For those who believe, salvation is in Mount Zion and Jerusalem. In the latter days, the Lord will gather the called remnant from the people of Judah, who with the apostles and through the apostles believed. He will return the captives of Judah to Jerusalem. He is the one who came to preach sight to the blind, forgiveness to the captives and freedom to those who confess the Lord and abide in the church, in which is the vision of peace. He will gather all the nations who are unwilling to believe, however, and throw them into the valley of Jehoshaphat. The Greek renders kataxō, which is true to the Hebrew, that is, I will lead you downwards, and drag you down from the highest heights to the lowest depths. ^[1] STRENGTH WILL RETURN. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: Beat your plowshares, that is, change your farm implements into weapons. In fact, after coming back from captivity, they would have been poor, but then they would have acquired wealth at the expense of the house of Gog. ^[1]

Whoever is protected by these weapons is always defended from the enemy’s spears and devastation and will not be led as a captive and a slave, bound in the chains of the ravagers, to the territory of hostile thoughts. Nor will he hear through the prophet, Why have you grown old in a foreign land?^[1] But he will live triumphant and victorious in that region of thoughts where he wanted to be.

Do you also want to understand the strength and fortitude of this centurion, by which he bears these weapons that we have spoken about and that are not carnal but powerful to God? Listen to the king himself and how he recruits the strong men that he gathers for his spiritual army, marking them and proving them: Let the weak say, he says, that I am strong. And, The one who suffers shall be a fighter.^[2] You see, then, that the Lord’s battles can be fought only by the suffering and the weak. Indeed, certainly fixed in this weakness, our gospel centurion said with confidence, When I am weak, then I am strong.^[3] And again, Strength is perfected in weakness.^[4] One of the prophets says about this weakness, The one who is weak is among them shall be as the house of David.^[5] The patient sufferer shall also fight these battles with that patience of which it is said, Patience is necessary for you so that you may do the will of God and receive a reward.^{[6] [7]} THE VALLEY OF JUDGMENT. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: The words come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat will not gather them and bring them down, but he will let them accomplish their plan. In fact, he talks about the people over whom the house of Gog rules. To the valley of Jehoshaphat, that is, to the valley of judgment. Jehoshaphat is interpreted as judgment and sentence. ^[1]

Theophilus, bishop, to the well-beloved and most loving brother, the presbyter Jerome. The reverend bishop Agatho with the well-beloved deacon Athanasius is accredited to you with tidings relating to the church. When you learn their import, I feel no doubt but that you will approve my resolution and will exult in the church’s victory. For we have cut down with the prophet’s sickle certain wicked fanatics who were eager to sow in the monasteries of Nitria the heresy of Origen. We have remembered the warning words of the apostle, Rebuke with all authority.^[1] Do you therefore on your part, as you hope to receive a share in this reward, make haste to bring back with scriptural discourses those who have been deceived. It is our desire, if possible, to guard in our days not only the Catholic faith and the rules of the church but also the people committed to our charge, and to eliminate all strange doctrines.

Christ himself is a virgin, and his mother is also a virgin; yes, though she is his mother, she is a virgin still. For Jesus has entered in through the closed doors,^[1] and in his sepulcher—a new one hewn out of the hardest rock—no man is laid either before him or after him.^[2] Mary is a garden enclosed . . . a fountain sealed,^[3] and from that fountain flows, according to Joel, the river that waters the torrent bed either of cords or of thorns. The cords [are] those of the sins by which we were beforetime bound,^[4] the thorns those which choked the seed the good man of the house had sown.^[5]