Commentary on Matthew, Latin Series 42–45

But if, for the sake of those who wish and are able to ascend by the word to higher things, we ought to take up again from the beginning the words of the Gospel set before us, let us explain the same things again spiritually, as far as we can. And first let us take up the word about the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. For the reader must be attentive and understand, so as not to be led astray by the abomination of desolation. The intelligible holy place, then, is every utterance of the divine Scripture spoken by the holy prophets who have been from of old, Moses and the others after him; and not only so, but also the utterance of the evangelists or of the apostles of Jesus Christ. In this holy place of all the Scriptures, of the Old Testament as well as the New, the Antichrist, which is the false Word, has often stood, by the very fact that it seems to stand in the divine Scriptures, showing itself as though it were God, and as though it were Christ, God the Word; and it is the abomination of desolation. For one can often see in the ungodly argumentations of doctrines among the heretics this abomination of desolation, that is, Antichrist, the false word, an abomination that makes desolate from God every man who has received into himself this abomination opposed to the truth, exalting itself over every word outside it, which is announced as exalting itself even over every word of God that each man wishes to worship, whether truly or falsely. For each doctrine of the heretics is opposed not only to the truth but also to the other doctrines that are likewise false. And since it exalts itself so far as even to sit in the temple of the Scriptures, wishing by means of the temple itself, that is, by means of the Scriptures themselves, to show that it is truly God the Word, let the one who reads the divine Scriptures therefore always understand them, especially when he sees the abomination of desolation, in the sense we have given, standing in what we have explained as the holy place of the holy Scriptures. And one who has understood it will destroy, by the true tradition, that is, by the illumination of the coming of Christ, who is the truth, that word which seems to stand in the holy place, belonging to another; and understanding such an abomination of desolation, he will make it void and cast it out of the holy place in which it seems to stand. Above all Christ, the true light, who speaks in him, will destroy it. And this Christ, if he speaks in someone who is willing to hear and to be built up, is not weakened, but will slay with the breath of his mouth, through those who have shown themselves capable of him, every false word, which is the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place and sitting in the temple of God, which is Antichrist. This false word often not only stands but also sits in the temple, when it seems reasonable and well constructed. But let those who see this abomination of desolation, so that they can say of it, “For we are not ignorant of its wiles,” while they read and understand what is true, flee what is false and withdraw where falsehood will not be able to overtake them. And falsehood cannot overtake those who flee from Judaea, the letter, to the spiritual and intelligible things and the lofty mountains of truth. And so that we may understand “Let them flee to the mountains,” take an example said plainly about a praiseworthy flight, such as what the Apostle says, “Flee sexual immorality,” and what Wisdom says, “Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent”; or such as what Rebekah says in a mystery to Jacob: “Behold, Esau your brother threatens to kill you. Now therefore, my son, listen to my voice, and arise and flee to Laban my brother in Haran, and stay with him some days, until your brother's anger turns away.” And everyone, I think, who is a son of Jacob, doing the works of Jacob, understanding that every way hateful to God, which is Esau, flees as one who understands. But if he does not flee him who is immoral and defiled like Esau, but as one not fleeing Esau lives with him, he does not become a son of Jacob, who fled him. And Jacob himself, living with Laban to his own profit and that of the dispensation according to God, hid his heart, so as not to tell him that he was fleeing, and he fled, he and all that was his. It is good, then, to flee also from Laban, the counsellor of fleshly qualities, among which one who dwells must not remain but flee with all his house. For even if he wishes to pursue him, God will turn him away from those who flee him, so that, even if he overtakes him afterwards at some time, he can do no harm to him who confidently declares: “With whomever you find your gods, let him not live in the sight of our brothers; recognize what of yours is with me, and take it.” For nothing of Laban's things could be recognized with Jacob. In these words of the Gospel which we are now treating, then, it is commanded that those who recognize the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place should understand it while they read, so as to flee to the mountains. Whoever, then, is held in such a Judaea as we have described, that is, in the oldness of the letter, let him flee to the mountains of spiritual newness. And if someone is found to have gone up on the roof of the word and to stand on the top of its building, let him not come down from there on the pretext of taking something from his house and going away. For the one on the roof will need nothing, keeping himself from ever coming down from there. And if someone is in the field, whether the one in which treasure is hidden, as the Lord says in a certain parable, or such as was that full field to which his father, blessing Jacob, likened him, saying, “Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a full field which the Lord has blessed,” in which field, according to the spiritual blessings of the law, everyone who has lived according to the law is blessed, as Scripture says, “Blessed are you in the city, blessed are you in the field”: whoever, then, is in such a field of the whole planting which the heavenly Father has planted, let him not turn back. For not only is one who puts his hand to the plough and turns back not fit for the kingdom of God, but also one who is in the field we have described and turns back for the sake of things he ought to have forgotten will without doubt run into the abomination of desolation, that is, into the seduction of the lying word; and especially if he has stripped off his old garment, that is, the old man with his deeds, and turns back again to take his garment. We must therefore pay careful attention lest we wish to come down and take something of the things that are below and are in the house, or to seek again the garment left behind, leaving the field and turning back, when we ought to strive for what lies ahead and forget what lies behind, and not stand in any region of that place, but be saved on the mountain, so that we are not overtaken with those who were burned because they were overtaken in Sodom.

