HOMILY I.
Intending to speak about the prophet Ezekiel by the inspiration of Almighty God, I must first explain the times and modes of prophecy, so that when its approach is shown, its power may be better understood. The times of prophecy are three, namely past, present, and future. But it should be known that in two of these times prophecy loses its etymology. For since prophecy is so called because it predicts future things, when it speaks of the past or present, it loses the meaning of its name, since it does not reveal what is to come, but either recalls things that have passed, or things that are. Yet we speak more truly of these three times of prophecy if we demonstrate them from the testimonies of Sacred Scripture. Prophecy concerning the future is: "Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son." Prophecy concerning the past: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth." For a man spoke of that time in which there was no man. Prophecy concerning the present is when the Apostle Paul says: "But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believes not, or one unlearned, he is convinced by all, he is judged by all; for the secrets of his heart are made manifest, and so falling down on his face he will worship God, declaring that God is truly in you." Therefore when it is said, "The secrets of his heart are made manifest," it is clearly shown that through this mode of prophecy the spirit does not predict what is to come, but reveals what is. But in what way is it called the spirit of prophecy, which indicates nothing future, but narrates the present? In this matter it must be noted that it is rightly called prophecy, not because it predicts things to come, but because it reveals hidden things. For just as times withdraw any matter from our eyes in the future, so a cause withdraws it from our eyes in the present. For a future thing is hidden in future time, but a present thought is concealed in the hidden heart. There is also present prophecy when any matter is hidden not by the mind, but by an absent place, which nevertheless is laid bare by the spirit. And there the mind of the one prophesying becomes present where the body is not present. For Gehazi had withdrawn far from the prophet when he was receiving the gifts of Naaman the Syrian, yet the same Prophet said to him: "Was not my heart present when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you?"
It should also be known that the times of prophecy harmonize with one another for the purpose of confirmation, so that sometimes past events are proven from future ones, and sometimes future events are proven from past ones. For Moses had said: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth." But who would believe that he spoke truly about the past if he had not also said something about the future? For at the end of the very book in whose beginning he had spoken those things about the past, he interspersed something of prophecy through the voice of Jacob concerning things to come, saying: "The scepter shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a ruler from his thigh, until he comes who is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of the nations." He also prophesied through himself about the one who was to be sent to the people whom he was leading, saying: "The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers; you shall listen to him as to me. Moreover, whoever will not listen to that prophet shall be cut off from his people." Why then did he intermingle future events with past ones, unless so that, when those things which he foretold about the future were fulfilled, he might show that he had also spoken truly about the past?
Therefore, since we have taught how past things are proved from the prophecy of future things, it now remains for us to show further from the sacred scriptures how in the very spirit of prophecy future things are proved from past things. Certainly the king of Babylon, when he had seen a dream, sent for the magicians and soothsayers, and summoned all the wise men of Babylon, and sought from them not only the interpretation of the dream, but also the dream itself, so that evidently from the past he might gather whether he could hold anything certain in their answers concerning the future. When they were utterly unable to tell it, Daniel was brought into their midst, who, when asked about both the interpretation of the dream and its narration, not only responded to what he was questioned about, but recounted the very origin of the dream, saying: "You, O king, began to think on your bed what would be hereafter." And a little later: "You, O king, were looking, and behold, as it were one great statue," and so forth. As soon as he told the sequence of this dream, he revealed whatever was to follow from it concerning the future. Let us therefore consider the order of prophecy. From thoughts he came to the dream, from the dream he arrived at future things. He who brought forth, so to speak, the very root of the dream, surely proved from past things how true were the things he would say concerning the future. But prophecy of the present time needs neither the attestation of the past nor of the future, because when a hidden thing is uncovered through the words of prophecy, the very thing which is shown attests to its truth.
