Zachary Garris

You are probably familiar with the story in the Babylonian Talmud (Yoma 39b), where four extraordinary signs are listed as having begun 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The lot for the Lord ceased coming up in the high priest's right hand; the scarlet thread associated with the scapegoat no longer turned white; the western lamp of the Temple no longer burned continually; and the doors of the Temple began opening by themselves. This was brought about by Christ's death and resurrection. The Old Covenant waxed old (Hebrews 8:13) before it was brought an end to by Titus and his Roman soldiers. What is lesser known, however, is what was happening in the Gentile world. For centuries, the pagan nations had consulted oracles: supposedly supernatural voices that communicated through priests and priestesses at temples dedicated to Apollo and other false gods. Demonic power seemed to reign supreme. Kings consulted these oracles before going to war, cities sought their guidance in times of calamity, and the common people lived in fear of their pronouncements. Yet now the ancient oracles began falling silent. The Roman writer Cicero openly questioned why the famous oracle at Delphi had ceased delivering its former prophecies. The Greek geographer Strabo likewise observed that the once-celebrated oracle of Ammon had become almost deserted. Plutarch, himself a pagan Greek philosopher and priest at Delphi, devoted an entire treatise to this extraordinary phenomenon, entitled On the Cessation of Oracles (Περὶ τῶν ἐκλελοιπότων χρηστηρίων). He observed that places once renowned for their supernatural pronouncements had become utterly silent. In some regions, nearly every oracle had disappeared. The pagans were perplexed, and various explanations were proposed for this remarkable decline. But perhaps the most astonishing account preserved by Plutarch concerns an event during the reign of Emperor Tiberius—the very emperor under whom our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. A ship was sailing through the Mediterranean when, near the island of Paxi, a mysterious voice called out to an Egyptian pilot named Thamus. After calling him three times, the voice commanded: “When you come to Palodes, announce that Great Pan is dead.” Pan was one of the deities worshiped by the ancient Greeks. The passengers were terrified; Thamus nevertheless resolved to deliver the message if the sea remained calm. When the ship approached Palodes, he turned toward the shore and cried out: “GREAT PAN IS DEAD!” Plutarch records a tremendous groaning was heard, not from one voice, but from many, accompanied by cries of astonishment. When Emperor Tiberius heard about this in Rome, he ordered an investigation into the matter. This matters theologically, of course. The prophets had expressly foretold that the coming of the Messiah would bring about the overthrow of idolatry. Isaiah 2:18 declares: “And the idols he shall utterly abolish.” And Zechariah 13:2: “I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered.” Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ demonstrated His absolute authority over the powers of darkness. The demons trembled at His presence, confessed His divine identity, and obeyed His commands. But His victory did not end at Jerusalem; it went beyond Judaea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. Following His death, resurrection, and ascension, the Gospel began spreading throughout the nations. The strongholds of pagan superstition were shaken. Ancient temples were deserted. The worship of idols was overthrown, and those who had formerly lived in darkness were brought to the knowledge of the true and living God. In the Jewish world, the signs of the Temple were changing. In the Gentile world, the ancient oracles were being silenced. The pagan philosophers recognized that something extraordinary was happening, but they could not explain its true cause. By God's grace however, we Christians can. The crucified and risen Christ had triumphed over the principalities and powers of darkness. The nations that had so long been held captive by idolatry were now being summoned to worship the Son of God. As we read in Psalm 2:8: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” The coming of Jesus Christ marked the beginning of the overthrow of paganism and the gathering of the Gentile nations into His kingdom. The oracles of the false gods fell silent, while the Gospel of the risen Christ went forth into all the earth.