Cyprian, Messianic Prophecies & Christ’s Hypostatic Union

In this post I will be quoting from St. Cyprian’s Treatises, specifically Treatise XII (Book 2). Cyprian quotes extensively from both the Old and New Testaments to prove that Jesus is the God-Man, the divine Son of God, whom the prophets announced would come to be killed for sins, raised from the dead, and who would return to Judge the living and the dead. This beloved saint’s knowledge of the prophetic scriptures was truly astounding. All emphasis will be mine.

1. That Christ is the First-born, and that He is the Wisdom of God, by whom all things were made

In Solomon in the Proverbs: The Lord established me in the beginning of His ways, into His works: before the world He founded me. In the beginning, before He made the earth, and before He appointed the abysses, before the fountains of waters gushed forth, before the mountains were settled, before all the hills, the Lord begot me. He made the countries, and the uninhabitable places, and the uninhabitable bounds under heaven. When He prepared the heaven, I was present with Him; and when He set apart His seat. When He made the strong clouds above the winds, and when He placed the strengthened fountains under heaven, when He made the mighty foundations of the earth, I was by His side, ordering them: I was He in whom He delighted: moreover, I daily rejoiced before His face in all time, when He rejoiced in the perfected earth. Also in the same in Ecclesiasticus:I went forth out of the mouth of the Most High, first-born**before every creature: I made the unwearying light to rise in the heavens, and I covered the whole earth with a cloud: I dwelt in the high places, and my throne in the pillar of the cloud: I compassed the circle of heaven, and I penetrated into the depth of the abyss, and I walked on the waves of the sea, and I stood in all the earth; and in every people and in every nation I had the pre-eminence, and by my own strength I have trodden the hearts of all the excellent and the** humble**_: in me is all hope of life and_** virtue_**: pass over to me, all you who desire me**_. Also in the eighty-eighth Psalm: And I will establish Him as my first-born_, the highest among the kings of the earth. I will keep my mercy for Him for ever, and my faithful covenant for Him; and I will establish his seed for ever and ever. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they profane my judgments, and do not observe my precepts, I will visit their wickednesses with a rod, and their_ sins_with scourges; but my mercy will I not scatter away from them_. Also in the Gospel according to John, the Lord says: And this is life eternal_, that they should_ know_You, the only and_ true__ God_, and_ Jesus Christ_, whom You have sent. I have_ glorified_You on the earth: I have finished the work which You gave me to do. And now, glorify me with Yourself, with the_ glory_which I had with You before the world was made_. Also Paul to the Colossians: Who is the image of the invisible God_, and the_ first-born_of every creature. Also in the same place: The_ first-born_from the dead, that He might in all things become the holder of the pre-eminence_. In the Apocalypse too:I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto Him that is thirsting from the fountain of the water of life freely. That He also is both the wisdom and the power of God, Paul proves in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. Because the Jews_require a sign, and the Creeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, to the_ Jews_indeed a stumbling-block, and to the_ Gentiles_foolishness; but to them that are called, both_ Jews_and Greeks, Christ the power of_ God_and the wisdom of_ God.

1. That Christ is the Wisdom of God; and concerning the sacrament of His incarnation and of His passion, and cup and altar; and of the apostles who were sent, and preached

In Solomon in the Proverbs: Wisdom has built herself a house, and she has placed under it seven pillars; she has slain her victims; she has mingled her wine in the goblet, and has made ready her table, and has sent her servants, calling with a loud announcement to the cup, saying, Let him who is foolish turn to me: and to them that want understanding she has said, Come, eat of my loaves, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you. Forsake foolishness, and seek wisdom, and correct knowledge_by understanding_.

