And there is also a certain ascent concerning the house of God that is not angular, having windings of straight lines. For it is written: "And there was a spiral ascent to the middle, and from the middle to the three-storied chambers"; for the ascent in the temple of God had to be spiral-shaped, the spiral ascent imitating the most perfectly even circle.
And so that this house might be secure, ties are built into it, as far as possible, for the whole house, five cubits in height, so that the ascent from sensible things to what are called the divine senses might be shown occurring in a height, for the apprehension of intelligible things.
The place of the more blessed stones seems to be the one called the Davir, where the ark of the covenant of the Lord was — where, so to speak, there was the handwritten document of God, the tablets written by his finger.
But some have called it, rather loosely (catachrestically), 'temple,' since it happens to be more honorable than the temple. Yet everything pertaining to the house was made of gold, as a symbol of the mind that is altogether being perfected toward the exact †renunciation of† the intelligibles.
But since these things are not at all accessible and knowable, a curtain of the court is built, so that the innermost places are not revealed to the majority of the priests and Levites.
It is worth inquiring how, as king, Solomon is said to build the temple, and yet also, as architect, there is the one whom Solomon took after sending for him from Tyre — Hiram, son of a widow woman. He was from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a Tyrian, a worker in bronze, filled with understanding and knowledge to do every work in bronze, who was brought in to King Solomon and did all the works.
I take note whether perhaps Solomon can be taken as a type of the firstborn of all creation, while Hiram is the man whom this firstborn has assumed, having his race by nature from the constraint of men (for 'Tyrians' is interpreted as 'those who constrain together'); this man, filled with all skill and understanding and knowledge, was brought in, working together with the firstborn of all understanding in order to build the temple, in which also hidden windows looking out are constructed so that the illuminations of the light of God might be able to be received unto salvation — and what need is there for me to speak of each detail? — so that the body of Christ, the church, might be found to have the meaning of the spiritual house and temple of God. For as I said before, we need the wisdom hidden in a mystery, which can be received only by the one able to say: 'But we have the mind of Christ,' so that, according to the will of him who arranged for these things to be written, we may understand spiritually each of the things said.
But otherwise, it is not for the present reading to unfold each of these things in detail. These things, then, are sufficient to see how 'But he was speaking about the temple of his body.'
It is worth seeing after this whether it is possible that the things narrated as having happened concerning the temple have at some time happened, or will happen, concerning the spiritual house.
The argument will seem to press us from both sides. For whether we say that it is possible for some corresponding sense to come to be, or to have come to be, for the things according to the history concerning the temple, hearers will reluctantly accept a transformation of such great goods — first, because they do not wish it, and second, because it seems inconsistent that there should be a change of the goods.
But if, wishing to keep unchangeable the goods once given to the saints, we do not apply the matters of the history, we will seem to be doing something similar to those of the heresies, not preserving the harmony of the narrative of the scriptures from beginning to end.
If, however, we are not going to understand, in an old-wives'-tale and Jewish manner, the promises recorded among the prophets — especially in Isaiah — as things that will happen concerning the earthly Jerusalem, it is still necessary, if after the captivity and the destruction of the temple certain glorious things must be conjoined for the building of the temple and the restoration of the people from the captivity, for us to say that the temple has indeed come to be and the people were indeed taken captive, but that they will return to Judea and Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be built with precious stones.
The words of the promises in Isaiah run thus: 'Behold, I will prepare for you the carbuncle as your stone, and sapphire as your foundations, and I will make your battlements jasper, and your gates stones of crystal, and your surrounding wall choice stones, and all your sons taught of God, and your children in much peace, and you shall be built in righteousness.'
And a little further on, to Jerusalem: 'And the glory of Lebanon shall come to you, with cypress and pine and cedar together, to glorify my holy place. And the sons of those who humbled you and provoked you shall come to you fearful; and you shall be called the city of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel, because you became forsaken and hated, and there was no one helping. And I will make you an eternal exultation, a joy of generations to generations. And you shall suck the milk of nations, and eat the wealth of kings, and you shall know that I am the Lord who saves you and delivers you, the God of Israel. And instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and instead of iron I will bring you silver, and instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and instead of stones, iron. And I will establish your rulers in peace, and your overseers in righteousness. And injustice shall no longer be heard in your land, nor destruction and misery within your borders, but your walls shall be called salvation, and your gates, carved work. And the sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor shall the rising of the moon give you light by night; but Christ shall be your everlasting light, and God your glory. For your sun shall not set, and your moon shall not wane; for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be fulfilled.' For these things clearly...
