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an election of grace has been made,” 6.18.14 and “unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and we would have been made like Gomorrah,” many were preserved not only from the siege understood by us in a spiritual sense but also from the one rendered literally. So the apostles and disciples of our Savior, and all those of the Jews who had believed in him, being far from the land of Judea and having been scattered among the other nations, were then able to escape the destruction that befell the inhabitants of the city. 6.18.15 And the prophecy, foreseeing this, declared it through the words: “but the remnant of my people shall not be utterly destroyed.” To which it adds consecutively: “and the Lord will go forth and will set himself in array against those nations, as the day of his setting in array in a day of war.” 6.18.16 Against which nations will the Lord set himself in array, if not against those who will besiege Jerusalem? And the word shows that the Lord himself will fight alongside the besiegers, being among them and arrayed with them, as a kind of general and champion for them as they campaign against Jerusalem. 6.18.17 For the word does not say that the Lord will set himself in array against the nations. With whom and against whom, if not against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, about whom the word was speaking? What else does “and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the east” signify, but the standing and confirmation of the Lord God, the Word of God himself, upon his church, which he here names the Mount of Olives in an allegorical manner? 6.18.18 For just as “a vineyard was made for the beloved” and “the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth” was allegorically “the house of Israel, and the vine of Judah a beloved new plant,” so indeed, according to the same contemplation, you might say that his church from the nations also became an olive grove for the master, which he planted when it was formerly a “wild olive,” “grafting” it onto the apostolic roots of the “good olive tree” after the cutting off of the former branches, just as the apostle teaches. And the Lord planted it for himself, as if saying through the prophecy: “The Lord called your name a beautiful, shady olive tree.” 6.18.19 For since the first vineyard, which should have “produced grapes, produced thorns,” and “not righteousness but a cry,” it is fitting that, as it was fruitless, God “tore down its hedge” and “its wall,” and gave it over to its enemies “for plunder and for trampling,” according to the prophecy of Isaiah, he himself established another field for himself, which is here called an “olive grove,” as having received mercy from God and been planted by Christ with evergreen plants, that is, with holy souls that nourish light and are able to say, “But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God.” 6.18.20 And this Mount of Olives is said to be opposite Jerusalem, since in place of the old earthly Jerusalem and the worship in it, it was established for God after the destruction of Jerusalem. For the word, having said above concerning Jerusalem that “the city will be captured” and the hostile and warring nations will be gathered against it, “and its spoils will be divided,” fittingly does not say that “the feet” of the Lord “will stand” upon Jerusalem. 6.18.21 For how was it possible, once it had been destroyed? But he teaches that having moved from it to the mountain opposite Jerusalem called Olives, he will stand there. And this the prophet Ezekiel also, foreseeing it by the divine spirit, beholds: 6.18.22 So he says: “And the Cherubim lifted up, and the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which was opposite the city,” 6.18.23 which can also be seen fulfilled literally even to this day, as all who have believed in Christ run together from every part of the earth, not as formerly of the

