The Virgin Mary in the Doctrine of the Church (4)
The Bush – The Censer – Aaron’s Rod – The Two Tablets of the Covenant – The Pot of Manna – The Ark of the Covenant – The Gate of Ezekiel – The Good Dove – The Second Heaven – The City of God – The Tabernacle of Meeting – The Cloud of Isaiah
The Virgin, in her bearing of the Lord, was likened to several symbols, including:
The Bush (Exodus 3)
Just as the fire burned within it yet it was not consumed, so was the Virgin: within her was the flame of Divinity, and her human nature was able to endure it.
The Golden Censer (Thurible)
The coal united with fire inside the censer represents the humanity of Christ united with His divinity. The censer itself represents the Virgin’s womb, which bore within it the Divinity united with humanity. Its being made of gold symbolizes the Virgin’s purity and greatness.
Aaron’s Rod that Budded (Numbers 17)
As this rod blossomed and brought forth life without any planting by man and by a miracle, so the Virgin, being ever-virgin and without human seed, bore God the Word, in Whom is life, through the Holy Spirit, by a miracle.
The Two Tablets of the Law
Just as these two tablets bore the Word of God, so the Virgin bore God the Word.
The Pot of Manna
Christ likened Himself to manna, the living bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats of it lives by it (John 6). If Christ is compared to the manna, then the Virgin is compared to the pot that contained it.
The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25)
It contained the pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, and the two tablets of the law. Thus it resembles the Virgin, who contained within her Christ, symbolized by the manna, the budding rod, and the Word of God on the tablets. As the Ark was made of incorruptible acacia wood, so the Virgin was incorrupt in her purity. The gold that covered the Ark inside and out symbolizes the Virgin’s purity and greatness, both inwardly and outwardly before people.
The Gate of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 44:2)
The prophet Ezekiel saw a closed gate facing east, and he was told: “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut” (Ezek. 44:2). This clearly signifies the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary.
The Virgin as the Dwelling Place of God:
The Second Heaven
Heaven is the dwelling place of God. Since God dwelt in the Virgin, she is therefore called “the second heaven.”
The City of God
The Virgin, being the dwelling place of God, is called Jerusalem, or Zion, or the City of God. The Psalmist says: “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God… And of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her forever’” (Psalm 87).
The Tabernacle of Meeting (Moses’ Tent)
In the Tabernacle, the Lord dwelt; and in the Virgin, the Lord also dwelt. In both, God showed His love for His people.
The Cloud of Isaiah (Isaiah 19:1)
The prophet Isaiah said: “The burden against Egypt: Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and will come into Egypt; the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt within it.” The Lord indeed came to Egypt, carried by the Virgin upon her shoulders, and she was the cloud of which Isaiah spoke. Everywhere the Lord entered in Egypt, idols fell and were broken, and the people trembled, just as the prophecy said.
Other Titles…
The Good Dove
She is likened to the dove in her simplicity and in the descent of the Holy Spirit upon her, Who appeared in the form of a dove. She is also likened to Noah’s dove, which brought him the good news of salvation and the return of life to the earth. Likewise, the Virgin bore the good news of salvation, and with her giving birth to Christ the Redeemer, the return of life began after humanity’s death through sin.
In the previous issue, we spoke about another title of the Virgin: The True Vine.
Other titles will be discussed in upcoming issues, God willing.
Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine – Year Ten – Issue Twenty-Four, June 15, 1979.
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