1. That the same Christ is the Word of God

In the forty-fourth Psalm:My heart has breathed out a good Word. I tell my works to the King. Also in the thirty-second Psalm: By the Word of God_were the heavens made fast; and all their strength by the breath of His mouth. Also in Isaiah: A Word completing and shortening in righteousness, because a shortened word will God make in the whole earth. Also in the cvith Psalm: He sent His Word, and healed them. Moreover, in the Gospel according to John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The same was in the beginning with_ God_. All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not_. Also in the Apocalypse: And I saw the heaven opened, and lo, a white horse; and he who sate upon him was called Faithful and True, judging rightly and justly_; and He made_ war_. And He was covered with a garment sprinkled with blood; and His name is called the_ Word of God.

4. That Christ is the Hand and Arm of God

In Isaiah: Is God's Hand not strong to save? Or has He made His ear heavy, that He cannot hear? But your sins_separate between you and_ God_; and on account of your_ sins_He turns His face away from you, that He may not pity. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with_ sins_. Moreover, your lips have spoken_ wickedness_, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness. No one speaks_ truth_, nor is there_ true_judgment: they trust in vanity, and speak emptiness, who conceive sorrow, and bring forth_ wickedness. Also in the same place: Lord, who has believed_our report? And to whom is the Arm of God revealed?_ Also in the same: Thus says the Lord, Heaven_is my throne, and the earth is the support of my feet. What house will you build unto me? Or what is the place for my rest? For all these things has mine hand made_. Also in the same: O Lord God_, Your Arm is high, and they_ knew_it not; but when they_ know_it, they shall be confounded._ Also in the same: The Lord has revealed His Arab that holy_Arm, in the sight of all nations; all nations, even the ends of the earth, shall see_ salvation_from_ God. Also in the same place: Behold, I have made you as the wheels of a thrashing chariot, new and turned back upon themselves; and you shall thrash the mountains, and shall beat the bills small, and shall make them as chaff, and shall winnow them; and the wind shall seize them, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: but you shall rejoice_in the_ saints_of_ Israel_; and the poor and needy shall exult. For they shall seek water, and there shall be none. For their tongue shall be dry for thirst. I the_ Lord God_, I the_ God_of_ Israel_, will hear them, and will not forsake them; but I will open rivers in the mountains, and fountains in the midst of the fields. I will make the wildernesses watery groves, and a thirsty land into watercourses. I will establish in the land of drought the cedar-tree and the box-tree, and the myrtle and the cypress, and the elm and the poplar, that they may see and acknowledge, and_ know_and_ believe_together, that the Hand of the Lord has done these things, and the Holy One of_ Israel_has shown them_.

5. That Christ is at once Angel and God

In Genesis, to Abraham: And the Angel of the Lord called him from heaven, and said to him, Abraham_,_ Abraham_! And he said, Here am I. And He said, Lay not your hand upon the lad, nor do anything unto him. For now I_ know_that you fear your_ God_, and hast not spared your son, your beloved son, for my sake_. Also in the same place, to Jacob: And the Angel of the Lord spoke unto me in dreams, I am God_, whom you saw in the place of God where you anointed me a pillar of stone, and vowed to me a vow_. Also in Exodus: But God went before them by day indeed in a pillar of cloud, to show them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire. And afterwards, in the same place: And the Angel of God moved forward, which went before the army of the children of Israel. Also in the same place: Lo, I send my Angel before your face, to keep you in the way, that He may lead you into the land which I have prepared for you. Observe Him, and obey_Him, and be not disobedient to Him, and He will not be wanting to you. For my Name is in Him_. Whence He Himself says in the Gospel**:I came in the name of my Father, and you received me not. When another shall come in his own name, him you will receive**. And again in the cxviith Psalm: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Also in Malachi: My covenant of life and peace was with Levi; and I gave him fear_, that he should_ fear_me, that he should go from the face of my name. The law of_ truth_was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. In the peace of the tongue correcting, he walked with us, and turned many away from unrighteousness. Because the lips of the_ priests_shall keep_ knowledge_, and they shall seek the law at His mouth; for He is the Angel of the Almighty_.

