THEOSISGregory the Great
Jerabalus, also known as Gideon, encountered the angel while he was threshing wheat in the grinder. Obeying the angel’s command, he quickly prepared a goat, placed the meat and unleavened bread on a stone, and poured out the broth. The angel then touched the offering with his staff, and fire emerged from the stone, consuming the sacrifice. This act of winnowing wheat symbolizes the distinction between the grain of virtue and the chaff of vice through divine judgment. The angel embodies this separation, as those who earnestly cleanse themselves of outer distractions receive deeper revelations of inner truths from the Lord. The directive to sacrifice a goat signifies the need to relinquish all fleshly desires, presenting the meat upon the stone and pouring the broth over it.
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The stone represents Christ, as Paul notes, “But the stone was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). By placing the meat on the stone, we emulate Christ through the crucifixion of our bodies. The act of pouring out the broth reflects the one who, following Christ's example, renounces even the carnal thoughts. It illustrates how when the mind liberates itself from the flow of worldly thoughts, the broth is transferred from flesh to the stone. Immediately, the angel touches us with his staff, signifying that God's assistance accompanies our efforts. Then fire arises from the stone to consume the broth and meat; this represents the Spirit, sent by the Redeemer, igniting within our hearts a fire of repentance that devours all unrighteousness in our actions and thoughts.