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Chapter 32LDO.2.32

VISIO QUINTA, cap. XXXII

The Dry Land Appears

The gathering of waters and appearance of dry land is read as the gathering of persecuted believers into one Church, the land of the living, awakened by the Word and made fruitful by the Spirit.

Let the waters under heaven be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.✦ And so it was done.✦ This is how it should be understood: God gathered the Christian peoples, who among the pagans were attacked with greater suffering in various places, and he brought them into one Church, and so they appeared as a land of the living, just as the Prophet says: 'I believe I will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.'✦1 This is how it should be understood: I who strive to follow God, when I do what is good, believe and do not doubt that I will see those good things that belong to the Ruler of all, in that land where the blessed live, fearing no dangers of death from now on.2 The Word of God also rouses the sleeping minds of men and, in the true vision of faith, enables them to see, so that those who previously in unbelief were on unplowed land, afterward by the grace of the Holy Spirit overturns them with the plow of faith.3 He also prepares the land of the living, which, flourishing with all fruitful greenness, brings forth full fruit, just as the prophets said of the Virgin about to bear the Son of God, who raises the sleeping land with the plow of true faith in his holy ones, so that they themselves may flow as living water from the living water of the Holy Spirit.✦4 And this was done in accordance with God's command, just as God willed. And God called the dry land, and the gatherings of waters he called seas.✦

The Church as Land and Sea

The Church is seen under two figures: the promised land of the faithful confessing the Trinity, and the storm-tossed sea of tribulation, culminating in the vision of the glassy sea of the saints who conquered the beast.

And so God called Israel's Church the promised land flowing with milk and honey, because she is herself the sweetness and splendor of the heavenly kingdom, since with faith and the confession of God the Father she shone out in the Christian people, so that this same people confessed God in the true Trinity, which the Jews refused to accept.✦ This same Church is also called a sea, gathered from the waters — that is, the apostles — because the devil's hostile battles against souls, and the storms of evildoers both Christian and pagan against bodies, flood into the Church in great dangers, wanting to oppress her, unless God delivers them, who is always the pilot and helmsman of his own, since no Christian can enter the heavenly Jerusalem unless he passes through those storms with God's help. And the Church is also this very sea, which John the evangelist saw as a glassy sea mixed with fire, as he says in Revelation: 'And I saw what looked like a glassy sea mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing on the glassy sea, having harps of God and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.'✦ This is how you should understand it: I, to whom God's secrets have been revealed, have seen with my inner eyes the Church that God called from the common people of Jews and pagans, purified in faith, yet shaken by many afflictions, where the faithful, set ablaze by the Holy Spirit, knew and beheld the living God in true faith, because faith is like a shadow of the Divinity, which no mortal can perfectly see. And a shadow demonstrates a form that is not yet seen, just as a compass marks a form not yet shaped, just as the Son of God says to Philip, who desired to see the Father, that whoever sees him should also see his Father.✦ For the holy Divinity hid itself in humanity, and through the teaching by which it had enlightened the whole world, it shone out into the world, just as water floods the earth — which is like its body — entirely, and makes it fruitful for the refreshment of every creature; for just as God is seen by the heavenly spirits, so too he willed to be beheld by creatures in human nature. But I also saw those who conquered the ancient serpent, and his limbs, and the number of his angelic host, because the place and number of those fallen spirits will be filled by the man whom the devil led astray out of paradise through envy; I saw, I say, those standing in the height of the Church, as they mortified their flesh with holy works, and with the signs by which they flew everywhere in the praise of God. And they also had that praise which is written from God's command, and which God established through creatures, because just as the heavenly Jerusalem is founded on rough stones that lay as earthly firstfruits, so also the old law, hiding spiritual things within itself, at last began to understand the spiritual things through which the walls of that same city were afterward built.

The Songs of Moses and the Lamb

The saints sing the song of Moses, in which the old law concealed the incarnate Word, and the song of the Lamb, in which virginal believers behold Christ in faith and love, rejoicing in their heavenly betrothal.

They were also singing the song of Moses, like a singer who sings of things present and future—things that are still unknown and foreign to him, except that he sighs for them alone. In the same way, Moses, with the old law, was like a voice in which the Word—that is, the humanity of the Savior—lay hidden. Moses, I say, wrote all the wonders of the incarnation of the same Son of God in a way that signified far more, just as God taught him.✦ They themselves were also singing the song of the Lamb, which belongs to the rank of the virgins who hold the Lamb of God in faith, setting aside the betrothal of the flesh, and beholding him in love as though they might have him present, even though they don't see him in the flesh.✦✦ And so it's a great joy to them that they are betrothed to the supreme King, and that they themselves sing with the jubilation of praise, because they also always sigh and long for the life that isn't their own with the yearning of the soul, and they commend all their anxiety to God, praising him with voice and with work.✦✦

The Church's Fertile Womb

The Church's womb, like fertile land, brings forth simple believers as green grass and the perfect as fruit-bearing trees, so that praise springs up through successive generations in the clarity of faith.

