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I will feel all the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, says the Lord Almighty, let each one summon his neighbor under a vine and under a fig tree. 1.263 I, the Lord Almighty, he says, am digging a pit, in order to reveal all hidden things, in order to touch and feel all the iniquity of that land, clearly that which is being dug up, in one shining day, then most of all when "the Lord God" the Almighty "illuminates the hidden things of darkness, and reveals the counsels of hearts," in order to condemn those who have committed all iniquity. 1.264 One day can be called the time of our Savior's advent, in which the benefactor who has shone forth, who is also judge, feels all the iniquity of the revealed land, "taking away the sin of the world"; when this is accomplished, with the mother of all sedition and of every war of iniquity removed, there will be a deep peace, so that no one fears any longer, since the demons who raise up seditions and wars and the other opposing powers have been destroyed, which are called "world-rulers of this darkness," so that each one may then live without fear and call his neighbor under a fig tree and a vine. 1.265 Sketching this peaceful and stable condition, Micah the prophet also proclaims prophetically concerning that day, saying: "Each one will call his neighbor and his brother under his fig tree and his vine, with none to make them afraid." For how will there still be anyone to make them afraid, when all those who raise up seditions and wars have been destroyed? 1.266 But what do the mentioned plants signify, I mean the vine and the fig tree, other than the contemplative and the practical life? The vine, producing a fruit that creates gnostic and scientific gladness, while the fig tree [signifies] the practical, being somewhat austere and harsh on account of the labors and sweats for the acquisition of virtue. 1.267 Concerning the fig tree so interpreted, the Solomonic oracle in Proverbs says: "He who plants a fig tree will eat its fruits, but he who guards the Lord will be honored," the historical sense not being incontrovertible; for many who planted a physical fig tree neither picked nor ate its fruits, being either prevented by death, or settled far from the plant they planted, with only and every man eating the fruits of the spiritual tree he planted. 1.268 And the fig tree has been said to be the practical and active life of good things; accordingly, the vine must also be understood, which becomes like a branch of the true vine. For each of the disciples of Jesus is a vine, being a branch of the Savior who says: "I am the vine, and you are the branches. Every branch that abides in me bears more fruit." 1.269 Being friendly and brotherly, those who have cultivated the said trees call one another peacefully under a vine and a fig tree, in order to live in delight. When, therefore, you see the gnostic man hastening to lead his neighbors under the wise contemplation of God and of His doctrines and thoughts, you see how he has called those whom he loves as his neighbor to himself under his own vine, that they may feast and rejoice together. 1.270 Likewise, the doer of good works leads his friends under the fig tree he planted, which is practical virtue, that they may rest together, entering into the joy of their master.

1.271Zach. IV, 1-3: And the angel who was speaking in me returned, and

woke me up as a man is woken from his sleep. And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I have seen, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, and its lamp on top of it, and seven lamps on top of it, and seven pipes for the lamps on top of it. And two olive trees above it, one on the right of its lamp, and

