19

if the Son wishes to reveal him.” And he revealed that he is Father, not what he is in nature. The different forms of the visions also testify that no one has seen the divine nature; for he appeared in one way to Abraham and in another way to Moses, differently to Micah and otherwise to Daniel, and indeed Ezekiel also beheld a different form. But the divine is not multiform, but without form and unshaped, uncompounded and simple and invisible and unattainable. For this very reason God himself says: “I have multiplied visions, and I was represented by the hands of the prophets,” not "I was seen"; for as he wills, he shapes the visions. 2And seraphim stood around him, six wings for the one and six wings for the other; and |106 a| with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one cried out to the other and they said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Sabaoth, the whole earth is full of his glory. The reverence of the holy seraphim accuses the arrogant king. For he shamelessly dared to perform a ministry that in no way belonged to him, but the invisible powers, entrusted with the heavenly hymnody, showed their awe by their posture; for they covered their faces as being unable to see even the radiance flashing forth from the Lordly sight, and they concealed their feet, by this signifying their servitude, revealing their awe, and performing their ministry with decorum. Their flight signifies the loftiness of their understanding. They offered this hymn, both signifying the one nature of the Godhead through the word "Lord"—for they offered this in the singular—and indicating the number of the Trinity—for they cried out "holy" three times. For the "holy, holy, holy" is indicative of the Trinity, while the "Lord of Sabaoth" is significant of the one nature. The seraphim hymn the eternal nature as having filled with its glory not only heaven but also the whole earth. And this the incarnation of our God and Savior has accomplished; for after the Lordly epiphany, the nations received the ray of the knowledge of God. 4And the lintel was lifted up by the voice with which they cried, and the house was filled with smoke. For since the seraphim had foretold the things that would be after the incarnation of our Savior, the joining of the two peoples is necessarily signified. For by the voice with which it was signified that the whole earth had been filled with the divine glory, the lintel was lifted up; and this happening showed the need for doors to be superfluous; and with the doors not in place, the house was henceforth accessible to whoever wished. For since Uzziah, while the law was still in force, lawlessly dared to enter the sanctuary, the calling of all the nations is signified through the vision. For let no one think, it says, that the glory of the God of all is circumscribed in the temple; for the Lord of all fills all things. And this will become clear before long; for all men, having received the light of the knowledge of God, will everywhere raise up temples to the creator of all, and as those are filled with glory, this one will be stripped of its former glory and instead of the divine light will receive the smoke of the Roman fire. And this also happened at the time of the cross; for the veil was torn and showed the departure of the grace that had flourished in the temple. 5And I said: Woe is me, for I am pierced to the heart, for being a man and unclean lips having in the midst of a people unclean lips of one having I dwell and I have seen the King, the Lord of Sabaoth, with my eyes. Symmachus translated this more clearly: “Woe is me, for I have kept silent; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” And the interpretation of the Others is in agreement. And it alludes to the silence that occurred at the transgression of Uzziah; and for this reason he calls himself unclean in lips, as having shared in the audacity through his silence—and he has made the same accusation of the people—and he feared the divine epiphany as a judicial appearance. 6And one was sent to me

19

ἐὰν βούληται ὁ υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαι.» Ἀπεκάλυψε δὲ ὅτι πατήρ ἐστιν, οὐ τί τὴν φύσιν ἐστίν. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ διάφορα τῶν ὄψεων σχήματα, ὡς οὐδεὶς τὴν θείαν ἐθεώρησε φύσιν· ἄλλως γὰρ ὤφθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ἄλλως τῷ Μωυσεῖ, ἑτέρως τῷ Μιχαίᾳ καὶ ἄλλως τῷ ∆ανιήλ, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἕτερον ἐθεάσατο σχῆμα. Τὸ δὲ θεῖον οὐ πολύμορφον ἀλλ' ἀνείδεόν τε καὶ ἀσχημάτιστον, ἀσύνθετόν τε καὶ ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἀόρατον καὶ ἀνέφικτον. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεός φησιν· «Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα καὶ ἐν χερσὶ προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην», οὐκ ὤφθην· ὡς γὰρ βούλεται, σχηματίζει τὰς ὄψεις. 2Καὶ σεραφὶμ εἱστήκεισαν κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ, ἓξ πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἓξ πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνί· καὶ |106 a| ταῖς μὲν δυσὶ κατεκάλυπτον τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν, ταῖς δὲ δυσὶ κατεκάλυπτον τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν καὶ ταῖς δυσὶν ἐπέτοντο. 3Καὶ ἐκέκραγεν ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον καὶ ἔλεγον· Ἅγιος ἅγιος ἅγιος κύριος Σαβαώθ, πλήρης πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ ἀλαζόνος βασιλέως κατηγορεῖ τῶν ἁγίων σεραφὶμ ἡ εὐλάβεια. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀναιδῶς τῆς μηδαμόθεν αὐτῷ προση κούσης κατετόλμησε λειτουργίας, αἱ δὲ ἀόρατοι δυνάμεις τὴν ἐπουράνιον ὑμνῳδίαν πεπιστευμέναι τῷ σχήματι τὸ δέος ἐμήνυον· ἐκάλυπτον γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα ὡς οὐδὲ τὴν αἴγλην ἰδεῖν δυνάμεναι τὴν ἐκ τῆς δεσποτικῆς ἀπαστράπ τουσαν θέας, κατέκρυπτον δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόδας καὶ διὰ τούτου τὴν δουλείαν σημαίνουσαι καὶ τὸ δέος ἐμφαίνουσαι καὶ τὴν λειτουργίαν εὐσχημόνως ἀποπληροῦσαι. Ἡ δὲ πτῆσις τὸ μετάρσιον αἰνίττεται τοῦ φρονήματος. Τοῦτον δὲ τὸν ὕμνον προσέφερον καὶ τὴν μίαν τῆς θεότητος φύσιν διὰ τῆς κύριος φωνῆς αἰνιττόμεναι-ἑνικῶς γὰρ τοῦτο προσέφερον- καὶ τῆς τριάδος τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὑπεμφαίνουσαι-τρὶς γὰρ ἐπεφώ νουν τὸ ἅγιος. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἅγιος ἅγιος ἅγιος τῆς τριάδος δηλωτικόν, τὸ δὲ κύριος Σαβαὼθ τῆς φύσεως τῆς μιᾶς σημαντικόν. Ὑμνεῖ δὲ τὰ σεραφὶμ τὴν ἀΐδιον φύσιν ὡς μὴ μόνον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν γῆν ἅπασαν τῆς δόξης ἐμπλήσασαν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πεποίηκεν ἐνανθρώπησις· μετὰ γὰρ δὴ τὴν δεσποτικὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἐδέξατο τὰ ἔθνη τὴν τῆς θεογνωσίας ἀκτῖνα. 4Καὶ ἐπήρθη τὸ ὑπέρθυρον ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς ἧς ἐκέκραγον, καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἐπλήσθη καπνοῦ. Τὰ γὰρ ἐσόμενα μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνανθρώπησιν προδεδηλωκότων τῶν σεραφίμ, ἀναγκαίως μηνύεται καὶ τῶν δύο λαῶν ἡ συνάφεια. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς φωνῆς, ᾗ τὴν γῆν ἅπασαν πεπληρῶσθαι τῆς θείας δόξης ἐμήνυεν, ἐπήρθη τὸ ὑπέρθυρον· τοῦτο δὲ γενόμενον περιττὴν τῶν θυρῶν ἐδείκνυ τὴν χρείαν· τῶν δὲ θυρῶν οὐκ ἐπικειμένων εἰσιτητὸν ἦν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῷ βουλομένῳ λοιπόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Ὀζίας τοῦ νόμου κρατοῦντος ἔτι παρανόμως κατετόλμησε τῶν ἀδύτων, προσημαίνεται διὰ τῆς ὄψεως τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων ἡ κλῆσις. Μὴ γὰρ δή τις νομιζέτω φησὶν ἐν τῷ ναῷ περιγεγράφθαι τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τὴν δόξαν· ὁ γὰρ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότης τὰ πάντα πληροῖ. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δῆλον γενήσεται· ἅπαντες γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸ τῆς θεογνωσίας εἰσδεξάμενοι φῶς πανταχοῦ ναοὺς ἀναστήσουσι τῷ τῶν ὅλων δημιουργῷ, ἐκείνων δὲ πληρουμένων τῆς δόξης οὗτος τῆς προτέρας γυμνωθήσεται δόξης καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ θείου φωτὸς τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ πυρὸς εἰσδέξεται τὸν καπνόν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν γεγένηται τοῦ σταυροῦ· ἐσχίσθη γὰρ τὸ καταπέτασμα καὶ τῆς ἐπανθούσης τῷ ναῷ χάριτος τὴν ἀπόστασιν ἔδειξεν. 5Καὶ εἶπον· Ὢ τάλας ἐγώ, ὅτι κατανένυγμαι, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη <ἔχων ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη> ἔχοντος ἐγὼ οἰκῶ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα κύριον Σαβαὼθ εἶδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου. Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· «Οἴμοι ὅτι ἐσιώπησα· ἀνὴρ γὰρ ἀκάθαρτος χείλεσιν ἐγὼ καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἀκαθάρτου χείλεσιν ἐγὼ οἰκῶ.» Σύμφωνος δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἄλλων ἡ ἑρμηνεία. Αἰνίτ τεται δὲ τὴν γεγενημένην ἐπὶ τῇ παρανομίᾳ τοῦ Ὀζίου σιγήν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἑαυτὸν ἀκάθαρτον χείλεσιν ὀνομάζει ὡς κεκοινωνηκὼς τῷ τολμήματι διὰ τῆς σιωπῆς -τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ κατηγορίαν πεποίηται-καὶ τὴν θείαν δέδιεν ἐπιφάνειαν ὡς δικαστικὴν παρουσίαν. 6Καὶ ἀπεστάλη πρός με ἓν