ACC ~ Hebrews 12 v22 - 24

JESUS INSTEAD OF MOSES. CHRYSOSTOM: Instead of “Moses,” Jesus. Instead of the people, “innumerable angels.” Of what “firstborn” does he speak? Of the faithful. “And to the spirits of just men made perfect.” ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 32.2.

THE CHURCH ESTABLISHED BY CHRIST. EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: Zion and Jerusalem that have the good news told them the apostle knew to be heavenly, when he said, “But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother,” and, “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels.” Zion might also mean the church established by Christ in every part of the world, and Jerusalem the holy constitution that, once established of old time among the ancient Jews alone, was driven into the wilderness by their impiety and then again was restored far better than before through the coming of our Savior. Therefore the prophecy says, “Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.”

Nor would you be wrong in calling Zion the soul of every holy and godly person, so far as it is lifted above this life, having its city in heaven, seeing the things beyond the world. For it means “a watchtower.” And insofar as such a person remains calm and free from passion, you could call that one Jerusalem—for Jerusalem means “vision of peace.” PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 6.24.

YOU HAVE HEARD A VOICE THROUGH FLESH. CHRYSOSTOM: From the first, therefore, the Israelites were themselves the cause of God’s being manifested through the flesh. Let Moses speak with us, and “Let not God speak with us.” They who make comparisons elevate the one side more that they may show the other to be far greater. In this respect also our privileges are more gentle and more admirable. For they are great in a twofold respect, because, while they are glorious and greater, they are more accessible. This he says also in the epistle to the Corinthians, “with unveiled face,” and “not as Moses put a veil over his face.” They, he means, were not counted worthy as we are. For of what were they thought worthy? They saw “darkness, gloom”; they heard “a voice.” But you also have heard a voice, not through darkness but through flesh. You have not been disturbed, neither troubled, but you have stood and held discourse with the Mediator.

And in another way, by the “darkness” he shows the invisibleness. “And darkness,” it says, “was under his feet.”Then even Moses feared, but now no one. … The Son is near to God, but not as Moses. There was a wilderness, here a city.

“And to innumerable angels.” Here he shows the joy, the delight, in place of the “darkness” and “gloom” and “tempest.” “And to the assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all.” They did not draw near but stood afar off, even Moses, but “you have come near.” Here he makes them stand in awe by saying, “And to a judge who is God of all,” not of the Jews alone and the faithful, but even of the whole world. “And to the spirits of just men made perfect.” He means the souls of those who are approved. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 32.3-4.

JERUSALEM BUILT OF LIVING STONES. AMBROSE: The Lord says, “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Mount Zion is there, and so is the city of peace, Jerusalem, built not of earthly stones but of living stones, with ten thousand angels and the church of the firstborn and the spirits of those made perfect and the God of the just, who spoke better with his blood than Abel. For one cried out for vengeance, but the other for pardon. The one was a reproach to his brother’s sin. The other forgave the world’s sin; the one was the revelation of a crime, the other covered a crime according to what was written, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.”FLIGHT FROM THE WORLD 5.31.

JERUSALEM IS BESIEGED BY CHRIST. AMBROSE: But because we ought always to be anxious, always attentive, and because the Word of God leaps forth like the gazelle or the young stag, let the soul who searches after the Christ and longs to possess Christ always be on watch and maintain its senses. “Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves,” as if Christ had stolen in upon her. Let one who seeks carefully seek while in his bed; let him seek at night. Let there be neither nights nor holiday, let no time be free from service, and if one does not find Christ at first, let him persevere in searching after Christ. And so the soul says, “I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares.”And perhaps [the soul] still does not find Christ, because it sought in the public places, where there are court cases, in the streets, where there are markets with goods for sale; for Christ cannot be obtained for any amount of money. … That soul searches for Christ who seeks after Christ with tranquility and peace. It searches at night because Christ spoke through parables—“he made darkness his covering around him,” and “night to night declares knowledge”—and also because “the things we say in our heart we ought also to be sorry for on our beds.”But [the soul] does not find Christ in this way, and so it says, “I am a strong city, a city besieged.” The city is besieged through Christ; the city is that heavenly Jerusalem, in which there are interpreters of God’s law and people skilled in doctrine in great abundance; through them one seeks the Word of God. ISAAC OR THE SOUL 5.38-39.

YOUR ANCIENT FATHERS. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: In it there are the firstborn, that is, the first ones and the most excellent, and “the spirits of just men,” that is, of your ancient fathers who accomplished perfection. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

SEEK WHAT PERTAINS TO THE CITY OF GOD. BASIL THE GREAT: Some give the definition that a city is an established community, administered according to law. And the definition that has been handed down of the city is in harmony with the celestial city, Jerusalem above. For there it is a community of the firstborn who have been enrolled in heaven, and this is established because of the unchanging manner of the life of the saints, and it is administered according to the heavenly law. Therefore, it is not the privilege of human nature to learn the arrangement of that city and all its adornment. Those are the things “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,”but there are myriads of angels there, an assembly of saints and a church of the firstborn that are enrolled in heaven. Concerning that, David said, “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.” To that city through Isaiah God has promised, “I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. Devastation and destruction shall no more be within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation.” Therefore, having raised the eyes of your soul, seek, in a manner worthy of things above, what pertains to the city of God. What could anyone consider as deserving of the happiness in that city which the river of God makes joyful and of which God is the craftsman and creator? HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 18.4 (PSALM 45).

