Isaiah 29:11

And that the things spoken of old by the law and the prophets were all sealed, and that they were unknown to people, Isaiah declares when he says, “And they will deliver the book that is sealed to one that is learned, and will say to him, ‘Read this;’ and he will say, ‘I cannot read it, for it is sealed.’ ” It was right and necessary that the things spoken of old by the prophets should be sealed to the unbelieving Pharisees, who thought that they understood the letter of the law, and be opened to the believing. The things, therefore, which of old were sealed, are now by the grace of God the Lord all open to the saints.

And clearly, if we hear negligently, if we bring no zeal to learning and understanding, not only are the Scriptures of the law and prophets but also of the apostles and Gospels covered for us with a great veil. I fear, however, lest by too much negligence and dullness of heart the divine volumes are not only veiled to us but also sealed, so that “if a book should be put into the hand of a man who cannot read to be read, he would say, ‘I cannot read’; if it should be put into the hands of a man who can read, he would say, ‘It is sealed.’ ” Whence it is shown that we must not only employ zeal to learn the sacred literature, but we must also pray to the Lord and entreat “day and night” that the Lamb “of the tribe of Judah” may come and himself taking “the sealed book” may deign to open it. For it is he who “opening the Scriptures” kindles the hearts of the disciples so that they say, “Was not our heart burning within us when he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Isaiah [prophesied] that the Jews would not understand the holy Scriptures, but that they would become intelligible in the last times, after Christ had come: “And all these words shall be to you as the words of a book that is sealed, which, if you shall give to a man that knows letters to read, he shall say, I cannot read, for it is sealed.… But in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and they who are in darkness and in a cloud; the eyes of the blind shall see.”

For our Lord Jesus Christ did not come as it were to seal up the visions of the prophets. He rather opened and explained those that were of old obscure and sealed, tearing away so to say the seals impressed on them, and taught his disciples the meaning of the Holy Scriptures. Hence he says, “Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed, and he has opened the seals that were set on the book,” in John’s Apocalypse. What are these seals but the obscurities of the prophets? Isaiah knew them well and definitely says too: “And these words shall be as the words of the sealed book.” The Christ of God did not come then to shut up the vision and the prophet but rather to open them and bring them to the light.

[Daniel 12:4] "But Thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time appointed. Many shall pass over, and knowledge shall be manifold." He who had revealed manifold truth to Daniel now signifies that the things he has said are matters of secrecy, and he orders him to roll up the scroll containing his words and set a seal upon the book, with the result that many shall read it and inquire as to its fulfilment in history, differing in their opinions because of its great obscurity. And as for the statement, "Many shall pass over" or "go through," this indicates that it will be read by many people. For it is a familiar expression to say: "I have gone through a book," or, "I have passed through an historical account." Indeed this is the idea which Isaiah also expressed in regard to the obscurity of his own book: "And the sayings of that book shall be like the words of a book that is sealed. And if they shall give it to an illiterate man, saying, 'Read it,' he will reply, 'I do not know how to read.' But if they give it to a man who does know how to read and say, 'Read the book,' he will reply, 'I cannot read it, because it is sealed up'" (Isaiah 29:11-12). Also in the Revelation of John, there is a book seen which is sealed with seven seals inside and outside. And when no one proves able to break its seals, John says, "I wept sore; and a voice came to me, saying, 'Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and break its seals'" (Revelation 5:1-5). But that book can be opened by one who has learned the mysteries of Scripture and understands its hidden truths, and its words which seem dark because of the greatness of the secrets they contain. He it is who can interpret the parables and transmute the letter which killeth into the spirit which quickeneth.

What is the gate that is always closed, through which only the Lord God of Israel enters? Surely it is that about which the Savior spoke in the Gospel: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, woe to you teachers of the law, woe to you who hold the key of knowledge. You do not enter yourselves, and you prevent those who would from entering.” Isaiah wrote about the same thing, using the metaphor of a book: “The words of this book are like sealed words; when you give them to a man who cannot read and tell him to read, he will respond: ‘I don’t know how to read.’ And they will give it to a man who is able to read and tell him to read and he will say: ‘I cannot read because it is sealed.’ ” This is the same book whose seal no one can break and open either in heaven or on earth or under the earth, except the one about whom John said in the Apocalypse: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root and race of David, has conquered so that he can open the book and break its seal.” Before the Savior assumed a human body and humbled himself, taking the form of a servant, the law was closed, the prophets were closed, all knowledge of the Scriptures was closed, and paradise was closed. After he had hung on the cross, however, and said to the thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” immediately the veil of the temple was cut and everything was opened. And once the veil has been removed, we will say, “But we all contemplate the glory of the Lord with unveiled face and are being transformed into his very image from glory to glory.”

