“THE BRANCH OF THE LORD” IS THE CURE In the previous chapters the Holy Scripture presented us with a painful portrait of the corruption and deterioration, that got into man because of sin; as man lost his beauty, dignity, food, drink, adornment, and even his life itself. The only cure, lies in the coming of the Lord Christ, “the Branch of the Lord,” to restore to man the beauty of his nature, and to fulfill him, not through certain goodies, but through offering “Himself,” the Source of life, joy, and satisfaction. 1. The need of a Savior 1. 2. The Branch of the Lord 2. 3. The holy remnant 3-4. 4. Dwelling of the Lord Christ in the midst of His Church 5. 5. The Church of Christ a tabernacle and a refuge 6 1. THE NEED OF A SAVIOR “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, ‘We will eat our own food, and wear our own apparel. Only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.’” (Is. 4: 1) These seven women are all the nations including the Jews. All felt a great void swaying their depths, because of the corruption of human nature. These nations gather together, as a bride seeking her groom, requesting His name to take away the reproach of her corruption; then, to eat her own food and wear her own apparel. Christ is much more important than all her needs, in whom to find all satisfaction, cover from nakedness, and protection from every reproach. That is according to the spiritual symbolic side. But as far as the literal side is concerned, the prophet Isaiah is prophesying what is going to occur to Judah; when, as a result of devastating wars, a great number of men would be killed; and every woman would yearn for a man to take refuge under his name, whatever much it would cost her. She would be ready to share him with six other women, which is against the nature of a female; and even relieving her husband to be, of any commitment concerning feeding or clothing her; for she will care for herself, again, something against nature itself. All that is in the hope of getting children from him to take away her reproach (Genesis 30: 33; 1 Samuel 1: 11). 2. THE BRANCH OF THE LORD Now, if humanity, with all its nations (seven women), have discovered the need of a Savior; here is the prophet, giving the good news of His coming: “In that day, the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing, for those of Israel who have escaped.” (Is. 4: 2) By that day he means “the fullness of the time” (Galatians 4: 4), when the Only-Begotten Son of God would be incarnated, He, who is called “ the Branch of the Lord,” or the “Branch” (Jeremiah 23: 5; Zechariah 3: 8; 6: 12). He is the Branch of the Lord, and a Branch of Righteousness of David; as He is the eternally Begotten before all time, of the same essence as the Father; and through His incarnation, He was born as a descendant of David. By His coming to the world He proclaimed the divine splendor and the exalted glory, to the simple foreign believers, as well as to the loyal among the Jews. And as Simon, the elder said: “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles; and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2: 32) That Branch has been planted through His incarnation, to dwell among us, to reflect the divine splendor upon our nature; so He says to His Church: “Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you.” (Ezekiel 16: 14) The word ‘Branch,’ also designates (Nazareth). So the evangelist says, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’” (Matthew 2: 23) 3. THE HOLY REMNANT Who will enjoy the Branch of the Lord? “Who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem” (Is. 4: 3) These are the few who received faith in the Lord Christ, among the Jews. They remained in the spiritual Zion, in the Church, the New Jerusalem. According to the letter, this refers to the remnants remaining after the captivity; but spiritually, they are the holy remnant, the small flock, whose heart does nor desert Zion, and whose spirit does not leave Jerusalem. Of that remnant, several prophets spoke (Zechariah 13: 9). It has been found in every era. In the days of Elijah, God proclaimed that He has seven thousand believers whose knees had not knelt to the Baal. In the days of captivity, there were Daniel and the three young men, among those holy remnants, also Esther and Mordecai. After the captivity, we also hear about that holy remnant (Malachi 3: 6; 4: 2). The Lord Christ Himself speaks about that little flock, to which the Father’s good pleasure is to give the Kingdom (Luke 12: 32). In brief, every loyal soul, that lifts her heart up to the exalted Jerusalem would behold the Holy Church in the Lord, to find in it joy and pleasure. The heart of Isaiah was attached to Jerusalem, the capital of his nation, and the city of God that embraces His holy temple; and got bitter because of its corruption. And now, as he proclaims the coming of the “Branch of the Lord,” he beholds a new Jerusalem, dwelt by saints in the Holy Lord, to enjoy the eternal life. He says, “...will be called holy, everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.” (Is. 4: 3) The Church - the icon of heaven - is the pledge of the exalted Jerusalem; not to be entered by any thing defiled, nor