Job 36:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this illumination from the eternal realm, God assures his friend of his inheritance, urging him to not lose heart over his own frailties or past shortcomings, but rather to trust in the renewal he has received. However, it must be made very clear that his possession of this light is more assured the more he resolutely overcomes the darkness of persistent sins. This assurance is beautifully reflected in the promise that he can approach it. For what could be more challenging for a mortal, burdened with earthly frailties, than to ascend to the heights of heaven and delve into the mysteries of the divine? Yet, the Creator of those very spirits descended to us, appearing as man, as the Father declared through the prophet, "You have made him a little lower than the angels" (Psalms 8:6). By positioning Himself between these spirits and humanity here on earth, displaying extraordinary power and even greater goodness through the creation of the higher and the assumption of the lower nature, He harmonized the exalted with the humble.

Thus, upon the birth of this Sovereign, multitudes of angels proclaimed His arrival with song; and as human wrongdoing was vanquished, humanity, once looked down upon, was acknowledged as citizens, joyfully declaring, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men" (Luke 2:14). It was as if they explicitly voiced, "For those prepared to renounce evil, let the Divine be birthed among us to unite us." Prior to His incarnation, we see in the Old Testament instances where individuals worshipped the angel, as evidenced in the cases of Lot and Joshua (Deut. 34:10; Dan. 12:1). It was not condemned then to bow before him (Gen. 19:13-16), yet when John sought to worship an angel after the Redeemer’s coming, he was rebuked with, "See that you do not do that; I am your fellow servant and of your brethren" (Rev. 19:10).

What is illustrated here is the transition; the angels initially permitted such reverence toward themselves, recognizing humanity's state of wretchedness and surrender to the flesh, but once they beheld the Creator exalted in human nature, they could no longer tolerate humanity's submission to them. Therefore, this nature, once scorned, now deserved honor. He, who became lower than the angels for our sake, lifted us to equal standing with the angels through His humility (Hebrews 2:7). By enduring death, He taught us that it should not instill fear; through His Resurrection, He confirmed our assurance of eternal life; and by His Ascension, He invited us to rejoice in our inheritance of the heavenly kingdom. Indeed, every part of the body rejoices in this, as they follow to the same destination where they see their Head has gone before. Our Head Himself affirmed, "Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles shall be gathered together" (Matthew 24:28). Thus, Peter asserts, "To an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:4). Paul further states, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor. 5:1).

However, if we, who have been born of the earth, ascend to heaven, how do we reconcile this with Truth’s statement, "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven" (Jn. 3:13)? This assertion does not contradict the truth expressed when He says, "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am" (Jn. 17:24). There is no contradiction in His words but rather an invitation for us to explore these paradoxes. All of us born into His faith are inherently His body because the Lord, through a marvelous arrangement, is the Head of His members. So indeed, no one ascends to heaven except for Him who descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. Since we have become united in one body with Him, He brings us back to the place from which He came. Moreover, He, who is perpetually in heaven, makes daily ascent into heaven, for He who remains in His divine essence above all things returns daily in the body of Humanity.

Let us not allow our human frailties to plunge us into despair; instead, let us embrace the priceless blood of the Only Begotten. Let us ponder with care where our Head has gone before us, and let those who are bound by His commandments of righteousness draw hope from His example. May we yearn for and anticipate the heavenly realm, recognizing that our companions are Angels, and rejoice that our Head is esteemed above even the Angels. It can rightly be asserted concerning the light of the eternal kingdom that He reveals to His companion that it belongs to him and that he may draw near to it. These truths are wondrous, yet formidable: the man born on earth and condemned by his transgressions to exile from the heavenly kingdom is restored not only to his original state of creation but is raised to an even more glorious condition; for he who forfeited Paradise is granted Heaven, and this is achieved despite his sins as the gifts are abundantly bestowed upon him. Even he who scorns God and emulates the devil, if he returns to sincere repentance, will ascend to glory, beholding the inner light. Who can contain their joy at such merciful grace? Who can resist the motivation born from such sublime thoughts?

The wonders of nature serve as evidence of God's care for humanity and the fair distribution of His blessings and afflictions. Rain and storms, along with thunder and lightning, are used by God as instruments of chastisement or mercy. Since humanity cannot comprehend the reasons behind these extraordinary occurrences and is even less capable of replicating them, one must relinquish the desire to challenge God and submit to His will with humble reverence.