99

that "the elder shall serve the younger," through this again showing two states, one of bondage and one of freedom. 6.18 Ninth, again, through Jacob and Joseph not enduring to be buried in Egypt, but in the land of the promise, he was showing through both of them how they longed to obtain that hope which had been promised to them by God, that is, the second state. Tenth, the exodus itself under Moses and the redemption that took place from the bondage of the Egyptians, and the freedom and entry that took place into the land of the promise through Jesus son of Nave, distinctly prefigured the two states. Eleventh, likewise the construction of the tabernacle and the temple, as the veil divided it, making one into two tabernacles, an outer and an inner, prefigured this one and the one to come. 6.19 But what must be said also of the economies that occurred through virtuous men? Straightaway Abel's boldness after death, as he still speaks crying out from the earth, travailing for a return to life. Anyone who considers the translation of Enoch, how through his pleasing God he was translated so as not to see death, knows most clearly that there will be a better state through such an order. Anyone who understands with amazement the assumption of Elijah and his course on the fiery chariot would see how the nature of men has been honored, being taught and hoping to walk in heaven. 6.20 Who, hearing the multitude of the army of the heavenly orders dancing and rejoicing and celebrating at the birth of our Lord Christ according to the flesh, saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men," would greatly marvel, considering that one harmony of heavenly and earthly beings has come to be, and the good will of God among men. Anyone, having seen the power of the resurrection from the dead of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ himself, stirring his mind, would praise without ceasing God the Savior of all, who ended the struggle of the body and the soul, as he brought both, being opposites, into harmony, making them spiritually analogous to one another. 6.21 Anyone observing the ascent of our Lord Christ according to the flesh into heaven, and the angels in white robes saying again to the apostles of his coming, will continually magnify Jesus, who showed and revealed to men the ascent of the coming heavenly state, which he prepared from the foundation of the world. Anyone who has seen the descent of the Holy Spirit that came upon the apostles, and the public speech of the great Peter in the midst of all, would praise God the giver of all things with supplication, who gave such a pledge and security of the coming state to men. 6.22 Anyone reflecting on the heavenly call of the great Paul and his being caught up to the third heaven and again in paradise will cry out to God, saying: Glory to you who through all things and to all bestows gifts upon men. Anyone who reads the writings of the choir of the prophets and priests and righteous, and also of the apostles and evangelists, which are full of wonders and prophecies and true outcomes, will find that they have made mention of only the first and second states, and have made no mention of other states either before the first or after the second. Glory to God who has spoken and foretold through all things for ever and ever. Amen. 6.23 Anyone who takes to heart the memory of the second and manifest and glorious coming of our Lord and Savior Christ, and anyone who receives in his mind the word of the blessed resurrection from the dead and the change of the world for the better and the unspeakable joy and hope laid up for men, would praise and greatly marvel in many ways at God, the cause of all things, the creator and renewer of the universe. Or rather he will not be able to address worthily him who is superior to all praise and glory and hymns, who fittingly out of supreme goodness from

