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Objection 1: It would seem that the brightness of the heavenly
bodies will not be increased at this renewal. For this renewal as
regards the lower bodies will be caused by the cleansing fire. But the
cleansing fire will not reach the heavenly bodies. Therefore the
heavenly bodies will not be renewed by receiving an increase of
brightness.
Objection 2: Further, just as the heavenly bodies are the cause of
generation in this lower world by their movement, so are they by their
light. But, when generation ceases, movement will cease as stated
above (Article 2). Therefore in like manner the light of the
heavenly bodies will cease rather than increase.
Objection 3: Further, if the heavenly bodies will be renewed when
man is renewed, it follows that when man deteriorated they deteriorated
likewise. But this does not seem probable, since these bodies are
unalterable as to their substance. Therefore neither will they be
renewed when man is renewed.
Objection 4: Further, if they deteriorated then it follows that
their deterioration was on a par with the amelioration which, it is
said, will accrue to them at man's renewal. Now it is written
(Is. 30:26) that "the light of the moon shall be as the light
of the sun." Therefore in the original state before sin the moon
shone as much as the sun does now. Therefore whenever the moon was
over the earth, it made it to be day as the sun does now: which is
proved manifestly to be false from the statement of Gn. 1:16 that
the moon was made "to rule the night." Therefore when man sinned the
heavenly bodies were not deprived of their light; and so their light
will not be increased, so it seems, when man is glorified.
Objection 5: Further, the brightness of the heavenly bodies, like
other creatures, is directed to the use of man. Now, after the
resurrection, the brightness of the sun will be of no use to man: for
it is written (Is. 60:19): "Thou shalt no more have the sun
for thy light by day, neither shall the brightness of the moon
enlighten thee," and (Apoc. 21:23): "The city hath no need
of the sun, nor of the moon to shine in it." Therefore their
brightness will not be increased.
Objection 6: Further, it were not a wise craftsman who would make
very great instruments for the making of a small work. Now man is a
very small thing in comparison with the heavenly bodies, which by their
huge bulk surpass the size of man almost beyond comparison: in fact the
size of the whole earth in comparison with the heaven is as a point
compared with a sphere, as astronomers say. Since then God is most
wise it would seem that man is not the end of the creation of the
heavens, and so it is unseemly that the heaven should deteriorate when
he sinned, or that it should be bettered when he is glorified.
On the contrary, It is written (Is. 30:26): "The light of
the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun
shall be sevenfold."
Further, the whole world will be renewed for the better. But the
heaven is the more noble part of the corporeal world. Therefore it
will be altered for the better. But this cannot be unless it shine out
with greater brightness. Therefore its brightness will be bettered and
will increase.
Further, "every creature that groaneth and travaileth in pain,
awaiteth the revelation of the glory of the children of God" (Rm.
8:21,22). Now such are the heavenly bodies, as a gloss says
on the same passage. Therefore they await the glory of the saints.
But they would not await it unless they were to gain something by it.
Therefore their brightness will increase thereby, since it is their
chief beauty.
I answer that, The renewal of the world is directed to the end that,
after this renewal has taken place, God may become visible to man by
signs so manifest as to be perceived as it were by his senses. Now
creatures lead to the knowledge of God chiefly by their comeliness and
beauty, which show forth the wisdom of their Maker and Governor;
wherefore it is written (Wis. 13:5): "By the greatness of the
beauty and of the creature, the Creator of them may be seen, so as to
be known thereby." And the beauty of the heavenly bodies consists
chiefly in light; wherefore it is written (Ecclus. 43:10):
"The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven, the Lord
enlighteneth the world on high." Hence the heavenly bodies will be
bettered, especially as regards their brightness. But to what degree
and in what way this betterment will take place is known to Him alone
Who will bring it about.
Reply to Objection 1: The cleansing fire will not cause the form of
the renewal, but will only dispose thereto, by cleansing from the
vileness of sin and the impurity resulting from the mingling of bodies,
and this is not to be found in the heavenly bodies. Hence although the
heavenly bodies are not to be cleansed by fire, they are nevertheless
to be Divinely renewed.
Reply to Objection 2: Movement does not denote perfection in the
thing moved, considered in itself, since movement is the act of that
which is imperfect: although it may pertain to the perfection of a body
in so far as the latter is the cause of something. But light belongs
to the perfection of a lightsome body, even considered in its
substance: and consequently after the heavenly body has ceased to be
the cause of generation, its brightness will remain, while its
movement will cease.
Reply to Objection 3: A gloss on Is. 30:26, "The light of
the moon shall be as the light of the sun," says: "All things made
for man's sake deteriorated at his fall, and sun and moon diminished
in light." This diminishment is understood by some to mean a real
lessening of light. Nor does it matter that the heavenly bodies are by
nature unalterable, because this alteration was brought about by the
Divine power. Others, however, with greater probability, take this
diminishment to mean, not a real lessening of light, but a lessening
in reference to man's use; because after sin man did not receive as
much benefit from the light of the heavenly bodies as before. In the
same sense we read (Gn. 3:17,18): "Cursed is the earth in
thy work . . . Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee";
although it would have brought forth thorns and thistles before sin,
but not as a punishment to man. Nor does it follow that, supposing
the light of the heavenly bodies not to have been lessened essentially
through man sinning, it will not really be increased at man's
glorification, because man's sin wrought no change upon the state of
the universe, since both before and after sin man had an animal life,
which needs the movement and generation of a corporeal creature;
whereas man's glorification will bring a change upon the state of all
corporeal creatures, as stated above (Question 76, Article 7).
Hence there is no comparison.
Reply to Objection 4: This diminution, according to the more
probable opinion, refers not to the substance but to the effect.
Hence it does not follow that the moon while over the earth would have
made it to be day, but that man would have derived as much benefit from
the light of the moon then as now from the light of the sun. After the
resurrection, however, when the light of the moon will be increased in
very truth, there will be night nowhere on earth but only in the center
of the earth, where hell will be, because then, as stated, the moon
will shine as brightly as the sun does now; the sun seven times as much
as now, and the bodies of the blessed seven times more than the sun,
although there be no authority or reason to prove this.
Reply to Objection 5: A thing may be useful to man in two ways.
First, by reason of necessity, and thus no creature will be useful to
man because he will have complete sufficiency from God. This is
signified (Apoc. 21:23) by the words quoted, according to
which that "city hath no need of the sun," nor "of the moon."
Secondly, on account of a greater perfection, and thus man will make
use of other creatures, yet not as needful to him in order to obtain
his end, in which way he makes use of them now.
Reply to Objection 6: This is the argument of Rabbi Moses who
endeavors to prove (Dux errantium iii) that the world was by no means
made for man's use. Wherefore he maintains that what we read in the
Old Testament about the renewal of the world, as instanced by the
quotations from Isaias, is said metaphorically: and that even as the
sun is said to be darkened in reference to a person when he encounters a
great sorrow so as not to know what to do (which way of speaking is
customary to Scripture), so on the other hand the sun is said to
shine brighter for a person, and the whole world to be renewed, when
he is brought from a state of sorrow to one of very great joy. But
this is not in harmony with the authority and commentaries of holy men.
Consequently we must answer this argument by saying that although the
heavenly bodies far surpass the human body, yet the rational soul
surpasses the heavenly bodies far more than these surpass the human
body. Hence it is not unreasonable to say that the heavenly bodies
were made for man's sake; not, however as though this were the
principal end, since the principal end of all things is God.
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