The righteous, of whom Pilate's wife remarked, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man” (Matthew 27:19), and Pilate himself declared, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person” (Matthew 27:24), face perishing. It is essential to understand that the term perish, often misapplied by heretics to denote eternal destruction, refers to Christ, whose suffering signifies the extent of persecution rather than the cessation of existence. Yet, no one, he notes, reflects within themselves or considers it sincerely. Indeed, the blind and foolish who chase after illusions and grasp at vanities do not contemplate divine matters.
Thus, when we observe that the righteous are taken up, this signifies the apostles who are martyred by the wicked yet gathered by the Lord. The text clarifies the rationale for the righteous being taken away, stating that they are removed from the presence of the wicked, sparing them from the world's calamities. In carrying the sins of humanity, He ascended victoriously to the Father. The phrase in the Hebrew text that speaks of the world finding rest on its bed signifies that the peace of the Righteous One has come, which Christ bestowed upon His apostles, saying, “My peace I give unto you, my peace I leave with you” (John 14:27). When the peace of Christ arrives, surpassing all understanding, His apostles will be at rest, and their death shall be their serenity. This illustrates that martyrs do not face true destruction but rather triumph and find eternal rest. He who owns the world and whose apostles find peace on their beds ascends straight to the Father as a victor.
Furthermore, what is recorded in the Septuagint—“From the face of the wicked the just is taken; his burial shall be in peace, taken from the midst”—pertains to Christ, while the apostles, though unblemished, laid to rest in peace. His body did not undergo decay and did not remain in the tomb; for He was among the dead without corruption, as the angel and the women declared, “Whom do you seek? Jesus? He is not here; come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:5-6). The Jews assume that these words refer broadly to all the righteous, whose blood was shed by Manasseh, flooding Jerusalem from one end to the other, or perhaps they believe it prophesies Isaiah's death, who was to meet his end by being sawn in two according to their traditions. Hence, many attribute the sufferings of the saints recounted in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:37) specifically to Isaiah’s afflictions.
THEOSIS