90

should they take these things to refer to the Maccabees, they will say that the Maccabees themselves are both wicked and good, or that some of them are good, and others bad. But it is not possible to find this; for their entire company was pious. Nor does eternal life in the present life suit them; for all of them were killed and departed from life. Therefore, leaving aside those old wives' tales, let us learn from this the common resurrection of the dead, and the judgment that takes place after the resurrection; for some of them will inherit eternal life, while others will be an object of ridicule and a reproach forever. But he said “many,” instead of “all.” For the blessed Paul also used “the many” instead of “all,” saying: "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many." 3. "And those who are wise," he says, "will shine like the brightness of the heavens. "And the Lord also says in the holy Gospels: 'Then the righteous will shine like the sun.'" -"And from the many righteous, like the stars for ever, and more." For the most approved and chosen will be compared to the brightness of the firmament and to the light of the sun itself; while those lesser than them (for this is what he signified by "the many"), will imitate the splendors of the stars, sending forth this radiance for ever. Thus also the blessed Paul distinguished the orders of the 81.1537 pious. "For there is one glory of the sun," he says, "and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory." Having said these things, the one conversing with Daniel added: 4. "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end: until many are taught, and knowledge is increased." Place, he says, the seals of obscurity upon the book, and do not make it plain to all, until knowledge is increased, and the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the many waters cover the seas, according to the prophecy. The grace of the divine Spirit, after the epiphany of our Savior, removed these seals and made the obscure things clear to those who believe. 5, 2. "And I, Daniel," he says, "looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this side of the river, and one on that side. And I said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the water of the river: 'How long will it be to the end of these wonders which you have spoken, and the purification of these things?'" For I, he says, stood silent, not daring to ask, but two others standing on either bank of the river, asked the one clothed in a linen garment, who was borne upon the surface of the water: How long will these terrible and dreadful things last? And when will the deliverance from them come? 7. "And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the water of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, and times, and half a time." From this we have learned precisely that the one then speaking was not the Lord himself. "For the Lord, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, as the divine Apostle says, swore by himself, saying: 'As I live, says the Lord.'" And the blessed Moses also shows him saying: "I will lift my hand to heaven, and I will swear by my right hand, and I will say: I live forever." But this one, being one of the subjects and favorably disposed toward the Lord, stretched out both his hands to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever. And Daniel says he has hands, having seen this. But nevertheless we know that the nature of angels is incorporeal; but they shape their appearances for the benefit of those who see them; and often they appear gentler, using greater condescension, but often more fearful, making those who see them more earnest. "He swore, therefore, by him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, and times, and half a time." 81.1540 This signifies three and a half years. And this also regarding the horn

