Wisdom of Solomon 17 · The Lantern

For great are your judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred.

In the Apocalypse we see "a Lamb, as though sacrificed." This is the Lamb that, for certain ineffable reasons, became the sacrifice of expiation for the entire world, having accepted even to be sacrificed, according to the measure of the Father's love for humanity. By his blood he bought us back from him who had bought us, in that we were corrupted by sins.

Great are the judgments of the almighty God, and inexpressible are the words by which, with wondrous command, He governs all creation. For this reason, the senseless souls of unbelievers have gone astray, because they were unwilling to believe and understand their Creator, who made all things by His word, nor did they render to Him the due honor in the worship of devotion.

Second, on the punishment of loss. For great are etc. After he treated the punishment of sense, here he treats the punishment of loss, that is, the withdrawal of light: and first is touched upon the equity of the punishment of the Egyptians, namely because they were punished according to their merits: second, the irremediability, namely because without interruption: For neither…

For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay *there* exiled from the eternal providence.

For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with *strange* apparitions.

For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises *as of waters* falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared to them with heavy countenances.

No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night.

Only there appeared to them a fire kindled of itself, very fearsome: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not.

As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace.

But when he says that false prophets will perform many signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matt. 24:24), he certainly warns us to understand that even wicked men can perform certain miracles, which the saints cannot do; yet they are not therefore to be considered as having a higher place with God.

How the magi in Egypt resisted Moses by performing false wonders through magical incantations to deceive the people, the book of Exodus recalls; but at last, when they saw themselves overcome by the power of the signs which were divinely performed through Moses and Aaron, they were compelled to confess that it was the finger of God who accomplished these great deeds (Ex.

And of the magical etc. Here is shown the irremediability from the craft, namely of the magical art; and first is shown the confusion of the magicians: second, the matter of the confusion, namely fear: For those; third, the cause outwardly producing fear: For even if nothing: fourth, the disposition inwardly increasing fear: Frequently etc.

For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at.

For though no terrible thing frightened them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents,

They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided.

For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasts grievous things.

For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the help which reason offers.

And the expectation from within, being less, counts the ignorance more than the cause which brings the torment.

But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell,

Were partly troubled with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them.

So then whoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars,

For whether he were farmer, or shepherd, or a laborer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.

Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently,

Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains; these things made them to swoon for fear.

For the whole world shone with clear light, and none were hindered in their labor:

Over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they to themselves more grievous than the darkness.

Wisdom of Solomon17