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a child "his body as good as dead," and from the dead God has granted the hope, especially when "the womb of Sarah" was dead; and what "had grown old and was near to disappearing," the dried up fount of the woman's customary course, again receives power for the conception of seed and the aged woman conceives 94.6 as if she were younger. And Isaac was delivered to his father alive from death; for God, by delivering the child alive to the father from the dead, proclaimed the hope 94.7 of the resurrection. Jacob shows his diligence, not placing the hope of the bones in second place; for he cared for such things not as for things that would perish, but as for things that were to live again, and he commanded them to be brought up from the land of the Egyptians, not as a secondary matter. 94.8 And Joseph signified this, saying, "You shall carry up my bones with you;" "for God will surely visit you." If there were no hope of resurrection, what is this care for bones, that the righteous command concerning 94.9 bones that perish? The first voice to Moses was the testimony of God: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," of those who are asleep in the world but alive with me. One and the same Spirit that spoke in the Law and teaches in the Gospel. For this the Savior also signified to the Sadducees, "The one who speaks in the prophets, behold, I am present." 95.1 And let Aaron's rod also show, being dry perhaps for many years and left in the tent from evening until morning. For living trees themselves, with much labor, through twelve months, when the yearly cycle is fulfilled, bring forth fruit, with the sun warming, rains watering, dews spreading, and night and 95.2 day nourishing them; but in one night God made the difficult easy. For the dry rod budded and put forth leaves and ripe fruits. For God showed similar things concerning the future 95.3 resurrection that would be brought about by him. But when children are conceived in holy matrimony, which the Lord indicated, first the seed of the sequence is cast, as the Lord showed, into the generative wombs; and as the times unfold, what was cast into the belly is brought to term over a nine-month period; I mean that in the number of nine 95.4 months what is conceived is perfected and is born. But in the resurrection it is not so; for the work happens in an instant. "For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible." As the Lord showed in the tent of testimony that the nuts on living trees, conceived over twelve months, are formed on the dry wood and buds 95.5 appear and in one night, and not only this but in the instant of one hour he perfected what, as has been said, comes to be over twelve months; and likewise the infant formed in the womb over nine months, which is perfected being gathered over much time, in the resurrection rises up, being completed in an instant. 96.1 Let the power of the Lord persuade the unbelievers, whose "will no one resists." Let Moses hear and show. "What is in your hand?" says the Lord; and he said, "a rod." And this rod was of wood, and certainly dry. And he says, "Throw it on the 96.2 ground. And he threw" the dry rod. And God made the dry thing moist, and not only moist, but also ensouled, and also changed 96.3 in its nature and differently formed in its substance. The work was not an illusion; for truth is worked by the command of God and not fantasy. For in all things he presented our understanding being corrected 96.4 through Moses toward the truth. For the prophet knew that what was happening was not in appearance, but in truth, in that he fled; for if he had known what was happening was a fantasy, he would not have fled from the face of the 96.5 serpent. But let this not again into