90

Μακκαβαίοις ταῦτα λάβοιεν, αὐτοὺς τοὺς Μακκαβαίους φήσουσι καὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, ἢ τινὰς μὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀγαθοὺς, τινὰς δὲ κακούς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἔστιν εὑρεῖν· εὐσεβὴς γὰρ ἅπασα αὐτῶν ἡ συμμορία. Οὔτε δὲ ἡ ζωὴ ἡ αἰώνιοις κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον αὐτοῖς ἁρμόττει· ἅπαντες γὰρ ἀναιρεθέντες ὑπεξῆλθον τοῦ βίου. Οὐκοῦν τοὺς γραώδεις μύθους ἐκείνους κα ταλιπόντες, τὴν κοινὴν ἐντεῦθεν τῶν τετελευτηκότων μανθάνωμεν ἀνάστασιν, καὶ τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστα σιν γινομένην διάκρισιν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ζωῆς αἰωνίου κληρονομήσουσιν, οἱ δὲ καταγέλαστοι καὶ ἐπονείδιστοι εἰς αἰῶνα γενήσονται. Πολλοὶ δὲ, ἀντὶ τοῦ πάντες ἔφη. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ἀντὶ τοῦ πάντες, οἱ πολλοὶ τέθεικε, λέγων· "Εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἐν χά ριτι τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπερίσσευσε." γʹ. "Καὶ οἱ συνιέντες, φησὶν, ἐκλάμψουσιν, ὡς ἡ λαμπρότης τοῦ στερεώματος. "Καὶ ὁ Κύριος δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις φησί·" Τότε ἐκλάμψουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι, ὡς ὁ ἥλιος." -"Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν δικαίων τῶν πολλῶν, ὡς οἱ ἀστέρες εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, καὶ ἔτι." Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δοκιμώτατοι καὶ ἔκκριτο, τῇ τε τοῦ στερεώματος λαμπρότητι καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ἡλιακῷ παρ εικασθήσονται φωτί· οἱ δὲ τούτων ἐλάττους (τοῦτο γὰρ ἐσήμαινε διὰ τοῦ πολλῶν), τὰς τῶν ἀστέρων λαμπηδόνας μιμήσονται, δι' αἰῶνος ταύτην ἀφιέντες τὴν αἴγλην. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τῶν 81.1537 εὐσεβῶν διεῖλε τὰ τάγματα. "Ἄλλη γὰρ, φησὶ, δόξα ἡλίου, καὶ ἄλλη δόξα σελήνης, καὶ ἄλλη δόξα ἀστέρων· ἀστὴρ γὰρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ." Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ τῷ ∆ανιὴλ προσδιαλεγόμενος, ἐπ ήγαγε· δʹ. "Καὶ σὺ, ∆ανιὴλ, ἔμφραξον τοὺς λόγους, καὶ σφράγισον τὸ βιβλίον ἕως καιροῦ συντελείας, ἕως δι δαχθῶσι πολλοὶ, καὶ πληθυνθῇ ἡ γνῶσις." Ἐπίθες, φησὶ, τῷ βιβλίῳ τὰς τῆς ἀσαφείας σφραγίδας, καὶ μὴ δῆλα ἅπασι καταστήσῃς, ἕως ἂν πληθυνθῇ ἡ γνῶσις, καὶ πληρωθῇ ἡ σύμπασα γῆ τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον, ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ κατακαλύψαι θαλάσσας, κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν. Ταύτας ἡ τοῦ θείου Πνεύμα τος χάρις μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφάνειαν ἀφελοῦσα τὰς σφραγίδας, σαφῆ τὰ ἀσαφῆ πεποίηκε τοῖς πιστεύουσι. εʹ, ʹ. "Καὶ εἶδον, φησὶν, ἐγὼ ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο ἕτεροι εἱστήκεισαν, εἷς ἐντεῦθεν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ εἷς ἐντεῦθεν. Καὶ εἶπον τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἐνδε δυμένῳ τὸ βαδδὶμ, ὃς ἦν ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ποταμοῦ· Ἕως πότε τὸ πέρας ὧν εἴρηκας τῶν θαυ μασίων, καὶ ὁ καθαρισμὸς τούτων;" Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, εἱστήκειν σιγῶν, καὶ ἐρωτᾷν μὴ τολμῶν, δύο δὲ ἕτεροι ταῖς ὄχθαις ἑκατέρωθεν ἐφεστῶτες τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ἤροντο τὸν τὴν βυσσίνην περιβεβλημέ νον ἐσθῆτα, τῇ τε τοῦ ὕδατος ἐποχούμενον ἐπιφανείᾳ· Πόσον καθέξει χρόνον τὰ φοβερὰ ταῦτα καὶ φρίκης γέμοντα; καὶ πότε ἡ τούτων ἀπαλλαγὴ γενήσεται; ζʹ. "Καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ ἐνδεδυμένου τὸ βαδδὶμ, ὃς ἦν ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ὕψωσε τὴν δεξιὰν αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀριστερὰν αὑτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ὤμοσεν ἐν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὅτι εἰς καιρὸν, καὶ καιροὺς, καὶ ἥμισυ και ροῦ." Ἐντεῦθεν ἀκριβῶς μεμαθήκαμεν, ὅτι ὁ τότε διαλεγόμενος οὐκ αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ ∆εσπότης. "Ὁ γὰρ ∆εσπότης, ἐπεὶ κατ' οὐδενὸς μείζονος ἄλλου εἶχεν ὀμόσαι, ᾗ φησιν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ὤμοσε, λέγων· "Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος." Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Μωσῆς δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν λέγοντα· "Ἀρῶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὴν χεῖρά μου, καὶ ὀμοῦμαι τῇ δεξιᾷ μου, καὶ ἐρῶ· Ζῶ ἐγὼ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." Οὗτος δὲ εἷς ὢν τῶν ὑποκειμένων καὶ εὐνοϊκῶς περὶ τὸν ∆εσπό την διακειμένων, ἐξέτεινε μὲν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄμφω τὰ χεῖρε, ὤμοσε δὲ ἐν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Χεῖρας δὲ λέγει αὐτὸν ἔχειν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ τοῦτο θεασάμε νος. Ἀσώματον δ' ὅμως ἴσμεν τῶν ἀγγέλων τὴν φύσιν· σχηματίζουσι δὲ τὰς ὄψεις πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον τῶν ὁρώντων· καὶ πολλάκις μὲν ἡμερώτερον φαί νονται, συγκαταβάσει πλείονι χρώμενοι, πολλάκις δὲ φοβερώτερον, σπουδαιοτέρους τοὺς ὁρῶντας ἐργαζό μενοι. "Ὤμοσε τοίνυν ἐν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὅτι εἰς καιρὸν, καὶ καιροὺς, καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ." 81.1540 Σημαίνει δὲ τρία καὶ ἥμισυ ἔτη. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κέρατος