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ἐκλογὴν χάριτος γέγονεν», 6.18.14 καὶ τὸ «εἰ μὴ κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν», τῆς νενοημένης ἡμῖν κατὰ διάνοιαν πολιορκίας ἄπειροι διεφυλάχθησαν οὐ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς πρὸς λέξιν ἀποδοθείσης. οἱ γοῦν ἀπόστολοι καὶ μαθηταὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰουδαίων εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότες, μα κρὰν τῆς Ἰουδαίας γῆς γενόμενοι καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπισπαρέντες, τὸν κατὰ τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν ὄλεθρον διαδρᾶναι τότε ἠδυνήθησαν. 6.18.15 καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἡ προφητεία προλαβοῦσα ἐθέσπισεν δι' ὧν ἔφησεν· «οἱ δὲ κατάλοιποι τοῦ λαοῦ μου οὐ μὴ ἐξολοθρευθῶσιν». Οἷς ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει· «καὶ ἐξελεύσεται κύριος καὶ παρατάξεται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐκείνοις, καθὼς ἡμέρα παρατάξεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου». 6.18.16 ἐν ποίοις δὲ ἔθνεσιν κύριος παρατάξεται ἢ ἐν τοῖς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ πολιορκήσουσιν; δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος αὐτὸν τὸν κύριον συμμαχήσειν τοῖς πολιορκοῦσιν, ἐν αὐτοῖς ὄντα καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς παραταττόμενον, ὥσπερ τινὰ στρατηγὸν καὶ ὑπέρμαχον αὐτῶν κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ στρατευομένων. 6.18.17 οὐ γάρ φησιν ὁ λόγος τὸν κύριον κατὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν παρατάξεσθαι. τίσιν δὲ καὶ κατὰ τίνων ἢ κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τῶν οἰκητόρων αὐτῆς, περὶ ὧν ἦν ὁ λόγος; τὸ δὲ «καὶ στήσονται οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν τὸ κατέναντι Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐξ ἀνατολῶν» τί ἕτερον δηλοῖ ἢ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ, αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ στάσιν τε καὶ βεβαίωσιν, ἣν ὄρος ἐλαιῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος κατὰ τρόπον ἀλληγορίας ὀνομάζει; 6.18.18 ὡς γὰρ «ἀμπελὼν ἐγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ» καὶ ἦν «ἀμπελὼν κυρίου Σαβαὼθ» ἀλληγορικῶς «ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἄμπελος τοῦ Ἰούδα νεόφυτον ἠγαπημένον», οὕτω δὴ κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν θεωρίαν εἴποις ἂν ὅτι δὴ καὶ ἐλαιὼν ἐγενήθη τῷ δεσπότῃ ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησία αὐτοῦ, ἣν πάλαι «ἀγριέλαιον» οὖσαν κατεφύτευσεν, «ἐγκεντρίσας» ἐπὶ τὰς ἀποστολικὰς τῆς «καλλιελαίου» ῥίζας μετὰ τὴν τῶν προτέρων κλάδων ἐκτομήν, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ ἀπόστολος παιδεύει. καὶ κατεφύτευσέν γε αὐτὴν ὁ κύριος ἑαυτῷ, μονονουχὶ διὰ τῆς προφητείας λέγων· «ἐλαίαν ὡραίαν εὔσκιον ἐκάλεσεν κύριος τὸ ὄνομά σου». 6.18.19 ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ πρῶτος ἀμπελὼν δέον «ποιῆσαι σταφυλὴν ἐποίησεν ἀκάνθας», καὶ «οὐ δικαιοσύνην ἀλλὰ κραυγήν», εἰκότως ὡς ἂν ἀκάρπου αὐτοῦ «καθελὼν» ὁ θεὸς «τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ» καὶ «τὸν τοῖχον αὐτοῦ», παραδούς τε αὐτὸν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς «εἰς διαρπαγὴν καὶ καταπάτησιν», κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἡσαΐου προφητείαν, ἕτερον αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ ἀγρὸν συνεστήσατο, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος «ἐλαιῶνα» ὀνομαζόμενον, ἅτε τοῦ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐλέου τετυχηκότα καὶ πρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καταφυτευθέντα ἀειθαλέσι φυτοῖς, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ψυχαῖς ἁγίαις καὶ φωτὸς θρεπτικαῖς οἵαις τε λέγειν «ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ θεοῦ». 6.18.20 τοῦτο δὲ τὸ τῶν ἐλαιῶν ὄρος κατέναντι τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἶναι λέλεκται, ἐπειδήπερ ἀντὶ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἐπιγείου Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ θρησκείας συνέστη τῷ θεῷ μετὰ τὴν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καθαίρεσιν. φήσας γοῦν ἀνωτέρω ὁ λόγος περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ὡς «ἁλώσεται ἡ πόλις» καὶ τὰ ἐχθρὰ καὶ πολέμια ἔθνη συναχθήσεται ἐπ' αὐτήν, «καὶ διαμερισθήσεται τὰ σκῦλα» αὐτῆς, εἰκότως οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ «τοὺς πόδας» τοῦ κυρίου «στήσεσθαί» φησιν. 6.18.21 πῶς γὰρ καὶ οἷόν τε ἦν ἅπαξ καθῃρημένης; μεταβάντων δὲ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄντικρυς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὄρος τὸ καλούμενον ἐλαιῶν, ἐνταῦθα στήσεσθαι διδάσκει. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἰεζεκιὴλ τῷ θείῳ πνεύματι προλαβὼν θεωρεῖ· 6.18.22 λέγει δ' οὖν· «καὶ ἐξῆρεν τὰ Χερουβίμ, καὶ οἱ τροχοὶ ἐχόμενοι αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ δόξα θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἦν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ὑπεράνω αὐτῶν. καὶ ἀνέβη ἡ δόξα κυρίου ἐκ μέσου τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους ὃ ἦν ἀπέναντι τῆς πόλεως», 6.18.23 ὅπερ ἐστὶν καὶ ἄλλως πρὸς λέξιν ὁρᾶν πεπληρωμένον εἰσέτι καὶ σήμερον, τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πεπιστευκότων ἁπάντων πανταχόθεν γῆς συντρεχόντων, οὐχ ὡς πάλαι τῆς κατὰ τὴν