Numbers 35

But that both my discourse and your understanding may be somewhat elevated and may conceive a certain approach toward perceiving the things we are speaking of, let us make use of some comparison. No one doubts that in the land of Judaea every place, every mountain, every city and village is designated by certain particular names; nor is there any place at all without a name, but each single one is designated by its own appellations—for example, those by which the Canaanites named them in their regions, or the Perizzites likewise in theirs, and the Amorites, or the Hivites, or even the Hebrews. So then, according to the opinion of Paul, by which he says that earthly things are a shadow and copy of heavenly ones, perhaps in the heavenly regions too there will be differences of places, and those not slight, distinguished namely by certain appellations and names, and marked with names not only of the quarters of heaven, but even of all the stars and constellations. For he who made the multitude of the stars, as the prophet says, "calls them all by their names." Concerning these names very many secret and hidden things are indeed contained in the little books which are called Enoch; but because these little books themselves do not seem to be held in authority among the Hebrews, let us for the present defer citing as an example what is there named, and let us instead pursue our investigation of these matters from those things which we have in hand, about which there can be no doubt. The land of Judaea, then, is described by the words of God in the divine law, and it is said that these things ought to be referred to the image of heavenly things; and that in the heavens there is a city Jerusalem is plainly declared by the Apostle, and Mount Zion. It is therefore consequent that, just as there are also other cities situated around the earthly Jerusalem, and villages and various regions, so also that heavenly Jerusalem, according to the image of earthly things, has around it both other cities and villages and various regions, in which the people of God and the true Israel is at some time to be settled through the true Jesus—of whom that Joshua son of Nun bore the image—and is to receive the inheritance by the distribution of the lot, that is, by the consideration of merits. If, then, the Lord now says in the distribution of the land, for example, that the boundaries of that tribe are these and of another are those, may it not perhaps be that, because the merits of those who are to obtain the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven will be diverse, therefore in these tribes too this distinction of boundaries is commanded to be carefully determined, so that we may know that these are differences of merits to be observed in each one? For example, one who has lived so negligently that on account of his faith indeed he deserves to be counted among the children of Israel, but on account of the negligence of his life and the sloth of his deeds ought to be reckoned in the tribe of Reuben, or Gad, or the half-tribe of Manasseh, and to receive the lot of his inheritance not within the Jordan, but outside it. But another, who by the amendment of his life and the conduct of his resolve has rendered himself such that, according to reasons which God alone knows, he ought to be reckoned either in the tribe of Judah or even in the tribe of Benjamin—in which Jerusalem itself and the temple of God and the altar stand—and one in this tribe and another in that. And in this way these things which are now recorded as written in the book of Numbers are a certain foreshadowing of the future lot in the heavens—of those, at least, who through Jesus our Lord and Savior will receive, as we have said, the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. There, I believe, will also be carefully observed those privileges of the priests which here are foreshadowed, for whom the places neighboring the cities and joined to the very walls are commanded to be set apart from the children of Israel. There, I believe, will also be those cities whose figure is here described, which he names cities of refuge, to which not all murderers may flee, but those who have committed manslaughter unknowingly. For there are perhaps some sins which, if we commit them by intention and will, make us murderers; and there are others which, if we commit them unknowingly, there is decreed for us, I believe, and prepared by the precept of God some place where we ought to dwell for a certain time—if we have committed sins that are not voluntary—provided nonetheless that we are found clean and free from those sins which have been committed by the will. And for this reason certain cities are set apart for refuge. It seems to some that the position and assemblage of each individual star may be called or held to be a city in heaven; which I for my part do not dare to define. For I see that every creature is indeed made subject in hope, on account of him who subjected it, yet awaits the liberty in the redemption of the children of God, and without doubt looks for something more glorious and more sublime.

