FASTS TURN INTO FEASTS After providing them with a bitter lesson from their actual history, that reveals the hardness of their fathers’ hearts; He came back to confirm to them the fervor with which He is jealous for Jerusalem – His bride. If He allowed for her to pass through a cruel chastisement, to live in bitterness; yet He intends to turn her mourning into joy, and her fasts into feasts; to bless her, and to set her a blessing for nations. He, therefore turns the inquiry addressed by the people of Bethel concerning the fasts, to the positive aspect: the revelation of God’s love for them, and the realization of His mission by dwelling among them, as the secret of their inner joy. 1‐ God’s jealousy on Zion 1 ‐ 3 2‐ The dwelling of blessing and peace 4 ‐ 15 3‐ Reminding them of the commandment 16 ‐ 17 4‐ The fasts turn into feasts 18 ‐ 19 5‐ Setting them a blessing for the nations 20 – 23 1‐ GOD’S JEALOUSY ON ZION: While inquiring about the fasts to which they committed themselves because of the captivation; God brings them forth to His depths, to reveal the fervor of His love for them; It is as though He answers their question by saying: [I am a jealous God who loves you; You should get in touch with my fiery love, to become, yourselves as well, a burning fire that the events could not quench. The heavenly Groom proclaims His jealousy on His people returning from captivity, which was a chastisement because of their spiritual adultery and perversion.: “I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her………… I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth’, “The Mountain of the Lord of hosts’, ‘The Holy Mountain’” (2, 3): God confirms His zeal for her, even though He chastised her for some time. According to St. Dedymus the blind: [That is what the Almighty God says: I loved Jerusalem or Zion; I shall remember her after I has rejected and driven her away, to become despised by the foreigners; My love for her is great]. He is the jealous Groom who longs for the return of His bride to the house of matrimony. Yes indeed, she despised Him and committed adultery behind His back (Jeremiah 3: 2); but having entered into tribulation, perceived her fault, and said: “I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now” (Hosea 2: 7). it is amazing that her first husband will not reject her, nor even admonish her on her past, but in His love he humbly says: “Zion came back to Me; proclaiming His longing to dwell in her midst. And instead of the desolation that came upon her, He will make her ‘The City of the truth’; and instead of the low pit into which she rolled down, He will make her “His Holy Mountain’. According to St. Dedymus the blind: [She will be called anew ‘The City of the Truth’; She will no longer be a desolate wilderness, but a city densely populated, with the temple, many high houses, ways, and roads ………From the spiritual aspect, Jerusalem represents the soul that meditates in the unseen eternal things (for the word “Jerusalem” means ‘The vision of Peace’; The soul would see peace through the mutual conformity between the virtuous life and the divine love. On her side, being burnt with God’s flame of love, she returns to Him; and on God’s side, He returns to her, listen to her supplications, and grants her requests; she therefore will not cease praying to Him ……She will be called ‘The city of the Truth’, for she walks according to the truth, which she discovers under the shadow of the law; and on account of that she searches the divine books (John 5: 39; 2 timothy 3: 16), to enjoy the Truth]. That is the work of the jealous Groom; He enters into our heart to make it the city of Jerusalem, ‘The City of the Truth’; to enjoy the vision of peace between our souls and God; to enter into the depths of the evangelic Truth; and would not stop at the shadows and the symbols of the law. He also makes us ‘His Holy Mountain’; and according to the psalm: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion” (Psalm 125: 1); He raises us up after our set back, so that, by His Holy Spirit we would reach high up, abiding in Him like a mountain that the tempests of the world, nor the deception of the devil, would not be able to shake us. 2‐ THE DWELLING OF THE BLESSING AND PEACE: It is as though God says to His people: [Now, there is what is more important than to inquire whether you fast or stop the fast to which you committed yourselves because of the captivation; which is to perceive your new status, after I set you as the new Jerusalem, ‘the City of the Truth’, ‘’the new Mount Zion’, and “My Holy Mountain’………. Meditate in My gifts and grace, and hold fast to them. If you with mourning fast or you joyfully celebrate a feast, let it be with the goal, that I dwell in your midst, that my blessing dwells upon you, and you enjoy my exalted peace. God reveals the blessings of His dwelling in us by saying: (1) “Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem; each one with his staff in his hand, because of great age” (4).n On the literal aspect, as God dwells in their midst, they come to be filled with good days, peace dwells in them, death will not surprise them in their youth, but will live until old age, full of health, will come down to the city market to buy