To Quirinus: Three Books of Testimonies 2.15–2.29

That he was called a sheep and a lamb, who was to be slain; and on the sacrament of the passion.

In Isaiah: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before its shearer, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; but who will declare his generation? For his life will be taken away from the earth; by the misdeeds of my people he was led away to death. And I will give the wicked for his burial and the rich for his death, because he did no misdeed nor deceit with his mouth. Therefore he will obtain many and divide the spoils of the strong, because his soul was delivered up to death and he was reckoned among the wicked; and he bore the sins of many and was delivered up for their misdeeds.” Likewise in Jeremiah the prophet: “Lord, show me, and I shall know; then I saw their plans. I, like an innocent lamb, was led to the slaughter. Against me they devised a plan, saying: Come, let us put wood into his bread and root out his life from the earth, and his name will be remembered no more.” Likewise in Exodus the Lord God said to Moses: “Let each man take a sheep for himself, by the houses of the tribes, a sheep without blemish, perfect, male, a year old it shall be for you; you shall take it from the lambs and the kids. And the whole multitude of the assembly of the sons of Israel shall kill it toward evening, and they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it; and they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire, and eat unleavened bread with bitter herbs. You shall not eat of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted with fire, the head with the feet and the inner parts. You shall leave nothing of it until morning, and you shall not break a bone of it. Whatever is left of it until morning shall be burned with fire. And you shall eat it thus: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staffs in your hands; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.” Likewise in the Apocalypse: “And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he came and took the book from the right hand of God, who sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having golden harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the book and open its seals, for you were slain and have bought us with your blood from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Likewise in the Gospel: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”

That he was also called a stone.

In Isaiah the prophet the Lord says thus: “Behold, I lay in the foundations of Zion a precious stone, chosen, chief, a cornerstone, honored; and whoever believes in it will not be put to shame.” Likewise in Psalm 117: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This was done by the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it. O Lord, save me; O Lord, give good success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Likewise in Zechariah: “Behold, I bring my servant; the Dawn is his name. For the stone which I have set before the face of Joshua, upon that one stone are seven eyes.” Likewise in Deuteronomy: “And you shall write upon the stone all this law very plainly.” Likewise in Joshua the son of Nun: “And he took a great stone and set it up there before the Lord, and Joshua said to the people: Behold, this stone shall be a witness, for it has heard all the things that were spoken by the Lord, all that he has spoken to you today; and it shall be a witness to you in the last of days, when you depart from your God.” Likewise in the Acts of the Apostles Peter says: “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, behold, we are being examined by you today concerning a good deed done to a sick man, by what means he has been made well. Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him this man stands before you whole, and in no other. This is the stone which was despised by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

This is the stone in Genesis which Jacob placed at his head, for the head of man is Christ; and sleeping he sees a ladder reaching to heaven, on which the Lord was set, and angels were ascending and descending; this stone he consecrated and anointed with the sacrament of anointing, signifying Christ. This is the stone in Exodus on which Moses sat on the top of the hill when Joshua the son of Nun was fighting against Amalek; and by the sacrament of the stone and the steadiness of his sitting Amalek was overcome by Joshua, that is, the devil was conquered by Christ. This is the great stone on which the ark of the covenant was set when the oxen brought it back on a cart, sent away and returned by the Philistines. This is the stone with which David struck Goliath's forehead and killed him, signifying that the devil and his servants are laid low by it, conquered, that is, in that part of the head which they do not have sealed; by which sign we too are always safe and live. This is the stone which Samuel set up when Israel had conquered the foreigners, and called its name Ebenezer, that is, stone of help.

That afterwards the same stone would become a mountain and fill the whole earth.

In Daniel: “And behold, an exceedingly great image, and the sight of that image was fearful, and it stood lofty before you. Its head was of good gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay, until a stone was cut out of the mountain without the hands of cutters and struck the image upon its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces; and the iron and the clay and the bronze and the silver and the gold became together like chaff or dust on the threshing floor in summer, and the wind blew them away, so that nothing of them remained; and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

That in the last times the same mountain would be made manifest, to which the nations would come and up which every righteous person would ascend.

