Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be you lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
7. "Take away your gates, ye princes" (ver. 7). All ye, that seek rule among men, remove, that they hinder not, the entrances which ye have made, of desire and fear. "And be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates." And be ye lift up, ye entrances of eternal life, of renunciation of the world, and conversion to God. "And the King of glory shall come in." And the King, in whom we may glory without pride, shall come in: who having overcome the gates of death, and having opened for Himself the heavenly places, fulfilled that which He said, "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world."
Princes; or, "lift up your chief or highest gates: "portas principes. Hebrew, "gates, lift up your heads. "Here the gates themselves are addressed, while the Septuagint and Vulgate turn the discourse to the porters or princes. (Berthier)
The tops of the gates must be raised, to let the triumphal car pass through, Isaias vi. 4., and Amos viii. 3., and ix. 1. The Church has constantly understood this passage of Christ's ascension. The saints in his train address the angels, who appear to be filled with astonishment. (Theodoret; Eusebius) (Calmet)
The gates of heaven are more properly styled eternal, than those of the temple, which were not yet erected; or of Jerusalem, which should be (Berthier) soon demolished. (Haydock)
This apostrophe to the gates is very striking, commanding them to allow more room for the crowd to pass in the train of the conqueror, who was usually seated on a lofty chariot. (Calmet)
The prophet contemplating the ascension of Christ, inviteth the angels to recei...
