Consequently, following the calling of the Gentiles, as streams and springs emerged in the once barren church, and diverse trees were adorned with marvelous foliage, receiving abundant blessings: the Gentiles who rejected Christ are called to account, to explain their unwillingness to perceive, comprehend, and understand that it is the hand of the Lord that has accomplished these things, and the Holy One of Israel has brought forth all creation. Let your idols draw near, he says, which you regard as powerful. Or bring forth whatever you possess and express your reasoning for rejecting the revealed truth. Simultaneously, an invitation is extended to the idols themselves, despite their lack of sensation, hearing, or ability to respond. Speak to us, he says, about past or future events, and from the evidence of occurrences, validate your might. This signifies that following Christ's coming, all idols fell silent: where is Apollo of Delphi, along with other demigods, who promised foresight and misled mighty kings? Why could they not prophesy about Christ, His apostles, or the impending destruction of temples? If they could not predict their own downfall, how could they foresee the fate of others, be it good or bad? Yet, if one claims that many predictions were made by idols, it must be recognized that they consistently conflated falsehood with truth, allowing for interpretations regardless of whether good or evil came to pass. A prime example is the infamous foretelling to Pyrrhus, king of the Epirotes: “I tell you, Eacidus, that the victory of the Romans is possible,” and to Croesus: “Croesus, having crossed the Gales, will destroy vast kingdoms.” Another testament to the ineffectiveness of idols is that they cannot perform either good or evil. This is not to say that idols or the spirits inhabiting them did not cause harm, but they could only do so with divine permission. In the Gospel, they claim to have been granted authority over the herd of swine (Matt. 8). In Job, we see that the adversary was unable to even harm the livestock and possessions of the righteous (Job 1). It is unsurprising when the Apostle Paul delivered some to Satan so they might learn not to speak blasphemously (1 Tim. 1). Thus, it can be said that they are lifeless images of men, lacking reason, and can neither perform good nor ill, possessing no knowledge of the past or future, having originated from nothingness and that which lacks existence, not only deserving scorn by their nature, but more so by those who venerate them. The idols of the tongue are crafted from silver and gold, the handiwork of men; they have mouths, yet they do not speak; they have eyes, yet they cannot see (Psalm 113:12-13). How can they predict and narrate the future or recount the past, or distinguish between good and evil, when they lack the faculties possessed by humans or even silent creatures? It is irrelevant what material they are made of, as they are all composed of earthly elements.
“Tell me the past and the future events that will be, and I will assert that you are gods,” proclaims Isaiah (Isaiah 41:23), signifying that it is impossible for anyone to disclose the prior events of creation and the future matters beyond this world. We can only know the ordinary things that are revealed in Scripture: when the world was created, when man was formed, when the flood occurred, and when the law was given; that through one man all the earth was filled, and that in the fullness of time, the Son of God took on flesh for our redemption.
THEOSIS