142

since the trumpet of a musician is louder, the example has been appropriately used for the presentation that stronger and louder than all from eternity the teaching about Christ was announced to all men, through which, as through a trumpet, the Holy Spirit cries and shouts out the following words of the psalm so as to be heard by all men, by which it is said: “Sing praises to our God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises; for king” no longer of the nation of the Jews alone, but “of all,” it says, “the earth is God,” “sing praises with understanding.” 6.2.8 For no longer do the demons of before, it says, nor the earthly and deceitful spirits, but “God” himself “has reigned over all the nations,” “God” himself, who “sits upon his holy throne.” But we have already previously presented the throne of the Word of God, on which the Father exhorted him to sit, saying, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet,” through the preceding writing. 6.2.9 And “the rulers of the peoples have gathered together with the God of Abraham” shows even more clearly that the “rulers” from the nations of the church of Christ have been transferred into the inheritance of the God-loving prophets of God of old, who, having also been strengthened by the power of our Savior, “were greatly exalted,” with no man being able to cast them down and humble them because of the right hand of God that exalts and empowers them. And these things will receive a complete narration at leisure. 6.3.1 From Psalm 49. “The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun even to its setting; from Sion is the comeliness of his beauty. God will come manifestly, our God, and will not keep silent.” 6.3.2 And after other things: “Hear,” he says, “my people, and I will speak to you, Israel, and I will testify to you: I am God, your God. I will not reprove you for your sacrifices, and your whole burnt offerings are before me continually; I will not accept calves from your house, nor he-goats from your flocks. For all the beasts of the forest are mine, cattle on the mountains and oxen; I have known all the birds of the sky, and the beauty of the field is with me. If I am hungry, I will not tell you; for the world is mine, and its fullness. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls? Or shall I drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon me in the day of affliction.” 6.3.3 Here also the divine prophecy clearly proclaims that God “will come manifestly,” indicating none other than the Word of God. And it presents the cause of his coming most clearly, again signifying the calling of the nations throughout the whole world. “He called,” it says therefore, “the earth from the rising of the sun even to its setting.” And very consequently, after his manifestation and after the calling of the nations, it teaches the rejection of the more physical worship according to the law of Moses, which itself also came to an end after the manifestation of the Word of God to all men. 6.3.4 For from that time until now all men throughout the whole world have been called, and all the nations “from the rising of the sun even to its setting,” and the religion according to the Jews has ceased and been abolished, with all men being instructed to be pious according to the new covenant of the evangelical proclamation but not according to the law of Moses. And these things might also be referred to the second and glorious manifestation of the Savior. 6.4.1 From Psalm 83. “The God ... of hosts will be seen, hearken to my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob; behold our defender, O God, and look upon the face of your Christ.” 6.4.2 Having foretold that the “God of gods” will be seen, he prays for his manifestation to come as quickly as possible, teaching the manner in which he will be seen through “look upon the face of your Christ,” as if he had said more clearly: appear through the face of your Christ. For since he who has seen the Son has seen the Father who sent him,