1. That Christ is God

In Genesis: And God said to Jacob, Arise, and go up to the place of Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar to that God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of your brother Esau_._ Also in Isaiah: Thus says the Lord, the God_of Sabaoth,_ Egypt_is wearied; and the merchandise of the_ Ethiopians_, and the tall men of the Sabeans, shall pass over unto You, and shall be Your servants; and shall walk after You bound with chains; and shall worship You, and shall_ pray_to You, because God is in You, and there is no other God beside You. For You are_ God_, and we_ knew_it not, O God of_ Israel_, our Saviour. They shall all be confounded and_ fear_who oppose You, and shall fall into confusion_. Likewise in the same: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every channel shall be filled up, and every mountain and bill shall be made low, and all crooked places shall be made straight, and rough places plain; and the glory_of the Lord shall be seen, and all flesh shall see the_ salvation_of_ God_, because the Lord has spoken it_. Moreover, in Jeremiah: This is our God_, and no other shall be esteemed beside Him, who has found all the way of_ knowledge_, and has given it to Jacob His son, and to_ Israel_His beloved. After this He was seen upon earth, and He conversed with men_. Also in Zechariah God says: And they shall cross over through the narrow sea, and they shall smite the waves in the sea, and they shall dry up all the depths of the rivers; and all the haughtiness of the Assyrians_shall be confounded, and the sceptre of_ Egypt_shall be taken away. And I will strengthen them in the Lord their_ God_, and in His name shall they_ glory_, says the Lord_. Moreover, in Hosea the Lord says: I will not do according to the anger_of mine indignation, I will not allow Ephraim to be destroyed: for I am_ God_, and there is not a_ holy_man in you: and I will not enter into the city; I will go after God_. Also in the forty-fourth Psalm: Your throne, O God_, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and_ hated_iniquity: wherefore_ God_, Your_ God_, has anointed You with the oil of_ gladness_above Your fellows_. So, too, in the forty-fifth Psalm: Be still, and know_that I am God. I will be exalted among the_ nations_, and I will be exalted in the earth_. Also in the eighty-first Psalm: They have not known_, neither have they understood: they will walk on in darkness_. Also in the sixty-seventh Psalm: Sing unto God_, sing praises unto His name: make a way for Him who goes up into the west: God is His name_. Also in the Gospel according to John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God_, and God was the Word_. Also in the same: The Lord said to Thomas, Reach hither your finger, and behold my hands: and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus says unto him, Because you have seen me, you have believed_: blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have_ believed. Also Paulto the Romans : I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren and my kindred according to the flesh: who are Israel-ires: whose are the adoption, and the glory_, and the covenant, and the appointment of the law, and the service (of God), and the promises; whose are the fathers, of whom, according to the flesh**, Christ came, who is**_ God**over all, blessed for evermore. Also in the Apocalypse: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end I will give to him that is thirsty, of the fountain of living water freely. He that overcomes shall possess these things, and their inheritance; and I will be his** God**_, and he shall be my son_. Also in the eighty-first Psalm**: God_stood in the congregation of gods, and judging gods in the midst. And again in the same place: I have said, You are gods; and you are all the children of the Highest: but you shall die like men_. But if they who have been righteous, and have obeyedthe divine precepts, may be called gods, how much more is Christ, the Son of God**, God!** Thus He Himself says in the Gospel according to John: Is it not written in the law, that I said, You are gods? If He called them gods to whom the word of God was given, and the Scripture_cannot be relaxed, say to Him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, that you blaspheme because I said, I am the_ Son of God_?_ But if I do not the works of my Father, believe_me not; but if I do, and you will not_ believe_me,_ believe_the works, and_ know_that the Father is in me, and I in Him_. Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: And you shall call His name Emmanuel_, which is, being interpreted, God with us_.

