Eusebius of Caesarea, Fragments on Luke

will enter or into the new age and the new world? And indeed, of the unseen and bodiless powers, through which the entire heaven is governed, having been moved from their eternal position, the entire heaven itself, both sun and moon, and stars will pass away, with the heaven being opened, and its eternally closed gates being thrown open, so that the things under heaven might be seen, and the eternal kingdom of God might be revealed to all; for which 24.597 indeed to pray that it might come quickly, the Savior himself taught, exhorting us to say in prayer: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven; and thus when the corruptible and bodily things have passed away, the intelligible and heavenly things will come; when also the unshakable kingdom of the age that will no longer pass away will lead, and a new and fresh heaven, and a new earth will be established according to the prophet who said: There will be a new heaven and a new earth, which I make to remain before me, says the Lord. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. The powers that served the former age in the constitution of the former world, and presided over the perceptible parts of the universe, will then indeed be shaken, so that they might obtain a better state. For a time indeed they serve, ministering to corruptible bodies, but in the new age they themselves will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For in the present, creation groans, being in bondage to the corruption of perceptible bodies, and keeping its own station, in which the Lord of all established it; but then, at the saving theophany, having been set free from its present station, it will pass on to better things. And when these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads. And he says these things to the disciples, not as though they themselves were going to live and remain in this life until the consummation, but as being one body, both they and we, and those after them until the consummation who have believed in him, and for his sake have been humbled in the present life. Then indeed, having received the promises for which we hoped, we who were then bowed down will look up, and we who were long humbled will lift up our heads. For our expected redemption will be that very one, which all creation also expects according to the apostolic teaching, for which Paul also, waiting for it, groans, serving with saving utterances. But when the redemption is near, he taught precisely, saying that it is when these things begin to take place. For when these things that are spoken of are not beginning, but already proceeding to deeds, it is likely that the redemption is no longer near, but is being accomplished in deeds. But the divine Apostle teaches that the redemption and freedom of all creation itself will also take place then, because of its future transformation for the better. Therefore he says: And creation itself will be set free from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For since all the children of God, being incorruptible and immortal, will inhabit the new age, it was necessary, surely, that creation itself, which is now in bondage to a corruptible nature, should change into an incorruptible substance, having been set free from its present condition. Appropriately, however, to the text: And then they will see the Son of Man com 24.600 ing on a cloud with glory, you will compare the prophecy of Daniel, through which both the Son of Man, and the cloud, and the kingdom to be given to the Son of Man were seen. But then indeed one prophet, borne by the divine Spirit, saw what was to be; but at the time of the consummation, all, as the Savior says, will see him coming on a cloud with great power, life-giving and illuminating for the new age, and with great glory, that is, of the paternal deity. But when will these things be? When the times of the nations are fulfilled. For when the time appointed for the nations has been completed, there will be signs of the consummation of the world.