Therefore, since we have treated of the times of prophecy, it remains for us to discuss something of its modes and qualities. For the spirit of prophecy does not touch the mind of the prophet always, nor in the same manner. For sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches the mind of the one prophesying from the present, and does not touch at all from the future; sometimes it touches from the future, and does not touch from the present. Sometimes indeed it touches from both the present and the future; but sometimes the mind of the one prophesying is touched equally from the past, and from the present, and from the future. Sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches from the past, and does not touch from the future; but sometimes it touches from the future, and does not touch from the past. Sometimes indeed it touches in part from the present, and in part does not touch; sometimes it touches in part from the future, and in part does not touch. But let us demonstrate these very things, if we can, with testimonies from sacred Scripture in the order in which they have been set forth.
The spirit of prophecy touches the mind of the one prophesying from the present, but does not touch it from the future, just as John the Baptist, seeing the Lord coming, said: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world." But when he was about to die, having sent his disciples, he inquired, saying: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?" In these words it is shown that he knew indeed that the Redeemer had come to earth, but he doubted whether he would descend by himself to open the gates of hell. For he had been touched from the present through the spirit of prophecy, who seeing the humanity of the Mediator and understanding his divinity, confessed him to be the Lamb who would take away the sins of the world; but he had not been touched from the future, because he did not know of his coming to hell.
Sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches the mind of the prophet from the future, yet does not touch it from the present, as the history of the book of Genesis clearly testifies, when Isaac sent his son Esau to hunt, and Rebecca substituted the younger son for blessing, who, clothed in goatskins, feigned his brother's body to his father's touch. Isaac gave the blessing to the younger son as if to the elder, and announced to him things that would happen far in the future; but who it was standing before him, he could not know. Therefore the spirit of prophecy touched the mind of the prophet from the future, yet did not touch it from the present, when the father with dimming eyes both foretold things to come and did not recognize the son present before him.
Sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches the mind of the one prophesying equally from present and future matters, as we are clearly taught from the same book of Genesis. For in it is written that when Jacob was approaching the end of his life, he had the two sons of Joseph stand before him, so that they might obtain blessings for the distant future from his blessing, and Joseph placed the elder at his right hand and the younger at his left. But when Jacob, with eyes dimmed by old age, could by no means discern with human sight which of his grandsons was the firstborn and which was the younger, he crossed his arms and placed his right hand on the younger and his left hand on the elder. When his son wished to correct this, saying: "It is not fitting thus, father, for this one is the firstborn," he heard: "I know, my son, I know: and this one indeed shall become peoples and shall be multiplied, but his younger brother shall be greater than he." Therefore the spirit of prophecy touched the mind of the one prophesying equally from present and future matters, since Jacob both announced things to come and discerned through the spirit those placed before him whom he could not see with bodily eyes. Thus the spirit of prophecy had touched the mind of the prophet Ahijah from present and future matters, when, with eyes dimmed, he both recognized her who was pretending to be another woman as the wife of Jeroboam, and revealed to her whatever was going to happen to her, saying: "Enter, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another? But I have been sent to you as a harsh messenger. Go and say to Jeroboam: Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Because you have done evils above all who were before you, and have made for yourself foreign gods and molten images to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, therefore I will bring evils upon the house of Jeroboam." For the mind of the one prophesying had been touched equally from present and future matters, who was able both to detect her as she entered and to announce to her things to come.
Sometimes, however, the mind of the one prophesying is touched equally by the past, the present, and the future, as when Elizabeth, seeing Mary come to her, recognized that she carried the incarnate Word in her womb, and called her the mother of her Lord, saying: "Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Concerning whose conception it is also said to Joseph through the angel: "For that which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit." This same Elizabeth said: "Blessed are you who believed, because those things which were spoken to you by the Lord shall be fulfilled." For by saying: "Blessed are you who believed," she openly indicates that she recognized through the Spirit the words of the angel which had been spoken to Mary; and by adding: "Those things which were spoken to you by the Lord shall be fulfilled," she foresaw what would also follow for her in the future. Therefore she was touched simultaneously by the past, present, and future through the spirit of prophecy, for she both recognized that Mary had believed the promises of the angel, and by calling her mother, understood that she carried the Redeemer of the human race in her womb; and when she predicted that all things would be fulfilled, she also perceived what would follow in the future.
Sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches the mind concerning the past, but does not touch it concerning the future, as is clearly shown in the Apostle Paul, who says to his disciples: "I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which was preached by me, that it is not according to man; for I neither received it from man, nor did I learn it, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ." Hence he also says to other disciples: "According to revelation the mystery was made known to me." Yet when he was going up to Jerusalem to preach this same Gospel which he had known through revelation, he says: "Behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what things shall happen to me there." For this is the mystery of the Gospel: that the Only-begotten of the Father was incarnate and made perfect man, who was crucified, dead, and buried, and rose again on the third day; and on the fortieth day ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. He who therefore knew the Gospel through revelation was touched by the spirit of prophecy concerning the past; but because he did not know what he would suffer for that same Gospel, he was without doubt not touched concerning the future. For he says thus: "Except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying: Bonds and tribulations await me at Jerusalem," clearly showing that those things which were to happen to him had been revealed to others about him, but not to himself about himself, as it is said of him through Agabus: "The man whose belt this is must be thus bound in Jerusalem."
But sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches from the future, yet does not touch from the past; as it is written concerning an act of Elisha, that when one of the sons of the prophets was cutting wood, the iron of his axe fell into the water, and he cried out: "Alas! Alas! My lord, and I had borrowed this very thing." But the man of God said: "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut a piece of wood and threw it there, and the iron floated. In this act of the prophet it is clearly recognized that he who asked where it had fallen knew what he was going to do; but nevertheless, since he asks, it is evident that he did not know where the iron had fallen. The spirit of prophecy, therefore, had touched Elisha's mind from the future, but was not touching from the past, since he was able to know that the iron submerged in the depths would be recalled to the surface; but where it had fallen he did not know at all.
Sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches in part for the present and in part does not touch. The history of the apostle Peter testifies to this, when the soldiers sent to him from Cornelius were announced to him through the spirit; for it is written: "And the spirit said to him: Behold, three men seek you." He went down to them, and inquiring said: "What is the reason for which you have come?" In these words it is shown that he had not heard through the spirit that same reason which he was asking from the soldiers. Therefore in the present the spirit had touched Peter's mind in part and in part had not touched it, since it both said that soldiers were present and was silent about the reason for which they had come.
Sometimes the spirit of prophecy touches the mind partly concerning the future and partly does not touch it; just as the sons of the prophets say to Elisha concerning the taking away of Elijah: "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master from you?" Yet after he was taken away, they scattered themselves through various places and sought him in the rocks and valleys. Therefore the spirit of prophecy had partly touched their minds concerning the future and partly had not touched them, since they sought as not to be found the one whom they knew was to be taken away. And so they were partly touched and partly not touched, because they both knew that he could be taken away and did not know that he could not be found. Likewise Elisha himself was partly touched by the spirit of prophecy concerning the future and partly not touched, when he said to the king of Israel: "Strike the ground with an arrow." And when he had struck three times and stopped, the man of God was angry with him and said: "If you had struck five or six or seven times, you would have struck Syria even to its destruction; but now you will strike it three times." He who knew that Syria would be struck as many times as he had struck the ground, yet when he said to him, "Strike the ground," did not know how many times he would strike it (since indeed he was indignant that the ground had been struck only three times)—it is certainly clear that he had been partly touched concerning the future and partly not touched, who predicted that Syria would be struck but wanted the ground to be struck more times. So Samuel, when he was being sent by the Lord to anoint David, answered: "How shall I go? For Saul will hear and will kill me." Yet he both anointed David and was not killed by Saul. Therefore the mind of the prophet had been partly touched concerning the future and partly not touched, who both knew that David was to be anointed as king and did not know that he would not be killed by Saul.
