Because there is a human element to the prophecies, these predictions cannot be seen as coming directly from God. However, by examining the chorus over time in Oedipus the King, we can see how Sophocles defends effectively the prophet. Unlike Oedipus, whose religious beliefs are stagnant throughout the opera, the chorus originally believes in God. But, once Tiresias condemns Oedipus, the chorus not only abandons respect for the divine, but also tries in vain to find something or someone who consolidates his faith in Oedipus' innocence. However, when he tries to convince Oedipus (and himself) that he would be acquitted of murder the next morning, the chorus appeals to the power of the prophets and says that: “… if I am a true prophet / if I can grasp the truth... at tomorrow's full moon, on Mount Cithaeron, / you will know how / Oedipus glories in you, / in you, his homeland, nurse, his mountain-mother!» (1195-1199). As much as they unconsciously make this comment, the chorus is saying that they would only trust a prophet to tell Oedipus when he will discover the story of his birth. By saying that the prophets will provide Oedipus with accurate information, the chorus not only recognizes the inevitable power of the Gods, but also correctly predicts that these Gods will actually tell Oedipus' true story, even though it is probably not what the chorus wants to hear. In other words, while trying to avoid the religion in which they once so fervently proclaimed faith, the choir is forced to return to using prophecies to obtain information – information that ends up being true. The inescapable nature of religion in Oedipus Rex, shown through the chorus' forced return to faith, allows Sophocles to successfully defend the gods. This defense and support of the power of the Gods is what allows the reader to realize that