liars, but those who washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7: 14). As members of the holy Church - the New Jerusalem - we enjoyed the ointment of the Holy Spirit of God, to consummate the evangelic commandment: “As He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” (1 Peter 1: 15) Who would sanctify our life? The Lord Himself; as the prophet says, “When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.” (Is. 4: 4) He washed our filth in the water of Baptism, in the worthiness of His blood; and is still washing all our weaknesses by His blood that flowed from his stabbed side, mingled with water. If our hands got spoiled with blood through our sins, He offers His blood as atonement for our sake, to set us a glorious Church, with no defilement or wrinkles, but in every respect sanctified. That washing or purification is realized “by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.” As to the spirit of Judgment, it has been realized by His being nailed on the Cross, to bear the price of our sins in His body, consummating divine justice what we due on Him. As to the spirit of burning, it refers to what has been proclaimed by the law in the Book of Leviticus, concerning the ‘burnt offering,’ where the sacrifice is wholly burnt, as a reference to complete love. The sacrifice of Christ, in our name, is the ‘burnt offering,’ offered as a sign of our complete love in Him towards the Father. And by the ‘burnt offering,’ He also probably means the fiery Holy Spirit that descended over the Church, to sanctify and wash every member of it. In the fulfillment of time, as the time for freedom came, the Logos Himself washed the filth of the daughter of Zion, as He washed, by His hands, His disciples’ feet (John 13:5) 1. St. Irenaeus The excellent spiritual washing through Baptism takes away the corruption of the soul2. St. Clement of Alexandria St. Clement of Alexandria comments on the expression: “purged the blood of Jerusalem,” by saying, [Here is the blood of the crime of killing the prophets3.] Whoever denies Christ is partaking of the killing of the prophets with his fathers; But whoever receives Him, is purified and sanctified in his depths. 4. DWELLING OF THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHURCH The Church is washed up by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, namely through the unique burnt offering presented by the Lord Christ, and through the work of the Holy Spirit in the water of Baptism. She seeks the dwelling of Her Victim Groom in her midst, covering her by day as a cloud, and by night as a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire, to illuminate the way for her. Thus, the Church goes with its memory back to the tabernacle amid the wilderness, where the Lord used to meet with His people. Yet, it is a new tabernacle, on a level different from that of the Old Testament, concerning: a. “Above every dwelling place” (Is. 4: 5): The divine presence or dwelling is not any more confined to a tabernacle nor a temple, but dwells in His Church, that extends everywhere, east and west; in the hearts of priests and congregation; its doors open before all peoples and nations wherever they are. b. “and above her assembly”: Referring to the work of God in the Church as one assembly, or one congregation; every member enjoying the gift of the divine presence, not as an isolated individual, but as a living member in the congregation, binding with all the other members through the Head, the Lord Christ; having his personal relationship with God, that makes his relationship with his brothers much stronger. c. “(Creating)... a cloud and smoke... and the shining of a flaming fire”: The Lord Christ is the Source of protection and enlightenment of His Church. d. “For over all the glory there will be a covering”: By that he means ‘the royal daughter is all glorious within the palace” (Psalm 45), namely hidden. From outside, sharing her Christ’s passion, cross, death, and tomb; to be said of her, as of her Groom: “has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” (Isaiah 53: 2) Yet, from within, she partakes of the glory of His resurrection. The soul that appreciates the value of the inner glory of its Christ, and the joy of His kingdom within it, covers it, on account of its great value. We are used to hide 1 Adv. Haer. 4:22:1. 2 Paed. 3:9. 3 Ibid. and treasure what is valuable, while what is valueless is in no need of any cover. The Church, amid its preoccupation with its glorified Christ, says, “He lies all night between my breasts” (Song 1: 13). It wants Him within its depths, hidden in her heart. 5. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AS A TABERNACLE FOR SHADE AND A PLACE OF REFUGE God dwells in His Church, turning it into a tabernacle for shading the afflicted souls from the heat by day, and a shelter from storm and rain (Is. 4: 6). St. John Chrysostom sees that tabernacle as the great cloud of saintly witnesses (Hebrew 12: 1), saying, [Remembrance of the saints, upholds the soul, weighted by afflictions; becoming like a cloud, that protects it from the severe heat of the burning sun4.] 4 In Heb. Hom., 28:3.
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