Matthew § 100

For in the last days false prophets shall be multiplied, and such as corrupt the word; and the sheep shall be changed into wolves, and love into hatred: for through the abounding of iniquity the love of many shall wax cold. For men shall hate, and persecute, and betray one another. And then shall appear the deceiver of the world, the enemy of the truth, the prince of lies, [2 Thessalonians 2:3-12] whom the Lord Jesus "shall destroy with the spirit of His mouth, who takes away the wicked with His lips; and many shall be offended at Him. But they that endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven;" [Isaiah 11:4; Matthew 24:1-51] and afterwards shall be the voice of a trumpet by the archangel; and in that interval shall be the revival of those that were asleep. And then shall the Lord come, and all His saints with Him, with a great concussion above the clouds, with the angels of His power, [Matthew 16:27] in the throne of His kingdom, to condemn the devil, the deceiver of the world, and to render to every one according to his deeds. "Then shall the wicked go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous shall go into life eternal," [Matthew 25:46] to inherit those things "which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, such things as God has prepared for them that love Him;" [1 Corinthians 2:9] and they shall rejoice in the kingdom of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increaseth, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an out-spreading in heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

Then if anyone says to you: Behold, here is Christ. Behold, there. Do not believe. For false Christs and false prophets shall arise. And they shall give great signs and wonders, so that even the elect, if it be possible, may be led into error. Behold, I have foretold it to you. But if they say to you: Behold, he is in the wilderness, do not go out; behold, he is in the houses, do not believe. For as lightning goes forth from the east and appears even to the west, so shall be the coming of the Son of man; for wherever the corpse shall be, there shall the eagles be gathered together..

Since we have said that the "abomination of desolation standing in the holy place" is the word of falsehood which appears to stand in the holy place of the scriptures, someone will say: and how, as though it were not standing there, will someone thus say to the disciples of Christ behold, here is Christ. behold, there? and another will say: behold, he is in the wilderness, and another: behold, he is in the houses? See therefore whether to this we can say, as to what he says: behold here, behold there, that when he says behold here, behold there it is not to be looked for outside the scripture. For he who wishes to seduce us and to defend things contrary to the truth will say: behold, here is Christ, pointing, for example's sake, to this passage of the Gospel. And the author of another error will say: behold, here is Christ, offering as an example another text, which seems to defend that word of falsehood which he set out to vindicate. And so from the law, from the prophets, from the apostles, each one brings forth what seem to defend that falsehood as though it were the truth. Or thus is fulfilled what he says: behold, here is Christ, behold, there, pointing not to Christ, but to some fabricated figure bearing the same name, as for instance according to the doctrine of Marcion and according to the traditions of Valentinus or the long fabrication of Basilides, or according to the false testimony of Apelles against Paul. But there will also be many others who will say to the disciples out of the divine scriptures, joining to them their own private meaning: behold, here is Christ, behold, there.

But if they say to you: behold, in the wilderness, do not go out; behold, in the houses, do not believe. For some, bringing forth certain secret things, say: behold, in the wilderness. When therefore they bring forth secret and not commonly known scriptures for the confirmation of their falsehood, they seem to say: behold, in the wilderness is the word of truth. For secret scriptures are rightly called wildernesses, in which either few are believers or none. But whenever they bring forth the canonical scriptures, in which every Christian consents and believes, they seem to say: behold, in the houses is the word of truth.

But we ought not to believe them, nor to go out from the first and ecclesiastical tradition, nor to believe otherwise than as they have handed down to us through the succession of the Church of God.

Or thus: some professors of those false words do not indeed from the beginning counterfeit the scriptures, and thus attempt to deceive. Therefore (I reckon), wishing to point out those discourses which are altogether outside the scripture, he said: if they say to you: behold, he is in the wilderness, do not go out, from the rule of faith.

And wishing to point out those who counterfeit the divine scriptures unto schism, he said: if they say to you: behold, in the houses, do not believe.

Whatever they may profess concerning the scriptures and concerning the mysteries which are in them for demonstration, "do not believe" the things that are said.

For the truth is like lightning going forth from the east and appearing even to the west: such is the truth of the Church of God; for from it alone "the sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world", and it alone, the true truth of God, runs swiftly.

For as the lightning goes forth from the east and appears as far as the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. But we ought to know this also, that the lightning of truth does not appear in some one place of the Scriptures, while from another place of the Scriptures it is not upheld; rather it is upheld from every place of the Scriptures, that is, whether from the Law or from the prophets or from the Gospels or from the writing of the apostles. And this lightning of truth, going forth from the east — that is, from the beginnings of Christ — appears as far as the dispensation of his passion, in which is its setting. And to such a lightning as this is like the coming of the Son of man, that is, of the word of truth. And in this way too we can understand what he says: it goes forth from the east and appears as far as the west. That Christ is the Word and the truth and the wisdom of God is shown from the first beginning of the creation of the world down to the last writing of the apostles (that is, from Genesis down to the apostolic books), after which no writings are to be believed as those are. Or thus: because "the Law and the prophets were until John", in which is the lightning of truth, and the east indeed is the Law, but the west, the "end of the Law", is John. But the Church alone neither subtracts the word and meaning of this lightning, nor adds anything else as though a prophecy. But if we must inquire more subtly why it is said not "east" in the singular nor "west" in the singular, but thus: from the easts as far as the wests, we shall say that one east and one west is "the Law and the prophets until John"; another east as far as the west is Christ Jesus as far as Paul, to whom, the last of the apostles, "as to one born out of due time, Christ appeared".

But consider this also, that above we spoke of one "abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place", but he adds, as concerning many, for there shall arise false Christs. For generally the Antichrist is one, but his kinds are many, as if we should say: falsehood generally is one, but according to the differences of false doctrines there are found to be many falsehoods.

For if falsehood differs in nothing from falsehood — for instance that of Basilides or of Marcion or of Valentinus or of Apelles or of any similar men — the falsehood seems to be one. But if according to diverse doctrines they lie, then many are those who arise. For these are Antichrists; and whoever shall arise after them.

But just as of the true word of Christ, and made one, were the holy prophets who from the beginning of the age proclaimed the passions of Christ and afterward the glories that were to be his, so understand for me, according to each single false Christ, his many false prophets.

Therefore they are not teachers of some one falsehood, but false prophets of all of them — of that Antichrist, whose false words they preach as though true, and teach. According to these things, therefore, which we have said, those who teach the word in the manner of the Church are prophets of Christ; but those who preach the false word of Marcion or of any of them are prophets of that Antichrist which is according to Marcion, that is, of that falsehood which Marcion introduced; and others are false prophets of that falsehood which is according to Basilides, and others of that which is according to Apelles. Likewise you will say also concerning the preachers of the several heresies. For all the persuasive things that are brought forward for the defense of the word of Antichrist are the signs of that Antichrist and wonders: whatever things are suggested by the serpent, wisest "of all the beasts of the earth", and by the prince of the Assyrians of great cunning, are great signs and wonders, so that even the elect, if it be possible, may be led into error. But it is a word of exaggeration when he says if it be possible; for he did not declare nor say, so that even the elect may be sent into error, but he wishes to show that very frequently the words of heretics are persuasive and able to move even those who hear wisely. But since the Savior has foretold us all things, let us neither go out into the wilderness nor believe those who profess Christ in the houses.

But to these things which we have said let us still add that every word professing itself to be the truth, when it is not the truth, whether among the Gentiles or among the barbarians, is in some way Antichrist, wishing to seduce as though it were the truth and to separate us from him who said: "I am the truth". Therefore we ought not to give heed to those who say: behold, here is Christ, but do not show him in the Church, which is full of lightning from the east as far as the west, which is full of the true light, which is "the pillar and ground of the truth", in which wholly and entirely is the coming of the Son of man, saying to all who are everywhere: "behold, I am with you all the days of your life until the consummation of the age".

And wherever there shall be, according to the dispensation of his passion, the corpse of Jesus, who fell for this reason, that he might raise up those who had fallen, thither shall be gathered together not any kind of birds, but eagles, the disciples; concerning whom the prophet also said: "they shall take wing like eagles, and they shall run and not grow weary, and they shall go and not hunger", and Solomon in the Proverbs likens to it him who "is rich in God", saying: "wings are prepared for him like an eagle's, and he shall return into the house of his overseer". And see that he did not say: wherever the corpse shall be, there shall be gathered together vultures or ravens; but wishing to show that all who have believed in the passion of the Lord are magnificent and royal.

He aptly said: where the corpse shall be, there shall be gathered together also the eagles.

(Quæst. Ev. i. 38.) By the east and west, He signifies the whole world, throughout which the Church should be. In the same way as He said below, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, (Mat. 26:64.) so now He likens His coming to lightning, which uses to flash out of the clouds. When then the authority of the Church is set up clear and manifest throughout the whole world, He suitably warns His disciples that they should not believe schismatics and heretics. Each schism and heresy holds its own place, either occupying some important position in the earth, or ensnaring men's curiosity in obscure and remote conventicles. Lo, here is Christ, or lo, there, refers to some district or province of the earth; the secret chambers, or the desert, signify the obscure and lurking conventicles of heretics.

The false prophets, of whom He had spoken above, shall say of Christ one while, Lo, He is in the desert, in order that they may cause men to wander astray; another while, Lo, He is in the secret chambers, that they may enthral men under the dominion of Antichrist. But the Lord declares Himself to be neither lurking in a remote corner, nor shut up to be visited singly, but that He shall be exhibited to the view of all, and in every place, As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

Or, when they allege secret and before unpublished Scriptures, in proof of their lie, they seem to say, Lo, the word of truth is in the desert. But when they produce canonical Scripture in which all Christians agree, they seem to say, Lo, the word of truth is in the chambers. Or wishing to point out such discourses as are altogether without Scripture, He said, If they shall say to you, Lo, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. Truth is like the lightning that cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west. Or this may mean, that truth can be supported out of every passage of Scripture. The lightning of truth comes out of the east, that is, from the first beginnings of Christ, and shines throughout even to His passion, which is His setting; or from the very beginning of creation, to the last Scripture of the Apostles. Or, the east is the Law, the west is the end of the Law, and of John's prophecy. The Church alone neither takes away word or meaning from this lightning, nor adds aught to its prophecy. Or He means that we should give no heed to those who say, Lo, here is Christ, but show Him not in the Church, in which alone is the coming or the Son of Man, who said, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. (Mat. 28:20.)

(Verse 27.) For as the lightning comes from the east and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Do not go out, do not believe that the Son of man is in the deserts of the nations or in the inner chambers of heretics; but rather that from the east even unto the west, his faith may shine forth in the Catholic Churches. It must also be said that the second coming of the Savior will not be in humility as before, but in glory to be shown. It is foolish, therefore, to seek him in a small or hidden place, who is the light of the whole world.

Wherein He shows that His second coming shall be not in lowliness as His first, but in glory; and therefore it is folly to seek in places little and obscure for Him who is the Light of the whole world. (John 8:12.)

Having told them how Antichrist cometh, as, for instance, that it will be in a place; He saith how Himself also cometh. How then doth He Himself come? "As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there also will the eagles be gathered together."

How then shineth the lightning? It needs not one to talk of it, it needs not a herald, but even to them that sit in houses, and to them in chambers it shows itself in an instant of time throughout the whole world. So shall that coming be, showing itself at once everywhere by reason of the shining forth of His glory. But He mentions also another sign, "where the carcase is, there also shall the eagles be;" meaning the multitude of the angels, of the martyrs, of all the saints.

For it is much the same with lightning. Lightning is figuratively compared with truth. It is likened to the coming of the Son of man, which is explained in every Scripture, whether it concerns the law, prophecy, the gospel or apostolic testimony. It flashes out from the east, the region of principalities and spiritual powers, and shines all the way to the west, the realm of darkness and Satan, in the time of the Passion. Note that if the law is rising in the east, the end of the law is setting in the west. But from Jesus Christ to Paul is a rising and setting. He was revealed to Paul last of all as "to one abnormally born."

For the coming of Christ needs no one to point it out, but it will be utterly clear to all, like the lightning. For just as the lightning is sudden and seen by all, so too will the Lord's coming be visible to everyone on earth. It will not be as in the first coming when He went about from place to place, but at the second coming He will appear in a twinkling of an eye.

For as lightning comes out of the east etc. Here he assigns another reason, because they speak falsely who say that Christ will come in secret; rather, he will come manifestly. And he gives two reasons. One from the manifestation of Christ, another from the gathering of the saints. He says, do not believe that he will not come manifestly: for as lightning comes out of the east, and appears even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be; Psalm 49:3: God shall come manifestly. But will he come like lightning, which is seen here one moment and then toward the east the next? Therefore do not understand it as though he will be manifest only in one direction, but in all directions. If we wish to refer this to its mystical meaning, the lightning is the coming of truth. Do not therefore seek hidden teaching, because truth is manifested throughout the whole world. Or the east signifies the beginning, and the west the end. Hence the truth of teaching always has harmony from beginning to end; for true teaching accepts all of Scripture. Some do not accept the Old Testament, some do not accept the prophets, and thus they could not be confirmed by other Scriptures; but true teaching from the beginning of the Church's birth until the end will have confirmation; hence it is said below at the end (28:20): Behold, I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world.

Jesus spoke in a kind of comparison, as in the form of an illustration and example. For, he says, the appearing of the Son of man will be much the same as when eagles and other flesh-eating birds find a carcass and dead body lying on the ground. They secretly and unexpectedly bear them through the heights and by doing so will provide food for themselves. In the same way, he will appear again on the earth a second and glorious time to judge the world. Ranks of angels will be seen serving as an escort with all the saints rising up "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye," according to the last trumpet.… But some attempted to explain this text as teaching that at the second coming of the Lord all who conducted themselves uprightly, corresponding with eagles in their lofty and spiritual outlook, will leave paradise behind and be gathered to that place where the fall of Adam occurred. This is the place where Adam violated the commandment and through his disobedience fell into sin.

(Mor. xxxi. 53.) We may understand this, Wheresoever the carcase is, as meaning, I who incarnate sit on the throne of heaven, as soon as I shall have loosed the souls of the elect from the flesh, will exalt them to heavenly places.

That we might not be ignorant of the place in which He should come, He adds this, Wheresoever the carcase, &c. He calls the Saints eagles, from the spiritual flight of their bodies, and shows that their gathering shall be to the place of His passion, the Angels guiding them thither; and rightly should we look for His coming in glory there, where He wrought for us eternal glory by the suffering of His bodily humiliation.

(Verse 28.) Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. From the natural example that we see every day, we are instructed by the sacrament of Christ. Eagles and vultures are also said to sense corpses even across the seas, and to gather for such food. Therefore, if irrational birds with their natural sense can feel a small corpse wherever it lies, separated by such vast distances of land and the waves of the sea: how much more should we and the whole multitude of believers hasten to him, whose lightning comes from the East and appears even to the West! But we can understand the body, that is, the corpse, which is more significantly called cadaver in Latin, as a representation of the passion of Christ, in which we are called to participate. So whenever it is read in the Scriptures, let us gather and through it, come to the Word of God, as it is written: They have pierced my hands and feet (Ps. 22:17). And in Isaiah: Like a sheep being led to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7). And similar things can be found in other passages. But the holy ones are called eagles, to whom youth is renewed like the eagles; and they who grow feathers like Isaiah, and assume wings, so as to come to Christ's passion.

By an instance from nature, which we daily see, we are instructed in a sacrament of Christ. Eagles and vultures are said to scent dead bodies even beyond sea, and to flock to feed upon them. If then birds, not having the gift of reason, by instinct alone find out where lays a dead body, separated by so great space of country, how much more ought the whole multitude of believers to hasten to Christ, whose lightning goeth forth out of the east, and shines even to the west? We may understand by the carcase here, or corpse, which in the Latin is more expressively 'cadaver,' an allusion to the passion of Christ's death.

They are called eagles whose youth is renewed as the eagle's, and who take to themselves wings that they may come to Christ's passion. (Ps. 103:5. Is. 40:31.)

We are invited to flock to Christ's passion wheresoever in Scripture it is read of, that through it we may be able to come to God's word.

And observe, He says not vultures or crows, but eagles, showing the lordliness and royalty of all who have believed in the Lord's passion.

And as the eagles, that is, the vultures, swiftly converge on a corpse, so too all the saints, who soar in the heights, will come where Christ will be and they will be snatched up into the clouds as the eagles. Certainly the corpse is Christ Who died for us and lay as a corpse. As St. Symeon also says, "Behold, this child is laid out for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel" (Lk. 2:34).

Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. For someone might say: they say here is Christ, or there; how shall we know when he comes? But he shows that there will be no need to search, because his coming will be manifest, since others also will be gathered together. And it will be like what happened when someone asked his lord, who was keeping his counsel very secret about moving camp, and said: when will you move camp? And the lord said: will you not hear the trumpet? Why do you ask? So it is said here: you say that he will be here or there; I know that where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Note that in the Hebrew there is the word anathe, which means cadaver; hence he wished to signify the passion of Christ, because Christ will come showing the signs of his passion. And he speaks by way of similitude, where the body is etc. 1 Thessalonians 4:16: We shall be taken up in the clouds to meet Christ. But some are eagles, some are vultures and crows. But he does not say vultures or crows, but eagles, by which the saints are signified. Isaiah 40:31: They shall take wings as eagles, they shall fly and not grow weary. Thus, as Jerome says, wherever the memorial of Christ's passion is celebrated, holy men ought to gather together through the continual remembrance of his passion. Hebrews 10:32: Remember the former days, in which, being illuminated, you endured a great conflict of sufferings.

(Ep. 199, 39.) Or, the Church is the sun, moon, and stars, to which it is said, Fair as the moon, bright as the sun. Then shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light (Song of Solomon 6:10.), because in that ungoverned fury of wicked persecutors, the Church shall not be seen. Then shall the stars fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken, because many, who seemed to be shining in God's grace, shall give way to their persecutors, and shall fall, and even the stoutest believers shall be shaken. And these things shall be after the tribulation of those days, not because they shall happen when the whole persecution is overpast, but because the tribulation shall be first, that the falling away may come after. And because it shall be so throughout all those days, it shall be after the tribulation of those days, yet on those very days.

The sun signifies spiritual combat. In this regard, "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light." When the fight will be between Christ and Antichrist, between the teaching of truth and that of falsity, then "the sun" will become "black as sackcloth of hair," and a certain teacher of truth or superior in truth shall be obscured by errors, while others will stand firm, although they may seem to be darkened in their reputation.

as the Lord also in the Gospels speaks thus concerning the consummation: For the powers of heaven shall be shaken, thus calling the angels the powers of heavens, and by the expression they shall be shaken, He means they shall be set free from their former office. As the angels, therefore, who move the stars themselves and other things, are certainly set free from this office and ministry, He declares that the stars fall to the earth.

