What follows the high priest’s cleansing?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The charge precedes the Orient and seven-eyed stone promises.

Chapter breakdown

The heading describes Satan accusing the high priest, cleansing, Christ’s promise and fruit from his passion. Jesus the high priest stands before the angel with Satan at his right as adversary. The edition identifies Jesus as Josue son of Josedec. God rebukes Satan, naming his choice of Jerusalem and a brand plucked from fire. Jesus wears filthy garments, explained as negligences and sins. Those standing are told to remove them; his iniquity is taken away and garments changed. A clean mitre and garments are put on while the angel stands. The text does not specify linen, festive robes or the prophet as speaker of the mitre command.

The angel charges Jesus: walking God’s ways and keeping his charge bring judgment of the house, custody of courts and companions from those present, explained as assisting angels. Jesus and his friends are portending men, interpreted as foreshowing wonders through words and actions. God promises his servant the Orient; the edition identifies Christ serving according to humanity, rising like the eastern sun to enlighten the world. A stone before Jesus bears seven eyes; God will engrave it and take away the land’s iniquity in one day. The edition explains Christ as rock, foundation and cornerstone, preserving manifold providence or seven spiritual gifts as alternatives for the eyes. It relates the day to the passion and engraving to whips, thorns, nails and spear. Every man calls his friend under vine and fig tree. These interpretations are attributed to the edition rather than expanded into an unconditional universal promise.

The story inside

The edition identifies Josue son of Josedec. The eyes have alternative interpretations. The passion reading belongs to the edition.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The edition identifies Josue son of Josedec.
2
The eyes have alternative interpretations.
3
The passion reading belongs to the edition.

Test your recall

What is the condition of the house-and-courts charge?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 103205–103214
3:1. And the Lord shewed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord: and Satan stood on his right hand to be his adversary. Jesus.... Alias, Josue, the son of Josedec, the high priest of that time. 3:2. And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan: and the Lord that chose Jerusalem rebuke thee: Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Lines 103216–103227
3:3. And Jesus was clothed with filthy garments: and he stood before the face of the angel. With filthy garments.... Negligences and sins. 3:4. Who answered, and said to them that stood before him, saying: Take away the filthy garments from him. And he said to him: Behold I have taken away thy iniquity, and have clothed thee with change of garments. 3:5. And he said: Put a clean mitre upon his head: and they put a clean mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments, and the angel of the Lord stood.
Lines 103231–103246
3:7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my charge, thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt keep my courts, and I will give thee some of them that are now present here to walk with thee. I will give thee, etc.... Angels to attend and assist thee. 3:8. Hear, O Jesus thou high priest, thou and thy friends that dwell before thee, for they are portending men: for behold, I WILL BRING MY SERVANT THE ORIENT. Portending men.... That is, men, who by words and actions are to foreshew wonders that are to come.—Ibid. My servant the Orient.... Christ, who according to his humanity is the servant of God, is called the Orient from his rising like the sun in the east to enlighten the world.
Lines 103248–103261
3:9. For behold the stone that I have laid before Jesus: upon one stone there are seven eyes: behold I will grave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will take away the iniquity of that land in one day. The stone.... Another emblem of Christ, the rock, foundation, and corner stone of his church.—Ibid. Seven eyes.... The manifold providence of Christ over his church, or the seven gifts of the spirit of God.—Ibid. One day.... Viz., the day of the passion of Christ, the source of all our good: when this precious stone shall be graved, that is, cut and pierced, with whips, thorns, nails, and spear. 3:10. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, every man shall call his friend under the vine and under the fig tree.