THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
You will witness the King in His splendor, and your gaze will reach the distant land, not through sight, but through faith.
Isaiah 33:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
His eyes shall see the king in his beauty, they shall see the land far off.
מֶ֥לֶךְ בְּיָפְי֖וֹ תֶּחֱזֶ֣ינָה עֵינֶ֑יךָ תִּרְאֶ֖ינָה אֶ֥רֶץ מַרְחַקִּֽים׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
- John Chrysostom
- Cyrill of Alexandria
- Ephraem the Syrian
- Hippolytus of Rome
- Aphrahat (Jacob) the Wise
- Beda Venerabilis
Cyrill of Alexandria
Those who welcome the King in splendor shall witness, as proclaimed by Christ, the distant earth that you have yet to behold. Of this earth, the Savior professes, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matt. 5:5). With the insight of our hearts, we already perceive it as if it were afar off, thereby cultivating in ourselves the reverence of the Lord, so that we may dwell in it and, enriched with gifts through Christ, offer our praises alongside the other saints.
Ephraem the Syrian
His gaze will behold the territory from a distance. The prophet speaks of the armies that invaded Judah from far-off regions. He will merely observe, as he mentions, and be astonished that they are laid waste and crushed like the soil beneath them.
Hippolytus of Rome
The Holy Scriptures reveal two arrivals of our Lord and Savior. The first coming, which occurred in the flesh, is marked by dishonor due to His humiliation. As declared by Isaiah, ‘For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not’ (Isaiah 53:2-3). His second coming will be a display of glory, as He returns from heaven with the might of angels and the splendor of the Father (Lk. 9:26).
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The prophet also revealed, ‘You shall see the king in his beauty’ and further prophesied, ‘I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed’ (Dan. 7:13-14).
Aphrahat (Jacob) the Wise
You will behold the King in His glory, and you will observe the distant land. Those who cleanse their hearts from dishonesty will visually perceive the King in His majesty, as indicated in Isaiah 33:17.
Beda Venerabilis
Let us place our hope in the mysteries of His humanity that nourish us, so that we may attain the vision of His divine glory. This is the promise made by Christ to His devoted followers, who seek Him with sincere faith, as He proclaimed: "Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he loves Me; and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and will appear to him Myself" (John 14:21). He assures us of His presence—not as He can be perceived by everyone, even by those who do not believe and who crucified Him—but as He reveals Himself in His beauty to the pure-hearted saints, showing His love as the deserving reward for their devotion.
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Therefore, we should aspire that through the sacraments of His humanity, we may elevate ourselves to behold the likeness of His divinity, provided we receive these sacraments with due reverence for righteousness, holiness, and truth, maintaining them with integrity, and imitating His human transformation along with the teachings He humbly shared with us.
Indeed, the disciples witnessed Him entering His kingdom, for they saw Him radiating on the mountain, a glimpse of which all saints will behold in His kingdom after the fulfillment of the Judgment. What the frail and mortal eyes of the disciples could scarcely endure, the entire Church of saints will witness in the Resurrection, as they too will be transformed into incorruptibility, as it is written: "Your eyes will see the King in His beauty."
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Zech 9:17For what is the good thing of him, and what is his beautiful thing, but the corn of the elect, and wine springing forth virgins?
- 2 Cor 4:18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal.
- John 14:21He that hath my commandments and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.
- 1 John 3:2Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.
- Isa 6:5And I said: Woe is me, because I have held my peace; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people that hath unclean lips, and I have seen with my eyes the King the Lord of hosts.
- John 1:14And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
- John 17:24Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me may be with me: that they may see my glory which thou hast given me, because thou hast loved me before the creation of the world.
- Heb 11:13All these died according to faith, not having received the promises but beholding them afar off and saluting them and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.