saying that the many islands, that is, the nations, also rejoice, then, next, that the earth travails and the mountains melt; in one place he means the saints, in another the adversaries, whose loftiness on account of pride he likens to mountains, and the destruction of their pride he compares to the melting of mountains. And for the strangers he shows a cloud and darkness preceding the sight of the Lord, signifying fear and distress, but for those receptive of light he speaks of His lightnings appearing and glory being seen, and furthermore that the judging fire will burn up the impious, with the righteousness of the Lord being revealed from heaven as the apostle says; but the psalmist says that being revealed from heaven is being announced by the heavens, calling the manifestation a message, saying that heaven itself is established by righteousness and judgment as if upon some foundation. He makes it clear that the throne is not physical, but that the kingdom is called a throne. 165 Ps 96,7ab He prays that those who, through much insensibility and foolishness, worship the carved images which they themselves made, may be put to shame, having received perception. For such a thing will be for their good. For having been put to shame, they will desist from this foolish notion which they held as if of gods. 166 Ps 96,10a Evil is contrary and hostile to God, not being an opposition of nature. For evil, which is contrary to nature, is not set in opposition to the good nature, nor is it possible to suppose some manifest nature which he calls evil; for we have no such thing in our knowledge, that knowing it we might hate it, but we understand that every work of vice is evil, and the hatred of this, if indeed we are wise, we practice, considering this equal to that "Cease from your evils."
167 Ps 98,5bc He says to worship the footstool, the universal authority that
will then be revealed, which rules not only over the sanctified race but also over all, allegorized as God's footstool, which covers the whole inhabited earth, which itself is also homonymously called a footstool, just as Israel too is called an authority. And the throne which is above the authority would be allegorized as the affinity of God for sanctified things, especially for heavenly things, but now also for things on earth. Homonymously with this, according to Isaiah, heaven is allegorized as a throne, and Jerusalem is a throne on account of the saints in it, in the manner of heaven; which is indeed proof that heaven is not called a throne physically, nor the earth a footstool physically, since we say that Jerusalem, a small part of the earth, is a throne, and that the footstool is the authority over those who are ruled. Just as the throne of God in heaven is said to be the affinity for the heavenly beings as saints, with heaven also being homonymously called the throne of God, so also the Lord homonymously calls those who have received the good seed of the kingdom the seed of good things, so that he commands us to worship not the earth which is under authority, but the authority over it, perceiving it in its works. And by adding "He is holy," he denounces the unholy, falsely named gods; and he indicates that he rightly removes the impure from the kingdom, so that it may become receptive of holiness. 168 Ps 98,9 He urges us not only to worship the authoritative aspect of God, but also now more properly the sanctifying aspect, giving as a symbol of this the worship on the holy mountain.
169 Ps 100,8 The morning signifies the diligent one, just as God with diligence sends
the prophets, declaring, he says, by sending them early. And the removal of the wicked is lawful; "Remove the wicked one from among yourselves." And this has not ceased even in our time, even if it is done punitively. For the wicked are separated, and if not by death, until repentance.
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φάσκων καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι τὰς πολλὰς νήσους τουτέστι τὰ ἔθνη, εἶτα ἑξῆς ὠδίνειν τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ ὄρη τήκεσθαι· πῇ μὲν τοὺς ἁγίους λέγει, πῇ δὲ τοὺς ἐναντίους ὧν καὶ τὸ ὑψηλὸν δι' ὑπερηφανίας ὄρεσι ἀπεικάζει καὶ τὴν κατάλυσιν τῆς ὑπερηφανίας αὐτῶν ὀρέων τήξει ὁμοιοῖ. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἀλλοτρίοις νεφέλην καὶ γνόφον πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου θέας ἀπαντῶντα δείκνυσι τὸν φόβον καὶ τὴν συνοχὴν ὑποσημαίνων, τοῖς δὲ φωτὸς δεκτικοῖς ἀστραπὰς αὐτοῦ λέγει ἐμφαινούσας καὶ δόξαν θεωρουμένην, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πῦρ τὸ δικαστικὸν καταφλέξειν τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, ἀποκαλυπτομένης τῆς τοῦ κυρίου δικαιοσύνης ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ καθά φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· ὁ δὲ ψαλμῳδὸς τὸ ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἀναγγέλλεσθαί φησιν ὑπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν τὴν ἐκφάνειαν ἀγγελίαν ὀνομάζων, ἱδρύεσθαι δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ὑπὸ δικαιοσύνης καὶ κρίματος οἷον ἐπί τινος ἐρείσματος λέγων. σαφὲς ποιεῖ μὴ σωματικὸν εἶναι τὸν θρόνον ἀλλὰ θρόνον τὴν βασιλείαν καλεῖσθαι. 165 Ps 96,7ab Τοὺς διὰ πολλὴν ἀναισθησίαν καὶ ἠλιθιότητα προσκυνοῦντας οἷς αὐτοὶ ἔγλυψαν ἀγάλμασιν αἰσχυνθῆναι εὔχεται αἴσθησιν εἰληφότας. πρὸς καλοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἔσται τὸ τοιοῦτον. ἀποστήσονται γὰρ αἰσχυνθέντες τῆς μωρᾶς ταύτης ὑπολήψεως ἧς ὡσπερεὶ θεῶν εἶχον. 166 Ps 96,10a Ἐναντίον καὶ ἐχθρὸν τῷ θεῷ τὸ πονηρόν, οὐκ ἐναντιστάσει φύσεως ὄν. οὐ γὰρ ἀντιδιαιρεῖται τῇ ἀγαθῇ φύσει πονηρὸν τὸ παρὰ φύσιν, οὐδὲ φύσιν τινὰ δεικνυμένην ὑπολαβεῖν ἔστιν ἣν καλεῖ πονηρόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχομέν τινα τοιαύτην ἐν γνώσει, ἵν' εἰδότες μισήσαιμεν, ἀλλὰ πονηρὸν ἅπαν τὸ κατὰ κακίαν ἔργον ἐπιστάμεθα καὶ τὸ τούτου μῖσος, ἐάνπερ εὖ φρονῶμεν, ἐπιτηδεύομεν ἴσον τοῦτο νομίζοντες ἐκείνῳ τῷ Παύσασθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν.