99

ὅτι "ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι", διὰ τούτου πάλιν δηλῶν δύο καταστάσεις, μίαν δούλην καὶ μίαν ἐλευθέραν. 6.18 Ἔνατον πάλιν διὰ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ μὴἀνασχομένων αὐτῶν ταφῆναι εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ γῇ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐδήλου δι' ἀμφοτέρων ὡς ἐπόθουν ἐκείνης τῆς ἐλπίδος τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τυχεῖν, τουτέστι τῆς δευτέρας καταστάσεως. ∆έκατον καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως ἔξοδος καὶ λύτρωσις γενομένη ἐκ τῆς δουλείας τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ ἐλευθερία καὶ εἴσοδος διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυὴ γενομένη ἐν τῇ γῇ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας διαρρήδην τὰς δύο καταστάσεις προεγράφετο. Ἑνδέκατον, ὁμοίως τὴν κατασκευὴν τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ, ὡς μεσάσαν τὸ καταπέτασμα δύο σκηνὰς τὴν μίαν πεποίηκεν, ἐξωτέραν καὶ ἐσωτέραν, ταύτην καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν προετύπου. 6.19 Τί δὲ δεῖ λέγειν καὶ τὰς διὰ τῶν ἐναρέτων ἀνδρῶν γενομένας οἰκονομίας, εὐθέως τοῦ Ἄβελ τὴν μετὰ θάνατον παρρησίαν, ὡς ἔτι λαλεῖ βοῶν ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ζωῆς παλινδρομίαν ὠδίνων. Τοῦ Ἐνὼχ τὴν μετάθεσίν τις ἐνθυμούμενος, ὡς διὰ τῆς εὐαρεστήσεως μετετέθη τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον, προδηλότατα γινώσκει κρείττονά τινα κατάστασιν ἔσεσθαι διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης τάξεως. Τοῦ Ἠλίου τὴν ἀνάληψιν καὶ τὸν διὰ τοῦ πυρίνου ἅρματος δρόμον τις κατανοῶν ἐκπληττόμενος σκοπήσειεν, ὡς τετίμηται τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις διδασκομένη καὶ ἐλπίζουσα οὐρανοβατεῖν. 6.20 Τῆς στρατιᾶς τῶν οὐρανίων ταγμάτων τὴν πληθὺν χορεύουσαν καὶ χαίρουσαν καὶ εὐφραινομένην ἐπὶ τῇ γεννήσει τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ κατὰ σάρκα τίς ἐνηχούμενος λέγουσαν· "∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία" ὑπερθαυμάσειε, λογιζόμενος οὐρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων μίαν ὁμόνοιαν γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ εὐδοκίαν Θεοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ θεασάμενός τις, ἀνακινῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, τὸν τῶν ὅλων Σωτῆρα Θεὸν ἀνυμνήσειεν ἀπαύστως, τὸν παύσαντα τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, ὡς ἀμφότερα ἐναντία ὄντα εἰς ὁμόνοιαν ἤγαγε, πνευματικὰ ἀνάλογα ἀλλήλοις ἐργασάμενος. 6.21 Τὴν ἄνοδον τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ κατὰ σάρκα τὴν εἰς οὐρανόν τις κατοπτεύων, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους λευχειμονοῦντας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους λέγοντας πάλιν τὴν ἔλευσιν αὐτοῦ, τὸν Ἰησοῦν μεγαλύνων διατελέσει, τὸν δείξαντα καὶ φανερώσαντα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὴν ἄνοδον τῆς μελλούσης οὐρανίου καταστάσεως, ἣν προητοίμασεν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Τὴν κάθοδον τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους γενομένην τις κατιδών, καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Πέτρου τὴν ἐν μέσῳ πάντων δημηγορίαν, τὸν δοτῆρα τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν ἱκετεύων ἀνυμνήσειε, τὸν δώσαντα τοιοῦτον ἀρραβῶνα καὶ ἐνέχυρον τῆς μελλούσης καταστάσεως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. 6.22 Τοῦ μεγάλου Παύλου τὴν οὐρανόθεν κλῆσιν καὶ τὴν ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ ἁρπαγὴν καὶ πάλιν τὴν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τις κατοπτρισθεὶς βοήσει πρὸς Θεὸν λέγων· ∆όξα σοι τῷ διὰ πάντων καὶ πᾶσι χαριζομένῳ δωρεὰς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἱερέων καὶ δικαίων, ἔτι τε καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ εὐαγγελιστῶν, τὰ συγγράμματά τις ἀναγνούς, τὰ μεστὰ θαυμάτων καὶ προρρήσεων καὶ ἀληθινῶν ἐκβάσεων, εὑρήσει πρώτης καὶ δευτέρας μόνων καταστάσεων αὐτοὺς μεμνημένους, καὶ μήτε πρὸ τῆς πρώτης, μήτε μετὰ τὴν δευτέραν ἑτέρων καταστάσεων λόγον πεποιημένους. ∆όξα τῷ διὰ πάντων λαλήσαντι καὶ προμηνύσαντι Θεῷ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. 6.23 Τῆς δευτέρας καὶ ἐπιφανοῦς καὶ ἐνδόξου παρουσίας τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἡμῶν καὶ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ τὴν μνήμην τις ἐνστερνισάμενος, καὶ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν μακαρίας ἀναστάσεως καὶ μεταβολῆς τοῦ κόσμου τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον καὶ τῆς ἀνεκλαλήτου χαρᾶς καὶ ἐλπίδος τῆς ἀποκειμένης τοῖς ἀνθρώποις κατὰ νοῦν τις τὸν λόγον λαβών, τὸν Θεὸν τὸν πάντων αἴτιον, τὸν κτίστην καὶ ἀνακαινιστὴν τοῦ παντὸς πολλαχῶς ἀνυμνήσειεν καὶ ὑπερθαυμάσειεν. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ δυνήσεται κατ' ἀξίαν προσειπεῖν τὸν παντὸς ἐπαίνου καὶ δόξης καὶ ὕμνων ἀνώτερον, τὸν ἁρμοδίως ἐξ ἄκρας ἀγαθότητος ἀπ'