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Scriptures.” 2.237 Harmoniously with the holy city being called true, the mountain of the Lord Almighty will also be and will be called holy. See if the mountain of the Lord Almighty happens to be the Word of the coming of the Son of God, concerning which it is written in a certain Song of Ascents thus: “Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion.” For let not our mind be so impoverished as to think that those who trust in the Lord, having an immense virtue, are compared or likened to a sensible mountain, so that those who have spiritual blessings are shown to be blessed. For it is written in Jeremiah the prophet: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; and the Lord will be his hope.” And in the Psalms: “It is good to trust in the Lord rather than to trust in man.” 2.238 Since therefore those who trust in the Lord do not imitate a sensible mountain, which is an outcast of the earth, what must we think it to be but that about which Isaiah said: “In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest,” shining forth and being revealed “at the consummation of the ages, that He might set aside sin,” having loosed and destroyed it, being sacrificed like a lamb. 2.239 John the great, illuminating this mystery, pointing to Jesus said: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” 2.240 Concerning the mountain that has been shown, one must also understand what is declared in the forty-seventh Psalm thus: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, on His holy mountain.” 2.241 These things having appeared according to the first spiritual sense, one must also take allegorically with a high understanding Zion returning and being called the true Jerusalem, the things philosophized in the Epistle to the Hebrews by him who speaks in Christ, writing: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the church of the firstborn, of those who celebrate with myriads of angels,” for which reason they are “enrolled in the heavens,” having been registered as citizens in the holy and heavenly one. 2.242 Such were also the apostles, who heard from the King of all: “Rejoice because your names have been written in the heavens.” This writing is the “book of the living”. Indeed, concerning certain blessed ones the chosen vessel inscribes thus: “With Clement also and the rest whose names are in the book of life.” 2.243 Zach. VIII, 4-5: Thus says the Lord Almighty: Old men and old women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand, from fullness of days. And the streets of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. 2.244 As for the literal meaning, the proclamation of the prophet indicates that Jerusalem is to be restored to a deep and tranquil state of life. For thus with there being tranquility and all enemies having been cast far from the beautiful city, and no fear from enemies any longer being expected, those who from long life and fullness of days have reached old age, both men and women, will yet sit as before the captivity in the streets, holding staffs in their hand, primarily the old men, but consider if also the old women; and the staff is a symbol of honor. 2.245 Thus with those advanced in age sitting forth, the streets will be filled with playing boys and girls, not infants playing idly in the streets, with enemies threatening and expected. 2.246 The history having been told, the things pertaining to the spiritual sense must also be said. 2.247 A spiritual city having broad ways is the glorious Church, concerning which it is declared to the King of all who holds it: “Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God.” For how would she not be famous and much-praised, partaking of divine irrigations from “the river of God which is full of water”. It has also been said in the forty-fifth Psalm concerning

