OT § 158

(Verse 10 and following) And the sons of strangers will build your walls, and their kings will serve you. In my indignation I struck you, but in my mercy I have shown you compassion; and your gates will always be open, never closed day or night, so that the strength of the nations may come to you and their kings may be brought. Indeed, any nation or kingdom that does not serve you will perish, and the nations will be devastated. For because of my anger I struck you, and because of my mercy I have loved you. And your gates shall always be open; they shall not be shut day or night, so that the strength of the nations may come to you, and their kings who are to be brought. For the nations and kings who do not serve you shall perish; the nations shall be devastated in their desolation. Among the many things with which the Church is enriched, and the city of the Savior is built, foreigners and sons of foreigners also build its walls, so that the enemy cannot enter and find a place for treachery. But aliens and foreigners properly signify the people of nations who have truly built the Church of Christ, to such an extent that their kings and princes serve and assist her. This is either understood in a literal sense or in a spiritual sense. If understood literally, we see that the Roman Caesars submit their necks to the yoke of Christ and build churches at public expense, and rely on the laws against the persecutions of the nations and the snares of the heretics. If, spiritually, those who possess self-control, eloquence, holiness, are leaders, and through the power of their souls subjugate the servitude of the flesh, they themselves govern and assist, they come to the aid of him whom he often abandons due to negligence or strikes with the rod of persecutors, so that again, out of his own mercy, he may love him. Or certainly this must be said, that he may reconcile to himself the once afflicted and handed over to captivity among the people of the Jews, in the calling of the Gentiles, so that its gates may always be open, and neither day nor night be closed, and may continually be open to those who desire salvation, that is, that the entrance may not be denied to those who wish to believe in joy and in tribulation. And let strength be brought to her, whether it be the wealth of nations; and let her kings serve her or be led to her as captives. Then you will understand, when you see the most eloquent being brought to the faith of Christ; and the folly of the wisdom of the wise becoming foolish, and the prudence of the prudent being rejected (1 Corinthians 1): so that the wisdom of God may be wiser than men. But the nations and their kings who refuse to serve the Church in good and useful service, in order to be transferred into the Apostolic dignity, will perish in the destruction that is prepared for the wicked, and whatever is in them will be reduced to solitude, for they have refused to receive God as their guest.

Which power of the nations ran toward the former Jerusalem to worship? Which kings were led to worship the God of the universe? But the gates of the church of God are always open to receive the arrivals, and they receive also the godly kings drawn there by the teaching of the holy apostles.…The Babylonians hardly idolized Jerusalem, whereas the majority of the members of the Gentiles adore the church of God and that is particularly true of their offspring. When the parents have reached the end of their life, their children, having learned the truth from them, present worship to the Savior by carrying out their acts of worship in the houses of prayer.… For the earthly Jerusalem received another name, when the Roman kings called it Aelia. How then can the accuracy of the prophecy be shown unless one understand "Zion" more in a spiritual sense?… The church of God demonstrates the truth of this prediction. It continually receives royal gifts and welcomes that which is brought forth from the nations as it sings the praises of the One who is the cause of all these.

Second, he shows the security of the rebuilt city: and your gates shall be open continually, because the fear of their enemies has ceased, and out of necessity for those who come to worship in Jerusalem; and this is so that the strength of the Gentiles may be brought to you. Mystically: gates, ministers who lead others into the faith and the Church, prepared, in prosperity and adversity, to receive converts to the faith: the gates thereof shall not be shut (Rev 21:25).

And he assigns the reason: for the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you, shall perish. This does not seem to have been fulfilled literally, unless it is understood to have been those Jews who recognized his dominion, and therefore were venerated by the people of God; but mystically, the sense is plain: but the nation and kingdom (Jer 27:8).

(Verses 13, 14.) The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the cypress, the fir tree, and the pine tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet. The descendants of those who oppressed you will come to you bent low, and all who spoke against you will bow down at your feet and call you the city of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. LXX: The glory of Lebanon will come to you with the cypress, the pine tree, and the cedar tree together to glorify my holy place, and I will glorify the place of my feet. And those who have humiliated you, and have provoked you, will come to you trembling, and they will bow down at your feet, all those who have provoked you; and you will be called the city of the Lord, Zion. Sancti Israel. Many things are missing in the Septuagint, which I have placed under asterisks from the Hebrew, and what they have added, I have marked with an obelus. Mount Lebanon is a mountain in Phoenicia, planted with tall trees, which the Psalmist describes saying: I have seen the wicked exalted and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 36:35). And in another place: The Lord will shatter the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 29:5). And many other things that I pass over for the sake of brevity. About this, once King Hiram of Tyre used to send cedars to Solomon in Joppa for the building of the Temple of God (3 Kings 5). Concerning this, Scripture also now promises the fir tree, the box tree, and the pine tree, or according to the Septuagint, the cypress tree and the pine tree, and the cedar tree, or according to Aquila, the fir tree, the thaadaor tree, and the thaassur tree; or according to Theodotion, the Brais tree, the Thadaar tree, and the Theassur tree, should be cut down together, so that the temple of Zion may be built (2 Chronicles 2). But if this is the case, where will the golden and jeweled Jerusalem be? Where will the Lamb's wife be? Where will the twelve gates, distinguished by a variety of precious stones, be? Unless perhaps it will be built with walls adorned with gems, and its foundation, and the Temple, which ought to be more beautiful, will be built with wood. By what means are we compelled to understand all things spiritually, that the fir, cypress, pine, and cedar, once lofty trees of Lebanon, have glorified the Temple of God, and made His holy place illustrious? So that I do not drag out the sense in a lengthy discourse, does not the holy and most eloquent martyr Cyprian, and the confessor Hilary of our time, seem to you to have built the Church of God like once towering trees in the world? And what follows: And they shall come to you bowed down, or returning, the sons of those who humbled you, and they shall adore the steps of your feet, all who detracted from you, we should understand this about those who are Christians not by choice but by necessity, and who, fearing the offense of the rulers, bend with fearful minds. Certainly, what persecutors believed later. Such was also the apostle Paul, who persecuted the Church of God, and later was called a vessel of election (Acts 9). When this has been fulfilled, so that the fullness of the Gentiles may enter, then all Israel will be saved. And it will be truly called the city of the Lord Zion, Holy Israel, which stands on a hill and is gathered from both peoples.

