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in essence and divinity the holy and all-praised Trinity exists. For it says, The Lord our God has reigned. Our Lord Jesus Christ, even before the saving incarnation, reigned over things in heaven and on earth with the Father and the All-Holy Spirit, as the only-begotten Son and Word of the Father and creator of all things. And after the incarnation, he is likewise lord and king of all, having been diminished in no way by the incarnation with respect to his rule and kingdom over all. But since, according to the most wise apostle, we do not yet see all things subjected to him, but in the age to come all things will be subjected, even those who now for the time being stretch out a haughty neck against him, so that even death itself will be subjected—for the last enemy to be destroyed is death—the divine angels rightly say, The Lord our God has reigned, making reference in their doxology to the age to come, as then Christ will acquire the most perfect kingdom over all things by the subjection of all; for some will make their submission through punishment, others through face-to-face knowledge, and not through a mirror or an enigma as now. For, it says, the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. In the present time, the Lord's marriage to the Church is still a betrothal and not yet a perfect marriage. And the divine apostle alludes to this when writing the second epistle to the Corinthians, in which he says, For I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. The matter, therefore, is still of betrothal 202; for "I betrothed" signifies a betrothal. And as a symbol of the betrothal we receive the pledge of the Spirit. However, when the church becomes one spirit with Christ, just as a man is one body with his wife, then is the perfect marriage. For indeed, the wise apostle, philosophizing for us about physical marriage and citing the scriptural passage which says, The two shall become one flesh, adds, This mystery is great; but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. Therefore the holy angels say, The marriage of the Lamb has come, signifying that the marriage of the present betrothal will then be consummated; for the Gospel has also clearly handed this down to us, in one place introducing the wedding of a son given by a kingly father, and many being called to the banquet, and some partaking of the feast, but others declining the supper, and the one not clothed in a wedding garment being cast out; and in another place speaking of ten virgins, five of whom, whom he also calls wise, enter with the bridegroom into that blessed bridal chamber, while the others are shut out because they did not replenish their lamps with abundant oil; none of which can be understood as referring to the present time, but to the time to come. Therefore the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife, the church, is present, ready to receive those countless good things through her union with Christ. clothed, it says, in a garment of fine linen from virtues. And fine linen because of its brightness and fineness; bright because of its irreproachable life and conduct, fine because of its doctrines and thoughts concerning God. And he says to me, it says, Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the 203 Lamb, and indeed also those who go as they ought; for we know many who are called in the Gospels, but who declined the spiritual banquet, or even those who go, but are cast out as not having a wedding garment, as was shown a little before. But also the divine apostle said, many are the called, but few are the elect. And I fell before his feet to worship him. And he says to me: See you do it not; I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus: worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The accursed and God-hated Greeks, hearing that there is a doctrine decreed among us that holy angels by the good pleasure of God preside over nations and churches and individuals—nations, as the most wise Daniel has written, And I have come because of your words. And the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood opposite me, and again, and now I return to fight