It should also be known that some prophets indeed are touched from near at hand, and are by no means touched from afar; others truly from afar, and are not touched from near at hand; but others are touched by the spirit of prophecy both from afar and from near at hand. For some are touched from near at hand, and not from afar, just as Samuel knew that the donkeys had been lost, and announced that they had been found, and predicts that Saul would be the future king; he also announces that David would succeed in his kingdom, but does not predict that he would be the father of the eternal King. But some are touched from afar, and are not touched from near at hand, just as the same David knew that the Only-Begotten of God was to become incarnate, saying concerning Judea: "A man was made in her, and the Most High himself founded her." And he understands that this one would ascend to the heavens and would sit at the right hand of the Father, saying: "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand." And yet he did not foresee many things that were done nearby. For to speak of a few things out of many, he did not perceive the servant of Mephibosheth lying to him against his own master; and making a promise to Amasa, he says: "May God do this to me, and add this, if you will not be master of the army before me for all time in place of Joab," evidently not knowing what would follow, because that same Amasa would not only not receive the command of the army in place of Joab, but would also end his life through Joab a little later. And when he wanted to build a temple to God, not knowing what would follow close at hand, he sought another prophet.
But certain ones are touched both from afar and from nearby, just as Isaiah announces things far in the future, saying: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." Of whom he again says: "A child is born to us, and a son is given to us; and the government is upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, Mighty, Father of the age to come, Prince of peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and of peace there shall be no end." He also, touched by the spirit of prophecy from nearby concerning King Hezekiah, predicted that he would rise from his illness, and announced how many years he would live after his illness.
Sometimes, however, the spirit of prophecy is lacking to the prophets, nor is it always present to their minds, so that when they do not have it, they may recognize that they have it as a gift when they do have it. Hence Elisha, when he forbade his servant Gehazi to push away the weeping Shunammite woman from his feet, said: "Let her alone, for her soul is in bitterness, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not revealed it to me." Likewise, when Jehoshaphat inquired of him about future things, and the spirit of prophecy was lacking to him, he had a psaltery brought, so that the spirit of prophecy might descend upon him through the praise of psalmody and fill his mind concerning things to come. For the voice of psalmody, when it is performed with intention of heart, through it a way is prepared to the heart for the almighty Lord, so that he may pour into the attentive mind either the mysteries of prophecy or the grace of compunction. Hence it is written: "The sacrifice of praise shall honor me, and there is the way by which I will show him the salvation of God." For what is called "salvation" in Latin is called "Jesus" in Hebrew. Therefore, in the sacrifice of praise a way is made for the showing of Jesus, because while compunction is poured forth through psalmody, a way is made for us in the heart through which we arrive at Jesus in the end, just as he himself speaks of his manifestation, saying: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him." Hence also it is written: "Sing to the Lord, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who ascends above the setting sun, the Lord is his name." For he ascended above the setting sun, who trampled upon death by rising again. When we sing to him, we make a way, so that he may come to our heart and kindle us with the grace of his love. Moreover, that the spirit of prophecy is not always present to the prophets, the man of God also shows, who, being sent against Samaria, announced the evils that were to come upon it; who nevertheless, though forbidden by the Lord to eat on the way, was deceived by the persuasion of a false prophet—whom the deceitful word would not have deceived if he had had the spirit of prophecy present with him.
