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he signified the future honor, since these things are desirable among men. Thus also the divine apostle said that "we shall be caught up into the air". And just as of old Israel offered to me sacrifices according to the law, singing and dancing, so the preachers of the truth will offer to me these spiritual victims, from whom in this life I will ordain priests and Levites. This clearly showed both the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the nations; for he no longer calls priests those descending by race from Levi, but he ordains them from the believing nations. 22For in the way that the new heaven and the new earth which I make will remain before me, says the Lord, so will your seed and your name stand. Just as, having changed all visible creation, I will make it new, so will I keep your race in everlasting remembrance, not only yours but also of those who have believed through you. 23And it shall be from month to month and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh will come to worship before me in Jerusalem, said the Lord. Describing the commonwealth in the heavens, he also mentioned the different mansions, about which the Lord said: "There are many mansions with my Father," that is, differences of dignities. He says that these people, always celebrating, rejoice and dance; for by month and sabbath he names the feasts, for on these the Jews celebrated; for "your new moons," he says, "and sabbaths and the great day I do not endure." About this gladness the blessed David also spoke, mindful of the heavenly Jerusalem: |185 b| "The dwelling in you is as of all who rejoice," and: "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous." 24 And they will go out and see the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me. He showed also in the divine gospels that Lazarus saw the torment of the rich man, and he the gladness of Lazarus. Therefore he teaches here also that those who enjoy that gladness see those who are being punished paying the penalty for what they have transgressed, and especially those who dared to nail the Master of the world himself to the wood. So also through the divine Zechariah he says: "They shall look upon me with the one whom they pierced," that is with the body they nailed; for they did not pierce me, but the body which I put on. For their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and they shall be a sight for all flesh. Through these things he has declared the perpetuity of the punishment; for the fire is unquenchable and the worm undying. He threatened this punishment to them, not to them alone but also to those who transgress his divine laws. Therefore, so that we may not share in this punishment with them, let us flee from fellowship with lawlessness; for thus we shall be of the choir of those who rejoice. These things we have interpreted according to the measure of the knowledge given to us and have unfolded the prophetic writing. But you who read, if you find anything worthy of the labors, praise the provider of these things; but if the clarity falls short of the promise, having accepted the intention, grant pardon and gathering the profit that is found, repay the labors with supplication, so that we also with you may see that admirable and thrice-desired city in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father be glory with the all-holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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τὴν ἐσομένην τιμὴν π αρεδή λωσεν, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα παρ' ἀνθρώποις ἐστὶν ἀξιέραστα. