Addressing His holy disciples, He proclaimed, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:18-19). Surely, this was a truly delightful summer as we were welcomed into fellowship with Him, cleansed from sin through holy baptism, and became partakers of His divine nature through the communion of the Holy Spirit. This pleasant season was marked by His revelation of glory through incomprehensible signs, as we eagerly embraced the time of salvation through Him, to which the wise Paul referred by saying, "Now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). The day of recompense is identified with this same period of His arrival, where He rewarded those who placed their faith in Him with promises of hope.
I reflect on how the honorable life prescribed by the Law of Moses, while it offered temporary (earthly) prosperity to those who adhered to it faithfully, lacked promises of rewards in the eternal realm and merely encouraged a focus on present-day benefits. The law advised one to refrain from sin, admonishing, "Do not let your heart be led astray by evil" (Ecclesiastes 7:17), and it instructed children, "Honor your father and your mother that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land" (Exodus 20:12). It also promised an abundance of earthly produce, peace, and consequently joy. Therefore, through the prophet Zechariah, it was said: "Jerusalem shall be inhabited like towns without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it; and I will be to her a wall of fire all around, and I will be the glory in her midst" (Zechariah 2:4). Again, "Old men and old women shall sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand, because of great age; and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets" (Zechariah 8:4-5). Thus, while the Law of Moses promised only temporary rewards to the ancients, the gospel of salvation offers hope for future blessings: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). A closer examination of the subsequent beatitudes reveals God’s promises of both glorious and bounteous rewards.
However, those who choose to interpret the recompense Christ offered upon His coming might see it another way. The vile adversary once exalted himself over the earth’s inhabitants, ruling the cosmos and distracting them from the true knowledge of God, leading them into sin and compelling them to worship his malevolent powers. As he declared, "I will be like a lion, and I will gather all things as if from a nest, and no one shall escape from me" (Isaiah 10:14). But his ambitions proved to be in vain, for Christ arose and subdued him, avenging the wrongs he inflicted on us by dismantling his power and breaking his dominion over us. He confined the enemy in chains of darkness, subjecting him to the judgment of the great day of suffering, along with others who fell from grace alongside him (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). Thus, the righteous David, speaking on behalf of the redeemed, sings: "I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before Your presence" (Psalm 9:1-3). In another instance, David declares that his sin will be remembered no more (Psalm 9:6). The Savior Himself proclaimed, "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out" (John 12:31). Thus, through this understanding, the time of recompense resonates with the moment when Christ illuminated the world.
He came to comfort all those who mourn in Zion, exchanging ashes for beauty, despair for a garment of praise. The Jews had once possessed holy individuals, skilled in the Law, who reflected on and studied prophetic texts. As they observed the descendants of Israel forsaking the Law of Moses, indulging their own desires while teaching the commandments of men, these holy men, filled with sorrow for their people, anticipated redemption through Christ, for they were inspired by the Spirit to recognize Him who justifies the ungodly by faith and purifies the impure through grace. Hence, the righteous Simeon, holding the infant Jesus, prayed, "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32). Similarly, the divine Zacharias, father of John, proclaimed, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us" (Luke 1:68-69). Philip also shared the good news with Nathanael, declaring, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45). The wise Paul expressed, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:2-3).
THEOSIS