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would see as he examines, are the super-cosmic powers, which are seen in the tabernacle, which according to the divine will support the universe.

2.180 Those are our true bearers, who are sent for service on behalf of those who are to inherit salvation, who like certain rings are inserted into our souls, of those being saved, bearing up through themselves to the height of virtue those who lie on the earth. And when the Word spoke of Cherubim covering with their wings the mysteries contained in the ark of the covenant, it confirms the contemplation which has been given to us concerning the tabernacle. For we have learned this name of the powers seen around the divine nature, which Isaiah and Ezekiel perceived. Let not the ark of the covenant covered by the wings seem strange to the ear. For in Isaiah it is also possible to learn the same thing spoken in a riddle by the prophet concerning the wings. For the same thing is here called the ark of the covenant, but there it is called a face; and here the ark is covered by the wings, but there a face, as if there is one thing understood in both, which seems to me to signify the incomprehensibility of the contemplation of the ineffable mysteries. 2.181 And if you hear about lamps, rising up with many branches from one lampstand, so that the light shining from all sides is ungrudging and abundant, you would not err in thinking that the manifold splendors of the Spirit shine forth in this tabernacle, as Isaiah says, dividing the splendors of the Spirit sevenfold. 2.182 And I think the mercy seat does not even require interpretation, since the Apostle has laid bare what was hidden, who says that: whom God put forward as a mercy seat for our souls. And hearing of an altar and an altar of incense, I understand the perpetual worship of the heavenly beings performed in this tabernacle. For he says that not only the tongue of earthly and subterranean beings, but also of heavenly beings sends forth praise to the ruler of all. And this is the sacrifice pleasing to God, the fruit of the lips, as the Apostle says, and the sweet fragrance of prayers. 2.183 And if skin dyed red and woven hair are also seen among these things, not even so will the train of thought of our contemplation be broken. For the prophetic eye, being in the vision of divine things, will see there the saving passion preordained, which is signified in each of the things mentioned; the redness signifies the blood, and the hair interprets the putting to death. For the hair in the body is devoid of sensation; therefore it properly becomes a symbol of deadness. 2.184 Therefore when he sees the upper tabernacle, the prophet sees these things through those. But if one were to contemplate the lower tabernacle, since in many places the Church is named Christ by Paul, it would be right to consider the ministers of the divine mystery, whom the word also calls pillars of the Church, apostles and teachers and prophets, to be these names. For not only are Peter and John and James pillars of the Church, nor was John the Baptist alone the burning lamp, but all who through themselves support the Church and who through their own works become lights are called both pillars and lamps. You are the light of the world, the Lord says to the Apostles. And again the divine Apostle commands others to be pillars, saying: become steadfast and immovable. And he fashioned Timothy into a good pillar, making him, as he says in his own voice, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 2.185 In this tabernacle is seen both the sacrifice of praise and the incense of prayer, offered continually in the morning and in the evening. And the great David gives us to understand these things, directing the incense of prayer to God as a fragrant aroma and through the lifting up of hands performing the sacrifice. And someone hearing of lavers will surely understand those who through the mystical water wash away the stain of sins. John was a laver, washing in the Jordan with the baptism of repentance, Peter was a laver, three thousand

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βλέποι σκοπῶν, αἱ ὑπερκόσμιοι δυνάμεις εἰσίν, αἱ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ θεωρούμεναι, αἱ κατὰ θείαν βούλησιν τὸ πᾶν ὑπερείδουσαι.

