THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
You will come to understand how he lawfully and faultlessly accomplished the priestly duty. In the book of Leviticus, it is stated, “And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, This is the law of the burnt-offering: Let the burnt-offering remain in the place of burning on the altar all night until morning, and let the fire of the altar burn upon it, and let the priest put on his linen garment, and put on his body a linen underclothing, and let him take off the ashes of the burnt-offering which the fire of the altar has burned, and let him put them by the side of the altar; And let him take off his garments, and let him put on other garments, and let him take the ashes out of the camp into a clean place.
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And let the priest kindle wood thereon every morning, and let him spread the burnt-offering thereon, and let him burn thereon the fat of the peace-offering; let the fire burn continually upon the altar, and let it not be quenched” (Leviticus 6:8-13). Hence, the fire on the altar is perpetual and absolute, generated not externally, but derived from the altar itself, which signifies a divine and heavenly source. What does this signify? It indicates that our sacred altar is filled with the glory of God, and the Divine essence is embodied in the form of fire, pointing to something profound. Palladius asks what this means, and Cyril responds that we have recognized the Divine altar, figuratively represented by Immanuel, through whom we come to God the Father, serving with understanding and elevating the fragrance of virtue and the sanctity of the evangelical life. For it is written, “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, for your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). Palladius acknowledges this instruction to remember. Cyril observes how the altar fire, which emanated from heaven, is commanded to burn continuously and without interruption. John the Baptist bore witness to Christ, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and abiding on Him. I, he said, did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:32-33). The Holy Spirit descended upon Christ and continually abides with Him, thus being represented as fire, highlighting the eternal nature of the altar flame. The blessed Baptist affirms that fire characterizes the Spirit, telling the Jewish people, “I baptize in water, but there stands among you One whom you do not know. He is the One who is coming after me, but who has gone ahead of me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His shoe” (John 1:26-27). He states, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matt. 3:11; cf. Jn. 1:33), indicating that we are baptized not with physical fire, but with the Holy Spirit, who, like fire, purifies our souls. Therefore, it is written of Christ: “He is like a melting fire, and like a refining lye, and sitteth down to melt and refine silver … as gold” (Malachi 3:2-3). The altar fire remains unquenchable because the Holy Spirit dwells in Christ, who is inherently part of God. The law also states that the fire of the altar is God’s own; although the Only-Begotten became man and embraces the Spirit as is befitting of humanity, the Spirit belongs genuinely to Him and resides in Him. Any interpretation that relates this to those sanctified through faith in Christ—viewing each as a divine altar—is fitting, since holy individuals dedicated to Christ should be continually alive and fervent with the Spirit, resisting the pull of worldly distractions that may lead to spiritual coldness. Rather, they should cultivate devotion, yearning for the Divine and a passion for virtue. This reflects the essence of the ministry of the word. The significance of the altar is profound. He emphasizes a command that is relevant in a literal sense: the ashes should only be conveyed by the consecrated and not by outsiders or those of another lineage. Notice how the law treats anything related to the Divine office as significant, ensuring nothing unholy pertains to that which is sacred, emphasizing that the holy realm is inaccessible to the impure. Indeed, the Divine altar is sacred. To ensure that those selected for the priestly ministry understand the sanctity of the Divine altar, He elevates the sacred vestments. They are forbidden to step outside the tabernacle dressed in holy garments, lest they become defiled while among the unclean and thereby compromise the sanctity of the holy tabernacle. Thus, although they may take the ashes while adorned in sacred glory, they must change their attire once outside the tabernacle. The command continues, stating: “This room which faces south, and that which faces north, which are at certain distances, are the barriers of the sanctuary, in which the children of Sadoq, who draw nigh unto the Lord, eat these things in the holy of holies, and there they shall put the holy of holies, and of the sin-offering and the trespass-offering: for the place is holy. Let no man enter there except the priests. And let not these go out from the court of the sanctuary into the outer court, that the sacrificers may always be holy, and let not their garments be touched, but they serve in them, because they are holy, and let them put on other garments when they come in contact with the people” (Ezekiel 40:45-46:44:19-29). Thus, the priests' very garments are holy and sacred from the laity. By day and by night, the burnt offering is ceaseless, for the fragrance of Christ is unending. The lives of the saints, viewed as a continual burnt-offering, emit an ongoing aroma, as they are perfumed with Christ's incense, offering praise to God through the deeds of the evangelical life. Palladius agrees, affirming the truth of these words.