VISIO NONA, cap. XI
The Throne of Heavenly Dominion
The Lord's throne is established in heaven and His kingdom rules over all creation.
"The Lord has prepared his throne in heaven, and his kingdom will rule over all."✦
The Son's Unbroken Union with the Father
The Son of God rules from heavenly blessedness without ever withdrawing from the Father, unlike Adam, and tramples His enemies because His flesh was untouched by sin.
The meaning of this passage is to be understood in this way: the Son of God — who is Lord of humanity, Lord of the angels, and Lord of all the powers — has prepared his throne in the heavenly blessedness, just as a person's thinking shapes the instrument of their work according to their desire; and so he brings every work to completion according to his will, nor in that respect did the Son withdraw from his Father, as Adam did when he fell into the pit of death. And so his kingdom will rule over all — that is, in heaven and on earth — where he will trample his enemies like a footstool for his feet, because his flesh was never touched on earth by the taste of sin, and therefore no pain overcame him; but through a harsh and bitter passion he overcame all earthly things.✦
The Fiery Son and the Dew of Grace
Only the fiery Son of God, descending from heaven and ascending again, could rescue humanity, pouring down grace like honey upon His people.
And who would be fitting to rescue humanity except the fiery Son of God, who descended from heaven to earth and ascended from earth to heaven, and who, with the dew of divinity, drips down heavenly grace like a drop of honey upon his people, so that the faithful can never be overcome by one another? For every good work the Father has accomplished in his Son, which could have been done in no other one, because he — as was said before — never withdrew from the Father, any more than the brightness of the sun is separated from the sun.
The Fulfillment of Prophecy in the Incarnation
The Son came to earth to redeem humanity as the Father arranged, fulfilling David's prophecy that He would descend like rain upon the fleece.
He himself, then, came to earth for humanity's rescue and redeemed humanity, which no one else could redeem, because the Father so arranged his coming; as the prophet David says, inspired by the Holy Spirit: Likewise, words from the same author in Psalm 71, where it is read, 'He descends like rain upon the fleece,' and that this too is to be referred to the Incarnation of the Lord.✦
Read the original Latin
« Dominus in coelo paravit sedem suam, et regnum ipsius omnibus dominabitur. » Hujus sententiae intellectus hoc modo accipiendus est: Filius Dei, qui Dominus hominum, Dominus angelorum Dominusque omnium virtutum est, in coelo beatitudinis paravit sedem suam, quemadmodum cogitatio hominis instrumentum operis sui secundum desiderium ipsius operatur; et ut omne opus secundum voluntatem ejus perficit, nec in illa re idem Filius a Patre suo recessit ut Adam fecit, qui in lacum mortis cecidit. Unde etiam regnum ipsius omnibus, videlicet in coelo et in terra, dominabitur, ubi inimicos suos ut scabellum pedum suorum conculcabit, quia caro ipsius per gustum peccati in terra nunquam tacta est, ac ideo etiam nullus dolor eum evicit; sed per duram et asperam passionem omnia terrena superavit. Quem autem deceret liberare hominem, nisi igneum Filium Dei, qui de coelo ad terras descendit, et de ipsis ad coelos ascendit, et qui rore divinitatis sicut guttam mellis supernam gratiam super populum suum stillat, ita ut fideles nunquam ab invicem superari possint? Omnia enim opera bona Pater in Filio suo operatus est, quod in nullo alio fieri potuit, quoniam ipse, ut praefatum est, a Patre nunquam recessit, sicut nec splendor solis a sole separatur. Ipse itaque pro liberatione hominis ad terras venit, hominemque redemit, quem nemo alius redimere potuit, quia Pater eum sic venire disposuit, velut propheta David, Spiritu sancto inspirante, dicit:
Item verba ejusdem ex psalmo LXXI ubi legitur: « Descendit sicut pluvia in vellus, » et quod hoc quoque ad Incarnationem Domini referendum sit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.103.19;Ps.103.19 — The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Ps.103.19 — The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
- ↩Ps.110.1 — The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."
- ↩Ps.71.6 — On you I have leaned from the womb; from my mother's belly you have upheld me. My praise is continually of you.
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