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we are made a spectacle to the world,” and indicating what he means by “world,” he added, “to angels and to men,” as if to say: We are watched by all as in a theatre in this place, I mean by angels and by men, as if all, both these and those, were in one place. 7.49 Then again: “For the earnest expectation of creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God,” and as if someone were perplexed and asking him for what reason or what is it doing that it awaits this, he added and says: “For creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,” as if to say: In this corruptible and changeable world—for this he calls “futility”—the angels were commanded according to the subjection of God to serve, even unwillingly; from this we know through the “not willingly” that he speaks of rational beings, and this is a law for them. Let it be so, says the one who is perplexed, and how is it then that they serve now, moving all things? He answers: Yes, he says, as far as it regards the sin of Adam, because he was condemned to death, they did not endure to serve and toil for us any longer in vain. 7.50 But, he says, “because of the one who subjected it in hope,” saying this, that God has given them a certain hope that something useful will be for men after a time, and for this reason they were subjected and they serve, awaiting their own freedom, when men also are freed from death and corruption and these futilities, and they will receive the hope of God and the glory laid up for them; for this reason he added: “That creation itself also will be set free from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” 7.51 And again elsewhere he says: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth for service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” saying that all of them together are appointed to services for men, as being with them in this place; and again: “so that it might be made known now to the principalities and the powers through the Church the manifold wisdom of God;” clearly again he has not only indicated they are here, but also said they are being taught from the things dispensed concerning man; for to say “through the Church” clearly signified through men. 7.52 Then again also in the Old Testament the patriarch Jacob beheld a ladder from earth to heaven, and God standing at the top of it and the angels ascending and descending upon it; he seemed to see them ascending first and then descending; then again the same one beheld a multitude of angels, whom he also called God's camp. Likewise Moses mentioned only two heavens as having been made, I mean the one made in the beginning with the earth and the second one made on the second day, which he also calls the firmament; likewise he himself also often says that to Hagar and to Abraham and to Lot and to Jacob himself and others angels ministered in this place. 7.53 And in the great song he says thus: “Rejoice, O heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him,” mentioning the angels after the heavens in this place; whence he added: “Rejoice, O nations, with his people,” again mentioning those in the same place; likewise also David, following the purpose of Moses and himself also becoming a prophet after Moses, distinguishing the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, says thus: “Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the highest; praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his Powers;” consequently, beginning from the firmament and the height and proceeding to the things below, he mentioned all the angels, calling the same also Powers. 7.54 Finally, again he mentions the things with them: “Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you stars and light;” from this he runs up to the higher place and says: “Praise him, you heavens of heavens,” instead of saying “the heaven of the heaven,” calling the first the “heaven of heaven,” which is the heaven of this visible firmament; then he says: “And the water that is

