The Eagle of Justice and the Righteous Kings

The formation of the Eagle of Justice in Jupiter and its discourse on salvation and the righteous rulers.

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The Formation of the Eagle

The Celestial Sign The Letters Dante sees lights forming letters: 'DILIGITE IUSTITIAM QUI IUDICATIS TERRAM.' Then they form the shape of an eagle. The Eagle's Voice The eagle speaks with a single voice from many souls, representing collective justice. It begins to answer Dante's unspoken questions.

The Eagle on Salvation

The Justice of God The Virtuous Pagan The eagle addresses the question of whether a virtuous man born on the Indus without knowledge of Christ can be saved. It explains that God's justice is inscrutable. The Condemnation of Bad Christians Many who cry 'Christ, Christ' will be farther from Him than some who never knew Him. The Ethiopians will condemn the Christians at the Last Judgment.

The Righteous Kings

The Eye of the Eagle The Pupil The eagle's eye is formed by King David, the singer of the Holy Spirit. Other lights in the eyebrow include Trajan, Hezekiah, Constantine, William II of Sicily, and Ripheus the Trojan. The Stories Each king's story is briefly told: Trajan's justice, Hezekiah's repentance, Constantine's good intention (though it led to corruption), William's piety, and Ripheus's faith through grace.

The Mystery of Predestination

The Deep Well The Inscrutable Will The eagle admits that even the blessed do not know all the elect. Predestination is a deep well beyond human understanding. The Acceptance Dante must accept that God's will is good. The eagle's final words: 'Whatsoever God wills, we also will.'

The Condemnation of Evil Kings

The Catalogue of Vices The Wicked Rulers The eagle lists corrupt kings: Albert of Austria, Philip the Fair of France, the king of England, the king of Spain, and others. Their sins are recorded in Heaven. The Warning These kings will face divine justice. The eagle's words serve as a warning to earthly rulers.

In the sixth heaven, Jupiter, among the just rulers

During the eagle's discourse, in Jupiter

After the discourse on salvation, in Jupiter

At the end of the eagle's discourse, in Jupiter

During the eagle's discourse, in Jupiter