Origen of Alexandria, On Jeremiah

God.” Do you see how God brings up from the ends and gives body to the clouds? For this reason, if we wish to become “clouds, upon which the truth” of God reaches, let us become the last of all and let us say in deeds and disposition the phrase, “For I think, God has exhibited us the apostles as last.” Even if I am not an apostle, it is possible for me to become last, so that God, bringing up clouds from the “end of the earth,” may bring me up. “And he made lightnings for the rain.” Those skilled in these things say that the generation of lightnings comes from the clouds rubbing against one another; for what happens with flint stones on earth, so that when two stones strike each other fire is generated, this, they say, also happens with the clouds; when the clouds strike against each other during winter storms the lightning is generated, for which reason, generally, the lightning occurs along with thunder, with the thunder indicating the sound of the collision of the clouds, and the lightning 8.5 generating the light. If you have understood the example, consider for me also the spiritual cloud. Moses was a cloud, Joshua the son of Nun was a cloud; these indeed speak to one another, and from their words lightning is generated. Jeremiah was a cloud, Baruch was a cloud; they converse with one another; the lightning came from the words of Jeremiah and the words of Baruch. Thus, if you are able, gather from the scriptures, in what way lightning comes; and in the New Testament Paul and Silvanus were two clouds, they came together, the lightning of the epistle was generated. Therefore, God “made lightnings for the rain and brought out winds from his treasures.” Are these winds, then, in treasures? Or is it not apparent, as they blow upon the earth, in what way their nature subsists? But there are certain treasures of winds, treasures of spirits, “a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and piety,” “a spirit of the fear of God,” “a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind,” and you can yourself gather these winds from the scriptures. These spirits are in treasures; what are the treasures? “In whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”; these treasures are in Christ. From there, then, come these winds, these spirits, so that one may be wise, another faithful, another having knowledge, and another having received any gift whatsoever of God; “For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit.” 8.6 Therefore, “He brought up clouds from the end of the earth, and made lightnings for the rain, and brought out winds from his treasures.” And we, through God, hope to arrive at these treasures, and as there are many treasures, perhaps according to the orders of those who rise there will be resting places in the treasures of God. What I am saying is this. The resurrection of the dead happens in certain orders—for the apostle says: “But each in his own order”—and since the orders are not mixed together by chance, this order will be in a certain treasure of God, and this order in another treasure of God, and a third, different order will be in another treasure. All these treasures, however, have one treasure, in which they dwell; for which reason it is said by Paul: “In whom are hidden the treasures both of wisdom and of knowledge”; and just as I acquire the “one pearl of great price” through the many pearls, so I come to the treasure of treasures, “the Lord of lords, the King of kings,” whenever I become worthy of the spirits from the treasures of God; For “He brought out winds from his treasures.” 8.7 “Every man has become foolish, from knowledge.” If every man has become foolish, from knowledge, and Paul is a man, Paul has become foolish, from knowledge, “knowing in part and prophesying in part,” he has become foolish, from knowledge, “seeing through a mirror,” “seeing in an enigma,” seeing and comprehending a very small fraction and, if one might say, an infinitesimal fraction of things, but you will understand from the opposite the phrase “Every man has become foolish, from knowledge.” There is