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γραφάς». 2.237 Ἁρμονίως τῷ ἀληθινὴν κεκλῆσθαι τὴν ἱερὰν πόλιν, καὶ τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου παντοκράτορος ἅγιον ἔσται καὶ χρηματίσει. Ὅρα εἰ τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου παντοκράτορος ὁ λόγος τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τυγχάνει, περὶ οὗ ἔν τινι ᾠδῇ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν φέρεται οὕτως· «Οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπὶ Κύριον ὡς ὄρος Σιών.» Μὴ γὰρ τοσοῦτον πτωχεύσῃ ἡμῶν ὁ νοῦς ὡς νομίσαι αἰσθητῷ ὄρει παραβάλλεσθαι ἢ ὁμοιοῦσθαι τοὺς ἐπὶ Κύριον πεποιθότας, παμμεγέθη ἀρετὴν ἔχοντας, ὡς εὐλογημένους ἀποδείκνυσθαι κατὰ πνευματικὰς εὐλογίας τοὺς ἔχοντας. Γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν Ἰερεμίᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ· «Εὐλογημένος ἄνθρωπος ὃς πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ ἔσται Κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· «Ἀγαθὸν πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ Κύριον ἢ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον.» 2.238 Ἐπεὶ οὖν μὴ αἰσθητὸν ὄρος, ἔκβρασμα γῆς τυγχάνον, μιμοῦνται οἱ ἐπὶ Κύριον πεποιθότες, τί φρονεῖν αὐτὸ δεῖ ἢ ἐκεῖνο περὶ οὗ εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας· «Ἔσται ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου», ἐπιλάμψαν καὶ φανερωθὲν «ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων, ἵνα ἀθετήσῃ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν», λύσας καὶ ἀφανίσας αὐτήν, ἀμνοῦ δίκην τυθείς. 2.239 Τοῦτο τὸ μυστήριον φωτίζων Ἰωάννης ὁ μέγας, δεικνὺς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἔφη· «Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου.» 2.240 Περὶ τοῦ ἀποδειχθέντος ὄρους ἐκλαβεῖν δεῖ καὶ τὸ ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ ἑβδόμῳ Ψαλμῷ ἀπαγγελλόμενον οὕτω· «Μέγας Κύριος καὶ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα, ἐν πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἐν ὄρει ἁγίῳ.» 2.241 Τούτων κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἀναγωγὴν φανέντων, ἐκλημπτέον καὶ κατ' ἀλληγορίαν ὑψηλῇ νοήσει ἐπιστρέφουσαν Σιὼν καὶ κικλησκομένην ἀληθινὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τὰ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους φιλοσοφούμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦντος, γράφοντος· «Προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ, καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων, τῶν πανηγυριζόντων μετὰ μυριάδων τῶν ἀγγέλων», δι' ἣν αἰτίαν «ἀπογεγραμμένοι ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς» τυγχάνουσιν, τῇ ἁγίᾳ καὶ ἐπουρανίῳ ἐμπολιτογραφηθέντες. 2.242 Οἷοι καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι τυγχάνοντες, ἤκουσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ παμβασιλέως· «Χαίρετε ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐνεγράφησαν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.» Αὕτη ἡ γραφὴ «ζώντων» τυγχάνει «βίβλος». Περί τινων γοῦν μακαρίων χαράττει τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος ὧδε· «Μετὰ καὶ Κλήμεντος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βίβλῳ ζωῆς.» 2.243 Zach. VIII, 4-5: Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἔτι καθήσονται πρεσβύτεροι καὶ πρεσβύτεραι ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἕκαστος τὴν ῥάβδον αὐτοῦ ἔχων ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ πλήθους ἡμερῶν. Καὶ αἱ πλατεῖαι τῆς πόλεως πλησθήσονται παιδαρίων καὶ κορασίων παιζόντων ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις αὐτῆς. 2.244 Ὡς πρὸς ῥητόν, εἰς εἰρήνην βαθεῖαν καὶ γαληνιώδη πολιτείαν ἀποκαθίστασθαι τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἡ προαναφώνησις τοῦ προφήτου δηλοῖ. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀταραξίας οὔσης καὶ ἐκτετοξευμένων πάντων πολεμίων πόρρω τῆς καλλιπόλεως, οὐδαμῶς ἔτι φόβου ἐξ ἐχθρῶν προσδοκουμένου, οἱ ἀπὸ πολυχρονιότητος καὶ πλήθους ἡμερῶν πρεσβυτικὴν ἡλικίαν ἔχοντες, ἄρσενες ὁμοῦ καὶ θήλειαι, ἔτι καθήσονται ὡς πρὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις, ῥάβδους μετὰ χεῖρα ἔχοντες, προηγουμένως μὲν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι, ἐπίστησον δὲ εἰ καὶ αἱ πρεσβύτεραι· τιμῆς δὲ σύμβολον ἡ ῥάβδος τυγχάνει. 2.245 Οὕτω προκαθημένων τῶν ἡλικίᾳ προηκόντων, πλησθήσονται αἱ πλατεῖαι παιζόντων παιδαρίων καὶ κορασίων, οὐκ ἀθυρόντων ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τῶν κομιδῇ νηπίων, ἐχθρῶν ἐπικειμένων καὶ προσδοκωμένων πολεμίων. 2.246 Τῆς ἱστορίας εἰρημένης, καὶ τὰ πρὸς διάνοιαν λεκτέον. 2.247 Πόλις πνευματικὴ πλατείας ἔχουσα ἡ ἔνδοξός ἐστιν Ἐκκλησία, περὶ ἧς ἀπαγγέλλεται τῷ κρατοῦντι αὐτῆς παμβασιλεῖ· «∆εδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀοίδιμος καὶ πολυύμνητος εἴη, θείων ποτισμῶν μεταλαμβάνουσα ἀπὸ «τοῦ πλήρης ὑδάτων ποταμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ». Εἴρηται καὶ ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ πέμπτῳ Ψαλμῷ περὶ