THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Therefore, declare this message from the Lord God: I will gather you from the nations and unite you from the places where you have been scattered, and I will grant you the land of Israel. You will come there and remove all that causes offense and every abomination from it. I will give you one heart and a new spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone from your flesh and replace it with a heart of flesh, so that you may follow My commandments, observe My statutes, and live them out, and you will be My people, and I will be your God. However, for those whose hearts are set on stumbling blocks and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.
Read more (486 words)
The divine declaration reaches those held captive in Babylon, the kin of Ezekiel the prophet, who were told that the land was given to those living in Jerusalem. They warned them about departing from the Lord, while proclaiming that to them, the land has been granted as an inheritance. The message continues that I will gather you from among the nations and restore to you the land of Israel. When you arrive, I will dismantle all the idols that have provoked My anger and will instill in you a singular heart, one that fears and serves Me, to ensure you do not worship various idols or any heart other than the one you possess now. I will grant you a new spirit in your inner being, affirming what is written: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). I will remove your heart of stone, which represents a hardened heart, as Stephen, the first martyr for Christ, remarked about hearts that are stubborn and uncircumcised (Acts 7:51). The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, preventing him from letting the people of Israel go (Exodus 7). Instead, I will give you a tender heart, open and receptive, capable of understanding My commandments, which will be inscribed on the fleshy tablets of your hearts. A soft heart will be given, while a hard heart will be taken away, empowering you to follow My commandments, observe My decrees, and belong to Me as My people, with the Lord, who was once opposed, becoming your God. Nevertheless, those who have not repented and continue in their abominations will receive the consequences of their actions, resulting in their ways being turned back upon themselves. Many believe these events took place during the time of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jesus, the high priest, son of Josedech, as well as during the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, among the tribe of Judah and those who returned alongside them. The inhabitants of Jerusalem consisted of those captured under King Zedekiah or those who fled to Egypt with Jeremiah, remaining scattered and not returning to Jerusalem. Yet, the complete restoration of the captives and the remnant of Israel is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, when many were saved in a single day, with three thousand and then five thousand more coming to belief (Acts 2). Others witnessed this, as James mentioned to the apostle Paul, affirming, Look, brother, how many thousands are among the Jews who have believed, all of whom are zealous for the law (Acts 21:20). Even the proud residents of Jerusalem, with hearts consumed by their stumbling blocks and abominations, are deserving of God’s wrath. Conversely, those who, having received a heart of stone, find restoration, through repentance, to the Church, will walk in the Lord’s commandments, observe His decrees, and become His people, with the Lord, whom they previously provoked, becoming their God.