44. For as two advents of our Lord and Saviour are indicated in the Scriptures, the one being His first advent in the flesh, which took place without honour by reason of His being set at nought, as Isaiah spake of Him aforetime, saying, “We saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness, but His form was despised (and) rejected (lit. = deficient) above all men; a man smitten and familiar with bearing infirmity, (for His face was turned away); He was despised, and esteemed not.”98 Isa. liii. 2–5. But His second advent is announced as glorious, when He shall come from heaven with the host of angels, and the glory of His Father, as the prophet saith, “Ye shall see the King in glory;”99 Isa. xxxiii. 17. and, “I saw one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven; and he came to the Ancient of days, and he was brought to Him. And there were given Him dominion, and honour, and glory, and the kingdom; all tribes and languages shall serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.”100 Dan. vii. 13, 14. Thus also two forerunners were indicated. The first was John the son of Zacharias, who appeared in all things a forerunner and herald of our Saviour, preaching of the heavenly light that had appeared in the world. He first fulfilled the course of forerunner, and that from his mother’s womb, being conceived by Elisabeth, in order that to those, too, who are children from their mother’s womb he might declare the new birth that was to take place for their sakes by the Holy Ghost and the Virgin.
[44] ὥσπερ γὰρ δύο παρουσίαι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος διὰ τῶν γραφῶν ἐδείχθησαν, μία μὲν ἡ πρώτη ἡ κατὰ σάρκα γενομένη ἄτιμος διὰ τὸ ἐξουθενηθῆναι αὐτόν, καθὼς προανεφώνει Ἡσαΐας λέγων „εἴδομεν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον καὶ ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους: ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὢν καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ἠτιμάσθη καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη„: ἡ δὲ δευτέρα αὐτοῦ παρουσία κεκήρυκται ἐν δόξῃ, ὡς παρέσται ἀπ' οὐρανῶν μετὰ δυνάμεως ἀγγέλων καὶ πατρικῆς δόξης, ὥς φησιν ὁ προφήτης ”βασιλέα μετὰ δόξης ὄψεσθε” καὶ „ἐθεώρουν ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον, καὶ ἕως τοῦ παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔφθασεν, καὶ προσήχθη αὐτῷ. καὶ αὐτῷ ἐδόθη ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ πᾶσαι λαοὶ φυλαὶ γλῶσσαι δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ: βασιλεία αὐτοῦ βασιλεία αἰώνιος, ἥτις οὐ διαφθαρήσεται„: οὕτω καὶ δύο πρόδρομοι ἐδείχθησαν: ὁ μὲν πρῶτος γενόμενος Ἰωάννης ὁ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου υἱός, κατὰ πάντα πρόδρομος καὶ κῆρυξ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν γενηθείς: εὐαγγελιζόμενος πᾶσι τὸ ἐπουράνιον φῶς τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ φανέν: προέδραμε γὰρ ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρός, πρῶτος συλληφθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐλισάβετ, ἵνα καὶ τοῖς ἔτι ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρὸς νηπίοις ὑπάρχουσιν ἐπιδείξῃ τὴν ἐσομένην αὐτοῖς διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ παρθένου καινὴν γέννησιν.