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God said, that all things should come to be, and he commanded, that various things should be created. The weakness having been overcome by the presence of the power of God, the kings bring gifts to God to the spiritual Jerusalem, that is, the church. And if those kings whom the heavenly one set apart in his own inheritance are the ones bringing gifts to Jerusalem, those who were helped by them are those who are brought forward. Thus the apostle Peter brought his brother Andrew as a gift, and Philip, Nathanael, and the other apostles, many others; but others brought as gifts profound thoughts and words and praiseworthy deeds. 12/4 ...Nathanael and all their own disciples; that is, the faithful according to the saying *And would that you did reign, that we also might reign with you*, whose gifts are thoughts and words and praiseworthy deeds. 702a Ps 67,31a You will understand "beasts of the reed" as those who hold to falsely named knowledge. The prophecy which runs thus can be said concerning these: *Woe to those who write wickedness; for writing, they write wickedness.* 703 Ps 67,32 Through the Egyptian woman, the whole land which the spiritual Pharaoh ruled, but through the Ethiopian woman he showed the dark and ugly state of souls in sins; as he also says in one of the psalms, *And behold the foreigners and Tyre and the people of the Ethiopians; these were born there* (clearly, as in the spiritual Zion). And Zephaniah says, *Then I will change for the peoples a language that all may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him under one yoke; from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia they will bring sacrifices to me.* it is in harmony with the ... Ethiopia being filled from * the kingdoms * ạnḍ in * what is said. This one from near, and Ethiopia, having become spiritual, having contributed genuine repentance, says concerning herself, *I am black and beautiful*; black because of idolatry and practical wickedness, but beautiful because of the *** departure from those things on account of which I was called black. And what will result for her who has confessed and has stretched out her hand to God, than to be cleansed upon casting off every evil heart and coming to be in light? The Song of Songs shows this in her being seen with the *** 5-13 that Ethiopia indeed signifies all the nations, the bride who speaks through repentance shows, saying, *I am black and beautiful*; black and ugly on account of idolatry and practical wickedness, but beautiful because of the departure from them. And it came to pass for her to become bright, having stretched out her hand to God, so that those who see her with the one who did good say, *Who is this that comes up whitened?* 704a Ps 67,34 His voice is the divine scripture. To this he will grant to receive a spiritual voice of power. But if in these things also we must take John, who said, *I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,* as His voice, it must be said that the Savior, having mounted upon the heaven of heaven, having fulfilled the prophecies which foretold his incarnation and death and resurrection and ascension, has given them a voice. For those things which speak of the future seem to be weak because of the uncertainty of the outcome, then receiving a voice of power when they are fulfilled. And it is well said that God has mounted upon the heaven of heaven; which alone is reserved for the Lord according to the saying, *The heaven of heaven is for the Lord,* and, *Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heaven are the Lord your God's,* into which none of the spiritual beings is able to ascend. For heaven is not some creature or place into which God ascended, but an eminence befitting God or an ineffable state, not signified by a proper term. 705a Ps 67,35ab Becoming thankful in deed and word, glorify him with hymns and theologies, that you may be able to contain his magnificence, having become a true Israel seeing God through purity of heart. For the transcendent knowledge of God, which has its fitting place among great things, is present only with him who has holiness and peace.

