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the living creatures went, and the wheels were lifted up with them, because the spirit of life was in the wheels. When they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood, and when they were lifted up from the earth, they were lifted up with them, because the spirit of life was in the wheels. This the blessed Paul clearly teaches us, enumerating the orders of the invisible natures and ranking certain Thrones with the other powers. "For in him," he says, "all things were created; that is, in Christ; whether visible, or invisible, whether Thrones, or Authorities, or Angels, or Powers; all things were created in him and for him." Therefore the Thrones are a rational and incorporeal system; wherefore the prophet also says, that the spirit of life was in the wheels, whence also their movement was automatic and voluntary; for neither pole nor yoke was upon the living creatures; but the cloud led, and that violent and mighty spirit followed. The divine chariot ran automatically, with the living creatures going before, and the wheels moving automatically, and being borne to the four parts without turning. For their backs, he says, were full of eyes, that is, they were filled with knowledge; and this the interpretation of Cherubim reveals; for when translated into the Greek tongue, the name means a multitude of knowledge. 22-25. And a likeness, he says, over the heads of the living creatures, as it were a firmament, like the sight of terrible crystal, stretched out over their heads from above. And under the firmament their wings were stretched out, beating one toward another; to each 81.832 were two covering their bodies. And I heard the sound of their wings when they beat, like the sound of many waters, like the sound of God Shaddai; and when they went, the sound of the word, like the sound of an army, and when they stood, their wings rested. And behold a voice from above the firmament that was over their heads; when they stood, their wings were let down. Everywhere the divine prophet places the likeness, teaching us that he had seen a certain sketch of divine things, and not the very nature of invisible things; for having said above that he had beheld the heavens opened, now above the living creatures he beholds as it were a likeness of a firmament, and the living creatures underneath, moving their wings, not simply, but in response to the voice borne from above; for obeying it, they both moved them, and again kept them still. And he also teaches us about the sound borne from thence, now likening it to a multitude of waters, now to the sound of an army; and at last, being at a loss, he introduced a comparison, as the sound of "God Shaddai," which Aquila and Symmachus interpreted as of the Sufficient one. For why, he says, do I labor seeking images worthy of the matter, and finding none at all? It is enough to show the one who is at work, and through him to reveal the greatness of the sound; for being sufficient and all-powerful, he does all things easily, as he wishes. 26. And above, he says, the firmament that was over their heads, as the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne was upon it. And this form also hints at the deep and invisible nature of the divine. "For a cloud," he says, "and darkness are round about him." And again the same prophet, "He made," he says, "darkness his secret place." And the darkness, and the cloud, and the gloom, are indicative of the divine invisibility; for that unmixed and unapproachable light, is darkness to us, who are unable to gaze intently on account of the weakness of our nature. For if someone wishing to look precisely at the disk of the sun, should fix his eye there more than is necessary, he both loses moderate sight, and reaps darkness from light, what would one not suffer who dared to approach the divine and unapproachable light? And upon the likeness, he says, of the throne, a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it from above. (27, 28.) And I saw as the appearance of electrum, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from 81.833 the appearance of the loins, and even upward; and I saw, and from the appearance of the loins, and even downward; I saw as the appearance of fire, and its brightness round about. As the appearance of a bow, when it is in the cloud

