescued from the hands of Haman; and Jesus urged the Church and her children to fast, so that she and her children might be rescued from the wrath. Mordecai received the honor of Haman, his persecutor; and Jesus received great glory from his Father in place of his persecutors, who were of the foolish People. Mordecai trod on the neck of Haman, his persecutor; and as for Jesus, his enemies will be put under his feet. Haman proclaimed before Mordecai, “This is what will be done for the man whom the king is pleased to honor”; and as for Jesus, his preachers came out of the People that persecuted him, and they said: “This is Jesus the Son of God.” The blood of Mordecai was required at the hand of Haman and his sons; and the blood of Jesus his persecutors took upon themselves and upon their children. [w]

These remembrances that I have written to you, my beloved, about Jesus who was persecuted and about the righteous who were persecuted, are so that those who are persecuted today for the sake of the persecuted Jesus may be comforted. For he wrote for us and comforted us himself. He said: “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you too. And they will persecute you for this, that you are not of the world, just as I was not of it.” For he wrote for us beforehand: “Your fathers and your brothers and your family will hand you over, and everyone will hate you for my name’s sake.” And again he taught us: “When they bring you before rulers and magistrates, and before kings who hold the world, do not think out beforehand what you will say and how you will make your defense; and I will give you a mouth and wisdom, so that your enemies will not be able to overcome you. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit of your Father; he will speak in you.” This is the spirit that spoke by the mouth of Jacob to Esau, his persecutor; and the spirit of wisdom that spoke before Pharaoh by the mouth of the persecuted Joseph; and the spirit that spoke by the mouth of Moses in all the wonders he did in the land of Egypt; and the spirit of knowledge that was given to Joshua the son of Nun when Moses laid his hand on him, so that the nations that persecuted him came to a complete end before him; and the spirit that sang psalms by the mouth of the persecuted David, by which he used to sing psalms and soothe Saul, his persecutor, from the evil spirit. It is also the spirit that clothed Elijah and through him rebuked Jezebel and Ahab, his persecutor; and the spirit that spoke in Elisha and prophesied, and told the king, his persecutor, all that was going to happen afterward; and the spirit that burned in the mouth of Micaiah when he rebuked Ahab, his persecutor, saying, “If you return at all, the Lord has not spoken by me”; and the spirit that strengthened Jeremiah, so that he stood boldly and by it rebuked Zedekiah; and the spirit that kept Daniel and his brothers safe in the land of Babylon; and the spirit that rescued Mordecai and Esther in the place of their captivity. [x]

Hear, my beloved, these names of martyrs, of confessors, and of the persecuted. Abel was murdered, and his blood cried out from the ground. Jacob was persecuted, and fled and became an exile. Joseph was persecuted, and was sold and thrown into the pit. Moses was persecuted, and fled to Midian. Joshua the son of Nun was persecuted, and made war. Jephthah and Samson and Gideon and Barak were also persecuted. These are the ones of whom the blessed apostle said: “Time fails me to tell of their victories.” David too was persecuted at the hands of Saul, and he wandered in the mountains, in dens, and in caves. Samuel too was persecuted, and mourned over Saul. Hezekiah too was persecuted, and was bound up in affliction. Elijah was persecuted, and wandered in the desert. Elisha was persecuted and became an exile; and Micaiah was persecuted and thrown into prison. Jeremiah was persecuted, and they threw him into the muddy pit. Daniel was persecuted and thrown into the lions’ pit. Hananiah and his brothers were also persecuted and thrown into the furnace of fire. Mordecai and Esther and the children of their people were persecuted at the hands of Haman. Judas Maccabeus and his brothers were persecuted, and they too endured reproach. The seven brothers, sons of the blessed woman, endured torments under bitter scourgings, and were confessors and true martyrs. And Eleazar, old and advanced in years as he was, became a noble example, made his confession, and became a true martyr. [y]

Great and excellent is the martyrdom of Jesus. In affliction and in confession he surpassed all who came before him or after. And after him came the faithful martyr Stephen, whom the Jews stoned. Simon Peter and Paul too were perfect martyrs. And James and John walked in the footsteps of their Master, Christ. Others of the apostles also, after that, confessed in various places and proved to be true martyrs. And also concerning our brothers who are in the West: in the days of Diocletian great affliction and persecution came upon the whole church of God that was in all their region. The churches were overthrown and uprooted, and many confessors and martyrs made their confession. And the Lord turned to them in mercy after they had been persecuted. In our own days too these things have happened to us, because of our sins, but also so that what is written might be fulfilled, just as our Redeemer said: “These things are to be.” The apostle too said: “Over us also is set this cloud of confession”; and that is our honor, in which many confess and are killed. [z]