How will they not shudder with fear? For heaven and earth are transformed for the sake of God's own discretion (to speak something accurately about such things requires more than one word). The sun and the moon will be darkened, and the stars will fall like flowers. Their very nature is again changed by the One who created them, just as he wills, and the heavenly bodies will be thrown into disorder. For as humanity is renewed the whole creation, which had been created for the sake of humanity, is recapitulated and restored.

(non occ.) As soon as the Lord has fortified the believers against the arts of Antichrist and his ministers, by showing that His coming would be public, He proceeds to show the order and method of His coming.

Our Lord and Redeemer, most beloved brethren, desiring to find us prepared, announces what evils will follow upon the aging world, so that He might restrain us from love of it. He makes known what great calamities will precede its approaching end, so that if we are unwilling to fear God in times of peace, we may at least fear His judgment drawing near, worn down by these afflictions.

Of all these things, we certainly see some already accomplished, and we dread others as soon to come. For we see nation rising against nation and their pressure bearing down upon the lands more in our own times than we read of in books. How often we have heard from other parts of the world that earthquakes have destroyed countless cities, you well know. We suffer pestilences without ceasing. Signs in the sun, and moon, and stars we do not yet see openly, but that these too are not far off we gather from the very changes in the atmosphere. Indeed, before Italy was handed over to be struck by the barbarian sword, we saw fiery battle lines in the sky, flashing with that very blood of the human race which was afterward shed. But since many things foretold have already been fulfilled, there is no doubt that the few which remain will also follow, for the fulfillment of past events is the certainty of things to come.

We say these things, dearly beloved brethren, so that your minds may be awakened to the pursuit of caution, lest they grow sluggish through security, lest they become feeble through ignorance, but that fear may always stir them and solicitude strengthen them in good work. For what does the Lord call the powers of heaven except angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, which at the coming of the strict Judge will then visibly appear to our eyes, so that they may then strictly demand from us what the invisible Creator now patiently bears with us?

The darkening of the sun, the failing of the moon, and the fall of the stars, indicate the glories of His coming.

"But after the persecution of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give its splendor and the stars shall burn out and fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken and then they shall see the Son of Man coming with power and great glory." [Matthew 24:29-30]

For if the devil receives for a little while authority to trouble the earth, as it is written, "God has given to him the authority to test those who dwell upon the earth," [Revelation 13:2, 12] how much more rather that the Son of God, when he takes all authority of heavenly and earthly and subterranean things, shall trouble all the earth and the elements in it, arriving to avenge the saints with angelic power and patriarchal glory, when he comes to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled by all who pray to him and to repay those who persecuted us with persecution, but to repay us who were persecuted with rest.

(Verse 29.) But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. The sun and the moon will be darkened and will not give their light; and the other stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, not by a diminishing of light (otherwise we read that the sun will have sevenfold light (Ibid. XXX)), but because all things will be dark to the sight compared to true light. Therefore, if that sun, which now shines throughout the whole world, and the moon, which is the next luminary, and the stars, which are kindled for the solace of the night, and all the powers (which we understand to be the multitudes of angels) shall be regarded as darkness in the coming of Christ, let the pride of those who, thinking themselves saints, do not fear the presence of judgment, be cast down.

We are invited to flock to Christ's passion wheresoever in Scripture it is read of, that through it we may be able to come to God's word.

These things, therefore, shall not come to pass by any diminution of light, for in another place we read that the light of the sun shall be sevenfold; but by comparison with real light, all things shall seem dim.

By the powers of heaven, we understand the bands of the Angels.

Rightly does He say, the tribes of the earth, for they shall mourn who have no citizenship in heaven, but are written in earth. (Jer. 17:13.)

Then He tells of fearful prodigies. What are these prodigies? "Immediately after the tribulation of those days," saith He, "the sun shall be darkened." Of the tribulation of what days doth He speak? Of those of Antichrist and of the false prophets? For there shall be great tribulation, there being so many deceivers. But it is not protracted to a length of time. For if the Jewish war was shortened for the elect's sake, much more shall this temptation be limited for these same's sake. Therefore, He said not, "after the tribulation," but Immediately "after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened," for almost at the same time all things come to pass. For the false prophets and false Christs shall come and cause confusion, and immediately He Himself will be here. Because no small turmoil is then to prevail over the world.

But how doth He come? The very creation being then transfigured, for "the sun shall be darkened," not destroyed, but overcome by the light of His presence; and the stars shall fall, for what shall be the need of them thenceforth, there being no night? and "the powers of Heaven shall be shaken," and in all likelihood, seeing so great a change come to pass. For if when the stars were made, they trembled and marvelled ("for when the stars were made, all angels," it is said, "praised Me with a loud voice"); much more seeing all things in course of change, and their fellow servants giving account, and the whole world standing by that awful judgment-seat, and those who have lived from Adam unto His coming, having an account demanded of them of all that they did, how shall they but tremble, and be shaken?

"Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven;" that is, the cross being brighter than the sun, since this last will be darkened, and hide himself, and that will appear when it would not appear, unless it were far brighter than the beams of the sun. But wherefore doth the sign appear? In order that the shamelessness of the Jews may be more abundantly silenced. For having the cross as the greatest plea, Christ thus cometh to that judgment-seat, showing not His wounds only, but also the death of reproach. "Then shall the tribes mourn," for there shall be no need of an accusation, when they see the cross; and they shall mourn, that by His death they are nothing benefited; because they crucified Him whom they ought to have adored.

Seest thou how fearfully He has pictured His coming? how He has stirred up the spirits of His disciples? For this reason, let me add, He puts the mournful things first, and then the good things, that in this way also He may comfort and refresh them. And of His passion He suggests to them the remembrance, and of His resurrection, and with a display of glory, He mentions His cross, so that they may not be ashamed nor grieve, whereas indeed He cometh then setting it forth for His sign. And another saith, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced." Therefore it is that they shall mourn, when they see that this is He.

And forasmuch as He had made mention of the cross, He added, "They shall see the Son of Man coming," no longer on the cross, but "in the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory."

For think not, He meaneth, because thou hearest of the cross, that it is again anything mournful, for He shall come with power and great glory. But He bringeth it, that their sin may be self-condemned, as if any one who had been struck by a stone, were to show the stone itself, or his garments stained with blood. And He cometh in a cloud as He was taken up, and the tribes seeing these things mourn. Not however that the terrors shall with them proceed no further than mournings; but the mourning shall be, that they may bring forth their sentence from within, and condemn themselves.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be moved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn (24, 29—30ᵃ). Since we consider that greater themes here come under discussion than lie within the grasp of human understanding — even of those who have advanced in wisdom far beyond others — let us come and examine the passage: first inquiring into those things which can readily be admitted for an exposition of the Gospel text, as though the Lord Himself were prophesying in it; and afterward we shall look for what the truth of these words may be according to those who judge that there is something deeper and more subtle in the words, keeping to the sequence of the moral traditions in these matters as well, in the same manner as above.

Someone, then, will say: just as when great fires begin to be kindled a darkness seems to be raised up out of the abundant smoke, so at the consummation of the world, by the fire which is to be set alight, even the "great lights" shall be darkened, so that, the sun being darkened, and in consequence of the darkening of the sun, the moon too, hindered by the sun from receiving light, is not permitted even to give its own light. And thus of necessity a great darkness must first take hold of the nature of the world. And so, when the light of the stars has thus withered away, the remaining body of them, having become grosser, since it cannot be borne aloft as at first when it was lifted up carried by the light itself, will fall from heaven. And when these things happen, it follows that the rational powers of the heavens, suffering amazement, undergo a certain commotion and are troubled, being, that is, removed from their former functions. So he who understands these things to be thus will add that the sign of the Son of man, in whom "the things that were in the heavens and the things that were on earth" were made heavenly, shall then appear: namely, the power which the Son of man wrought when He was hung upon the tree; and in heaven above all shall His sign shine forth. And men out of all the tribes, who formerly did not believe in the Christianity that was proclaimed but even spoke evil of it, then, recognizing it through that sign made manifest, shall mourn and lament because of their ignorance and their sins, in that they did not receive the word of the Lord.

But another will judge otherwise concerning these words, holding that (as these words themselves show) the destruction of the world will not come about by fire, but by its own failing. And he will make use of such an illustration: that just as, when the light of a lamp fails, the light is little by little diminished, so, when the nourishment of the heavenly lights fails, the sun shall be darkened, no longer having the breaths that come to it from them coming upon it. And when the greater light suffers this, all the more will the moon too be unable to display that fiery splendor which appears according to its own phases. When, therefore, these things befall the sun, the light of the stars too will fail, so that what has remained in them, being as it were earthy, falls from heaven, and, these things happening, all the powers of the heavens shall be moved. For just as, in the dispensation of the cross, "when the sun failed, darkness came over all the earth", so also, when the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven, the light of the sun and of the moon shall fail, and yet more that of the stars, as though consumed by the great power of that sign; and when it appears, the tribes that shall then have remained on the earth shall mourn.

For these things he will use the illustration of the prophet Isaiah, who speaks in this manner: "For behold, the incurable day of the Lord comes, of wrath and fury, to make the circle of the earth a desert and to destroy sinners out of it. For the stars of heaven and Orion and all the ornaments of heaven shall not give their light, and the sun shall be darkened in the east, and the moon shall not give her brightness. And I will command evils upon the circle of the earth, and their sins upon the ungodly." Likewise also such things from Joel: "Before His face the earth shall be confounded and the heaven shall be moved, the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall not give their light. And the Lord shall utter His voice before the face of His power, for exceeding strong is His camp, since mighty are the works of His words." Likewise: "And I will give portents in the heaven above, and on the earth blood and fire and vapor; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and illustrious day of the Lord comes."

And many things like these you will find in the Scriptures, if you are willing to look at nothing else in the Gospel passages beyond the plain words. For according to this too, that it says, then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, as though needing no interpretation, you will receive from the prophet Zechariah such words as these: "And it shall be in that day that I will seek to take away all the nations that shall come against Jerusalem, and I will pour out upon the house of David and upon all the inhabitants in Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of compassion; and they shall look upon me because they danced, and they shall mourn over themselves with a mourning as over a beloved one, and they shall grieve with grief as over a firstborn. In that day the mourning shall be magnified over Jerusalem like the mourning of a pomegranate cut down in the plain, and the land shall mourn by tribes: the tribe of the house of David apart and their women apart, the tribe of the house of Nathan apart and their women apart, the tribe of the house of Levi apart and their women apart, the tribe of the house of Shimei apart and their women apart, all the tribes that are left remaining apart and their women apart." It will seem, then, to some that one ought to carry the interpretation this far and to examine nothing beyond the text.

But since one who speaks about the divine Scriptures ought to take care not only for the simple — lest, on their account, he neglect those who are able more abundantly to sustain the nature of subtle words — that perhaps such traditions be not false, and nothing of the sort as ought to be that which must be said by God concerning matters of this kind: therefore, for the sake of such men also, we shall expound a few things morally, as far as we can. Now men of this kind will say: how can it be said of the sun that its light shall be darkened, when the prophet Isaiah declares that there will be some increase of the sun at the consummation, but this present passage [declares] a taking-away? Similarly too concerning the moon, Isaiah indeed reports that it will be like the sun, but the present passage [says] that it shall not give its light. And concerning the stars they will say such things as these. Since from the earth to heaven there is a great space, especially up to the middle zone in which there are no wandering stars, one must therefore reckon, in view of the consideration of its height, that unless the stars were great beyond measure, their light would not be seen from so great a space by all who are in every part of the lands. And as some try to say — that either all or most of them are greater than the earth itself (using this as an argument to commend the reasoning of their words, namely that the whole heaven, gathered into the shape of a sphere, encompasses the entire earth) — they will also say something of this sort: that those who gather the truth of these sayings simply from the text itself declare as possible a thing that is by nature itself impossible, namely that stars of such great magnitude should fall from heaven. For whither will they even fall, when the earth does not suffice for their magnitude, nor can it hold, so to speak, the magnitude of two stars? But suppose it could hold two or three: can it possibly hold so great a multitude as well? Ought one not, therefore, perhaps to understand something else, in a moral sense, in the divine Scriptures? And this is indeed a matter of boldness, yet it is necessary; nevertheless much discussion is needed in these passages by one who wishes to show at once both the possibility of the Scriptures and their truth.

He will say, therefore, that the sun to be darkened is the devil, who "transforms himself into an angel of light" and, as though he were the sun, leads many astray. Since, therefore, he is to be exposed at the consummation — being darkness, though he pretends himself to be the sun — for this reason what he says, the sun shall be darkened, can be understood of him. And he will say that this explanation is more fitting than to suppose that such a sun will suffer darkening. All, he says, may fittingly assent, without any danger, to this approved account concerning such a sun being thus darkened. And in accordance with the analogy of such a sun, the moon also is to be understood, which appears to be illuminated by such a sun. For every "church of evildoers", which frequently promises that it has and gives light, but which then, being exposed and made manifest along with its reprobate teachings, shall not give its brightness.

But also whoever, whether in false doctrines or in false virtues, were promising truth to men yet by their lies were leading astray those who gave heed to them — these may fittingly be called stars falling from heaven, but (so to speak) from their own heaven, where there were established heights exalting themselves "against the knowledge of God". And to commend an account of this kind he will use the example of Proverbs, which says: "the light of the righteous is always unquenchable, but the light of the impious shall be quenched"; and he will add that the true knowledge (which those have kindled for themselves who heard him saying: "kindle for yourselves the light of knowledge") is the light of the righteous, but that false knowledge is the light of the impious, and that the light of the saints is always unquenchable, while the light of those who fall away from the truth is quenched. The light shall be darkened, therefore, of that sun of which we spoke and of that moon which we expounded; but also … all who exalt themselves "against the knowledge of God" shall fall from their height, which they supposed to be heaven; and perhaps in this way too that will fit which is said: "I was beholding Satan falling from heaven like lightning". And when these things befall such a sun and moon and stars, the divine powers of the heavens will not be wholly unmoved, but shall be moved, when that sun has been exposed and darkened, and that moon shall not display its brightness, and such stars have fallen — as Jude also says in his epistle. Then what is bright shall appear in heaven, and to everyone who has borne "the image of the heavenly one". And when these things have thus been done, the tribes of heaven indeed shall rejoice; but the tribes of the earth, which have borne the image of the earth, shall mourn. And further, to commend a tradition of this kind of his own, he who made this interpretation will add, saying that, with the perceptible sun darkened (granting that it be so) and the moon not giving its brightness and the stars falling, it is not even possible for there to be tribes of men upon the earth. But if it is not possible, then certainly neither (according to what the text says) shall the tribes of the earth mourn. Then therefore (as the Lord says in the Gospel) "those who now laugh" shall then mourn, and they will mourn as those who are earthly tribes. In accordance with these things, he who wishes to raise what has been said to a moral exposition will try to interpret also the words of Isaiah and of Joel.

Furthermore, with regard to what has been said concerning the falling stars, it is not without reason to take up something from the Revelation of John, concerning the third part of the stars dragged by the tail of the dragon to the earth. For it says thus: "and another sign was seen in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and upon its heads seven crowns, and its tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth". To expound all these things one by one concerning the seven heads of the dragon — which perhaps can be referred either to certain rulers of the affairs of wickedness, or to the great sins of those who lead "to death" — is not for this present time; but they will be expounded in their own time in the Revelation of John. But it is the time neither to speak of the ten horns (since they are kingdoms of serpentine malice, having the serpent's nature — to move upon breast and belly through sins), nor now to expound what the present narrative is concerning the seven diadems which the dragon appears to have upon its seven heads (namely, that some head of the dragon takes on a diadem for each of those who are conquered).

But the principal expositions and proofs of these things must be made when that book itself has been set before us for exposition; but now this alone must be expounded from that Revelation, namely that the tail of the dragon "drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth". For I reckon that he who ought to hear: "you shall go after the Lord your God" and "come after me", and yet stops his ears to these things but follows sin, is dragged by the tail of the dragon, going after it. But if it should befall one who has so lived as to hear: "you are the light of the world", and whose good works have at some time shone forth — this man, having at some time been established as a star and having his manner of life in heaven, if he be torn away by the dragon to the earth, this man will be a star drawn by the tail of the dragon and cast to the earth. Thus are stars drawn by the tail of the dragon and cast to the earth. But there are others (some part of which is darkened, while — what is indeed the greater part — is luminous), which the passage of the Revelation seems to point out, running thus: "and the fourth angel sounded the trumpet; and the third part of the sun was struck and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars, so that the third part of them should be darkened". But there are some who have neither wholly kept what was said: "so let your light shine before men", nor been wholly extinguished and darkened, but in part. For some, on account of knowledge, have shone like the splendor of heaven, while others, on account of their manner of life, have become like the stars of heaven. But we may seem to some to have brought these things forward inconsistently with the preceding expositions, and to have expounded them only in part, since there we said that the stars which would fall were those who seemed to have been stars but were not, whereas here [we speak] of those who truly were stars and either fell fully or in part. To these we reply that, in bringing forward these examples which we have adduced, we have demonstrated this: that in every case the stars are to be understood as men, not what kind of stars they are. Otherwise, that passage has its own interpretation and this one its own.

Nevertheless, when these things have thus been done, there shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then the tribes of the earth shall mourn. For these things it is not absurd to use the examples of the prophet Zechariah, which run thus: "and it shall be in that day that I will seek to take away all the nations that come against Jerusalem, and I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants in Jerusalem a spirit of grace and of compassion; and they shall look upon me because they danced, and they shall mourn over themselves a mourning as over a beloved one, and they shall grieve with grief as over a firstborn. And in that day the mourning shall be magnified in Jerusalem like the mourning of a pomegranate cut down in the field, and the earth shall mourn by tribes: the tribe of the house of David apart by itself and their women apart by themselves; the tribe of the house of Nathan apart by itself and their women apart by themselves; the tribe of the house of Levi apart by itself and their women apart by themselves; the tribe of the house of Shimei apart by itself and their women apart by themselves; and all the remaining tribes apart by themselves and their women apart by themselves". Therefore every earthly company, since it is a tribe of the earth — which rank they attributed to themselves — will mourn together with those like itself, especially if in some category of sinners it must mourn more abundantly.