JESUS CAME TO RAISE ADAM. AMBROSE: The Lord Jesus came to raise up Adam; Abel also was raised up, for his offerings were pleasing to God. The Lord Jesus offered his own self, that is, the firstlings of his own body,in the sprinkling of blood that speaks better than the blood of Abel spoke upon the earth. THE PRAYER OF JOB AND DAVID 4.9.32.

HIS BLOOD DOES NOT CRY OUT FOR VENGEANCE. ATHANASIUS: The prophet Nahum proclaimed the good news of what was to come, “Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace.” Then he went on to tell them, “Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows. For they shall no more go to that which is old; it is finished; it is taken away. He is gone up who breathed upon the face and delivered you from affliction.”

Now who is he who went up? Notice, by the way, that the one who went up went to the Jews, so there is no way they can ignore the end of those practices that foreshadowed his coming. And the prophet did say, “It is finished.” But as I asked, who was he? It would be absurd to say that he was Moses, because when he was with Israel they had not even entered the land in which these sacrificial rites were to be carried out. Or suppose that he was Samuel or some other one of the prophets. That would not do either, because, while they were around, the sacrifices were being made and Jerusalem was still standing. Thus it was none of these men who went up.

But if you want to know the truth … look to our Savior, who went up and who “breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”As soon as these things were done, all the old things came to an end. The altar was broken; the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. And although the city was not yet sacked and destroyed, its time was coming. As the prophecy foretold, the abomination of desolation was soon to rest upon the temple and the city. The consummation of the ancient ceremonies was at hand.

Thankfully, then, we have come far beyond these shadows of reality, having turned to the Lord himself. And we know that “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Therefore, as the ears of our hearts hear the call of the priestly trumpet, we do not look with our physical eyes and see an animal lamb slain, but we see the true Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ. For as Isaiah said, he “was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb.”

We are purified by his precious blood, which cleanses us from sin. His blood does not cry out for vengeance as did the blood of Abel. FESTAL LETTER 1.8-9.

MERCY SPEAKS A BETTER WORD THAN THE BLOOD OF ABEL. CHRYSOSTOM: The work of mercy is, as it were, a most excellent art and a protector of those who labor at it. For it is dear to God and ever stands near God, readily asking favor for whomsoever it will, if only it be not wronged by us. … So, if it is pure, it gives great confidence to those who offer it up. It intercedes even for those who have offended, so great is its power, even for those who have sinned. It breaks the chains, disperses the darkness, quenches the fire, kills the worm, drives away the gnashing of teeth. The gates of heaven open to it with great security. And as, when a queen is entering, none of the guards stationed at the doors dares to inquire who she is, but all straightway receive her, so also indeed with mercifulness. For she is truly a queen indeed, making humans like God, for, he says, “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.” She is winged and buoyant, having golden pinions, with a flight which greatly delights the angels. There, it is said, are “the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with green gold.” As some dove, golden and living, she flies, with gentle look and mild eye. Nothing is better than that eye. The peacock is beautiful, but, in comparison with her, is a jackdaw. So beautiful and worthy of admiration is this bird. She continually looks upwards; she is surrounded abundantly with God’s glory. She is a virgin with golden wings, decked out, with a fair and mild countenance. She is winged and buoyant, standing by the royal throne. When we are judged, she suddenly flies in and shows herself and rescues us from punishment, sheltering us with her own wings. God would rather have her than sacrifices. Much does God discourse concerning her, God loves her so. “He upholds,” it is said, “the widow” and “the fatherless” and the poor. God wishes to be called by her. “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,”and true. The mercy of God is over all the earth. She has saved the race of humankind, for, unless she had pitied us, all things would have perished. “While we were enemies,” she “reconciled” us, she wrought innumerable blessings; she persuaded the Son of God to become a slave and to empty himself of his glory.

Let us earnestly emulate her by whom we have been saved; let us love her, let us prize her before wealth and apart from wealth; let us have a merciful soul. Nothing is so characteristic of a Christian as mercy. There is nothing that both unbelievers and all people so admire as when we are merciful. For often we are ourselves also in need of this mercy and say to God, “Have mercy upon us, according to your steadfast love.”Let us begin first ourselves, or rather it is not we that begin first, for God has already shown his mercy toward us. At least let us follow second. For if people have mercy on a merciful person, even if that person has done innumerable wrongs, so much more does God. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 32.7.

SPEAKS MORE GRACIOUSLY THAN THE BLOOD OF ABEL. THEODORET OF CYR: There you find dread, he is saying, here on the contrary festival and assembly. The former happens on earth, the latter in heaven; there thousands of people, here tens of thousands of angels. There unbelievers and lawbreakers, here church of the firstborn enrolled in heaven and spirits of the just who have been made perfect; there an old covenant, here a new one; there a slave as mediator, here a Son; there blood of brute beasts, here blood of a rational lamb. The phrase “speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel” means communicating through deeds and betraying its own activity: while the blood of Abel is celebrated, this blood is responsible for the salvation of human beings. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 12.

Heb