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This is neither your accomplishment, he says, nor indeed a commendation; the grace has passed to your children; calling themselves their sons, and those men fathers. And your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams; and indeed upon my menservants and upon my maidservants in those days I will pour out of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. For the time being, he shows them as having found favor, as having been deemed worthy of the Spirit; but not those others, as having crucified him. So also Christ, wishing to soften their anger, said: But your sons, by whom do they cast out demons? He did not say, My disciples; for it would have seemed to be flattery. So also he himself did not say that they are not drunk, but, They speak by the Spirit; and not simply, but he took refuge in the prophet, and putting him forward, he makes his case. Thus he acquitted them of the charge by himself, but he brings that one forward as a witness of the grace. I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. He said this, because to some the grace was poured out through dreams, and to others manifestly. For indeed the prophets saw through dreams and received revelations. Then he proceeds to the prophecy which also has something fearful. And I will show, he says, wonders in heaven above, and signs on the earth below. Saying these things, he alludes both to the coming judgment 60.51 and to the capture of Jerusalem. Blood and fire, and vapor of smoke. See how he has described the capture. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. He has said this from the disposition of those who suffer. Nevertheless, it is said that many such things also happened in heaven, as Josephus testifies. At the same time he also struck them, reminding them of the darkness that had occurred, and making them expect the things to come. Before the great and manifest day of the Lord comes. For do not take courage, he says, because you now sin without punishment. These are indeed preludes of a certain great and difficult day. Do you see how he shook and agitated their soul, and turned their laughter into a defense? For if these are preludes of that day, the danger must be hanging over the last things. What then? Does he persist in speaking of fearful things? Not at all. But what? Again he gives them room to breathe, and says: And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This is said concerning Christ, as Paul says; but this man does not dare to reveal it clearly. Let us then look from the beginning at what has been said. He well stands up against those who are laughing and mocking, saying: Let this be known to you all, and give ear to my words. And beginning, he said: Men of Judea. It seems to me he says "Judeans" to mean those who inhabit Judea. And, if you wish, let us set beside this those words in the Gospel, so that you may learn who Peter suddenly became. A maid came out, he says, saying, You also were with Jesus of Nazareth. But he replied, I do not know the man. And being asked again, he began to curse and to swear. b. But see here his boldness and great freedom of speech. He did not praise those who said, We hear them speaking in our own tongues the mighty works of God; but he is also stern, wishing by his sternness toward those others to make these men more earnest, and to show his speech to be free from flattery. For it is good to observe this everywhere, and how in a manner of condescension his speech is free from all flattery and all insult, which is difficult. That these things also happened at the third hour was not arranged without purpose. For when the brightness of the light is shown, then people are not occupied with works related to breakfast, then the day is bright, then all are in the marketplace. Do you see his speech also full of freedom? And give ear to my words. Having said this, he added nothing, but continued: This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days. For he shows that the consummation is henceforth near. Thus, In the last days, has a certain emphasis. Then, lest he seem to limit the matter only to the sons, he adds: And your old men dreams