But I think that through these things there are shown the differences of those who seem to have been in the faith and in their own company, yet did not please God. There is, therefore, a house of David that mourns — those who, set up from among the people, did deeds worthy of mourning, or [those drawn] from among kings and magnates. But those from among the teachers who lived badly are the tribe of Nathan that mourns, since Nathan was a prophet; and to teach is to prophesy. So those who are sinners from among those who were set over the Church and had the priesthood enjoined upon them and did not administer their office well, are the tribe of the house of Levi that mourns. And to speak the truth, whether concerning those tribes which we have mentioned or concerning the tribe of Shimei, belongs to God alone. But we, for the present, think that all who were catechized and instructed in the divine mystery, and were not ordained in any of the tribes which we mentioned above, and committed grave sins (such as are very many of the laity), are the tribe of Shimei; while the remaining men are those he called the 'remaining' tribes, which he did not name specifically. But it is no trifling task to speak also concerning the women of the individual tribes, who mourn apart by themselves. And see whether you can, in each and every class, call those who were more bodily and more worldly the 'women', but say that those who by comparison with them were better were the 'men'.

One will say, As at the breaking out of great conflagrations, great darkness is at the first caused by the smoke, so when the world shall be consumed by fire, which shall be kindled, even the great luminaries shall be darkened; and when the light of the stars is decayed, the rest of their substance, incapable of exaltation, shall fall from heaven into what it was, when it was first raised aloft by the light. When this shall have taken place, it follows that the rational heavenly powers shall suffer dismay and derangement, and shall be suspended from their functions. Others will think otherwise, that as the light of a lamp dies away by degrees, so when the supply of the heavenly luminaries shall fail, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon and the light of the stars shall grow dim, and that which in their composition is earthy shall fall from heaven. But how can it be said of the sun that its light shall be darkened, when Esaias the Prophet (Is. 30:26.) declares, that in the end of the world, there shall be light proceeding forth from the sun? And of the moon he declares that it shall be as the sun. But concerning the stars, there are some that endeavour to convince us that all, or many of them, are larger than the whole earth. How then shall they fall from heaven, when this earth would not be large enough to contain them?

But as, at the dispensation of the Cross, the sun was eclipsed, and darkness was spread over the earth; so when the sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven, the light of the sun, moon, and stars, shall fail, as though waning before the might of that sign. This we understand to be the sign of the cross, that the Jews may see, as Zacharias and John speak, Him whom they have pierced, (Zech. 12:10. John 19:37.) and the sign of victory.

Morally, one may say that the sun, which shall be darkened, is the Devil, who shall be convicted in the end of the world, that whereas he is darkness, he has feigned himself to be the sun; the moon, which seems to receive its light from this sun, is the Church of the wicked, which professes to have and to give light, but then convicted with its sinful dogmas, shall lose its brightness; and all those who, either by false teaching, or false virtues, promised truth to men, but led them astray by lies, these are fitly called stars falling from, so to say, their own heaven, where they were raised on high, exalting themselves against the knowledge of God. For illustration of this discourse, we may apply that place in Proverbs, which says, The light of the just is unquenchable, but the light of the wicked shall be quenched. (Prov. 4:18) Then the brightness of God shall appear in every one who has borne the image of the heavenly; and they of heaven shall rejoice, but they of earth shall lament.

But nothing hinders our supposing that the sun and moon with the other stars shall for a time lose their light, as we know did the sun at the time of the Lord's passion; as Joel also says, The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:31.) But when the day of judgment is passed, and the life of future glory shall dawn, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, then shall that come to pass of which Isaiah speaks, The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold. (Is. 30:26.) The stars shall fall from heaven, is expressed in Mark; There shall be stars falling from heaven, (Mark. 13:25.) that is, lacking their proper light.

Besides, the belief that everything was made from nothing will be impressed upon us by that ultimate dispensation of God which will bring back all things to nothing. For "the very heaven shall be rolled together as a scroll; '" nay, it shall come to nothing along with the earth itself, with which it was made in the beginning.

He says: after the coming of the Antichrist who will be swiftly destroyed, (for this is the meaning of "immediately"), "the sun shall be darkened," instead of being blackened; not disappearing, but being overwhelmed by the light of Christ's appearance, and so too will the stars and the moon. For what need is there for sensory light when the Sun of Righteousness has appeared and night is no more? But the powers of the heavens shall also be shaken, that is, the angelic hosts will be astonished and will tremble seeing creation changed, and all mankind from Adam until now about to give an account.

And because these things will not only be manifest through tribulations, therefore he says: and immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened etc. And here he treats of signs taken from other things that are above us. And first he sets forth the signs; secondly, the effects. In those things that are above us he shows a threefold order: the heavenly bodies, the angels, Christ. Ephesians 1:21: He set him above all power and principality etc. Therefore regarding the first he says, and immediately after the tribulation of those days, namely, when the Antichrist will come. Immediately, because not long after, since for many it would be a danger; and this is against those who set forth a fable about a thousand years. The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. And what is this? This statement has both a literal and a mystical sense. Insofar as it refers to the last coming, it has a literal sense; insofar as it refers to another coming, a mystical sense. But it seems to be objected that he says the sun shall be darkened, because it is said in Isaiah 30:26: And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold. Hence to see this clearly you must distinguish three times: the time before the coming, the time of the coming, and after the coming. Before the coming of Christ these disturbances will occur, of which it is said here, and Joel 2:31: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. At the coming of Christ they will not be changed in substance, but by comparison, because so great will be the brightness of Christ and the saints that their brightness will not even appear; Isaiah 24:23: The moon shall blush and the sun shall be confounded. But after the day of judgment the brightness of the moon and stars will be increased. And then what is said in Isaiah 30:26 will be true, namely, that the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days. But it seems false that the stars will fall from heaven, because one star is larger than the whole earth. Rabanus solves this by the text of Mark 13:25, that the stars shall be falling, i.e., diminished in light. But from what could this diminution arise? The light of any luminary is diminished from two causes: either in itself, or on account of something interposed, as when a cloud is interposed, or when the moon is eclipsed, its light is diminished. Hence Origen says this can be understood in two ways. First, that what will be interposed is the fire that will precede Christ and consume all things up to the middle of the air, namely, as high as the waters of the flood rose, and much smoke will follow this fire, so that the luminaries of heaven will be darkened. Or it can be said that some held these bodies to be corruptible; and just as the elementary bodies will be changed, so also these. Concerning these three things there is one text, Apocalypse 6:12: The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood, and the stars from heaven fell. The stars shall fall from heaven. Stars seem to fall from heaven when they are deprived of their light. So therefore there will be a change in the heavenly bodies. Likewise in the angels; hence he says, and the powers of heaven shall be moved, i.e., the powers that minister to God. And Augustine says that all bodies are administered by the spirit of life; hence they are said to be moved in their effect, because at the coming of the Lord the motion of heaven will cease. Hence those powers are said to be moved when those things that pertain to their office are changed into another state. Or the angels will be moved not by a movement of fear but of admiration, because they will admire the power of Christ. Or they will be moved with a movement of joy over the glorification of the saints. Of this can be taken what is said in Job 26:11, that the pillars of heaven tremble and are amazed at his movement.

Origen says: by the sun the devil is signified, by the moon the Antichrist. Of these it is said in Job 31:27: If I beheld the sun when it shone, and the moon advancing in brightness, and my heart rejoiced in secret. I beheld, i.e., I approved the sun, i.e., those things that seem to have brightness and holiness and power; then they will appear. 1 Corinthians 4:5: He will bring to light the things hidden in darkness and will make manifest the counsels of hearts. Hence all teaching, all brightness will then appear, because the image of Christ will appear in all. Or by the sun the Church is signified; hence the Church on account of tribulations will seem not to shine. And why does he say after the tribulation? Origen answers: both after and at the same time. Likewise, stars, i.e., those who afterward seemed to shine. The powers of heaven, i.e., the saints, will be moved.

(Ep. 199, 41.) The first and most apparent meaning of this is of that time when He shall come to judge the quick and the dead in His body--that body in which He sits at the right hand of the Father, in which He died and rose again and ascended into heaven. As we read in the Acts of the Apostles; He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight, (Acts 1:9.) upon which it was said by the Angels, He shall so come as ye hare seen Him go into heaven, we may reasonably believe that He will come again, not only in the same body, but also in a cloud.

(ubi sup.) But because the Scriptures are to be searched, and we are not to content ourselves with the surface of them, let us look closely at what follows, When ye see all these things come to pass, know that he is near even at the door. We know then that He is near, when we see come to pass not any of the foregoing things, but all of them, among which is this that the Son of Man shall be seen coming. And he shall send his Angels, who from the four quarters of the world shall gather together His elect. All these things He does at the last hour (1 John 2:18.) coming in His members as in the clouds, or in the whole Church as in one great cloud, as now He ceases not to come. And with great power and glory, because His power and glory will seem greater in the Saints to whom He will give great power, that they may not be overcome of persecution.

And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

"And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and majesty." As if it were openly said: They shall see in power and majesty Him whom, placed in humility, they refused to hear, so that they may then feel His power all the more strictly, inasmuch as now they do not bow the neck of their heart to His patience.

The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said: 'You just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.'

And he answered with a loud voice, 'Why do you ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.'

(Verse 30) And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. Let us understand this sign, either as the cross, so that the Jews may see the one they crucified (according to Zechariah (Zech. XII) and John (John XIX)); or as the banner of triumphant victory.

And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Those who did not have citizenship in heaven will mourn, but they are written in the earth.

But if so great a power is shown to have followed and to be still following the dispensation of His suffering, how great shall that be which shall follow His glorious advent! For He shall come on the clouds as the Son of man, so Daniel foretold, and His angels shall come with Him. These are the words: [...he quotes Daniel 7:9-28]

And they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and much glory (24, 30ᵇ).

Since the catholic Church appears to have received, along with other traditions, this too concerning Christ's second coming—that it will be in glory—that much is manifest. But whether, according to what is written in this place, we ought to reckon corporeal and perceptible clouds to be his vehicle, and to expect that great power and glory in accord with clouds of this kind; or whether, following the observation of the more simple word, it is also to be considered morally; or whether we ought not to observe the simplicity of the word at all, but only to pursue the moral understanding—this belongs not to just anyone: to deliberate and diligently to scrutinize the individual passages, and, after one has treated the word according to them, then to pronounce which of them is especially the more true and contains the Gospel sense and the will of Christ, who spoke these things. But come, let us set forth in these places a few things out of our modest power, if indeed we have even that. And first, according to the text, they will see with corporeal eyes the Son of Man in human form coming upon the upper clouds, which clouds are for this reason called clouds of heaven, with power and much glory. And there agree with this exposition the things that are said above in the Gospel in this manner: "when Jesus had taken Peter and John and James, he led them up onto a very high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became like light. And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him". "And behold (he says) a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him." Just as, therefore, when "he was transformed, and his face shone like the sun and his garments became like light" and "a voice" came "out of the cloud saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", so, when he comes again, perhaps he will be transformed into a glorious appearance; or just as then he was transformed before his three disciples, afterward he will come not upon one cloud, but upon many, which will be his vehicle. And that it follows that he will be re-formed into a better glory than that into which he was transformed on the mountain, is manifest from this: that then indeed he was transformed on account of three only, but in the consummation of the whole world he will appear in much glory, so that all may see him in glory.

And then indeed, descending, "a bright cloud overshadowed them", but afterward many clouds will carry "the Son of Man coming" with a vehicle worthy of his glory. But someone will say that, just as in the fashioning of man God took "mud from the earth" and "fashioned man", so, in order that the glory of Christ might appear, God took from heaven and from the heavenly body and gave it bodily form, first indeed into a bright cloud, but in the consummation into bright clouds; on account of which the clouds too are called clouds of heaven, according as the mud too was called mud of earth. And it befits the Father to bestow such marvels upon his Son, who "humbled himself", and out of love "did not deem it robbery to be equal to God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant", and became "the Lamb of God" that he might take away "the sins of the world". For "on this account also God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name". And he exalted him not only according to the spirit, but also according to the body (that he might be exalted through all things), even the body which he took up from the power of the Most High and from the Virgin, she ministering a ministry of this kind. For it was fitting that it too be honored, so that he should come even upon such clouds; perhaps upon animate and rational clouds, so that the vehicle of the glorified Son of Man should not be without soul and irrational, just as without soul was the chariot, and irrational were the horses, in which Elijah was seen to be taken up, according to the Scripture which says: "and behold a chariot of fire and horses of fire".

But that they will be animate and rational clouds, which will be the vehicle of the Son of God, we bring forward for example that which is said: "and your truth reaches even to the clouds", and again: "I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it", but especially from that which is said: "and behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud saying"—not because the Father was the cloud of the Son, but (so to speak) the word of God came to it, just as it came to the prophets. And just as one who hears Isaiah saying: "I have begotten sons and exalted them, but they have spurned me", hears not Isaiah but God the Father in Isaiah, so those who heard the voice out of the cloud saying "this is my Son", heard not the cloud, but the Father testifying in it to the glory of the Son. If therefore, before the dispensation of the passion, such was the prophesying cloud, what ought we to say of the clouds of heaven upon which those who then see him will see the Son of Man coming with power and much glory? And if indeed, so that the Son of God might not tread the ground in Jerusalem, those who loved him "strewed their garments in the way", not willing that even the little donkey which carried him should tread the ground, what wonder if the Father and God of all should strew the heavenly clouds beneath the body of the Son descending to the work of consummation? And first indeed Jesus came with the power and glory with which the Father had glorified him, out of which power "he did signs and wonders among the people" and healed "every infirmity and weakness"; on account of which he also said: "someone touched me; for I know that power went out from me". But all that power, in comparison with that much power with which he is to come at the end, was modest; for it was the power of one emptying himself. But that much power, of which it is written: they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds with power and much glory, will be that of the Word of God, who has been restored to the state which he had "in the beginning with God", before he emptied himself. So too understand his much glory, beginning from the glory of the face of Moses and passing over to Elijah, who were seen in glory when "the appearance of the face" of the Son of God "was made other" and the garment was changed. Understanding also that which is said: "for if that which is done away is through glory, much more that which remains is in glory". You will see that much glory of the Son, of which it is written: with power and much glory.

But you will understand still more of what the text speaks. Taking from the Acts, which reads thus: "and when he had said these things, while they beheld, he was lifted up, and a cloud received him from their eyes. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by in white garments, who also said: Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has been received up from you into heaven, will so come in the manner in which you saw him going into heaven".

For if we believe these men, by whom a cloud is said to have received him and borne him up into heaven, how will he not, according to the text, come from heaven, just as his disciples saw him "going into heaven"? And in the Revelation John likewise says: "behold he will come with the clouds, and every eye will see him and whoever pierced him". But let him understand who can, whether it is the very same thing—for him to come upon the clouds of heaven and to come "with the clouds"—or whether the clouds upon which he will come are one thing, and those "with which" he will come another. Consider also, in the vision of Egypt, Isaiah saying: "behold the Lord sits upon a light cloud, and he will come into Egypt", whether he means this Egypt which is commonly understood, or the whole world. For according to John himself, the place "in which their Lord was crucified" "is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt", whether the whole world or Judea is called Sodom and Egypt. But he who upon a light cloud will come into Egypt, will first make his ascent into Judea (for it is according to reason that, when he comes again, it should first happen there). But it is called "Sodom" "where their Lord was crucified", just as also once it was said to that people and their princes: "hear the word of the Lord, princes of Sodom; attend to the law of God, people of Gomorrah".

In these traditions one will use also that which is said: "we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord", and he will say: if blessed men shall be caught up in the clouds into the air, what wonder is it that the Son of God comes in the clouds with power and much glory? Likewise a cloud overshadowed the people coming out of Egypt. If these things are believed, how does it not follow that the heavenly clouds become a vehicle for the Lord of the people, so that he may sit upon them? But if the book is received which says that it is Wisdom which "became" for the people then "a pillar of cloud by day and a flame of fire by night", someone will say that the clouds upon which they will see the Son of Man coming, are "the power of the Most High" and "the Holy Spirit", which will become for him the clouds of heaven, so that he may come conveyed by them. Since therefore this reasoning is stronger and not contemptible, one who wishes indeed to receive what is said according to both modes, will not reject it, even if someone says that the clouds in which the Son of Man will come are intelligible—whether holy and divine powers or the most blessed prophets. And he will say so who confesses morally the second and glorious coming of the Word that is to be for men in the consummation of the age, as we said above is handed down, yet he will not destroy the text either. But he who, disregarding the glorious and admirable text of the passage, and like a "friend of God" thinks that the true consists in the spiritual alone, will say that pardon is to be granted, as to children and "little ones in Christ", to those who receive these things corporeally.

But with much power the second coming of the Word of God comes daily to the soul of every believer, in the prophetic and apostolic clouds, that is, in the Scriptures of the prophets and apostles, which make him manifest and in all their words show the light of the truth and declare him rising upon their divine understandings that are above human nature. And thus to those who understand the doctrines made manifest in the prophets and apostles, we say that there appears also much glory, which is seen in the second coming of the Word.

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, that sign by which the heavenly things were made, that is, the power which the Son wrought when He hung upon the cross. And the sign shall appear in heaven, that men of all tribes who before had not believed Christianity when preached, then by that sign, acknowledging it as made plain, shall grieve and mourn for their ignorance and sins.

Therefore shall they see with the bodily eyes the Son of Man, coming in human shape, in the clouds of heaven, that is, on high. As at the transfiguration, a voice came out of the cloud, so when He shall come again transformed into His glorious appearance, it shall be not on one cloud, but upon many, which shall be His chariot. And if when the Son of God went up to Jerusalem, they who loved Him spread their garments in the way, not willing that even the ass that carried Him should tread upon the earth; what wonder, if the Father and God of all should spread the clouds of heaven under the body of the Son, when He comes to the work of the consummation? And one may say, that as in the creation of man, God took clay from the earth and made man; so to manifest the glory of Christ, the Lord taking of the heaven, and of its substance, gave it a body of a bright cloud in the Transfiguration, and of bright clouds at the Consummation; wherefore it is here said, in the clouds of heaven, as it was there said, of the clay of the ground. (Gen. 2:7.) And it behoves the Father to give all such admirable gifts to the Son, because He humbled Himself; and He has also exalted Him, not only spiritually, but bodily, that He should come upon such clouds; and perhaps upon rational clouds, that even the chariot of the glorified Son of Man should not be irrational. At the first, Jesus came with that power with which He wrought signs and wonders in the people; yet was that power little in comparison of that great power with which He shall come in the end; for that was the power of one emptying Himself of power. And also, it is fitting that He should be transformed into greater glory than at the transfiguration on the mount; for then He was transfigured for the sake of three only, but in the consummation of the whole world, He shall appear in great glory, that all may see Him in glory.

