by Jean Meslier
All these examples and testimonies, not to mention many others, to keep it brief, clearly show us that all these supposed prophets were really, as I’ve said, nothing but fanatics, visionaries, or wicked impostors, since they themselves call their supposed Prophecies visions, and these visions were at least for the most part, night-time or imaginary visions, illusions, and dreams; which were also called, in their times, dreamers, dream-makers, as in the testimony I’ve just cited. They were, finally, only fanatics, or mimickers of fanatics, since they spoke and acted in the same way as fanatics would have acted, as can be seen in the same testimonies, and finally, they were, at least for the most part, nothing but impostors, since there were so many who prophesied falsely in the name of God, to deceive the ignorant and the simple, and they criticized each other for this treachery with such animosity. I say that most of them, at least, were impostors and fanatics, since even our Christ-cultists can’t deny that the false prophets far outnumbered those who might be thought to have been true ones, since one of these supposedly true Prophets, Elijah[255], once had 450 of these false Prophets put to death in a single day, not including many others whom Jehu and Josiah had killed in their times, whereas, on the side of the supposedly true Prophets who ever were during the entire time of the Mosaic law, our Christ-cultists could hardly count two dozen; which reveals a huge disproportionality, and leads one to judge that the number of false Prophets was incomparably greater than that of the supposedly true Prophets.
And with regard to the furious rebuke made by some against others, that they were prophesying falsely in the name of God, one might easily apply the rebuke that the pot said to the kettle: Voe tibi, voe nigre dicebat cacabus olle; for it seems obvious that all of them were, in this respect, equally false and deceptive. And since our Christ-cultists must acknowledge that most, and indeed nearly all of these supposed prophets were, in fact, only visionaries, fanatics, or impostors, it’s now up to them to show, by clear, sound, and convincing arguments and proofs, that any they wish to except: that they were not false Prophets like the rest, but were divinely inspired of God, but we should absolutely defy their ability to do so with any true and solid argument.
But I will prove, to the contrary, and with a solid argument, that they were no less false Prophets than the rest, and here it is: Every Prophet who calls himself inspired by God, and who doesn’t turn out to be a true one, or who even turns out to be false, in his God-given predictions, is not a true Prophet; this is the true sign and even the sign that our Christ-cultists claim that God has given by which to know the false Prophets. This is how they have Him speak in His law[256]:
The Prophet who is rash enough to speak on my behalf and say what I have not commanded him to say, will be put to death, and if you ask yourselves, how shall we know the words that God has not said, behold, saith God, the sign by which you will know them. When the Prophet[257] has spoken in my name, and when what He will have said in my name does not happen, you will know by this that the Lord has not spoken; but that it was by arrogance and rashness that the Prophet has spoken.
And in Jeremiah[258] it is said that, when a Prophet proclaims peace in the name of the Lord, and his word is fulfilled, then it is certain that he is a true Prophet and has been truly sent by God. The true sign, then, to distinguish between the false Prophets and is when they predict falsely in the name of God, and when what they predict in his name, don’t happen as predicted.
But supposing that, it’s easy to show that the supposedly Holy Prophets, since we find in them, i.e., in their writings and prophecies, the true sign of false prophets, and that the greatest and main things they have prophesied in the name of the Lord, in favor of their Jewish nation, did not happen as they predicted, and we see so clearly that everything has turned out to their disadvantage and confusion. As proof of this, we need only share, word for word, their most glorious and beneficial prophecies for their nation, and then make a comparison between what they predicted and what happened, and by this means we will easily and clearly see if their prophecies are true or false.
