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a divine vision and contemplation of the truth. Among these men, who are truly in the image and likeness of God, Jesus, who received them from the Father, conversed, “having been seen on earth that he might converse with men,” providing a type and example to those who have chosen to imitate him. 1.234 In a second sense, you will say that the dancing angels are shown standing, gathered in “thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads” praising the all-sovereign Savior and ministering to him. Conversing among these attendants of their creator are given those who after the resurrection become equal to angels, no longer marrying or given in marriage, no longer able to die, the succession of marriage and childbearing having ceased, since “their corruptible has put on incorruption and their mortal has put on immortality.” 1.235 For how does he who achieves celibacy not converse in the midst of the standing immortal angels and the other divine powers, “caring for the things of the Lord, without distraction,” being always “in close attendance,” whom he chose to serve in a priestly manner, having purposed, so to speak, to serve him nobly. 1.236 Likewise also “the virgin, being holy in spirit and body,” without distraction pleases the divine bridegroom, not tolerating to be separated from him in any way. And, to put it briefly, all who draw near to the Savior by partaking of him converse in the midst of those who are ever and perpetually standing in holiness. One of those so conversing, hymning the all-sovereign king, exclaimed: “Before the angels I will sing praise to you.” 1.237Zach. III, 8-9: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign. For behold, I will bring my servant the Branch, for the stone that I have given before Joshua, upon the one stone there are seven eyes. 1.238 The angel of the Lord who testified to Joshua the high priest says these things: Hear, you, Joshua, being the high priest; and let your companions who sit before you also hear, being men who are a sign, that I am calling my servant the Branch, that upon the stone which I have given before Joshua there are seven eyes of his. 1.239 The high priest Jesus has been shown in the preceding passages to be the one who serves as priest according to the order of Melchizedek, concerning whom the Apostle, writing to the Hebrews, writes: “Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus, who was faithful to him who made him.” 1.240 And see that those who are able to consider how the apostle and high priest of our confession is faithful to him who made him are holy, partaking of a heavenly calling. For it is not for everyone to contemplate how the apostle and priest Jesus is faithful to him who made him, but only for each one who is able to speak wisdom among the perfect, who is able to say, “I have seen Jesus,” with the eyes of my heart having been enlightened by the true light. 1.241 Of course, then, those not partaking of a heavenly calling, both deceive and are themselves deceived by this saying, saying that the Son of God is a creature and a thing made. But these fools err senselessly, taking “him who made him” to refer to creation and bringing into being, although the one who wrote the epistle did not intend this. 1.242 For to become a faithful apostle and high priest reveals that he is shown to be a steadfast and unmovable apostle and priest; for Jesus is not always an apostle and priest, but only since the existence of those to whom he is sent and for whom he offers sacrifice, for whom and because of whom the descent here took place of the one sent by the Father, when “he bowed the heaven and came down” to those to whom he was sent and of whom he is priest. 1.243 But there are many scriptures that signify what is steadfast and unshakable by means of the word “faithful”; for what is said about God, that: “All his commandments are faithful, established for the age of