Or He comes every day with great power to the mind of the believer in the clouds of prophecy, that is, in the Scriptures of the Prophets and the Apostles, who utter the word of God with a meaning above human nature. Also we say that to those who understand He comes with great glory, and that this is the more seen in the second coming of the Word which is to the perfect. And so it may be, that all which the three Evangelists have said concerning Christ's coming, if carefully compared together and thoroughly examined, would be found to apply to His continual daily coming in His body, which is the Church, of which coming He said in another place, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven, (Mat. 26:6.) excepting those places in which He promises that His last coming in His own person.

The Cross will then be seen in heaven shining more brightly than the sun as a reproof to the Jews, for when the Lord comes He will display the Cross as the strongest evidence against the Jews, like one who shows the stone with which he was struck. He calls the Cross a sign, as a trophy and royal ensign. Then all the tribes of the land of Judea will mourn and bewail their own unbelief, and all those who care for earthly things will mourn, though they be Christians. For those who are attached to earthly things might also be called "the tribes of the earth." Although the Lord comes accompanied by the Cross, He also comes "with power and great glory."

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. Here is set forth the sign of the Son of man existing above the angels. The sign of the Son, i.e., the sign of the victory of Christ; because when the whole world will be renewed, it will be signified that he obtained victory over all things through his passion, which is not apparent now. Or the sign of the cross will appear, to show that all this glory is through his passion. Likewise, it will be signified that he acquired all judicial power through his passion. Job 36:29: If he shall spread his clouds like a tent etc. And there follows: for by these he judges peoples. Likewise, it will appear to confound the wicked who refused to follow Christ. Likewise, the sign of the cross will be brighter than the sun. But what will the effect be? Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, seeing such great power of Christ, which they despised, and such great wisdom, which they did not obey, and such great brightness of the saints; hence they will say what is said in Wisdom 5:3: These are they whom we once held in derision and as a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed their life madness and their end without honor. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. Likewise, the tribes of heaven, i.e., those who bore the image of heaven; Isaiah 40:18: To whom then will you liken God, or what image will you set up for him? They will impute to themselves that they suffer such things; Apocalypse 1:7: Every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him. And Zechariah 12:10: They shall look upon me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves at the death of a firstborn.

And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. Above the Lord foretold what would happen before the second coming; here, however, he foretells the coming itself. And regarding this he does three things. First, he sets forth his coming; secondly, the certainty of the coming; thirdly, the uncertainty of the hour or day. And how will he come? They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. And who will see? All men, for he will come to judge. For he has a human nature and a divine nature. According to his divine nature he will not be seen except by the pure of heart, etc., according to what is said above at 5:8: Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God; but according to his human nature even the wicked will see him; Luke 3:6: All flesh shall see the salvation of our God. Therefore they shall see the Son of man, because the Son of man and the Son of God are the same; but they will not see him as the Son of God, but as the Son of man; John 5:27: He gave him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man. But there can be a question whether both the good and the wicked will see him in his glorious form; and it must be said that they will. And the reason is given in Isaiah 26:10, where the Lord, disputing with the prophet, says: He shall not see the glory of the Lord. And the prophet answers: Lord, let your hand be exalted, that they may not see. To which the Lord answered: And let them be confounded. Hence the good will see him unto joy, the wicked unto torment and sorrow. For when someone fears being punished, the more the power of the judge appears against him, the more he is afflicted; so the more glorious Christ appears, the more the wicked will be tormented. And this is signified when it says, coming in the clouds of heaven. In lightning there are two things, splendor and terror. Splendor represents a certain joy, but terror comes from the sound, and a cloud brings refreshment; Isaiah 18:4: And it shall be like a cloud of dew in the day of harvest, which is then pleasant. Likewise, a cloud has darkness, and when it is thick, it is terrible on account of the lightning and rain that come from the clouds; and this corresponds to the terror of the wicked; Psalm 96:2: Clouds and darkness are round about him. Likewise, it is fitting that he come in clouds to designate the divinity of Christ, because the majesty of God appeared in a cloud, Exodus 16:10; hence it is said in 3 Kings 8:12: The Lord said that he would dwell in a cloud; therefore he will come in clouds. Likewise, it is fitting to show his humanity, because, as is recorded in Acts 1:9: While they looked on, he was raised up, and a cloud received him out of their sight, and they heard the angels saying: in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven, so shall he come. Therefore, to show that he is the same one who was taken up in a cloud, he will appear in a cloud. It is also fitting to signify glorification. For when he was transfigured, a bright cloud appeared, and then there was one; but then there will be many, because then he appeared only to three, but then he will appear to many more; Apocalypse 1:7: Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him. And what will these clouds be? They will be nothing other than certain splendors overflowing from the body of Christ and the other saints. Origen says that they will be angels assuming ministry not only intelligibly but truly. For in the first coming he came humbly; Zechariah 9:9: Behold your king comes to you meek. But afterward he will come in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. For in the first coming there were two things: he had weakness and ignominy. Weakness, because the Apostle says, 2 Corinthians 13:4: He was crucified through weakness. Ignominy, according to what is found in Isaiah 52:14: So shall his appearance be without glory among men, and his form among the sons of men. Consequently, corresponding to these two things, he says two things. Corresponding to the weakness, he sets forth power; hence of this it is said: all power is given to me in heaven and on earth, and this was given to him by generation, inasmuch as he is the Son of God. But he merited it inasmuch as he is man; and this will be manifested when all the angels and all the elements will minister to him. Likewise, against the ignominy, he says he will come in majesty, as judge of the living and the dead.

By saying that the Son of man will send his angels, he demonstrates that the Son of man is God. For they are God's angels, and to send them is solely God's prerogative. The saying "from one end of the heavens to the other" teaches us that the extremes of earth and heaven are the same. Hence it is necessary to believe in Christ and not to be deceived as though the smallest part of earth, situated in the midst of the heavens, was surpassed by their infinite greatness.

(Ver. 31.) And He will send His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice; and they will gather His chosen ones from the four winds, from the highest heavens to their ends. The Apostle speaks of this trumpet in I Corinthians XV; I Thessalonians IV: and we read in the Apocalypse of John (Apocalypse VIII): and in the Old Testament (Numbers X), we are instructed to make trumpets of gold, silver, and bronze, so that the lofty mysteries of doctrine may resound.

And then again, "He will send His angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other."

But when thou hast heard of this, consider the punishment of them that remain. For neither shall they suffer that former penalty only, but this too. And as above He said, that they should say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord," so here, that they shall mourn. For since He had spoken unto them of grievous wars, that they might learn, that together with the fearful things here, the torments there also await them, He brings them in mourning and separated from the elect, and consigned to hell; by this again rousing the disciples, and indicating from how many evils they should be delivered, and how many good things they shall enjoy.

And why now doth He call them by angels, if He comes thus openly? To honor them in this way also. But Paul saith, that they "shall be caught up in clouds." And He said this also, when He was speaking concerning a resurrection. "For the Lord Himself," it is said, "shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel." So that when risen again, the angels shall gather them together, when gathered together the clouds shall catch them up; and all these things are done in a moment, in an instant. For it is not that He abiding above calleth them, but He Himself cometh with the sound of a trumpet. And what mean the trumpets and the sound? They are for arousing, for gladness, to set forth the amazing nature of the things then doing, for grief to them that are left.

And he will send his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the highest heavens even unto their ends.

Similarly in Mark he says it in this way: "and then he will send his angels, and they will gather the elect from the four winds, from the utmost part of the earth even unto the utmost part of heaven". As for his saying that the Savior sends his angels with a great trumpet (whatever that trumpet is) to gather his elect, it follows consistently upon those things which are related in another parable concerning the seeds and the tares; and interpreting the parable he speaks thus, that "the harvest is the consummation, the reapers are the angels. Just as therefore the tares are gathered and burned with fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all offenses and those who work iniquity, and they will cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father". He says something of the same kind also in the parable "of the net cast into the sea".

Therefore "the reapers, the angels" are sent by the Savior to gather all the tares, so that after these things the saints may shine "as the sun in the kingdom of their Father", so that thereafter the elect may be gathered from the four winds, from the highest heavens even unto their ends. Consider whether (as the simpler sort suppose) he says that only those elect are to be gathered who shall at that time be found in the body, or rather all who are "beloved in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ".

And see whether it is not better to say that all who have been called and elect from the coming of Christ even unto the consummation are to be gathered by the angels of Christ.

But you will inquire whether also those who lived from the foundation of the world even unto his coming are to be gathered — if indeed the elect of Christ are not only those who are holy from his coming (as certain teachers of the heresies say), but all who existed from the foundation of the world, who, like Abraham, saw the day of Christ and with divine exultation exulted over him.

But if the angels are to gather not only (as the simple think) those who shall be found in the body, but all the elect of Christ, it is worthy of consideration what they are doing in the meantime, or in what place they are staying, while they gather the elect. And that he says that not only those who have been comprehended in the body are the elect of Christ to be gathered, but also those who have departed out of their bodies, the passage makes plain when it says that the elect are to be gathered not only from the four winds, but also from the highest heavens even unto their ends. For I think that what he says — that they may be gathered from the highest heavens — fits no one who is upon earth, unless perhaps those who, while dwelling for a time among men, dwell among the angels teaching heavenly things; these the holy angels will gather, so that, being previously instructed in the highest heavens even unto their ends and equipped, they may hand them over to the perfect Master, the Word, the Son of God, to reign together with him and to receive those things which the Son will hand over to these who have previously received the heavenly teaching. And since this life of ours upon earth is a shadow, it follows that now they are instructed by the Law and the prophets — those who in that fullness of time are to know the remaining things, and to know fuller things from the Son of God according to the heavenly realities themselves — so that those who are in the highest heavens may be, as it were, in a kind of course of instruction, that they may afterward be able to receive the wisdom of God, or rather to receive as wisdom the very Son of God himself, "when that which" is truly "perfect shall have come". And let us understand, by inquiry, the four winds from which the elect of Christ are to be gathered, of what future good things those things had a shadow which are written in Numbers concerning each tribe of the sons of Israel. Whence the first order of the camp was that of Judah, setting up with their own force toward the east, and with these on either side Issachar and Zebulun. And toward the south the tribe of Reuben, and on either side Simeon and Gad. And the tribe of Ephraim toward the sea, and on either side Benjamin and Manasseh last. And the tribe of Dan toward the north, and on either side Asher and Naphtali. Perhaps therefore even at that time the tribes that had gone forth were shadows of the camps according to the mysteries of the true Israel. And just as at that time they were gathered from the four winds into Judea and were established in the inheritance through Joshua, after Moses their tutor and steward, so from the four winds the angels will gather the elect (from winds, however, not earthly but from the highest heavens even unto their ends), so that, gathered by our Joshua, they may obtain the divine and true inheritance.

In Matthew, therefore, those who are gathered, the elect of Christ, are gathered from the four winds, from the highest heavens even unto their ends; but in Mark "from the four winds, from the utmost part of the earth even unto the utmost part of heaven"; and afterward from the highest heavens even unto their ends. And you will understand those who are gathered "from the utmost part of the earth" by considering the manner of life of those who have been on earth, and, so far as is possible, the perfection of those who have lived their life on earth. All, therefore, who have lived well upon the earth are gathered not simply from the earth, but "from the utmost part of the earth", that is, as it were from the summit of those who live upon the earth. But if, after the summit of the manner of life which was on earth, there follows a subsequent manner of life to receive those who had their manner of life in the heavens, it does not simply receive them from the utmost part of heaven as "from the utmost part of the earth", but from the highest heavens, since each heaven has both the beginnings of its own instruction and its perfections, that is, its ends. For example, after the highest manner of life which was upon earth, the manner of life of one heaven receives a man again, and the perfection which is in it. Again the second manner of life of the second heaven receives him, and the perfection which is in it. Again the third manner of life of the third heaven receives him, and the perfection which is in it. And so understand for me that there are many beginnings of the manners of life of many heavens, and ends, that is, perfections, and that from these beginnings and ends of the diverse heavens God gathers his elect. Or thus from the highest heavens even unto their ends: the heavens are either the divine Scriptures or their authors, in whom God dwells; and the highest parts of the Scriptures are their beginnings, but the ends are their consummations. The saints, therefore, are gathered from the highest heavens, that is, from those things begun by them, who live in the beginnings of the Scriptures, even unto those who live in the consummations of them: to say it more amply, from the untrained among them even unto the perfect among them. But the angels who are sent by the Savior to gather his elect will gather them not with a voice of just any kind, but with a trumpet which is called great, not one that gives an uncertain sound, but a certain and manifest one, so that those who have heard and learned may prepare themselves for the way of perfection which leads to the Son of God.

But since we wish to understand what the great trumpet is, we ought to compare spiritual things with spiritual. Come now, let us also briefly expound about the trumpets, insofar as we are able to grasp it, to see whether we can, from the gathering together and the reminder of these examples, understand also the great trumpet of the angels. For it is written in Numbers: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Make yourself two silver trumpets; of beaten work you shall make them; and they shall serve you for gathering together the congregation and they shall serve you for setting the camps in motion. And you shall sound with them, and all the congregation shall be gathered together to you at the door of the tabernacle of testimony; but if they sound with one only, all the chiefs of the hosts of Israel shall come to you. And you shall sound the first signal, and the camps that lie toward the east shall set out; and you shall sound the second signal, and the camps that lie toward the south shall set out; and you shall sound the third signal, and the camps that lie toward the sea shall set out; and you shall sound the fourth signal, and the camps that lie toward the north shall take up their march; therefore they shall sound the trumpet at their setting out. And when you gather together the assembly, you shall sound, but not a signal. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall sound with the trumpets. And it shall be to you a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations. But if you go out to war in your land against your adversaries, you shall sound with the trumpets. And you shall be remembered in the sight of your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. And in the days of your gladness and in your feasts and in your new moons you shall sound with the trumpets, both over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, and there shall be a remembrance of you in the sight of your God. I am the Lord your God."

See also in these words that at the first signal of the trumpet the camps set out that are toward the east, but at the second the camps set out that are toward the south, and — to put it briefly — from the four winds the priests sounding the trumpets gather together those who are of the camps of Israel; and, in correspondence with the priests sounding the trumpets, the angels of Christ with a great trumpet will gather together his elect from the four winds. But in Numbers these things are written as done on the earth, whereas in the Gospels they are done "from the height of the earth even to the height of heaven", and after these things from the heights of the heavens even to their heights. And perhaps, if "the law has a shadow of the good things to come", then in Numbers too what has been set down concerning the trumpets and the ranks of Israel is a shadow of things to come. Lest, then, perhaps the silver trumpets (since silver is in many places taken for the word) … the great voice of the word is understood as a silver trumpet gathering together each one "in his own order", according to the shadow indeed as Moses named it, but according to the mystery as Paul says in the first epistle to the Corinthians. And first, with the rational trumpets, they set the camps in motion. Thus the legislation is made concerning those matters which pertain to the war of Israel, since through that signal of the trumpets it calls to remembrance matters of war; which trumpets bring those who are called to remembrance through those signals of the trumpets in matters of war, to the saving of them from their enemies. But the sounds of the silver and beaten trumpets in the days of the gladness of Israel, which are taken up at their new moons, were shadows of the new moons to come, of which the Apostle says: "Let no one judge you in food or in drink or in respect of a feast day or of a new moon or of sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come". And they are taken up also over the burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of the peace offerings of Israel. And these signals of the trumpets, the examples and shadows of the heavenly worship, it is fitting to expound as belonging, as it were, to some Israel that is heavenly and has its manner of life in heaven.

But we have received these examples so that we may be able, at least in part, to understand what is written: he will send his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together his elect. And the Apostle shows the evangelical trumpets also in the first epistle to the Thessalonians, saying: "But this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who shall remain at the coming of the Lord, shall not go before those who have fallen asleep; for the Lord himself, at the command and at the voice of the archangel and at the trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven". Likewise in the first epistle to the Corinthians: "We shall indeed all fall asleep, but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for it shall sound, and the dead shall rise incorrupt, and we shall be changed." And there is also, according to the law, a certain festival even of trumpets, the new moon of the seventh month, perhaps the mystery of some true festival and of some spiritual and grandly-speaking trumpet.

Or He comes every day with great power to the mind of the believer in the clouds of prophecy, that is, in the Scriptures of the Prophets and the Apostles, who utter the word of God with a meaning above human nature. Also we say that to those who understand He comes with great glory, and that this is the more seen in the second coming of the Word which is to the perfect. 1And so it may be, that all which the three Evangelists have said concerning Christ's coming, if carefully compared together and thoroughly examined, would be found to apply to His continual daily coming in His body, which is the Church, of which coming He said in another place, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven, (Mat. 26:6.) excepting those places in which He promises that His last coming in His own person.

Because He had spoken of mourning, which shall be only that they may bear witness against themselves and condemn themselves, that none should suppose that that mourning will end their woes, He now adds, And he shall send his Angels with a trump and a loud voice.

It is written in Numbers (Numb. 10:3.), that the Priests shall summon by the sound of the trumpet from the four winds those who are of the camp of Israel, and it is in allusion to this that Christ speaks here of the Angels, And they shall gather together the elect from the four winds.

Some of little discernment think, that only those who shall then be found in the body shall be gathered together, but it is better to say that the Angels of Christ shall then gather together not only all who from the coming of Christ to the end of the world have been called and chosen, but all from the foundation of the world, who like Abraham have seen the day of Christ and rejoiced therein. (John 8:56.) And that He here means not only those that shall be found in the body, but those also who have quitted the body, the following words show, from one end of heaven to the other, which cannot be meant of any one upon earth. Or, the heavens are the divine Scriptures and their authors in which God dwells. One end of heaven is the beginning of the Scriptures, the other end is their conclusion. The saints there are gathered together from one end of heaven, that is, from those that live in the beginning of the Scriptures to those who live in the ends of them. They shall be gathered together with a trump and a loud voice, that they who hear and attend may prepare themselves for that way of perfection which leads to the Son of God.

Here we are not to think of a real trumpet, but of the voice of the archangel, which shall be so loud that at its sound all the dead shall rise out of the dust of the earth.

That is, from the four quarters of the world, north, south, east, and west.

Or otherwise; Lest any one should suppose that they should be gathered only from the four quarters of the world, and not from the middle regions, The adds this, And from one end of heaven to the other. By the heights of heaven meaning the central regions of the earth, which are under the heights of heaven; and by the ends of heaven, meaning the extreme parts of the earth, where the land seems to join a very wide and distant horizon.