167 Ps 98,5bc Τὸ ὑποπόδιόν φησι προσκυνεῖν τὴν παγκόσμιον ἐξουσίαν τὴν
τότε φανησομένην ἣ μὴ μόνου τοῦ ἡγιασμένου γένους ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων κρατεῖ, ὑποπόδιον ἀλληγορουμένη θεοῦ τὴν πᾶσαν ἐπέχον γῆν οἰκουμένην ὁμωνύμως καὶ αὐτὴν ὑποπόδιον καλουμένην, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἐξουσία κέκληται. ὁ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὢν θρόνος δ' ἂν ἀλληγοροῖτο ἡ πρὸς τὰ ἡγιασμένα οἰκειότης τοῦ θεοῦ, μάλιστα μὲν πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια, ἤδη δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐν γῇ. ὁμωνύμως δὲ ταύτῃ κατὰ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ἀλληγορεῖται θρόνος ὁ οὐρανός, θρόνος δὲ καὶ ἡ Ἱερουσαλὴμ διὰ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ ἁγίους ἐν τῷ οὐρανοῦ τρόπῳ· ὃ δὴ τεκμήριον τοῦ μὴ σωματικῶς καλεῖσθαι θρόνον τὸν οὐρανὸν μηδὲ σωματικῶς ὑποπόδιον τὴν γῆν, ὁπότε θρόνον καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὸ βραχὺ γῆς μέρος, ὑποπόδιον δὲ τὴν ἐποῦσαν τοῖς ἐξουσιαζομένοις ἐξουσίαν φαμέν. ὥσπερ καὶ θρόνος θεοῦ ἐν οὐρανῷ εἶναι λέγεται ἡ οἰκειότης ἡ τοῖς οὐρανίοις ὡς ἁγίοις ἐποῦσα, ὁμωνύμως καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ θρόνου θεοῦ καλουμένου, οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ κύριος τοὺς δεξαμένους τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα τὸ τῆς βασιλείας καλεῖ σπέρμα καλῶν ὁμωνύμως, ὥστε οὐ τὴν ὑπεξούσιον γῆν ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῇ κελεύει προσκυνεῖν αἰσθανομένοις αὐτῆς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις. Καὶ τὸ Ἅγιός ἐστιν ἐπιφέρων τῶν οὐχ ἁγίων κατατρέχει ψευδωνύμων θεῶν· καὶ τὸ εἰκότως ἀναιρεῖν ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας τοὺς ἀνάγνους ἐνδείκνυται, ἵνα τῆς ἁγιότητος δεκτικὴ γένηται. 168 Ps 98,9 Οὐ μόνον τὸ ἐξουσιαστικὸν τοῦ θεοῦ προσκυνεῖν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἁγιαστικὸν οἰκειοτέρως ἤδη παρακελεύεται, σύμβολον τούτου διδοὺς τὴν ἐν τῷ ἡγιασμένῳ ὄρει προσκύνησιν.
169 Ps 100,8 Ἡ πρωΐα δηλοῖ τὸν σπουδαῖον ὥσπερ θεὸς τῇ σπουδῇ πέμπειν
τοὺς προφήτας δηλῶν Ὀρθρίζων φησὶν ἀποστέλλων. νόμιμος δὲ ἡ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐξαίρεσις· Ἐξαιρεῖτε τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν. καὶ τοῦτο οὐδ' ἐφ' ἡμῶν πέπαυται, εἰ καὶ κολαστικῶς γίνεται. χωρίζονται γὰρ οἱ φαῦλοι, καὶ εἰ μὴ θανάτῳ, μέχρι τῆς μετανοίας.
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