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his kingdom, they have heard: "Behold, your house is left to you desolate." And Seraphim is interpreted as, burners, or else those who make warm. For nothing is cold among the highest powers, and he who cleaves to the Lord is made fervent in the Spirit, and warm in love for God. And Daniel also revealed the powers round about God, saying: "A thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him." But it does not permit, as some have supposed, that the Seraphim be understood as two, 1933 the statement that they are round about God, and to attend his throne, by being both quickened and enlightened by him, on account of which powers he is also called Lord Sabaoth, which means, Lord of powers, or, Lord of hosts. And he says that each one has six wings, which are certain innate virtues, by which they are so exalted as to be near to God, having their mind in the ineffable heights of thoughts. For just as there are certain natural senses of bodies, so it is likely that they make use of divine powers, which are effective of certain paradoxes, but unknown to us. But perhaps we should suppose them to be volitional rather than natural. For so the fallen Lucifer gives us to understand. But the wings would not be corporeal, just as not in the case of: "Who walks upon the wings of the winds." Of the wings thus mentioned, two indeed covered their own face; indeed Symmachus rendered it, his own face, as not daring to gaze intently on that which was being seen. "For no one has known the Son, except the Father who begot him." And two covered their own feet, the last parts of their own course, as one might say the steps, overshadowing the actions of their life, so that they might not stand before their own king with uncovered feet. And hiding the course of their life, they offered only their middle state to be seen. And they marveled exceedingly at the wisdom of the middle providence and administration of the Only-begotten himself, daring neither to behold the face of the Godhead, nor the infinite greatness of the unending and incomprehensible nature, which he called feet. For, being astonished at these things, they cried out, each according to its power, often to one another this hymnic voice; for they sent forth neither a single voice, nor indeed all at once, but one to another showing their wonder. And what especially astonished them was so great a descent of the glory of God the Word from the highest to the lowly things, so that not only heaven had his glory, but it also reached to the earth, and filled it, which is an excess of love for mankind. Therefore, when the vision of these things occurred, the house in Jerusalem alone of those on earth was full of his glory. For the prophet said this. But when by foreknowledge of the future they learned that the whole earth will be full of his glory, then the lintel is also lifted up, and the house was filled with smoke. For through these things were shown both the removal of security, the temple being stripped bare, when the burning that was to befall the house, Christ having been made known to the gentiles, when also the glory of his theology was shown to all, no longer of one, but of many better houses established throughout the whole world. For since the ‘Holy, holy, holy’ was not fitting for the Synagogue of the Jews (for the hymn was laid up for the Church throughout the whole world), the grace from above is taken away. 1936 It is necessary, therefore, that the doorposts also be easily shaken, whence every hand shakes the Jewish things. Wherefore a certain prophet said: “I will make Jerusalem as shaken doorposts.” Which indeed has happened, the whole earth having been filled with his glory. And this was foretold to Moses, who interceded with God concerning the people's calf-making: “But as I live, and my name lives, that the whole earth shall be filled with my glory.” And in the seventy-first psalm he says, “And the whole earth shall be filled with his glory. Amen, Amen.” Just as the Seraphim also now cried out, seeing his glory about to shine forth upon the earth, suffering no loss from the earthly substance, and uttered the sanctification not once, but many times, or rather even countless times, one to another his own

