42

following in the vision the man mounted on a red horse; wherefore, being content with those things, the things concerning what has been said, which are not now brought forth in the first vision, must be considered. 1.407 It is said there are two bronze mountains from the middle of which the chariots went out. And see if by bronze is meant the very clear phrase which has much resonance. This is what sophistical and heretical teachers use, becoming "a sounding bronze and a clanging cymbal," because of being deprived of divine love for God. Which the divine Apostle, having suspected, writes: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding bronze or a clanging cymbal." 1.408 This material also signifies shamelessness, just as iron signifies insubordination and inflexibility, as God most accusingly says to the one who has lost all sense of shame and has taken on the appearance of a harlot and has been shameless toward all and does not submit himself to the kind yoke of Jesus: "I know that you are hard; and your forehead is bronze, and the sinew of your neck is iron." 1.409 And the bronze mountains are said to be two because of the twofold nature of the high things that are raised up against the knowledge of God. For it is possible to hold false opinions concerning both practical and intellectual virtue, which is none other than the knowledge of the truth; for those from the heresies are impious concerning both kinds of virtue. 1.410 The black horses, because they are vessels of wrath, coming forth from the north, "from which evils are kindled upon the inhabitants of the earth," the white horses were shown coming behind them. These are the ministers of cheerful and joy-producing and beneficial things. For since punishments are inflicted for the improvement of those delivered to them, they harmoniously come behind, that is, after them, weaving and proclaiming good news of things that are bright and full of light. 1.411 A soul, having experience of these things by having become conscious of them, cries out most clearly to the one who delights in the destruction of those who are harmed: "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, because I have fallen; I will rise again," that is, having repented. For even if having fallen I was subjected to punishment by the wrath of God, yet having endured and having bravely borne the wrath that was inflicted, having come into a cheerful state and a gladdening way of life, I say: 1.412 "I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he justifies my case; and he will execute my judgment, and he will bring me out into the light, I will see his righteousness." For even if God is angry for the sake of improvement and benefit, he does not always do this; for he says: "When the anger of his wrath occurs, I will heal again." 1.413 The one who has benefited from such providence thankfully says to the one who for a short time subjected him to affliction for the sake of salvation: "I will bless you, Lord, because you were angry with me for salvation; you turned away your face and had mercy on me." 1.414 When the black horses had come from the land of the north to give rest to the wrath of the Lord, the dappled and ash-colored horses were seen coming from the south; from that one, that is, about which in the Song of Songs the bride says to her own bridegroom: "Come, south wind," the cold north wind and harsh wind having been sent away by her. And the bride's saying is as follows: "Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind; blow upon my garden, and let my spices flow out." And the spices are good words and pious thoughts. 1.415 It was explained in the preceding sections who the dappled horses are, and why they are so called. And all the horses have stood before the Lord of all the earth, being ready to go throughout all the earth and to carry out what the Lord of all the earth commands, or rather of all creation. 1.416 The first volume having been circumscribed to the visions which appeared to the prophet Zechariah who sees clearly, the second must be begun from the next text, which is as follows.