their needs, each with his staff in his hand. Whereas on the symbolic aspect, the city markets where the old men and women sit are the abundance of wisdom that flows as a river that make glad the city of God (Psalm 46: 4); to which all could come down to drink, or goes down to the markets to acquire. According to the wise Solomon: “Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares” (Proverbs 1: 20). This wisdom is the Person of the Lord Christ, who came down from heaven, to us like a servant, for all to acquire inside him and enjoy Him; about whom the bride says: “By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought Him but I did not find Him. I will rise now, I said, and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek the one I love” (Songs 3: 1). As her heart kindles with longing for her Groom “the Wisdom herself”, she seeks Him and does not find Him beside her, she gets up with repentance from her bed, enters the church (the Holy City), go about the streets and the squares, to find Him transfigured, to give Himself to whoever seeks Him. (2) “The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets” (5).Which refers to that peace dwelt on all, and there was no anticipation of war that would take away the joy from the old and the young. In his description of the Messianic era, Isaiah says: “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old” (Isaiah 65: 19, 20). Together with the old men and women there will also be little boys and girls playing; namely, the simple ones who live in the Lord in a state of infancy with no worries. It is as though the market places of the church will embrace the wisdom of the elderlies together with the simplicity of the infants; according to the words of the Lord to His disciples: “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10: 16); and as according to St. Jerome: [Be harmless like a dove, do not put a snare before anyone; and be wise (clever) as a serpent, and do not allow anyone to put a snare before you]. Presenting to us a magnificent interpretation of those little harmless ones, playing in the markets of the church, namely the Holy City, St. Dedymus the blind says: [There are, as well, little boys and girls playing a commendable game, which was played by David, the man according to the Lord’s heart (Acts 13: 22; 1 Samuel 13: 14), realizing the will of Him who chose him, trustingly proclaiming: “I will play music before the Lord” (1 Samuel 6: 21). We can say that the little children who play in the public places (the markets) of the glorious city of God are those who dedicated themselves since childhood to the Lord; and “in all things showing themselves to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you” (Titus 2: 7, 8) In our interpretation of the book of Exodus, we saw how the boys refer to the soul, while the girls refer to the body; When man is wholly consecrated, he brings forth fruition of both the soul and the body; with no more contradiction between them, but they work together by the Holy Spirit; the fruition come as boys and girls playing together in the market places of the holy city in an unutterable glorious joy. Finally, the market places of the city embrace old men, old women, boys, and girls; namely men and women, old and young; as according to St. Dedymus the blind: [All have become one choir who sing one song of praise with one heart. And as according to the psalm: “Both young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of the Lord” (Psalm 148: 12, 13). Mentioning the old men, he did nor disregard the role played by the wise old women in the church. And as the church rejoices in the wisdom of the old men and women, she also rejoices in the conquest of the young; the apostle says: “I write to you young men because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you” (1 John 2: 14). Such divine work in the life of all the members of the church may seem impossible; the prophet says: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnants of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?” (6). If the enemy has completely destroyed Jerusalem, that it seems in the eyes of all impossible for joy to return to her; but not in the eyes of God; with whom every thing is possible” (Matthew 19: 26); He is capable to restore to her, her glory and joy through dwelling in her. (3) “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ’Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east, and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness” 7, 8). The new Jerusalem does not embrace one choir of old men and women, boys and girls, but embraces one people for the Lord from the east and the west; for the door of salvation is open before all nations, for all to become one in the Lord. This is the greatest blessing of the dwelling of God in our midst. According to St. Dedymus the blind:[So the Lord of hosts said: Behold I will save My people from the land of the east to the land of the west; not only those circumcised, but those from all nations who come to have faith in the Lord proclaimed in the gospel. In the old, the people of God were truly one nation of Hebrews, according to the testimony of Moses: “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations; when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32: 8, 9). And it is written: “In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner for the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him; and His resting place shall be glorious” Isaiah 11: 10; Romans 15: 12) ….; “Rejoice, O Gentiles with His people” (Deuteronomy 32: 43). The people are not anymore the Hebrews alone, but with them those who worship and serve the Lord, according to the psalm: “All nations shall serve Him” (Psalm 72: 11); and, “All nations whom You have made, shall come and worship before You, O Lord” (Psalm 86: 9); and, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You; for the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22: 27, 28) …. The gospel proclaims the unity of men from every nation mentioned by the words of the Savior: “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8: 11). This call is addressed to the whole world; to be added to what is said: “The Mighty One, God the Lord, has spoken and called the earth, from the rising of the sun to its going down” (Psalm 50: 1)….. When has the Mighty One spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down? When He forsook the circumcised people, for their denial of the Savior, the King of kings, saying: “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19: 15); and, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27: 25). By crucifying the Lord Christ, they had fallen, the worship of the letter came to an end, and the Lord could say to them: “I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts; nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles. In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts”(Malachi 1: 10, 11)]. So will God bring humanity back from the rising of the sum, even to its going down, to become one people for Him by truth and righteousness. What we say about humanity, we say about man; whom God will keep from every right‐hand strike (of the east), and every left‐hand strike (of the west); namely from falling into apparent sins, and from self‐righteousness; to come to be wholly for the Lord, enjoying the truth and righteousness in Christ Jesus. (4) Gathered together from all nations by one heart, the people of God will have the strong hands that, by the Lord, could build the temple: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days, these words by the mouths of the prophets, who spoke in the days of the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord of hosts, that the temple might be built(9) . According to St. Dedymus the blind: [The Almighty God counsels that all hands dedicated to Him should be strong; … by translating the spiritual teachings to true work; and to bind the words to work; so that those who hear the law would not be just listeners, but turn the listening into fruition in their work] If we have heard from the mouths of the prophets about the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts; namely about the divine incarnation; for the Lord calls His body “a temple”; this incarnation grants our hands strength to work by Him; to turn the divine commandment in our life into lived practical life. God set this body; as is written: “Wisdom has built her house” (Proverb 9: 1); and God came to dwell in our midst, granting us His heavenly possibilities to work to the account of His kingdom. According to St. Dedymus the blind: [How could the hands of those who listen to the words of the prophets not be strong, when He is born by a Virgin, He, who is fitting to be called “Immanuel’, namely, (God is with us)? (Isaiah 7: 14). In truth, if God is with us, our hands would be strong, and we would be able to joyfully sing: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the Lord of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46: 11)……… He grants us exalted strength beyond nature]. Let our hands, therefore, be strong; and let the words of God in us turn into a life; for the Word has set for Himself a house by His incarnation; granting us strength to work. He made of us holy living stones to build His holy temple; saying: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him” John 14: 23). He will make us,, a dwelling place for Himself, or a holy temple set upon Him as the cornerstone, according to the words of the apostle: “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2: 20). (5) Our encounter of the incarnate God, and His dwelling in our midst, not only strengthened our hands by His divine possibilities working in us, but has cut off the spirit of despair in us, and kindled our depths with hope. For the work not only needs strong hands, strife, and persistence; but it also needs a spirit full of hope in the Lord; for which he says: “For before these days, there were no wages for man nor any hire for beast. There were no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in. For I set all men, everyone against his neighbor” (10); He surrounded them with so much anguish, that man, as well as beast are worthless; even if he does a good work, it will be for no wages. Jerusalem was as desolate as wilderness, governed by foreigners; and all efforts by man is as well as by beast, in his coming in or going out, are worthless; which turned their life into an unbearable hell; that made everyone turn against his neighbor for no cause. In other words, instead of everyone working together with his neighbor to build the house of the Lord, everyone, feeling humiliation, complete loss, and inner controversy, turned to oppress his neighbors. On the spiritual aspect, without encountering His Savior who set His holy temple, man would be like an animal, works with no understanding nor wisdom; and, therefore, does not deserve a wage. According to St. Dedymus the blind: [Rebuking such men, the Holy Book says: “Do not be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding: (Psalm 32: 9). Indeed, how could there be wages for someone who does everything with no understanding nor wisdom?]