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βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, ἀκηκόασιν· "Ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος." ∆ιερμηνεύεται δὲ σεραφεὶμ, ἐμπρησταὶ, ἤτοι θερμαίνοντες. Ψυχρὸν γὰρ οὐδὲν παρὰ ταῖς ἀνωτάτω δυνάμεσιν, καὶ ὁ κολλώμενος δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ, ζέων ἀποτελεῖται τῷ Πνεύματι, καὶ θερμὸς τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς Θεόν. Τὰς δὲ κύκλῳ Θεοῦ δυνάμεις καὶ ∆ανιὴλ ἐδήλωσε λέγων· "Χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλιτούργουν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ." Οὐκ ἐᾷ δὲ, καθ' ἅ τινες ἐνόμισαν, δύο 1933 νοεῖσθαι τὰ Σεραφεὶμ, τὸ λέγεσθαι αὐτὰ κύκλῳ εἶναι Θεοῦ, καὶ περιέπειν αὑτοῦ τὸν θρόνον, τῷ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ζωοποιεῖσθαί τε καὶ φωτίζεσθαι, δι' ἃς δυνάμεις καὶ Κύριος λέγεται Σαβαὼθ, δηλοῦν τὸ, Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων, ἢ, Κύριος στρατιῶν. Ἓξ δὲ πτέρυγας ἑκάστῳ πεφυκέναι φησὶν, ἅπερ εἰσὶν ἔμφυτοί τινες ἀρεταὶ, δι' ἃς ὑψοῦνται τοσοῦτον, ὡς πλησίον εἶναι Θεοῦ τὸν νοῦν ἔχοντες ἐν ἀποῤῥήτοις νοημάτων ὑψώμασιν. Ὡς γὰρ φυσικαί τινές εἰσι σωμάτων αἰσθήσεις, οὕτως ἐκείνας εἰκὸς δυνάμεσι θείαις παραδόξων τινῶν ἐνεργητικαῖς, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀγνώστοις, κεχρῆσθαι. Μή ποτε δὲ προαιρετικὰς αὐτὰς μᾶλλον ὑποθετέον, ἢ φυσικάς. Οὕτω γὰρ δίδωσι νοεῖν ὁ πεσὼν Ἑωσφόρος. Σωματικαὶ δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἶεν αἱ πτέρυγες, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ· "Ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων." Τῶν οὖν οὕτω λεγομένων πτερύγων, δύο μὲν τὸ ἴδιον ἐκάλυπτον πρόσωπον· ἀμέλει Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν, τὸ πρόσωπον ἑαυτοῦ, ὡς μὴ τολμᾷν ἀτενὲς ὁρᾷν εἰς τὸ θεωρούμενον. "Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔγνω τὸν Υἱὸν, εἰ μὴ ὁ γεννήσας αὐτὸν Πατήρ." ∆ύο δὲ τοὺς πόδας ἐκάλυπτον τοὺς ἑαυτῶν, τὰ ἔσχατα τῆς οἰκείας πορείας, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις τὰ βήματα, τοῦ βίου τὰς πράξεις ἐπισκιάζοντα, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀκαλύπτοις ποσὶν τῷ ἑαυτῶν παραστήκοιεν βασιλεῖ. Τοῦ βίου δὲ κρύπτοντα τὴν πορείαν, τὴν μέσην μόνην κατάστασιν ἑαυτῶν παρεῖχον ὁρᾷν. Καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τῆς μέσης προνοίας καὶ διοικήσεως τὴν σοφίαν ὑπερεθαύμαζον, μήτε τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς θεότητος τολμῶντα θεάσασθαι, μήτε τὸ ἀπειρομέγεθες τῆς ἀτελευτήτου καὶ ἀκαταλήπτου φύσεως, ὅπερ πόδας ἐκάλεσε. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐκπληττόμενα ἐβόων κατὰ δύναμιν ἕκαστον, πολλάκις προσάλληλα τὴν ὑμνώδη ταύτην φωνήν· οὔτε γὰρ μίαν φωνὴν, οὔτε μὴν ἀθρόαν ἔπεμπον ἅπαντα, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἕτερον ἕτερος ἐμφαίνων τὸ θαῦμα. Μάλιστα δὲ ὑπερεξέπληττεν αὐτὰ ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑψηλοτάτων ἐπὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ τοσαύτη κατάβασις τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, ὡς μὴ μόνον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔχειν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, διικνεῖσθαι δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῆς γῆς, καὶ ταύτην πληροῦν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ φιλανδρίας ὑπερβολή. Ὅτε μὲν οὖν ἡ τούτων ἐγένετο θέα, μόνος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ὁ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἶκος, πλήρης ὑπῆρχε τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔφησεν ὁ προφήτης. Ὅτε δὲ προγνώσει τοῦ μέλλοντος ἔμαθον, ὡς ἡ πᾶσα γῆ πλήρης ἔσται τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, τότε καὶ τὸ ὑπέρθυρον αἴρεται, ὁ δὲ οἶκος ἐπληροῦτο καπνοῦ. Ἐδείκνυτο γὰρ διὰ τούτων ἥ τε τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἀφαίρεσις, τοῦ ναοῦ γυμνουμένου, ὅτε τῷ οἴκῳ παρεσόμενος ἐμπρησμὸς, Χριστοῦ γνωσθέντος τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅτε καὶ πᾶσιν ἐδείχθη τῆς αὐτοῦ θεολογίας ἡ δόξα, οὐχ ἑνὸς ἔτι, πλειόνων δὲ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης σταθέντων οἴκων κρειττόνων. Ὡς γὰρ τῇ Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγῇ τοῦ, Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, οὐχ ἁρμόττοντος (ὁ γὰρ ὕμνος τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπέκειτο), ἡ ἄνωθεν αἴρεται χάρις. 1936 Ἀνάγκη τοίνυν καὶ τὰς παραστάδας σαλεύεσθαι ῥᾳδίως, ὅθεν πᾶσα χεὶρ σαλεύει τὰ Ἰουδαϊκά. ∆ιὸ προφήτης τις ἔλεγεν· "Θήσω τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὡς πρόθυρα σαλευόμενα." Ὃ δὴ γέγονε πάσης τῆς γῆς πληρωθείσης τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ προείρητο Μωϋσεῖ περὶ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ μοσχοποιίας τὸν Θεὸν δυσωπήσαντι· "Πλὴν ζῶ ἐγὼ, καὶ ζῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου, ὅτι πλησθήσεται τῆς δόξης μου πᾶσα ἡ γῆ." Καὶ ἐν πρώτῳ καὶ ἑβδομηκοστῷ ψαλμῷ φησι, "Καὶ πληρωθήσεται τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Γένοιτο, γένοιτο." Καθὰ καὶ νῦν ἐβόα τὰ Σεραφεὶμ μέλλουσαν ἐκλάμπειν ἐπὶ γῆς ὁρῶντα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς γεώδους ζημιουμένην οὐσίας, τὸν δὲ ἁγιασμὸν οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀπειράκις ἐφθέγγετο, πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον ἕτερος τὸ ἴδιον