...is prophesied concerning the age to come, for the sons of Israel who are in captivity, to whom came the one sent, who says: 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' But if, though captives, they will receive these things in their own land, at which time proselytes too will come over to them through Christ and will take refuge with them, according to the saying: 'Behold, proselytes shall come over to you through me, and shall take refuge with you' — it is clear that this concerns those who at one time were around the temple and were then taken captive, and who will again return there and be rebuilt, having become more precious than stones; for indeed, the one who conquers also has a promise in John's Revelation that he will be in the temple of God, never to go out.
I have said all these things so that we might come, even in brief compass, to some grasp of the matters relating to the temple and the house of God and the church and Jerusalem, about which it is not possible now to speak in detail, part by part.
The most exact and diligent inquiry about these things, extending even to particulars, must be undertaken by those who do not grow weary of the labors involved in seeking, when reading the prophecies, the spiritual sense within them. So much, then, concerning 'the temple of his body.'
Since 'when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken,' it must be understood, according to the letter, that the disciples, after the Lord had been raised from the dead, understood that the things said about the temple refer to his passion and resurrection, being reminded that 'In three days I will raise it' had signified the resurrection — at which time they also believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken, not having previously been attested as believing either the scripture or this word which Jesus spoke. For faith, properly speaking, is according to the baptism of one who receives with the whole soul that which is believed.
As for the elevated sense, since it has been said above by us that this concerns the resurrection from the dead of the whole body of the Lord, one must know that the disciples, being reminded through the effects — of that scripture which, while they were in this life, was not accurately known by them, but which came into view and was made manifest as to what heavenly things it was a model and shadow of — come to believe what they did not believe before, and also the word of Jesus, which before the resurrection they did not understand as the speaker had intended.
For how can someone properly believe what is said by the scripture, if he does not perceive the mind of the Holy Spirit within it — which God wills to be believed rather than the intent of the letter? Accordingly it must be said that none of those who walk according to the flesh believe the spiritual things of the law, since they do not even at the outset have any notion of them.
However, they say that those who have not seen and yet have believed are more blessed than those who have seen and believed, misapprehending what is said at the end of the Gospel according to John, addressed by the Lord to Thomas: 'Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.' For it is not [true] that those who have not seen and have believed are more blessed than those who have seen and believed.
At any rate, according to their interpretation, those after the apostles would be more blessed than the apostles themselves — which is the most foolish thing of all. Rather, the one who is to be blessed as the apostles were must see with the mind the things believed, being able to hear said to him: 'Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear,' and, 'Many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.'
How are the eyes pronounced blessed by Jesus for what they had beheld not more blessed than the eyes of those who did not attain to the sight of such things? Simeon loved this, having taken into his arms the salvation of God, and having beheld it he said: 'Now you release your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.' Therefore one must be zealous to open one's eyes, as Solomon says, that we may be filled with bread; for he says: 'Open wide your eyes and be filled with bread.' And let these things be said by me on account of 'They believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken,' so that we may understand from what has been examined concerning faith that the perfection of faith will be given to us at the great resurrection from the dead of the whole body of Jesus, his holy church.
For what has been said concerning knowledge — 'Now I know in part' — this, I think, may consistently be said also concerning every good thing; and faith is one among the others.
Therefore I now believe in part; but when the perfection of faith comes, the partial will be abolished, since faith by way of form differs greatly from that which, so to speak, is through a mirror and in a riddle, resembling the present knowledge that comes by faith. 'Now as he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, at the feast, many believed in his name, beholding his signs which he did. But Jesus himself did not entrust himself to them, because he himself knew all, and because he had no need that anyone should testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.'
