12

and Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria. For since He had said: Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but now He wills that they should preach in all Judea and Samaria; and what He did not say then, He added here, saying, And unto the uttermost part of the earth. And having said what was more terrifying than all, that they might not again question Him, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Do you see that they preached, and fulfilled the Gospel? Truly a great thing He bestowed on them. Where you were afraid, He says, in Jerusalem, there preach first, and afterwards unto the uttermost part of the earth. Then again the proof of what was said; while they beheld, He was taken up, it says. For He did not rise while they were looking on; but He was taken up while they were looking on; since not even here was sight all-powerful. For of the resurrection they saw the end, but not the beginning; and of the ascension they saw the beginning, but not the end. For it was superfluous to see the beginning, with Him Who uttered these things present, and the tomb declaring, that He is not there; but what came after this it was necessary to learn by word. For since the eyes are not sufficient to show the height, nor to teach whether He went up into heaven, or as if into heaven, see what happens. That it was Jesus Himself, they knew from what He was saying to them (for it was not possible to know Him by seeing from a distance); but that He was being taken up into heaven, this the angels themselves now taught. See, how not all things are ordered to happen by the Spirit, but also by sight. But why did a cloud receive Him? This too is a proof that He went up into heaven. Not fire, as in the case of Elijah, nor a chariot of fire; but a cloud received Him, which was a symbol of heaven, as the prophet says: Who makes the clouds His chariot, even if this is said concerning the Father. For this reason he says, that upon a cloud, showing, that it is in the very symbol of divine power; for nowhere else does any other power appear upon a cloud. Hear again, what another prophet says: God sits upon a light cloud. 60.29 3. For the question being a necessary one, and they paying close attention to what was being said, and being roused and not drowsy, this happened. And on the mountain also a cloud on His account, when Moses entered into the darkness; but it was not on his account that the cloud was there. And He did not say, that I go, only, lest they should again be grieved; but He also said, that I send the Spirit. So that He was going to heaven, they learned through their eyes. Ah, of what a sight they were deemed worthy! And while they were looking steadfastly, it says, toward heaven as He went, and behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This Jesus Who is taken up from you into heaven; they used the word demonstratively, saying, This One, Who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven. Again the form is bright. For certain angels suddenly formed into the shape of men stood by, and say: Ye men of Galilee. Therefore they seemed credible to them from their saying, Ye men of Galilee. For what need was there for those who knew their country to learn it, if this were not so? And by their appearance also they attracted their notice, and showed, that they are from heaven. Why does not He Himself say these things to them, but the angels? He Himself had already discoursed to them on all things, so it was to remind them through the angels of what they had heard. And they did not say, Whom you saw taken up, but, Going into heaven, showing that the assumption is an ascent; but it is of the flesh to be taken up. For this reason they say: He who was taken up from you, so shall He come; not, He shall be sent, but, He shall come. Where then is the inferiority? A cloud received Him. It is well. For He Himself mounted the cloud; because He that ascended is the same also that descended. But do thou mark, how some things they speak according to their understanding, and others worthily of God. Therefore, the mind of the beholders was lifted up; He bestowed on them of the second coming no small token. For the 'So'

