THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The earth will safeguard His children, as expressed in the following account: “There the Elvenites were gathered together, and saw one another's faces. And one of them shall not perish, neither recover one another: for the Lord commanded them, and his spirit gathered me. And the Lord commanded them, and his hand divided them to pasture: for ever ye shall inherit, in generations of generations shall ye rest in him.” In referring to Judah becoming an arid wasteland, devoid of divine mercy and love, it serves as a reminder of those who are saved within it. This group may represent the remnant—believers who, as mentioned, have been preserved by the earth with assurance. The faithful of Israel have become the children of Judah, finding in our Lord Jesus Christ their unshakeable sanctuary.
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From these redeemed children arose the Divine disciples, known as the Eleni in a certain manner. They are compared to deer, a fitting illustration since this creature is known to defeat serpents and is eager to dwell near fresh waters. Such are those who participate in the divine heritage, ready to vanquish the spiritual serpent by nullifying its glory and rendering its toxic nature powerless. Moreover, they delight in the spiritual springs of water, representing the sharing of spiritual blessings, as if nurturing the intellect to bear fruit for God.
As he describes the saved, the Eleni came together and admired one another, as suggested by “‘They saw one another's faces.’ Not one of them faced peril, as also indicated by the phrase, ‘They came in numbers, and one of them perished not, neither sought one another.’ Who is the one who delivered them? The Lord commanded them, and His Spirit gathered me, instructing me to teach all nations and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). He apportions their lots and our Lord’s hand leads them to eternal pasture; for among the holy Apostles, the nations were distributed as distinct inheritances, with each entrusted to preach the Gospel. Thus, Peter is designated for the circumcision, while the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul and Barnabas, saying, ‘Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work for which I have called them’ (Acts 18:2), leading them to be Apostles to the Gentiles. Therefore, the hand of His lot is set apart to shepherd them eternally.
The imagery of deer conveys the notion of their pastoral role; the Apostles tended to those regions, joyfully guiding those called by faith toward the truth—it was their divine heritage. Similarly, the Apostle Paul proclaimed to the believers saved through him, “My joys and crowns are mine” (Philippians 4:1). He assures that an everlasting praise of God is preserved for this purpose, stating, “They rest in him.” What does it mean to rest in Him? Clearly, it relates to the inheritance bestowed upon them by God. We must also reflect on the words of the blessed David, who sings of them, “The voice of the Lord overturneth the firkins, and openeth the oak trees” (Psalm 28:9). This can be interpreted as oak trees being opened by God for the spiritual Eleni—the countless multitude of Gentiles—who possess a profound appreciation for the sincere conduct of believers.