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ψηλαφήσω πᾶσαν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ. Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, συγκαλέσατε ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ ὑποκάτω ἀμπέλου καὶ ὑποκάτω συκῆς. 1.263 Ὀρύσσω, φησίν, ἐγὼ Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, βόθρον, ἐπὶ τῷ τὰ κεκρυμμένα πάντα φανερῶσαι, ἐπὶ τῷ ἅψασθαι καὶ ψηλαφῆσαι πᾶσαν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης, δῆλον δ' ὅτι τῆς ὀρυττομένης, ἐν μιᾷ τῇ ἐπιλαμπομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ, τότε μάλιστα ὅτε «φωτίζει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς» ὁ παντοκράτωρ «τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους, καὶ τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν φανεροῖ», ἐπὶ τῷ καταδικάσαι τοὺς πράξαντας τὴν ἀδικίαν πᾶσαν. 1.264 ∆ύναται ἡμέρα μία καλεῖσθαι ὁ καιρὸς τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίας, ἐν ᾗ ψηλαφᾷ ὁ ἐπιλάμψας εὐεργέτης ἅμα καὶ κριτὴς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῆς δεικνυμένης γῆς, «αἱρῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου»· οὗ κατορθωθέντος, ἐκποδὼν γεναμένης τῆς μητρὸς πάσης στάσεως καὶ παντὸς πολέμου ἀδικίας, εἰρήνη ἔσται βαθεῖα, ὡς μηκέτι δεδιέναι τινά, καταλυθέντων τῶν στάσεις καὶ πολέμους ἐγειρόντων δαιμόνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων, αἳ εἴρηνται «κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τούτου», ὡς ἀφόβως λοιπὸν διάγειν ἕκαστον καὶ προσκαλεῖσθαι τὸν πλησίον ὑποκάτω συκῆς καὶ ἀμπέλου. 1.265 Ταύτην ὑπογράφων τὴν εἰρηναίαν καὶ εὐσταθῆ κατάστασιν, καὶ Μιχαίας ὁ προφήτης προαναφωνεῖ προγνωστικῶς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λέγων· «Προσκαλέσεται ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ὑποκάτω συκῆς καὶ ἀμπέλου αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ὄντος τοῦ ἐκφοβοῦντος.» Πῶς γὰρ ἔτι ἐκφοβῶν τις ἔσται, πάντων τῶν στάσεις καὶ πολέμους ἐγειρόντων καταλυθέντων; 1.266 Τί δ' αἰνίττονται τὰ μνημονευθέντα φυτ̣ά, ἄμπελον καὶ συκῆν λέγω, ἢ τὸν θεωρητικὸν καὶ πρακτικὸν βίον; Ἡ μὲν ἄμπελος τὸν γνωστικὸν καὶ ἐπιστημονικὸν εὐφροσύνης ποιητικὸν ποιοῦσα καρπόν, ἡ δὲ συκῆ τὸν πρακτικόν, αὐστηρά τις καὶ τραχεῖα τυγχάνουσα διὰ τοὺς ὑπὲρ κτήσεως ἀρετῆς πόνους καὶ ἱδρῶτας. 1.267 Περὶ τῆς οὕτω ἀποδιδομένης συκῆς τὸ σαλαμώντιον θέσπισμα ἐν Παροιμίαις λέγει· «Ὁ φυτεύων συκῆν φάγεται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων τὸν Κύριον τιμηθήσεται», οὐκ οὔσης ἀναντιρρήτου τῆς ἱστορίας· πολλοὶ γὰρ φυτεύσαντες αἰσθητὴν συκῆν οὐδ' ἐδρέψαντο οὐδ' ἔφαγον τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ἢ θανάτῳ κωλυθέντες, ἢ πόρρω οὗ ἐφύτευσαν φυτοῦ ἀπῳκισμένοι, μόνου καὶ παντὸς ἐσθίοντος τοὺς καρποὺς οὗ ἐφύτευσαν πνευματικοῦ δένδρου. 1.268 Εἴρηται δ' ἡ συκῆ ὁ πρακτικὸς καὶ ἐνεργητικὸς τῶν καλῶν βίος· καταλλήλως ἐκδεκτέον καὶ τὴν ἄμπελον, τὴν γινομένην οἷα κλῆμα ἀμπέλου τῆς ἀληθινῆς. Ἄμπελος γάρ ἐστιν ἕκαστος τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθητῶν, κλῆμα τυγχάνων τοῦ λέγοντος Σωτῆρος· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς δὲ τὰ κλήματα. Πᾶν κλῆμα μένον ἐν ἐμοὶ πλείονα καρπὸν φέρει.» 1.269 Φιλέταιροι καὶ φιλάδελφοι τυγχάνοντες οἱ τὰ λεχθέντα δένδρα γεωργήσαντες, προσκαλοῦνται ἀλλήλους ὑποκάτω ἀμπέλου καὶ συκῆς εἰρηναίως, ἐπὶ τῷ τρυφῶντας διάγειν. Ὅτε γοῦν ὁρᾷς τὸν γνωστικὸν ἄνδρα σπεύδοντα ἄγειν τοὺς πλησίους ὑπὸ τὴν σοφὴν θεωρίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ δογμάτων τε καὶ φρονημάτων, σκοπεῖς πῶς προσεκαλέσατο οὓς ἀγαπᾷ πλησίον ὡς ἑαυτὸν ὑπὸ τὴν ἰδίαν ἄμπελον, ἵν' εὐωχῶνται καὶ εὐφραίνωνται ἅμα. 1.270 Ὡσαύτως ὁ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ποιήτης ἄγει τοὺς φίλους ὑπὸ τὴν ἐφύτευσε συκῆν τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετήν, ἵνα ἅμα ῥᾳστωνεύσωσιν, εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ ἑαυτῶν δεσπότου.

1.271Zach. IV, 1-3: Καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ

ἐξήγειρέν με ὃν τρόπον ὅταν ἐξεγερθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὕπνου αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν πρός με· Τί σὺ βλέπεις; καὶ εἶπα· Ἑώρακα, καὶ ἰδοὺ λυχνία χρυσῆ ὅλη, καὶ τὸ λαμπάδιον ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, καὶ ἑπτὰ λ̣ύχνοι ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, καὶ ἑπτὰ ἐπαρυστρίδες τοῖς λύχνοις τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς. Καὶ δύο ἐλαῖαι ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, μία ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ λαμπαδίου αὐτῆς, καὶ