Prologue of St. Thomas

2 Maccabees 15:14

This is the lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel; this is he who prays much for the people and for the entire holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God.

These are the words of Onias the high priest to Judas Maccabees, commenting on the vision of Jeremiah. From this it is possible to derive four things regarding the present work, namely, the author, the subject matter, the method, and its usefulness.

Concerning the author, the present record delineates three things: his office, disposition, and activity.

With regard to his office, prophetic dignity is shown, as it says, Jeremiah, the prophet of the Lord.

With regard to internal disposition, his brotherly love, as it says, this is the lover of his brethren.

With regard to action, his dutiful compassion, as it says, this is he who prays much for the people and for the entire holy city.

Now, he is called the prophet of God to distinguish him from others, who are not prophets of God. For there are some who are prophets of the heavens, some who are prophets of the devil, and some who are prophets of God.

The prophets of the heavens are those who endeavor to tell the future from the figures of the heavens by the motions of the constellations; of these Isaiah speaks: let them stand and save you these augurs of the heavens, who contemplate the constellations and calculate the months, that from them they may announce to you the things which are to come (Isa 47:13). All divination belongs to this type of prophecy, which is accomplished through certain signs found in natural events.

Prophets of the devil are those who know certain future events from the revelation of demons, who, as Augustine says, gain knowledge by long experience, or perspicuity of nature, or by the revelation of supernal spirits. (Augustine, On the Divination of Demons 3.7, 6.10 (Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum [CSEL] 41:604, 608; Patrologia Latina [PL] 40:581).) These are spoken of below: the prophets have prophesied by Baal and follow idols (Jer 2:8).

The prophets of God are those who, by the mediation of angels, as Dionysius says, receive an illumination from God concerning future events. (Pseudo-Dionysius, Celestial Hierarchy (Patrologia Graeca [PG] 3:391), 4.6–7.) For this reason, Cassiodorus says that prophecy is a divine inspiration announcing the outcome of events with immoveable truth. (Cassiodorus, Exposition of the Psalms 1 (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina [CCSL] 97).) For this reason, it is said: you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High (Luke 1:76).

The first sort of prophecy is to be spurned, because it is false, and because it has no immoveable truth. For they receive the contingency of the effect from proximate causes, not necessity from first causes. And, therefore, it is said below: be not afraid of the signs of heaven (Jer 10:2).

The second type of prophecy is to be avoided entirely, because it is deceitful and pernicious. False prophets and unclean spirits I will drive from the land (Zech 13:2).

The third is to be followed and held as true, because it is illuminating. We have a more certain word of prophecy, to which you do well to attend as to a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet 1:19).

The holy prophets are called the prophets of God for three reasons.

First, because they are inspired by God. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophecy (Joel 2:28).

Concerning false prophets, on the contrary, who speak through their own spirit, it says: woe to foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and see nothing (Ezek 13:3).

Second, because they are sent by God. Behold I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes (Matt 23:34). And now the Lord has sent me, and his spirit (Isa 48:16).

On the other hand, concerning false prophets it says below: I did not send prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied (Jer 23:21).

Third, because they bear witness to God. To this all the prophets bear witness (Acts 10:43). You are my witnesses (Isa 44:8).

His internal disposition is shown, burning with fraternal charity, as it says: this is the lover of his brethren (2 Macc 15:14).

Now the disposition of the prophets varies in three ways.

For some are lovers of profit. Sleeping and loving sleep; most unchaste dogs, they do not know abundance (Isa 56:10–11).

Some are lovers of human favor, of whom it says: they love the first seats in the feasts (Matt 23:6).

But the third are lovers of people, fulfilling what the Apostle says: may fraternal charity remain in you, and do not forget hospitality (Heb 13:1–2).

The first plunder riches. Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who seduce my people, who bite with their teeth and preach peace (Micah 3:5). They dishonored me before my people for a handful of barley, and a crumb of bread, that they may kill souls which are not dying, and give life to souls which live not, lying to my people who believe their lies (Ezek 13:19).

The second deceive with flattering. His prophets have daubed them without tempering the mortar, seeing vain things and divining a lie unto them (Ezek 22:28).

But the third instruct with true doctrines. Below it says: I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and understanding (Jer 3:15).

Moreover, in his action one sees his pious compassion for his people at: this is he who prays much (2 Macc 15:14).

His prayer is said to be much, or great, in three ways.

First, with regard to the depth of his contemplation. As it says below, remember that I stood in your sight, that I might speak good for them, and turn your indignation from them (Jer 18:20). To stand in his presence is to be present before him in contemplation.

Second, it was great because of the magnitude of his compassion. My bowels are disturbed, my liver is poured out on the earth (Lam 2:11).

Third, it was great with regard to duration of time, because it began before the captivity, and continued after. For this reason, James says: the constant prayer of the just man avails much (Jas 5:16).

And these three—namely, prophetic dignity, fraternal charity, and pious compassion—are necessary for a prophet.

Since, therefore, a prophet is established as a medium between God and the people—as it says, I was a mediator and stood in the midst between you and God (Deut 5:5)—it is fitting that through the gift of prophecy he should be joined to God—as it says, and through the nations she conveys herself to holy souls (Wis 7:27)—and by the bond of charity to be joined to the people—solicitously preserve the unity of spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). And so by praying he might bear the cause of the people to God, and by preaching bear the cause of God to the people.

Now from these three, there immediately appear another three.

For from the office of the man his method is clear, for he proceeds through similes and figures, which is the proper mode of the prophets. If any among you shall be a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, and I will speak to him through a dream (Num 12:6).

From his disposition, its usefulness is shown, as it is said: a faithful friend is a medicine of life and immortality (Sir 6:16). For it is our end to live well and to arrive at the glory of immortality.

The subject matter is clear from the action, for the subject according to the historical sense is the captivity of the people, which stirs up his prayer of compassion. For this reason, it is said: a soul in distress and an anxious spirit cry to you (Bar 3:1).