Phinehas types Christ; holy vessels angels; trumpets the Word

of them in their dwellings, and their folds they burned in fire, and they took all their plunder; and all their spoils from human until beast, and they led toward Moses and toward Eleazar the priest, and toward all the sons of Israel the captivity and the spoils and the plunder into the camp into Araboth Moab, which is upon the Jordan opposite Jericho. And Moses went out and Eleazar the priest, and all the rulers of the synagogue unto a meeting with them outside the camp, and Moses was angry at the overseers of the power—chiliarchs and centurions coming from the array of the war; and Moses said to them: Why have you taken every female alive? for these were for the sons of Israel according to Balaam’s word, to apostatize and overlook the Lord’s word, because of Peor; and the blow came to be in the Lord’s synagogue; now kill every male, in every outfit, and every woman who has known a male’s bed, kill; and every outfit of the women who has not known a male’s bed, take them alive.’ These things God having oracled, chosen young men were being brought together toward the war’s need; and from every tribe was flowing together what is most enduring of hardship and most proven, so that what is approved from each might become a boast of the whole, and the part’s brightness might go unto the whole fullness, according at least to what has been said wisely by Paul: ‘For if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; if one member is glorified, all the members rejoice together.’

Palladius: You think rightly.

Cyril: The most strong multitude of the chosen was therefore campaigning against the Midianites, Phinehas the priest being with them, and the holy vessels, and indeed also trumpets, of the so-called signals. For Christ, our great high priest, is always fellow-armed and fellow-stander for those playing the man; and angels also contend together, being hinted as in the holy vessels. For holy and liturgical vessels are the rational spirits in heaven; for they have been ordered by God toward our help. And the trumpets of the signals are present no less—that is, the words of those who speak God—signaling very well in what manner one must play the man against the enemies, or rather the passions being in us. Therefore a sketch of Christ is the priest—that is, Phinehas; of angels, the holy vessels; and of those who have cried through to us the divine word, the trumpets of the signals. For thus without toil we will prevail over those who have stood against in Christ, saying what is sung in Psalms: ‘In you we will gore our enemies, and in your name we will set at naught those who rise up upon us.’ Which also those from Israel have done; for having ravaged every Midianite city and country, they were being carried toward Eleazar the priest, and toward every synagogue of sons of Israel the captivity; for as it were sacred offerings to Christ the of-all