Against Heresies: Book V

THEN: Isaiah himself has clearly stated that there will be joy of this nature at the resurrection of the just, when he says: “The dead shall rise again; those who are in the tombs shall arise, and those who are in the earth shall rejoice. For the dew from You is health to them.” Ezekiel also says this: “Behold, I will open your tombs, and will bring you out of your graves; when I will draw my people from the sepulchres, and I will put breath in you, and you shall live; and I will place you on your own land, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” And again he speaks thus: “These things says the Lord, I will gather Israel from all nations where they have been driven, and I shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the sons of the nations: and they shall dwell in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.

And they shall dwell in it in peace; and they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and dwell in hope, when I shall cause judgment to fall among all who have dishonored them, among those who surround them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and the God of their fathers.” I have shown earlier that the church is the seed of Abraham; and for this reason, that we may know that He who in the New Testament “raises up from the stones children unto Abraham,” is He who will gather, according to the Old Testament, those who shall be saved from all the nations, Jeremiah says: “Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord lives, who led the children of Israel from the north, and from every region where they had been driven; He will restore them to their own land which He gave to their fathers.”

THE ENTIRE CREATION: according to God's will, will obtain a great increase so that it can bring forth and sustain fruits as we have mentioned. Isaiah declares: "And on every high mountain and every prominent hill, there will be water running everywhere on that day when many shall perish and walls shall fall. The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, seven times brighter than day, when He heals the anguish of His people and removes the pain of His stroke." The "pain of the stroke" refers to the death inflicted at the beginning upon disobedient man in Adam, which the Lord will heal when He raises us from the dead and restores the inheritance of the fathers.

Isaiah also says: "And you shall be confident in the Lord, and He will cause you to pass over the whole earth and feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father." The Lord declared: "Happy are those servants whom the Lord finds watching when He comes. Truly I say to you, He will gird Himself, have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. If He comes in the evening watch and finds them so, blessed are they because He will have them sit down and minister to them; or if it is in the second or third watch, blessed are they." John also says the same in the Apocalypse: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection." Isaiah has also declared the time when these events will occur, saying: "And I said, Lord, how long? Until the cities are wasted without inhabitants, and the houses without people, and the earth becomes a desert.

After these things, the Lord will remove us far away, and those who remain will multiply on the earth." Daniel also says: "The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of those under heaven will be given to the saints of the Most High God, whose kingdom is everlasting, and all dominions will serve and obey Him." And so that the promise is not understood as referring to this time, it was declared to the prophet: "And come, and stand in your lot at the end of the days."

NOW: the promises were not just announced to the prophets and the fathers, but also to the Churches from the nations, whom the Spirit calls "the islands." This is because they are set in the midst of chaos, endure the storm of blasphemies, serve as a safe harbor for those in danger, and are a refuge for those who love the heights of heaven and strive to avoid Bythus, which means the depth of error. Jeremiah declares: “Hear the word of the Lord, nations, and declare it to the distant isles; say that the Lord will scatter Israel, He will gather him, and keep him like one tending his flock of sheep.

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and saved him from a stronger hand. And they shall come and rejoice on Mount Zion, and they shall come to what is good, to a land of wheat, wine, fruits, animals, and sheep; and their soul shall be like a tree bearing fruit, and they shall hunger no more. At that time, the virgins will rejoice with the young men, the old men will also be glad, and I will turn their sorrow into joy; I will make them rejoice, elevate them, and satisfy the souls of the priests, the sons of Levi; and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.” In the preceding book, I have shown that all the disciples of the Lord are Levites and priests, who used to profane the Sabbath in the temple yet are blameless.

Such promises clearly indicate the feasting of creation in the kingdom of the righteous, which God promises to serve Himself.

4. Then again, speaking of Jerusalem and of Him reigning there, Isaiah declares, “Thus says the Lord, Happy is he who has seed in Zion and servants in Jerusalem. Behold, a righteous king shall reign, and princes shall rule with judgment.” Regarding the foundation on which it shall be rebuilt, he says: “Behold, I will lay in order for you a carbuncle stone, and sapphire for your foundations; and I will lay your ramparts with jasper, and your gates with crystal, and your wall with choice stones: and all your children shall be taught of God, and great shall be the peace of your children; and in righteousness shall you be built up.” And yet again he says the same thing: “Behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a joy; for the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

ALSO: there shall not be any immature one there, nor an old man who does not fulfill his time: for the youth shall be a hundred years old; and the sinner shall die a hundred years old, yet shall be accursed. And they shall build houses and inhabit them themselves; and shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them themselves, and shall drink wine. And they shall not build, and others inhabit; neither shall they prepare the vineyard, and others eat.

For as the days of the tree of life shall be the days of the people in you; for the works of their hands shall endure.”