Psalm 82 and Rev. 21: A (Medieval) French Connection

A couple years ago, I was privileged to have been published in this wonderful volume Transformed into the Same Image: Constructive Investigations into the Doctrine of Deification by Paul Copan and Michael M.C. Reardon, eds. (here's an excellent review from J. David Moser). To buy the book, click the title above.

In that contribution, which was called "Deification and the Eschatological City: Exegetical and Theological Connections in Early Christian Thought," I noted how often the heavenly Jerusalem (esp. that of Revelation 21) occurs in the early Christian literature in conjunction with Psa. 82, where God addresses his divine assembly thus: "You are gods, and sons of the Most High." This, I pointed out, displays how early Christian authors (and their readers an hearers) conceived of the New Jerusalem as a "city of Gods" (the title of my own book by the same name).

So today, I found a late medieval French manuscript, kept at the Bodleian Library, which makes the exact same connection between Rev. 21 and Psa. 82. The text is called Livre de la Vigne nostre Seigneur--The Book of the Vine of our Lord, and it's shelfmark is Bodleian Library MS. Douce 134. You can view it, including it's amazing artwork, for yourself in its high-res entirety here (it's beautiful!).

But before I get to the main quote, I'll lead up to it. 

When talking about the attributes of those who will inhabit Paradise, which the anonymous authors considers to be coextensive with the New Jerusalem, he underscores that one of the main attributes will be conformity to God and similarity with him:

"[T]hey will have some similarity with God as the Holy Scripture says in several places. I John III We know, that when  he shall appear, we shall be like to him. Also I Corinthians XV Such as is the heavenly, such also are they that are heavenly. Also Romans VIII He predestinated those to be made conformable to the  image of his Son.15 Also II Corinthians III We are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.16  These authorities hold that the saints will have some similarity with God because God who allowed them to be sons of God will give them some conformity to his semblance." (folio 141r)

So we know that this author is trading in the typical medieval (and patristic) ideas of likeness to God in the age to come. 

However, the author, two points earlier, notes what I think is an even more striking characteristic of the saints: they are the "sons of God through the grace of adoption." Here's how the author describes this adoption and its meaning:

"Thirdly, they all will be sons of God through the grace of adoption because God will hold them dear as his own sons and about that there are several authorities in the Holy Scripture. Psalm I  have said: You are gods, and all of you the sons of the most High [Psa. 82]. Also John I He gave to them [141r] power to be made the sons of  God.8 Also I John III Now we are sons of God. O what great honor  and great dignity it is that the sons of man have reached such honor and dignity that they are all sons of God, sons of the King of glory, O incomparable honor." (folios 140v-141r)

Here's some images of the manuscript itself, where, among other things, you can see the author writing in French and quoting Scripture in Latin: 

Bodleian Library MS. Douce 134, 140v

Bodleian Library MS. Douce 134, 141r

Who are the adopted sons of God? Who are the inhabitants of the paradisal New Jerusalem? They are nothing less than what these authors identifies in the language of Scripture: they are gods.

The gods around the throne of God in the New Jerusalem (Bodleian Library MS. Douce 134, 144v-145r)

If you ever wondered why I named my book City of Gods, maybe now it's making more sense.