1. That Christ our God should come, the En-lightener and Saviour of the human race

In Isaiah: Be comforted, you weakened hands; and you weak knees, be strengthened. You who are of a timorous heart, fear_not. Our God will recompense judgment, He Himself will come, and will save us. Then shall be opened the eves of the blind, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. Then the lame man shall leap as a stag, and the tongue of the dumb shall be intelligible; because in the wilderness the water is broken forth, and the stream in the thirsty land_. Also in that place: Not an elder nor an angel_, but the Lord Himself shall deliver them; because He shall_ love_them, and shall spare them, and He Himself shall redeem them_. Also in the same place: I the Lord God have called You in righteousness, that I may hold Your hand, and I will comfort You; and I have given You for a covenant of my people, for a light of the nations; to open the eyes of the blind, to bring forth them that are bound from chains, and those who sit in darkness from the prison-house. I am the Lord God_, that is my name. I will not: give any_ glory_to another, nor my powers to given images_. Also in the twenty-fourth Psalm: Show me Your ways, Lord, and teach me Your paths, and lead me unto Your truth_, and teach me; for You are the_ God_of my_ salvation. Whence, in the Gospel according to John, the Lord says: I am the light of the world. He that will follow me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Moreover, in that according to Matthew, the angel Gabriel says to Joseph: Joseph, you son of David, fear_not to take unto you Mary your wife. For that which shall be born to her is of the_ Holy Ghost_. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their_ sins. Also in that according to Luke: And Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost_, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of_ Israel_, who has foreseen redemption for His people, and has raised up an horn of_ salvation_for us in the house of His servant David._ Also in the same. place, the angel said to the shepherds: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings that unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ Jesus.

1. That although from the beginning He had been the Son of God, yet He had to be begotten again according to the flesh

In the second Psalm: The Lord said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten You. Ask of me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the bounds of the earth for Your possession. Also in the Gospel according to Luke: And it came to pass, when Elisabeth_heard the salutation of_ Mary_, the babe leaped in her womb; and she was filled with the_ Holy Ghost_, and she cried out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among_ women_, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?_ Also Paul to the Galatians: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman. Also in the Epistle of John: Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ_has come in the flesh is of_ God_. But whosoever denies that He has come in the flesh is not of_ God_, but is of the spirit of_ Antichrist.

1. That this should be the sign of His nativity, that He should be born of a virgin — man and God — a son of man and a Son of God

In Isaiah: And the Lord went on to speak to Ahaz, saying, Ask you a sign from the Lord your God_, in the height above and in the depth below. And Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord my God. And He said, Hear, therefore, O house of David: it is no trifling contest unto you with men, since God supplies the struggle. On this account God Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a_ virgin_shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and you shall call His name_ Emmanuel_. Butter and honey shall He eat; before that He_ knows_to prefer the_ evil_, He shall exchange the good_. This seed God had foretold would proceed from the womanthat should trample on the head of the devil**. In Genesis:** Then God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you from every kind of the beasts of the earth. Upon your breast and your belly shall you crawl, and earth shall be your food all the days of your life. And I will place enmity between you and the woman_and her seed. He shall regard your head, and you shall watch his heel_.

1. That Christ is both man and God, compounded of both natures, that He might be a Mediator between us and the Father

In Jeremiah: And He is man, and who shall know_Him?_ Also in Numbers: A Star shall arise out of Jacob, and a man shall rise up from Israel_. Also in the same place: A Man shall go forth out of his seed, and shall rule over many nations; and His kingdom shall be exalted as Gog, and His kingdom shall be increased; and God brought Him forth out of_ Egypt_. His_ glory_is as of the unicorn, and He shall eat the nations of His enemies, and shall take out the marrow of their fatnesses, and will pierce His enemy with His arrows. He couched and lay down as a lion, and as a lion's cub. Who shall raise Him up? Blessed are they who bless You, and cursed are they who curse You_. Also in Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord_is upon me; on account whereof He has anointed me: He has sent me to tell good tidings to the poor; to heal the bruised in heart, to preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of retribution_. Whence, in the Gospel according to Luke, Gabriel says to Mary: And the angel_, answering, said to her, The_ Holy Ghost_shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Wherefore that_ holy_thing which is born of you shall be called the_ Son of God. Also in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: The first man is of the mud of the earth; the second man is from heaven. As was he from the soil, such are they also that are of the earth; and as is the heavenly, such also are the heavenly. As we have borne the image of him who is of the earth, let us also bear the image of Him who is from heaven.

