THE CITY OF GOD, MOTHER OF ALL PEOPLES Anticipating the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, stretching His hands on the cross to embrace the world, to die for them, and to rise, and arise them together with Him; The psalmist’s soul exults to see the gates of Jerusalem, the city of God, open up before all peoples; to see the city which was closed on a certain people, how its citizens became of all the peoples of the world, how it bears a spiritual motherhood to all, and grants them the blessed and exultant life, as a deposit of heaven…. The church, the spiritual kingdom of Christ, shall be exalted above all the kingdoms of the world, above the temporal politics, and does not enter with the world into a competition on a temporal authority or glory. The psalmist’s mind, in his view of Jerusalem, has risen up beyond any place limitation of the earthly Jerusalem, which was boasted by the Jews as being the center of the world, and the most sacred place, for having the only holy temple of God. 1- God’s choice of Jerusalem 1 - 3 2- The citizens of Jerusalem 4 - 6 3- The exultant city 7 The title: A psalm of the sons of Korah, A song of praise. Some believe that the author of this psalm is the prophet David, and sung by the sons of Korah. We have seen that the word ‘Korah’ means (Golgotha). And according to St. Jerome, the sons of Korah are (the sons of the resurrection) 1. Those who enjoy being in the heavenly city of God, are those who are risen together with the Lord Christ, and who experience here the resurrected life as a deposit of eternity. 1- GOD’S CHOICE OF JERUSALEM: “His foundation is in the holy mountains” (1) Comparing between the tabernacle of the meeting and the temple of Solomon, the psalmist says that the former has no foundations, being a movable tent; whereas the temple has its foundations set on the holy mountains. As to the church of the New Covenant, on the other hand, its foundations are the prophets and the apostles; and its Cornerstone is our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul the apostle proclaims: “As a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation” (1 Corinthians 3: 10); namely, the faith in the Holy Trinity. And: “For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrew 11: 10) … The psalmist designates “the holy mountains”, as there are other mountains which are not holy: “Lift up a banner on (dark) mountains” (Isaiah 13: 2); and: “Give glory to the Lord your God before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains” (Jeremiah 13: 16)…. Who are those whom we call “foundations”? They are the apostles, upon whom the faith of the church is set and founded2. 1 On Psalms, homily 18. 2 On Psalms, homily 18. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 2 (St. Jerome) The foundations of Jerusalem are set by God; and the mountains upon which it is built are holy mountains, on account of that the Holy God has chosen them for His dwelling. The “city of God” is said to mean the upright worship whose foundations are the holy divine teachings; While the “holy mountains” on which its building is set, are the apostles and the prophets; and above them all, is our lord Jesus Christ, as according to Paul the apostle: “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone” (Ephesians 2: 20) 1. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) I believe that is why, when Jesus Himself transfigured, it was not in a valley, but on the top of a mountain; to teach us that we should not look for him in any other place, but on the mountains of the law and the prophets2. (The scholar Origen) “The Lord loves the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob” (2) The Holy Book with its two testaments, reveals in every possible way, the love of God for man and mankind. His choice of Zion, and His love of its gates, does not mean His need for it, nor His care for material things; as He is the Creator of heaven and earth; But He loves man, and wishes to embrace all humanity in His bosoms, and pours His splendor on her. It seems to me that the gates of Zion refer to the (virtues). As the iniquity and sin are the gates of death, I believe that the gates of Zion are the virtues3. (St. Jerome) He does not mean the material gates, but those on which the gates of Hades shall not prevail (Matthew 16: 18); and through which will enter the multitudes of the believers in Christ4. (St. Jerome) Zion is Jerusalem that was the capital of the Jewish nation, where the temple was set; and through whose gates the statutes leading to the Mosaic worship have entered. That is why it has been more prominent than “all the other dwellings of Jacob”; namely, of the Israelites. According to Paul the apostle, Zion or Jerusalem, refers to the church of Christ: “You have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Hebrew 12: 22-23). And: “But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4: 26). It is the church whose gates is its teachings; loved by God more than all the dwellings of Jacob; namely, more . 1 تفسیر الم ا زمیر لأنثیمُوس أسقف أورشلیم، أعده للنشر ال ا رهب القس صموئیل السریاني، 1988 2 Commentary on Sngs 3: 11. 3 On Psalms, homily 18. 4 Letter 108 to Eustochium, 9. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3 than the statutes of the Mosaic law (in its literality), in which Israel dwelt, and which he called “dwellings”, because of its temporary status. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God” (3) Looking at the church of Christ, the psalmist sees her filled with glory, on account of that her Christ, in its midst, is the secret of her eternal glory. By His coming, the history and the events of the Old Covenant glittered, its joyful meanings transfigured, the prophecies were perceived; humanity enjoyed exultant praises and joyful meanings; heavenly secrets were revealed, and it came to have exalted privileges and divine promises. That was what the prophets of the Old Covenant have touched; and what the prophet Isaiah has seen: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths’. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2: 2-3). Where shall we find those glorified sayings? … All the prophets have spoken of this city: Isaiah says: “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion” (Isaiah 52: 1); And, “We have a strong city;… a lofty city; … Yet the fortified city will be desolate” (See Isaiah 27: 10; 26: 1, 5; 25: 2, 12); And David says: “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God” (Psalm 46: 4) … And the Savior Himself, speaking about this city, says: “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5: 14). (St. Jerome) These sayings suit the new Jerusalem, more than the old one; namely, it suits the church of Christ, about which is said, not just vain human words, but glorious divine things. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) There, innumerable company of angels are seen; an assembly of saint, and the church of first born whose names are registered in heaven; … “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God” (3 LXX); whom God promises through Isaiah: “I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations … Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls salvation” (Isaiah 60: 15, 18). That is why, whenever you lift up the eyes of your soul, seek what is befitting of the higher things, what concern the city of God; things that are worthy of a city, made glad by the river of God, Whom God is her Maker and Creator1. Some define a city, as an assembly of a multitude of beings in one body, governed by law … This definition suits the Higher Jerusalem, the heavenly city; on account of that, it is a church of the firstborn whose names are registered in heaven (Hebrew 12: 23); that it is well controlled; with an unceasing flow of saints, and that it is governed by the heavenly law. The human nature cannot perceive the extent of readiness of that city and of its system, that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the 1 Homilies on the Psalms, 18: 4. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4 heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2: 6). (St. Cyril the Great) What is this city, called the city of God, about which such glorious things are spoken, other than St. Mary, in whose womb the Word of God is incarnate, by which she became a second heaven. In the sixth month I shall send Gabriel to a virgin, with certain instructions! Come now, O prince of angels, and be the minister of a great hidden secret … My compassion made me come down to earth to save the lost Adam, who was created in My image, whom sin destroyed and corrupted the work of My hand, and distorted the beauty of what I made. Behold, the wolf devours my flock; the house of paradise is devastate; the tree of life is guarded by a sword of fire; the places of joy are closed; … and I intend to catch the enemy. However, I want you to keep this secret which I entrust only to you; as it is still hidden from the other heavenly hosts. Go to the virgin Mary; Cross over to this living city, about whom it is said: “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God” (2). Proceed, therefore, to that rational paradise; to the gate of the East; to where I shall dwell; to a place worthy of my word; to the second heaven on earth; to the lighted cloud; and inform her about my coming Proceed to the glory prepared for Me; to the court of my incarnation; to the pure beauty of my birth in flesh1 (St. Gregory, the wonder maker) 2- THE CITIZENS OF JERUSALEM: “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge Me; Philistia too Tyre along with Cush; This one was born in Zion” (4) ‘Rahab’, referring to Egypt, as mentioned in psalm 89: 10, and Isaiah 51: 9; was awesome and a symbol of pride, power, and sometimes of violence2. ‘Babylon’, a great empire with authority, was a competitor of Egypt; and Israel was often caught in between the two of them; And ‘Cush’ refers to Ethiopia, or rather generally, to all the region south of Egypt. Who is he who was born in those nations? Some believe that the psalmist refers here to the church of the New Covenant that embraced a multitude of heathen nations, to whom, faith is presented as a newly born infant. According to father Onesimus of Jerusalem, ‘Rahab’ refers to spaciousness, as well as to pride; ‘Babylon’ to confusion; ‘Cush’ to dark souls; and ‘Tyre’ to idol worship. It is as though the nations that were idol worshippers, spacious in sin, confused in teachings; proud, and haughty, have all become knowledgeable of God, by their entrance into the true faith; Namely, have turned into the rational spiritual Jerusalem; And even became recognized by God, Himself, as His own. Come now along with me to another category who were saved by repentance. . 