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οὐσίᾳ καὶ θεότητι ἡ ἁγία καὶ πανύμνητος ὑπάρχει τριάς. ὅτι φησὶν ἐβασίλευσε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν. ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ πρὸ τῆς σωτηρίου ἐνανθρωπήσεως τῶν τε ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἐβασίλευε σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Παναγίῳ Πνεύματι, ὡς υἱὸς μονογενὴς καὶ λόγος τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τῶν ἁπάντων δημιουργός. καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν δὲ πάντων ὁμοίως ἐστὶ κύριος καὶ βασιλεύς, οὐδὲν ἐκ τῆς σαρκώσεως ἐλαττωθεὶς εἰς τὴν κατὰ πάντων ἀρχὴν καὶ βασιλείαν. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν σοφώτατον ἀπόστολον οὔπω ὁρῶμεν τὰ πάντα αὐτῷ ὑποτεταγμένα, ἐν δὲ τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι πάντα ὑποταγήσεται καὶ οἱ νῦν τέως ἀγέρωχον αὐτῷ τὸν αὐχένα ἀντιτείνοντες ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν θάνατον ὑποτάττεσθαι, ἔσχατος γὰρ ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατοςεἰκότως φασὶν οἱ θεσπέσιοι ἄγγελοι ἐβασίλευσε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα τὴν ἀναφορὰν ποιούμενοι τῆς δοξολογίας, ὡς τότε τῇ ἁπάντων ὑποταγῇ τελεωτάτην ἐπὶ πᾶσι κτωμένου Χριστοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ τῇ κολάσει, οἱ δὲ τῇ κατὰ πρόσωπον ἐπιγνώσει, καὶ οὐ δι' ἐσόπτρου ἢ αἰνίγματι ὥσπερ νῦν τὴν ὑποταγὴν ποιήσονται. ὅτι ἦλθέ φησιν ὁ γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτήν. ὁ ἐν τῷ παρόντι τοῦ Κυρίου γάμος πρὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἔτι μνηστεία ἐστὶ καὶ οὔπω τέλειος γάμος. καὶ τοῦτο αἰνίττεται ὁ θεσπέσιος ἀπόστολος τὴν δευτέραν πρὸς Κορινθίους γράφων ἐπιστολήν, ἐν ᾗ φησιν ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ. ἔτι οὖν μνηστείας 202 τὸ πρᾶγμα· μνηστείας γὰρ τὸ ἡρμοσάμην. καὶ σύμβολον τῆς μνηστείας τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος δεχόμεθα. ὅταν μέντοι ἓν πνεῦμα γένηται μετὰ Χριστοῦ ἡ ἐκκλησία, ὥσπερ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἓν σῶμα μετὰ τῆς γυναικός, τότε ὁ τέλειος γάμος. καὶ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ σωματικοῦ γάμου φιλοσοφῶν ἡμῖν ὁ σοφὸς ἀπόστολος καὶ τὸ γραφικὸν παραθεὶς τὸ φάσκον ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν, ἐπάγει τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. διό φασιν οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι ἦλθεν ὁ γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου, σημαίνοντες τότε τῆς νῦν μνηστείας τὸν γάμον ἐπιτελεσθησόμενον· τοῦτο γὰρ σαφῶς ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον παραδέδωκε πῆ μὲν εἰσάγον γάμους υἱοῦ παρὰ πατρὸς βασιλέως γινομένους, καὶ πολλοὺς εἰς τὸ συμπόσιον κεκλημένους, καὶ τοὺς μὲν κοινωνοῦντας τῆς εὐωχίας, τοὺς δὲ παραιτησαμένους τὸ δεῖπνον, καὶ ἐκδιωκόμενον τὸν μὴ ἔνδυμα γάμου ἠμφιεσμένον· πῆ δὲ δέκα παρθένους λέγον ὧν αἱ μὲν πέντε ἃς καὶ φρονίμους καλεῖ συνεισιούσας τῷ νυμφίῳ εἰς τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην παστάδα, τὰς δὲ ἀποκλειομένας ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐλαίῳ δαψιλεῖ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐκόρεσαν λαμπάδας· ὧν οὐδὲν εἰς τὸν παρόντα χρόνον νοεῖν ἐνδέχεται, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν ἐσόμενον. ἦλθεν οὖν ὁ γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐκκλησία ἑτοίμη πάρεστιν τῶν ἀμυθήτων ἐκείνων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν τῇ πρὸς Χριστὸν συναφείᾳ. περιβεβλημένη φησὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀρετῶν ἱμάτιον βύσσινον. βύσσον δὲ διὰ τὸ λαμπρὸν αὐτῆς καὶ ἰσχνόν· λαμπρὸν μὲν τῇ ἀλήπτῳ ζωῇ καὶ πολιτείᾳ, ἰσχνὸν δὲ τοῖς περὶ Θεοῦ δόγμασι καὶ διανοήμασι. καὶ λέγει μοί φησι γράψον· μακάριοι οἱ εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον τοῦ γάμου τοῦ 203 ἀρνίου κεκλημένοι, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἀπιόντες ὡς δεῖ· πολλοὺς γὰρ ἴσμεν κεκλημένους μὲν ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, παραιτησαμένους δὲ τὸ πνευματικὸν συμπόσιον ἢ καὶ ἀπιόντας μέν, ἔξω δὲ βαλλομένους ὡς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα γάμου, ὡς πρὸ μικροῦ δεδήλωται. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος, πολλοὺς εἴρηκε τοὺς κλήτους, ὀλίγους δὲ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς. καὶ ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ. καὶ λέγει μοι· ὅρα μή· σύνδουλός σου εἰμὶ καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ· τῷ Θεῷ προσκύ νησον· ἡ γὰρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας. οἱ κατάρατοι καὶ θεοστυγεῖς Ἕλληνες ἀκούοντες ὥς ἐστι δόγμα παρ' ἡμῖν θεσπίζον ἁγίους ἀγγέλους εὐδοκίᾳ Θεοῦ προστατεῖν ἐθνῶν τε καὶ ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον, ἐθνῶν μὲν τοῦ σοφωτάτου ∆ανιὴλ γεγραφότος καὶ ἐγὼ ἦλθον ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου. καὶ ὁ ἄρχων βασιλείας Περσῶν εἱστήκει ἐξ ἐναντίας μου, καὶ αὖθις καὶ νῦν ἐπιστρέφω πολεμῆσαι