“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days.” That there are also souls that conceive offspring, the prophet made plain when he said: “From fear of you, Lord, we have conceived in the womb, and have been in labour, and have brought forth the spirit of your salvation which you have made upon the earth.” For as in pregnant women the seed is formed and shaped, so also in the soul that receives the word the conception of the word is gradually formed and shaped in it. And I think Paul says this to the Galatians: “My children, for whom I am again in labour until Christ is formed in you.” In the letter to Timothy the same writer says that the woman will be saved through the bearing of children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with chastity. And who is this woman but the soul that conceives the word of God and of truth, and gives birth to good works like Christ? It is unreasonable to think that the saying refers to bodily generation: “The woman was deceived and fell into transgression, but she will be saved through the bearing of children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with chastity.” Souls, then, that have newly received the word and are still pregnant, and have not yet borne fruit from what they hold intelligibly in the womb, cannot withstand the word that stands in the holy place opposing the truth, nor stand firm so as not to be led astray by its persuasions. Therefore, if at some time a soul with child, which has not yet borne fruit from the Word, sees the abomination of desolation, in the sense we have handed on, standing in the holy place, it runs into the woe of which the Lord speaks: “Woe to those who are pregnant.” For it will cast off what it conceived and be emptied of the hope that lies in the deeds of truth. And even if the word seems to have been formed and to have borne fruit, but has not been sufficiently nourished with foods that make it grow and become great, but has remained immature, it has become like one that sucks, and upon such offspring will come what comes upon those that suck. And if, as is written in many copies, “Woe to those who give suck,” it must be said that there are souls who are still being suckled, to whom the Apostle says: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able, and even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly.” And he says elsewhere: “You have become such as need milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child.” These, then, are the souls that, because of weakness and because they are easily led astray, cannot remain unmoved in the presence of the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place; for, led astray, they consent to it as to God. And one can see the churches of the heretics full of pregnant women, nursing mothers, and sucklings to be lamented. For mostly the souls that were pregnant, or nursing, or sucking in the Church have been led astray by the abomination of desolation; and, being led astray by that false word which stands in the holy place through the false tradition of perverse doctrines, they have received the woe of that abomination which the Lord pronounced: “Woe to those who have a child in the womb and to those who nurse.” Not at any time whatever, but “in those days” of the abomination of desolation of desolations. For everyone who hears the words of those who speak iniquity on high, and receives them in its days, becomes subject to the abomination of desolation.

“But pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath.” For there is, as we have said, a certain flight of men according to the precept of the Word, so that one who flees what ought to be fled is better than one who does not flee [and so commits such and greater faults by not fleeing], but makes himself subject to the evils that destroy the soul. That there is an appointed and praiseworthy flight the Apostle plainly teaches, saying: “Flee sexual immorality.” And he flees sexual immorality who avoids every occasion that excites and provokes to sexual immorality, and does not mix with young women, as far as he can, lest he be consumed by them; nor does he descend to the habits of such people, but turns himself wholly away from the incitements of such persons. One who wishes to flee sexual immorality should also hear what is said: “Do not keep company with a dancing woman, lest you be consumed in desire for her.” And he flees sexual immorality more abundantly who avoids, as far as he can, foods that inflame and arouse the seed, and does not use wine, if it can be done, until the more fervent age has passed. But if he uses it, let him use a little, according to the apostolic precept that says to Timothy: “No longer drink water, but use a little wine for your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” Why say more? He it is who flees sexual immorality, and always practises this praiseworthy flight, which does not allow one to flee from God. And he practises this flight who is ready to flee sexual immorality. And not only sexual immorality must be fled by us, but every sin. So Scripture rightly said: “Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent.” And often it is fitting to flee from the Antichrist, the word and the knowledge falsely so called, especially when a man is not yet so fit as to have in himself the Lord at work, who slays with the breath of his mouth the persuasions of lies; nor has he risen to such a height as to have in himself him who destroys by the brightness of his coming every persuasion that has the semblance of truth and likens itself to the truth. But one who flees must also know the place to which he must flee, and pray about the time as well, so as not to flee at a time that is hostile to flight. The places, then, for those who flee will be the mountains, which Christ points out, saying: “Then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains.” And let those who flee to these mountains say the psalm of ascents which runs: “I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come.” And he lifts up his eyes to the mountains because he knows the abundance that is in those mountains; therefore it says: “Its foundations are on the holy mountains.” And if he flees to the mountains which the Lord commanded, he will come to the holy place, in which, coming to see that great sight, he will say what was said: “I will turn aside and see this great sight.” And one who is such will hear: “Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.” Let those, then, who flee according to God's command flee to the mountains. Since souls in tranquillity can obtain the flight of salvation, but when winter overtakes them they run into those they are fleeing, let them pray that their flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath, if Christ is awake in them. But if he has fallen asleep, then the storm of wind coming down on the lake will come down also on the one fleeing, because Jesus is not … fleeing with him, showing him the flight of the best way. Yet if a storm does come down at some time and bring on winter, let one pray and rouse Christ by his prayers to command the wind and the sea, so that when calm has come he may flee again, so as not to be overtaken by sexual immorality, or greed, or vainglory, or any evil pursuing him, or by the abomination of desolation itself, that is, false doctrine.

“Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath.” God made the works of the world in six days and rested on the sabbath. He rested from the works of the world which he began to make; but the works of righteousness he always works without beginning and will work without end. And so, before Christ's coming, the whole human race worked all the works of the world, and no one rested from them, while they continually kept sabbath from good works. But our Lord, our sabbath and our rest, coming, brought us the rest of his sabbath; so that, as he rested on the sabbath from the works of the world but did not rest from the works of righteousness, so we too through him may keep sabbath from worldly, fleshly, and harmful works, but always practise the works of righteousness. That he himself was to bring us such a sabbath, in which we do no servile work, he himself testifies through the Prophet, saying of the unworthy Jews: “As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.” And again Lamech, giving the name Noah to his son in a mystery of Christ, said of him: “And he called his name Noah, saying, This one will give us rest from our sorrows, and from the works of our hands, and from the earth which the Lord has cursed.” Everyone, then, who lives in Christ always lives in the sabbath and in rest, resting from evil works, but working the works of righteousness without ceasing. But many who have the name of Christ and not his grace, on the contrary, keep sabbath from good works and work evil works. And middling people sometimes let go the sabbath-rest from evil works and keep sabbath from good works, doing not good but evil. And some keep sabbath from evil works but do not practise good works, when one ought not only to flee evil things but also to practise good. In such a sabbath of good works, then, when a Christian man does no good works, Christ commands us to pray that our flight may not be in it. For when you cease from good works, if you stand before the face of the abomination and submit yourself to it of your own accord, you have died willingly by the sword of the lying word. And if you wish to flee and the abomination of desolation pursues you, it will either break you with its persecutions, because your good works do not work the power of patience in you, or take you with its seductions, because your good works do not work the light of understanding in you. For no one in such a danger of false doctrine is easily overcome and deceived except because he is stripped of good works. That is why the Apostle too says of this danger: “Because they did not receive the love of the truth, he will send them the working of error, that they may believe the lie, so that those men may be judged who did not believe the truth but consented to iniquity.” And when we see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, we shall also see the great tribulation at hand, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until then, nor will be afterwards. For what greater tribulation is there than to see our brothers led astray, on account of the holy place, by the abomination of desolation standing in it? And if the bodily death of a friend or neighbour works great tribulation for one who has not prepared himself to bear it, what tribulation do you think there is for one who suffers with them when one member suffers, and for one who sees when some brother is caused to stumble? And if someone sees himself moved and troubled by the abomination of desolation, as though it were not the abomination of desolation, and sees himself in danger because of the love he has for the holy place, so that he almost consents to that abomination as though it were God, and gives himself up to the abomination as to God, how great do you think is the tribulation that afflicts him, such as he has not had from the beginning, from when he came into the world until that time? Nor will any other such tribulation ever be able to overtake him, especially if someone is drawn to think that the abomination standing in the holy place is not the abomination of desolation but God the Word. And further, if someone plainly sees the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place and yet follows it, taking an excuse for himself from the divine Scriptures: as though it were indifferent and permitted to deny Christianity, saying that denial is not denial; and if he has thought that foods sacrificed to idols do no harm to the one who eats, bringing forward examples from the Scriptures; and that it is indifferent and permitted to have intercourse with different women at one and the same time, as though the fathers too once did these things: greater than all these sins is the abomination of desolation, that is, the word that takes its stand in the place of the holy Scriptures, speaking iniquity on high and persuading people to depart from the Creator, who alone is the true God, and to believe in some other god, I know not what, above him, to whom none is like; whereas our Saviour himself says, “The Father who sent me is greater than I.” Great tribulation, then, is born from the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, so that such things are said of it: “And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” So much, and so great, is the tribulation in that abomination of desolation, that God works a shortening of the days of that tribulation, cutting off from them the excess that is added by the tribulation and abomination of desolation. For otherwise it is not possible for all flesh that is to be saved to be healed, unless it receives a shortening from God. For the days are understood as the precepts and doctrines of truth set in the Scriptures for the illumination of the understanding of souls. And all the understandings coming from knowledge falsely so called, which are added to the words of the Scriptures and joined to them, understand to be additions beyond the natural length of the days of Scripture; which addition the good God shortens through whom he wills. And as often as you see the heights that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God cut down in your mind by the coming of the word of truth, so often understand that the days of tribulation have been shortened and their superfluous length cut away, which the abomination of desolation, against nature, always adds to the days of the Lord which are in the Scriptures. And for the sake of the elect those days are shortened, so that, seeing in their mind the cutting off of the superfluity of the days, and that only the light remains which is according to the word of truth, they may suffer nothing from the abomination of desolation, or from what had been added beyond the true and natural days of the Scriptures.