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of retribution; that all must stand before him; that His judgment, he says, will go forth as light. Then thrones were set. Not thrones, on which You shall sit, he says, upon twelve thrones? And the hair of his head was like pure wool. The fire consumed nothing, for it was gentle. Did you see a vision and a form that was civic and popular? The throne inspired fear, because it was made of much fire; not simply fire, but flaming. For lest you think it was compared because of the image, he added its effect, saying not simply fire, but, a Flaming Fire. A river of fire flowed before him. A thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court sat. That is, for this reason he came, to establish a tribunal. And the books were opened. What are you saying? Does God need books, He who knows all things before their creation? He who fashioned their hearts one by one? But he speaks according to the law of these rulers, just as records are kept among us. For just as here it is not read so that the ruler alone may learn, but so that the judgment may be shown to be just; so also then, although he knows he is judging justly, nevertheless he opens the books. For what reason? What are you saying, and what do you want to say? For what reason does he not also speak of the honors? He said: Thrones were set, since God also appointed these; but since we did not listen, then the punishment and the chastisement. And did he not utter this first voice to us? From that time, he says, he began to preach the kingdom of heaven. Suppose nothing bodily, beloved, nor think that the infinite God is contained in a throne. For if In his hand are the ends of the earth; if He weighed the mountains with a scale; if All the nations were considered as spittle before him, and all things as dust before him, as he himself says; what place will be able to encompass him all at once? But what? This is not so, he is not confined 56.232 to a throne. And if he had a garment, how did the fire not consume it? how is he the Ancient of days, who existed before all ages? and how ancient? For you, he says, are the same. How then ancient? For your years, he says, will not fail. And how could there be a garment around the infinite and bodiless One? For of his greatness, he says, there is no end. And again: If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I descend into Hades, you are present. How then was he circumscribed by a human garment, and it did not consume this? But indeed the prophet was able to see many other things. And how were hairs not consumed in fire? For because of this he added: His throne was a flaming fire. And the books were opened. So that the one being judged might become self-condemned. I was watching then because of the sound of the great words which that horn was speaking. I was watching, until the beast was slain, and perished, because of its great boasting. And yet Alexander worshipped God. And its body was given for burning with fire. And of the remaining beasts the dominion was removed; and a length of life was given to them until times and a time. Even if they had an end, nevertheless this came to pass. And the beast was burned up, and its body was burned. It signifies being completely destroyed. I was watching in a vision of the night; and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of man was coming. Who is ignorant of these things? who will be able to see clearly? For is it Peter who says these things, O Jew? Is it Paul? And behold, he says, one like a Son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of days. Behold also the equality of honor. He was brought before him. So that when you see the kingdom being given to him, you may not think the giving is in a human way. For from the clouds of heaven, he says; and Scripture is accustomed to take the clouds for heaven. And to him was given the dominion, and the honor, and the kingdom; and all the peoples, tribes, tongues will serve him. His authority is an eternal authority, which will not pass away; and his kingdom will not be destroyed. What is clearer than this? Tell me. And all peoples, he says, tribes, tongues will serve him. See how he described every nation of the inhabited world. See also the