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ἐπορεύοντο τὰ ζῶα, καὶ οἱ τροχοὶ ᾔροντο σὺν αὐτοῖς, διότι πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἦν ἐν τοῖς τροχοῖς. Ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτὰ ἐπορεύοντο, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑστάναι αὐτὰ εἱστήκεισαν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐξαίρειν αὐτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐξῄροντο σὺν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἦν ἐν τοῖς τροχοῖς. Τοῦτο σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ὁ μακάριος διδάσκει Παῦλος, τῶν ἀοράτων φύσεων καταλέγων τὰ τάγματα καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις δυνάμεσι καὶ Θρόνους τινὰς συγκατατάττων. "Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα· τουτέστι, ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ· εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε Θρόνοι, εἴτε Ἐξουσίαι, εἴτε Ἄγγελοι, εἴτε ∆υνάμεις· πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται." Οὐκοῦν καὶ οἱ Θρόνοι λογικόν ἐστι καὶ ἀσώματον σύστημα· διὸ καὶ ὁ προ φήτης λέγει, ὅτι πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἦν ἐν τοῖς τροχοῖς, ὅθεν καὶ αὐτόματος ἦν κίνησις, καὶ ἐθελούσιος· οὔτε γὰρ ῥυμός τις καὶ ζυγὸς τοῖς ζώοις ἐπέκειτο· ἀλλ' ἡγεῖτο μὲν ἡ νεφέλη, τὸ δὲ βίαιον ἐκεῖνο καὶ σφοδρὸν ἠκολούθει πνεῦμα. Τὸ θεῖον ὄχημα αὐτόμα τον ἔθει, τῶν μὲν ζώων προηγουμένων, τῶν δὲ τρο χῶν αὐτομάτως κινουμένων, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέσσαρα μέρη ἀμεταστρεπτὶ φερομένων. Οἱ γὰρ νῶτοι αὐτῶν, φησὶ, πλήρεις ὑπῆρχον ὀφθαλμῶν, τουτέστι, γνώσεως ἦσαν ἀνάπλεοι· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν Χερουβὶμ ἑρμηνεία δηλοῖ· εἰς γὰρ τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν μεταφερόμενον πλῆθος γνώσεως ἑρμηνεύει τὸ ὄνομα. κβʹ-κεʹ. Καὶ ὁμοίωμα, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐ τῶν τῶν ζώων ὡσεὶ στερέωμα, ὡς ὅρασις κρυ στάλλου φοβεροῦ, ἐκτεταμένου ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐτῶν ὑπεράνωθεν. Καὶ ὑποκάτω τοῦ στερεώ ματος αἱ πτέρυγες αὐτῶν ἐκτεταμέναι, πτερυσ σόμεναι ἑκατέρα πρὸς τὴν ἑκατέραν· ἑκάστῳ 81.832 δύο ἐπικαλύπτουσαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἤκου σα τὴν φωνὴν τῶν πτερύγων αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ πτερύσσεσθαι αὐτὰ, ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολ λῶν, ὡς φωνὴν Θεοῦ Σαδαΐ· καὶ ἐν τῷ πορεύε σθαι αὐτὰ, φωνὴν τοῦ λόγου, ὡς φωνὴν παρεμ βολῆς, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑστάναι αὐτὰ κατέπαυον αἱ πτέρυγες αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ὑπεράνωθεν τοῦ στερεώματος τοῦ ὄντος ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐτῶν· ἐν τῷ ἑστάναι αὐτὰ ἀνίεντο αἱ πτέρυγες αὐτῶν. Πανταχοῦ ὁ θεῖος προφήτης τὸ ὁμοίωμα τίθησι, διδά σκων ἡμᾶς σκιαγραφίαν τινὰ τῶν θείων τεθεᾶσθαι, καὶ οὐκ αὐτὴν τῶν ἀοράτων τὴν φύσιν· εἰρηκὼς γὰρ ἄνω τεθεωρηκέναι διανοιχθέντας τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, νῦν ἐπάνω τῶν ζώων ὡς ὁμοίωμα στερεώματος θεωρεῖ, καὶ τὰ ζῶα ὑποκείμενα, καὶ κινοῦντα τὰς πτέρυγας, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἄνωθεν φερομένην φωνήν· ἐκείνῃ γὰρ πειθόμενα, καὶ ἐκίνουν ταύτας, καὶ πάλιν ἀκινήτους ἐφύλαττον. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸν ἐκεῖθεν φερόμενον κτύπον, νῦν μὲν πλήθει ὑδάτων ἀπεικάζων, νῦν δὲ φωνῇ παρεμβολῆς· καὶ τὸ τελευ ταῖον ἀπορήσας παραβολὴν ἐπήγαγεν, ὡς φωνὴν "Θεοῦ Σαδαῒ," ὅπερ Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος ἱκανοῦ ἡρμήνευσαν. Τί γὰρ, φησὶ, κάμνω ζητῶν εἰκόνας τοῦ πράγματος ἀξίας, καὶ μηδαμῶς εὑρίσκων; Ἀρκεῖ δεῖξαι τὸν ἐνεργοῦντα, καὶ δι' ἐκείνου παραδηλῶσαι τοῦ κτύπου τὸ μέγεθος· ἱκανὸς γὰρ ὢν καὶ παντο δύναμος ποιεῖ πάντα ῥᾳδίως, ὡς βούλεται. κ ϛʹ. Καὶ ὑπεράνω, φησὶ, τοῦ στερεώματος τοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐτῶν, ὡς ὅρασις λίθου σαπφεί ρου, ὁμοίωμα θρόνου ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τὸ εἶδος, τὸ βαθὺ καὶ ἀόρατον τῆς θείας αἰνίττεται φύ σεως. "Νεφέλη γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ γνόφος κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ." Καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης, "Ἔθετο, φησὶ, σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὑτοῦ." Τὸ δὲ σκότος, καὶ ἡ νεφέλη, καὶ ὁ γνόφος, τῆς θείας ἀορασίας ὑπάρχει δηλωτικά· τὸ γὰρ ἄκρατον ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἀπρόσιτον φῶς, ἡμῖν ἐστι σκότος, ἐνατενίζειν οὐ δυναμένοις διὰ τὴν τῆς φύ σεως ἀσθένειαν. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦ ἡλίου τὸν δίσκον τις ἀκριβῶς ἰδεῖν ἐθελήσας, ἐρείσειεν ἐκεῖ τὸ ὄμμα πλέον ἢ δεῖ, καὶ τὴν μετρίαν ἀπόλλυσι θεωρίαν, καὶ δρέ πεται σκότος ἀπὸ φωτὸς, τί οὐκ ἄν τις πάθοι τοῦ θείου, καὶ ἀπροσίτου κατατολμήσας φωτός; Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὁμοιώματος, φησὶ, τοῦ θρόνου, ὁμοίωμα ὡς εἶδος ἀνθρώπου ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπάνω θεν. (κζʹ, κηʹ.) Καὶ ἴδον ὡς ὅρασιν ἠλέκτρου, ὡς ὅρασιν πυρὸς ἔσωθεν αὐτοῦ κύκλῳ, ἀπὸ 81.833 ὁράσεως ὀσφύος, καὶ ἕως ἐπάνω· καὶ ἴδον, καὶ ἀπὸ ὁράσεως ὀσφύος, καὶ ἕως κάτω· εἶδον ὡς ὅρασιν πυρὸς, καὶ τὸ φέγγος αὐτοῦ κύκλῳ. Ὡς ὅρασις τόξου, ὅτ' ἂν ᾖ ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