But that both my discourse and your understanding may be somewhat elevated and may conceive a certain approach toward perceiving the things we are speaking of, let us make use of some comparison. No one doubts that in the land of Judaea every place, every mountain, every city and village is designated by certain particular names; nor is there any place at all without a name, but each single one is designated by its own appellations—for example, those by which the Canaanites named them in their regions, or the Perizzites likewise in theirs, and the Amorites, or the Hivites, or even the Hebrews. So then, according to the opinion of Paul, by which he says that earthly things are a shadow and copy of heavenly ones, perhaps in the heavenly regions too there will be differences of places, and those not slight, distinguished namely by certain appellations and names, and marked with names not only of the quarters of heaven, but even of all the stars and constellations. For he who made the multitude of the stars, as the prophet says, "calls them all by their names." Concerning these names very many secret and hidden things are indeed contained in the little books which are called Enoch; but because these little books themselves do not seem to be held in authority among the Hebrews, let us for the present defer citing as an example what is there named, and let us instead pursue our investigation of these matters from those things which we have in hand, about which there can be no doubt. The land of Judaea, then, is described by the words of God in the divine law, and it is said that these things ought to be referred to the image of heavenly things; and that in the heavens there is a city Jerusalem is plainly declared by the Apostle, and Mount Zion. It is therefore consequent that, just as there are also other cities situated around the earthly Jerusalem, and villages and various regions, so also that heavenly Jerusalem, according to the image of earthly things, has around it both other cities and villages and various regions, in which the people of God and the true Israel is at some time to be settled through the true Jesus—of whom that Joshua son of Nun bore the image—and is to receive the inheritance by the distribution of the lot, that is, by the consideration of merits. If, then, the Lord now says in the distribution of the land, for example, that the boundaries of that tribe are these and of another are those, may it not perhaps be that, because the merits of those who are to obtain the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven will be diverse, therefore in these tribes too this distinction of boundaries is commanded to be carefully determined, so that we may know that these are differences of merits to be observed in each one? For example, one who has lived so negligently that on account of his faith indeed he deserves to be counted among the children of Israel, but on account of the negligence of his life and the sloth of his deeds ought to be reckoned in the tribe of Reuben, or Gad, or the half-tribe of Manasseh, and to receive the lot of his inheritance not within the Jordan, but outside it. But another, who by the amendment of his life and the conduct of his resolve has rendered himself such that, according to reasons which God alone knows, he ought to be reckoned either in the tribe of Judah or even in the tribe of Benjamin—in which Jerusalem itself and the temple of God and the altar stand—and one in this tribe and another in that. And in this way these things which are now recorded as written in the book of Numbers are a certain foreshadowing of the future lot in the heavens—of those, at least, who through Jesus our Lord and Savior will receive, as we have said, the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. There, I believe, will also be carefully observed those privileges of the priests which here are foreshadowed, for whom the places neighboring the cities and joined to the very walls are commanded to be set apart from the children of Israel. There, I believe, will also be those cities whose figure is here described, which he names cities of refuge, to which not all murderers may flee, but those who have committed manslaughter unknowingly. For there are perhaps some sins which, if we commit them by intention and will, make us murderers; and there are others which, if we commit them unknowingly, there is decreed for us, I believe, and prepared by the precept of God some place where we ought to dwell for a certain time—if we have committed sins that are not voluntary—provided nonetheless that we are found clean and free from those sins which have been committed by the will. And for this reason certain cities are set apart for refuge. It seems to some that the position and assemblage of each individual star may be called or held to be a city in heaven; which I for my part do not dare to define. For I see that every creature is indeed made subject in hope, on account of him who subjected it, yet awaits the liberty in the redemption of the children of God, and without doubt looks for something more glorious and more sublime.

If, then, as we have said, the law has a shadow of the good things to come, and those who serve in the law serve a copy and shadow of heavenly things, and now the contemplation of realities is had through a mirror and in an enigma, but then face to face—I believe also that, whereas we are now said to have our conversation in the heavens through an appearance and in an enigma, then, however, those who shall deserve it will have their conversation in the heavens face to face. If, then, by the logical consequence of things and the faith of the promises, we must be transferred from the earth to heaven, I think that in those very heavenly places our Lord Jesus establishes each one, not apart from the lot of his merits, in this or that part and dwelling of heaven. But just as there is much difference on earth—for example, to dwell in fertile and abundant places, rich in all good things, where there is no lack of a temperate climate and human learning and liberal institutions, and it is far otherwise to dwell either in barren places squalid with want of resources, or scorched by heat, or numb with cold and frost, or certainly where there are no laws, but monstrous and savage barbarism, where there is always war and never rest—and these things are assigned to each one not without a certain hidden dispensation of God and the justice of his judgment: so also in those places there will be something of the sort, so that in no respect at all may the shadow on earth of heavenly things be held empty. There will be, then, as we have said, there too some city of refuge, and there will be another in the desert—just as Bezer, in the inheritance of Reuben, is said to be a city in the desert.

The man who renounces the vices and rejects the way of life of his countrymen is in flight like Lot. Such a one does not look behind himself but enters that city which is above by the passageway of his thoughts, and he does not withdraw from it until the death of the chief priest who bore the sin of the world. He indeed died once, but he dies for each person who is baptized in Christ's death, that we may be buried together with him and rise with him and walk in the newness of his life.

What does it mean that the manslayer, absolved after the death of the high priest, returns to his own land, except that the human race, which by sinning brought death upon itself, after the death of the true priest, namely our Redeemer, is loosed from the bonds of its sins and restored to the possession of paradise?

What does it mean that a homicide returns for absolution after the death of the high priest, except that the human race, which brought death upon itself by sinning, receives absolution for its guilt after the death of the true priest, namely, our Redeemer?