Wisdom 18:14

It says that at midnight, almighty God made his word descend from heaven, from the royal throne, like a ruthless champion in the middle of the land of slaughter, to powerfully carry out the judgment of death on the godless. What is the word of the Lord if not the Son of God, of whom John says, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God," through whom everything was made? Elsewhere he is called the arm of God, as Isaiah says, "To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" He is also called the right hand of the Lord, in that he is the power that brings into effect the divine power. It must be understood, then, that this word, in virtue of the evangelical ministry, carried out at that time the judgment on the firstborn of the Egyptians and then consecrated the firstborn of the Israelites to himself. He now saves the multitude of believers through the waters of baptism, at the same time destroying the huge army of spiritual enemies.

The Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn. 1:1), through whom all things were made, who elsewhere is also called the arm of the Lord, as Isaiah says: And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? (Isa. 53:1) The same is also called the right hand of the Lord because of the effective power of divine might. Therefore, the Word himself is to be understood as then executing judgment on the firstborn of the Egyptians through the ministry of the Gospel, who afterwards will sanctify for himself the firstborn of the Israelites, and now through the water of his baptism saves the multitude of believers, where he also destroyed the innumerable army of spiritual enemies. For it is said that the Lord's command carried a sharp sword; because the Word of the Lord is living and effective and more penetrating than any two-edged sword. In truth and without any deception, he judges and arranges all things; standing on earth, he reaches up to the heavens: for although incarnate he lived among men on earth, yet by his majesty he transcended all the heavenly realms.

The day of the repose of sabbath, the time of the intermediate repose, and the time of final repose: The time of the intermediate repose occurred when the prophets ceased to write. "For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent, Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded," etc. Then there was the silence of the prophets, intermediate between the first and the last. There was also repose, for at that time the whole world was in complete peace: for then, and twelve years hence, the Temple of Peace in Rome was closed until the coming of Christ. That temple was always open in times of war and closed in times of peace. The doors even became rusted. Then also the Emperor commanded that a census be taken of the whole world, and God placed this very thought in the heart of a pagan, in order that the Virgin would travel to Bethlehem, and once there, that she would give birth in the inn. And very often he insisted that such things and others of the same kind were not placed in Scriptures as a result of chance or fortune, but for a very high reason and as a very high mystery, and that anyone who failed to consider them understood nothing. There was also "night in its swift course," for that was the high point of idolatry.

I well said: Then when first there was the destruction: for, in the sense of because: when quiet silence held all things: silence, namely of the night, which was given for resting, just as the day for working: whence First Thessalonians five: "Those who sleep, sleep at night." And the night in its course had reached its midpoint, that is, when it was the middle of the night: whence Exodus twelve: "And it came to pass in the middle of the night"; and this on account of their lack of foresight.

Allegorically however, the coming of Christ in the flesh is described here, who is called the almighty word of God through eternal generation, according to that passage in John 1: "In the beginning was the Word"; but is said to have come from heaven, from the royal thrones, through the temporal assumption of flesh: in the Psalm: "His going forth is from the highest heaven"; in the silence of midnight, on account of the opportuneness of the time: Galatians 4: "But when the fullness of time came," etc. The first silence was under the law of nature, and this on account of ignorance of infirmity; the second, under the law of Moses, and this on account of despair of healing; the third, under the law of grace, and this on account of the attainment of salvation. As a fierce warrior etc., namely on account of the vanquishing of demons; Luke 11: "When a strong man armed guards his court, all things that he possesses are in peace; but if a stronger one than he comes upon him," etc. Into the midst of the land of destruction, that is, into the midst of the world, on account of the position of the land in which he was born: in the Psalm: "He has worked salvation in the midst of the earth." He carried the dominion of God with him, on account of his Divinity co-omnipotent with the Father: John 1: "And the Word was God," namely, of whom he afterwards adds: "And the Word was made flesh"; likewise the last chapter of Matthew: "All power is given to me," etc. He filled all things with death, on account of the consummation of all things in his death, according to that passage in John 19: "It is consummated." Standing on earth, he touched heaven, because his soul in the state of a wayfarer had continual enjoyment of God; John 3: "No one has ascended into heaven, except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven."