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having established and laid her foundations before, and after the destruction which she endured when enemies who also took her captive attacked, he measures her breadth and length, so that rhythmically and in an orderly manner in the required places he might lay down the foundations on which it was fitting for her walls to be raised. 1.105 And he was shown to the prophet having a measuring line, woven from various architectural principles, so that what was previously announced might be fulfilled in this: “And a measure shall be stretched out over Jerusalem still.” And it is not unlikely that the Savior is an architect, according to what was said concerning “the city of the Lord of hosts,” this: “God has established her forever,” with the apostle Paul writing in accord concerning this divine city, awaited by all who have pleased God through faith, thus: “For they were looking for the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” 1.106 He holds the aforementioned measuring line for the angels and holy men who build together with him, as the best craftsmen, in his practical power which is called a hand. At any rate, Paul writes of himself: “Like a wise architect, I laid a foundation.” 1.107 Furthermore, in Ezekiel a man is seen holding a builder’s line and a reed to measure and to found the holy temple of God. How he measured and crafted the building, it is possible to know by reading the prophet. 1.108 Since, therefore, the Savior has been shown to be the builder of the Jerusalem which is above and spiritual, and will be shown even more so by the Father showing him and saying: “This one shall build my city,” and the angels and men who contribute to the rebuilding of the city, according to all the explanations that have been given, one must understand the man shown by Zechariah the prophet who says: “Behold, a man, and in his hand a measuring line,” and: “Where are you going?” so that he may receive an answer from the one holding the measuring line, to measure how great is the breadth and length of Jerusalem; 1.109 for one who is concerned to build well must know the location and the suitability of the places, so that for each of the parts of the city, once a suitable width and length has been taken, the sacred precincts and the temples, the lanes and the streets and the public squares may be placed harmoniously, so that in these public squares the wisdom of God may speak freely, being preached upon the top of the city’s walls according to what is philosophized in Proverbs, so that God himself might tell those who guard this holy city to preach in it and on its walls day and night, in no way being silent but always speaking what is for the salvation of its citizens. 1.110 Since Jerusalem has often been explained threefold according to an allegorical interpretation—that of the virtuous soul, and of “the glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle” because of the fullness of holiness, and of the heavenly city of the living God—in all these ways the breadth and length of Jerusalem must be explained as being measured by the man holding the measuring line in his hand, by one who has a word of wisdom and knowledge. 1.111 Zach. II, 7-8: And behold, the angel who was speaking in me was standing still. And another angel was going out to meet him, and he said to him, saying: Run and speak to that young man, saying. 1.112 He says he has seen the angel who was speaking in him standing still, and another angel going out, saying to him: Running, say to this young man what it is time to say. 1.113 It has been interpreted in many ways before what it is that is spoken in the prophet by a divine angel and how this is manifested, especially when the announcement comes from another angel who is going out. For it is not possible for what is announced to be heard while it remains within and by itself, but when it goes out through condescension. 1.114

