20. In the mystery of the calling, He is symbolized in three ways: by the sacrifice of Isaac, because Abraham is a proper representation of God the Father. Christ is represented by Isaac who carried his own wood on his neck, like the wood of the Cross. Christ is symbolized by Jacob making his wives fruitful; by the two sons of Judah, Zarah and Phares, for of him many things are said in happy remembrance, such as this: A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey you have gone up, my son. He crouches and couches as a lion; as a lioness, and who will disturb him? Hence the lawgiver also placed here this figure of the two sons of Judah born of Thamar. He is symbolized also by Joseph most righteous, who was exalted by strangers after having been sold by his own. These are the twelve principal mysteries before the time of the Law. 20. In mysterio vocationis signatur per quatuor: per sacrificium Isaac, quia proprie per Abraham Deus Pater signatur; per Isaac, inquam, qui sibi ligna in collo portabat , scilicet lignum crucis. Christus signatur per Iacob fecundantem uxores; per Iudam, qui habuit duos filios, Zaram et Phares, de quo multa dicuntur in benedictionibus, ut illud Genesis: Catulus leonis Iuda; ad praedam, fili mi, ascendisti; requiescens accubuisti ut leo et quasi leaena, quis suscitabit eum ? . Unde etiam legislator interseruit figuram illam de duobus filiis Iuda de Thamar . Signatur etiam per Ioseph rectissime, qui venditus a suis exaltatus fuit inter alienos . -- Haec sunt duodecim mysteria principalia ante tempus Legis.
21. Under the Law, in the mystery of the giving of the Law, Christ is symbolized by Moses' staff with which he chastised the Egyptians and dried up the sea, and which is the scepter of power which the Lord stretched forth from Sion. He is symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant, through the many things hidden within it. He is symbolized by the vestments of the High Priest, for instance, the miter, the ephod, etc. After his death, the homicide was allowed to return to his own district. He is symbolized also by the sacrificial rites, by the lamb, the ram, the calf, etc., for all of these refer to Christ. 21. Sub Lege in mysterio lationis Legis signatur per virgam Moysi, qua flagellavit Aegyptum, qua siccavit maria, quae est virga virtutis, quam emisit Dominus ex Sion . Signatur per arcam testamenti, per multa in ea recondita. Signatur per ornatum Pontificis, ut per mitram, superhumerale etc.; in cuius morte profugi debebant redire ad propria . Signatur etiam per ritum sacrificii, per agnum, arietem, vitulum etc.; quae omnia referuntur ad Christum.
22. In the mystery of the crushing of enemies, Christ is also symbolized by Josue's entering the Jordan River and dividing it — for there the form of baptism was given — and forcing the waters that were flowing into the Dead Sea to return to their source, and this refers to souls. Christ is symbolized by Josue's contention; He is symbolized by his triumph, when he destroyed Jericho, hung the kings, and after a procession,')' divided the land, and became the leader into the land of the promise. Likewise, Christ leads us into heaven through His entering it. 22. In mysterio prostrationis hostium similiter Christus signatur per Iosue ingressum, qui divisit Iordanem, ubi datur forma baptismi, et aquas, quae descendebant in mare mortuum, fecit redire in suam originem , hoc est animas. Signatur per suum conflictum. Signatur per suum triumphum, qui destruxit Iericho, suspendit reges, et post funi- culis terram divisit et est introducto^ in terram promissionis. Ita Christus introducit nos in caelum per suum introitum.
3. Christ is Symbolized Especially by Means of Sight, Sign, Word, and Occurrence
23. In the mystery of the establishment of judges, Christ is symbolized by Caleb, whose virtue perdured, and who was an explorer of the earth, the one from the tribe of Juda; by Othoniel who because of his victory received Axam as a wife; by Gedeon, of whom Isaiah speaks: As on the day of Madian; by Samson who is assimilated to Christ in almost all his deeds: in the killing of the lion, in the doors carried away, in that he put more people to death through his death than through his life. It is not Christ, however, who is symbolized by the loss of hair, but the Christian who loses the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit. Hence, when the symbolism of a mystery cannot be seen in the head, it must be transferred to the members. 23. In mysterio promotionis iudicum signatur per Caleb, cui virtus duravit, qui explorator terrae fuit de tribu Iuda ; per Othoniel, qui propter victoriam habuit uxorem Axam ; per Gedeon, de quo in Isaia: Sicut in die Madian ; per Samsonem, qui quasi in omnibus refertur ad Christum: per interfectionem leonis, per portas asportatas, qui etiam plures interfecit in morte quam vivus . Per amissionem capillorum signare non potest Christum, sed signat Christianum, qui amittit septiformem gratiam Spiritus sancti. Unde quando non potest aliquid mysteriari in capite, transferendum est in membra.