In Isaiah: “In the last times the mountain of the Lord will be made manifest, and the house of God on the tops of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and all nations will come to it, and many will go and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will declare to us his way, and we will walk in it. For from Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; and he will judge among the nations and rebuke many people, and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles, and they will no longer learn to fight.” Likewise in Psalm 23: “Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in his holy place? He who is innocent in hands and pure in heart, who has not taken his soul in vain nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He will receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior. This is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.”

That he is the Bridegroom, having the church as his bride, from whom spiritual sons would be born.

In Joel: “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, and proclaim a healing; gather the people, sanctify the assembly, bring in the elders, gather the little ones at the breast; let the bridegroom come out of his chamber, and the bride out of her bridal room.” Likewise in Jeremiah: “And I will take away from the cities of Judah and from the crossroads of Jerusalem the voice of those who rejoice and the voice of those who are glad, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.” Likewise in Psalm 18: “And he, like a bridegroom, comes forth from his bridal chamber; he has exulted like a giant to run his course. His going forth is from the height of heaven, and his circuit to its height, and there is none who can hide himself from his heat.” Likewise in the Apocalypse: “Come, I will show you the new bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me in the Spirit to a great mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.” Likewise in the Gospel according to John: “You are my witnesses that I said to those who were sent to me from Jerusalem that I am not the Christ, but that I have been sent before him. For he who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom is he who stands and hears him and rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.”

The mystery of this was shown in Joshua the son of Nun, when he was commanded to take off his shoes, namely because he himself was not the bridegroom; for it was in the law that whoever refused a marriage should take off his shoe, but he who was to be the bridegroom should be shod. “And it came to pass, when Joshua was at Jericho, he looked around with his eyes and saw a man standing before his face with a sword fixed in his hand, and he said: Are you ours or our adversaries'? And he said: I am the captain of the host of the Lord; now I have come. And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and said to him: Lord, what do you command your servant? And the captain of the host of the Lord said: Loose the shoe from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.” Likewise in Exodus Moses is commanded to take off his shoe, because he too was not the bridegroom: “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the bush; and he saw that the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. And Moses said: I will go across and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed. And when the Lord God saw that he was coming near to see, he called him from the bush, saying: Moses, Moses. And he said: What is it? And he said: Do not come near here unless you loose the shoe from your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy ground. And he said to him: I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And this is made plain in the Gospel according to John: “And John answered them: I indeed baptize in water; but in your midst stands one whom you do not know; for he is the one of whom I said, A man coming after me has been made before me, the strap of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.” Likewise according to Luke: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and you like men waiting for their master, when he comes from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him. Blessed are the servants whom the master finds watching when he comes.” Likewise in the Apocalypse: “The Lord God almighty has reigned; let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has prepared herself.”

That the Jews would fix him to the cross.

In Isaiah: “I have stretched out my hands all the day to a stubborn people who speak against me, who walk in ways that are not good but after their sins.” Likewise in Jeremiah: “Come, let us put wood into his bread and root out his life from the earth.” Likewise in Deuteronomy: “And your life will hang before your eyes, and you will fear day and night and will not believe in your life.” Likewise in Psalm 21: “They have dug my hands and feet; they have numbered all my bones. And they considered and looked upon me; they divided my garments among them, and upon my clothing they cast lots. But you, Lord, do not remove your help far from me; look to my defense. Rescue my soul from the sword, and my only one from the hand of the dog. Deliver me from the mouth of the lion, and my lowliness from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the church I will praise you.” Likewise in Psalm 118: “Pierce my flesh with nails from fear of you.” Likewise in Psalm 140: “The lifting up of my hands is an evening sacrifice.” Of this sacrifice Zephaniah said: “Fear before the face of the Lord God, for his day is near; for the Lord has prepared his sacrifice, he has sanctified his called ones.” Likewise in Zechariah: “And they will look on me, whom they pierced.” Likewise in Psalm 87: “And I have cried to you, Lord my God, all the day; I have stretched out my hands to you.” Likewise in Numbers: “God is not hung up like a man, nor does he suffer threats like a son of man.” Hence in the Gospel the Lord says: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

That in the passion and sign of the cross is all strength and power.