1. That Christ was to be born of the seed of David, according to the flesh

In the second of Kings: And the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the Lord, You shall not build me a house to dwell in; but it shall come to pass, when your days shall be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you who shall come from your loins, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build me a house in my name, and I will set up His throne for ever; and I will be to; Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son; and His house shall obtain confidence, and His kingdom for ever in my sight. Also in Isaiah: And a rod shall go forth of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall go up from his root; and the Spirit of the Lord_shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of_ knowledge_and_ piety_; and the spirit of the_ fear_of the Lord shall fill Him_. Also in the cxxxist Psalm: God_has_ sworn_the_ truth_unto David himself, and He has not repudiated it; of the fruit of your belly will I set upon my throne_. Also in the Gospel according to Luke: And the angel_said to her, Fear not, Mary. For you have found favour before God. Behold, you shall conceive, and shall bring forth a son, and shall call His name Jesus. The same shall be great, and He shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end_. Also in the Apocalypse: And I saw in the right hand of God_, who sate on the throne, a book written within, and on the back sealed with seven seals; and I saw a strong_ angel_proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to receive the book, and to open its seals? Nor was there any one either in heaven or upon the earth, or under the earth, who was able to open the book, nor even to look into it. And I wept much because nobody was found worthy to open the book, nor to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the_ tribe of Judah_, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose its seven seals_.

1. That Christ should be born in Bethlehem

In Micah: And you, Bethlehem_, house of Ephrata, are not little, that you should be appointed among the thousands of Judah. Out of you shall He come forth to me, that He may be a prince in_ Israel_, and His goings forth from the beginning from the days of old_. Also in the Gospel: And when Jesus_was born in_ Bethlehem_of Judah, in the days of_ Herod_the king, behold,_ Magi_came from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the_ Jews_? For we have seen His star in the east, and we have come with gifts to worship Him_.

1. That Christ was to come in low estate in His first advent

In Isaiah: Lord, who has believed_our report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? We have declared in His presence as children, as a root in a thirsty ground. There is no form nor_ glory_in Him; and we saw Him, and He had no form nor beauty; but His form was without_ honour_, and lacking beyond other men. He was a man set in a plague, and_ knowing_how to bear weakness; because His face was turned away, He was dishonoured, and was not accounted of. He bears our_ sins_, and grieves for us; and we thought that He was in grief, and in wounding, and in affliction; but He was wounded for our transgressions, and He was weakened for our_ sins_. The discipline of our peace was upon Him, and with His bruise we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray; than has gone out of his way. And God has delivered Him for our_ sins_; and He, because He was afflicted, opened not His mouth_. Also in the same : I am not rebellious, nor do I contradict. I gave my back to the stripes, and my cheeks to the palms of the hands. Moreover, I did not turn away my Gee from the foulness of spitting, and God was my helper. Also in the same: He shall not cry, nor will any one hear His voice in the streets. He shall not break a bruised reed, and a smoking flax He shall not extinguish; but He shall bring forth judgment in truth_. He shall shine forth, and shall not be shaken, until He set judgment in the earth, and in His name shall the nations trust_. Also in the twenty-first Psalm: But I am a worm, and no man; the accursed of man_, and the casting away of the people. All they who saw me despised me, and spoke within their lips, and moved their head. He hoped in the_ Lord_, let Him deliver him; let Him save him, since he will have Him. Also in that place: My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue is glued to my jaws_. Also in Zechariah:And the Lord showed me Jesus, that great priest**_, standing before the face of the Angel of the Lord, and the_** devil**was standing at his right hand to oppose him. And Jesus was clothed in filthy garments, and he stood before the face of the Angel Himself; and He answered and said to them who were standing before His face, saying, Take away his filthy garments from him. And he said to him, Behold, I have taken away your iniquities. And put upon him a** priestly**garment, and set a fair mitre upon his head. Also Paulto the Philippians:** Who, being established in the form of God_, thought it not_ robbery_that He was equal with_ God_, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a_ man_, He humbled Himself, becoming_ obedient_even unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore also God exalted Him, and gave Him a name which is above every name, that in the name of_ Jesus_every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things in earth, and of infernal things, and every tongue should confess that_ Jesus Christ_is Lord in the_ glory_of_ God_the Father_.