One might ask how Jesus did not entrust himself to those who were attested to believe. It must be said in response to this, that it is not to those who believe in him that Jesus does not entrust himself, but to those who believe in his name; for believing in him differs from believing in his name.
At any rate, the one who will not be judged on account of faith is not judged by believing in him, not by believing in his name; for the Lord says: 'He who believes in me is not judged' — not, 'He who believes in my name is not judged.'
But he no longer says: 'He who believes in me has already been judged.' For perhaps the one who believes in his name does indeed believe, and is therefore not worthy of already having been judged, but he is less than the one who believes in him. On account of this, Jesus does not entrust himself to the one who believes in his name.
We must, then, cling to him rather than to his name, lest, doing works of power in his name, we hear the words spoken to those who boasted in the name alone; but let us take courage, becoming imitators of Paul, to say: 'I am able to do all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens me.' This too must be observed, that above it says: 'Now the Passover of the Jews was near,' whereas here it is not said to be 'the Passover of the Jews,' but Jesus was 'at the Passover, in Jerusalem'; and there, when it speaks of the 'Passover of the Jews,' it is not called a 'feast'; but here Jesus is recorded as being 'at the feast'; for being in Jerusalem, he was there at Passover and at the feast, with many believing, even if only in his name.
And it must also be observed that many are said to believe not in him, but in his name. Those who believe in him are the ones traveling the narrow and afflicted way, which leads to life, found only, so to speak, by the few.
It is possible, however, for many of those who believe in his name to recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, since 'Many will come from the east and the west and will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven' — which happens to be the house of the Father, in which there are many dwelling places.
This too must be noted, that many who believe in his name do not believe as Andrew and Peter and Nathanael and Philip believe, but are persuaded by the testimony of John saying: 'Behold, the lamb of God,' or by the Christ found by Andrew, or by Jesus who said to Philip, 'Follow me,' or by Philip who declared: 'We have found him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.'
These believed in his name, beholding his signs which he did; and †by signs they believe not him but in his name†; Jesus did not entrust himself to them, knowing all, and having no need that anyone should testify concerning man, because he knew what was in each of the men.
The statement 'He had no need that anyone should testify concerning man' must be used opportunely to demonstrate that the Son of God is able of himself to perceive concerning each of the men, and has no need whatsoever of testimony from anyone.
The statement 'He had no need that anyone should testify concerning man' must be set over against 'He has no need that anyone testify concerning anything.' For if we take 'man' as referring to everything made according to the image of God, or to every rational being, he will have no need that anyone testify concerning it — concerning whatever rational being it may be — knowing all of them from himself, according to the power given to him from the Father.
But if we keep 'man' as referring only to the mortal rational animal, one might say that he has need that someone testify concerning the things above man, since it is not sufficient for him to know the things concerning those beings in the same way as human things.
But another will say that he who emptied himself has no need that anyone testify concerning man, but does have need concerning the things greater than man.
This too must be inquired into: how many signs of his the many were beholding when they believed in him. For it is not recorded that he did signs in Jerusalem, unless perhaps signs did occur but were not recorded. Consider whether it is possible to count as a sign his having made a whip out of cords, and having cast everyone out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen, and having poured out the coins of the money-changers, and having overturned the tables.
But against those who might suppose that he had no need of witnesses only concerning men, it must be said that the evangelist has testified two things concerning him: both that he knew all, and that he had no need that anyone should testify concerning man.
For if he knew all, he knew not only men but also the things above man, and all those beings outside such bodies; and he knew what was in man, being greater than those who, in prophesying, convict and judge, and bring to light the hidden things of the heart of all those to whom the Spirit suggests them. But 'He knew what was in man' can also be taken as referring to the powers, whether worse or better, working in men.
For if someone gives place to the devil, Satan enters into him, just as Judas gave place, the devil having cast into his heart that he should betray Jesus; therefore also, after the morsel, Satan entered into him.
But if he gives place to God, he becomes blessed; for 'blessed is he who has help for himself from God, and ascent in his heart from God.' The Son of God, then, who knows all things, knows what was in man. And since the tenth book has now received its sufficient compass, we will stop the book here.