It should also be known that sometimes the holy prophets, when they are consulted, from their great habit of prophesying bring forth certain things from their own spirit, and they suppose that they are saying these things from the spirit of prophecy; but because they are holy, being quickly corrected through the Holy Spirit, they hear from Him what things are true, and they rebuke themselves for having spoken false things. For who does not know that Nathan was a holy man and a prophet? He both openly rebuked King David for his sin and announced what things would come upon him because of that same sin; yet when the same David had consulted him because he wished to build a temple to God, he immediately responded: "Go and do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you." Concerning which it is immediately added there: "But it happened that same night, and behold, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: Go and speak to my servant David. Thus says the Lord God: Will you build me a house to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day." And a little later: "When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, who will come forth from your womb, and I will establish his kingdom; he will build a house for my name." Behold, Nathan the prophet, who had previously said to the king, "Go and do it," afterward, having been taught through the spirit of prophecy, announcing that this could not be done, contradicted both the king's plans and his own words, because he recognized that what he had spoken from his own spirit had been false.
In this matter there is this distinction between true and false prophets: that true prophets, if they ever say anything from their own spirit, being instructed by the Holy Spirit, quickly correct this in the minds of their hearers. But false prophets both announce false things and, being estranged from the Holy Spirit, persist in their falsehood.
Having considered, therefore, the times and modes of prophecy, it is fitting to observe how almighty God dispenses the moderations of His wrath for the advancement of humanity. For the Israelite people had sinned against their Creator, and therefore served the king of Babylon in captivity; yet with them the prophet Ezekiel was sent into captivity, whom divine grace had made so pleasing to Himself that through him He might predict future events and deign to console the mind of the afflicted people. Let us consider, therefore, if we can, how great is the dispensation of heavenly mercy, because the Lord was so angry with His people that nevertheless He was not entirely angry. For if He had not been angry, He would never have delivered the people into captivity; and if He had been entirely angry, He would not have sent His chosen ones into captivity with them. But divine mercy acts in such a way that from one and the same circumstance from which it gives a scourge to the carnal, it provides an increase of virtue to the spiritual. And while it purges those through tribulation, it rouses these through fellowship with the afflicted to merit greater things. And so it is angry with the unjust, yet nevertheless consoles their hearts through the company of the just; lest if it should abandon them entirely, no one would return to pardon after their sins. Therefore, by holding it repels, and by repelling it holds, when it sends into tribulation along with those whom it judges those whom it loves. Who could sufficiently weigh these depths of such great mercy? That the Lord does not leave the sins of the people without punishment, and yet does not utterly reject the sinning people from Himself. So when Moses had sent twelve spies to the promised land, of whom ten afterwards caused the people to despair, that same people, inflamed with angry murmuring, complained that they had been deceived by the Lord so that their corpses might lie in the desert; to whom almighty God, angered, said that none of them would enter the promised land. Struck with terror at this, they recognized that they had acted wrongly, afflicted themselves in tears, and girded with weapons, immediately began to advance against the enemy, so that they might be able to enter the promised land after their tears. To them the Lord says through Moses: "Tell them: Do not go up, and do not fight; for I am not with you, lest you fall before your enemies." In this matter we must consider: if He was not with them, why did He forbid them to go up lest they fall? But if He was with them, what does it mean when He says: "For I am not with you"? But by a wonderful dispensation of discipline and mercy, He both was with them and was not with them. He was not with them so that they might conquer, but nevertheless He was with them so that they would not perish at the hands of their enemies. O ineffable depths of mercy! He pursues sins, and yet protects the sinners. He indicates that He is angry, and yet defends them from their enemies. So often a mother is angry with her little son when he misbehaves; she rebukes, scolds, and strikes him; but if she sees him heading toward a precipice where he might rush into mortal danger, she extends her hand and holds him back, and she who had struck him in such anger as if she did not love him, so holds him back in love as if she had not struck him in anger.
Speaking these things in the preface alone, we have made an exercise of our voyage as if within the harbor, so that we may then spread our sails toward investigating the mysteries of prophecy, as into the immensity of the sea. Yet we do not presume this in our own strength, but in him who makes the tongues of infants eloquent, because the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which contains all things has knowledge of speech. For the almighty God is the Word of the almighty Father, and we who desire to speak about him will in no way be mute in him. The almighty Word will give useful words, who incarnate for us lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.