Against Marcion 3.23

Now, since along with the Jews you deny that their Christ has come, consider also their own end, which they were foretold to suffer after Christ because of the impiety with which they both despised and killed him. For first, from the day when, according to Isaiah, man threw away his abominations of gold and silver, which they made to worship vain and harmful things, that is, from the time when the human race, the truth having been made clear through Christ, threw away its idols, see whether what follows has not been fulfilled. For “the Lord of Hosts took away from Judea and from Jerusalem,” among other things, “both the prophet and the wise master builder,” namely the Holy Spirit, who builds the church, that is, the temple and house and city of God. For from then on the grace of God ceased among them, and “the clouds were commanded not to rain showers on the vineyard of Sorek,” that is, the heavenly benefits were commanded not to come to the house of Israel. For it had produced thorns, with which it had crowned the Lord, and not righteousness but an outcry, by which it had forced him onto the cross. And so, the dews of spiritual gifts being withdrawn, “the law and the prophets were until John.” Then, when through their persistent fury the name of the Lord was blasphemed through them, as it is written, “Because of you my name is blasphemed among the nations” (for the slander began with them), and when they had not understood the intervening time from Tiberius to Vespasian as given for repentance, “their land was made desolate, their cities burned with fire, strangers devour their country before their eyes; the daughter of Zion is left like a watchtower in a vineyard or a hut in a cucumber field,” ever since, that is, “Israel did not know the Lord and the people did not understand him,” but “forsook him and provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger.” So too the conditional threat of the sword, “If you are unwilling and do not hear me, the sword will devour you,” will prove that it was Christ, by not hearing whom they perished; who also in the fifty-eighth psalm asks the Father to scatter them, “Scatter them in your power”; who again, through Isaiah, concluding his speech about their burning, says, “Because of me these things have happened to you; you will lie down in anguish.” Quite pointless, if they suffered these things not because of him who had declared they would suffer because of him, but because of the Christ of another god. And yet, I say, you people claim that the Christ of another god was driven to the cross by the Creator's virtues and powers, as by rivals. But see, he is shown to be avenged by the Creator: “And the worst were given for his burial,” namely those who had asserted that it had been stolen, “and the rich for his death,” namely those who had bought the betrayal from Judas and from the soldiers false testimony that the body had been stolen. So either these things did not befall the Jews because of him (but you are refuted by the agreement of the sense of the Scriptures with the outcome of events and the order of the times), or, if they befell them because of him, the Creator could only avenge his own Christ, since he would rather have rewarded the Jews if they had killed his adversary. Certainly, if the Creator's Christ has not yet come, because of whom they are foretold to suffer these things, then they will suffer them when he comes. And where then will be the daughter of Zion to be left forsaken, when today there is none? Where the cities to be burned, which are already in ruins? Where the scattering of the nation, which is already in exile? Give back to Judea the state in which the Creator's Christ may find it, and then contend that another has come. And again, what sort of thing is it that the Creator let into his heaven one whom he was going to kill on his earth, the more honorable and glorious region of his kingdom having been violated, his very court and citadel trampled? Or was this rather what he aimed at? Plainly a jealous God. Yet he won. Blush, you who believe in a defeated god! What will you hope for from one who could not protect himself? For either he was overwhelmed through weakness by the Creator's powers and men, or through malice, to fasten so great a crime on them by his forbearance.