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ἀνταποδόσεως· ὅτι πάντας δεῖ αὐτῷ παραστῆναι· ὅτι Τὸ κρῖμα αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, ὡς φῶς ἐξελεύσεται. Εἶτα Θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν. Οὐ θρόνοι, ἐν οἷς Καθή σεσθε, φησὶ, ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους; Καὶ ἡ θρὶξ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ ἔριον καθαρόν. Τὸ πῦρ οὐδὲν ἀνήλισκεν, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἥμερον. Εἶδες ὄψιν καὶ σχῆμα πολιτικὸν καὶ δημαγωγικόν; Ὁ θρόνος ἐφόβει, τῷ πολύπυρος εἶναι· πῦρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ φλέγον. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς διὰ τὴν εἰκόνα παραβεβλῆσθαι, προσέθηκεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐνέργειαν, εἰπὼν οὐχ ἁπλῶς πῦρ, ἀλλὰ, Πῦρ φλέγον. Ποταμὸς πυρὸς εἷλκεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ. Χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν ἔμ προσθεν αὐτοῦ. Κριτήριον ἐκάθισεν. Τουτέστι, διὰ τοῦτο παρεγένετο, ὥστε κριτήριον καθίσαι. Καὶ βί βλοι ἀνεῴχθησαν. Τί λέγεις; βιβλίων ὁ Θεὸς δεῖται, Ὁ τὰ πάντα εἰδὼς πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν; Ὁ πλάσας κατὰ μόνας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν; Ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν νόμον τῶν ἀρχόντων τούτων λέγει, ὥσπερ τὰ ὑπομνήματα πράττεται παρ' ἡμῖν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν ταῦθα οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγινώσκεται, ὥστε μαθεῖν τὸν ἄρχοντα μόνον, ἀλλ' ὥστε φανῆναι δικαίαν οὖσαν τὴν κρίσιν· οὕτω καὶ τότε, εἰ καὶ οἶδε δικαίως δικάζων, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀνοίγει τὰς βίβλους. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Τί λέ γεις, καὶ τί θέλεις εἰπεῖν; Τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ λέγει καὶ τὰς τιμάς; Εἶπεν· Θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ταύτας ὥρισεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν, τότε τὴν τιμωρίαν καὶ τὴν κόλασιν. Καὶ οὐχ ἡμῖν πρώτην ταύτην ἀφῆκε φωνήν; Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο, φησὶ, κη ρύσσειν τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Μηδὲν σωμα τικὸν ὑπολάβῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, μηδὲ ἐμπεριειλῆφθαι θρόνῳ τὸν ἄπειρον Θεὸν νομίσῃς. Εἰ γὰρ Ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς· εἰ Τὰ ὄρη ἔστησε ζυγῷ· εἰ Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ὡς σίελος ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐλογί σθη, καὶ ὡς κονιορτὸς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ τὰ πάντα, ὡς αὐτός φησι· ποῖος τόπος ὅλον ὁμοῦ περιβαλεῖν δυνήσεται; Ἀλλὰ τί; Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, οὐκ ἐναπείλη 56.232 πται θρόνῳ. Εἰ δὲ ἔνδυμα εἶχε, πῶς οὐκ ἀνήλωσεν αὐτὸ τὸ πῦρ; πῶς εἶ δὲ (f. εἴη) Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν, ὁ [f. ὃς] πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων ὑπῆρχε; πῶς δὲ καὶ παλαιός; Σὺ γὰρ, φησὶ, ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ. Πῶς οὖν παλαιός; Καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου γὰρ, φησὶ, οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν. Πῶς δὲ καὶ ἔνδυμα γένοιτ' ἂν περὶ τὸν ἄπειρον καὶ ἀσώματον; Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, ἔστι πέ ρας. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐὰν ἀναβῶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, σὺ ἐκεῖ εἶ· ἐὰν καταβῶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, πάρει. Πῶς οὖν ἱματίῳ περιεγράφετο ἀνθρωπίνῳ, καὶ οὔτε τοῦτο ἀν ήλισκεν; Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ ἠδύνατο ἰδεῖν ὁ προφήτης. Πῶς δὲ τρίχες ἐν πυρὶ οὐκ ἀνηλίσκοντο; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγεν· Ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον. Καὶ βίβλοι ἀνεῴχθησαν. Ὥστε αὐτοκατά κριτον γενέσθαι τὸν κρινόμενον. Ἐθεώρουν τότε ἀπὸ φωνῆς τῶν λόγων τῶν μεγάλων, ὧν τὸ κέρας ἐκεῖνο ἐλάλει. Θεωρῶν ἤμην, ἕως ἀνῃρέθη τὸ θη ρίον, καὶ ἀπώλετο, ἀπὸ τῆς μεγαληγορίας. Καίτοι Ἀλέξανδρος προσεκύνησε τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐδόθη εἰς καῦσιν πυρός. Καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν θηρίων μετεστάθη ἡ ἀρχή· καὶ μακρότης ζωῆς ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἕως καιρῶν καὶ καιροῦ. Εἰ καὶ τέλος ἔσχον, ἀλλ' ὅμως τοῦτο ἐγένετο. Καὶ κετεκαύθη τὸ θηρίον, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐκαύθη. Τὸ παντελῶς ἀνῃρῆσθαι δηλοῖ. Ἐθεώρουν ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτός· καὶ ἰδοὺ μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος ἦν. Τίς ταῦτα ἀγνοεῖ; τίς διαβλέψαι δυνήσεται; μὴ γὰρ Πέτρος ταῦτα λέγει, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε; μὴ γὰρ Παῦλος; Καὶ ἰδοὺ, φησὶ, ὡς Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος ἦν, καὶ ἕως τοῦ Παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔφθασεν. Ἰδοὺ καὶ τὸ ὁμότιμον. Ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ. Ἵνα ὅταν ἴδῃς διδομένην αὐτῷ τὴν βασιλείαν, μὴ ἀνθρωπίνως νομίσῃς εἶναι τὸ δεδόσθαι. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, φησί· τὰς δὲ νεφέλας ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ παραλαμβάνειν εἴωθεν ἡ Γραφή. Καὶ αὐτῷ ἐδόθη ἡ ἀρχὴ, καὶ ἡ τιμὴ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία· καὶ πάντες οἱ λαοὶ, φυλαὶ, γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσιν. Ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ ἐξουσία αἰώνιος, ἥτις οὐ παρελεύσεται· καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ οὐ διαφθαρήσεται. Τί τούτου σαφέστερον; εἰπέ μοι. Καὶ πάντες λαοὶ, φησὶ, φυλαὶ, γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσιν. Ὅρα πῶς ἅπαν τὸ ἔθνος τῆς οἰκουμένης περιέγραψεν. Ὅρα καὶ τὸ