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ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ", καὶ σημαίνων τίνα λέγει "κόσμον" ἐπήγαγεν "ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Παρὰ πάντων ὡς ἐν θεάτρῳ θεωρούμεθα ἐν τῷδε τῷ χώρῳ, λέγω δὴ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ὡς ἐν ἑνὶ χώρῳ ὄντων πάντων τούτων τε κἀκείνων. 7.49 Εἶτα πάλιν· "Ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται", καὶ ὡσανεί τινος αὐτῷ ἀποροῦντος καὶ λέγοντος τίνος χάριν ἢ τί ποιοῦσα ταύτην ἀπεκδέχεται, ἐπήγαγε καί φησι· "Τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη οὐχ ἑκοῦσα", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ τῷ φθαρτῷ καὶ τρεπτῷ ταύτην γὰρ καλεῖ "ματαιότητα" ἐκελεύσθησαν καθ' ὑποταγὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ ἄγγελοι δουλεύειν καὶ ἄκοντες· ἐντεῦθεν γινώσκομεν διὰ τοῦ "οὐχ ἑκοῦσα" ὅτι περὶ λογικῶν λέγει, καὶ νόμος αὐτοῖς ἐστιν οὗτος. Ἔστω, φησὶν ὁ ἀπορῶν, καὶ πῶς πάλιν δουλεύουσι νῦν κινοῦντες πάντα; Ἀποκρίνεται· Ναί, φησίν, ὅσον μὲν πρὸς τὸ ἁμάρτημα τοῦ Ἀδάμ, διὰ τὸ καταδικασθῆναι αὐτὸν θανάτῳ οὐκ ἠνείχοντο δουλεύειν καὶ πονεῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἔτι ματαίως. 7.50 Ἀλλά, φησί, "διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι", τοῦτο λέγων ὅτι ἐλπίδα τινὰ δέδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ἔσεσθαί τι χρήσιμον μετὰ χρόνον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑπετάγησαν καὶ δουλεύουσιν ἐκδεχόμενοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐλευθερίαν, ὅταν καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐλευθεροῦνται τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς καὶ τῶν ματαίων τούτων, καὶ ἀπολήψονται τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν αὐτοῖς ἀποκειμένην· διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήνεγκεν· "Ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ Θεοῦ." 7.51 Καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρωθί φησιν· "Οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;" πάντας ὁμοῦ εἰπὼν εἰς διακονίας τεταγμένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς ἅμα αὐτοῖς ὄντων εἰς τὸν χῶρον τοῦτον· καὶ πάλιν· "Ἵνα γνωρισθῇ νῦν ταῖς Ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς Ἐξουσίαις διὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ πολυποίκιλος τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφία"· σαφῶς πάλιν οὐ μόνον ἐνταῦθα αὐτοὺς ἐσήμανεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παιδευομένους εἶπεν ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον οἰκονομουμένων· τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν "διὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας" διὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων προδήλως ἐσήμανεν. 7.52 Εἶτα πάλιν καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ὁ πατριάρχης Ἰακὼβ ἐθεώρησεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κλίμακα, ταύτης δὲ ἐπὶ κορυφῆς ἑστῶτα τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπ' αὐτῆς· ἀναβαίνοντας πρότερον ὁρᾶν ἔδοξε καὶ οὕτω καταβαίνοντας· εἶτα καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς ἐθεώρησε πλῆθος ἀγγέλων, οὓς καὶ παρεμβολὴν Θεοῦ ἐκάλεσεν. Ὁμοίως Μωϋσῆς δύο μὲν οὐρανῶν ἐμνημόνευσε μόνων γενομένων, λέγω δὴ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ σὺν τῇ γῇ γενομένου καὶ τοῦ δευτέρου τοῦ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ γεγονότος, ὃν καὶ στερέωμα καλεῖ· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς πολλάκις καὶ τῇ Ἄγαρ καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῷ Λὼτ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ Ἰακὼβ καὶ ἑτέρους ἀγγέλους διακονησαμένους λέγει ἐν τῷ χώρῳ τούτῳ. 7.53 Καὶ ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ δὲ ᾠδῇ οὕτως φησίν· "Εὐφράνθητε, οὐρανοί, ἅμα αὐτῷ, καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ", μετὰ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς εἰπὼν τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐν τῷ χώρῳ τούτῳ· ὅθεν ἐπισυνῆψεν· "Εὐφράνθητε, ἔθνη, μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ", πάλιν τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ χώρῳ εἰπών· ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ τῷ σκοπῷ Μωϋσέως ἀκολουθῶν καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ τὸν Μωϋσέα γενόμενος προφήτης, διαιρῶν τά τε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὕτω φησίν· "Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις· αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ· αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, πᾶσαι αἱ ∆υνάμεις αὐτοῦ"· ἀκολούθως ἀπὸ τοῦ στερεώματος καὶ τοῦ ὕψους ἀρξάμενος καὶ προϊὼν ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω, εἶπε πάντας τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοὺς αὐτοὺς εἰπὼν καὶ ∆υνάμεις. 7.54 Λοιπὸν πάλιν τὰ ἅμα αὐτοῖς λέγει· "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη· αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, πάντα τὰ ἄστρα καὶ τὸ φῶς"· ἐκ τούτου ἀνατρέχει εἰς τὸν ἀνώτερον χῶρον καί φησιν· "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν", ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰπεῖν "ὁ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ", "οὐρανὸν οὐρανοῦ" καλέσας τὸν πρῶτον, ὃς οὐρανός ἐστι τούτου τοῦ ὁρωμένου στερεώματος· εἶτά φησι· "Καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