Firstly Moses, the famous Moses, who is regarded as God’s Arch-prophet who, in this purported capacity, was the head and guide of the people of Israel, which called itself the people of God Himself and the chosen and cherished people of God, promised and prophesied to this people on God’s behalf, that it would be an especially chosen people of God, that God would sanctify it and bless it above all other nations on earth, giving it an eternal possession of the country of the Canaanites and the other neighboring countries. Which promises and prophecies are, nevertheless, demonstrably false, since this people has never shown, now or in the past, any particular sign of holiness, or any special mark of election, or of special divine protection, and since, besides, it’s so clear that this people has, for many centuries, been entirely excluded from the possession of the lands and country that they were supposed to possess forever, if the promises and prophecies, which had been made to them, were true. But, true or not, the people to whom they were made, have been so confident in the supposedly divine promises and revelations, that they have indeed considered themselves the only cherished and chosen people of God, and in this belief, they are easily persuaded that God had nothing but their welfare and happiness in mind, and that all of Heaven’s grace and blessings were kept in reserve for them. This is also why those who, after this Moses, were the most zealous for the glory of their God and the maintenance of His supposed law, thinking they must maintain and even strengthen, in the minds of the masses, this hope proportioned to such great and advantageous promises, always assured that God would fulfill His promises. But, since He was always slow in fulfilling them, those zealots found it proper to say that the people were acting unworthy, through their vices and their ways, of the fulfilment of such fine and appealing promises, which God had offered them: This is why they preached so strongly against their vices and disorderly ways, issuing such terrible threats against the people and those who governed them so badly if they didn’t mend their ways and correct their vices. And to give additional weight and authority to their words, they also began to issue a prodigious amount of prophecies, to forge revelations, and to prophesy, both about the temporal punishments by God for their vices, as on the great and exceeding blessings He would give them after He had punished them sufficiently for their vices and had completely and perfectly converted them to Him; for these supposed prophecies expressly declare that God would punish them severely for their vices, that He would reject them from His friendship, and that He would abandon them to the power and fury of their enemies, that He would destroy them, and that He would lead them into shameful captivity, outside their own country, and that they would be miserably scattered among foreign nations. But these prophecies also specifically note that after that, God would appease His wrath against them, turning His vengeance on those who will have tormented them; they state that God would restore them to friendship and good standing with Him, in consideration of the eternal alliance that He made with them and their posterity, and that He will then favor them, more than He ever did, with His grace and blessings. That, to this purpose He would send a powerful liberator to deliver them from their captivity, who would purify them from their sins, gather all those who were scattered, and lead them back in glory to regain possession of their lands and country, where they would remain perpetually in peace and security, enjoying abundantly of all sorts of goods and felicity, with the assurance that they would never be troubled by the fear of any enemies; also adding that all other nations would gladly come to pay homage to them, and that they would joyfully come to recognize and worship the sovereign Majesty of their God, offering sacrifices in His temple, as ordained by His Law. All these fine, attractive promises and prophecies have turned out manifestly false.
Look at the exact wording of these fine supposed prophecies, or at least, in part, as they are, for it would take too long to include all of them: “The Lord is full of mercy”, says the Prophet King David[259], He
Himself will, He says[260], “redeem Israel from all its iniquity. The works of God”, he said, “are only justice and truth; He will send redemption to His people, and His covenant with them will last forever...Let the heavens and Earth rejoice,” He also says[261], may the fields be joyful, may the trees and even the forests jump for joy, for the Lord is coming, and He will come to rule the Earth, he will rule over all peoples in justice and truth. ...All of you who fear the Lord, praise Him,” says the same prophet, “and you, people of Israel, exalt Him. All the peoples of the Earth, he says[262], will become converted to the Lord, and they will worship His divine majesty everywhere, for the Lord is the King of all Kings, and He will subject the whole world to His Laws.
“The Lord,” says the prophet Isaiah[263], “will raise the ensign among the Nations, and will gather the Israelites from everywhere, who had been dispersed, and their enemies will perish.” Which was predicted long before by Moses himself: her is what he said to the people of Israel: “When the Lord,” he says:
shall have delivered you over to the power of your enemies, because of your sins, and dispersed you among all nations, because of your wickedness, still, He will lead you back to the country of your fathers, and you will possess it amid blessings and peace; the Lord will increase and multiply you more than He did your fathers, He will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul, He will remove from you every curse, and will make them fall instead on your enemies, and all those who hate you and will have persecuted you, and you will return to the Lord your God, you will obey His word, and He will send you all manner of blessings in abundance; He will bless the works of your hands; He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your animals and the fruit of your land, which you will gather abundantly, for the Lord will rejoice, and take pleasure in bestowing all sorts of goods on you.
What beautiful and advantageous promises were made here by God, through Moses, to the people of Israel, and it’s on this basis that all the later prophets spoke as they did.
Here is what one of these pretended prophets said; here is the word that Isaiah, son of Amos, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, (i.e., relating to the whole Jewish people, the people of Israel):
At the last day the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills, and all nations will come to it. Many peoples will go and say, Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law will come from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will rule over the nations, and will recover many peoples, they will forge their swords into hoes, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations will no longer rise against each other, they will no longer devote themselves to war; the pride of men will be pushed down; those who rise will be abased, and the Lord only will be glorified and exalted, and as for the idols, they will be completely destroyed. Idola penitus conterentur[264].