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θείαν καὶ θεωρίαν τῆς ἀληθείας. Ἐν οἷς ἀνθρώποις, ἀληθῶς τυγχάνουσι κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ, συνανεστράφη ὁ λαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς Ἰησοῦς, «ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὀφθεὶς ἵνα συναναστραφῇ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις», τύπον καὶ ὑπογραμμὸν παρέχων τοῖς προῃρημένοις μιμεῖσθαι αὐτόν. 1.234 Κατὰ δεύτερον λόγον ἐρεῖς ἑστηκότας δεικνυμένους τοὺς χορεύοντας ἀγγέλους συναγομένους κατὰ «χιλιάδας χιλιάδων καὶ μυριάδας μυριάδων» αἰνούντων τὸν παμβασιλέα Σωτῆρα καὶ λειτουργούντων αὐτῷ. Τούτων τῶν παραστατῶν τῷ αὐτῶν δημιουργῷ ἀνὰ μέσον ἀναστρεφόμενοι δίδονται οἱ μετὰ ἀνάστασιν ἰσάγγελοι γινόμενοι, οὐκέτι γαμοῦντες ἢ γαμιζόμενοι, οὐκέτι ἀποθανεῖν δυνάμενοι, παυσαμένης τῆς ἐγγάμων καὶ παιδοποιίας διαδοχῆς, ἐπείπερ «τὸ φθαρτὸν αὐτῶν ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν ἀθανασίαν ἐνεδύσατο». 1.235 Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑστηκότων ἀθανάτων ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν ἑτέρων θείων δυνάμεων ἀναστρέφεται ὁ ἀγαμίαν κατορθῶν, «μεριμνῶν τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀπερισπάστως» ἀεὶ ὢν «εὐπάρεδρος» τὸν θεραπεύειν ἱερατικῶς εἵλατο, εὐγενῶς δουλεύειν αὐτῷ, ἵν' οὕτω φράσω, προθέμενος. 1.236 Ὁμοίως καὶ «ἡ παρθένος, πνεύματι καὶ σώματι ἁγία» τυγχάνουσα, ἀπερισπάστως εὐαρεστεῖ τῷ θείῳ νυμφίῳ, οὐδὲ κατὰ ποσὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπολείπεσθαι ἀνεχομένη. Καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν πάντες οἱ τῷ Σωτῆρι πλησιάζοντες τῷ μετέχειν αὐτοῦ ἀναστρέφονται ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἀεὶ καὶ διηνεκῶς ἑστηκότων ἐν ἁγιότητι. Εἷς τῶν οὕτως ἀναστρεφομένων ὑμνῶν τὸν παμβασιλέα ἀνεφθέγξατο· «Ἐναντίον ἀγγέλων ψαλῶ σοι.» 1.237Zach. III, 8-9: Ἄκουε δή, Ἰησοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, σὺ καὶ οἱ πλησίον σου καὶ οἱ καθήμενοι πρὸ προσώπου σου, διότι ἄνδρες τερατοσκόποι εἰσίν. ∆ιότι ἰδοὺ ἄγω τὸν δοῦλόν μου ἀνατολήν, διότι ὁ λίθος ὃν ἔδωκα πρὸ προσώπου Ἰησοῦ, ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τὸν ἕνα ἑπτὰ ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν. 1.238 Ὁ διαμαρτυρόμενος ἄγγελος Κυρίου τῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ μεγάλῳ ἱερεῖ τάδε φησίν· Ἄκουε σύ, Ἰησοῦ, ὁ μέγας ἱερεὺς ὤν· ἀκουέτωσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ πλησίον σου καὶ οἱ καθήμενοι πρὸ προσώπου σου, τερατοσκόποι ἄνδρες ὄντες, ὅτι ἐγὼ καλῶ τὸν δοῦλόν μου ἀνατολήν, ὅτι ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον ὃν ἔδωκα πρὸ προσώπου Ἰησοῦ ἑπτὰ ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν αὐτοῦ. 1.239 Ἱερεὺς μέγας Ἰησοῦς ἐν τοῖς πρότερον ἀποδέδοται ὁ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἱερατεύων, περὶ οὗ Ἑβραίοις ἐπιστέλλων ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφει· «Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν.» 1.240 Καὶ ὅρα ὅτι οἱ δυνάμενοι κατανοεῖν ὡς πιστός ἐστιν τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν ὁ ἀπόστολος καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν ἅγιοι τυγχάνουσιν, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μετέχοντες. Οὐ γὰρ παντός ἐστι θεωρεῖν πῶς πιστός ἐστιν τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν ἀπόστολος καὶ ἱερεὺς Ἰησοῦς, ἀλλὰ μόνου καὶ παντὸς τοῦ σοφίαν δυναμένου λαλεῖν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, τοῦ δυναμένου φάναι· «Ἰησοῦν ἑώρακα» τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς καρδίας μου πεφωτισμένοις πρὸς τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτός. 1.241 Ἀμέλει γοῦν οἱ κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μὴ μετέχοντες, καὶ ἐκ τῆς λέξεως ταύτης ἀπατῶσιν καὶ αὐτοὶ προηπατημένοι, κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα λέγοντες εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱόν. Σφάλλονται δὲ ἀνοήτως οἱ ἠλίθιοι, τὸ «ποιήσαντα αὐτὸν» ἐπὶ δημιουργίας καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγωγῆς λαμβάνοντες, τοῦ γράψαντος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν οὐ βουλομένου τοῦτο. 1.242 Τὸ γὰρ πιστὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα γίνεσθαι φανεροῖ βέβαιον καὶ ἀμετακίνητον ἀπόστολον καὶ ἱερέα ἀποδείκνυσθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἀεὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ ἱερεὺς Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἀφ' οὗ ὑπάρχουσιν οἱ πρὸς οὓς ἀποστέλλεται καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἱερᾶται, οἷς καὶ δι' οὓς ἡ δεῦρο κάθοδος γέγονεν τοῦ ἀποσταλέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός, ὅτε «κλίνας οὐρανὸν κατέβη» πρὸς οὓς ἀπεστάλη καὶ ὧν ἱερεύς ἐστιν. 1.243 Πολλαὶ δέ εἰσιν γραφαὶ διὰ τοῦ πιστοῦ σημαίνουσαι τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἀκράδαντον· τὸ γὰρ περὶ Θεοῦ λεγόμενον ὅτι· «Πισταὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐστεριγμέναι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