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to uphold in judgment and in righteousness from henceforth and forever». 7.1.149 And how these things were fulfilled, a trustworthy teacher would be Gabriel the angel, saying in the oracle to the virgin: «Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.» 7.1.150 Expecting this birth of Christ in the aforementioned psalm, and seeing the postponement and delay of it as a cause of the fall of the throne of David, the prophet despairs, saying: «But you have cast off and despised, you have put off your anointed one». 7.1.151 And he prays, as if entreating the divine, that the things of the promise might be fulfilled as quickly as possible, saying: «Where are your ancient mercies, Lord, which you swore to David in your truth?» Which things are most clear. And he prophesies that these very things will be fulfilled at the birth of the angel of great counsel; wherefore those mentioned before «would wish», he says, «that they had been burnt with fire, because a child is born to us, and a son is given to us», the «angel of great counsel». 7.1.152 But to whom «us», if not to those who have believed in him in «Galilee of the nations»? To whom he has become a cause of light and gladness, of a new and recent drink, of the mystery of the new covenant, according to the prophecy that said: «Drink this first, do it quickly, land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, and the rest who dwell by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who sat in darkness, you have seen a great light, and for those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death a light has dawned upon them». And among these would be signified both those from the nations who have believed in the Christ of God and the disciples and apostles of our savior, whom he called from the land of Zebulun and Naphtali and chose as preachers of the gospel. 7.1.153 To these, then, the «angel of great counsel» was «given as a son», a cause of salvation, but to those who have disbelieved in him ... of fire, that is, and of burning. And he says that the cause of this whole economy was the zeal of the Lord, saying: «The zeal of the Lord of Sabaoth will do these things». And what zeal, if not that which Moses mentions, saying: «They have made me jealous with what is no god, they have provoked me to anger with their idols; and I will make them jealous with those who are not a nation, with a foolish nation I will provoke them to anger»? 7.1.154 But since, with God's help, the things concerning the prophesied advent to mankind, and not only that but also the manner of his appearance, has been demonstrated through the prophetic testimonies, it would be time to consider where on earth he was prophesied to be born, and from what family he would come, and from which tribe of the Hebrews he would proceed, which things let us also now investigate. 7.2.1 4. From Micah. «And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, you are too little to be among the thousands of Judah; out of you shall come forth for me a leader, to be a ruler in Israel, and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Therefore he will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth, and the remnant of their brothers shall return to the sons of Israel. And he shall stand and see, and he shall shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, and they shall exist in the glory of the name of the Lord their God; because now they shall be magnified to the ends of the earth, and this one shall be peace.» 7.2.2 Emmanuel, translated «God with us», being born of the virgin and becoming a child, the «angel of great counsel», was clearly shown through the things set forth above. But it was also necessary that the place of his birth be indicated. It is prophesied, then, that someone will come out of Bethlehem, a ruler in Israel, having his goings forth «from the beginning, from the days of eternity». But this would not be applicable to a human nature, except only to Emmanuel and to the «angel of great counsel». 7.2.3 For to subsist from eternity, to whom then would it apply, if not only

