Or, as the Septuagint reveals: 'When you poured into the storage room twenty measures of barley—thought to be fodder for livestock—did you not return to find only ten measures?' Similarly, when you approached the vineyard, hoping to extract fifty vessels, you were able to produce not half of that, but only twenty. This I did, sending scorching winds, blight, withered crops, empty husks, and barren vines, so that through these afflictions, I could draw you to a deeper understanding of Me; yet, even so, no one turned back to Me. The writer of Hebrews interprets this entire passage, saying: “Turn now your hearts from this day and then backwards…”—for indeed, the foundations of the temple have been established. From the day you laid these foundations (in earlier times, I have punished you with barrenness, famine, hail, and drought, yet none returned to Me)—think towards the future, and you will perceive how everything will prosper for you. It is because you have committed to building My temple, valuing the construction of My House above mere altar offerings.
Some offer their sacrifices to God in vain, believing that almsgiving and offerings can appease Him while neglecting to establish a temple for the Holy Spirit within themselves. Indeed, alms and gifts brought to the altar only hold value when one has first made themselves a dwelling for God and then brings offerings to the altar after this foundation has been laid. In a spiritual sense, for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, it is said that we should consider the time when we were without faith—immersed in vices—failing to erect within ourselves a temple for God. Just as a skilled builder carefully places one stone atop another, using mortar and cement to bind them together, so too does the spiritual architect (as described by the Apostle: “As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation" (1 Cor. 3:10)) know how to join each component, gradually constructing the temple of God. The foundation of this sanctuary is established by Jesus Christ, and it is up to each individual to decide what they will build upon it. One may choose gold, silver, and precious stones, while another opts for wood, hay, or stubble; here the quality of materials is contrasted. The stones used for building by the Lord to form Jerusalem are described as those of great beauty: "Behold, I will prepare thy stones of carbuncle, and thy foundations of sapphires, and thy fortifications of jasper, and thy gates of crystal, and thy wall of chosen stones" (Isaiah 54:11-12). It must not be thought, based on simplistic tales and myths, that God formed Jerusalem of merely gold and precious stone; rather, it is composed of those living stones spread throughout the earth, exhibiting qualities of faith akin to carbuncles, heavenly attributes of sapphires bound to the throne of God, or the clarity of righteousness akin to crystal.
You are thus called to reflect on what we have endured prior to building the temple of God within ourselves. When you shall arrive at a collection of twenty measures yet find only ten (as indicated in the Septuagint), you realize that what we once viewed as virtues prior to Christ's coming amounted to no wheat, but rather barley. This barley produced some yield, as evidenced in the account of Isaac (Gen. 26:12), but indeed, we reaped little from our labor, raising the question: “Have you suffered so much without cause?” (Gal. 3:4). Similarly, when we entered the winepress, hoping to gather fifty vessels—the sum of seven times seven culminating in the unity of God's essence—we found that this sacred number thirty was stripped from us, leaving us with only twenty. The number twenty was favored by Esau; thus, Jacob sent him a gift of twenty animals, knowing it would please him. It’s noteworthy that Jacob, although a holy man, labored for twenty years under the harsh and greedy Laban (Genesis 30:38). But let there be no confusion in saying that some might experience a portion of their efforts prior to believing in Christ and establishing His temple, as the works of the unfaithful yield no true fruit. Indeed, he may set aside twenty, yet finds not even that, and when he counts, he sees only ten—that is, half his toil. Jews, Gentiles, and the philosophers of this age, who boast of their wisdom, may receive rewards only in this life, while hopes of future glory are denied. This is to incite a sense of despair, compelling them to seek repentance and begin anew, building stone upon stone as they create a temple for God. If they persist in disbelief, they risk losing even the partial gains they seem to have held; for it follows, "I have struck you with a burning wind, with blight, and with hail, upon all the works of your hands.” That which is affected by blight, hail, and scorching wind becomes dust and ashes, devoid of any utility or nourishment. God permitted all this because not one turned to Him; yet, had they sought to reconceive their purpose and construct a holy temple for the Lord, they would find fulfillment in what the prophetic message further reveals.
THEOSIS