John Chrysostom, On Isaiah

as with a kind of wall, with the projection of their wings they covered their own faces; and what we are accustomed to experience, when thunder breaks forth or lightning flashes, bending to the ground, this indeed they also experienced. But if the Seraphim, those great and wonderful powers, were not able to see without fear God sitting, and sitting on a throne, but covered both their faces and their feet, what word could describe the madness of those who say they know God Himself clearly and meddle with that pure substance? With two they flew and cried out. What then is this: They flew, and what does it wish to signify? That they are continually about God and do not depart from Him, but this is their way of life, to sing to Him continually, to praise the Maker always. For it did not say, "They cried out," but "They were crying out," that is, they continually have this work. One to another and they were saying: Holy, holy, holy. This shows their all-harmonious symphony and their praise with much unanimity. This hymn is not only praise, but also a prophecy of the good things that would take hold of the world and an exactness of doctrines. And for what reason did they not say it once and fall silent, nor a second time and stop, but a third time and added to it? Is it not quite clear that in offering the hymn to the Trinity they were doing this? For this very reason John says it was spoken concerning the Son, and Luke concerning the Spirit, and the prophets concerning the Father. And what follows reveals this meaning to us. For after the hymn they added: The whole earth is full of his glory, which was of an exact prophecy; they proclaim beforehand the future knowledge, through which the world was filled with the glory of God. since in the old days and when these things were being said, not only the rest of the world, but also the land of Judea itself was filled with much impiety and no one anywhere glorified God. And the prophet himself is a witness, saying that Through you my name is blasphemed among the nations. When then did the earth become full of his glory? When this hymn was brought down to earth and the people below became fellow choristers with the powers above and raised up one melody and made the praise common. But if the Jew is shameless towards these things, let him show when the whole earth became full of this glory that comes from knowledge. But he would not be able to show it, even if he were shameless ten thousand times over. And the lintel was lifted up by the voice with which they cried out. Do you see the facility of the prophecy, the events following one another? For after this hymn and the filling of the earth with his glory, all Judaic things ceased, which this itself showed through the lifting up of the lintel. 6.4 For this was the sign of desolation, and of the overturning of the temple; and with the temple having disappeared, all the other things were also abolished together. And that you may learn that the New has put a stop to the Old: From the voice, he says, the lintel was lifted up; that is, from the coming of this doxology and the shining of grace and the pouring out of glory everywhere in the world, the things of the shadow have been gotten out of the way. And the house was filled with smoke. To me this also seems to be a sign of the capture that would overtake them and of the barbarian fire and of the most grievous conflagration. And I said: Woe is me, for I am pierced to the heart, for I am a man and have unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips, and I have seen the Lord Sabaoth with my eyes. The vision astounded the prophet, it roused him, it cast him into great fear, it moved him to confession, it prepared him to recognize more precisely the worthlessness of his own substance. For such are all the saints; whenever they enjoy greater honor, then they are humbled more greatly. Thus also Abraham, conversing with God, called himself earth and ashes; thus also Paul, when he was deemed worthy of that vision, then named himself one born out of due time; so indeed this one also bewails himself, first from his nature saying: Woe is me, for I am pierced to the heart, for I am a man; then from the

καθάπερ τινὶ τειχίῳ, τῇ τῶν πτερύγων προβολῇ συνεσκίαζον τὰς ἑαυτῶν ὄψεις· καὶ ὅπερ ἡμεῖς πάσχειν εἰώθαμεν, ἢ βροντῶν καταρρηγνυμένων ἢ ἀστραπῶν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἔδαφος κλινόμενοι, τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἐκεῖναι ἔπασχον. Εἰ δὲ τὰ Σεραφίμ, αἱ μεγάλαι καὶ θαυμάσιαι δυνάμεις ἐκεῖναι, Θεὸν καθήμενον καὶ ἐπὶ θρόνου καθήμενον ἰδεῖν ἀδεῶς οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ὄψεις καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἐκάλυπτον, τίς ἂν παραστήσειε λόγος τὴν μανίαν τῶν αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν εἰδέναι σαφῶς λεγόντων καὶ τὴν ἀκήρατον ἐκείνην περιεργαζομένων οὐσίαν; Ταῖς δυσὶν ἐπέταντο καὶ ἐκέκραγον. Τί ποτέ ἐστι τοῦτο τό· Ἐπέταντο καὶ τί παρασημᾶναι βούλεται; Ὅτι διηνεκῶς περὶ τὸν Θεόν εἰσι καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀφίστανται, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ αὐτοῖς ἡ πολιτεία, τὸ διηνεκῶς εἰς αὐτὸν ᾄδειν, τὸ διαπαντὸς εὐφημεῖν τὸν ποιήσαντα. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· Ἐκέκραξαν, ἀλλ' Ἐκέκραγον, τουτέστι, διηνεκῶς τοῦτο ἔργον ἔχουσιν. Ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον καὶ ἔλεγον· Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος. Τοῦτο τὴν παναρμόνιον αὐτῶν συμφωνίαν δηλοῖ καὶ τὴν μετὰ πολλῆς ὁμονοίας εὐφημίαν. Οὗτος ὁ ὕμνος οὐκ εὐφημία μόνον ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προφητεία τῶν καταληψομένων τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀγαθῶν καὶ δογμάτων ἀκρίβεια. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν οὐκ εἶπον ἅπαξ καὶ ἐσίγησαν, οὐδὲ δεύτερον καὶ ἔστησαν, ἀλλὰ τρίτον καὶ προσέθηκαν; Οὐκ εὔδηλον ὅτι τῇ Τριάδι τὸν ὕμνον ἀναφέρουσαι τοῦτο ἐποίουν; ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ὁ μὲν Ἰωάννης περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φησιν εἰρῆσθαι, ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος, οἱ δὲ προφῆται περὶ τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ ταύτην ἡμῖν ἐμφαίνει τὴν ἔννοιαν. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸν ὕμνον ἐπήγαγον· Πλήρης πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, ὅπερ ἦν προφητείας ἀκριβοῦς· τὴν μέλλουσαν γνῶσιν προαναφωνοῦσι, δι' ἧς ἡ οἰκουμένη τῆς δόξης ἐνεπλήσθη τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὡς τό γε παλαιὸν καὶ ἡνίκα ταῦτα ἐλέγετο, οὐ μόνον τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης μέρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἡ χώρα πολλῆς ἀσεβείας ἦν ἐμπεπλησμένη καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐδαμοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἐδόξαζε. Καὶ μάρτυς αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης λέγων ὅτι ∆ι' ὑμᾶς τὸ ὄνομά μου βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Πότε οὖν πλήρης ἐγένετο ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ; Ὅτε ὁ ὕμνος οὗτος εἰς τὴν γῆν κατηνέχθη καὶ συγχορευταὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων οἱ κάτω γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι καὶ μίαν τὴν μελῳδίαν ἀνήγαγον καὶ κοινὴν τὴν εὐφημίαν ἐποιήσαντο. Εἰ δὲ ἀναισχυντεῖ πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, δειξάτω πότε πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πλήρης ἐγένετο ταύτης τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς γνώσεως; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι δεῖξαι, κἂν μυριάκις ἀναισχυντῇ. Καὶ ἐπήρθη τὸ ὑπέρθυρον ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς, ἧς ἐκέκραγον. Εἶδες προφητείας εὐκολίαν τὰ πράγματα ἀλλήλων ἐχόμενα; Μετὰ γὰρ τὸν ὕμνον τοῦτον καὶ τὸ πληρωθῆναι τὴν γῆν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, ἐπαύσατο τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ ἅπαντα, ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸ διὰ τοῦ ἐπαρθῆναι τὸ ὑπέρθυρον ἐδήλωσεν. 6.4 Ἐρημώσεως γὰρ τουτὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἦν, καὶ ἀνατροπῆς τοῦ ναοῦ· τοῦ ναοῦ δὲ ἀφανισθέντος, καὶ τἄλλα συγκατελύετο πάντα. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ἡ Καινὴ τὴν Παλαιὰν ἔπαυσεν· Ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς, φησίν, ἐπήρθη τὸ ὑπέρθυρον· τουτέστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ παραγενέσθαι τὴν δοξολογίαν ταύτην καὶ λάμψαι τὴν χάριν καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἐκχυθῆναι πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης, τὰ τῆς σκιᾶς ἐκποδὼν γέγονε. Καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἐνεπλήσθη καπνοῦ. Ἐμοὶ καὶ τοῦτο δοκεῖ σημεῖον εἶναι τῆς ἁλώσεως τῆς αὐτοὺς καταληψομένης καὶ τοῦ βαρβαρικοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ χαλεπωτάτου ἐμπρησμοῦ. Καὶ εἶπον· Ὢ τάλας ἐγὼ ὅτι κατανένυγμαι, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχων καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος ἐγὼ οἰκῶ καὶ τὸν Κύριον Σαβαὼθ εἶδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου. Ἐξέπληξε τὸν προφήτην ἡ ὄψις, διανέστησεν, εἰς πολὺν τὸν φόβον ἐνέβαλε, πρὸς ἐξομολόγησιν ἐκίνησεν, ἀκριβέστερον τὴν εὐτέλειαν τῆς οἰκείας οὐσίας ἐπιγνῶναι παρεσκεύασε. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες· ἐπειδὰν μείζονος ἀπολαύσωσι τιμῆς τότε ταπεινοῦνται μειζόνως. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ διαλεγόμενος, γῆν καὶ σποδὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐκάλει· οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος, ὅτε τῆς ὄψεως ἐκείνης κατηξιώθη, τότε ἔκτρωμα ἑαυτὸν ὠνόμασεν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος ταλανίζει ἑαυτὸν πρότερον ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως λέγων· Ὢ τάλας ἐγώ, ὅτι κατανένυγμαι, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὤν· εἶτα ἀπὸ τῆς