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declaring Christ, who made both one, and who broke down the middle wall of the fence, the enmity in His flesh. Therefore, when Paul writes to the Churches, he writes, grace to you and peace. And they preached the truly good things, announcing the beatitudes. And the proclamation said to Zion, that is, to the God-fearing commonwealth, and to the choir of the apostles, your God will reign. Therefore, they announced the kingdom of heaven to all people. But according to the version of the Seventy, the phrase, *as a season upon the mountains*, must be assigned to what precedes it, so that it would be: I myself who speak am present, as a season upon the mountains. And by "season" he means the spring, in which there are new flowers, and the births of fruits. Therefore also the Bridegroom says to the Bride: "Arise, come, my neighbor, my beautiful dove, for behold the winter has passed; the rain has passed; it has gone its way. The flowers have appeared in the land, the time of pruning has arrived." For the dragon, having brought winter upon us, rendered us fruitless, so as not to be doing good. But we have blossomed again in Christ, having become full of spiritual fruitfulness, so as to be able to say: "Let my brother come down into his garden, and eat the fruit of his choice trees." And it has also become *as feet of one bringing good tidings of a report of peace*, according to the previously given exegesis. But some have interpreted the present saying thus, saying that it declares the visitation of the people which happened in the things that followed, which also might justly be called a presence; not of His substance moving from place to place, 2512 but of His energy becoming manifest. Therefore He is said to be present with us when we are being cleansed, but to be absent from those who are sinning. He says, therefore, that the help will be so manifest, that you will confess that it is the same one who is now foretelling and again fulfilling. For just as it is not possible for the hour of the day to be hidden, in which the sun, having shone forth, illuminates the mountains, so will the inclination from me to you be manifest to all, and you will be so filled with joy and gladness, just as those who receive a peaceful and pleasant report. And when you are set right, I will think it worthy to be called your king. For Zion will be so prosperous, that all those things will be fulfilled which are in glorious and peaceful cities: guards watching the city with a voice, and greeting each other with gladness, so as to stir up joy in themselves in their encounters, and to proclaim the mercy upon them. And the desolate places of Jerusalem might also reasonably be said to share in their gladness. For just as through the phrase, "The ways of Zion mourn," it indicated the desolation of inhabitants and passers-by; so also now, by saying that the desolate place will celebrate together, it presents the gladness that has seized them, stating the cause of these things to be the mercy of God, on account of which God redeemed Jerusalem with his arm, that is, by the energy of his power, so that the nations know that God has visited Jerusalem; and this is what they say. But instead of, *the voice of those guarding you was lifted up*, Symmachus translated, *The voice of your watchmen has lifted up*, and added, *they will praise together*. For they will see manifestly when the Lord returns to Zion; again, the God-fearing commonwealth being indicated. But instead of *manifestly*, the others say *they will see eye to eye*. And now he calls the disciples of the Savior watchmen. For long ago they used to call the prophets thus, and now the apostles have become watchmen and guardians of the new people, guarding the sheep for the chief shepherd from the wolves through fitting teaching. And manifestly, having become eyewitnesses and earwitnesses of the Savior, they lifted up their own voice, so that it might be heard by all the nations and the two peoples might be gathered into one, according to that which says: "Rejoice, O nations, with his people." Therefore David also says: "Hear these things, all you nations." And just as the multitude of demons perished with a sound, so that no one was ignorant of it; so the saving proclamation became heard by all who received the Lord as king instead of the former tyrant. Which indeed has also become for us an occasion for a festival, according to that which says: "The Lord has reigned,