1 البشارة بالتجسد الإلهي، 2005 ، تعریب القمص تادرس یعق وب ملطي ونادیة أمین مرقس، عظة 3 2 W. S. Plumer, 87. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 5 A certain woman may say: I have committed adultery and defiled my body by all kinds if uncleanness. Shall I have salvation?! To her I say: Turn your eyes to ‘Rahab’ the harlot, and see how she was saved by repentance. All what she said was: “The Lord your God; is the Lord of heaven above and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2: 11). She said “The Lord your God”; and did not dare to refer Him to herself because of her life filled with filth. And you will find a confirmation of her salvation in the book of psalms, saying: “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge Me” 1 (4). How great is the compassion of the Lord; the Holy Book referring even to the harlots; It does not only say: “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon”, but adds: “among those who acknowledge Me”. We reach salvation by repentance, whether we are men or women on equal terms2. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) Speaking profusely of ‘Rahab’, who according to St. Jerome was Rahab the harlot, the Gentile woman who hid the two spies sent by Joshua; as though she has received faith in Jesus the Savior; The saint demonstrated the following points: 1- She was a Gentile, a reference to the Gentiles who will receive faith. 2- She hid the two spies on the roof; a reference to that her faith was high and exalted. 3- She hid them under stalks of flax; a reference to purity, although she has been a harlot. 4- Flax, growing in black soil, is without beauty; Yet, once it is taken out and processed, it becomes splendidly white. 5- She advised them to hide three days then to set forth. A reference to the enjoyment of enlightenment. 6- She asked them not to walk in the open valleys, but to get to the mountains. a reference to that the faith of the church is not set in the valleys, but high up on the mountains. 7- The name ‘Rahab’ meaning (spacious) or (proud); refers to that she proudly walked before along the spacious way, that leads to perdition (Matthew 7: 13) Now the psalm, speaking about the call to the Gentiles, says: “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge Me”. The sinner should have peace, if he return to the Lord by repentance; when he hears that God mentions Rahab the harlot, who hid the two spies sent by Joshua, not downstairs, but up on the roof; a reference to her exalted faith3. She who has been before on the spacious way leading to perdition, has come afterwards to the memory of God4. Those who were before foreigners, and in affliction, who used to live in the middle of the sea (Tyre is said to have been in the middle of sea); struck by the violent waves, have ultimately found place in the church of God5. (St. Jerome) 1 في الطابعة البیروتیة " ا رحاب وبابل اللتین تعرفانني". . 2 مقال 9 :2 3 On Psalms, homily 18. 4 On Psalms, homily 18. 5 On Psalms, homily 18. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6 ‘Babylon’ means confusion. A reference to that every soul, even if it is confused by sins, is called to mention by God. (The scholar Origen) “And of Zion it will be said, ‘this one and that one were born in her. And the Most High Himself shall establish her” (5) In the Septuagint version it came as: “And it is the Most High who established it forever”; Meaning that He who is born in it is truly the eternal Most High who establishes His church. According to father Onesimus of Jerusalem, the Word of God who grants the believer the adoption or the spiritual birth, and is incarnate for our sake, is born there. By that, everyone who confesses the Lord’s Deity will have Zion as a spiritual mother, according to the words of the apostle that “she is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4: 26). Some believe that saying, “this one and that one were born in her” (5), refers to that many who will enjoy the new birth, will come from all nations to become citizens of the new Zion, namely, members in the church of the New Covenant. If this is our wish, Christ is being daily born through every virtue1. (St. Jerome) Looking toward the heights, David was amazed to see how the city looked (5); how the people of Babylon became citizens of Jerusalem; how the harlot became a virgin; how the Ethiopians became white instead of black; and how Tyre became a higher city! Moreover, he saw how the bride of the song, enthusiastically encouraging the daughters of Jerusalem, describing to them the goodness of the Groom, who receives the black soul, and restores her to the image of the early beauty by the fellowship with Him. He saw how he, who was “like the tents of Kedar”, became a dwelling place for the True Solomon; namely, for the