THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The territories of Ethiopia will tremble, as will the refuge of Midian. Narratives that hold significance always include elements worthy of attention, offering insights that satisfy even when expressed repetitively. Thus, after detailing the defeat of opposing forces and illustrating their dissolution as if they were overturned mountains, he draws a parallel with the outsiders who contended against the land of Israel. These outsiders included the Ethiopians, who resided to the east and south near the Indian Sea, and the Midianites, who lived in the adjacent desert.
Read more (249 words)
Consequently, it is stated that "they shall fear" those who opposed the sacred city, which we understand to represent spiritual Zion or the Church of Christ, inhabited by the saints and the chosen people, reminiscent of ancient Israel, for Israel denotes ‘the one who perceives God.’ Nathanael exemplifies this as “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” (John 1:47). Thus, through the imagery of the Ethiopians and Midianites, who repeatedly sought to harm God's chosen, we can infer a representation of the demonic forces that are adversarial to the saints. On another note, the Ethiopians may also symbolize idolaters, whose lives are full of earthly desires and impurity. Indeed, the Ethiopians are devoid of divine enlightenment, and metaphorically, their hearts are dark and their thoughts obscured. It is noted that the serpent has been allotted to them, as David proclaims to the Almighty: "You have broken the head of the serpent; you have given it to the people of Ethiopia" (Psalm 73:14). Just as the life-giving word of God has become our spiritual sustenance, those who revel in sin and lack knowledge of the true God consume the essence of Satan, embodying him in their thoughts and speech, which gratify him. The Midianites have historically opposed the saints. Delving deeper into the meaning of the term "Midianite," it can be understood as “condemned.” This label aptly describes Satan himself and the evil entities aligned with him, “for whom the gloom of utter darkness is kept forever” (Jude 1:13).