The Lord of Powers and the Gates

Taking these things up, they speak to the heavenly powers, to those dividing the heavenly gates. Then they inquire, 'Who is this King of Glory, whom you announce is coming, to whom the gates must be lifted and the eternal ones—not the temporary ones—the immortal ones, must be raised up?' Near to this is what is brought forward in Isaiah: 'Who is this coming from Edom, with garments stained red from Bozrah? Why are your garments red?' (Isa 63:1). And they inquire again.

Even if this body, being raised from the dead, and especially the one of the Savior previously, does not possess the characteristics of flesh having been transformed into spiritual, yet by the grace of the one ascending, traces were preserved for the recognition of where the one ascending comes from. And because of this: 'Garments stained red from Bozrah' (Isa 63:1). And just as having risen from the dead and appearing to the disciples, desiring to confirm to them that the body which he had has risen, he showed the marks of the wounds, he showed the side, not that the body possesses a side—for to have a side is difficult and unusual—but so that he might be fully known as the one who rose, so that they might not think badly concerning the resurrection from the sign of the fullness of the resurrection, as if after the resurrection the raised body carries the characteristics of the corruptible, 'he entered through closed doors' (Luke 24:40); so also here, being taken up, immediately after the ascension, he showed the characteristics of the flesh, not so that they might remain; nor did those things which he showed, such as having eaten and the marks of the wounds and the others, remain with him having them. Not so that we might eat, for he ate after the resurrection, but so that they might see that he, whom he said, was himself the one who rose. This indeed Luke says: 'To whom he also proved himself alive after his suffering, by showing many proofs and by eating and touching' (Luke 24:39-43). Observe that he also proved himself alive after his suffering by eating.

Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient gates, and the King of Glory shall enter (Ps 24:7). Who is this King of Glory? They inquire: concerning whom is this said that he shall enter, so that we may open the doors for him and lift them up? He says: 'The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in war' (Ps 24:8). He makes the answer from His works. As at the beginning of the ascent to...

The mountain of the Lord: 'and who shall stand' (Ps 24:7). And 'how many' was not used—not that Abraham or John were meant—but 'if anyone is innocent in hands and pure in heart', so also here he did not say 'how many', but by deed he showed the matter: 'the Lord is mighty and strong, the Lord is strong in war' (Ps 24:7, 8). As it began, these things were pre-proclaimed. But when he rose and was ascended, it is no longer said that 'he will come out' (Ps 24:8), the one who transformed the kingdom upon the earth, the one who destroyed the power of death, the devil; but he is 'mighty and strong, the Lord is strong in war' (Ps 24:8). Comparing that prophecy which has it thus: 'the Lord of powers will come out and will crush the war'. As it began, these things were pre-proclaimed. But when he rose and was ascended, it is no longer said that 'he will come out' another 'the Lord is strong in war' having brought down the tyrants.

The Lord is strong in war: 'lift up your gates, O rulers of you' (Ps 24:7). Since they asked who it is, and having said it, they asked 'which are the gates' and to open them, they say: since the Lord is mighty and strong and strong also in war, do not hesitate, do not delay. And behold: to those in charge he says: 'lift up the gates' (Ps 24:7). And since the gates also are rational, and toward them he stretches out, saying: 'and be lifted up, eternal gates' (Ps 24:9). And 'be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory will come in' (Ps 24:10). Therefore he says: 'the Lord of powers, this is the King of glory'.

Often the armies are signified by the name of power. The Lord is of these powers, of the heavenly armies; for such powers appeared to the shepherds praising God when Christ was born. And altogether the Lord is of all these powers, of the thousands and myriads praising and ministering. And it is possible to take the powers thus: each rational substance acting as a power of holiness. Just as we say a musical woman and a grammatical woman, when she possesses these things, so the one participating in 'Christ, the power of God' (1 Cor 1:24), each is a power. Therefore, the Lord is of these powers. But the power is to be understood in two ways: either each rational substance participating in the power of him, the Savior, is called a power, or the army of the rational substances, the...