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ἔφη ὅτι «εἰς ἀέρα ἁρπαγησόμεθα». Καὶ καθάπερ πάλαι ὁ Ἰσραὴλ τὰς κατὰ νόμον μοι θυσίας προσέφερεν ᾄδων τε καὶ χορεύων, οὕτω μοι τὰ λογικὰ ταῦτα προσοίσουσι θύματα τῆς ἀληθείας οἱ κήρυκες, ἐξ ὧν κατὰ τόνδε τὸν βίον ἱερέας τε καὶ Λευίτας χειροτονήσω. Τοῦτο δὲ σαφῶς ἔδειξε τήν τε Ἰουδαίων ἀποβολὴν καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν κλῆσιν· οὐκέτι γὰρ τοὺς ἐκ Λευὶ τὸ γένος κατάγοντας ἱερέας καλεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν τούτους χειροτονεῖ. 22Ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινὴ ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ μενεῖ ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ, λέγει κύριος, οὕτως στήσεται τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν. Ὥσπερ ἅπασαν τὴν ὁρωμένην μεταβαλὼν κτίσιν καινὴν ἀπεργάσομαι, οὕτως ὑμῶν ἀείμνηστον φυλάξω τὸ γένος, οὐχ ὑμῶν δὲ μόνων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν δι' ὑμῶν πεπιστευκότων. 23 Καὶ ἔσται μῆνα ἐκ μηνὸς καὶ σάββατον ἐκ σαββάτου ἥξει πᾶσα σὰρξ τοῦ προσκυνῆσαι ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, εἶπε κύριος. Τὴν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς διαγράφων πολιτείαν καὶ τῶν διαφόρων μονῶν ἐμνημόνευσε, περὶ ὧν ὁ κύριος εἶπεν· «Πολλαὶ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ πατρί μου», τουτέστιν ἀξιωμάτων διαφοραί. Τούτους λέγει διὰ παντὸς ἑορτάζοντας ἀγάλλεσθαι καὶ χορεύειν· μῆνα γὰρ καὶ σάββατον τὰς ἑορτὰς ὀνομάζει, ἐν ταύταις γὰρ ἑώρταζον Ἰουδαῖοι· «Τὰς» γὰρ «νεομηνίας ὑμῶν» φησι «καὶ τὰ σάββατα καὶ ἡμέραν μεγάλην οὐκ ἀνέχομαι.» Περὶ ταύτης τῆς εὐφροσύνης καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη ∆αυὶδ τῆς ἐπουρανίου μεμνημένος Ἱερουσαλήμ· |185 b| «Ὡς εὐφραινομένων πάντων ἡ κατοικία ἐν σοί», καί· «Φωνὴ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ σωτηρίας ἐν σκηναῖς δικαίων.» 24 Καὶ ἐξελεύσονται καὶ ὄψονται τὰ κῶλα τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν παραβεβηκότων ἐν ἐμοί. Ἔδειξε κἀν τοῖς θείοις εὐαγγελίοις ὡς καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος ἑώρα τοῦ πλουσίου τὴν κόλασιν, κἀκεῖνος τοῦ Λαζάρου τὴν εὐφροσύνην. ∆ιδάσκει τοίνυν κἀνταῦθα ὡς οἱ τῆς εὐφροσύνης ἐκείνης ἀπολαύοντες τοὺς κολαζομένους ὁρῶσι τίνοντας ὧν ἐπλημμέλησαν δίκας, διαφερόντως δὲ τοὺς αὐτὸν τὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης δεσπότην τῷ ξύλῳ προσηλῶσαι τετολμηκότας. Οὕτω καὶ διὰ τοῦ θεσπεσίου Ζαχαρίου φησίν· «Ὄψονταί με σὺν ᾧ ἐξεκέντησαν», τουτέστι μεθ' ο ὗ προσήλωσαν σώματος· οὐ γὰρ ἐμὲ ἐξεκέντησαν ἀλλ' ὃ ἐνδέδυμαι σῶμα. Ὁ γὰρ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτήσει, καὶ τὸ πῦρ αὐτῶν οὐ σβεσθήσεται, καὶ ἔσονται εἰς ἱκανὸν ὁρᾶν πάσῃ σαρκί. Τὸ διηνεκὲς τῆς τιμωρίας διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκεν· καὶ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἄσβεστον καὶ ὁ σκώληξ ἀτελεύτητος. Ταύτην ἠπείλησεν ἐκείνοις τὴν τιμωρίαν, οὐκ ἐκείνοις δὲ μόνοις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς τοὺς θείους αὐτοῦ παραβαίνουσι νόμους. Ινα τοί νυν μὴ ταύτης αὐτοῖς κοινωνήσωμεν τῆς τιμωρίας, φύγωμεν τῆς παρανομίας τὴν κοινωνίαν· οὕτω γὰρ τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν εὐφραινομένων ἐσόμεθα. Ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δοθείσης ἡμῖν γνώσεως ἡρ μηνεύσ αμεν καὶ τὸ προφητικὸν ἀνεπτύξαμεν γράμμα. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ ἐντυγχάνοντες, εἰ μὲν εὕροιτέ τι τῶν πό νων ἄξιον, τὸν τούτων χορηγὸν ἀνυμνήσατε· εἰ δὲ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ἀποδέουσαν τὴν σαφήνειαν, τὸν σκοπὸν ἀποδεξάμενοι δότε συγγνώμην καὶ τὸ εὑρισκόμενον συλλέγοντες κέρδος ἱκετείαν τῶν πόνων ἀμείψασθε, ἵνα σὺν ὑμῖν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν ἀξιάγαστον ἐκείνην καὶ τριπόθητον ἴδωμεν πόλιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ πνεύματι ν ῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.