In Habakkuk: “His power has covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise; and his brightness will be like the light; horns will be in his hands. And there the power of his glory has been established, and he will establish a strong love. Before his face the Word will go and will go forth into the plain according to his steps.” Likewise in Isaiah: “Behold, to you a child is born, to us a son is given, whose government is upon his shoulders; and his name has been called Messenger of great counsel.” By this sign of the cross Amalek too was conquered by Joshua through Moses. Likewise in Exodus Moses said to Joshua: “Choose for yourself men and go out and join battle with Amalek tomorrow. And behold, I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And it came to pass, when Moses raised his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he had let his hands down, Amalek grew strong. But the hands of Moses were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur held up his hands on this side and that; and the hands of Moses became steady until the setting of the sun. And Joshua put Amalek and all his people to flight. And the Lord said to Moses: Write this, that it may be a memorial in a book, and speak it into the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

That in this sign of the cross is salvation for all who are marked on their foreheads.

In Ezekiel God says: “Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and you shall mark a sign on the foreheads of the men who groan and grieve over the iniquities that are done in their midst.” Likewise there: “Go and strike, and let your eyes not spare. Have no pity on old men or young; kill virgins and little ones and women, that they may be utterly destroyed. But do not touch anyone on whom the sign is written; and begin with my own holy ones.” Likewise in Exodus God says to Moses: “And the blood shall be for a sign to you upon the houses in which you are; and I will see the blood and protect you, and the plague of destruction will not be upon you when I strike the land of Egypt.” Likewise in the Apocalypse: “And I looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” Likewise there: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Happy are those who do his commandments, that they may have power over the tree of life.”

That at midday in his passion there would be darkness.

In Amos: “And it will be on that day, says the Lord, the sun will set at noon and the day of light will be darkened; and I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation.” Likewise in Jeremiah: “She who bears is terrified and her soul is weary; the sun has gone down for her while it was still midday; she is confounded and cursed. The rest of them I will give to the sword in the sight of their enemies.” Likewise in the Gospel: “And from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”

That he would not be conquered by death nor remain in the underworld.

In Psalm 15: “For you will not abandon my soul to the underworld, nor let your holy one see corruption.” Likewise in Psalm 29: “Lord, you have brought my soul up from the underworld.” Likewise in Psalm 3: “I slept and rested and rose up, for the Lord will sustain me.” Likewise in the Gospel according to John: “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again; for this command I received from my Father.”

That he would rise from the underworld on the third day.

In Hosea: “He will make us alive after two days, on the third day.” Likewise in Exodus: “And the Lord said to Moses: Go down and testify to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the day after tomorrow. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai.” Likewise in the Gospel: “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man also be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

That when he had risen he would receive all power from the Father, and that his power is eternal.

In Daniel: “I saw in a vision by night, and behold, on the clouds of heaven one like a son of man came, coming up to the Ancient of Days, and he stood in his sight, and those who stood by him brought him near. And royal power was given to him, and all the kings of the earth by their kind, and all glory serving him; and his power is eternal, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom will not be destroyed.” Likewise in Isaiah: “Now I will arise, says the Lord; now I will be glorified; now I will be exalted. Now you will see, now you will understand, now you will be confounded; the strength of your spirit will be vain; fire will consume you.” Likewise in Psalm 109: “The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet. The Lord will send forth the rod of your power from Zion, and you will rule in the midst of your enemies.” Likewise in the Apocalypse: “And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me; and I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a long robe and girded above the breasts with a golden belt. His head and his hair were white as wool or snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like brass as from a fiery furnace, and his voice like the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face shone like the sun in its strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead; and he laid his right hand on me, saying: Do not fear; I am the first and the last and the living one; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of the underworld.” Likewise in the Gospel the Lord says after the resurrection: “All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

