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135

being revealed. Thus, therefore, upon every high mountain and upon every lofty hill, the water that produces immortal and eternal life, passing through, will make immortal those who drink from it, when “creation itself also, having been freed from the slavery of corruption,” will receive the rewards of its labors. Therefore, both the moon and the sun will enjoy greater glory, as having toiled in the present time and having served the will of God. And he says these things will be, when the Lord heals the crushing of his people, and heals the pain of your wound. Where he mentions neither Israel nor Jacob nor the Jews at all, but his people, as all the worthy are called the people of God as the promise is extended. From here, I think, the holy Apostle, having been benefited, said: “For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God,” “because creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” You see “the liberty of the children of God” being spoken of by the Apostle, which the prophet named the healing of his people. Therefore, with his people, “creation also will be set free”; for it will be on the same day, that is, at the same time, when the Lord heals the crushing of his people. Then the sun and the moon will become greater than themselves, partaking of manifold light and greater glory. Therefore it is said: “because creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” These “children of God” and his people had much crushing and pain when they were living a mortal life; for they were in pain and crushed, so that it is said: “a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise,” and: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” And these same ones were bewailing their sojourn on earth and mourning those who do things worthy of mourning, which the Apostle teaches, saying: “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened,” “and I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented.” And of these very ones God will heal the crushing and the pain, recovering them in the fulfillment of the promises. Which indeed the Savior also made clear, saying: “Blessed are those who weep” and “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” 1.100 The word having threatened those who in the times of Jeremiah the prophet fled to Egypt against the command of God with the things that would overtake them in Egypt itself, then next having decreed in the prophecy to them that they should not despair of the restoration of Jerusalem. For those who have been cast out of it will return from the enemy's country and will inhabit it again and will cultivate the entire land of Judea with peace, without fear. Then, having added to the more bodily-expressed promises the heavenly ones to be given to the worthy after the consummation of the world, at which time also the impious will be delivered to destruction and a fall. Having prophesied these things, the word adds what is set forth, connected with the universal judgment of God. Therefore it says: Behold, the name of the Lord comes after a long time. Instead of: after a long time, the other interpreters have said 'from afar'. And observe how it says not the Lord himself is coming, but the name of the Lord, hinting at the Christ of God, concerning whom it is said: “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; God is the Lord, and has appeared to us.” And when he comes and makes his second and glorious advent, punishing powers will follow, through which the punishments will be brought upon the impious, which the present scripture calls wrath and anger. And instead of: burning wrath, with glory and what follows, Symmachus interpreted it in this way: his burning wrath and heavy to bear the

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δηλουμένου. οὕτως οὖν ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς βουνοῦ μετεώρου τὸ τῆς ἀθανάτου καὶ αἰωνίου ζωῆς ποιητικὸν ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον ἀθανάτους ἀπεργάσεται τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ πίνοντας, ὅτε «καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθεῖσα τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς» ἀπολήψεται τῶν καμάτων τὰς ἀμοιβάς. διὸ καὶ ἡ σελήνη καὶ ὁ ἥλιος μείζονος δόξης ἀπολαύσουσιν ὡς ἂν κεκμηκότες ἐν τῷ παρόντι καὶ διακονησάμενοι τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ θεοῦ. ταῦτα δέ φησιν ἔσεσθαι, ὅταν ἰάσηται κύριος τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς πληγῆς σου ἰάσηται. ἔνθα οὔτε τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μνημονεύει οὔτε τοῦ Ἰακὼβ οὐδ' ὅλως τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὡς πάντας τοὺς ἀξίους χρηματίζειν λαὸν θεοῦ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐξαπλουμένης. ἐντεῦθεν οἶμαι τὸν ἱερὸν Ἀπόστολον ὠφελημένον εἰρηκέναι τό· «ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται», «ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ θεοῦ». ὁρᾷς «τέκνων θεοῦ ἐλευθερίαν» λεγομένην παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ, ἣν ὁ προφήτης ἴασιν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ὠνόμασεν. οὐκοῦν σὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ «ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται»· κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, τοῦτ' ἔστι ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ, ὅταν ἰάσηται κύριος τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. τότε ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη κρείττους ἑαυτῶν γενήσονται πολυπλασίονος φωτὸς καὶ δόξης κρείττονος μεταληψόμενοι. διὸ εἴρηται· «ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ θεοῦ». ἅπερ «τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ» καὶ λαὸς αὐτοῦ πολλὴν εἶχε συντριβὴν καὶ ὀδύνην, ὅτε τὴν θνητὴν διεβίουν ζωήν· ἦσαν γὰρ ὀδυνώμενοι καὶ συντετριμμένοι ὡς λέγεσθαι· «καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουδενώσει», καί· «θυσία τῷ θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον». οἱ δὲ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν ἀποκλαόμενοι τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς διατριβὴν καὶ πενθοῦντες τοὺς ἄξια πένθους πράττοντας, ὅπερ διδάσκει ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγων· «ἡμεῖς οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῷ σκήνει στενάζομεν βαρούμενοι», «καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων». τούτων τε αὐτῶν ὁ θεὸς τὸ σύντριμμα καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην ἰάσεται ἀνακτώμενος ἐν τῇ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἀποδόσει. ὃ δὴ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐδήλου λέγων· «μακάριοι οἱ κλαίοντες» καὶ «μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται». 1.100 Τοῖς κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Ἰερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου καταφυγοῦσιν εἰς Αἴγυπτον παρὰ τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπειλήσας ὁ λόγος τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καταληψόμενα αὐτούς, εἶθ' ἑξῆς θεσπίσας ἐν τῇ πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοὺς προφητείᾳ, ὅτι μὴ χρὴ αὐτοὺς ἀπογινώσκειν τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ. ἐπανήξουσι γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς πολεμίας χώρας οἱ ἐκπεσόντες αὐτῆς καὶ πάλιν αὐτὴν οἰκήσουσιν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἅπασαν τῆς Ἰουδαίας μετὰ εἰρήνης ἀφόβως γεωργήσουσιν. εἶτα πρὸς ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ταῖς σωματικώτερον εἰρημέναις ἐπισυνάψας τὰς οὐρανίους τοῖς ἀξίοις ἀποδοθησομένας μετὰ τὴν συντέλειαν τοῦ κόσμου, καθ' ἣν καὶ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἀπωλείᾳ καὶ πτώσει παραδοθήσονται. ταῦτα προφήσας ὁ λόγος ἐπισυνάπτει τὰ προκείμενα ἠρτημένα τῆς καθολικῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κρίσεως. διό φησιν· Ἰδοὺ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου ἔρχεται διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ. ἀντὶ τοῦ· διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου, οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ μακρόθεν εἰρήκασι. καὶ τήρει, ὅπως οὐκ αὐτὸν τὸν κύριόν φησιν ἔρχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ αἰνιττόμενος, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου· θεὸς κύριος καὶ ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν». ἐρχομένου δὲ καὶ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ ἔνδοξον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν ποιουμένου ἐπακολουθήσουσιν τιμωρητικαὶ δυνάμεις, δι' ὧν αἱ κολάσεις τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἐπαχθήσονται, ἃς ἡ παροῦσα γραφὴ θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν ὀνομάζει. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· καιόμενος θυμός, μετὰ δόξης καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς, ὁ Σύμμαχος τοῦτον ἡρμήνευσε τὸν τρόπον· φλεγόμενος θυμὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ βαρὺς ὑπενεγκεῖν τὰ