Let those who think they are abandoned rejoice; let those who are weak be encouraged, let those who are afraid, be reassured, let them fear nothing at all. Behold your God, coming to take vengeance on your enemies. God Himself will come and you deliver you; He will lead by a straight path, and a safe path, where nothing can do you harm, and all those whom the Lord has redeemed, will come to Zion with prosperity and joy, pain and sadness will no longer affect them; but they will be joyful in perpetuity[265].
All these fine, magnificent promises and prophecies have been completely falsified.
“Be comforted, be comforted, my people,” God says by the same Prophet:
Be comforted, tell Jerusalem that its punishment is over, that its iniquities are forgiven, and God took double vengeance for its sins. Raise your voice, proclaim good news to the cities of Judea: tell them, behold the Lord coming in strength and power, bringing rewards with Him, He will defend His people as a shepherd defends his flock. He will bear it in His own bosom[266]. ...Israel will be saved by an eternal salvation, and will never again be exposed to shame and confusion, as before[267]. ...Rise up, rise up, gather your strength, Jerusalem, city of Holiness, dress yourself joyfully, because the uncircumcised and the unclean will never again walk among you. You have drunk the cup of my indignation, you have emptied it, but henceforth you will drink no more[268]. ...I am he, I am he, said God, who takes away your sins; I will erase them for my love's sake, and I will have no more memory of your sins, I will do that from my love, I will no longer permit my name to be blasphemed, and I will not give my glory to another[269].
Rejoice, you who were barren, burst forth joyfully with songs of triumph, you who were abandoned, for your children will be more numerous than the children of those she who was not abandoned; fear not: there will be no more confusion, fear not, for the Lord God, who is your Redeemer and the God of all the earth, shall reign among you. He left you for a while, but he will gather you in great mercy; He hid from you and has shown you His indignation for a little while; but He will have compassion on you eternally: for just as He swore to Noah, that He would never again send a flood on earth, likewise He has also sworn that he would no longer be enraged against you, and that He would no longer punish you. The mountains and hills might shake and be displaced, but the mercy of God will not be separated from you and His covenant will stay firm with you. The walls of these cities will be built of jasper and sapphire, and all sorts of precious stones, all your children will be taught by God himself, justice will be the foundation of your laws, you will fear no oppression, nor slander, and all fear will be far from you[270].
Rise, Jerusalem and be illuminated, for your light will come and the glory of the Lord will rise upon you. Darkness will cover the earth and the peoples will be in darkness; but the Lord will appear to you, and His glory will be manifested to you. The nations will walk only in the clarity of your light, and even the kings will only follow the rays of your splendor. Raise your eyes and see how all the nations assemble around you, at your service. Your sons and your daughters will come from afar, you will rejoice when you see that all the riches of the sea will come to you, an abundance of camels and dromedaries from the countries of Midian and Ephah, and even all those of Sheba will come to honor you, bringing gold and incense, and publishing the praises of the Lord your God. Foreigners will build your walls, and their kings be put to work for you, your doors will be continuously open, and will not be shut day or night, to bring among you all the strength of the nations, and their kings will be led there: for every nation and every kingdom which refuse to serve you will perish. The children of those who afflicted you will abase themselves before you, and you call the city of the Lord, the city of the Holy One of Israel: and while you were forsaken and hated, so that among you no one went to you any longer, the Lord will set you on high eternally, amid continual rejoicing, from generation to generation, and you will see by this that the Lord will have saved you, and that He is your Redeemer; He will bring you gold instead of brass, silver instead of irons, and brass instead of wood, and iron instead of stones; He will establish justice and peace among you and among those who rule you; so there will be no more talk of violence or oppression; but only praise, salvation, peace, and blessings will be heard of. You will have no more need of the Sun’s light by day, nor that of the Moon by night, for the Lord will be your light and your eternal glory, thus, your Sun will no longer set and your Moon will withdraw no more, but the Lord will be your eternal light and then the days of your affliction will come to an end. Your people will all be righteous and will possess the earth in perpetuity; they will be like the seed of plants, planted by the Lord, and, as it were, the workmanship of His hands. The least among you will grow and multiply to thousands, and the smallest will become a strong nation[271].