He will send the angels to gather together the saints and those risen from the dead, so that they can meet Him in the clouds. He also honors them by calling them with angels. And if Paul says that they will be caught up in the clouds (1Thess. 4:17), this is not contradictory. For when they have been gathered together by the angels, the clouds will snatch them up. There will be the trumpet, to cause the greater consternation.

Then he will come and he shall send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice. Here he treats of the gathering of the saints; and he sets forth three things. First, the ministers; secondly, those gathered; thirdly, from where they are gathered. The ministers are the angels, as is found in Psalm 102:21: His ministers who do his will. But he says, with a great voice and a trumpet. In the resurrection a threefold power will operate. First, the divine power; secondarily, the power of Christ's humanity, because his resurrection is the cause of our resurrection, as the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 15:22: As in Adam all have died, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. Likewise, the angelic power will operate there for certain preparatory things, namely, for gathering the dust. And he touches on these three things. The angelic power, when he says, he shall send his angels; the power of God, when he says, with a trumpet; the power of his humanity in that he says, and with a great voice. Of this it is said in John 5:25: All who hear the voice of the Son of God shall live. And that voice must be great, because he shall give to his voice the voice of power, Psalm 67:34. By the trumpet the divinity is well signified, because the voice of a trumpet is greater than the human voice; Apocalypse 11:12: And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, come up hither. And shortly after: and the seventh angel sounded the trumpet, and there were great voices in heaven. And note that the trumpet is quite fitting, because in Numbers 10:2 the Lord commanded Moses to make two trumpets; and they sounded the trumpets for assembly, for feasts, for battle, and for the moving of the camp. And so it will be at the judgment; because there will be an assembly, i.e., a gathering of all the saints, because the wicked shall not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the just, Psalm 1:5. Likewise, there will then be an everlasting feast. Likewise, there will be battle against the wicked, as is found in Zechariah 14:14: But Judah also shall fight against Jerusalem. Likewise, there will be a moving of the camp, because the saints will be transferred to the life of the saints; Zechariah 2:11: And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day. Likewise, some are now gathered, but not all; but then all will be gathered; below 25:32: All nations shall be gathered before him. Here only the elect are gathered, because they alone are gathered to reign with him; Psalm 49:5: Gather together his saints to him. Hence he says, and they shall gather together his elect. But from where will they be gathered? From the four winds of heaven, from the heights of heaven to the ends thereof. The winds of heaven are distinguished by the four parts of the world. From the east comes the subsolanus; from the west the favonius; from the north the boreas; from the south the auster; and all other winds are contained under these. Hence from the four winds of heaven, i.e., from all parts of the world. There follows, from the heights of heaven to the ends thereof. This can be expounded in two ways. Origen says thus: they shall be gathered. Someone might say that this gathering is only of the living and not of the dead; which he removes by showing that the dead also will be gathered; therefore he says, from the heights of heaven etc. You know that the saints ascend into the heavens, and some are lower, some higher, because according to the measure of merits will be the measure of reward. Hence this is what Augustine says, that from the four winds refers to the bodies, and from the heights of heaven refers to the souls. Remigius says thus, and it is in the Gloss: I shall gather etc. Someone might believe that the gathering is only from the extremities of the earth; but what about the middle of the earth? Hence to the ends thereof. And he means that the gathering will be not only from the extremities of the earth, but from heaven, i.e., from the middle of the world.

(Ep. 199, 22.) That now from the Evangelic and Prophetic signs that we see come to pass, we ought to look that the Lord's coming should be nigh, who is there that denies? For daily it draws ever more and more near, but of the exact time it is said, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons. (Acts 1:7.) See how long ago the Apostle said, Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (Rom. 13:11.) What he spoke was not false, and yet how many years have elapsed, how much more may we not say that the Lord's coming is at hand now, that so great an accession of time has been made?

(Quaest. Ev. i. 39.) Or, by the fig tree understand the human race, by reason of the temptations of the flesh. When its branch is fender, i. e. when the sons of men through faith in Christ have progressed towards spiritual fruits, and the honour of their adoption to be the sons of God has shone forth in them.

Moreover, our Redeemer shows by a thoughtful comparison that the world ought to be trampled upon and despised, when He immediately adds: "See the fig tree and all the trees; when they now produce fruit from themselves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near." As if He openly said: Just as the approaching summer is known from the fruit of trees, so from the ruin of the world it is recognized that the kingdom of God is near. But the kingdom of God is rightly compared to summer, because then the clouds of our sorrow pass away, and the days of life shine bright with the radiance of the eternal sun.

The parable of the fig tree is offered as a lesson in recognizing the signs of the times. When its branches become tender and green we know that summer is near. Both this fig tree and this summer are very different from those found in nature, however. In nature there is a considerable interval between the onset of summer and the greening of a tree's branches, which begin to grow tender early in the spring. Consequently this parable cannot be about the tree. Indeed, we have already dealt above with the particular meaning of the tree. We saw that Adam had covered himself with its leaves to hide his shameful conscience, which is to say that he was bound under the law as though clothed in sin. The fig tree's branch therefore represents the antichrist, who is a son of the devil, a partaker of sin and protector of the law. When it begins to grow tender and green, then the summer, which here represents the day of judgment, is near. The greening of the tree then refers to the rise of sinners, a time that will be marked by the flowering of slanderers and the popularity of criminals and favor for blasphemers. This signals that summer, the heat of eternal fire, is near.

Mystically; The Synagogue is likened to the fig treeg; its branch is Antichrist, the son of the Devil, the portion of sin, the maintainer of the law; when this shall begin to swell and to put forth leaves, then summer is nigh, i. e. the approach of the day of judgment shall be perceived.

(Verse 32, 33.) But learn a parable from the fig tree: when its branch is already tender and the leaves have sprouted, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors. Under the example of the tree, he taught the coming of the consummation. How, he says, when the twigs of the fig tree become tender and a bud comes forth into a flower, and the bark brings forth leaves, you understand the coming of summer, and the entrance of the west winds and spring: so when you see all these things that have been written, do not think that the consummation of the world is already here, but rather like some preludes and forerunners coming, to show that it is near and at the doors.

As much as to say, When the tender shoots first show themselves in the stem of the fig tree, and the bud bursts into flower, and the bark puts forth leaves, ye perceive the approach of summer and the season of spring and growth; so when ye shall see all these things that are written, do not suppose that the end of the world is immediate, but that certain monitory signs and precursors are showing its approach.

Forasmuch as He had said, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days;" but they sought of this, after how long a time it should be, and desired to know in particular the very day, therefore He puts also the similitude of the fig tree, indicating that the interval was not great, but that in quick succession would occur His advent also. And this He declared not by the parable alone, but by the words that follow, saying, "know that it is near, even at the doors."

Whereby He foretells another thing also, a spiritual summer, and a calm that should be on that day (after the present tempest) for the righteous; but to the sinners the contrary, winter after summer, which He declares in what follows, saying, that the day shall come upon them, when they are living in luxury.

But not for this intent only did He put forward this about the fig tree, in order to declare the interval; for it was possible to have set this before them in other ways as well; but that he might hereby also confirm His saying, as assuredly thus to come to pass. For like as this of the fig tree is of necessity, so that too. For thus, wherever He is minded to speak of that which will assuredly come to pass, He brings forward the necessary courses of nature, both Himself, and the blessed Paul imitating Him. Therefore also when speaking of His resurrection, He saith, "When the corn of wheat hath fallen into the earth, except it die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Whereby also the blessed Paul being instructed uses the same similitude, "Thou fool," he saith, "that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die."

But from the fig tree learn a parable: for when its branch has now become tender and puts forth leaves, know that summer is near; so also you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, at the door. Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass away, until all things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

How the comparison of the things that have been said can be understood from the fig tree, we shall expound according to our ability: lest perhaps this whole world and its consummation be likened to a fig tree, and each one of those setting out toward the blessed life, so as to see in himself the glorious and perfect coming of Christ's word, be held to be like a fig tree. For just as the fig tree in the time of winter indeed has in itself the life-giving power, but has it hidden and not sufficiently manifest, and afterward, when that very life-giving power begins to come forth into manifestation as the winter passes, out of its own vigor the branch is made tender, and it puts forth also leaves;

and just as the tree in that very power has leaves and fruits, and first indeed there is the bud, then little by little it advances, and last of all also by the actual effect: so also the world and each one of those who are saved, at the end before the coming of Christ (as it were in winter) has in himself the life-giving power hidden, but with Christ breathing upon them, those branches which are tender and not hard-hearted, and the things that were hidden in them, advance into leaves as the summer draws on and show forth manifest fruits, which he who beholds them in Christ already sees.

So too it is related in a certain parable of the Shepherd, if it please anyone to read that book also, that "the present age is winter for the just", who appear like their neighbors by nature, namely like the other dry trees, but in the opportune time appear in their fruits. But if in the first Psalm also there be some such thing, which is said concerning that blessed man, that "he shall be as the tree which is planted beside the running waters, which shall give its fruit in its time, and its leaf shall not fall off, and all things whatsoever he shall do shall prosper", do you also consider what is written. "The winter has passed, it has gone its way, the flowers have appeared in the land", as is written in the Song of Songs, from the time that Christ came, who introduced the mild season and made the wintry blasts to cease. And the fig tree, that is, the world, has now indeed made the tender branch, that is, the Church, to put forth leaves, while summer is at hand yet has not yet come; but when summer has come, it will more fully render fruits perfect and ripe for Christ, when according to Jeremiah the good figs are very good, gathered into baskets of good figs, from which Christ wishes to take and, as it were, to eat their sweetness. But far be it from us that, when Jesus comes to us and wishes to eat of the fig tree, no fruit should be found in it. For if no fruit be found in it, he will say to it at his coming, to the tree that has not shown fruits: "Never from you shall anyone eat fruit". And that fig tree can be understood as the people of the circumcision, to whom the Lord came hungering, and when he had not found "fruit in it" but only the appearance of life, he said: "Never from you shall anyone eat fruit". Wherefore at his coming "that fig tree was straightway withered", that is, that people; but that other fig tree, which (as regards the earlier times) was barren, which was already to be cut down because it had had no diligence applied to it by its own digger, when dung has begun to be put around it, will put forth fruits; the tree which had once drained the ground, but now will bring forth more abundant fruits even in return for the time gone by in which it was barren.

And each one of us, after the winters of temptations and after the sorrow of dangers past, hastens to summer, putting forth the tender branch — not that hard but the soft heart for believing God; and our advances put forth leaves meanwhile and the flowers of works, that afterward we may also exhibit the most perfect fruits "when that which is perfect has come", in Christ. Moreover, those very ones who are saved have in themselves the true vine (him who said: "I am the true vine") and, according to the reckoning of the vine, also the true fig tree the Holy Spirit offering salutary fruits, where "each one rests" according to the spiritual promise of God "under" his "vine" and "under his fig tree". And that vine indeed in those who make progress flowers and gives its fragrance, but the fig tree also puts forth its fruits, that after worthy progress their fruits may be made worthy of the heavenly winepresses, and of the baskets of very good figs of that fig tree, which brought forth tender and good fruits before the heat; whose fruits, even when languishing, provided they are not slothful to pray, are healed, as is written concerning King Hezekiah in Isaiah, who was saved through figs, that he might not die;

but also the sun upon him in the degrees showed his day made greater and brighter. Great therefore is the hope in the fig tree, which out of God's words first indeed made its tender branch, and afterward the leaves being born. For such as these summer is near, and near, at the door, is the glorious coming of Christ in the clouds, and the coming of the glory of the word of God, and "near" for men of this kind is "the kingdom of God".

As the fig has its vital powers torpid within it through the season of winter, but when that is past its branches become tender by those very powers and put forth leaves; so the world and all those who are saved had before Christ's coming their vital energies dormant within them as in a season of winter. Christ's Spirit breathing upon them makes the branches of their hearts soft and tender, and that which was dormant within burgeons into leaf, and makes show of fruit. To such the summer and the coming of the glory of the Word of God is nigh at hand.

Or, when this fig shall again bud, that is, when the synagogue shall receive the word of holy preaching, as the preaching of Enoch and Elias, then we ought to understand that the day of the consummation is at hand.

When all these things occur, He says, the time is not far off from the end and My coming. "Summer" means the age to come and serenity after the winter storm, but only for the righteous; for sinners, it is instead storm and tumult. For when you see, He says, the branches and leaves of the fig tree, you expect summer; so too, when you see those signs of which I spoke, the sun and the moon being altered, expect My coming.

From the fig tree learn a parable. Here he teaches about the certainty of his coming. He had said great things, and to some incredible things; now he certifies them in three ways. First, by a similitude; secondly, by an assertion; thirdly, by a reason. He says therefore, from the fig tree learn a parable. Chrysostom says: when God wishes to show something, he always introduces a natural similitude. Trees in winter have life, yet secretly; hence they do not produce leaves or fruit; but at the beginning of spring they begin to bud, and then life appears. So also the saints now do not appear, as is found in Colossians 3:3: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God; but then the life of the saints will appear, namely, of those who will not be deceived in the time of the Antichrist. Then summer will come, i.e., the eternal reward; Psalm 125:6: Going they went and wept, casting their seeds; and there follows, but coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves. Hence he says, from the fig tree learn a parable. By the fig tree the synagogue is signified, of which it is found in Luke 13:6: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. And this can be expounded thus: the tender branch is the Antichrist, whose power will last but a short time, and as leaves cling closely to it, then his power will be made manifest. Or it can be expounded in a good sense. By the branch is meant the strength and fortitude of the saints. When the Church begins to come to its end, the power of Christ and the saints who will sustain it will appear; Song of Songs 2:13: The fig tree has put forth her green figs.

"So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near." As if He openly said: Just as the approaching summer is known from the fruit of trees, so from the ruin of the world it is recognized that the kingdom of God is near. By these words it is certainly shown that the fruit of the world is ruin. For it grows in order to fall. It sprouts forth in order to consume with disasters whatever it has sprouted. But the kingdom of God is rightly compared to summer, because then the clouds of our sorrow pass away, and the days of life shine bright with the radiance of the eternal sun.

"So likewise ye," (He adds), "when ye shall see all these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of heaven is nigh at hand." "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things, and to stand before the Son of man; " that is, no doubt, at the resurrection, after all these things have been previously transacted.

So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors. Just as something is said to be near when it is at the doors; James 5:4: Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped your fields, which by fraud has been kept back by you, cries, and the cry of them has entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Note that Augustine emphasizes the word all, when he says: when you shall see all these things etc. Above he had said that the Lord is near; but what does this mean? For the Lord is always near. Therefore he says: if we wish, let us say that none of this pertains to the end of the world, but to the coming of Christ through the Church; hence what was said, they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds, i.e., in preachers, with great power, since the Lord gives the word to those who preach with great power; and then he will come with majesty, since they give him reverence. Yet according to the exposition of others, we can refer it to the end of the world, and say otherwise. According to Augustine's exposition, he gives us to understand something that is near, i.e., that there are certain signs that it is near; hence what was said, they shall see etc., is referred to all the things said above, namely, to the signs, lightning, and earthquakes.

(Ep. 199, 3.) He said this Watch, not to those only who heard Him speak at the time, but to those who came after them, and to us, and to all who shall be after us, until His second coming, for it touches all in a manner. That day comes to each one of us, when it comes to him to go out of the world, such as he shall be judged, and therefore ought every Christian to watch that the Lord's coming may not find him unprepared; and he will be unprepared for the day of His coming, whom the last day of his life shall find unprepared.

(non occ.) Foolish are all they, who either profess to know the day of the end of the world, when it is to come, or even the end of their own life, which no one can know unless he is illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

His teaching on the subject quite clearly consisted of three propositions. One, that He will certainly return. Two, that we cannot possibly find out when. Three, and that therefore we must always be ready for Him. Note the therefore. Only because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments. Our Lord repeated this practical conclusion again and again, as if the promise of the return had been made for the sake of this conclusion alone.

Watch, watch, is the burden of His advice. I shall come like a thief. You will not, I most solemnly assure you, you will not see Me approaching. If the householder had known at what time the burglar would arrive, he would have been ready for him. If the servant had known when his absent employer would come home, he would not have been found drunk in the kitchen. But they didn't, nor will you. Therefore you must be ready at all times.

The point is surely simple enough. The schoolboy does not know which part of his Virgil lesson he will be made to translate. That is why he must be prepared to translate any passage. The sentry does not know at what time an enemy will attack, or an officer inspect his post. That is why he must keep awake all the time.

The return is wholly unpredictable. There will be wars and rumors of wars, and all kinds of catastrophes, as there always are. Things will be, in that sense, normal, the hour before the heavens roll up like a scroll. You cannot guess it. If you could, one chief purpose for which it was foretold would be frustrated. And God's purposes are not so easily frustrated as that. One's ears should be closed against any future William Miller in advance. The folly of listening to him at all is almost equal to the folly of believing him. He couldn't know what he pretends, or thinks he knows.

Of this folly George MacDonald has written well. Do those, he asks, who say, lo here or lo there are the signs of his coming, think to be too keen for him, and spy his approach? When he tells them to watch, lest he find them neglecting their work, they stare this way and that, and watch lest he should succeed in coming like a thief. Obedience is the one key of life.

The doctrine of the second coming has failed, so far as we are concerned, if it does not make us realize that at every moment of every day in our lives Don's question, 'What if this present were the world's last night?'...

What is important is not that we should always fear or hope about the end, but that we should always remember, always take it into account. An analogy may help here. A man of seventy need not be always feeling, much less talking, about his approaching death. But a wise man of seventy should always take it into account.

(Hom. in Ev. ii, 3.) To watch is to keep the eyes open, and looking out for the true light, to do and to observe that which one believes, to cast away the darkness of sloth and negligence.

(Verse 42, 43.) Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is coming. But understand this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Clearly, he is showing why he said earlier: But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only: because it is not expedient for the apostles to know, so that they may always believe he is coming in uncertain expectation, whom they do not know when he is coming. And he did not say, because we do not know at what hour the Lord will come; but you do not know. And by giving the example of the father of the family, why he keeps silent about the day of the end, he teaches more clearly, saying:

Therefore, you also must be ready, for you do not know at what hour the Son of Man will come. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. He further emphasizes and repeats why he did not predict the day of judgment and hour to the angels or himself, but only to the Father, because it is not fitting for the apostles to know; and he uses the example of a householder, that is, himself and faithful servants, that is, the apostles, to encourage their anxious minds, so that they may provide spiritual nourishment to their fellow servants at the proper time.