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παῖδα «νενεκρωμένου ἤδη τοῦ σώματος» καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ὁ θεὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα κεχάρισται, νεκρωθείσης μάλιστα «τῆς μήτρας Σάρρας·» καὶ τὸ «πεπαλαιωμένον καὶ ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ γεγονός», τῆς κατ' ἐθισμὸν γυναικὸς ἀκολουθίας ἡ ξηρανθεῖσα πηγή, αὖθις δύναμιν λαμβάνει εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος καὶ ἡ γηραλέα ὡς νεωτέρα 94.6 κυΐσκει. καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ἀπὸ θανάτου ζῶν τῷ πατρὶ παρεδόθη· ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν τῷ πατρὶ τὸν παῖδα παραδιδοὺς ζῶντα ἀναστάσεως 94.7 ἐλπίδα ἐκήρυττεν. Ἰακὼβ δείκνυσι τὴν πραγματείαν, μὴ ἐν δευτέρῳ τιθέμενος τὴν τῶν ὀστέων ἐλπίδα· ἐπεμελεῖτο γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων οὐχ ὡς ἀπολλυμένων, ἀλλ' ὡς μελλόντων αὖθις ἀναβιοῦν καὶ ἐνετέλλετο ἀνακομισθῆναι ἐκ τῆς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων χώρας οὐ παρέργως. 94.8 καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τοῦτο ἐσήμανε «συνανοίσετέ μου τὰ ὀστᾶ» φάσκων· «ἐπισκοπῇ γὰρ ἐπισκέψεται ὑμᾶς ὁ κύριος». εἰ μὴ ἐλπὶς ἦν ἀναστάσεως, τίς ὀστέων ἡ ἐπιμέλεια ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν φθειρομένων ὀστέων 94.9 ἐντέλλεσθαι τοὺς δικαίους; πρώτη φωνὴ τῷ Μωυσῇ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μαρτυρία· «ἐγὼ ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰακώβ»,τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ μὲν κοιμωμένων παρ' ἐμοὶ δὲ ζώντων. ἓν πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τὸ λαλῆσαν ἐν νόμῳ καὶ ἐν εὐαγγελίῳ διδάσκον. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Σαδδουκαίοις ὁ σωτὴρ ἐσήμαινεν «ὁ λαλῶν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις ἰδοὺ πάρειμι». 95.1 Ὑποδείξῃ δὲ καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος τοῦ Ἀαρὼν ξηρὰ οὖσα διὰ πολλῶν τάχα ἐτῶν καὶ ἐν σκηνῇ ἀφ' ἑσπέρας καὶ ἄχρι τῆς ἕω καταλειφθεῖσα. αὐτοῖς γὰρ μετὰ καμάτων τὰ ζῶντα δένδρα διὰ δεκαδύο μηνῶν κατὰ περίοδον ἐνιαυτοῦ πληρουμένου καρποὺς γεννᾷ, ἡλίου τε θάλποντος ὑετῶν ἀρδευόντων δρόσων πεταννυουσῶν νυκτός τε καὶ 95.2 ἡμέρας τρεφουσῶν, ὑπὸ μίαν δὲ νύκτα τὸ δυσχερὲς εὐχερὲς ὁ θεὸς εἰργάσατο. ἐβλάστησε γὰρ ἡ ξηρὰ ῥάβδος καὶ φύλλα ἐκβάλλει καὶ καρποὺς πεπείρους. τὰ ὅμοια γὰρ ὑπέδειξεν ὁ θεὸς τῆς μελλούσης 95.3 ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἔσεσθαι ἀναστάσεως. συλλαμβανομένων δὲ τῶν παίδων κατὰ τὸν σεμνὸν γάμον, ὃν ὁ κύριος ὑπέδειξε, πρῶτον καταβάλλεται σπέρμα τῆς ἀκολουθίας, ὡς κατέδειξεν ὁ κύριος, κατὰ τὰς γεννητικὰς μήτρας· χρόνων δὲ ἀνακυλιομένων τὸ καταβληθὲν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τελεσφορεῖται διὰ χρόνου ἐνναμηνιαίου· φημὶ δὲ ὑπὸ ἐννέα μηνῶν τὸν 95.4 ἀριθμὸν τελεσιουργεῖται τὸ κυϊσκόμενον καὶ γεννᾶται. ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὐχ οὕτως· ὑπὸ θῆξιν γὰρ τὸ ἔργον. «σαλπίσει γάρ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι». ὡς ἔδειξεν ὁ κύριος ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ὅτι τὰ κάρυα τὰ ἐν τοῖς ζῶσι δένδροις διὰ δεκαδύο μηνῶν ἐγκυμονούμενα ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ ξύλῳ πυκάζονται καὶ βλαστοὶ 95.5 γίνονται καὶ ὑπὸ μίαν νύκτα, οὐ μόνον δὲ ἀλλ' ὑπὸ θῆξιν μιᾶς ὥρας ἐτελεσιούργησε τὸ διὰ δεκαδύο μηνῶν ὡς εἴρηται γινόμενον· καὶ ὡσαύτως τὸ δι' ἐννέα μηνῶν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ γενόμενον βρέφος, ὃ διὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ χρόνου συναχθὲν τελειοῦται, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀναστάσει ὑπὸ θῆξιν πληρωθὲν ἀνίσταται. 96.1 Πεισάτω τοὺς ἀπίστους ἡ δύναμις τοῦ κυρίου, οὗ οὐδεὶς «ἀνθίσταται τῷ βουλήματι». ἀκουσάτω Μωυσῆς καὶ ἐπιδεικνύτω. «τί ἐν τῇ χειρί σου;» φησὶν ὁ κύριος· ὁ δὲ εἶπε «ῥάβδος». ἡ δὲ ῥάβδος ξυλίνη ἦν αὕτη, ξηρὰ δὲ πάντως. καί φησι «ῥῖψον αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τῆς 96.2 γῆς. καὶ ἔρριψε» τὴν ξηρὰν ῥάβδον. καὶ τὸ ξηρὸν ὁ θεὸς ὑγρὸν ἐπετέλει καὶ οὐ μόνον ὑγρόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμψυχον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ φύσει 96.3 παρηλλαγμένον καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ ἑτέρως ἐσχηματισμένον. οὐκ ἦν φάντασμα τὸ ἔργον· ἀλήθεια γὰρ θεοῦ προστάγματι ἐργάζεται καὶ οὐ φαντασία. ἐν ἅπασι γὰρ διορθουμένην τὴν ἡμῶν διάνοιαν παρέστησε 96.4 διὰ Μωυσέως πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ἔγνω γὰρ ὁ προφήτης ὅτι τὸ γινόμενον οὐκ ἦν δοκήσει, ἀλλ' ἀληθείᾳ ἐν τῷ ἀποδρᾶσαι· εἰ γὰρ φαντασίαν ᾔδει τὸ γινόμενον, οὐκ ἀπεδίδρασκεν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ 96.5 ὄφεως. ἀλλὰ μὴ πάλιν τοῦτο εἰς