24. In the mystery of the anointing of the kings, Christ is symbolized by David, Solomon, Ezechiah and Josiah. The David symbol is found in many places. Solomon represents Christ, except in the women in whom there is no good that can have symbolical meaning. Hence, when it is said in the Canticle: There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and maidens without number, this does not refer literally to wives: these women are placed here in a mysterious fashion, and they represent perfect and imperfect souls. Christ is symbolized by Ezechiah: Once I said, "In the noontime of life I must depart! To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned." Josiah also represents Christ: he is (the king) whose death inspired the "Lamentations": How lonely she is now, the once crowded city! Widowed is she who was mistress over nations; the princes among the provinces has been made a toiling slave. 24. In mysterio inunctionis regum signatur per David, per Salomonem, per Ezechiam, per Iosiam. -- David figura est in multis. -- Salomon signat Christum praeterquam in mulieribus, in quibus nullum bonum significare potest. Unde in Cantico, ubi dicitur: Sexaginta sunt reginae et octoginta concubinae, et adolescentularum non est numerus ; non loquitur de uxoribus ad litteram, immo mysterialiter ponuntur ibi, in quibus signantur animae perfectae et imperfectae. -- Signatur per Ezechiam: Ego, inquit, dixi: In dimidio dierum meorum vadam ad portas inferi . -- Iosias etiam signat Christum, de cuius morte factae sunt Lamentationes: Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo? Facta est quasi vidua domina gentium; princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo .
25. In the mystery of prophetical revelation, Christ is symbolized especially by means of sight, sign, word, and occurrence. First, by sight: (the prophet) saw a boiling cauldron and other things also. Likewise, he saw a branch of the watching-tree, in the same passage. Second, by sign, as with Eliseus and Giezi who laid the staff on the child, who did not rise, and then Eliseus himself lay upon him. According to Gregory, this points to the Law and to Christ. Third, by word, which people heard while they could see no one, as they said: This is the word that the Lord spoke to Moab. Fourth, by occurrence, as with Jonah who was in the belly of the fish three days, as the Lord was in the tomb three days. In this mystery of prophetical revelation, Christ is symbolized through harmonious singing with a ten-stringed lyre, as in the psalm where David learns how to prophetize; through the light of wisdom, as in the sapiential books; through canticles of praise addressed to the Bride of Christ, as in the Song of Songs; through prophetical visions, and this in different ways: for one saw Christ as a branch of the watching-tree, another saw Him seated on a high and lofty throne, while yet another saw Him dressed. 25. In mysterio autem revelationis Prophetarum signatur specialiter per visum, per signum, per verbum, per factum. Primo quidem per visum, sicut vidit ollam succensam , et sic de aliis; et similiter virgam vigilantem , ibidem. Secundo, per signum, sicut de Elisaeo et Giezi , qui portavit baculum super puerum, et non revixit; et postea ipse incubuit super ipsum; quod secundum Gregorium significat Legem et Christum. Tertio, per verbum, quod audiebant, sed non videbant, sicut dicebant: Verbum, quod locutus est Dominus super eum . Quarto per factum, ut in facto Ionae, qui fuit tribus diebus in ventre ceti , sicut Dominus fuit per triduum in sepulcro . -- In mysterio revelationis Prophetarum signatur per cantum harmoniae; in Psalmo: In psalterio decachordo , ubi David addiscit prophetare; per lumen sapientiae in libris sapientialibus; per canticum epithalamium, quod est sponsae Christi, in Cantico; per visum prophetiae, quod est diversiva. Num 13, 7. Cf. Iudic I, 12-13. Is 9, 4; ef. Iudic 7, 22. Cf. mode: unus sicut virgam vigilantem vidit Christum, alius super solium excelsum , alius vestitum .