(Verse 9 and following) Be astonished and amazed: fluctuate and waver, become drunk, not with wine, be moved, not with intoxication. For the Lord has mixed into you the spirit of deep sleep: he will close your eyes, your prophets and leaders who see visions he will cover. And the vision of all will be like the words of a sealed book, which when they give to one who knows letters, they will say: read this, and he will answer, I cannot, for it is sealed. And a book will be given to one who knows not letters, and it shall be said to him, read; and he shall answer, I know not letters. For the spirit of sleep, LXX, is interpreted as compunction: Theodotius, the passing away of the mind: Aquila, καταφορὰν, that is, a heavy sleep; which in Hebrew is called Thardema (), which Scripture commemorates as sent by God to Adam (Gen. II), when woman was made from the rib of his side. And Jonah snored in the same sleep on the ship (Jon. I). But all prophecy after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, that is, Ariel, is against the scribes and Pharisees, who, possessing the key of knowledge, do not enter themselves, nor do they allow others to enter. And it is commanded to them, that they should be amazed and astonished, rather according to the septuagint dissolution of the whole body and the excess of the mind, and that they should be moved and fluctuate: staggering not from wine or from strong drink, but from the spirit of sleep or of the Lord's compunction, so that understanding their evil, they may at some point repent, and say with the prophet: I am troubled in my weakness, while the thorn is being fastened to me (Ps. XXXI, 4). Therefore, know this, O scribes and Pharisees, who are the leaders of the Jews, that the Lord will render to you your recompense. For you, who have heard the Lord Savior, did not want to understand, and you closed your eyes so that you would not see him, and you weighed down your ears so that you would not hear. Therefore, he will also close your eyes, you who are the prophets through whom you saw the knowledge of God. Or he will close the eyes of your prophets, who are your leaders. For as the Law and the Prophets testified until John, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind, as it is written: They will hear the words of the book, even the deaf will hear, and the blind will see and rejoice. For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind, that is to say, the people of the nations who were blind, may see and contemplate the Lord. Therefore, it is significant that he did not say that the vision of all the prophets is sealed to all readers, but to you he says, it will be sealed to those to whom I am now speaking, to whom I am foretelling these things that are to come: or He will forever shut the eyes of your leaders, who boasted of being able to see the hidden and secret things according to the Septuagint. And he said to them, 'All the holy Scripture will be closed and sealed to you, so that you, who consider yourselves knowledgeable in the letters of the Law and the prophecies of the prophets, and who constantly meditate on the volumes of Scripture day and night with tireless mouths, may not understand what you read, as it is written in the Book of Revelation of John: 'Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?' (Rev. 5:2) And when no one was found worthy to open the seals, he says that he wept; and that he deserved to hear the word of God: 'Do not weep; behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he may open the book and break its seals.' But the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ, is he who unseals the seals of the book, not properly of one, as many suppose, of the Psalms of David, but of all the Scriptures, which are one Scripture of the Holy Spirit; and for that reason they are called one book. Concerning which Ezekiel testifies in mystical discourse (Ezek. II), that it was written within and without; in meaning and in letter. Concerning which also the Savior speaks in the Psalms: In the chapter of the book it is written of me (Ps. XXXIX, 9); not of Jeremiah, not of Isaiah, but in all the holy Scripture, which is called one book. Therefore, the Jewish leaders, up to the present day, being unable to read and open the seals, and to reveal the mysteries of the Scriptures, if you were to give them a book to the unlearned people who are devoured by their own teachers, they would admit to not knowing letters and therefore being unable to read. And out of the two evils, it is much lighter to confess ignorance of the law than to boast of prudence and not be able to understand what is said.

In the Apocalypse a book is shown sealed with seven seals, which if you deliver to one that is learned saying, “Read this,” he will answer you, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” How many there are today who fancy themselves learned, yet the Scriptures are a sealed book to them, and one which they cannot open save through him who has the key of David, “he that opens and no man shuts; and shuts and no man opens.” In the Acts of the Apostles the holy eunuch when reading Isaiah is asked by Philip, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man answered, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” To digress for a moment to myself, I am neither holier nor more diligent than this eunuch, who came from Ethiopia … and was so great a lover of the law and of divine knowledge that he read the holy Scriptures even in his chariot. Yet although he had the book in his hand and took into his mind the words of the Lord, no, even had them on his tongue and uttered them with his lips, he still did not know him, who—not knowing—he worshiped in the book. Then Philip came and showed him Jesus, who was concealed beneath the letter. Wondrous excellence of the teacher! In the same hour the eunuch believed and was baptized; he became one of the faithful and a saint. He was no longer a pupil but a master; and he found more in the church’s font there in the wilderness than he had ever done in the gilded temple of the synagogue. These instances have been just touched upon by me (the limits of a letter forbid a more discursive treatment of them) to convince you that in the Holy Scriptures you can make no progress unless you have a guide to show you the way.

This is also why Isaiah would say to the Jews: “Behold, all of these words will be to you like the words of a sealed book.” The skilled reader and the illiterate are equally said to be deprived of fruit, since one is prevented by the seal from penetrating what lies hidden within and the other is shackled by ignorance.