. This is a bitter portrait of humanity out of the work of God; she goes out to work, then enters to give an account, to find herself in void, with no fruition, and does not deserve wages; for everyone was preoccupied with oppressing his neighbor; as according to the Holy Book: “With flattering lips, their tongue speaks proud things” (Psalm 12: 3); and according to the Prophet Jeremiah: “Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongues to speak lies. They weary themselves to commit iniquity” (Jeremiah 9: 5). But through the new covenant, Jerusalem is set on the true peace, brings forth increasing fruition; and the labor of man and beast would not be without wages the way it has been. The prophet says:” “But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts. ‘For the seeds shall be prosperous; the vine shall give its fruit; the ground shall give her increase; and the heaven shall give her dew – I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these” (11).. What a joyful portrait: after man was working with no understanding like an animal, and deserved no wages, as the soul (man) loses her fruition, and the body (the animal) loses its sanctity; and each of them oppresses the other; Now, having the Lord dwell in him, his soul will not only enjoy wages, but so will his body; there will be spiritual harmony between them, and he will have exalted spiritual fruition; and the earth, as well as heaven will work to his account in the Lord. As the Lord return to dwell in him, and sets His kingdom inside his heart, there will appear peace planted by the Father Himself by His Holy Spirit; so will the fruition of the Holy Spirit, being the fruition of the true vine; the earth (the body) will give forth its increase; for the body would carry a special sanctity, and become a tool of righteousness to the account of the Lord; and the heavens (the soul) will give her due, being filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. All this God will grant to the soul that receives Him. According to St. Dedymus the blind: [That splendid reform has been realized in a spiritual way when He came, who said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me, to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4: 18)………. It is written: In His days, righteousness and peace will abound; His peace will be boundless; will not be for one nation, but for the whole earth that submit to Him who said to His disciples, and to those who intend to minister to Him: “My peace I give to you” John 14: 27), to enjoy a great tranquility that prevails on it; the vine gives its fruits, the land its increase, and heaven her dew. The vine which gives its fruits, is the spiritual meditations in the truth ……. And the land its increase; as the seeds planted by Jesus yield a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty (Matthew 13‐ 8, 23…….. The land gives its increase to “those who sow it in tears, perspiration, and sorrow, to reap in joy; he who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seeds for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126: 5, 6). This abundant harvest is spiritual concerning the divine words; as the prophet Hosea counseled: “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (Hosea 10: 12. Heaven gives her dew”; We shall understand the dew when we know heaven that gives it. Heaven, doubtless, is nothing but him who carries the image of the heavenly Man (1 Corinthians 15: 49), having his citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3: 20). About those who show the portrait of the heavenly Savior, it is said: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19: 1); and on them it came in the great song in the book of Deuteronomy: “Rejoice, , O heaven with Him” (Deuteronomy 32: 43); namely with the Savior. How could they not rejoice and exult with Him, having been created in His image, according to the words of the apostle: “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8: 29); and also: “as we shall bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15: 49). It is befitting of us to say that by being united together in one heaven, they give the heavenly dew; Yet each of them gives his own dew; like Moses who said: “Let my teaching drop as the rain; my speech distill as the dew” (Deuteronomy 32: 2). (6) Getting these blessings by the dwelling of God in his heart, the believe comes to be heaven that gives her dew. He will no longer be a curse for himself, nor to others, but will be blessing …….; which we shall deal with in the interpretation at the end of this chapter (verses 20 – 23). 