Having declared that of that hour knoweth no man, but the Father only, He shows that it was not expedient for the Apostles to know, that being ignorant they might live in perpetual expectation of His coming, and thus concluding the whole, He says, Watch therefore, &c. And He does not say, 'Because we know not,' but Because ye know not, showing that He Himself is not ignorant of the day of judgment.

After this again, that they may not ask about it, He added, "Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." He said not, "I know not," but, "ye know not." For when He had brought them well nigh to the very hour, and had placed them there, again He deters them from the inquiry, from a desire that they should be striving always. Therefore He saith, "Watch," showing that for the sake of this, He did not tell it.

"But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh."

For this intent He tells them not, in order that they may watch, that they may be always ready; therefore He saith, When ye look not for it, then He will come, desiring that they should be anxiously waiting, and continually in virtuous action.

But His meaning is like this: if the common sort of men knew when they were to die, they would surely strive earnestly at that hour.

In order therefore that they may strive, not at that hour only, therefore He tells them not either the common hour, or the hour of each, desiring them to be ever looking for this, that they may be always striving. Wherefore He made the end of each man's life also uncertain.

After this, He openly calls Himself Lord, having nowhere spoken so distinctly. But here He seems to me also to put to shame the careless, that not even as much care as they that expect a thief have taken for their money, not even this much do these take for their own soul. For they indeed, when they expect it, watch, and suffer none of the things in their house to be carried off; but ye, although knowing that He will come, and come assuredly, continue not watching, saith He, and ready so as not to be carried away hence unprepared. So that the day cometh unto destruction for them that sleep. For as that man, if he had known, would have escaped, so also ye, if ye be ready, escape free.

He would have them ever ready, and therefore He says, Watch.

Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. Not giving "sleep to the eyes" of our soul nor "slumber to the eyelids," so that we may await either our own end or the end of the age, whether that we should depart from this life or that this world should be brought to its consummation for us.

But someone will ask how the Lord, established as present among the disciples, speaks thus, as though not present but about to come, saying to them: watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. And the one who is more simple will say that he spoke this discourse concerning the second coming, in which he was to come. But another will say that he was speaking of the intelligible coming of the Word, still to come into the understanding of the disciples, because it was not yet in their understanding in the way it was going to be: since (as he shows through this passage) in those who watch he works the day of his coming in the soul of those who are illumined by the true light of him who comes to their souls.

But know this, that if the householder knew at what watch the thief comes, he would surely watch and would not allow his house to be broken into. How would he not allow it? Without doubt, through his watchfulness. Therefore be you also ready, because at what watch you do not expect it, the Son of Man is to come. But Matthew indeed speaks indefinitely, while Mark even defines the times of the day, as of a thief coming, saying: "watch therefore, for you do not know when the lord of the house will come, at evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or in the morning".

Now the householder is the understanding of the man, and his house is his soul; but the thief, who comes suddenly while the householder sleeps and breaks into the house, is, I think, the devil or every contrary word,

according to what the evangelist John teaches us, saying in this manner: "amen amen I say to you, he who does not enter through the door into the sheepfold but climbs up another way, that man is a thief and a robber". As, therefore, he who "enters through the door into the sheepfold" is "the shepherd of the sheep", for whom "the doorkeeper opens", but "he who does not enter through the door but climbs up another way is a thief and a robber", so the lord of the house enters into it confidently "through the door" when he wills, rewarding the one who watches; but the thief, being a thief, does not enter into the house to the soul of the negligent by the natural entrance, but (as one who has already broken into it)

first destroying certain natural buildings of his soul and natural understandings, in him who has not watched — the things which God the Word had built. And having entered through that very breach, the thief plunders it, disarming the understanding, when, despoiling the householder who does not watch, "he will distribute his spoils".

But sometimes someone catches the thief in the very act of breaking in, and seizing him as one having his own weapons, he strikes the thief, and, confuting the word that breaks in, he kills it, when, though killing, he is not reckoned a murderer, killing it without any delay. But if not in his own presence, yet in the presence of him who makes all hidden things manifest, someone catches him who has stolen his goods, and understands him and refutes him (that is, kills him), he has no pardon, the thief being dead and made manifest: for he too will die.

And see whether perhaps the law of Moses signifies some such thing, saying: "but if the thief is found in the very breaking in and, being struck, dies, there is no bloodguilt for him; but if the sun has risen over him, he is guilty: he shall die for it". For he who, before he does the evil, recognizes the evil and crushes it in himself, is the one who catches and kills it in himself, while it is being broken in upon by it. But he who, after he has done the evil, although he refutes it, is seen to have caught the evil outside himself and to have killed it outside his house — it profits him nothing, for he has been made guilty of death. For after any man has sinned and turned back into himself, the divine understanding which is in us illumines him like a light, so that we may understand that the evil we have committed was to our own condemnation, not to our salvation. Yet in the text of this Gospel of which we are speaking, the thief comes not by day, when the soul of the earnest man has been illumined by the sun of righteousness, but by night and in the time while malice still remains.

And when someone is in this state, it is possible that, even if he does not have the strength of the sun, yet he may be illumined by some slight brightness of the word which is a "lamp",

while still indeed remaining amid evils, yet already having a purpose of better things and a watchfulness, so that his purpose, looking toward better things, may not be broken in upon. For, as we read in the Shepherd, no one quickly tastes full vessels, for they are not easily changed; but the half-full ones, because they are readily believed to be changed, are frequently tasted.

And see whether you can draw to such an understanding that which is written elsewhere: "but let your loins be girded and your lamps burning; and be you like men awaiting their lord, when he shall return"; since he who is not yet in the light and in the day of the virtues, but already offers himself to the teaching that illumines his soul, so far as is possible, is in the first place girded. And turning himself away from the outpouring of malice, he uses not yet, as it were, the clear daylight of virtue, but the lamp by which it is possible for even one who is in malice to be illumined. This one, therefore, whose lamp is thus lit, is one awaiting his lord, God the Word,

that returning he may come to him who meanwhile has had within himself the lamp and has illumined his whole mind, evidently as it were a sun. And each one according to his own progress kindles his lamp either less or more from the light of knowledge, and pours oil into it through meditation, and watching in it against sinful works, hoping through abstinence of this kind and meditation to receive even the lord into himself. Yet to him who progresses more abundantly and forgets the things that are behind, that is, malice, but still having a little of it in himself already draws near to virtue, it is fittingly said: "the night has advanced, but the day has drawn near". And it is to be noted that he did not say: "but the day" is at hand. For it is at hand for the perfect who have in themselves no trace of night; but it draws near for the one progressing toward the better and meditating on the things that are of the day and receiving honorableness as in the day, and it is already near to that man who is such that he may say: "we are not of the night nor of the darkness".

But since we have once come to this passage, we ought also to give an account of the various watches. One person indeed is found keeping watch straightway in the evening itself and continues his watches until midnight, and further still until cockcrow, and still further until morning. For whoever, as soon as he has begun malice — that is, as soon as the infant has begun to bring forth full speech (for from this point he begins to be in malice, which is being in the night) — if he straightway hands himself over so that he becomes both a hearer of the law and a doer of it, "provided he shall have endured unto the end" in that same purpose, he has kept watch from the evening and has continued until midnight and has given neither "sleep to his eyes" nor until cockcrow nor until morning: a man of this kind is reckoned among the blessed servants. But whoever shall have been found, after the time when speech is completed, to pass some part of the night "in revelings and drunkenness and beds and shameless deeds," yet afterward has begun to keep watch — this one too will have good hope if he endures until morning, beginning to keep watch from midnight, that is, from manhood. But if, advanced in the time of his body's age, upon hearing the divine teaching he receives from it a lamp, as though willing to live according to the commandment of God, this one too, having a lamp from cockcrow and keeping watch and enduring until morning, does not lose the reward of good servitude in a short time. And if it is possible, even straightway around the very completion of the night (that is, after malice has consumed almost the whole time of his life), that as a believer he may kindle a lamp for himself and keep watch even in the remaining time — then, if the master of the house comes with his grace, with some indeed he will abide from evening until morning, but with others, enlightening them from midnight for what remains, and with others from cockcrow, dwelling less with them; but neither will he abandon those who in the morning kindle a lamp and keep watch on account of the expectation of the master, but even these, finding them by no means asleep nor attending to "beds and shameless deeds," he will honor them with the honor by which he shall have recognized them to be worthy.

And so the thief too comes at a certain watch and hour of the night and digs through the house of him whom he shall have found not keeping watch nor having a lamp lit. And upon some indeed he comes in the evening, but upon others at midnight, and upon some even at cockcrow, and there are also those upon whom he comes in the morning. And the master too comes at a certain watch and hour of the night, and perhaps the master comes to that man to whom the thief, in coming, could do nothing — namely, not being permitted to dig through the house of the one keeping watch and having a lamp lit. But to him who has his house dug through the master does not come, especially if anyone has learned what was said: "let your loins be girded and your lamps burning; and be yourselves like men awaiting their master", and, despising the things that were said, has given "sleep to his eyes and drowsiness to his eyelids". But to make clear the sense of this passage which has come upon us, let us use such an example: in the time of temptations or of calamities of whatever kind the thief is especially wont to come, wishing to dig through the house of the soul; but when the thief comes, the one who bears the mishaps and endures all things for the love of God, having suffered nothing from him, will straightway see the master coming to him. But whoever shall have had his house dug through by the thief in the time of his calamity will, as unworthy of the coming of his master to him, not be worthy to look upon him.

Those of more plain understanding say, that He spoke this of His second coming; but others would say that it applies to an intellectual coming of the word into the understanding of the disciples, for as yet He was not in their understanding as He was to be.

He bids us to keep vigil and to be ready, that is, to have stored up beforehand deeds of virtue so that when the Lord comes asking for the things that He wants, we will have them to give. See how He did not say, "I know not what hour the thief cometh," but "ye know not." A "thief" is what He names the end of the world as well as the death of each person. He also implies here that His coming will be in the night. Just as the thief comes unnoticed, so will My coming be; therefore, be not indolent, but sober and vigilant. For if we knew when our end would be, we would strive to please God only on that day. But since we do not know, we are always vigilant in the deeds of virtue.

After the Lord set forth the uncertainty of the hour, he urges vigilance. And first he urges all; secondly, prelates in particular, at who, do you think, is the faithful and wise servant? etc. Regarding the first he does three things. First, he sets forth the admonition; secondly, a similitude; thirdly, he draws the conclusion. He says therefore: I say that the day is uncertain, and no one can be confident of his state, because of anyone, one will be taken and another left; therefore you must be diligent and watchful. Watch therefore. And, as Jerome says, therefore the Lord wished to make the appointed time uncertain, so that man would always be waiting. For in three ways a man is at fault: because his senses are idle; likewise, because he is idle from movement; likewise, because he lies down. Therefore watch, that your senses may be raised up by contemplation; Song of Songs 5:2: I sleep, and my heart watches. Likewise, watch, lest you become sluggish in death; for he watches who exercises himself in good works; 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, and watch, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour. Likewise, watch, lest you lie down through negligence; Proverbs 6:9: How long will you sleep, O sluggard? But what does he say? Because you know not at what hour your Lord will come. He was saying this to the apostles, and it is not found elsewhere that he so expressly calls himself Lord as here, and in John 13:13: You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. But someone might say that the Lord was speaking to the apostles; but the apostles were not going to live until the end of the world. How then does he say, watch, because you know not at what hour your Lord will come? Augustine says that this was necessary even for the apostles and for those who were before us and for us, because the Lord comes in two ways. At the end of the world he will come to all in general; likewise, he comes to each one at his own end, namely, at death; John 14:18: I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. Therefore there is a twofold coming, at the end of the world and also at death; and he willed both to be uncertain. And these comings correspond to each other, because such as a person is found at the second, such he was at the first. Augustine says: the last day of the world finds that man unprepared whom his own last day finds unprepared. Likewise, it can be expounded of another coming, namely, the invisible one, when he comes into the mind; Job 9:11: If he comes to me, I shall not perceive him. Hence he comes to many, and they do not perceive it. Hence you must watch greatly, so that if he knocks, you may open to him; hence Apocalypse 3:20: I stand at the door and knock: if anyone shall open to me, I will come in to him, and will sup with him.

But to shake off the sloth of our mind, even external losses are brought forward through a comparison, so that through these the soul may be roused to guard itself. For it is said: "Know this, that if the master of the house knew at what hour the thief was coming, he would certainly watch and would not allow his house to be broken into." For while the master of the house is unaware, the thief breaks into the house, because while the spirit sleeps from guarding itself, unforeseen death coming bursts into the dwelling of our flesh, and slays as if sleeping the one it found as master of the house, because when the spirit fails to foresee the coming losses, death snatches him unknowing to punishment. But he would resist the thief if he were watching, because being on guard against the coming of the judge who secretly seizes the soul, he would meet him by repenting, lest he perish impenitent.

(Hom. in Ev. xiii. 5.) Or, the thief breaks into the house through the neglect of the master of the house, when the spirit has slept upon its post of guard, and death has come in unawares into the dwelling house of our flesh, and finding the lord of the house sleeping, slays him; that is, the spirit, little providing for coming evils, is taken off unprepared, to punishment, by death. But if he had watched he would have been secure from the thief; that is, looking forward to the coming of the Judge, who takes our lives unawares, he would meet Him with penitence, and not perish impenitent.

To teach us that our ignorance of the date of his return (which his silence has kept hidden from everyone) is not without its usefulness, Christ warns us to keep all his commandments. We should also be occupied with constant prayer in order to guard against the coming of the thief. For the thief is the devil who seeks to invade our bodily homes with the darts of his thoughts and allurements in order to ruin us while we are sleepy and careless. It is good therefore that we be prepared. Our ignorance of the day of Christ's return should provoke us to be careful as we eagerly await his coming.

And by the instance of the master of the household, He teaches more plainly why He keeps secret the day of the consummation.

In this He rebukes such as have less care for their souls, than they have of guarding their money against an expected thief.

The master of the household is the understanding, the house is the soul, the thief is the Devil. The thief is also every contrary doctrine which enters the soul of the unwary by other than the natural entrance, breaking into the house, and pulling down the soul's natural fences, that is, the natural powers of understanding, it enters the breach, and spoils the soul. Sometimes one takes the thief in the act of breaking in, and seizing him, stabs him with a word, and slays him. And the thief comes not in the day-time, when the soul of the thoughtful man is illuminated with the Sun of righteousness, but in the night, that is, in the time of prevailing wickedness; in which, when one is plunged, it is possible, though he have not the power of the sun, that he may be illuminated by some rays from the Word, as from a lamp; continuing still in evil, yet having a better purpose, and watchfulness, that this his purpose should not be broken through. Or in time of temptation, or of any calamities, is the time when the thief is most found to come, seeking to break through the house of the soul.

But know this, that if the master of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would watch at that hour and would not suffer his house to be broken open. But because he does not know at what hour, he must watch all night. Who is this master of the house? The house is the soul. In it a man ought to rest; Wisdom 8:16: Entering into my house, i.e., into my conscience, I shall rest with her. The master of the house is the reason; Proverbs 20:8: The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his glance. Sometimes a thief breaks open his house. The thief is some persuasion of false doctrine, or some temptation. And he is called a thief, as is found in John 10:1: He who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, he is a thief and a robber. The door properly speaking is natural knowledge, or the natural law. Therefore whoever enters through reason enters through the door; but whoever enters through the door of concupiscence, or anger, or the like, is a thief. Thieves are accustomed to come by night. In Obadiah 5: If thieves had come in to you, if robbers by night, how would you have held your peace? Hence if they come by day, they are not feared. So when a man is in the contemplation of divine things, then temptation does not come; but when he is relaxed, then it comes. Therefore the prophet says well, Psalm 70:9: When my strength shall fail, do not forsake me. Hence we must watch, because we do not know when the Lord will come, namely, for judgment. Or we can refer this to the day of death; 1 Thessalonians 5:3: For when they shall say, peace and security, then shall sudden destruction come upon them.

Our Lord willed that the final hour be unknown to us so that it might always be regarded with suspicion, so that since we cannot foresee it, we might prepare ourselves for it without ceasing. Therefore, my brothers, fix the eyes of your mind upon the condition of your mortality; prepare yourselves for the coming Judge through daily weeping and lamentation. And since certain death awaits all, do not think about the uncertain provision of temporal life. Let not the care of earthly things weigh you down. For however great the masses of gold and silver that surround the flesh, however precious the garments in which it is clothed, what is it other than flesh? Therefore do not consider what you have, but what you are. Do you wish to hear what you are? The prophet declares, saying: "Truly the people are grass." For if the people are not grass, where are those who celebrated with us the feast of blessed Felix's birthday a year ago, which we celebrate today? O how many and how great were the thoughts they had about provision for the present life, but when the moment of death crept upon them, they were suddenly found in those circumstances they had been unwilling to foresee, and they lost all the temporal things at once which, having been gathered together, they seemed to hold securely. If therefore the multitude of the human race that has passed flourished in the flesh through birth and withered to dust through death, it was evidently grass. Since therefore the hours flee with their moments, act, dearest brothers, so that they may be retained in the reward of good work. Hear what the wise Solomon says: "Whatever your hand is able to do, work at it earnestly, for there will be neither work, nor knowledge, nor reason, nor wisdom in the underworld, to which you are hastening." Since therefore we do not know the time of coming death, and after death we cannot work, it remains that before death we seize the time that has been granted. For thus, yes thus, death itself when it comes will be conquered, if before it comes it is always feared.

(Hom. in Ev. xiii. 5.) And the Lord would therefore have the last hour unknown, that it might always be in suspense, and that being unable to foresee it, we might never be unprepared for it.

And you also be ready, because at the hour that you think not, the Son of man shall come. Chrysostom says that men who are anxious about temporal things watch at night. And if they watch for temporal things, how much more must one watch for spiritual things; Apocalypse 3:3: If you shall not watch, I will come to you as a thief.

(ord.) For rare indeed is such faithful servant serving his Master for his Master's sake, feeding Christ's sheep not for lucre but for love of Christ, skilled to discern the abilities, the life, and the manner of those put under him, whom the Lord sets over, that is, who is called of God, and has not thrust himself in.

Though the Lord had given above a general exhortation to all in common to unwearied vigilance, yet He adds a special charge to the rulers of the people, that is, the Bishops, of watchfulness in looking for His coming. Such He calls a faithful servant, and wise master of the household, careful for the needs and interests of the people entrusted to Him.