42

ὀπτασίᾳ ἑπόμενοι τῷ ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐπὶ ἵππον πυρρὸν ἀνδρί· διό, ἐκείνοις ἀρκούμενοι, τὰ περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων νῦν οὐ φερόμενα ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ θεωρίᾳ θεωρητέον. 1.407 ∆ύο χαλκᾶ ὄρη εἴρηται ἀφ' ὧν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου τὰ ἅρματα ἐξεπορεύθη. Καὶ ὅρα εἰ διὰ τοῦ χαλκοῦ δηλοῦται ἡ περίτρανος φράσις πολὺ τὸ ἐξηχεῖν ἔχουσα. Ταύτη δὲ χρῶνται οἱ σοφιστικοὶ κα̣ι`̣ αἱρετικοὶ διδάσκαλοι, γινόμενοι «χαλκὸς ἠχῶν καὶ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον», διὰ τὸ στέρεσθαι τῆς θείας ἀγάπης τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ὅπερ ὑπειδόμενος ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἀπόστολος γράφει·»Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων λαλῶ, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον.» 1.408 ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ἡ ὕλη αὕτη καὶ τὴν ἀναίδειαν, ὡς καὶ τὸ ἀνυπότακτον καὶ ἀκαμπὲς ὁ σίδηρος, ὡς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλεγκτικώτατα πρὸς τὸν ἀπηρυθριακότα καὶ ὄψιν πόρνης ἐσχηκότα καὶ πρὸς πάντας ἀπηναισχυντηκότα καὶ μὴ ὑποβάλλοντα ἑαυτὸν τῷ χρηστῷ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ζυγῷ· «Γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ σύ· καὶ τὸ μέτωπόν σου χαλκοῦν, καὶ τὸ νεῦρον τοῦ τραχήλου σου σιδηροῦν.» 1.409 ∆ύο δὲ εἴρηται τὰ ὄρη τὰ χαλκᾶ διὰ τὸ διττὸν τῶν ἐπαιρομένων κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑψωμάτων. Ἔστιν γὰρ ψευδοδοξεῖν καὶ περὶ τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν διανοητικήν, οὐκ ἄλλην οὖσαν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ἀληθείας· ἀσεβοῦσι γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων περὶ ἀμφότερα τὰ εἴδη τῆς ἀρετῆς. 1.410 Τῶν μελάνων ἵππων διὰ τὸ σκεύη ὀργῆς εἶναι ἐκπορευομένων ἀπὸ τοῦ βορρᾶ, «ἀφ̣' οὗ ἐκκαίεται τὰ κακὰ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν», οἱ λευκ̣οὶ ἵπποι ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἐρχόμενοι ἐδείχθησαν. Οὗτοι δ' εἰσὶν οἱ τῶν ἱλαρῶν καὶ εὐφροσύνης ποιητικῶν καὶ ἐπωφελῶν πραγμάτων διάκονοι. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ αἱ κολάσεις ὑπὲρ βελτιώσεως τ̣ῶν παραδιδομένων αὐταῖς ἐπάγονται, ἁρμονίως ὀπίσω ἐ´̣ρ̣χ̣ονται, μετ' αὐτὰς δηλονότι, ὑφαίνοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ φωτοειδῆ. 1.411 Τούτων πεῖραν λαβοῦσα ψυχὴ τῷ ἐν συναισθήσει γεγονέναι, ἀριδηλότατα βοᾷ πρὸς τὴν ἐφηδομένην τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ τῶν βλαπτομένων· «Μὴ ἐπίχαιρέ μοι, ἡ ἐχθρά μου, ὅτι πέπτωκα· πάλιν ἀναστήσομαι», δηλαδὴ μετανοήσασα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πεσοῦσα τιμωρίᾳ ὑπεβλήθην ὀργῇ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' οὖν ὑπομείνασα καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν τὴν ἐπαχθεῖσαν γενναίως ἐνεγκοῦσα, εἰς ἱλαρὰν κατάστασιν καὶ εὐφραίνουσαν διαγωγὴν ἐλθοῦσα, φημί· 1.412 «Ὀργὴν Κυρίου ὑποίσω, ὅτι ἥμαρτον αὐτῷ, ἕως οὗ δικαιώσῃ τὴν κρίσιν μου· καὶ ἀποίσει τὸ κρίμα μου, καὶ ἐξάξει με εἰς τὸ φῶς, ὄψομαι τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ.» Κἂν γὰρ βελτιώσεως καὶ ὠφελίας ἕνεκα ὀργισθῇ Θεός, οὐκ ἀεὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖ· λέγει γοῦν· «Ὅταν ὀργὴ τοῦ θυμοῦ γένηται, πάλιν ἰάσομαι.» 1.413 Ὁ ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης προνοίας ὠφεληθεὶς χαριστηρίως λέγει τῷ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας κακώσει πρὸς ὀλίγον ὑποβαλόντι· «Εὐλογήσω σε, Κύριε, ὅτι ὠργίσθης μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν· ἀπέστρεψας τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ ἠλέησάς με.» 1.414 Τῶν μελάνων ἵππων ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τοῦ βορρᾶ ἐληλυθότων ἵν' ἀναπαύσωσιν τὸν θυμὸν Κυρίου, ἀπὸ τοῦ νότου ὤφθησαν ἐρχόμενοι οἱ ποικίλοι καὶ ψαροί· ἀπ' ἐκείνου δηλαδὴ περὶ οὗ ἐν τῷ Ἄισματι τῶν Ἀισμάτων ἡ νύμφη πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτῆς νύμφιον· «Ἔρχου, νότε», ἀποπεμφθέντος ὑπ' αὐτῆς τοῦ ψυχροῦ βορέα καὶ ἀνέμου σκληροῦ. Ἔχει δ' οὕτως ἡ λέξις τῆς νύμφης· «Ἐξεγείρου, βορρᾶ, καὶ ἔρχου, νότε· διάπνευσον κῆπο´̣ν μου, καὶ ῥευσάτω ἀρώματά μου.» Λόγοι δ' ἀγαθοὶ καὶ νοήματα εὐσεβῆ εἰσι τὰ ἀρώματα. 1.415 Ἡρμηνεύθη ἐν τοῖς πρότερον τίνες οἱ ποικίλοι ἵπποι, καὶ διὰ τί οὕτως εἴρηνται. Πάντες δὲ οἱ ἵπποι παρεστήκασιν τῷ Κυρίῳ πάσ̣η̣ς̣ τῆς γῆς, ἕτοιμοι τυγχάνοντες πρὸς τὸ περιοδεῦσαι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐκτελεῖν ἃ προστάττει ὁ Κύριος πάσης τῆς γῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως. 1.416 Τοῦ πρώτου τόμου περιγραφέντος εἰς τὰς φανείσας ὀπτασίας τοῦ προφήτου Ζαχαρίου τοῦ φωτεινῶς καθορῶντος, ἀρκτέον τοῦ δευτέρου ἀπὸ τῆς ἑξῆς λέξεως οὕτως ἐχούσης.