For the womb of the Church, like a certain land, is now meant to bring forth green grass in the simplicity of little believers, and fruit-bearing trees in the sturdy work of the perfect, so that the praise of faith may be fruitful, springing up alongside the seed through the succession of believers all the way to the end — and this on the third day, that is, in the clarity of that same faith.✦✦56

Read the original Latin

« Congregentur aquae quae sub coelo sunt, in locum unum, et appareat arida. Factumque est ita . » Hoc considerandum sic est: Deus populos Christianorum congregavit qui inter paganos ( sic ) eum plus et doloribus impugnati in diversis locis erant, et eos in unam Ecclesiam tulit, et sic ipsi terra viventium apparuerunt, sicut Propheta dicit: « Credo videre bona Domini in terra viventium . » Hoc considerandum sic est: Ego qui Deum sequi studeo, cum ea quae bona sunt operor, credo nec dubito quin visurus sim bona illa quae Dominatoris omnium sunt, in terra illa in qua beati vivunt, nulla pericula mortis amodo metuentes. Verbum quoque Dei dormientes mentes hominum excitat, illosque in vera visione fidei videre facit ita ut qui in infidelitate in inarata terra prius erant, hos postmodum gratia Spiritus sancti, eum aratro fidei evertat. Eos etiam terram viventium parat, quae omni fructifera viriditate florens, plenum fructum profert, sicut et prophetae Virginem Filium Dei parituram dicebant, qui terram dormientem aratro verae fidei in sanctis suis suscitat, ita ut ipsi fluens aqua de vivente aqua Spiritus sancti fluant. Atque hoc ita in praecepto Dei factum est, ut Deus voluit. « Et vocavit Deus aridam terram, congregationesque aquarum appellavit maria .

» Itaque Deus Israel Ecclesiam promissam terram fluentem lac et mel nominavit, quia ipsa et dulcedo et candor coelestis regni est, cum fide et confessione Dei Patris in Christiano populo effulsit, ita ut idem populus Deum in vera Trinitate, quam Judaei percipere noluerunt, confiteretur. Ista etiam Ecclesia ab aquis, scilicet apostolis, congregata mare nominatur, quia inimicitiae diabolicae pugnae contra animas et tempestates malorum Christianorum et paganorum contra corpora in magnis periculis in Ecclesiam inundant, eam opprimere volentes, nisi Deus eos liberet, qui nauta et remex suorum semper est, quia nullus Christianus coelestem Jerusalem intrare potest, nisi tempestates illas, Deo adjuvante, pertransierit. Et Ecclesia etiam hoc ipsum mare est, quod Joannes evangelista, ut vitreum mare mistum cum igne vidit, ut in Apocalypsi dicit: « Et vidi tanquam mare vitreum mistum cum igne, et eos qui vicerunt bestiam, et imaginem illius, et numerum nominis ejus stantes supra mare vitreum, habentes cytharas Dei et cantantes canticum Moysi servi Dei, et canticum agni . » Hoc considerandum sic est: Ego cui secreta Dei demonstrata sunt, vidi in interioribus oculis Ecclesiam quam Deus de communi populo Judaeorum et paganorum vocavit, in fide puram, nec non e multis tribulationibus concussam, ubi fideles per Spiritum sanctum accensi, vivum Deum in vera fide cognoscebant et inspiciebant, quia fides velut umbra Divinitatis est, quam mortalis homo perfecte videre non potest. Et umbra formam quae non videtur demonstrat, sicut et circinus formam nondum formatam signat, quemadmodum et Filius Dei Philippo Patrem desideranti videre dicit, quod ille qui videt eum videat et Patrem suum . Sancta enim divinitas in humanitate latuit, et per doctrinam qua totum mundum illustraverat, mundo illuxit; sicut et aqua terram, quae velut corpus ipsius est, totam perfundit, et ad refectionem omnis creaturae fructiferam facit; quia etiam ut Deus a coelestibus spiritibus videtur, sic quoque voluit, ut a creatura in humana natura conspiceretur. Sed et illos attendi qui superaverunt antiquum serpentem, ac membra ipsius et numerum angelici exercitus ejus, quoniam locus et numerus eorumdem cadentium spirituum per hominem implebitur, quem diabolus per invidiam de paradiso seduxerat; attendi, inquam, stantes in altitudine Ecclesiae, dum carnem suam mortificarent cum sanctis operibus, et cum signis quibus undique in laude Dei volabant. Et etiam habebant laudem illam quae ex praecepto Dei scripta est, et quam Deus per creaturas constituit, quia sicut coelestis Jerusalem ex impolitis lapidibus qui in terrenis jacebant primitiis fundata existit, ita et vetus lex, spiritalia in se occultans, tandem spiritalia intelligere incoepit per quae muri ejusdem civitatis postea aedificabantur.