1. That He is the righteous One whom the Jews should put to death

In the Wisdom of Solomon:Let us lay hold of the righteous, because He is disagreeable to us, and is contrary to our works, and reproaches us with our transgressions of the law. He professes that He has the knowledge_of_ God_, and calls Himself the_ Son of God_; He has become to us an exposure of our thoughts; He is grievous unto us even to look upon, because His life is unlike to others, and His ways are changed. We are esteemed by Him as frivolous, and He restrains Himself from our ways, as if from uncleanness; and He extols the last end of the righteous, and boasts that He has God for His Father. Let us see, then, if His words are_ true_, and let us try what will come to Him. Let us interrogate Him with reproach and torture, that we may_ know_His reverence and prove His patience. Let us condemn Him with a most shameful death. These things they considered, and erred. For their maliciousness has blinded them, and they_ knew_not the_ sacraments_of_ God_._ Also in Isaiah: See how the righteous perishes, and no man understands; and righteous men are taken away, and no man regards. For the righteous man is taken away from the face of unrighteousness, and his burial shall be in peace. Concerning this very thing it was before foretold in Exodus: You shall not slay the innocent and the righteous. Also in the Gospel: Judas, led by penitence, said to the priests_and elders, I have_ sinned_, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood._

1. That Christ is called a sheep and a lamb who was to be slain, and concerning the sacrament (mystery) of the passion

In Isaiah: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away: who shall relate His nativity? Because His life shall be taken away from the earth. By the transgressions of my people He was led to death; and I will give the wicked_for His burial, and the rich themselves for His death; because He did no_ wickedness_, nor deceits with His mouth. Wherefore He shall gain many, and shall divide the spoils of the strong; because His_ soul_was delivered up to death, and He was counted among transgressors. And He bare the_ sins_of many, and was delivered for their offenses_. Also in Jeremiah: Lord, give me knowledge_, and I shall_ know_it: then I saw their meditations. I was led like a lamb without_ malice_to the slaughter; against me they devised a device, saying, Come, let us cast the tree into His bread, and let us erase His life from the earth, and His name shall no more be a remembrance_. Also in Exodus God said to Moses: Let them take to themselves each man a sheep, through the houses of the tribes, a sheep without blemish, perfect, male, of a year old it shall be to you. You shall take it from the lambs and from the goats, and all the congregation of the synagogue_of the children of_ Israel_shall kill it in the evening; and they shall take of its blood, and shall place it upon the two posts, and upon the threshold in the houses, in the very houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh on the same night, roasted with fire; and they shall eat unleavened bread with bitter herbs. You shall not eat of them raw nor dressed in water, but roasted with fire; the head with the feet and the inward parts. You shall leave nothing of them to the morning; and you shall not break a bone of it. But what of it shall be left to the morning shall be burnt with fire. But thus you shall eat it; your loins girt, and your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hands; and you shall eat it in haste: for it is the Lord's passover_. Also 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 if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth throughout all the earth. And He came and took the book from the right. hand of God_, who sate on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders cast themselves before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden cups full of odours of supplications, which are the_ prayers_of the_ saints_; and they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are You, O Lord, to take the book, and to open its seals: for You were slain, and hast redeemedus with Your blood from every tribe, and people, and nation; and You have made us a kingdom unto our God, and hast made us_ priests_, and they shall reign upon the earth_. Also in the Gospel: On the next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God_, and behold Him that takes away the_ sins_of the world!_