θεοῦ.» Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἀνάγει ὁ θεὸς καὶ σωματοποιεῖ τὰς νεφέλας; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰ βουλόμεθα γενέ σθαι «νεφέλαι, ἐφ' ἃς φθάνει ἡ ἀλήθεια» τοῦ θεοῦ, ἔσχατοι πάντων γενώμεθα καὶ εἴπωμεν ἔργοις καὶ διαθέσει τὸ «δοκῶ γάρ, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέ δειξεν». Κἂν μὴ ἀπόστολος ὦ, ἔξεστί μοι γενέσθαι ἐσχά τῳ, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνάγων νεφέλας ἀπ' «ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς» ἀναγάγῃ με. «Καὶ ἀστραπὰς εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησεν.» Λέγουσιν οἱ περὶ ταῦτα δεινοί, ὅτι ἡ γένεσις τῶν ἀστραπῶν ἀπὸ τῶν νεφελῶν γίνεται ἀλλήλαις προστριβομένων· ὅπερ γὰρ συμ βαίνει περὶ τοὺς πυροβόλους λίθους ἐπὶ γῆς, ἵνα δύο λίθων προσκρουσάντων πῦρ γενηθῇ, τοῦτο γίνεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν φασιν· προσκρουομένων τῶν νεφελῶν κατὰ τοὺς χειμῶνας γίνεται ἡ ἀστραπή, διὸ ὡς ἐπίπαν ἡ ἀστραπὴ ἅμα βροντῇ γίνεται, τῆς μὲν βροντῆς ἐμφαινούσης τὸν ἦχον τοῦ συγκρουσμοῦ τῶν νεφελῶν, τῆς δὲ ἀστραπῆς 8.5 γεννώσης τὸ φῶς. Εἰ νενόηκας τὸ παράδειγμα, ἴδε μοι καὶ τὴν νοητὴν νεφέλην. Μωσῆς νεφέλη ἦν, Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ νεφέλη ἦν· αὗται δὴ ὁμιλοῦσιν ἀλλήλαις, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων αὐτῶν ἀστραπὴ γίνεται. Ἱερεμίας νεφέλη ἦν, Βαροὺχ νεφέλη ἦν· διαλέγονται πρὸς ἀλλήλους· ἦλθεν ἡ ἀστραπὴ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων Ἱερεμίου καὶ τῶν λόγων Βαρούχ. Οὕτως εἰ δύνασαι συνάγαγε ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν, τίνα τρόπον ἀστραπὴ ἔρχεται· καὶ ἐν τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ Παῦλος καὶ Σιλουανὸς δύο νεφέλαι ἦσαν, ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, γέγονεν ἡ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἀστραπή. «Ἀστραπὰς» οὖν ὁ θεὸς «εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησεν καὶ ἐξή γαγεν ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτοῦ». Ἆρα οὖν οὗτοι οἱ ἄνεμοι ἐν θησαυροῖς εἰσιν; Ἢ οὐχὶ φαίνεται ἡ τούτων φύσις πνεόντων ἐπὶ γῆς τίνα τρόπον ὑφίσταται; Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες ἀνέμων θησαυροί, πνευμάτων θησαυροί, «πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως, πνεῦμα βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος, πνεῦμα γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας», «πνεῦμα φόβου θεοῦ», «πνεῦμα δυνά μεως καὶ ἀγάπης καὶ σωφρονισμοῦ», καὶ δύνασαι αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν συναγαγεῖν τοὺς ἀνέμους τούτους. Τὰ πνεύματα ταῦτα ἐν θησαυροῖς ἐστιν· οἱ θησαυροὶ τίνες εἰσίν; «Ἐν ᾧ εἰσιν οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι»· οὗτοι οἱ θησαυροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ εἰσιν. Ἐκεῖ θεν οὖν ἔρχονται οἱ ἄνεμοι οὗτοι, τὰ πνεύματα ταῦτα, ἵν' ὁ μέν τις ᾖ σοφός, ὁ δέ τις πιστός, ὁ δέ τις ᾖ ἔχων γνῶσιν, ὁ δέ τις ὁτιποτοῦν ἀναλαβὼν χάρισμα θεοῦ· «Ὧι μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώ σεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, ἑτέρῳ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι.» 8.6 «Ἀνήγαγεν» οὖν «νεφέλας ἐξ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀστραπὰς εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησεν, καὶ ἐξήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς θησαυ ροὺς τούτους ἐλπίζομεν καταντήσεσθαι, καὶ <ἐπεὶ> εἰσίν τινες πολλοὶ θησαυροί, τάχα κατὰ τάγματα τῶν ἀνισταμένων ἔσονται ἀναπαύσεις ἐν τοῖς θησαυροῖς τοῦ θεοῦ. Ὃ δὲ λέγω τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. Ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν ἐν τάγμασίν τισιν γίνεται-φησὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Ἕκαστος δὲ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι»-καὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ ὡς ἔτυχεν συμφύρεται τὰ τάγματα, τόδε τὸ τάγμα ἔσται ἔν τινι θησαυρῷ θεοῦ καὶ τόδε τὸ τάγμα ἐν ἑτέρῳ θησαυρῷ θεοῦ καὶ τρίτον ἕτερον τάγμα ἔσται ἐν ἄλλῳ θησαυρῷ. Οὗτοι μέντοιγε πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ ἕνα ἔχουσιν θησαυρόν, ἐν ᾧ κατοικοῦσιν· διὸ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ λέλεκται· «Ἐν ᾧ εἰσιν οἱ θησαυροὶ καὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι»· καὶ ὥσπερ κτῶμαι τὸν «ἕνα πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην» διὰ τῶν πολ λῶν μαργαριτῶν, οὕτως ἔρχομαι ἐπὶ τὸν θησαυρὸν τῶν θησαυρῶν, «τὸν κύριον τῶν κυρίων, τὸν βασιλέα τῶν βασιλέων», ἐπὰν γένωμαι ἄξιος τῶν πνευμάτων τῶν ἀπὸ θησαυρῶν τοῦ θεοῦ· «Ἐξήγαγεν» γὰρ «ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτοῦ». 8.7 «Ἐμωράνθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἀπὸ γνώσεως.» Εἰ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἐμωράνθη ἀπὸ γνώσεως, καὶ Παῦλός ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, Παῦλος ἐμωράνθη ἀπὸ γνώσεως «ἐκ μέρους γινώσκων καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύων», ἐμωράνθη ἀπὸ γνώσεως «δι' ἐσόπτρου βλέπων», «ἐν αἰνίγματι βλέ πων», πολλοστημόριον καί, εἰ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ἀπειροστημό ριον βλέπων καὶ καταλαμβάνων τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου δὲ νοήσεις τὸ «ἐμωράνθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἀπὸ γνώσεως». Ἔστιν