εἰσελεύσεται ἢ εἰς τὸν νέον αἰῶνα καὶ τὴν καινὴν οἰκουμένην; Καὶ δὴ τῶν δυνάμεων τῶν ἀφανῶν καὶ ἀσωμάτων, δι' ὧν ὁ σύμπας οὐρανὸς διοικεῖται, τῆς ἐξ αἰῶνος στάσεως παρακινηθεισῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σύμπας οὐρανὸς ἥλιός τε καὶ σελήνη, καὶ ἀστέρες παρελεύσονται, ἀνοιγομένου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος κεκλεισμένων αὐτοῦ πυλῶν ἀναπεταννυμένων, ὡς ἂν ὀφθεῖεν τὰ ὑπουράνια, καὶ ἡ ἐξ αἰῶνος τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλεία φανηθείη τοῖς πᾶσιν· ἢν 24.597 δὴ καὶ προσεύχεσθαι ᾗ τάχος ἐπιστῆναι, αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐδίδαξε, λέγειν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ παρακελευόμενος· Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· οὕτω τε τῶν φθαρτῶν καὶ σωματικῶν παρελθόντων, τὰ νοητὰ καὶ οὐράνια ἐπιστήσεται· ὅτε καὶ ἡ ἀσάλευτος βασιλεία τοῦ μηκέτι παρελευσομένου αἰῶνος καθηγήσεται, καινός τε καὶ νέος οὐρανὸς, γῆ τε καινὴ συστήσεται κατὰ τὸν φήσαντα προφήτην· Ἔσται οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινὴ, ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ μένειν ἐνώπιόν μου, λέγει Κύριος. Αἱ γὰρ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται. Αἱ τὸν πρότερον αἰῶνα διακονησάμεναι δυνάμεις ἐν τῇ συστάσει τοῦ προτέρου κόσμου, τοῖς τε αἰσθητοῖς μέρεσι τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιστατήσασαι, τότε δὴ σαλευθήσονται, ὡς ἂν κρείττονος τύχοιεν στάσεως. Τέως μὲν γὰρ δουλεύουσι φθαρτοῖς σώμασι διακονούμεναι, κατὰ δὲ τὸν νέον αἰῶνα ἐλευθερωθήσονται καὶ αὐταὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ παρόντος στενάζει ἡ κτίσις τῇ φθορᾷ τῶν αἰσθητῶν σωμάτων δουλεύουσα, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν στάσιν φυλάττουσα, ἐν ᾗ κατέστησεν αὐτὴν ὁ τοῦ παντὸς Κύριος· τότε δὲ, κατὰ τὴν σωτήριον θεοφάνειαν ἐλευθερωθεῖσα τῆς νῦν στάσεως, ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω μεταβήσεται. Ἀρχομένων δὲ τούτων γίνεσθαι, ἀνακύψατε καὶ ἐπάρατε τὰς κεφαλὰς ὑμῶν. Λέγει δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς, οὐχ ὡς μέλλοντας αὐτοὺς ζήσεσθαι, καὶ παραμένειν τῷ βίῳ μέχρι τῆς συντελείας, ἀλλ' ὡς ἑνὸς ὄντος σώματος αὐτῶν τε καὶ ἡμῶν, τῶν τε μετὰ ταῦτα μέχρι τῆς συντελείας εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότων, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον τεταπεινωμένων. Τότε γοῦν ἀπολαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἐφ' αἷς ἠλπίζομεν, ἀνακύψομεν οἱ τότε συγκεκυφότες, καὶ ἐπαροῦμεν τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν οἱ πάλαι τεταπεινωμένοι. Ἡ γὰρ ἀπολύτρωσις ἡμῶν ἡ προσδοκωμένη αὐτὴ ἐκείνη ἔσται, ἣν καὶ ἡ πᾶσα κτίσις προσδοκᾷ κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν διδασκαλίαν, ἣν καὶ Παῦλος ἀπεκδεχόμενος στενάζει ταῖς σωτηρίοις φωναῖς δουλεύων. Πότε δὲ ἐγγίζει ἡ ἀπολύτρωσις, ἀκριβῶς ἐδίδαξεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι τούτων ἀρχομένων γίνεσθαι. Μὴ γὰρ ἀρχομένων, ἀλλ' ἤδη εἰς ἔργα χωρούντων τῶν λεγομένων, οὐκέτι ἐγγίζειν εἰκὸς τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἀλλ' ἔργοις ἐπιτελεῖσθαι. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος καὶ ὅλης αὐτῆς τῆς κτίσεως ἀπολύτρωσιν καὶ ἐλευθερίαν τότε γενήσεσθαι διδάσκει, διὰ τὸν μέλλοντα καὶ αὐτῆς γίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μετασχηματισμόν. ∆ιό φησι· Καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀφθάρτων γὰρ ἁπάντων καὶ ἀθανάτων τῶν τέκνων τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν νέον οἰκησάντων αἰῶνα, ἐχρῆν δήπου καὶ τὴν κτίσιν αὐτὴν τὴν νῦν τῇ φθαρτῇ φύσει δουλεύουσαν, εἰς ἄφθαρτον οὐσίαν μεταβαλεῖν, τῆς παρούσης καταστάσεως ἐλευθερωθεῖσαν. Εὐκαίρως μέντοι τῷ· Καὶ τότε ὄψονται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρ 24.600 χόμενον ἐν νεφέλῃ μετὰ δόξης, παραθήσεις τὴν τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ προφητείαν, δι' ἧς καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἡ νεφέλη, καὶ ἡ τῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου δοθησομένη βασιλεία ἐθεωρεῖτο. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν εἷς προφήτης θείῳ Πνεύματι θεοφορούμενος τὸ μέλλον ἔσεσθαι ἐθεᾶτο· κατὰ δὲ τὸν τῆς συντελείας καιρὸν πάντες, ὥς φησιν ὁ Σωτὴρ, αὐτὸν ὄψονται ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλῃ μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς ζωοποιητικῆς καὶ φωτιστικῆς τοῦ νέου αἰῶνος, καὶ μετὰ δόξης πολλῆς, τῆς πατρικῆς δηλαδὴ θεότητος. Πότε δὲ ταῦτα ἔσται; Ὅταν πληρωθῶσι καιροὶ ἐθνῶν. Περαιωθείσης γὰρ τῆς ὡρισμένης τοῖς ἔθνεσι προθεσμίας, ἔσται σημεῖα τῆς τοῦ κόσμου συντελείας.