As previously stated, there exist two groups within Jacob and Israel: those who reject and those who accept the Lord Savior. Thus, following the calling of the Gentiles, when rivers and springs emerged in the church, which was once a desolate place, and various trees flourished with extraordinary growth, all were granted abundant blessings: Those Gentiles who refused to believe in Christ are summoned to account for their unwillingness to see, to know, to understand, and to discern that the Lord's hand has accomplished these wonders, and the Holy One of Israel has brought all things into existence.
"Let your idols approach," He commands, which you regard as formidable. Or present, if you possess anything, and reveal your intentions, explaining why you have been reluctant to accept the revealed truth. An invitation is also extended to the idols themselves, despite their lack of perception, hearing, or response. "Proclaim," He demands, whether concerning the past or the future, and demonstrate your power through the course of events. This illustrates that after Christ's coming, all idols stood silent: Where are the oracles of Delphi and the other idols who misled powerful kings with promises of knowledge about the future? Why were they unable to predict anything concerning Christ, His apostles, or the destruction of temples? If they could not foretell their own demise, how could they possibly predict the downfall of others, whether virtuous or wicked?
However, if someone claims that idols have foretold many events, one must recognize that they consistently mingled falsehood with truth, such that they could be interpreted either way depending on whether the outcome was favorable or unfavorable. A notable example includes the ambiguous prediction given to Pyrrhus, king of the Epirotes: “I tell you, Eacidus, that the victory of the Romans is possible,” along with the statement to Croesus: “Crossing the Galis, Croesus will destroy vast kingdoms.”
Another proof that idols are not gods is their incapacity to accomplish good or evil. This is not to say that the demons residing within idols have not inflicted harm, but rather that they can only act when given authority by the Lord. Hence, in the Gospel, they acknowledge that they were permitted to possess a herd of swine (Matt. 8). Furthermore, in Job, we learn that the Devil could not lay waste to the property of the righteous Job (Job 1). There is nothing astonishing in this regarding God, as the Apostle Paul delivered some to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme (1 Tim. 1).
It must be noted that they are mere lifeless images crafted by humans, lacking perception and unable to perform good or evil, wholly ignorant of the past and the future, arising from nonexistence. They are not abominable in their nature, but rather in the honor bestowed upon them by those who revere them. "The idols of the tongue are silver and gold, the work of human hands; they have mouths, but they will not speak; they have eyes, but they will not see" (Psalm 113:12-13). How can they possibly claim to know the future or the past, or distinguish between good and evil, when they lack the capacity that both humans and mute animals possess? The material from which they are formed is irrelevant, as they are all ultimately derived from dust.
"Tell me of the former and latter things that are to come, and I will assert that you are gods," Isaiah proclaims (Isaiah 41:23). No one can recount the ancients or predict the future; our understanding is limited to the revelations found within Scripture, including when the world was created, when man was shaped, when the flood occurred, and when the law was imparted. We acknowledge that through one man, the earth was populated and that in the final days, the Son of God took on human flesh for our salvation.
THEOSIS