Cantabant quoque canticum Moysi in similitudine cantoris, qui praesentia et futura cantat, quae tamen ei ignota et aliena sunt, excepto quod tantum ad ipsa suspirat, sicut et Moyses cum veteri lege quasi vox erat, in qua Verbum, scilicet humanitas Salvatoris latuit, qui scilicet Moyses omnia mirabilia incarnationis ejusdem Filii Dei significanter scripsit, quemadmodum Deus eum docuit. Ipsi etiam cantabant canticum Agni, quod in ordine virginum est, quae Agnum Dei in fide habent, desponsationem carnis postponentes, eumque in dilectione intuentes velut ipsum praesentem habeant, quem in carne non vident. Quapropter et ipsis valde jucundum est quod summo Regi desponsatae sunt, et quod cum jubilatione laudis ipsi cantant, quia etiam ad alienam vitam cum suspirio animae semper anhelant, et omnem sollicitudinem suam Deo commendant voce et opere eum laudantes.

Quod uterus Ecclesiae, instar cujusdam terrae, et herbam virentem in simplicitate fidelium parvulorum, et ligna pomifera in robusta operatione perfectorum modo germinet, et juxta semen laus fidei in successione credentium usque in finem germinativa sit, et hoc in die tertio, scilicet in claritate ejusdem fidei.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Gen.1.9 — And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.
  2. ↩Gen.1.9 — And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.
  3. ↩Ps.27.13 — Had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living...
  4. ↩Ezek.34.26;Isa.44.3 — And I will make them and the surroundings of my hill a blessing, and I will send down the rain in its season; they shall be rains of blessing. Isa.44.3 — For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
  5. ↩Gen.1.10 — And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
  6. ↩Gen.1.9-Gen.1.10 — And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. Gen.1.10 — And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
  7. ↩Rev.15.2-Rev.15.3 — And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. Rev.15.3 — And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages — of the nations."
  8. ↩John.14.9 — Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father"?'
  9. ↩John.1.14 — And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  10. ↩Rev.15.3 — And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages — of the nations."
  11. ↩John.1.29 — The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
  12. ↩Eph.5.25-Eph.5.27;Rev.19.7-Rev.19.9 — Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her. Eph.5.26 — in order that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, Eph.5.27 — so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, so that she might be holy and blameless. Rev.19.7 — Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Rev.19.8 — And it was granted to her that she be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Rev.19.9 — And he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
  13. ↩1Pet.5.7;Phil.4.6 — Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Phil.4.6 — Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
  14. ↩Gen.1.11-Gen.1.12 — And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation—plants yielding seed, fruit trees bearing fruit according to their kinds, whose seed is in them, upon the earth." And it was so. Gen.1.12 — And the earth brought forth vegetation—plants yielding seed according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
  15. ↩Gen.1.13 — And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The Latin reads 'eum plus et doloribus impugnati' — the object pronoun 'eum' is ambiguous; the sense is rendered as suffering and attack directed at the Christian peoples among hostile surroundings.
  2. 2 ↩'quin visurus sim' introduces a negative-doubt construction ('not doubt that I am about to see'); rendered as confident expectation.
  3. 3 ↩The subject of 'evertat' is ambiguous — likely the Word of God or the Holy Spirit; rendered with a singular verb matching the nearest active agent.
  4. 4 ↩'Eos' at the start likely refers to God (contextually from prior sentence); the antecedent is slightly ambiguous between God and the faithful.
  5. 5 ↩The initial Quod is read as introducing an explanatory/causal clause ('For...') rather than a straightforward complementizer; it unpacks the vision just described. modo is taken adverbially ('now'), not as ablative of modus.
  6. 6 ↩germinativa is a rare form, rendered 'fruitful' or 'generative' in the predicate of laus fidei; the precise nuance is uncertain.

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