2.180 Ἐκεῖνοι ἀληθινοὶ ἀναφορεῖς ἡμῶν, οἱ εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενοι διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν, οἱ καθάπερ δακτυλίοις τισὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐνειρόμενοι τῶν σωζομένων, δι' ἑαυτῶν πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῆς ἀρετῆς τοὺς κειμένους ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀναφέροντες. Χερουβὶμ δὲ εἰπὼν ὁ λόγος κατακαλύπτοντα ταῖς πτέρυξι τὰ ἐγκείμενα τῇ κιβωτῷ τῆς διαθήκης μυστήρια βεβαιοῖ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς σκηνῆς θεωρίαν. Τὸ γὰρ ὄνομα τοῦτο τῶν περὶ τὴν θείαν φύσιν θεωρουμένων δυνάμεων μεμαθήκαμεν ἃς Ἠσαΐας καὶ Ἰεζεχιὴλ κατενόησαν. Ἡ δὲ κιβωτὸς τῆς διαθήκης κεκαλυμμένη ταῖς πτέρυξι μὴ ξενιζέτω τὴν ἀκοήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τὸ ὅμοιον ἔστι μαθεῖν ἐν αἰνίγματι παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου περὶ τῶν πτερύγων λεγόμενον. Τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα μὲν κιβωτὸς διαθήκης, ἐκεῖ δὲ πρόσωπον ὀνομάζεται· καὶ καλύπτεται διὰ τῶν πτερύγων ὧδε μὲν ἡ κιβωτός, ἐκεῖ δὲ πρόσωπον, ὡς ἑνὸς ὄντος τοῦ ἐν ἀμφοτέροις νοουμένου, ὅπερ μοι δοκεῖ τὸ ἀκατάληπτον τῆς τῶν ἀπορρήτων θεωρίας αἰνίσσεσθαι. 2.181 Κἂν περὶ λύχνων ἀκούσῃς, πολυσχιδῶς ἐκ μιᾶς λυχνίας ἀνεχομένων, ὥστε ἄφθονον εἶναι καὶ δαψιλὲς τὸ φῶς πανταχόθεν λαμπόμενον, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις τὰς πολυειδεῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος μαρμαρυγὰς διαπρέπειν ταυτῇ τῇ σκηνῇ λογιζόμενος, καθὼς Ἠσαΐας φησίν, ἑπταχῇ διαιρῶν τὰς λαμπηδόνας τοῦ Πνεύματος. 2.182 Τὸ δὲ ἱλαστήριον οὐδὲ ἑρμηνείας οἶμαι προσδέεσθαι, τοῦ Ἀποστόλου τὸ κεκρυμ μένον ἀπογυμνώσαντος, ὅς φησιν ὅτι· ὃν προέθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. Θυσιαστήριον δὲ καὶ θυμιατή ριον ἀκούων, νοῶ τὴν διηνεκῶς ἐπιτελουμένην τῇ σκηνῇ ταύτῃ τῶν ἐπουρανίων προσκύνησιν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐπιγείων καὶ ὑποχθονίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπουρανίων τὴν γλῶσσάν φησιν ἀποπέμπειν τὸν αἶνον τῇ τῶν πάντων ἀρχῇ. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ἡ κεχαρισμένη τῷ Θεῷ θυσία, τὸ κάρπωμα τῶν χειλέων, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καὶ τῶν προσευχῶν ἡ εὐωδία. 2.183 Εἰ δὲ καὶ δέρμα ἐν τούτοις ὁρᾶται πεφοινιγμένον βαφῇ καὶ τρίχες ἐξυφανθεῖσαι, οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁ εἱρμὸς τῆς θεωρίας διακοπήσεται. Ὁ γὰρ προφητικὸς ὀφθαλμός, ἐν τῇ τῶν θείων ὀπτασίᾳ γινόμενος, ἐκεῖ κατόψεται προωρισμένον τὸ σωτήριον πάθος, ὅπερ ἐν ἑκατέρῳ τῶν εἰρημένων σημαίνεται· τοῦ μὲν ἐρυθήματος τὸ αἷμα, τῆς δὲ τριχὸς ἑρμηνευούσης τὴν νέκρωσιν. Ἄμοιρος γὰρ αἰσθήσεως ἡ θρὶξ ἐν τῷ σώματι· διὸ κυρίως νεκρότητος γίνεται σύμβολον. 2.184 Ὅταν μὲν οὖν τὴν ἄνω σκηνὴν βλέπῃ, ταῦτα διὰ τούτων ὁ προφήτης ὁρᾷ. Εἰ δέ τις τὴν κάτω σκηνὴν θεωροίη, ἐπειδὴ πολλαχῇ Χριστὸς ἡ Ἐκκλησία παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου κατονομάζεται, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοὺς ὑπηρέτας τοῦ θείου μυστηρίου, οὓς καὶ στύλους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὀνομάζει ὁ λόγος, ἀποστόλους τε καὶ διδασκάλους καὶ προφήτας, τὰ ὀνόματα ταῦτα νομίζειν εἶναι. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἰάκωβος στύλοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εἰσίν, οὐδὲμόνος ὁ Βαπτιστὴς Ἰωάννης ὁ λύχνος ἦν ὁ καιόμενος, ἀλλὰ πάντες οἱ δι' ἑαυτῶν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐρείδοντες καὶ οἱ διὰ τῶν ἰδίων ἔργων φωστῆρες γινόμενοι καὶ στύλοι καὶ λύχνοι λέγονται. Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, φησὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀποστόλους ὁ Κύριος. Καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρους ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος στύλους εἶναι διακελεύεται, λέγων· ἑδραῖοι γίνεσθε καὶ ἀμετακίνητοι. Καὶ τὸν Τιμόθεον καλὸν στύλον ἐτεκτήνατο, ποιήσας αὐτόν, καθώς φησι τῇ ἰδίᾳ φωνῇ, στύλον καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας. 2.185 Ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ σκηνῇ καὶ θυσία τῆς αἰνέσεως καὶ θυμίαμα τῆς προσευχῆς ἐν τῷ ὄρθρῳ καὶ τῇ ἑσπέρᾳ ἐνεργουμένη διὰ παντὸς καθορᾶται. Νοεῖν δὲ δίδωσι ταῦτα ὁ μέγας ∆αβίδ, κατευθύνων εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας τῷ Θεῷ τῆς προσευχῆς τὸ θυμίαμα καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐκτάσεως τῶν χειρῶν ἱερουργῶν τὴν θυσίαν. Λουτῆρας δέ τις ἀκούων νοήσει πάντως τοὺς διὰ τοῦ μυστικοῦ ὕδατος τὸν μολυσμὸν ἀποκλύζοντας τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. Λουτὴρ ἦν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ λούων τῷ τῆς μετανοίας βαπτίσματι, λουτὴρ ὁ Πέτρος, τρισχιλίους