Angels And The City

Et ecce angelus qui loquebatur in me, egrediebatur; et angelus alius egrediebatur in occursum eius, et dixit ad eum: Curre, loquere ad puerum istum, dicens: Absque muro habitabitur Ierusalem, prae multitudine hominum et iumentorum in medio eius. Et ego ero ei, ait Dominus, murus ignis in circuitu, et in gloria ero in medio eius. LXX: Et ecce angelus qui loquebatur in me stabat, et angelus alius egrediebatur in occursum eius, et dixit ad eum dicens: Curre et loquere adolescentulo illi, dicens: Frugifera habitabitur Ierusalem a multitudine hominum et iumentorum in medio eius. Et ego ero illi, dicit Dominus, murus ignis in circuitu, et in gloriam ero in medio eius. Angelum qui loquebatur in propheta, et stabat, sive ut in Hebraico legitur, egrediebatur, hoc enim significat יצא, Hebraei Michaelem putant. Et alterum angelum qui egrediebatur et veniebat in occursum eius, Gabrielem suspicantur, qui loquitur ad Michaelem, ut loquatur prophetae, quantam rerum omnium abundantiam, et multitudinem hominum, et iumentorum, firmitatemque murorum habitura sit Ierusalem, quae in praesentiarum usque ad favillam, et cineres videatur esse destructa. Nos autem iuxta spiritualem sensum, haec omnia interpretemur in Ecclesia, quae absque muro, sive ut Septuaginta transtulerunt, κατάκαρπος, id est, frugum omnium abundantia habitetur, et habeat multitudinem hominum, ac iumentorum, et Dominus ignis sit in circuitu eius, et ipse in medio illius versetur in gloria. Ista est civitas de qua alibi legimus: Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei. Et rursum: Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis, in civitate Dei nostri, in monte sancto eius. In hac quicumque habitat, dicere potest: Ego autem sicut oliva frugifera in domo Dei. Et: Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuae ibi me collocavit Super aquas refectionis educavit me. Et habitabitur, inquit, Ierusalem prae multitudine hominum et iumentorum absque muro, sive frugum omnium abundantia. Quidam, homines et iumenta duos populos interpretantur, Iudaeorum atque Gentilium, quod illi qui in Lege versati venerint ad fidem Christi, homines appellati sint: nos autem qui post idololatriam quasi in deserto Legis et solitudine fuimus prophetarum, et eius recepimus passionem, iumenta dici debeamus. Alii autem rationabiles quosque et Scripturarum eruditos scientia, homines intelligi volunt: iumenta vero simplices quosque credentium, et de his dici: Homines et iumenta salvos facies, Domine. Haec iumenta, et haec animantia audiunt boni pastoris vocem, et cognoscunt, et sequuntur eum: qui ipse est et pastor, quia regit nos; et ostium, quia per illum in Ecclesiam, et ad Patrem ingredimur; et murus ignis in circuitu, ut credentes et habitantes in medio calefaciat, qui prius frigore charitatis intepuerant, et possint spiritu esse ferventes. Lupos autem et saevissimas bestias, de quibus scriptum est: Ne tradas bestiis animam confitentem tibi: et quorum fructus est, fenum, ligna, stipula, et afferunt tribulos et spinas suo igne consumat; et qui adversariis ignis est, sit in medio credentium gloria. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentariorum In Zachariam Prophetam, Liber I Cap II Source: Migne PL 25.1430c 1431d

And behold the angel who spoke to me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, and he said to him: 'Run, speak to this boy, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited without a wall, because of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst of her. And I will be to her, says the Lord, a wall of fire all around, and I will be in glory in the midst of her.' 1 The Septuagint has: And behold the angel who spoke to me stood by, and another angel went forth to meet him, and he said to him: 'Run, speak to this youth, saying, Jerusalem shall be fruitfully inhabited because of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst of her. And I will be to her, says the Lord, a wall of fire all around, and I will be in glory in the midst of her.' The Hebrews think that the angel who spoke with the prophet and stood by, or as the Hebrew reads, 'went forth,' for this is the meaning of 'Iasa,' is Michael. And they understand that Gabriel is the angel who went forth and came to meet him, who then speaks to Michael so that he might tell the prophet what great abundance of all things, even a multitude of men and of beasts, and what strength of walls, Jerusalem shall have, which in the present seems to have been destroyed down to embers and ashes. But we shall interpret all these things in a spiritual sense for the Church, which will be inhabited without a wall, or as the Septuagint has translated it, 'katakarpos' that is, with an abundance of crops, and shall have a multitude of men and beasts, and the Lord is its fire all around, and He himself lives in glory in the midst of her. This is the city of which we read elsewhere 'Glorious things are said of you, city of God,' 2 and again, 'Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, on His holy mountain.' 3 Whoever dwells in this city is able to say, 'But I was like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God,' 4 and, 'The Lord guides me, and there is nothing I shall lack, in a place of pasture He has set me, to refreshing waters He has led me.' 5 And Jerusalem shall be inhabited, it says, without a wall because of the multitude of men and beasts. Some interpret men and beasts to be the two peoples of the Jews and Gentiles, because the former who lived in the law will come to the faith of Christ and are called men, and we should be called beasts, who received His passion after our idolatry. We have been, as it were, in the desert of the Law and the wilderness of the prophets. But others wish to understand the men to be all rational creatures who are educated in the knowledge of the Scriptures, and they think beasts are the simple believers, and that it is said of them, 'You shall save men and beasts, O Lord.' 6 These beasts and these animals hear the voice of the good shepherd and recognise it and follow Him, for He is both the shepherd who guides us and He is the door, since we enter through Him into the Church and into the Father. 7 And He is the fire all around to keep them warm who believe and live in the midst, so that they are able to be fervent in spirit who had been lukewarm because of the coldness of their love. But He consumes with fire the wolves and the most savage beasts, of which it is written, 'Do not hand over to the beasts the soul that confesses you,' 8 and whose fruit is hay, wood, and stubble, and they bring forth thistles and thorns. 9 And the one who is fire to His adversaries shall be the glory in the midst of the faithful. Saint Jerome, Commentary on The Prophet Zechariah, Book 1, Chap 2 1 Zech 2.3-5 2 Ps 86.2 3 Ps 7.1 4 Ps 51.10 5 Ps 22.1 6 Ps 35.7 7 Jn 10.1-10 8 Ps 73.19 9 1 Cor 3.12, Gen 3.18