John of Damascus, Sacred parallels

angels of the heavens, except the Father alone. Watch therefore, for you know not the day, nor the hour. The hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice; and they will come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all. Thus it will be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and on the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the 95.1181 inhabited earth. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. The fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. So it is written: The first man became a living soul, the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual is not first; The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. As we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the heavenly man. This I say, my brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? the sting of death is sin? And the power of sin is the law. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. For whatever a man sows? this he will also reap. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them. As labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. 95.1184 Now we ask you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by a letter, as if from us, as though the day of the Lord had come. Let no one deceive you by any means, for unless the

ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν, εἰ μὴ ὁ Πατὴρ μόνος. Γρηγορεῖτε. ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἡμέραν, οὐδὲ τὴν ὥραν. Ἔρχεται ὥρα, ἐν ᾗ πάντες οἱ ἐν μνημείοις ἀκούσονται τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐκπορεύσονται οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες, εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες, εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως. Καθὼς ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Νῶε, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ἐγάμουν, ἐξεγαμίσκοντο, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθε Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτὸν, καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμὸς, καὶ ἀπώλεσε πάντας. Ὁμοίως καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Λώτ· ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ἠγόραζον, ἐπώλουν, ἐφύτευον, ᾠκοδόμουν· ᾗ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ἐξῆλθε Λὼτ ἀπὸ Σοδόμων, ἔβρεξεν θεῖον ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντας. Κατὰ ταῦτα ἔσται ἡ ἡμέρᾳ, ἐν ᾗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκαλύπτεται. Τότε ἔσται σημεῖα ἐν ἡλίῳ, σελήνῃ, καὶ ἄστροις, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς συνοχὴ ἐθνῶν ἐν ἀπορίᾳ, ἠχούσης θαλάσσης καὶ σάλου, ἀποψυχόντων ἀνθρώπων ἀπὸ φόβου καὶ προσδοκίας τῶν ἐπερχομένων τῇ 95.1181 οἰκουμένῃ. Αἱ γὰρ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται, καὶ τότε ὄψονται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλῃ μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς. Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς μήποτε βαρυνθῶσιν ὑμῶν αἱ καρδίαι ἐν κραιπάλῃ, καὶ μέθῃ, καὶ μερίμναις βιωτικαῖς, καὶ αἰφνιδίως ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἐπιστῇ ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη. Ὡς παγὶς γὰρ ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς καθημένους ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς. Ὅταν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῶσιν, οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίζονται, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄγγελοί εἰσιν ἐν οὐρανῷ. Λογίζομαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται. Ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάσει. Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μένει, ὃ ἐπῳκοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήψεται. Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται. Αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται, οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός. Οὕτως γέγραπται· Ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν, ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζωοποιόν. Ἀλλ' οὐ πρῶτον τὸ πνευματικόν· ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐκ γῆς χοϊκὸς, ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος ὁ Κύριος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. Οἷος ὁ χοϊκὸς τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ χυϊκοί· καὶ οἷος ἐπουράνιος, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ ἐπουράνιοι. Καθὼς ἐφορέσαμεν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, φορέσωμεν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου. Τοῦτό φημι, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύνανται, οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ. Ἰδοὺ μυστήριον ὑμῖν λέγω· πάντες μὲν οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα. Ἐν ἀτόμῳ, ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ἐν ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι· σαλπίσει γάρ· καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀλλαγησόμεθα. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσεται ἀθανασίαν. Ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσεται ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσεται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος. Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος; τὸ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία; Ἡ δὲ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὁ νόμος. Τοὺς πάντας ἡμᾶς φανερωθῆναι, δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος, καθὰ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν, εἴτε φαῦλον. Ὃ γὰρ ἂν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος; τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει. Οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, περὶ τῶν κεκοιμημένων, ἵνα μὴ λυπῆσθε, καθὼς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα. Περὶ δὲ τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε ὑμῖν γράφεσθαι. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκριβῶς οἴδατε, ὅτι ἡ ἡμέρα Κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ, οὕτως ἔρχεται. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπωσιν· Εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσεται ὄλεθρος. Ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν. 95.1184 Ἐρωτῶμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, ὑπὲρ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμῶν ἐπισυναγωγῆς ἐπ' αὐτὸν, εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοός· μηδὲ θροεῖσθε, μηδὲ διὰ πνεύματος, μήτε δι' ἐπιστολῆς, ὡς δι' ἡμῶν, ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου. Μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