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present his nature as better than human. Hence, I think, the Seventy, suspecting the exceptional and exceeding greatness of such appellations ......... these things indeed to pass over in silence, but in a certain sense of their own and in another manner to say summarily: and his name is called Angel of Great Counsel. But how he is called father of the age to come, we will understand by setting beside him Adam, who became the father "of the present age" and of the mortal race of men. But "just as in Adam we all die," according to the Apostle, "so also in Christ we will all be made alive." Since, therefore, of the new age "Christ is the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's at his coming, then the end," for this reason he would be called father of the age to come and again, prince of peace; "for he himself is our peace," "having made peace in the things on earth and the things in heaven" "and reconciling the world" to his own father. After these things it is said: For I will bring peace upon the rulers and health to them. And what rulers other than those appointed to rule his church with him? I mean his disciples and apostles, and those who received their succession throughout the whole world, to whom he granted to have health of soul and peace with one another, in which he said to them: "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you." And he adds: great is his rule, for which Symmachus translated: for his instruction was filled, and of his peace there is no limit, or there is no end according to Aquila, or there is no bound according to Theodotion. "You will understand his great rule by considering his church throughout the whole world. And even more by paying attention to the testimonies of the holy Apostle concerning him, through which he says: "according to the working of the might of his strength, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named." So, then, great is the rule of our savior. And again, and of his peace there is no end; for it happens to be endless and ageless and boundless, wherefore it is said: "in his days righteousness shall spring up, and abundance of peace." Having said so much about the child who was born, he adds these things also concerning him: upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it. But observe carefully how it is not said that he will be seated upon the throne of David, but simply upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it, we ourselves supplying that he will come to establish the throne of David and "the fallen tent of David"; for since the kingdom of David had been overthrown and destroyed from the times of the people's captivity in Babylon, and there were prophecies decreeing that the throne of David would shine like the light of the sun throughout the whole world of men. He has come fulfilling this very promise, being born "of the seed of David according to the flesh," but illuminating the souls of men and strengthening his kingdom through all the nations throughout the whole world; for in these things he set right the throne of David, not with weapons and spears, but in judgment and in righteousness. And this he did from now and for ever, the phrase "from now" signifying a definite beginning, through which the time of his coming among men was shown, and the phrase "for ever" presenting his infinite and lasting kingdom. But it must be observed how the first prediction about the one being prophesied showed that he would be "born of a virgin," and the second, as if it were being asked how this would be, introduced the Lord saying: "And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived in the womb and bore a son," and the third

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κρείττονα τῆς ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον φύσιν αὐτοῦ παριστῶσιν. ἔνθεν οἶμαι τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα ὑπειδομένους τὸ ἐξαίσιον καὶ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς τῶν τοιούτων προσηγοριῶν ......... ταῦτα μὲν ἀποσιωπῆσαι, οἰκείᾳ δέ τινι διανοίᾳ καὶ ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ κεφαλαιωδῶς εἰπεῖν· καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος. ὅπως δὲ εἴρηται πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, νοήσομεν παραθέντες τὸν Ἀδὰμ πατέρα γενόμενον «τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος» καὶ τοῦ θνητοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους. ἀλλ' «ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνῄσκομεν» κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, «οὕτως ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιηθησόμεθα». ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τοῦ νέου αἰῶνος «ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός, ἔπειτα οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ, εἶτα τὸ τέλος», τούτου χάριν πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος ἂν εἴρηται καὶ πάλιν εἰρήνης ἄρχων· «αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν», «εἰρηνοποιήσας τὰ περὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς» «καὶ τὸν κόσμον» τῷ ἑαυτοῦ «καταλλάξας» πατρί. τούτοις ἑξῆς εἴρηται· ἄξω γὰρ εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ ὑγείαν αὐτῶν. ποίους δὲ ἄρχοντας ἢ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἄρχειν τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ καθισταμένους; λέγω δὲ μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποστόλους, τούς τε τὴν τούτων διαδοχὴν καθ' ὅλης ὑποδεξαμένους τῆς οἰκουμένης, οἷς ψυχῆς ὑγείαν καὶ εἰρήνην ἔχειν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐδωρεῖτο, ἐν οἷς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγεν· «εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν». Καὶ ἐπιλέγει· μεγάλη ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ, ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· ἐπλήσθη γὰρ ἡ παιδεία αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅριον, ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν τέλος κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, ἢ οὐκ ἔστι πέρας κατὰ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα. «μεγάλην δὲ ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ νοήσεις τὴν καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ θεωρῶν. καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπιστήσας ταῖς τοῦ ἱεροῦ Ἀποστόλου περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαις, δι' ὧν φησι· «κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ καθίσας αὐτὸν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου». οὕτως οὖν μεγάλη ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀρχή. καὶ πάλιν καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι τέλος· ἀτελεύτητος γὰρ καὶ ἀγήρως καὶ ἀπερίγραφος αὕτη τυγχάνει, διὸ λέλεκται· «ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνη καὶ πλῆθος εἰρήνης». τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν περὶ τοῦ γεννηθέντος παιδίου ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ προστίθησιν· ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ∆αυὶδ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ κατορθῶσαι αὐτήν. τήρει δὲ ἀκριβῶς ὅπως οὐκ εἴρηται καθεσθήσεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ∆αυίδ, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ∆αυὶδ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ κατορθῶσαι αὐτήν, ἡμῶν προσυπακουόντων τὸ ἥξειν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθῶσαι τὸν θρόνον ∆αυὶδ καὶ «τὴν σκηνὴν ∆αυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν»· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατέστραπτο καὶ καθῄρητο ἡ βασιλεία ∆αυὶδ ἀπὸ τῶν χρόνων τῆς εἰς Βαβυλῶνα αἰχμαλωσίας τοῦ λαοῦ, ἦσαν δὲ προφητεῖαι θεσπίζουσαι τὸν θρόνον τοῦ ∆αυὶδ διαλάμψειν φωτὸς ἡλιακοῦ δίκην καθ' ὅλης τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένης. ταύτην αὐτὴν ἐλήλυθεν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν πληρώσας «ἐκ σπέρματος μὲν ∆αυὶδ κατὰ σάρκα» γεννώμενος, καταλάμπων δὲ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ κρατύνων διὰ πάντων τῶν καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐθνῶν· ἐν τούτοις γὰρ τὸν θρόνον ∆αυὶδ διωρθώσατο, οὐχ ὅπλοις καὶ δόρασιν, ἀλλ' ἐν κρίματι καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. καὶ τοῦτ' ἔπραξεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τοῦ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν χρόνου ἀρχὴν σημαίνοντος ὡρισμένην, δι' ἧς ὁ καιρὸς ἐδηλοῦτο τῆς εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ, τοῦ δὲ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὴν ἄπειρον καὶ διαρκῆ βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ παριστῶντος. τηρητέον δὲ ὡς ἡ μὲν πρώτη περὶ τοῦ προφητευομένου πρόρρησις «ἐκ παρθένου τεχθήσεσθαι» αὐτὸν ἐδήλου, ἡ δὲ δευτέρα ὡσανεὶ ζητουμένου πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο τὸν κύριον εἰσῆγεν λέγοντα· «καὶ προσῆλθον πρὸς τὴν προφῆτιν, καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔλαβε καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱόν», ἡ δὲ τρίτη