King of Peace. The text says: “I am dark, but lovely, O daughter of Jerusalem”; And all of you who watch will be white “like the curtains of Solomon”, even though you were before dark “like the tents of Kedar” (songs 1: 5) 2. (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa) Meaning that a mere man would not be able to proclaim to Zion that she will be saved by Him who is to be born in her … If He is described as being “the most High”; how about saying that He is “the Word of God” 3? (St. Jerome) “The Lord records, as He registers the peoples: ‘This one was born there’” (6) The psalmist sees the lord, being preoccupied with the salvation of mankind, holding a record and writing down the nations coming into faith, and every individual by name, to glorify them. And St. Jerome sees the Lord prepare His disciples to record to the peoples the coming of that Most High Son who will be born in Zion; to record it in the Holy Books. 1 On Psalms, homily 18. 2 عظة 2 على نشید الأناشید ترجمة الدكتور جورج نوّار. 3 On Psalms, homily 18 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7 Plato wrote books; yet for a few, and not to all peoples. But what the heads of the church (the disciples and the apostles) wrote, were not for a few, but for everybody with no exception1. (St. Jerome) The rational Zion, as we mentioned before, is the church of the firstborn who are in heaven; as said by our Lord of glory to His disciples: “ “ ( ); Meaning by that the apostles and the teachers of the peoples who are spiritually born in her; a great multitude, uncountable except by the Lord born in the body; Hence He said to His disciples that “ “ ( ) …. In the version translated by Simachos, it came as: [To the nations, it will be said to everybody: ‘This one was born there’. ‘The Most High who established her; the Lord who has the record of the peoples, was born there’]. “Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) 3- THE EXULTANT CITY: “Both the singers and the players on instruments say: ‘All my springs are in you’” (7) The Book of Revelation portrays to us the Higher Jerusalem, as all the redeemed enter into it carrying their harps. It will be an exultant musical band embracing billions of people from Adam to the end of times, who will unceasingly praise with the spirit of joy and exultation. Pope Theophiles believes that when the spirit of man departs from this world, there will be a group of the hosts of darkness waiting to draw her to them, to share their destiny; and another group of angels, longing to receive her with the spirit of joy to enjoy the heavenly paradise. The prophet tells the church that all those dwelling in her are as though filled with joy and gladness2. (St. Jerome) All the nations will stand in rows to praise God with joy, dwelling in the city whose foundations are set upon the holy mountains, which is, according to our Lord Christ who built it, glory be to Him, is not hidden because it is built on a mountain, while its gates and entrances are with us; and In its middle, all believers stand in a divine order, and filled with spiritual joy. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) I am truly terrified to think about such anguish waiting for the soul as she departs from the body, when, against her, the adversary hosts of evil spirits that rule the darkness of this wicked world, will come, and parade before her all the sins she has committed, with and without knowledge, or with ignorance in her days of youth. … And on the other side, will stand the heavenly hosts, ready to parade the good works she has done. How much would be the anguish and terror that the soul will face at that time, until her position is finally proclaimed, and the verdict is issued by the Just divine Judge!. If she proves to be worthy of the paradise, she will be taken by the angels with great honor and joy; according to the Scripture (87), to the unutterable glory, where there is 1 On Psalms, homily 18 2 On Psalms, homily 18 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 8 “everlasting joy and gladness, and where sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35: 10). (Pope Abba Theophilus) https://coptic-treasures.com/ 9 AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 87 BY YOU, I WILL ENTER INTO YOUR BELOVED CITY You came down to our land to proclaim Your amazing love of us; You carried us in You to bring us forth into Your heavenly church; You are the Way that will bring us forth unto You. You are the door through which we shall enter into her glories; You are the secret of her glory and splendor. Glorious things are spoken of Your city; In her, the prophecies of the prophets were fulfilled; In her, heavenly secrets were revealed; In her, voices of exultation are unceasingly heard; In her, the divine truth and the joyful teachings are transfigured. I wonder when will You come on the clouds! For then, I will carry the magnificent harp of the spirit; To join all those standing on Your right hand; My whole being will play an eternal symphony of love; That brings gladness to the heavenly hosts; We shall all play it together; What a glorious heavenly church!
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