Praise the Lord together, O Jerusalem, your God. While still held captive, the citizens of the city behold flocks—more accurately, one flock—gathered all around. They perceive the joy of the community, which has, after a time of labor and hardship, now been safely stored in the barn, fearlessly enduring without toil or distress. Amidst this experience, they forward their joy, hoping and yearning, as if aligning their hearts with the angels of God and the people who will rejoice together forever. What will you do, Jerusalem? Surely labor and sighing will come to an end. What will your actions be? Will you still cultivate the land, sow seeds, tend to vineyards, travel, or engage in commerce? Will your responsibilities mirror those of the present, no matter how noble the tasks may be and borne out of compassion? Look at your numbers and take note of your community: if anyone is hungry, to whom will you offer food? If someone is thirsty, who will receive a cup of cold water from you? Identify any strangers to welcome; visit anyone who is ill; reconcile quarrels; and care for the dying. So what will your response be? Praise together, O Jerusalem, your God. This is your calling. As inscriptions often state, engage and find joy.
Be Jerusalem, keeping in mind the one about whom it is said, "Lord, thou shalt destroy their image from thy city." It is they who are now delighting in great splendor, among them those who did not participate today due to the showcase. To whom does it benefit? To whom is it a detriment? For what makes it a benefit? What constitutes a detriment? Those who display such spectacles are not the only ones who suffer loss; a far greater misfortune befalls those who revel in just observing. The former suffer financial loss, while the latter lose the treasures of righteousness from their hearts. Many who are involved in the display must lament the sale of their estates; how much more ought sinners mourn the loss of their souls? Was it not with this in mind that the Lord proclaimed on the Lord's Day: “Watch, that men may watch today.” I urge you, citizens of Jerusalem, I implore you by the peace of Jerusalem, by the Redeemer, the Architect, the Lord of Jerusalem, to raise your prayers to God for their sake. Let them recognize and feel that they are engaged in trivial pursuits; and no matter how engrossed they may be in their bouts of enjoyment, when they reflect upon themselves, they may find discontent. For many of us rejoice that this has already been completed; once, we too shared in that folly, and how many presume they now inhabit that state, who in the future will become not merely Christians, but bishops! From the past, we infer what is to come; from what has come to pass, we declare in advance what God is set to do. Let your prayers remain vigilant; your groaning is not in vain. Surely, those who have been redeemed intercede for those still in peril, for they too were once in peril, heard; and God will rescue His people from Babylonian captivity; He will surely redeem and liberate them, and the number of saints who reflect the image of God will grow.... Praise in oneness, for you are composed of many: praise because you have become one. As the apostle states, “We, being many, are one in Christ.” Since we are many, we join in praise; since we are one, we exalt. Many and one are identical, because He in whom they are united is eternally One.
Therefore, says this Jerusalem, do I lift my voice to the Lord with a singular heart, and as Zion do I magnify my God? Jerusalem and Zion refer to the same entity. Each name has its own significance. Jerusalem symbolizes visions of peace; Zion denotes observation. These terms resonate with the notion of spectacles; lest the Gentiles suppose they possess the spectacles while we do not. At times, after the disbanding of the theater or amphitheater, when the crowds of the deceived file out of that den, often fixating on the images of their fleeting amusements, relishing them as if they were sweet, while in truth they are lethal; they may catch sight of God’s servants passing by, recognizing them by their clothing or countenance, and say to each other or to themselves, “Poor souls, how much they forfeit!” Brethren, let us respond to their good intentions with prayers to the Lord. They wish us well; yet he who loves wickedness despises his own soul. If he despises his own soul, how can he love mine? But with misdirected and hollow goodwill—if it may be regarded as goodwill—they lament that we lose what they cherish: let us pray instead that they may not lose what we value. Consider what Jerusalem ought to be, which is called to offer praise or rather anticipates praising. For when we behold, cherish, and laud this city, it will require no stirring by prophetic utterance; rather, prophets voice it now to imbibe, as much as they are able while remaining in this mortal frame, the future joys of the blessed, and to relay them to our ears to inspire love for this city within us. Let us burn with desire and not become apathetic in spirit. Praise your God, O Zion.
He strengthens the bars of your gates. The bars are reinforced not for gates that are open but for those that are closed, which is why most manuscripts render it as “He has strengthened the bars of your gates.” Notice, beloved, He instructs Jerusalem, even when it is shut, to give praise to the Lord. Praise together, lift your voices now; yet it occurs amidst offenses. Many enter where we prefer they would not; many, despite our wishes, depart: thus, offenses abound. And due to the increase of wickedness, as Truth states, love grows cold in many, because individuals come in whom we cannot discern, while others go out whom we cannot retain. Why is this? Because perfection is not yet achieved; the happiness that shall be is not yet attained. Why is this? Because we are still on a threshing floor, not yet in a barn. Therefore, what then will this engender but fear that such occurrences may transpire? He stated, not merely, “He has set up,” but, “He has fortified the shutters of your gates.” Let no soul exit, let no soul enter. Let no soul exit—we rejoice; let no soul enter—we fear. Yet do not let this fear prevail: when you are let in, it will be said to you, “Only you shall be among the virgins who brought oil with them….”