12

τε Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν· Εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε, καὶ εἰς πόλιν Σαμαρειτῶν μὴ εἰσέλθητε· νῦν δὲ βούλεται ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ κηρύσσειν αὐτούς· καὶ ἃ τότε οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐνταῦθα προσέθηκε, Καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, λέγων. Καὶ τὸ πάντων φοβερώτερον εἰπὼν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν αὐτὸν ἐρωτῶσι, Βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐπήρθη, καὶ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐκήρυξαν, καὶ ἐπλήρωσαν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον; Ὄντως μέγα αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίσατο. Ὅπου δεδοίκατε. φησὶν, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, ἐκεῖ κηρύξατε πρῶτον, καὶ ὕστερον ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. Εἶτα πάλιν τῶν λεχθέντων ἡ πίστις· Βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐπήρθη, φησί. Βλεπόντων μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἀνέστη· Βλεπόντων δὲ ἐπήρθη· ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἡ ὄψις τὸ πᾶν ἴσχυσε. Καὶ γὰρ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὸ μὲν τέλος εἶδον, τὴν δὲ ἀρχὴν οὐκέτι· καὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν εἶδον, τὸ δὲ τέλος οὐκέτι. Παρεῖλκε γὰρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἰδεῖν, αὐτοῦ τοῦ ταῦτα φθεγγομένου παρόντος, καὶ τοῦ μνήματος δηλοῦντος, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ· ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο λόγῳ ἔδει μαθεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ δεῖξαι τὸ ὕψος, οὐδὲ παιδεῦσαι πότερον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνῆλθεν, ἢ ὡς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὅρα τί γίνεται. Ὅτι μὲν αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ᾔδεσαν ἐξ ὧν διελέγετο πρὸς αὐτοὺς (πόῤῥωθεν γὰρ οὐκ ἐνῆν ἰδόντας γνῶναι)· ὅτι δὲ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναλαμβάνεται, αὐτοὶ λοιπὸν ἐδίδασκον οἱ ἄγγελοι. Ὅρα, πῶς οὐ πάντα Πνεύματι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄψει γενέσθαι οἰκονομεῖται. ∆ιατί δὲ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτόν; Καὶ τοῦτο τεκμήριον, ὅτι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνῆλθεν. Οὐ πῦρ, ὡς ἐπὶ Ἠλίου, οὐδὲ ἅρμα πύρινον· ἀλλὰ νεφέλη αὐτὸν ὑπέλαβεν, ὃ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ σύμβολον ἦν, καθὼς ὁ προφήτης φησίν· Ὁ τιθεὶς νέφει τὴν ἐπίβασιν αὐτοῦ, εἰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἴρηται τοῦτο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι Ἐπὶ νεφέλης, δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἐν τῷ συμβόλῳ αὐτῷ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως· οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἄλλη τις δύναμις ἐπὶ νεφέλης φαίνεται. Ἄκουε πάλιν, τί φησιν ἄλλος προφήτης· Ὁ Θεὸς κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης. 60.29 γʹ. Περὶ ἀναγκαίου γὰρ τῆς ἐρωτήσεως οὔσης, καὶ προσεχόντων αὐτῶν σφόδρα τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ διεγηγερμένων καὶ οὐ νυσταζόντων, τοῦτο γέγονε. Καὶ ἐν τῷ ὄρει δὲ νεφέλη δι' αὐτὸν, ὅτε Μωϋσῆς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν γνόφον· ἀλλ' οὐ δι' ἐκεῖνον ἦν ἡ νεφέλη. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Πορεύομαι, μόνον, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἀλγήσωσιν· ἀλλ' εἶπε καὶ, ὅτι Τὸ Πνεῦμα πέμπω. Ἄρα ὅτι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀπῄει, διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐμάνθανον. Βαβαὶ οἵου θεάματος κατηξιώθησαν! Καὶ ὡς ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν πορευομένου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο παρειστήκεισαν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐσθῆτι λευκῇ, οἳ καὶ εἶπον· Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε ἐμβλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; Οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν· δεικτικῶς ἐχρήσαντο τῇ λέξει, Οὗτος, εἰπόντες, ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτως ἐλεύσεται, ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Πάλιν τὸ σχῆμα φαιδρόν. Ἄγγελοι γὰρ ἀθρόον τινὲς εἰς τύπον ἀνθρώπων σχηματισθέντες ἐπέστησαν, καί φασιν· Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι. Ἀξιόπιστοι λοιπὸν ἐδόκουν ἐκείνοις ἐκ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι. Τί γὰρ ἔδει τοὺς εἰδότας τὴν πατρίδα μαθεῖν, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν; Καὶ τῷ σχήματι δὲ ἐπέστρεψαν, καὶ ἐδήλουν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰσι. ∆ιατί μὴ ταῦτα αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς λέγει, ἀλλ' οἱ ἄγγελοι; ∆ιελέχθη αὐτοῖς προλαβὼν αὐτὸς πάντα, ὥστε ἀναμιμνήσκοντος ἦν αὐτοὺς διὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἅπερ ἤκουσαν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπον, Ὃν ἐθεάσασθε ἀναληφθέντα, ἀλλὰ, Πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, δηλῶν ὅτι ἀνάβασίς ἐστιν ἡ ἀνάληψις· σαρκὸς δὲ τὸ ἀναληφθῆναί ἐστι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φασιν· Ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν, οὕτως ἐλεύσεται· οὐ Πεμφθήσεται, ἀλλ' Ἐλεύσεται. Ποῦ οὖν τὸ ἔλαττον; Νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτόν. Καλῶς. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐπέβη τῆς νεφέλης· διότι Ὁ ἀναβὰς αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ καταβάς. Σὺ δέ μοι ὅρα, πῶς τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνων διάνοιαν φθέγγονται, τὰ δὲ ἀξίως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπήρθη λοιπὸν ἡ διάνοια τῶν ὁρώντων· ἐχαρίσατο αὐτοῖς τῆς δευτέρας παρουσίας οὐ μικρὸν γνώρισμα. Τὸ γὰρ, Οὕτως