Dialogue with Trypho
Chapter 115: Prophecy about Christians in Zechariah. The Malicious Approach Jews Have in Debates
"But you should believe Zechariah when he reveals the mystery of Christ through a parable and announces it with subtlety. Here are his words: ‘Rejoice, and be glad, O daughter of Zion: for, look, I come, and I will dwell among you, says the Lord. Many nations will join the Lord on that day. They will be my people, and I will dwell among you; and they will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and He will choose Jerusalem again. Let all people fear before the Lord, for He is raised up out of His holy clouds. And He showed me Jesus (Joshua) the high priest standing before the angel [of the Lord]; and the devil stood at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to the devil, The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Behold, is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?’"
As Trypho was about to respond and argue with me, I said, "Wait and hear what I say first: I am not going to give the explanation you assume, as if there had been no priest named Joshua (Jesus) in Babylon, where your people were captives. But even if I did, I have shown that even if there was a priest named Joshua (Jesus) in your nation, the prophet did not see him in his vision, just as he did not see the devil or the angel of the Lord with his own eyes while awake, but in a trance when the revelation was given to him. But I now say that just as Scripture says that the Son of Nun, named Jesus (Joshua), performed powerful works and exploits that foreshadowed what would be done by our Lord, I will now show that the revelation given among your people in Babylon during the days of Joshua (Jesus) the priest was a prophecy of what would be accomplished by our Priest, who is God, and Christ, the Son of God the Father of all."
"Indeed, I was wondering," I continued, "why you remained silent a little while ago when I was speaking, and why you did not interrupt me when I mentioned that the son of Nun was the only one of his generation who left Egypt and entered the Holy Land, along with those described as younger than his generation. You tend to focus on and magnify issues like flies on wounds. Even if one speaks ten thousand words correctly, if there happens to be one small word that displeases you, because it is not sufficiently clear or accurate, you ignore the many good words and latch onto that one small word, eager to label it impious and guilty. This way, when God judges you with the same standard, you will have a much heavier account to answer for your boldness, whether it be through evil actions or incorrect interpretations gained by distorting the truth. For with the judgment you use, it is right that you are judged as well."