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ἀντιλαβέσθαι ἐν κρίματι καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα». 7.1.149 ὅπως δὲ ταῦτα ἐπληροῦτο, διδάσκαλος γένοιτ' ἂν ἀξιόχρεως Γαβριὴλ ὁ ἄγγελος, ἐν τῷ πρὸς τὴν παρθένον χρηματισμῷ φάσκων· «μὴ φοβοῦ, Μαριάμ, εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ θεῷ· καὶ ἰδοὺ συλλήψῃ ἐν γαστρὶ καὶ τέξῃ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν. οὗτος ἔσται μέγας, καὶ υἱὸς ὑψίστου κληθήσεται, καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὸν θρόνον ∆αβὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.» 7.1.150 ταύτην ἐν τῷ προειρημένῳ ψαλμῷ καὶ ὁ προφήτης προσδοκῶν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ γένεσιν, τήν τε ὑπέρθεσιν αὐτῆς καὶ ἀναβολὴν ὥσπερ αἰτίαν συνορῶν τῆς τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἀποπτώσεως, ἀποδυσπετεῖ, λέγων· «σὺ δὲ ἀπώσω καὶ ἐξουδένωσας, ἀνεβάλου τὸν χριστόν σου». 7.1.151 εὔχεται δέ, ὥσπερ δυσωπῶν τὸ θεῖον, ᾗ τάχος πληρωθῆναι τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, φάσκων· «ποῦ ἐστιν τὰ ἐλέη σου τὰ ἀρχαῖα, κύριε, ἃ ὤμοσας τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου;» ἃ δὴ σαφέστατα. καὶ αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα πληρωθήσεσθαι ἐπὶ τῇ γενέσει τοῦ τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς ἀγγέλου θεσπίζει· ἐφ' ᾧ «θελήσουσιν», φησίν, οἱ προαποδοθέντες «εἰ ἐγενήθησαν πυρίκαυστοι, διότι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν, καὶ υἱὸς ἐδόθη ἡμῖν» ὁ τῆς «μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος». 7.1.152 τίσιν δὲ «ἡμῖν» ἢ τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκόσιν τοῖς ἐν τῇ «Γαλιλαίᾳ τῶν ἐθνῶν»; οἷς αἴτιος γεγένηται φωτὸς καὶ εὐφροσύνης, καινοῦ τε καὶ νέου ποτοῦ, τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης μυστηρίου, κατὰ τὴν φήσασαν προφητείαν· «τοῦτο πρῶτον πίε, ταχὺ ποίει, χώρα Ζαβουλὼν καὶ γῆ Νεφθαλείμ, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ τὴν παραλίαν οἰκοῦντες, πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν. ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει, φῶς ἴδετε μέγα, καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς». εἶεν δ' ἂν ἐν τούτοις δηλούμενοι οἵ τε ἐξ ἐθνῶν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πεπιστευκότες καὶ οἱ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαθηταὶ καὶ ἀπόστολοι, οὓς ἀπὸ γῆς Ζαβουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλεὶμ ἀνακαλεσάμενος ἐξελέξατο κήρυκας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου. 7.1.153 τούτοις μὲν οὖν ὁ «τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος» «υἱὸς ἐδόθη» σωτηρίας αἴτιος, τοῖς δὲ εἰς αὐτὸν ἠπιστηκόσιν ... πυρὸς δηλαδὴ καὶ καύσεως. ὅλης δὲ ταύτης τῆς οἰκονομίας ὑπόθεσιν γεγονέναι φησὶν τὸν ζῆλον κυρίου λέγων· «ὁ ζῆλος κυρίου Σαβαὼθ ποιήσει ταῦτα». ποῖος δὲ ζῆλος ἢ οὗ μέμνηται Μωσῆς λέγων· «αὐτοὶ παρεζήλωσάν με ἐπ' οὐ θεῷ, παρώργισάν με ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν· κἀγὼ παραζηλώσω αὐτοὺς ἐπ' οὐκ ἔθνει, ἐπ' ἔθνει ἀσυνέτῳ παροργιῶ αὐτούς»; 7.1.154 Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ σὺν θεῷ τὰ περὶ τῆς τοῦ προφητευομένου εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίας, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἐπιφανείας αὐτοῦ διὰ τῶν προφητικῶν ἀποδέδεικται μαρτυριῶν, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη συνιδεῖν, ποῦ γῆς γεννηθήσεσθαι καὶ ὅθεν γένους ἥξειν ἐξ ὁποίας τε Ἑβραίων προελεύσεσθαι φυλῆς ἐκηρύττετο, ἃ καὶ αὐτὰ φέρε ἐρευνήσωμεν. 7.2.1 δʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Μιχαία. «Καὶ σύ, Βηθλεὲμ οἶκος τοῦ Ἐφραθά, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος. διὰ τοῦτο δώσει αὐτοὺς ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης τέξεται, καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέψουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ. καὶ στήσεται καὶ ὄψεται, καὶ ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύι κύριος, καὶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ ὀνόματος κυρίου θεοῦ αὐτῶν ὑπάρξουσιν· διότι νῦν μεγαλυνθήσονται ἕως ἄκρων τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται αὕτη εἰρήνη.» 7.2.2 Ἐμμανουήλ, μεθερμηνευόμενος «μεθ' ἡμῶν θεός», ἐκ τῆς παρθένου γεννώμενος καὶ παιδίον γινόμενος, ὁ τῆς «μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος», σαφῶς ἐδείχθη διὰ τῶν προεκτεθειμένων. ἀλλ' ἐχρῆν καὶ τὸν τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ σημανθῆναι τόπον. προφητεύεται δῆτα ἐκ Βηθλεέμ τις ἐξελεύσεσθαι ἄρχων ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, τὰς ἐξόδους «ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος» ἔχων. τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐφαρμόσειεν ἀνθρώπου φύσει, εἰ μὴ μόνῳ τῷ Ἐμμανουὴλ καὶ τῷ τῆς «μεγάλης βουλῆς ἀγγέλῳ». 7.2.3 τὸ γὰρ ἐξ αἰῶνος ὑφεστάναι τίνι ἄρα ἐφαρμόττοι ἂν ἢ μόνῳ