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Οὔτε ὑμῶν, φησὶ, κατόρθωμα τοῦτο, οὔτε μὴν ἐγκώμιον· εἰς τὰ παιδία τὰ ὑμέτερα διέβη ἡ χάρις· αὐτῶν υἱοὺς ἑαυτοὺς καλῶν, καὶ πατέρας ἐκείνους. Καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι ὑμῶν ὁράσεις ὄψονται, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ὑμῶν ἐνύπνια ἐνυπνιασθήσονται· καί γε ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους μου καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς δούλας μου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου, καὶ προφητεύσουσι. Τέως δείκνυσιν αὐτοὺς εὐδοκιμηκότας, Πνεύματος ἅτε καταξιωθέντας· ἐκείνους δὲ οὐχὶ, ἅτε σταυρώσαντας. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς βουλόμενος αὐτῶν μαλάξαι τὸν θυμὸν ἔλεγεν· Οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσι τὰ δαιμόνια; Οὐκ εἶπεν, Οἱ μαθηταί μου· καὶ γὰρ ἐδόκει κολακεία εἶναι. Οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι οὐ μεθύουσιν, ἀλλὰ, Πνεύματι φθέγγονται· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸν προφήτην κατέφυγε, καὶ αὐτὸν ὑποδὺς ἰσχυρίζεται. Οὕτω τῆς μὲν κατηγορίας αὐτοὺς ἀπήλλαξε δι' ἑαυτοῦ, τῆς δὲ χάριτος ἐκεῖνον παράγει μάρτυρα. Ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα. Οὕτως εἶπεν, ὅτι τοῖς μὲν δι' ὀνείρων, τοῖς δὲ καὶ ἐμφανῶς ἡ χάρις ἐξεχεῖτο. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ δι' ὀνείρων εἶδον οἱ προφῆται, καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις ἐδέξαντο. Εἶτα ἐπεξέρχεται τῇ προφητείᾳ ἐχούσῃ τι καὶ φοβερόν. Καὶ δώσω, φησὶ, τέρατα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω, καὶ σημεῖα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κάτω. Ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως 60.51 καὶ περὶ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων τῆς ἁλώσεως λέγων αἰνίττεται. Αἷμα καὶ πῦρ, καὶ ἀτμίδα καπνοῦ. Ὅρα, πῶς τὴν ἅλωσιν ὑπέγραψεν. Ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος, καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα. Ἀπὸ τῆς διαθέσεως τῶν πασχόντων τοῦτο εἴρηκε. Λέγεται δ' οὖν ὅμως καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα γεγενῆσθαι ἐν οὐρανῷ, καθὼς Ἰώσηπος μαρτυρεῖ. Ἅμα δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔπληξε, τοῦ σκότους ἀναμνήσας τοῦ γεγενημένου, καὶ ποιῶν προσδοκᾷν τὰ μέλλοντα. Πρὶν ἢ ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἡμέραν Κυρίου τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἐπιφανῆ. Μὴ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ἀτιμωρητὶ νῦν ἁμαρτάνετε, φησὶ, θαρσήσητε. Ταῦτα δὴ προοίμιά ἐστι μεγάλης τινὸς ἡμέρας καὶ χαλεπῆς. Ὁρᾷς, πῶς αὐτῶν κατέσεισε τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ διεσάλευσε, καὶ τὸν γέλωτα μετέστρεψεν εἰς ἀπολογίαν; Εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα προοίμια τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ἀνάγκη περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων τὸν κίνδυνον ἐπηρτῆσθαι. Τί δαί; ἆρα λέγων τὰ φοβερὰ ἐπιμένει; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἀλλὰ τί; Πάλιν δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς ἀναπνεῦσαι, καί φησι· Καὶ ἔσται, πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, σωθήσεται. Τοῦτο εἴρηται μὲν περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθὼς Παῦλος λέγει· οὗτος δὲ οὐ τολμᾷ σαφῶς αὐτὸ ἀποκαλύψαι. Ἴδωμεν τοίνυν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Καλῶς ὡς πρὸς γελῶντας καὶ χλευάζοντας καθίσταται λέγων· Γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, καὶ ἐνωτίσασθε τὰ ῥήματά μου. Ἀρχόμενος δὲ ἔλεγεν· Ἄνδρες Ἰουδαῖοι. Ἰουδαίους ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ λέγειν τοὺς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν κατοικοῦντας. Καὶ, εἰ βούλει, παραθώμεθα τὰ ῥήματα ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, ἵνα μάθῃς τίς ἐξαίφνης γέγονεν ὁ Πέτρος. Ἐξῆλθε, φησὶ, κόρη λέγουσα, Καὶ σὺ ἦσθα μετὰ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου. Ὁ δὲ, Οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀπεκρίνατο. Καὶ πάλιν ἐπερωτηθεὶς ἤρξατο καταναθεματίζειν καὶ ὀμνύναι. βʹ. Ἀλλ' ὅρα ἐνταῦθα αὐτοῦ τὴν παῤῥησίαν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἐλευθεροστομίαν. Οὐκ ἐπῄνεσε τοὺς εἰπόντας, ὅτι Ἀκούομεν λαλούντων αὐτῶν ταῖς ἡμετέραις γλώσσαις τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ καὶ βαρεῖ, τῇ πρὸς ἐκείνους βαρύτητι καὶ τούτους σπουδαιοτέρους ποιῆσαι βουλόμενος, καὶ κολακείας τὸν λόγον ἀπηλλαγμένον ἀποδεῖξαι. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ τοῦτο παρατηρεῖν καλὸν, καὶ πῶς ἐν τάξει συγκαταβάσεως πάσης κολακείας ὁ λόγος ἀπήλλακται καὶ πάσης ὕβρεως, ὅπερ δύσκολον. Τὸ δὲ καὶ ἐν τρίτῃ ὥρᾳ ταῦτα γενέσθαι, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ᾠκονόμηται. Ὅτε γὰρ τὸ λαμπρὸν τοῦ φωτὸς δείκνυται, τότε οὐ περὶ ἔργα ἔχουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ περὶ ἄριστον, τότε φαιδρὰ ἡ ἡμέρα, τότε πάντες εἰσὶν ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς. Ὁρᾷς καὶ ἐλευθερίας τὸν λόγον γέμοντα; Καὶ ἐνωτίσασθε τὰ ῥήματά μου. Τοῦτο εἰπὼν, οὐδὲν προσέθηκεν, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγε· Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἰωήλ· Καὶ ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ λοιπὸν τὴν συντέλειαν οὖσαν ἐγγύς. Οὕτω τὸ, Ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, ἔχει τινὰ ἔμφασιν. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ εἰς τοὺς υἱοὺς περιιστᾷν μόνον τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἐπάγει· Καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ὑμῶν ἐνύπνια