Consequently, his refuge is the ephemeral joy that comes from public admiration, in which he perceives himself at ease, relentlessly pursuing it in his thoughts. However, this foundation will ultimately collapse, for worldly accolades vanish with life, and human commendations hold no validity in the final judgment. Likewise, the foolish virgins, who failed to bring oil for their lamps, focused solely on the accolades of others rather than their own convictions, were filled with shame before the Bridegroom, imploring, “Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out” (Matthew 25:8). They looked to their peers for validation, hoping to substantiate their good deeds through the spoken words of others. When such empty souls realize that their labor has yielded no inner substance, they seek external witnesses. It is as if the foolish virgins plainly expressed, "When you see us unrewarded, bear witness to what we have done."
Yet the hypocrite’s reliance on the edifice of praise is in vain, as there will be no acknowledgment from humanity during the Judgment; for the commendations he seeks at that time have already been granted to him. The hypocrite may lean upon his façade, swayed by empty accolades, convinced of his righteousness. Although he may have engaged in various good deeds, he has concealed the malevolence within, focusing on the public acknowledgment of the good he has done. Consequently, when he receives applause for his visible deeds, he diverts his gaze from his hidden failings, beginning to see himself through the lens of public perception rather than his true inner condition. Thus, it often occurs that he approaches the judgment seat of the Almighty with misplaced confidence, presenting himself not as he truly is before the inward Judge, but rather as he appears to those around him. Nonetheless, "the hypocrite's house shall not stand," for in the sheer terror of a thorough examination, all his prior claims to holiness collapse. When he realizes that he lacks corroboration from others, he turns inward, tallying his deeds in an effort to support his façade. Hence, he further insists: he attempts to sustain it, but it will not ascend. That which is inherently weak must rely on external support; when the hypocrite witnesses his life wavering at Judgment, he presents a record of his actions as a means to uphold his status. Did not those who enumerate their deeds at the Judgment prop up their own praise with their very hands, proclaiming, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And have we not cast out demons in your name? And have we not performed many wonderful works in your name?” (Matthew 7:22-23). However, the sanctity of praise that once seemed fortified by their assertions cannot rise, for the Judge proclaims, “I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” It is noteworthy that anything described as “ascending” moves from a lower state to a higher one, yet “the hypocrite's house cannot ascend,” for in all his endeavors he has never elevated his spirit from the earth, thus he is justly denied the reward, as he was consumed with the pursuit of fleeting glory in this temporal realm. While we have examined the hypocrite's life, likened to a fragile reed, as it is rejected in Judgment, let us now consider how he is perceived among men before confronting the stern Judge. And then it continues:
THEOSIS