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ειπεν ὁ θεός, ινα γενηθῇ τὰ πάντα, καὶ ἐνετείλατο, ινα κτισθῶσι διάφορα. Λυθείσης τῆς ἀσθενείας παρουσίᾳ τῆς θεοῦ δυνάμεως, οἱ βασιλεῖς κομίζουσι δῶρα τῷ θεῷ ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ ητοι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκεῖνοι οἱ βασιλεῖς ους διέστειλεν ὁ ἐπουράνιος ἐν τῇ κληρονομίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ ειεν οἱ τὰ δῶρα φέροντες ἐπὶ τὴν ̔Ιερουσαλήμ, οἱ ὠφεληθέντες ὑπ' αὐτῶν εἰσιν οἱ προαγόμενοι. ουτως προσήνεγκεν ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος δῶρον τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ̓Ανδρέα καὶ Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ ἑτέρους πλείονας οἱ αλλοι ἀπόστολοι, αλλοι δὲ προσήνεγκαν δῶρα νοήματα σπουδαῖα καὶ λόγους καὶ εργα ἐπαινετά. 12/4 ...Ναθαναὴλ καὶ πάντες τοὺς ἑαυτῶν μαθητάς· ηγουν οἱ πιστοὶ κατὰ τὸ Καὶ οφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ινα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν, ων τὰ δῶρα νοήματα καὶ λόγοι καὶ εργα ἐπαινετά. 702a Ps 67,31a Νοήσεις θηρία καλάμου τοὺς τὴν ψευδώνυμον πρεσβεύοντας γνῶσιν. δύναται περὶ τούτων εἰρῆσθαι ἡ προφητεία ἡ ουτως εχουσα Οὐαὶ τοῖς γράφουσιν πονηρίαν· γράφοντες γὰρ πονηρίαν γράφουσι. 703 Ps 67,32 ∆ιὰ μὲν τῆς Αἰγυπτίας τὴν σύμπασαν γῆν ης ἐξῆρχεν ὁ νοητὸς Φαραώ, διὰ δὲ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας τὸ σκοτεινὸν καὶ δυσειδὲς τῶν ψυχῶν τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐδήλωσεν· ὡς καὶ ἐν ἑνί φησι τῶν ψαλμῶν Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ Τύρος καὶ λαὸς τῶν Αἰθιοπῶν· ουτοι ἐγενήθησαν ἐκεῖ (δῆλον ὡς ἐν τῇ πνευματικῇ Σιών). καὶ Σοφονίας δὲ λέγει Τότε μεταστρέψει ἐπὶ λαοὺς γλῶσσαν τοῦ ἐπαγγελεῖσθαι πάντας τὸ ονομα κυρίου τοῦ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ενα· ἐκ περάτων ποταμῶν Αἰθιοπίας οισουσι θυσίας μοι. συνᾴδει τῷ ... πληροῦσθαι τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν ἐκ * τῶν βασιλειῶν * κ̣α̣ὶ̣ ἐν * λεγομένῳ. αὐτὴ ἡ ἀπ' ἐγγὺς καὶ ἡ Αἰθιοπία πνευματικὴ γενομένη γνησίαν μετάνοιαν συνεισενεγκαμένη φησὶ περὶ ἑαυτῆς Μέλαινά εἰμι καὶ καλή· μέλαινα μὲν διὰ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν καὶ πρακτικὴν κακίαν, καλὴ δὲ διὰ τὴν *** ἀναχώρησιν ἐξ ἐκείνων δι' α μέλαινα ἐχρημάτισα. τί δὲ ὑπάρξει ἐξομολογησαμένῃ αὐτῇ καὶ προσφθασάσῃ τῷ θεῷ τὴν χεῖρα η τὸ καθαρισθῆναι ἐπὶ τῷ πᾶσαν καρδίαν ἀποβαλεῖν καὶ ἐν φωτὶ γενέσθαι; δηλοῖ τοῦτο τὸ τῶν ᾀσμάτων Αισμα ἐν τῷ ὁρᾶσθαι αὐτὴν σὺν τῷ *** 5-13 οτι γε μὴν Αἰθιοπία πάντα τὰ εθνη δηλοῖ, παρίστησιν ἡ διὰ μετανοίας λέγουσα νύμφη Μέλαινά εἰμι καὶ καλή· μέλαινα μὲν καὶ δυσειδὴς διὰ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν καὶ τὴν κακίαν τὴν πρακτικήν, καλὴ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀναχώρησιν. ὑπῆρξε δὲ αὐτῇ φωτεινῇ γενέσθαι προφθασάσῃ χεῖρα θεῷ, ὡς τοὺς ὁρῶντας αὐτὴν σὺν τῷ εὐεργετήσαντι λέγειν Τίς αυτη ἡ ἀναβαίνουσα λελευκασμένη; 704a Ps 67,34 Φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡ θεία γραφή. ταύτῃ δώσει φωνὴν δυνάμεως πνευματικὴν λαβεῖν. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν τούτοις φωνὴν αὐτοῦ τὸν ̓Ιωάννην δεῖ λαβεῖν εἰπόντα ̓Εγὼ φωνὴ βοοῦντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, λεκτέον ὡς ἐπιβὰς τῷ οὐρανῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ σωτήρ, πληρώσας τὰς προφητείας τὰς προαναφωνησάσας τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν θάνατόν τε καὶ ἀνάστασιν καὶ ἀνάληψιν αὐτοῦ, φωνὴν αὐταῖς δέδωκε. τὰ γὰρ περὶ μελλόντων λέγοντα ἀσθενεῖν δοκεῖ διὰ τὸ αδηλον τῆς ἐκβάσεως, τότε φωνὴν δυνάμεως λαμβάνοντα οταν πληρωθῇ. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι τὸν θεὸν ἐπιβεβηκέναι ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· οστις μόνος ἀνάκειται τῷ κυρίῳ κατὰ τὸ ̔Ο οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ ̓Ιδοὺ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, εἰς ον οὐδεὶς πέφυκε τῶν νοητῶν ἀναβαίνειν. οὐ γὰρ κτίσμα τι η τόπος εἰς ον ἀνέβη θεὸς οὐρανόν, ἀλλὰ πρέπουσα θεῷ περιωπὴ η κατάστασις αφραστος, διὰ κυρίας λέξεως οὐ δηλουμένη. 705a Ps 67,35ab Εὐχάριστοι γινόμενοι εργῳ καὶ λόγῳ, δοξάσατε αὐτὸν υμνοις καὶ θεολογίαις, ινα τὴν μεγαλοπρέπειαν αὐτοῦ χωρῆσαι δυνηθεῖτε ἀληθινὸς ̓Ισραὴλ γεγενημένοι διὰ καθαρότητα καρδίας θεὸν ὁρῶντες. ἡ γὰρ ὑπερφυὴς θεοῦ γνῶσις ἐν μεγάλοις τὸ πρέπον εχουσα σύνεστι μόνῳ τῷ ἁγιασμὸν καὶ εἰρήνην εχοντι.