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warring against the spirit, let them say that through the apostles it has come to pass in the land of creation; for the prophetic word taught this. But it is clear that it does not say that the spirit came to be in the earth but that salvation through the spirit was provided to men on the earth. We shall not fall, even if we are warred against ten thousand times. This is what the divine apostle also said: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair." But those who dwell on the earth will fall, those who think of earthly things, who trust in fleeting things as if they were permanent. But we await the resurrection of the dead; 19For your dead shall rise, and those in the tombs shall be raised, and those who rest in the earth shall awaken and rejoice. This is what the Lord also said, that "those who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have done good will come out to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." Accordingly, however, the prophet put "shall awaken," showing that death is sleep. Then he teaches the manner of the revival: For the dew from you is healing for them. For just as the rain gives life to the seeds that have been buried and as it were entombed, so your word like some dew raises up the nature of men. But the land of the impious will fall. Their earthly mindset will be destroyed. These things, then, the prophet has said, weaving a hymn to the God of all. But the Master himself exhorts those who have believed in him to be hidden as if in some storerooms by the faith of the proclamations and the hope of things to come, and to escape the destruction brought upon other men; 20For he says, Go, my people, enter into your storeroom, shut your door, hide yourself for a very little while. Instead of for a little while. Until the wrath of the Lord has passed by. 21For behold, the Lord from his holy place is bringing his wrath upon those who dwell on the earth, to visit the lawlessness of the inhabitants of the earth against them. We find the Lord commanding these things to the holy apostles; For he says, "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation has come near," and again; "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let the one on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house." And he foretells them, so that they might escape the destruction brought upon those who disbelieved. The prophet, however, also teaches the cause |133 a| of the punishment; And the earth will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain. And concerning Abel, God has said: "The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground," and now he says the Lordly blood the earth does not endure to hide, but shows this, accusing the madness. For this reason it will not even receive the murderers when they are killed to be buried, but will set them forth as food for birds and beasts. 271In that day God will bring his holy and great and strong sword upon the dragon, the fleeing serpent, upon the dragon, the crooked serpent, and he will slay in that day the dragon that is in the sea. He calls the avenging word the sword of God, and he says the dragon, the crooked serpent, fleeing, dwelling in the sea, is the one who worked through the first serpent. For this one fled, having learned of the Savior's appearance, and cried out: "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" This one, turning from the straight path, leads men astray into the winding paths of wickedness; this one formerly dwelt in the Salt Sea, making its waters bitter and undrinkable; but through the wood of the cross, the apostles of our Savior, changing these to a sweet quality, drove him out and prevented him from injecting his own venom, but rather received "authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy." Of this sword the blessed Paul also makes mention. For the other

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πνεύματι πο λεμοῦντες, λεγέτωσαν ὅτι διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐν τῇ γῇ τῆς δημιουργίας τετύχηκεν· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ προφη τικὸς ἐδίδαξε λόγος. Ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὡς οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ἐν τῇ γῇ γεγενῆσθαι ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος σωτηρίαν ἐν τῇ γῇ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρασχεθῆναι. Οὐ πεσούμεθα, κἂν μυριάκις πολεμηθῶμεν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ἔφη· «Ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι, ἀπορούμενοι ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι.» Ἀλλὰ πεσοῦνται οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν, οἱ τὰ γήινα φρο νοῦντες, οἱ ὡς μένουσι θαρροῦντες τοῖς ῥέουσιν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ προσμένομεν τῶν νεκρῶν τὴν ἀνάστασιν· 19Ἀναστήσονται γὰρ οἱ νεκροί σου, καὶ ἐξεγερθήςονται οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνή μασιν, ἐξυπνισθήσονται καὶ εὐφρανθήσονται οἱ ἡσυχάζον τες ἐν τῇ γῇ. Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ κύριος ἔφη ὅτι «ἀκούσονται οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἐξελεύσονται οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως.» Ἀκο λούθως μέντοι τὸ ἐξυπνισθήσονται τέθεικεν ὁ προφήτης δεικνὺς ὕπνον ὄντα τὸν θάνατον. Εἶτα διδάσκει τὸν τῆς ἀναβι ώ σεως τρόπον· Ἡ γὰρ δρόσος ἡ παρὰ σοῦ ἴαμα αὐτοῖς ἐστιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ὑετὸς ζωοποιεῖ τὰ καταχω σθέντα καὶ οἱονεὶ ταφέντα σπέρματα, οὕτως ὁ σὸς λόγος οἷόν τις δρόσος ἀνίστησι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν. Ἡ δὲ γῆ τῶν ἀσεβῶν πεσεῖται. Τὸ γήινον αὐτῶν καταλυθήσεται φρόνημα. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ προφήτης εἴρηκεν ὕμνον ὑφαίνων τῷ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ δεσπότης τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκόσι παρεγγυᾷ ὥσπερ ἔν τισι ταμιείοις τῇ πίστει τῶν κηρυγμάτων καὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῶν μελλόντων κατακρυβῆναι καὶ διαφυγεῖν τὸν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις ἐπιφερόμενον ὄλεθρον· 20Βάδιζε γάρ φησι λαός μου, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖόν σου, ἀπόκ λεισον τὴν θύραν σου, ἀποκρύβηθι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον. Ἀντὶ τοῦ πρὸς μικρόν. Ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἡ ὀργὴ κυρίου. 21Ἰδοὺ γὰρ κύριος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου τόπου ἐπάγει τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐπισκέψασθαι τὴν ἀνομίαν τῶν κατοικούντων τὴν γῆν κατ' αὐτῶν. Ταῦτα εὑρί σκομεν τὸν κύριον τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἀποστόλοις παρεγγυήσαντα· «Ὅταν» γάρ φησιν «ἴδητε κυκλουμένην ὑπὸ στρα τοπέδων τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, γινώςκετε ὅτι ἤγγικεν ἡ ἐρήμωσις αὐτῆς», καὶ πάλιν· «Τότε οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ φευγέτωσαν εἰς τὰ ὄρη, καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος μὴ κατα βάτω ἆραί τι ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ.» Προλέγει δὲ αὐτοῖς, ἵνα διαφύγωσι τὸν ἐπιφερόμενον τοῖς ἀπιστήσασιν ὄλεθρον. Ὁ μέντοι προφήτης καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν |133 a| διδάσκει τῆς τιμωρίας· Καὶ ἀνακαλύψει ἡ γῆ τὸ αἷμα αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ κατακαλύψει τοὺς ἀνῃρημένους ἔτι. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἄβελ ὁ θεὸς εἴρηκεν· «Φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς», καὶ νῦν τὸ δεσποτ ικόν φησιν αἷμα οὐκ ἀνέχεται κατακρύψαι ἡ γῆ ἀλλὰ τοῦτο δείκνυσι τῆς μανίας κατηγοροῦσα. ∆ι ὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ τοὺς μιαιφόνους ἀναιρουμένους ὑποδέξεται θαπτομένους ἀλλὰ προθήσ ει αὐτοὺς βορὰν οἰωνοῖς καὶ θηρίοις. 271Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐπάξει ὁ θεὸς τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ τὴν μεγάλην καὶ τὴν ἰσχυρὰν ἐπὶ τὸν δράκοντα τὸν ὄφιν τὸν φεύγοντα, ἐπὶ τὸν δράκοντα τὸν ὄφιν τὸν σκολιόν, καὶ ἀνελεῖ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τὸν δράκοντα τὸν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ. Μάχαιραν θεοῦ καλεῖ τὸν τιμωρητικὸν λόγον, δράκοντα δὲ ὄφιν σκολιὸν φεύγοντα ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ διαιτώμενον τὸν διὰ τοῦ πρώτου ὄφεως ἐνεργήσαντα λέγει. Οὗτος γὰρ ἔφυγε τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος μεμαθηκὼς ἐπιφάνειαν καὶ ἐβόα· «Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ; ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς;» Οὗτος τῆς εὐθείας ἀποτρέπων ὁδοῦ εἰς τὰς πολυελίκτους τῆς κακίας ἀτραποὺς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀποπλανᾷ· οὗτος ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἁλῶν πάλαι Θαλάττῃ διῆγε, πικρὰ καὶ ἄποτα ταύτης κατασκευάζων τὰ ὕδατα· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ σταυροῦ οἱ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀπόστολοι εἰς γλυκεῖαν ταῦτα μεταβαλόντες ποιότητα ἐξήλασαν τοῦτον καὶ διεκώλυσαν ἐμβαλεῖν τὸν οἰκεῖον ἰόν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἔλαβον «ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ». Ταύτης τῆς μαχαίρας καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος μέμνηται. Τὴν γὰρ ἄλλην