3‐ REMINDING THEM OF THE COMMANDMENT: In the midst of those blessings that dwell in their life by the dwelling of the Lord in them, something that may seem impossible (9); he appeals to them to hold fast to the divine commandment, lest they would fall under His wrath like their fathers: “These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice and peace. Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath, for all these are things that I hate’, says the Lord” (16, 17). Now, as He rebuilds the temple, and renews Jerusalem, His holy city; He intends to have his work founded upon truth melded with righteousness; namely, set upon the practical truth in the life of His children. And here, in His commandments, we notice: (1) He starts it by our relationship with our brethren in the Lord, as speaking the truth to them; judging by justice and peace, etc……… and ends it by a commandment concerning our relationship with Him, namely “the false oath”. God intends for our inner Jerusalem to be set upon the true relationship of practical love with our brethren, yet in the Lord. (2) He starts by speaking about “The truth”, which is the true foundation of the building. ……… Now, what is this truth which we speak to our neighbors, and judge by it, but the transfiguration of the Lord Christ Himself in our talk, as well as in our deeds; for He proclaimed Himself as “The Truth”. Such truth is not preached only by words, but is strongly proclaimed through the practical deeds in the life of the shepherds, as well as in that of their flocks. According to St. Dedymus the blind: The Lord starts His talk concerning the spiritual leaders, who should proclaim “the Truth”, not just by the theoretical mental knowledge, but through virtuous life, and practical behavior, as well. Of his words by which he commented on this divine phrase: [It is befitting of us to listen to the word of Jesus and practice them, the way He Himself counseled, saying: “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man” (Matthew 7: 24). [Let our works proclaim the spiritual teachings we present; for by this, we come to be “workers who do not need to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2: 15). By such way of thinking, the apostle writes to his disciple, to “show himself to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility; sound speech that cannot be condemned” (Titus 2:7, 8). What is this sound speech that cannot be condemned, but to practice what we counsel the others, concerning faith?!]. So have the church fathers confirmed the necessity of proclaiming the truth by the practical life; and by showing it in the daily behavior. For according to St.. John Chrysostom‐ [He who ordains the others is committed to be more splendid than any star in heaven; to have a blameless life; and to be a role model for all]. (3) He goes on to say: “Give judgment in your gates, for truth, justice, and peace” (16)…….. If “truth” is the foundation on which the new city is built, it is befitting to mix the truth with peace. The heavenly truth opens the heart by love to be wide enough to endure the others, to be, if possible, on peace terms with all men. On the expression “in your gates”, St. Dedymus the blind comments saying: [The courts of justice based on truth mixed with peace were set at the gates of the city to separate those worthy to enter from those denied. It means that peace does not mean compliment at the expense of the truth, or slothfulness to evil; but, while the heart widens with love, nothing unclean or defiled would enter the city. Let us then, love everyone, and open our hearts with peace with all; ……….Let us not open our inner hearts to evil and sins as a compliment to others. (4) “Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor”; meaning to have the inner forgetfulness of every harm done by our neighbor against us; or not to misjudge his deeds; the way the righteous Joseph gave as a living example of this virtue; as, while prudently, he perceived what his brothers have done against him, but, in his heart he sees what is beyond their deed; namely the hand of God working for his and their salvation; hence, with a heart wide with love he said to them: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50: 20) When man perceives the divine purposes, he would have comfort in everything, and his heart would become wide with peace even toward his adversaries, and will not pay evil back with evil, but with love. (5) Finally he asks them not to love the false oath hated by God; having commanded us: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20: 7) 4‐ FASTS TURN INTO FEASTS: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace” (17, 18).Their past life was characterized by fasting and mourning because of what dwelt upon them of chastisements because of their sins. But now, as God dwells in their midst and proclaims His dwelling in their hearts, He turns their hearts to joy and their life to unceasing feast. So it is with the true Christian in the midst of his fasts and sufferings, perceiving the dwelling of God in him, will always have an inner joy, and will always celebrate