4. These are the Forty-eight Boards of the Dwelling
26. In the mystery of the restoration, He is signified first by Esdras who restored Scriptures and literature; by Nehemiah who restored the city, by Zorobabel who restored the temple; by Josue the son of Josedec who restored the form of divine worship. 26. In mysterio restaurationis primum signatur per Esdram , qui Scripturam et litteras reparavit; per Nehemiam , qui civitatem reparavit; per Zorobabel , qui templum reparavit; per Iesum , filium Iosedec, qui ritum colendi Deum reparavit.
27. In the mystery of the redemption of man, Christ is pointed to as a meek man in Matthew; as a triumphant lion in Mark, wherefore in the same: Looking round upon them with anger; as a sacrificed calf in Luke, wherefore: In the days of Herod,... there was a certain priest, and he is looking to the passion; as a flying eagle indicating His divinity, in John: In the beginning was the word, etc. 27. In mysterio redemptionis hominum significatur Christus ut homo mansuetus in Matthaeo, ut leo triumphans in Marco; unde in eodem: Circumspiciens eos cum ira ; ut vitulus occisus in Luca; unde: Fuit in diebus Herodis sacerdos , et oculum habet ad passionem; ut aquila volans quantum ad Divinitatem in Ioanne: In principio erat Verbum etc.
28. In the mystery of the diffusion of grace, He is indicated as the generous distributor in the Acts, when He gives the Holy Spirit; as the pious distributor in Paul, in whom the Acts of the Apostles are consummated, wherefore Luke says little of the other apostles, but passes on directly to Paul —who gave the Holy Spirit, as is evident in the Twelve who had been baptized in the baptism of John—and there is no wonder, since he himself was a Benjamin and a predatory wolf, the last of the apostles, through whom the future was signified. For He [Christ] is pointed to as the Prudent Diffuser in the canons, and as the Wise Diffuser in the Epistles of Paul. 28. In mysterio diffusionis gratiae significatur ut diffusor largus in Actibus, cum dedit Spiritum sanctum; ut diffusor pius, ut in Paulo, in quo consummantur Actus Apostolorum; unde Lucas pauca dicit de aliis Apostolis et statim transit ad Paulum -- qui dedit Spiritum sanctum; sicut patet de illis duodecim, qui baptizati erant in baptismo Ioannis -- nec mirum, quia ipse fuit Beniamin et lupus rapax , ultimus Apostolorum, per quem significatur ordo futurus. Significatur ut diffusor prudens in Canonicis, ut diffusor sapiens in Epistolis Pauli.
29. In the mystery of the disclosing of Scriptures, He is pointed to through [the symbol of] the One presiding, as is clearly shown through the son of man ... in the midst of the seven lamp stands that have seven stars , which are the Seven Churches; through that of the Contender, as the lamb against the beast and the dragon, or in the instance of the bowls and the trumpets; through that of the One who triumphs, because he had a sharp sword and a sharp sickle; through that of the One who brings about eternal beatitude, for he [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth. 29. In mysterio reserationis Scripturae significatur per modum praesidentis, ut patet per filium hominis in medio candelabrorum ", qui habebat septem stellas , id est septem Ecclesias ; per modum praeliaris, ut agnus cum bestia , cum dracone , in phialis et tubis ; per modum triumphantis, quia habebat gladium acutum et falcem acutam ; per modum beatificantis, quia vidit caelum novum et terram novam.
30. These, then, are the mysteries concerned with the Tree of Life, that is, Holy Scripture, because it begins with eternity and ends in the direction of eternity. Hence, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; and at the end, I saw a new heaven and a new earth. These are the forty-eight boards of the dwelling—twenty on one side, and twenty on the other, and eight in the back —-within which is placed the Ark, that is, Christ, containing in Himself all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge , upon whom the Cherubim gaze. And these are the twelve trees around the Tree of Life. 30. Haec sunt ergo mysteria circa lignum vitae, scilicet Scripturae, quae incipit ab aeternitate et terminata est ad aeternitatem. Unde: In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram ; et in fine: Vidi caelum novum et terram novam . Hae sunt quadraginta octo tabulae tabernaculi: viginti in uno latere, et viginti in alio, in posteriori octo; in quo ponitur arca , scilicet Christus, continens in se omnes thesauros sapientiae et scientiae , in quem Cherubim respiciunt . Et haec sunt duodecim ligna circa lignum vitae.