Lactantius — Divine Institutes 4.21

Lactantius · Divine Institutes · c. 310

When He had ordered His disciples the preaching of the gospel and of His name, suddenly a cloud surrounded Him and lifted Him into heaven on the fortieth day after the passion, as Daniel had shown would be, saying: and behold, coming with the clouds of heaven as a son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days.

The disciples went through the provinces…

After Nero had killed them, Vespasian extinguished the Jews' name and nation and did all things those had predicted would come.

Latin

Ordinata uero discipulis suis euangelii ac nominis sui praedicatione circumfudit se repente nubes eumque in caelum sustulit, quadragesimo post passionem die, sicut Daniel fore ostenderat dicens: et ecce in nubibus caeli ut filius hominis ueniens (et) usque ad uetustum dierum peruenit. discipuli uero per prouincias dispersi fundamenta ecclesiae ubique posuerunt facientes et ipsi in nomine magistri dei magna et paene incredibilia miracula, quia discedens instruxerat eos uirtute ac potestate, quo posset nouae adnuntiationis ratio fundari et confirmari. sed et futura illis aperuit omnia: quae Petrus et Paulus Romae praedicauerunt et ea praedicatio in memoriam scripta permansit. in qua cum multa alia mira tum etiam hoc futurum esse dixerunt, ut post breue tempus inmitteret deus regem, qui expugnaret Iudaeos et ciuitates eorum solo adaequaret, ipsos autem fame sitique confectos obsideret. tum fore ut corporibus suorum uescerentur et consumerent inuicem, postremo ut capti uenirent in manus hostium et in conspectu suo uexari acerbissime coniuges suas cernerent, uiolari ac prostitui uirgines, diripi pueros, allidi paruulos, omnia denique igni ferroque uastari, captiuos in perpetuum terris suis exterminari, eo quod exultauerint super amantissimum et probatissimum dei filium. itaque post illorum obitum, cum eos Nero interemisset, Iudaeorum nomen et gentem Vespasianus extinxit fecitque omnia quae illi futura praedixerant.

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