1. That Christ also is called a Stone

In Isaiah: Thus says the Lord, Behold, I place on the foundations of Sion a precious stone, elect, chief, a corner stone, honourable_; and he who trusts in Him shall not be confounded_. Also in the cxviith Psalm: The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner. This is done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day, which the Lord has made; let us rejoice_and be glad in it. O Lord, save therefore, O Lord, direct therefore. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord_. Also in Zechariah: Behold, I bring forth my servant. The Orient is his name, because the stone which I have placed before the face of Jesus; upon that one stone are seven eyes. Also in Deuteronomy: And you shall write upon the stone all this law, very plainly. Also in Jesus the son of Nave: And be took a great stone, and placed it there before the Lord; and Jesus said to the people, Behold, this stone shall be to you for a testimony, because it has heard all the things which were spoken by the Lord, which He has spoken to you today; and it shall be for a testimony to you in the last of the days, when you shall have departed from your God. Also in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter: You princes of the people, and elders of Israel_, hearken: Behold, we are this day interrogated by you about the good deed done to the impotent man, by means of which he is made whole. Be it_ known_unto you all, and to all the people of_ Israel_, that in the name of_ Jesus Christ of Nazareth_, whom you have crucified, whom_ God_has raised up from the dead, by Him he stands whole in your presence, but by none other. This is the stone which was despised by you builders, which has become the head of the corner. For there is no other name given to men under heaven in which we must be saved_. This is the stone in Genesis, which Jacob places at his head, because the head of the man is Christ; and as he slept he saw a ladder reaching to heaven, on which the Lord was placed, and angelswere ascending and descending. And this stone he designating Christ consecratedand anointed with the sacrament of unction. This is the stone in Exodus upon which Mosessate on the top of a hill when Jesus the son of Nave fought against Amalek; and by the sacrament of the stone, and the steadfastness of his sitting, Amalek was overcome by Jesus, that is, the devilwas overcome by Christ. This is the great stone in the first book of Kings, upon which was placed the Ark of the Covenantwhen the oxen brought it back in the cart, sent back and returned by the strangers. Also, this is the stone in the first book of Kings, with which David smote the forehead of Goliath and slew him; signifying that the deviland his servants are thereby thrown down — that part of the head, namely, being conquered which they have not had sealed. And by this seal we also are always safe and live. This is the stone which, when Israelhad conquered the aliens, Samuel set up and called its name Ebenezer; that is, the stone that helps.

1. That afterwards this Stone should become a mountain, and should fill the whole earth

In Daniel: And behold a very great image; and the aspect of this image was fearful, and it stood erect before you; whose head was of fine gold, its breast and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were of brass, and its feet were partly indeed of iron, and partly of clay, until that a stone was cut out of the mountain, without the hands of those that should cut it, and struck the image upon the feet of iron and clay, and broke them into small fragments. And the iron, and the clay, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, was made altogether; and they became small as chaff, or dust in the threshing-floor in summer; and the wind blew them away, so that nothing remained of them. And the stone which struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

1. That in the last times the same mountain should be manifested, and upon it the Gentiles should come, and on it all the righteous should go up

In Isaiah: In the last times the mountain of the Lord shall be revealed, and the house of God upon the tops of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall come upon it, and many shall walk and say, Come, and let us go up into the mountain of the Lord, and into the house of the God_of Jacob; and He will tell us His way, and we will walk in it. For from Sion shall proceed the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; and He shall judge among the_ nations_, and shall rebuke much people; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, and they shall no more learn to fight. Also in the twenty-third Psalm: Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His_ holy_place? He that is innocent in his hands, and of a clean heart; who has not received his life in vanity, and has not_ sworn_craftily to his neighbour. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and mercy from the God that saves him. This is the generation of those who seek Him, that seek the face of the_ God_of Jacob_.

I have more from this saint in the next part: Cyprian, Messianic Prophecies & Christ’s Hypostatic Union Pt. 2.