He has blessed your children within you. WHO? He who has established peace within your borders. How all of you rejoice! Love peace, dear brethren. Exult greatly when the spirit of peace shouts from your hearts. How this stirs your joy! I spoke nothing, nor offered explanation: I simply recited the verse, and you expressed your delight. What cried out within you? The love of peace...children of the Kingdom, citizens of Jerusalem, there exists a vision of peace in Jerusalem: all who cherish peace are blessed therein and enter when the doors are sealed and the bars are fortified. This is that for which, though merely named, you hold such affection, this follows, this you desire: this love in your households, in your occupations, among your wives, your sons, your servants, your friends, and your foes.
What you recently proclaimed at the mere mention of peace, you did so with yearning: your call was for thirst, not for excess; for there shall be perfect truth wherever perfect peace abounds. Now we hunger and thirst for righteousness. They shall be filled. How will they be filled? When we arrive at peace. Thus, when it was declared, “He who has established peace within your borders,” for there exists fullness, and no lack, He promptly continued, “And with the riches of wheat, He shall satisfy you.”
Who sends His Word upon the earth. Behold, upon the earth we strive, weary, frail, sluggish, cold: when we ought to have ascended to the fullness of wheat that satisfies you, did He not dispatch His Word to the earth, by which we found ourselves burdened, hobbled from returning? He sent His Word; He did not abandon us even in the wilderness; He rained down manna from heaven. Who sends His Word to the earth; and His Word came to earth. What characterizes His Word? It moves even to swiftness. He did not claim, “His Word is swift,” but, “His Word runs even to swiftness.” Let us comprehend, beloved: He could not select a better term. The fervent become fervent from heat, the cold become cold from chill, the swift become swift from speed.... To what degree, then, does it run? Even to swiftness. Increase, as you may, the swift qualities of the Word, and proclaim, “It is as swift as this or that—like birds, winds, or angels”—is any of these as profound as swiftness itself, even to swiftness? What is swiftness itself, beloved, it is omnipresent; it does not discriminate. It belongs to the Word of God, not to be partial, but to be everywhere the Word itself, through which He manifests the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, before He assumed flesh. If we contemplate God in His divine form, the Word equal to the Father, this is the Wisdom of God concerning which it is said, “It stretches mightily from one end to the other.” What remarkable swiftness! It reaches mightily from one end to the other.
We are then burdened by the obliquity of this cold body and the shackles of this earthly and corrupt existence; do we not have hope of receiving the Word that approaches swiftness? Has He abandoned us, though the body encumbers us to our deepest core? Did He not predestine us even before we were born into this mortal and feeble body? Thus, He who predestined us endowed the earth with snow, and with ourselves. Now let us examine these somewhat perplexing verses of the Psalm and allow these confusions to begin to unfold. Here, we are slow and somewhat frozen on this earth. Just as snowflakes freeze at their heights, then descend; as love cools, so human nature compacted in sluggishness, conforms to the earth, and, ensnared in a languid form, resembles snow. Yet, within this snow, the sons of God are predestined. For He gives snow as wool. What is wool? It signifies that from the snow He provides, from those who are still sluggish in spirit and cold, whom He has predestined, He plans to create something. Wool is the material for garments: when we witness wool, we interpret it as a type of material for clothing. Therefore, since He has predestined those who are presently cold and merely crawling upon the earth, not yet ignited by the spirit of love (for He continues to speak of predestination), God has granted them as a form of wool: He intends to transform them into garments. Properly, Christ’s attire shimmered on the mountain like snow. The garments of Christ glimmered as snow, as if a garment has already been formed from that snow, of which wool—represents snow, which He has given as wool—while still in the context of predestination, was becoming more substantial; but wait, behold what follows. Because He has given them as wool, clothing is fashioned from them. For just as the Church is termed the body of Christ, so the Church is additionally referred to as Christ’s garment: thus arises the apostle’s assertion, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle. Let Him therefore present to Himself a glorious Church, free from spot and blemish; let Him fashion for Himself a garment of that wool which He predestined in the snow. While men remain unfaithful, cold and sluggish, let Him make a garment of that wool. To cleanse him of blemishes, let him be purified by faith; that no flaw may dwell in him, let him be humbled upon the cross….
THEOSIS