Scripture likes to compare the multitude of the saints with trees of this kind.… Paul calls us in one place "the plantation of God." Some interpreters say that Scripture calls the nations Lebanon (just as Carmel can mean Jerusalem, though it is a mountain in Samaria) on the grounds that it comes from another race. According to the historical sense it means those trees supplied for rebuilding. But according to the spiritual sense, it means the minds of the righteous ones. These are they who submitted themselves to those persecuting the church and with this transformation of mind worship God in it. Others think that it is Jerusalem that has been humbled and sings praises to Christ.

The glory of Libanus. Here he sets out the rebuilding of the structures of the temple: the glory of Libanus, which is the fir tree, and the box tree, and the pine tree; to beautify the place, namely, the temple, of my feet, in which adoration is given to me, as is given to kings at their feet: the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet (Ezek 43:7). Mystically, by the place is signified the Church, by the various trees, the various faithful of those converted to the faith.

And the children of them that afflict you, shall come bowing down to you. Here he shows the manner of acquiring prosperity as to the subjection of peoples.

And first, he sets out the subjection itself: and the children of them that afflict you, shall come bowing down to you, which was fulfilled in the time of the Maccabees, who subjugated many of their neighboring enemies. Mystically, this signifies the sons of tyrants that once persecuted the Church, who now serve her: until I make your enemies your footstool (Ps 109[110]:1), above: after this you shall be called the city of the just (Isa 1:26).

(Verse 15, 16.) Because you were abandoned and hated, with no one to pass by, I will make you a pride for all generations, a joy from generation to generation. You will suck the milk of the nations and nurse at the breast of kings. And you will know that I am the Lord, your Savior and strong Redeemer, Jacob. LXX: Because you were abandoned and hated, with no one to help, I will make you an eternal exultation, a joy for generations to come. And you shall suck the milk of nations, and you shall eat the riches of kings. And you shall know that I am the Lord who saves you, and who redeems you, the God of Jacob. What was previously abandoned and despised, with broken branches because they did not bear fruit, they were broken because there was no one to pass by and provide help there. Concerning them it is said in the psalms: And those who passed by did not say: The Lord's blessing upon you (Ps. 128:8); therefore I will make you an everlasting pride, or a source of joy and gladness for two generations: for the former branches, others inserted from the wild olive tree of nations, which will bring forth fruit contrary to their natural example, not of bitterness, but of sweetness, which they have taken from the root. You will suck the milk of the nations, and the breast of kings you will nurse. We have explained in greater detail the meaning of this place, discussing that verse, 'Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall nurse at your side.' Or according to the Septuagint, you will eat the riches of kings. These riches, according to the Hebrew truth, are the breasts of kings and doctors, by which the infancy of those born in Christ is educated and nourished. When you have sucked and have come to solid food, so that you also eat the riches of kings of this kind, then you will know that I am your Savior, who redeemed you with my blood, or the mighty God of Jacob.

Those who are strangers to godliness are said to be cut off and hated and to have no help. But those from the wild olive branch come to take their place and are made to be joined into one people out of each. And in the Savior's power there is made the full number of those being saved, the one city out of both tribes that is called Zion, and to it is the following promise made. Some say that it has been humbled on account of its insubordination against Christ and that yet it will be saved through acknowledging this. And so the words that follow are, "I will place you in eternal gladness and joy for all ages." For this is the hope of immortality in the church of God, the everlasting life and glory and kingdom of heaven, and there is no place for shame. "And you will drink the milk of the nations." This means the ever-new sacramental mystery and the fundamental teaching of those being reborn through faith in Christ.

Second, he sets out the reason for their subjection: because you were forsaken, it is just that you should be comforted after your distress; into the pride, height, of ages, through many ages. This also mystically befits the Church; after a storm you make a calm (Tob 3:22).

Instead of "salvation," the Hebrew reading has "Jesus" in its marks and letters, by which our Savior is written there. This is the origin of the power of the name of our Savior Jesus, which serves as a partition or strong wall to those worthy of these things. Such is seen now in part, but with the new age it will come into being with the perfection of presence.… See how the message stops us from a more physical understanding and from falling into the obvious, literal Jewish understanding. For it calls the gates of this new Jerusalem hymn singing and praising. Thus we are instructed that the entries of the revered citizenship is to consist of those who enter singing hymns and praising God.

And they will be called the city of the Lord, Zion of holy Israel. On account of your being trapped and despised when there was no help, I will give you eternal rejoicing and joy for ages to come. And though you desire the milk of the nations and to consume the riches of kings, so that you might know that I am the Lord who saved you and led you out of Israel, "I will render for you gold instead of brass, and silver instead of steel … and I will give you rulers in peace and your bishops in justice, and injustice will no longer be heard in your land."

Third, he sets out the utility of their subjection: and you shall suck, that is, the fat of the earth shall be brought to you in merchandise and offerings; and you shall be nursed with the breasts, the defense and aid, of kings, of Tyre (Dan 4). Mystically, by milk is signified teaching for the simple, by the kings, the apostles, above: and kings shall be your nursing fathers (Isa 49:23).