142

μουσικοῦ μεγαλοφωνοτέρας οὔσης τῆς σάλπιγγος, οἰκείως παρείληπται τὸ παράδειγμα εἰς παράστασιν τοῦ πάντων τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος κραταιοτέραν καὶ μεγαλοφωνοτέραν τὴν περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις κατηγγέλθαι διδασκαλίαν, δι' ἧς ὥσπερ διὰ σάλ πιγγος εἰς ἐξάκουστον πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων βοᾷ καὶ κέκραγεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὰ ἑξῆς τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, δι' ὧν εἴρηται· «ψάλατε τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε· ψάλατε τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε· ὅτι βασιλεὺς» οὐκέτι μόνου τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, ἀλλὰ «πάσης», φησί, «τῆς γῆς ὁ θεός», «ψάλατε συνετῶς». 6.2.8 οὐκέτι γὰρ οἱ πρὶν δαίμονες, φησίν, οὐδὲ τὰ περίγεια καὶ ἀπατηλὰ πνεύματα, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς «ὁ θεὸς» «ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη», «ὁ θεὸς» αὐτός, ὃς «κάθηται ἐπὶ θρόνου ἁγίου αὐτοῦ». ἤδη δὲ πρότερον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τὸν θρόνον, ἐφ' ὃν καθέζεσθαι ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ παρεκελεύσατο εἰπών «κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου», διὰ τοῦ πρὸ τούτου συγγράμματος παρεστήσαμεν. 6.2.9 τὸ δὲ «ἄρχοντες λαῶν συνήχθησαν μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ Ἀβραάμ» ἔτι σαφέστερον δηλοῖ μετατεθεῖσθαι εἰς τὸν κλῆρον τῶν πάλαι θεοφιλῶν τοῦ θεοῦ προφητῶν τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν «ἄρχοντας» τῆς Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίας, οἳ καὶ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κραταιωθέντες «σφόδρα ἐπήρθησαν», οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων καταβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ταπεινῶσαι δεδυνημένου διὰ τὴν ἀνυψοῦσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ δυναμοῦσαν τοῦ θεοῦ δεξιάν. καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἐπὶ σχολῆς ἐντελοῦς τεύξεται διηγήσεως. 6.3.1 Ἀπὸ Ψαλμοῦ μθʹ. «Θεὸς θεῶν κύριος ἐλάλησεν καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν· ἐκ Σιὼν ἡ εὐπρέπεια τῆς ὡραιότητος αὐτοῦ. ὁ θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει, ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται». 6.3.2 καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· «ἄκουσον», φησί, «λαός μου, καὶ λαλήσω σοι, Ἰσραήλ, καὶ διαμαρτύρομαί σοι· ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός σού εἰμι ἐγώ. οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις σου ἐλέγξω σε, τὰ δὲ ὁλοκαυτώματά σου ἐνώπιόν μού εἰσι διὰ παντός· οὐ δέξομαι ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου μόσχους, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων σου χιμάρους. ὅτι ἐμά ἐστι πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ δρυμοῦ, κτήνη ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ βόες· ἔγνωκα πάντα τὰ πετηνὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ὡραιότης ἀγροῦ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐστιν. ἐὰν πεινάσω, οὐ μή σοι εἴπω· ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. μὴ φάγομαι κρέα ταύρων; ἢ αἷμα τράγων πίομαι; θῦσον τῷ θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἀπόδος τῷ ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐχάς σου· καὶ ἐπικάλεσαί με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως.» 6.3.3 Κἀνταῦθα ἡ θεία πρόρρησις σαφῶς θεὸν «ἐμφανῶς ἥξειν» θεσπίζει, οὐκ ἄλλον ἢ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον δηλοῦσα. καὶ τὸ αἴτιον δὲ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ σαφέστατα παρίστησιν, αὖθις τὴν κλῆσιν σημαίνουσα τῶν καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐθνῶν. «ἐκάλεσεν», γοῦν φησί, «τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν». σφόδρα δὲ ἀκολούθως μετὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ τὴν κλῆσιν τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν παραίτησιν τῆς κατὰ τὸν Μωσέως νόμον σωματικωτέρας λατρείας διδάσκει, ἣ καὶ αὐτὴ τέλους ἔτυχεν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπιφάνειαν. 6.3.4 ἐξ ἐκείνου γάρ τοι καὶ εἰς δεῦρο κέκληνται μὲν πάντες οἱ ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἄνθρωποι, καὶ πάντα τὰ «ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν» ἔθνη, πέπαυται δὲ καὶ καθῄρηται ἡ κατὰ Ἰουδαίους θρησκεία, κατὰ τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ κηρύγματος ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ τὸν Μωσέως νόμον πάντων ἀνθρώπων εὐσεβεῖν παρηγγελμένων. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ ἔνδοξον ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀναφέροιτο ἄν. 6.4.1 Ἀπὸ Ψαλμοῦ πγʹ. «Ὀφθήσεται ὁ θεὸς ... τῶν δυνάμεων, εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου, ἐνώτισαι, ὁ θεὸς Ἰακώβ· ὑπερασπιστὰ ἡμῶν ἴδε ὁ θεός, καὶ ἐπίβλεψον ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ χριστοῦ σου.» 6.4.2 Τὸν «θεὸν τῶν θεῶν» ὀφθήσεσθαι προειπών, εὔχεται τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ ᾗ τάχος ἐπιστῆναι, καθ' ὃν ὀφθήσεται τρόπον διδάσκων διὰ τοῦ «ἐπίβλεψον ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ χριστοῦ σου», ὡσεὶ σαφέστερον εἰρήκει· διὰ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ χριστοῦ σου ἐπιφάνηθι. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸν υἱὸν ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα τὸν πέμψαντα αὐτόν,