Then, as He had fallen upon the mention of the judgment, He directs His discourse to the teachers next, speaking of punishment and honors; and having put first them that do right, He ends with them that continue in sin, making His discourse to close with that which is alarming.

Wherefore He first saith this, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord shall set over His household to give them their meat in theirs due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that He shall make him ruler over all His goods."

Tell me, is this too the language of one who is in ignorance? For if because He said, "neither doth the Son know," thou sayest He is ignorant of it; as He saith, "who then?" what wilt thou say? Wilt thou say He is ignorant of this too? Away with the thought. For not even one of them that are frantic would say this. And yet in the former case one might assign a cause; but here not even this. And what when He said, "Peter, lovest thou me?" asking it, knew He not so much as this? nor when He said, "Where have ye laid Him?"

And the Father too will be found to be saying such things. For He Himself likewise saith, "Adam, where art thou?" and, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is waxed great before me. I will go down therefore, and see whether their doings be according to their cry which cometh unto me, and if not, I will know." And elsewhere He saith, "Whether they will hear, whether they will understand." And in the gospel too, "It may be they will reverence my Son:" all which are expressions of ignorance. But not in ignorance did He say these things, but as compassing objects such as became Him: in the case of Adam, that He might drive him to make an excuse for his sin: in that of the Sodomites, that He might teach us never to be positive, till we are present at the very deeds; in that of the prophet, that the prediction might not appear in the judgment of the foolish a kind of compulsion to disobedience; and in the parable in the gospel, that He might show that they ought to have done this, and to have reverenced the Son: but here, as well that they may not be curious, nor over busy again, as that He might indicate that this was a rare and precious thing. And see of what great ignorance this saying is indicative, if at least He know not even him that is set over. For He blesses him indeed, "For blessed," saith He, "is that servant;" but He saith not who this is. "For who is he," He saith, "whom His Lord shall set over?" and, "Blessed is he whom He shall find so doing."

But these things are spoken not of money only, but also of speech, and of power, and of gifts, and of every stewardship, wherewith each is entrusted. This parable would suit rulers in the state also, for every one is bound to make full use of what he hath for the common advantage. If it be wisdom thou hast, if power, if wealth, if what it may, let it not be for the hurt of thy fellow-servants, neither for thine own ruin. For this cause, therefore, He requires both things of him, wisdom, and fidelity: for sin arises from folly also. He calls him faithful then, because he hath purloined nothing, neither misspent his Lord's goods without aim or fruit; and wise, because he knew how to dispense the things given him, according as was fit. For indeed we have need of both things, as well not to purloin the goods of our Master, as also to dispense them as is fit. But if the one be wanting, the other halteth. For if he be faithful and steal not, yet were to waste and to spend upon that which concerned him not, great were the blame; and if he should know how to dispense it well, yet were to purloin, again there is no common charge against him.

And let us also that have money listen to these things. For not unto teachers only doth He discourse, but also unto the rich. For either sort were entrusted with riches; those that teach with the more necessary wealth, ye with what is inferior. When then at the time that the teachers are scattering abroad the greater, ye are not willing to show forth your liberality even in the less, or rather not liberality but honesty (for ye give the things of another), what excuse will you have? But now, before the punishment of them that do the contrary things, let us hear the honor of him that approveth himself. "For verily I say unto you, He will set him over all His goods."

What can be equal to this honor? what manner of speech will be able to set forth the dignity, the blessedness, when the King of Heaven, He that possesseth all things, is about to set a man over "all His goods?" Wherefore also He calleth him wise, because he knew, not to give up great things for small, but having been temperate here, hath attained to Heaven.

After this, as He ever doth, not by the honor only laid up for the good, but also by the punishment threatened against the wicked, doth He correct the hearers. Wherefore also He added, "But and if the evil servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken: the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

But if any one should say, "Seest thou what a thought hath entered into his mind, because of the day's not being known, 'my Lord,' he saith, 'delayeth His coming?'" we should affirm, that it was not because the day is not known, but because the servant is evil. Else wherefore came not this thought into the heart of the faithful and wise servant. For what, even though the Lord tarry, O wretched man, surely thou lookest that He will come. Why then dost thou not take care?

Hence then we learn, that He doth not so much as tarry. For this judgment is not the Lord's, but that of the evil servant's mind, wherefore also he is blamed for this. For in proof that He doth not tarry, hear Paul saying, "The Lord is at hand, be careful for nothing;" and, "He that cometh will come, and will not tarry."

But do thou hear also what followeth, and learn how continually He reminds them of their ignorance of the day, showing that this is profitable to the servants, and fitted to waken and thoroughly to rouse them. For what though some gained nothing hereby? For neither by other things profitable for them were some profited, but nevertheless He ceaseth not to do His part.

What then is the purport of that which followeth? "For He shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of;" and shall inflict upon him extreme punishment. Seest thou how even everywhere He puts this, the fact of their ignorance, indicating that it was profitable, and by this making them always earnest minded? For this is the point at which He labors, that we should be always on the watch; and since it is always in luxury that we are supine, but in afflictions we are braced up, therefore everywhere He saith this, that when there is relaxation, then come the terrors. And as further back He showed this by the example of Noah, even so here He saith it is, when that servant is drunken, when he is beating, and that his punishment shall be intolerable.

But let us not regard only the punishment appointed for him, but let us look to this other point too, lest we ourselves also be unawares to ourselves doing the same things. For to this servant are they like, who have money, and give not to the needy. For thou too art steward of thine own possessions, not less than he who dispenses the alms of the church. As then he has not a right to squander at random and at hazard the things given by you for the poor, since they were given for the maintenance of the poor; even so neither mayest thou squander thine own. For even though thou hast received an inheritance from thy father, and hast in this way all thou possessest: even thus all are God's. And then thou for thy part desirest that what thou hast given should be thus carefully dispensed, and thinkest thou not that God will require His own of us with greater strictness, or that He suffers them to be wasted at random? These things are not, they are not so. Because for this end, He left these things in thine hand, in order "to give them their meat in due season." But what meaneth, "in due season?" To the needy, to the hungry. For like as thou gavest to thy fellow-servant to dispense, even so doth the Lord will thee too to spend these things on what is needful. Therefore though He was able to take them away from thee, He left them, that thou mightest have opportunity to show forth virtue; that bringing us into need one of another, He might make our love for one another more fervent.

But thou, when thou hast received, so far from giving, dost even beat. And yet if not to give be blame, what excuse is there for beating? But this, it seems to me, He speaks, hinting at the insolent, and the covetous, and indicating the charge to be heavy, when they beat them, whom they were commanded to feed.

But He seemeth to be here hinting also at those that live in luxury, since for luxury too there is laid up a great punishment. "For He eateth and drinketh," it is said, "with the drunken," pointing at gluttony. For not for this purpose didst thou receive, that thou should spend it on luxury, but that thou shouldest lay it out on alms. What! are they thine own things which thou hast? With the goods of the poor hast thou been entrusted, though thou be possessed of them by honest labor, or though it be by inheritance from thy father. What, could not God have taken away these things from thee? But He doth not this, to give thee power to be liberal to the poor.

But mark thou, I pray thee, how throughout all the parables He punishes them that lay not out their money upon the needy. For neither had the virgins robbed other men's goods, but they had not given their own; neither had he that buried the one talent embezzled, but he had not doubled; neither are they that overlooked the hungry punished, because they seized the possessions of others, but because they did not lay out their own, like as also this servant.

Let us hearken, as many as please the belly, as many as lay out on costly banquets the riches that pertain not at all to us, but belong to the needy. For do not, because out of great love to man thou art commanded to give as of thine, therefore suppose these things to be indeed thine own. He lent them to thee, that thou mightest be able to approve thyself. Do not then suppose them to be thine, when giving Him His own. For neither, if thou hadst lent to any one, that he might go and be able to find means of gain, wouldest thou say the money was his. To thee then also hath God given, that thou mightest traffic for Heaven. Make not then the exceeding greatness of His love to man a cause of ingratitude.

Who then is the faithful and prudent servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in due season?

That this parable pertains to the apostles and the other bishops and teachers is clear, especially from the fact that in Luke Peter asks, saying: "Do you speak this parable to us, or also to all?" Yet, although there are many stewards, it is difficult to find one who is both faithful and prudent. For this reason the Apostle says: "Let a man so account of us as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Here now it is required among stewards that a man be found faithful." But he sins against God, whatever bishop ministers not as a servant to fellow-servants but as a lord, and often even as a bitter lord domineering by force — set up like the Egyptians who afflicted the life of the sons of Israel with violence. Therefore they ought to be mindful of the words of Christ, who says: "You call me master and lord, and you say well; for so I am. If then I have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, that as I have done, so you also should do." And that other saying: "The princes of the Gentiles domineer over them, and their greater ones exercise power over them. But among you it shall not be so; but whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be last; even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many." One ought also to hear Paul saying: "Whereas we might be a burden as apostles of Christ, we became little ones in your midst, just as if a nurse were to cherish her own children; so, in our longing, we desire to share with you not only the Gospel, but also our own souls"; and one ought not to strike fellow-servants, but to "rebuke the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, and be patient toward all," since "the servant of God ought not to quarrel but to be gentle toward all, teaching with modesty those who resist." And as one himself withdrawing from the evil enticement of fellow-servants, Paul blames those who were not such, who were indeed subject to the proud but despised the gentle, speaking in this manner: "You endure it if any man reduces you to servitude, if any devours, if any takes, if any exalts himself, if any strikes you in the face, as though we had been weak."

But consider in these words how he reproves those who reduce to servitude and strike in the face — because of which they domineer the more bitterly — saying that he himself abstains from these things; not because he was too weak to do them, but that he might do the very things he teaches. And he teaches to teach "with modesty" "those who resist." For this reason too, defining what sort bishops ought to be, he speaks thus: "not quarrelsome, not strikers, but gentle, well-ordered," and whatever qualities are found among faithful and wise servants and stewards, whom "the lord has set over his household," as Luke says. And from these things it may be recognized that not only those who are faithful and wise does the lord set over his household, but also the wicked servants who say ever in their hearts: "My lord delays his coming"; and therefore they strike their fellow-servants, eat and drink with the drunken or with drunkards, and become inebriated. If, then, at any time those who preside over the churches of Christ suppose themselves to be at a great height, because "the lord has set them over his household," let them recognize that it is not this that saves them, that they were set by the lord over his household, but rather that they should give food in due season, and that they should abstain from strikings and from carousings and drinkings with drunkards. But if they do not abstain from such things, and are haughty because the lord has set them over his household, let them know that their lord will come in a day on which they do not look and at an hour which they do not know, and will divide them, and will set their portion with the hypocrites and the unfaithful; and when they have been set among the hypocrites and the unfaithful, it will profit them nothing that they were set by the lord over his household.

But that we may fear that which he says, he will divide him, it is fitting to recall the things said by Daniel against the wicked elders, namely that "the angel of God, having a sword, will cut you in two"; and in cutting, he divides.

We have ventured to use in this place the example from Daniel, not being ignorant that it is not found in the Hebrew, but because it is held in the churches; to inquire about such a matter belongs to another time.

But attend also to this, that he says faithful servant and prudent, hearing the word kindly and acquiescing in the will of Christ, who speaks these things, and of Matthew, who writes them down. Diligently, therefore, must we hear about the faithful and prudent servant: he who advances in faith, or (if he is not yet perfect in it) he who commonly is himself also called faithful, and he who has a natural quickness of mind and is called prudent. For the steward of iniquity too "acted prudently," not indeed acting according to prudence as one of the virtues, but because he was quick in wit. And "the sons of this age are more prudent than the sons of light in their generation," not because they are prudent according to prudence as one of the virtues, or because the sons of light are inferior to them in any other respect in wisdom, except that in worldly wisdom or in natural sharpness of mind they are inferior; for the divine word knows also that prudence is one of the virtues, as it teaches in Proverbs, saying: Say that wisdom is your sister, and make prudence known to you, that it may guard you from the strange woman.

But now we ought to hear in a general sense what he says: who is the faithful and prudent servant, as though some indeed are faithful according to faith as commonly understood, but are not prudent nor quick in wit; and again others are indeed quick and, in the sense here signified, prudent, but not altogether faithful as well. But if one considers the multitude of those wishing to be Christians, he will find indeed many faithful and exercising zeal for the faith, but not also prudent, so that the sons of this age are more prudent than they in their generation, knowing that God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may confound the wise. And again he will see others, who are thought to have believed, who are indeed quick and wise, but of small faith and, if not unfaithful, yet less faithful than the foolish things of the world which God has chosen. But that faithful and prudent should meet together in one man, so that according to both he gives his fellow-servants food in due season, is very rare indeed. For to give food in due season to the needy, one has need of prudence; but that one should not withhold food in due season from the needy, there is need of faith.

Nor is it inopportune to give warning on account of the sins which, in men who seem to believe in Christ and in the stewards of the churches, are for the most part wont to occur, since even according to the simple sense many of us have need to be faithful and likewise prudent for dispensing the revenues of the church: faithful indeed, that we may not devour what belongs to widows and that we may be mindful of the poor, and, taking occasion from that which is written: the Lord has ordained for those who preach the Gospel to live by the Gospel, that we may not seek more than simple food and necessary clothing, that we may not keep back for ourselves more than we give to the hungry and thirsty and naked brethren and to those who suffer need amid worldly cares; prudent, moreover, that we may minister to each one according to each one's worthiness, remembering what has been said: "Blessed is he who has understanding concerning the needy and poor." For we ought not to give from the church's goods simply, so that we observe this one thing only, that we not devour what belongs to the poor or commit theft from it, but that we prudently understand the circumstances of the needy on account of which they are needy, and the standing of each — how he was brought up, how much he has need of, or for what cause he is in want. Therefore one must not act in the same way toward those who from infancy have been brought up hardly and strictly, and toward those who have been nourished lavishly and delicately and afterward have fallen. Nor are the same things to be ministered to men and to women, or to the very old and to the young, or indeed to the young but feeble (because of which they cannot procure food for themselves) and to those who can in part relieve themselves. It must also be inquired whether they have many children, not being negligent but doing all things and yet not sufficiently providing for themselves. And, that we may not say more, there is need of much wisdom for one who wishes to dispense well the revenues of the church, so that in these matters too, being found a faithful and prudent steward, he may be made blessed.

But perhaps also, on account of the multitude of Christians who are not held in sufficient regard concerning the searching of the word and yet are such as have been raised to leadership, we have all the more need to hear: who is the faithful and prudent servant whom the lord has set over his household, to give them food in due season? — that they may not pour out the rational and spiritual food upon fellow-servants of whatever sort indiscriminately and upon those to whom they ought not, wishing to show themselves prudent, when rather those have more need of the word that builds up their morals and orders their life, than of that which leads forward to wisdom and illuminates with the light of knowledge those whose mind can bear the splendor of such a light; or that they may not be reluctant to expound the higher things to those who are able to hear more keenly, lest by expounding cheap things they be despised by the more clever, who are naturally clever or perhaps are held to be sharp through the exercise of worldly wisdom. It is difficult, therefore, for both to be in one man, that he be both prudent and faithful, yet not impossible; for he does not pronounce blessed one who cannot exist, when he says: Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, that he will set him over all his goods.

Or, he that makes progress in the faith, though he is not yet perfect in it, is ordinarily called faithful, and he who has natural quickness of intellect is called prudent. And whoever observes will find many faithful, and zealous in their belief, but not at the same time prudent; for God hath chosen the foolish things of the world. (1 Cor. 1:27.) Others again he will see who are quick and prudent but of weak faith; for the union of faith and prudence in the same man is most rare. To give food in due season calls for prudence in a man; not to take away the food of the needy requires faithfulness. And this the literal sense obliges us to, that we be faithful in dispersing the revenues of the Church, that we devour not that which belongs to the widows, that we remember the poor, and that we do not take occasion from what is written, The Lord hath ordained, that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel, (1 Cor. 9:14.) to seek more than plain food and necessary clothing, or to keep more for ourselves than we give to those who suffer want. And that we be prudent, to understand the cases of them that are in need, whence they come to be so, what has been the education and what are the necessities of each. It needs much prudence to distribute fairly the revenues of the Church. Also let the servant be faithful and prudent, that he lavish not the intellectual and spiritual food upon those whom he ought not, but dispense according as each has need; to one is more behoveful that word which shall edify his behaviour, and guide his practice, than that which sheds a ray of science; but to others who can pierce more deeply let him not fail to expound the deeper things, lest if he set before them common things only, he be despised by such as have naturally keener understandings, or have been sharpened by the discipline of worldly learning.

The lord is Christ, the household over which He appoints is the Church Catholic. It is hard then to find one man who is both faithful and wise, but not impossible; for He would not pronounce a blessing on a character that could never be, as when He adds, Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Nor yet does it imply the impossibility of attaining perfect virtue, but only the difficulty.

The Lord is doubtful who that wise and faithful servant will be "whom his lord hath made ruler over his household," to show that such a man is rare and hard to find. Two things are required of every steward: faith and wisdom. For if he is faithful and steals nothing, but lacks wisdom and foolishly squanders the household goods, he is of no use; and if he is wise but yet steals, likewise he is of no use. So whoever shall be found then to have been both faithful and wise will also obtain the things that are more excellent, that is, the kingdom of heaven. For the saints will be the inheritors of all of God's possessions. The faithful and wise servant is also every teacher who gives in due season food proper to each one who is taught by him. Such a one was Paul who at times gave milk to drink [to the young in faith] and at other times spoke wisdom [to the more mature], for he was a faithful servant, though before he had been a blasphemer; and he was also a wise servant understanding the thoughts of the enemy. So too everyone who receives anything from God, whether it be money, authority, or dominion, should administer these things faithfully and wisely, since he will give an account.

Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise servant whom his lord has set over his household? Here he specially admonishes prelates to watch. And first by enticing with rewards; secondly, by frightening with punishments. Regarding the first he does three things. First, he sets forth the suitability of a good prelate; secondly, his office; thirdly, his reward. The suitability is that he be faithful and wise. In every good work two things are necessary: that one's intention be directed to a due end, and that one take suitable means to that end; therefore in the office of prelacy these two things are necessary. First, that he fix his intention on a due end, which some fix on themselves, of whom it is said in Ezekiel 34:2: Woe to the shepherds who feed themselves; because those who fix their intention on the right end do not intend what is useful to themselves, but to the many, that they may be saved. And all this they rightly do for the glory of God. But he who seeks what is his own does not. Hence he must be faithful; 1 Corinthians 4:2: Now it is required among stewards that a man be found faithful. Likewise, he must be wise, because it is possible that someone seeks the glory of God but not according to knowledge. For it is the prelate's duty to correct vices. He could therefore rebuke in such a way as to lead others into sin. Therefore he must be wise. Above at 10:16: Be wise as serpents. And note that he calls him a servant, because there is a difference between a free man and a servant, since every action of a servant is referred to his lord, but not of a free man; so every action of a prelate ought to be referred to God. Thus Paul called himself a servant, when he said, 2 Corinthians 4:5: But ourselves your servants through Jesus. But why does he say, who, do you think, is the faithful and wise servant? Because the faithful are few; Philippians 2:21: For all seek the things that are their own, not the things of Jesus Christ; Proverbs 20:6: But who shall find a faithful man? And if the faithful are few, the wise are even fewer; therefore the Lord speaks thus, noting their fewness. Then he touches on their office, whom his lord has set over his household. And he does three things. First, he treats of his appointment over his office, when he says, whom his lord has set, not one who procured it for himself either by gifts or by entreaties; Hebrews 5:4: No man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, as Aaron was. Then he touches on over what he is set, because over his household, namely, over his Church, not over temporal things, as the Apostle says, 2 Timothy 2:4: No man being a soldier to God entangles himself with secular business. Likewise, he must be wise enough to be vigilant about the Church, not about other things that are outside the Church; 1 Corinthians 5:12: For what have we to do with those who are outside? Likewise, he touches on the office of the prelate, that he may give them food in due season: food, namely, of teaching, of good example, and of temporal support. Therefore the Lord said to Peter three times: feed, feed, feed my sheep. Feed with the word, feed with example, feed with temporal support. This is mentioned last, but still in due season; Ecclesiastes 3:1: All things have their season. Likewise, John 16:12: I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. For if one wishes to speak words when it is not fitting, he wastes them.

That is, obedient to his Lord's command, by the seasonableness of his teaching dispensing the word of life to a household which is to be nourished for the food of eternity.

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. A great promise is proclaimed to faithful and prudent stewards, and it accords with those to whom he says: "be thou having authority over five cities", or: "be thou having authority over ten cities". For to be set over all the goods of the head of the household — what else does this make plain but that they are "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ" and reign together with Christ, to whom the Father has handed over all his own things, as he himself says: "all power has been given to me in heaven and on earth"? And (in the manner of the son of a good father) being set over all the substance of the father, he shares this same dignity and glory with his faithful and prudent stewards, so that they too may be over every creature and power, so that they may be with Christ. And observe his interpretation of what he says: amen I say to you, that he will set him over all his goods. Understand for me (taking it as if by way of example) some king who has an entire kingdom under himself, with whom are many nations and cities and diverse places. Let him, then, divide among his satraps and the other princes, who have done something notably well, the fullness of his kingdom; and let him indeed set all of them over his whole kingdom, yet not each one over all things — but each one of them over some part of his kingdom: for instance, one indeed over ten cities, another over five. And thus they will all be over all the goods, while he alone holds all things, being, as it were, the sole king of all. And such is what he says: he will set him over all his goods.

But just as we have heard concerning the blessedness to be given to the faithful and prudent servants, so let us also hear concerning the torments of the wicked servants. For the wicked servant speaks in his heart, preferring present pleasure to the goods to come, and, despising his lord, he says: my lord delays to come; but he says this lying, wishing to eat and drink with the drunkards. And he is always dreaming that after a long time his lord will come; and, as though his lord were delaying, he strikes the fellow servants who endure it, and reduces them to servitude, and beats them in the face; and, striking them, he eats and drinks with the drunkards, under the pretext of ecclesiastical service, and he does not receive the hungry but feasts with the drunkards. And there are many of this kind to whom the ecclesiastical charge has been committed, upon whom the lord will come, bringing about their consummation on the day on which they do not know and at the hour at which they do not expect, and he will divide them — those who have not feared him who "is able to destroy soul and body in hell".

And he will divide him, when "his spirit indeed returns to God who gave it", but his soul together with its body goes "into hell".

The just man, however, is not divided, but his soul goes with his spirit to the heavenly kingdoms; on account of which it is written: "bless the Lord, ye spirits and souls of the just". But of those who are divided and lay down the spirit that returns to him who had given it, and thereafter do not have in themselves any part which was from God, there is left to them their part which was their own, that is, the soul, which together with its body will be punished by the lord when he comes, with the hypocrites and the "unfaithful" in torments.

See, therefore, the difference among the servants whom the lord has set over his household, since certain ones indeed, as faithful and prudent stewards who gave food to their fellow servants in due time, are set over all the goods of the head of the household; but those who have done things contrary to these, apart from the fact that they have fallen from so great a glory, will moreover be divided, and their part will be placed with the hypocrites and the "unfaithful". There will be weeping for those who wickedly laughed in this world, as the Scripture says: "woe to you who now laugh, for you shall weep and mourn". And consequently, on account of the rest and the relaxation in which they took their rest and were relaxed, there will reasonably be for them a gnashing of teeth: which perhaps signifies this, that those who are punished, thinking that there will be an end of their pain and on this account wishing to endure it manfully, being driven by unendurable torments, gnash with their teeth — with those teeth, namely, with which they ate the bitterness of malice, and therefore they suffer a fitting gnashing of teeth.

There follows the reward; and first he says what it is; secondly, in what it consists. What is the reward? Blessedness; hence he says, blessed, whether at death or at the end of the world, is that servant whom, when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing, namely, administering, as has been said. Psalm 118:1: Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Though the Lord had given above a general exhortation to all in common to unwearied vigilance, yet He adds a special charge to the rulers of the people, that is, the Bishops, of watchfulness in looking for His coming. Such He calls a faithful servant, and wise master of the household, careful for the needs and interests of the people entrusted to Him. That is, obedient to his Lord's command, by the seasonableness of his teaching dispensing the word of life to a household which is to be nourished for the food of eternity.

Or, shall set him over all his goods, that is, shall place him in the glory of God, because beyond this is nothing better.

That he may reign with Christ, to whom the Father has committed all that is His. And as the son of a good father set over all that is his, He shall communicate of His dignity and glory to His faithful and wise stewards, that they also may be above the whole creation.

Not that they only, but that they before others, shall be rewarded as well for their own lives as for their superintendence of the flock.

It should be observed, that as there is great difference of desert between good preachers and good hearers, so is there great difference between their rewards. The good hearers, if He finds them watching He will make to sit down to meat, as Luke speaks; but the good preachers He will set over all His goods.

And why are they blessed? Amen I say to you, he shall set him over all his goods. This is expounded in three ways. In one way, to show in what all blessedness consists. For blessedness consists in some good; but all goods are God's. Is blessedness then in some one of these? Blessedness is in that good which is above all goods; for no one is blessed except in that good which God is. Hence he shall set him over all his goods, i.e., he will be made blessed in him, namely, in God, who is above all things. In a second way, it can be expounded as said to show the preeminence that good prelates will have. In Luke 12:37 it says that he will make them sit down; but here it says that he shall set him over all his goods; because among all rewards the greatest is the reward of the good prelate; above at 5:19: He who shall do and teach, he shall be called great. Daniel 12:3: They who are learned shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they who instruct many to justice, as stars for all eternity. And this is over all his goods, i.e., over all the rewards of the saints. In a third way, it can be expounded through union with Christ; because just as in this world no one will attain to the state of perfection unless he follows the footsteps of Christ, so neither then, unless one is united to Christ; and they will have dominion over all things, inasmuch as their will is made conformed to the divine will; Luke 22:29: And I dispose to you, as my Father has disposed to me, a kingdom. And Apocalypse 2:28: He who shall overcome, I will give him the morning star.

(Ep. 199. 1.) The temper of this servant is shown in his behaviour, which is thus expressed by his good Master; his tyranny, and shall begin to beat his fellow servants, his sensuality, and to eat and drink with the drunken. So that when he said, My Lord delayeth His coming, he is not to be supposed to speak from desire to see the Lord, such as was that of him who said, My soul is athirst for the living God; when shall I come? (Ps. 42:2.) This shows that he was grieved at the delay, seeing that what was hastening towards him seemed to his longing desires to be coming slowly.

This teaching is directed against the rulers who are leading a luxurious and leisurely lifestyle. He calls the negligent teacher a wicked and evil servant because he takes advantage of the judge's absence and believes he will not be observed because of the judge's forbearance. So he beats harshly those over whom he holds power and associates with those who are in love with the flesh. They sin both because the judge is not present and because they don't think judgment will ever arrive. By wounding some of them, he points out those who are disabled in soul because of the luxury of their exalted positions. Just as the apostle says, "When you sin against your brothers in this way [you] wound their weak conscience." Therefore he threatens to introduce the most severe punishments to those living self-indulgently.…Those who pretend to understand the principles of the good life are not thinking as they should but are only clothing themselves in the appearance of virtue. They will be cut into pieces on that fearful day of judgment. This is a judgment from the Spirit and results in a perpetual alienation.… Grace will be cut off from all the pollution of his soul, and his part will be reckoned with the hypocrites. Jesus calls hypocrites those who are cut into pieces and yet continue to teach others the way to live. They succeed only in making things worse for those learning the life of discipleship. Further, Jesus teaches that those who have not carried out faithfully the ministry given to them in this present life from the Lord will not receive another from him.… For the cutting Jesus reveals is not a bodily one but the stripping of their adoption as sons from the Spirit. Moreover, they are punished because they lived a life of derision. They will gnash their teeth when they consider the reason for their pain and the exceedingly severe character of their punishment.

(Verse 48, 49.) But if that wicked servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

(Verse 50, 51.) The lord of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and he will divide him and place his portion with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This teaches that they should know when the lord is not expected, then he will come, and it warns the stewards of vigilance and diligence. Furthermore, when it says he will divide him, it does not mean that he will cut him with a sword; but rather, that he will separate him from the company of the saints and place his portion with the hypocrites; namely, with those who were in the field and grinding, yet were still abandoned. We often say that a hypocrite is one thing, and another thing to show: just as it seemed to be doing the same thing in the field and in the mill, that is, the man of the church, but the outcome of different wills appeared.

Having spoken of how the faithful servant will be honored, now He tells how the wicked servant will be punished. If anyone entrusted with the stewardship of a gift disdains the judgement that will take place and says, "My lord delayeth," that is, God does not impose swift and immediate punishment, the Lord "shall cut him asunder." And if he considers God's long-suffering nature an opportunity for wickedness and strikes his fellowservants by scandalizing them and shaking their conscience, as happens when those who are ruled see their rulers using for evil purposes what has been entrusted to them, the Lord shall likewise "cut him asunder." If a man, then, does such things, he shall be cut asunder, that is, he will be stripped of his gift, and then it will be seen what sort of man he is, and he will be cast into the darkness. Formerly he was able to deceive by means of his appearance, as are many hierarchs who are thought to be holy because of their rank. But then at the Judgement the grace will be taken from them, and they will be punished as hypocrites, being one thing but appearing another.

But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: my lord is long in coming. After he enticed them to be watchful through rewards, here he frightens them through punishments. And first he sets forth the fault; secondly, the punishment, at the lord shall come etc. In the fault there are two things, namely, the cause of the fault and the fault itself; and yet both are faults. The cause of the fault is despair about the coming: if he shall say: my lord is long in coming. Augustine says that someone might say this out of too great a desire, and this was what the one who said demonstrated: when shall I come and appear before the face of my God? Sometimes it is said out of despair about his coming soon; Ezekiel 12:22: Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying: the days shall be prolonged, and every vision shall perish? For it shall no more be delayed. 2 Peter 3:9: The Lord does not delay his promise. Hence this is the root of all evils.

And every Bishop, who ministers not as a fellow servant, but rules by might as a master, and often an harsh one, sins against God; also if he does not cherish the needy, but feasts with the drunken, and is continually slumbering because his Lord cometh not till after long time.

Typically, we may understand his beating his fellow servants, of offending the consciences of the weak by word, or by evil example.

But what are the things that follow from it? One of cruelty, another of pleasure. Regarding the first he says, and shall begin to strike his fellow servants, because he considers those subject to him as slaves, against that in 1 Peter 5:3: But willingly, neither as lording it over the clergy. And it is not enough for him; he even strikes and afflicts them; Micah 3:10: You who build up Zion with blood. Or they strike their brothers, whom they consider servants, by bad example. Likewise, this is not enough for them, but they turn to pleasures. And shall eat and drink with drunkards, i.e., he will have the company of the pleasure-seeking, if he himself is pleasure-seeking.

(Ep. 199 in fin.) Putting aside this wicked servant, who, there is no doubt, hates his Master's coming, let us set before our eyes these good servants, who anxiously expect their Lord's coming. One looks for His coming sooner, another later, the third confesses his ignorance of the matter. Let us see which is most agreeable to the Gospel. One says, Let us watch and pray, because the Lord will quickly come; another, Let us watch and pray, because this life is short and uncertain, though the Lord's coming may be distant; and the third, Let us watch, because this life is short and uncertain, and we know not the time when the Lord will come. What else does this man say than what we hear the Gospel say, Watch, because ye know not the hour in which the Lord shall come? All indeed, through longing for the kingdom, desire that that should be true which the first thinks, and if it should so come to pass, the second and third would rejoice with him; but if it should not come to pass, it were to be feared that the belief of its supporters might be shaken by the delay, and they might begin to think that the Lord's coming shall be, not remote, but never. He who believes with the second that the Lord's coming is distant will not be shaken in faith, but will receive an unlooked for joy. He who confesses his ignorance which of these is true, wishes for the one, is resigned to the other, but errs in neither, because he neither affirms or denies either.

(Verse 50, 51.) The lord of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and he will divide him and place his portion with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This teaches that they should know when the lord is not expected, then he will come, and it warns the stewards of vigilance and diligence. Furthermore, when it says he will divide him, it does not mean that he will cut him with a sword; but rather, that he will separate him from the company of the saints and place his portion with the hypocrites; namely, with those who were in the field and grinding, yet were still abandoned. We often say that a hypocrite is one thing, and another thing to show: just as it seemed to be doing the same thing in the field and in the mill, that is, the man of the church, but the outcome of different wills appeared.

The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, is to rouse the stewards to watchfulness and carefulness.

And what will come of it? He sets forth the judgment. First, he sets forth the judgment as unexpected; secondly, the punishment. He says, the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopes not; because a man sometimes believes himself secure of a long life, and yet he suddenly fails; 1 Thessalonians 5:2: The day of the Lord shall come as a thief; Isaiah 30:13: Suddenly, while it is not hoped for, destruction shall come.

Let us investigate carefully what "to be cut into pieces means." When in ancient times Adam came into being, God made him a partaker of his own Spirit, giving to his nature a most perfect beauty. For "he breathed on his face the breath of life." For to truly give life is to have the Spirit of life, that is, of Christ. But because Adam was deceived and slipped into sin, he was cut off from the Spirit. For it pleased our God and father "to bring all things together under one head in Christ" and to restore the ancient beauty to human nature. We have received this through grace, but the stealthy entrance of sin stripped it from us. For Christ breathed into us after the resurrection, restoring ancient beauty to us. "Receive," he says, "the Holy Spirit." And so the Spirit is united to us. For "he who unites himself to the Lord is one with him in spirit." Surely, just as we have been compelled to be zealous in our efforts by a sense of devotion, we are receiving the utmost fullness since we now have the pledge of the Spirit at the appropriate time. We are deprived of that same foretaste of the Spirit when we stand accused in our own sin since the gift of the Spirit is cut off and sent away from us as in the time of the judgment. We affirm that it is this judgment that Jesus speaks of when he mentions cutting something apart. For one such as this who has the Spirit is not delivered over to punishment.

He shall cut him in sunder, is not to be understood of execution by the sword, but that he shall sever him from the company of the saints.

And shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, with those, namely, that were in the field, and grinding at the mill, and were nevertheless left. For as we often say that the hypocrite is one who is one thing, and passes himself for another; so in the field and at the mill he seemed to be doing the same as others, but the event proved that his purpose was different.

Or, He shall cut him in sunder, when his spirit, that is, his spiritual gift, shall return to God who gave it; but his soul shall go with his body into hell. But the righteous man is not cut in sunder, but his soul, with his spirit, that is, with his gift, spiritual enters into the kingdom of heaven. They that are cut in sunder have in the in thenceforth no part of that spiritual gift which was from God, but there remains to them that part which was their own, that is, their soul, which shall be punished with their body.

Or, there shall be weeping for such as have laughed amiss in this world, gnashing of teeth for those who have enjoyed an irrational peace. For being unwilling to suffer bodily pain, now the torture forces their teeth to chatter, with which they have eaten the bitterness of wickedness. From this we may learn that the Lord sets over His household not the faithful and wise only, but the wicked also; and that it will not save them to have been set over His household, but only if they have given them their food in due season, and have abstained from beating and drunkenness.

Or, appoints him his portion with the hypocrites, that is, a twofold share of punishment, that of fire and frost; to the fire belongs the weeping, to the frost the gnashing of teethk.

And what will happen? A threefold punishment follows. And shall separate him, not, as Jerome says, as if he would divide him with a sword, but from the company of the good; below 25:32: And he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And this is the greatest punishment. Origen says thus: in man there are three things: soul, body, and spiritual gift. And these in good prelates will not be divided, but in bad prelates they will. The spiritual gift will be divided, because he will take away the spiritual gift that he had given them; but their body and soul will be sent into the fire. Likewise, another punishment is that he will be numbered among the wicked; hence he says, and shall appoint his portion with the hypocrites. Hypocrites are dissemblers who profess one thing and do another; hence he will appoint his portion with such as these. And so it is taken in Psalm 10:7: Brimstone and storms of winds shall be the portion of their cup. Likewise, even this is not enough, but there will be another punishment, because there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Job 24:19: For they shall pass from the snow waters to excessive heat. Hence weeping is produced from smoke, and gnashing of teeth from cold. Origen says that from this we can consider that those speak badly who say that bad prelates are not prelates. Likewise, note a certain similitude that Augustine proposes. Let us remove from our eyes that servant of whom it is spoken, and let us suppose three servants who love the coming of their lord. Let one say: my lord will come soon, and therefore I will watch. Let another say: my lord will delay, but I want to watch. Let another say: I do not know when he will come, and therefore I want to watch. Which of these speaks best? Augustine answers that the first is badly deceived, because if he thinks his lord will come soon, and he afterward delays, he is in danger of falling asleep from weariness. The second can be deceived, but he is not in danger. But the third does well, who always waits in uncertainty; therefore it is wrong to determine any particular time.