That one cannot come to God the Father except through his Son Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” Likewise there: “I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved.” Likewise there: “Many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.” Likewise there: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who is not obedient to the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God will remain upon him.” Likewise the apostle Paul to the Ephesians: “And when he came, he proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Likewise to the Romans: “For all have sinned and lack the glory of God, but they are justified by his gift and grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Likewise in his letter the apostle Peter: “Christ died once for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” Likewise there: “For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that they might be raised.” Likewise in his letter the apostle John: “He who denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who confesses the Son has both the Son and the Father.”

That he himself will come as Judge.

In Malachi: “Behold, the day of the Lord comes, burning like an oven; and all the foreigners and all the wicked will be stubble, and the coming day will set them on fire, says the Lord.” Likewise in Psalm 49: “The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken and has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting; from Zion is the beauty of his comeliness. God will come openly, our God, and will not keep silent. Fire will burn before him, and round about him a mighty tempest. He called the heaven above and the earth, to judge his people. Gather to him his righteous ones, who set his covenant above sacrifices; and the heavens will declare his righteousness, for God is judge.” Likewise in Isaiah: “The Lord God of hosts will go forth and will crush war; he will stir up the contest and will shout against his enemies with strength. I have kept silent; shall I always keep silent?” Likewise in Psalm 67: “Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him flee from his face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire, so let sinners perish before the face of God; and let the righteous feast and exult in the sight of God and delight in gladness. Sing to the Lord, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who ascends toward the west; the Lord is his name. They will be troubled before the face of him who is the father of orphans and judge of widows. God is in his holy place, God who makes those of one mind dwell in a house, who leads out the bound in strength, likewise those who provoke him to anger, who dwell in tombs. O God, when you went forth before your people, when you passed through the desert.” Likewise in Psalm 81: “Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you will destroy among all the nations.” Likewise in the Gospel according to Matthew: “What have we to do with you, Son of God? Why have you come here before the time to destroy us?” Likewise according to John: “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” Likewise the apostle Paul in the second to the Corinthians: “We must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what belongs to his body according to what he has done, whether good or evil.”

That he is the King who will reign for ever.

In Zechariah: “Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you, righteous and saving, gentle, sitting on an unbroken donkey.” Likewise in Isaiah: “Who will announce to you that eternal place? He who walks in righteousness and keeps his hands from bribes, who stops his ears so as not to hear the judgment of blood and shuts his eyes so as not to see injustice: he will dwell in a high cave of strong rock; bread will be given him, and his water will be sure. You will see the king with glory.” Likewise in Malachi: “I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is illustrious among the nations.” Likewise in the second Psalm: “But I have been set as king by him upon Zion, his holy mountain, proclaiming the decree of the Lord.” Likewise in Psalm 21: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before him; for the kingdom is the Lord's, and he will rule over the nations.” Likewise in Psalm 23: “Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.” Likewise in Psalm 44: “My heart has poured forth a good word; I speak my works to the king. My tongue is the pen of a swift scribe. You are fairer in form than the sons of men; grace is poured on your lips; therefore God has blessed you for ever. Gird your sword upon your thigh, O most mighty, in your comeliness and beauty; and set forth and proceed prosperously and reign, for the sake of truth and gentleness and righteousness.” Likewise in Psalm 5: “My King and my God, for to you I will pray, Lord; in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will stand before you and will see.” Likewise in Psalm 96: “The Lord has reigned; let the earth exult; let the many islands be glad.” Likewise in Psalm 44: “The queen stood at your right hand in gilded clothing, arrayed in many colors. Hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house; for the king has desired your beauty, for he is the Lord your God.” Likewise in Psalm 73: “But God is our King before the ages; he has worked salvation in the midst of the earth.” Likewise in the Gospel according to Matthew: “And when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi came from the east to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Likewise according to John Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here. Pilate said: So you are a king? Jesus answered: You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”