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τοὺς θεμελίους αὐτῆς καὶ πρότερον ἱδρύσας καὶ καταβαλόμενος, καὶ μετὰ τὴν καθαίρεσιν ἣν ὑπέμεινεν ἐπελθόντων πολεμίων τῶν καὶ αἰχμαλωτισάντων αὐτήν, διαμετρεῖ τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος αὐτῆς, ἵν' εὐρύθμως καὶ τεταγμένως ἐν οἷς δεῖ τόποις τὰς κρηπῖδας καταβάληται ἐφ' ὧν προσῆκον ἦν ἐγερθῆναι αὐτῆς τὰ τείχη. 1.105 Ἐδείχθη δὲ τῷ προφήτῃ γεωμετρικὸν ἔχων σχοινίον, ἐκ ποικίλων λόγων ἀρχιτεκτονικῶν πεπλεγμένον, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ προεπηγγελμένον ἐν τῷ· «Καὶ μέτρον ἐκταθήσεται ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔτι.» Οὐκ ἀπεικὸς δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀρχιτέκτονος ὄντος, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν περὶ «τῆς πόλεως Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων», τό· «Ὁ Θεὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα», συνῳδὰ γράφοντος τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου περὶ τῆς θείας ταύτης πόλεως, προσδοκωμένης ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν διὰ πίστεως εὐαρεστησάντων, οὕτως· «Ἐξεδέχοντο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός.» 1.106 Τοὺς συνοικοδομοῦντας αὐτῷ ἀγγέλους καὶ ἄνδρας ἁγίους, οἷα τεχνίτας ἀρίστους, ἐν τῇ πρακτικῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ χειρὶ καλουμένῃ, τὸ προειρημένον σχοινίον γεωμετρικὸν κατέχει. Παῦλος γοῦν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ γράφει· «Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα.» 1.107 Ἔτι μὴν ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἀνὴρ ὁρᾶται κατέχων σπαρτίον οἰκοδόμων καὶ κάλαμον ἐπὶ τῷ μετρῆσαι καὶ θεμελιῶσαι τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ναόν. Οἵως δὲ διεμέτρησεν καὶ ἐτεχνίτευσεν τὴν οἰκοδομήν, γνῶναι ἔξεστιν ἀναγνόντα τὸν προφήτην. 1.108 Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ οἰκοδόμος τῆς ἄνω καὶ πνευματικῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀποδέδεικται, καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον δειχθήσεται τοῦ Πατρὸς δεικνύντος αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντος· «Οὗτος οἰκοδομήσει τὴν πόλιν μου», καὶ οἱ συμβαλλόμενοι ἄγγελοί τε καὶ ἄνθρωποι εἰς τὴν ἀνοικοδομὴν τῆς πόλεως, κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἀποδοθείσας σαφηνείας ἐκλημπτέον τὸν δεικνύμενον ἄνδρα ὑπὸ Ζαχαρίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «Ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ σχοινίον γεωμετρικόν», καί· «Ποῦ πορεύῃ;» ἵνα ἀποκρίσεως τύχῃ πρὸς τοῦ ἔχοντος τὸ γεωμετρικὸν σχοινίον τοῦ διαμετρῆσαι πηλίκον τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος τῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ ἐστιν· 1.109 φροντίζοντος γὰρ τοῦ καλῶς οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸ τὴν τοποθεσίαν καὶ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν χωρίων γνῶναι, ἵν' ἕκαστα τῶν μερῶν τῆς πόλεως, καταλλήλου εὔρους καὶ μήκους καταλημφθέντος, ἁρμονίως τὰ τεμένη καὶ οἱ ναοί, λαῦραί τε καὶ ἀγυιαὶ καὶ πλατεῖαι τιθῶσιν, ὥστε ἐν ταύταις ταῖς πλατείαις παρρησίαν ἄγῃ ἡ Θεοῦ σοφία, κηρυττομένη ἐπὶ ἄκρων τῶν τειχέων τῆς πόλεως κατὰ τὰ ἐν Παροιμίαις φιλοσοφούμενα, ὡς αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν εἰπεῖν τοῖς φρουροῦσιν τὴν ἱερὰν ταύτην πόλιν κηρύττειν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τειχέων αὐτῆς ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, οὐδαμῶς σιωπῶντας ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ λέγοντας τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν τῶν πολιτῶν αὐτῆς. 1.110 Τριχῶς τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ πολλάκις ἀποδοθείσης κατὰ ἀναγωγήν, τῆς τε ἐναρέτου ψυχῆς καὶ «τῆς ἐνδόξου Ἐκκλησίας σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα οὐκ ἐχούσης» διὰ ἁγιότητος πληρότητα καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου τοῦ ζῶντος Θεοῦ πόλεως, κατὰ πάντας τοὺς τρόπους πλάτος καὶ μῆκος μεμετρῆσθαι τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὑπὸ τοῦ τὸ γεωμετρικὸν σχοινίον ἔχοντος ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ἀνδρὸς ἀποδοτέον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἔχοντος λόγον σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως. 1.111 Zach. II, 7-8: Καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ εἱστήκει. Καὶ ἄγγελος ἕτερος ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων· ∆ράμε καὶ λάλησον πρὸς τὸν νεανίαν ἐκεῖνον λέγων. 1.112 Τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἑστῶτα ἑωρακέναι φησίν, καὶ ἕτερον ἄγγελον ἐκπορευόμενον λέγοντα αὐτῷ· ∆ράμων εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν νεανίαν τοῦτον ἃ καιρός ἐστιν εἰπεῖν. 1.113 Πολυτρόπως ἡρμήνευται πρότερον τί ἐστιν τὸ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ λαλούμενον ὑπὸ θείου ἀγγέλου καὶ πῶς τοῦτο φανεροῦται, μάλιστα ὅταν ὑπὸ ἑτέρου ἀγγέλου ἐκπορευομένου ἡ ἐπαγγελία γίνηται. Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἔσω καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν μένοντος τὰ ἀπαγγελλόμενα ἀκούεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐκπορευομένου διὰ συγκαταβάσεως. 1.114