feasts. In the last chapter we said that fasting is not refrainment from food, but from doing evil, together with an enjoyment of the Lord Christ the Bread of lif. This is concerning the spiritual fasts; but concerning the feast, according to St. Athanasius the apostolic: [Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Door, and everything concerning us, is also “our Feast”, as according to the blessed Paul: “For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5: 7). And as the fast is not refrainment from eating food, the feast, as well, is not eating and drinking, but rather a joyful life in the Lord. According to St. Athanasius the apostolic: [I wish we do not celebrate the feast in an earthly way, but celebrate it together with the angels in heaven ………. Let us rejoice, not in ourselves, but in the Lord, to be with the saints. I wish we do not stop at keeping the rites pertaining to the feast, but prepare ourselves to approach the divine Lamb, and to touch the heavenly food]. 5‐ SETTING THEM A BLESSING TO THE NATIONS: God does not accept half solutions; man either become a curse to himself and to others, or a blessing to himself and to his brethren; saying: “And it shall come to pass, that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing” (13). Now to explain how they would become a blessing, he says: “Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord……….. In those days, ten from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you”” (22, 23) (1) When the wrath of God dwelt on them and they were captivated, they came to be a curse among the nations. The sign of that curse was the desolation of Jerusalem, even in the days of feast. As according to the prophet Jeremiah: “The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to set feasts. All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh” (Lamentations 1: 4). But as the curse turned into blessing, “many people and strong nations shall come to see the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem”; and as ‘Jerusalem means “the vision of peace”, the sign of the blessing is drawing a multitude to enjoy this spiritual vision for reconciliation on the cross, and peace with God. (2) Commenting on the expression “I myself will go also” (21), St. Dedymus the blind says that the prophet seeing the multitudes of peoples and nations come to Jerusalem, his heart kindled with longing to join them; and he also believes that the speaker here is the Savior, who proclaims His entrance into Jerusalem ahead of those peoples with the spirit of conquest, saying: “’I have raised him up in righteousness; and I will direct all his ways. He shall build My city, and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward’, says the Lord of hosts” Isaiah 45: 13). Opening the gate of conquest and victory, and building the inner holy city, and letting the soul go free from her exile, not for price nor for an earthly reward, but by His precious blood, the peoples and nations seek the Lord, and enter the new Jerusalem to give pleasure to, and seek favor with the Lord; those about whom the apostle says: “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 the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrew 12: 22, 23). (3) The Lord does not say that He blesses them, but what is greater, “You shall be a blessing” (13) to the nations, as it is written in Zephaniah 3: 20: “I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth” ; and in Micah 5: 7: “The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord”. Whoever bears the Lord in his heart bears blessing to the others, and comes to be a praise of joy to bring gladness to their hearts in the Lord; and like the heavenly dew that quench the destructive fire of the world. (4) He ends his talk about the blessing by saying that “ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying: ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you” (23). Which is the portrait of the bride who says in the song: “Draw me after You, we shall run” (Song 1: 4). Setting forth toward her Groom, she bears with her ten persons she acquired for the Lord by her holy life and her testimony to the Lord. On another aspect, we, who belonged before to the Gentiles, we do not deny that from the Jews we have received the Old Testament including the law and the prophecies, as a way to know salvation in Christ Jesus. We, therefore are indebted to them for receiving faith in e Savior Messiah. According to St. Dedymus the blind: [That Jewish man whose sleeve is grasped by ten men is the Person of the Lord Christ who comes from the tribe of Judah (Hebrew 7: 14); as according to the prophet Isaiah: “In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people, for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious” Isaiah 11: 10); He will be sought, not by one nation, but by all nations. According to St. Dedymus the blind, the figure 10 refers to the believers who came to be like the ten virgins (Matthew 25: 1) who have five holy body senses, and five holy inner senses. That, and the believers bear the name of “Jesus Christ”, that begins with the letter “Yota” which is equivalent to the figure 10 in the Greek language.
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