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δηλοῦντες τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν ποιήσαντα ἀμφότερα ἓν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσαντα, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὸ ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐπιστέλλων ὁ Παῦλος, χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη γράφει. Εὐηγγελίζοντο δὲ καὶ τὰ ὄντως ἀγαθὰ, τοὺς μακαρισμοὺς καταγγέλλοντες. Ἔλεγεν δὲ τὸ κήρυγμα τῇ Σιὼν, δηλαδὴ τῷ θεοσεβεῖ πολιτεύματι, τῷ τε τῶν ἀποστόλων χορῷ, βασιλεύσει σου ὁ Θεός. ∆ιὸ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις κατήγγελλον. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἔκδοσιν τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα, τὸ, ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ἀποδοτέον τοῖς πρὸ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ᾖ· Αὐτὸς ὁ λαλῶν πάρειμι, ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων. Ὥραν δέ φησι τὸ ἔαρ, ἐν ᾧ ἄνθη τε νέα, καὶ καρπῶν γοναί. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Νυμφίος πρὸς τὴν Νύμφην φησίν· "Ἀνάστα, ἐλθὲ, ἡ πλησίον μου, καλή μου περιστερὰ, ὅτι ἰδοὺ ὁ χειμὼν παρῆλθεν· ὁ ὑετὸς παρῆλθεν· ἐπορεύθη ἑαυτῷ. Τὰ ἄνθη ὤφθη ἐν τῇ γῇ, καιρὸς τῆς τομῆς ἔφθασεν." Καὶ ἡμᾶς γὰρ ὁ δράκων καταχειμάσας, ἀκάρπους ἀπέφηνεν, ὡς μὴ εἶναι ποιοῦντα χρηστότητα. Ἀλλ' ἀνεθάλομεν ἐν Χριστῷ πνευματικῆς εὐκαρπίας γενόμενοι πλήρεις, ὡς καὶ δύνασθαι λέγειν· "Καταβήτω ὁ ἀδελφός μου εἰς κῆπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ φαγέτω καρπὸν ἀκροδρύων αὐτοῦ." Γέγονε δὲ καὶ ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης, κατὰ τὴν προαποδοθεῖσαν ἐξήγησιν. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ παρὸν ῥητὸν οὕτως ἑρμήνευσαν λέγοντες, ὡς τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένην δηλοῖ, ἥτις καὶ παρουσία δικαίως ἂν λέγοιτο· οὐ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ τόπον ἐκ τόπου μετιού 2512 σης, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας καταδήλου γινομένης. ∆ιὸ καθαιρομένοις μὲν ἡμῖν παρεῖναι λέγεται, ἀπεῖναι δὲ ἁμαρτανόντων. Τὴν τοίνυν ἀντίληψιν οὕτω φανερὰν ἔσεσθαί φησιν, ὡς ὑμᾶς ὁμολογῆσαι τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν καὶ νῦν προλέγοντα καὶ αὖθις πληροῦντα. Ὡς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι τὴν ὥραν τῆς ἡμέρας λαθεῖν, καθ' ἣν ἐκλάμψας ὁ ἥλιος καταλάμπει τὰ ὄρη, οὕτως ἔσται φανερὰ πᾶσιν ἡ παρ' ἐμοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς ῥοπὴ, χαρᾶς τε καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεως, οὕτω πληρωθήσεσθε, καθάπερ τοῖς ἀκοήν ἐστιν εἰρηνικήν τε καὶ ἡδεῖαν δεχομένοις. Καὶ βασιλεὺς δὲ ὑμῶν διορθουμένων ἀξιώσω καλεῖσθαι. Ἔσται γὰρ ἡ Σιὼν οὕτως εὐθηνουμένη, ὡς πάντα ἐκεῖνα πληροῦσθαι, ὅσα ἐν ταῖς ἐπιδόξοις πόλεσι καὶ εἰρηνευούσαις· φυλάκων μὲν τηρούντων τὴν πόλιν μετὰ φωνῆς, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ ἀσπαζομένων μετ' εὐφροσύνης, ὡς ἐπεγείρειν ἑαυτοῖς ἐν ταῖς συντυχίαις τὴν χαρὰν, καὶ τὸν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἔλεον κηρύττειν. Κοινωνεῖν δὲ τῆς εὐφροσύνης αὐτοῖς λέγοιτ' ἂν εἰκότως καὶ τὰ ἔρημα τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ὡς γὰρ διὰ τοῦ, "Ὁδοὶ Σιὼν πενθοῦσι," τὴν τῶν οἰκητόρων καὶ παριόντων ἐρημίαν ἐδήλου· οὕτω καὶ νῦν τὴν ἔρημον συνεορτάσειν εἰπὼν, τὴν καταλαβοῦσαν αὐτοὺς εὐφροσύνην παρίστησιν, αἴτιον τούτων τὸν ἔλεον εἰπὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ, δι' ὃν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλυτρώσατο τῷ βραχίονι, τοῦτ' ἔστι τῇ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐνεργείᾳ, γινωσκόντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ὡς ἐπεσκέψατο τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Θεός· καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὗτοι. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, φωνὴ τῶν φυλασσόντων σε ὑψώθη, ὁ Σύμμαχος, Φωνὴ τῶν σκοπῶν σου ἐπῆρεν, ἑρμήνευσεν, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ αἰνέσουσιν. Ὀφθαλμοφανῶς γὰρ ὄψονται ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι Κύριον τὴν Σιών· δηλουμένου πάλιν τοῦ θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοφανῶς, οἱ λοιποὶ φασὶν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ ὄψονται. Σκοποὺς δὲ νῦν τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ Σωτῆρος καλεῖ. Καὶ πάλαι γὰρ τοὺς προφήτας οὕτως ἐκάλουν, καὶ νῦν τοῦ νέου λαοῦ γεγόνασι σκοποὶ καὶ φύλακες οἱ ἀπόστολοι φυλάσσοντες ἀπὸ τῶν λύκων τῷ ἀρχιποίμενι τὰ πρόβατα διὰ τῆς πρεπούσης διδασκαλίας. Καὶ ὀφθαλμοφανῶς αὐτόπται καὶ αὐτήκοοι τοῦ Σωτῆρος γενόμενοι ὕψωσαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν φωνὴν, ὡς ἐξακουστὸν γενέσθαι πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ πρὸς ἕνα τοὺς δύο συναχθῆναι λαοὺς, κατὰ τό· "Εὐφρανθῆτε, ἔθνη, μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ." ∆ιὸ φησὶ καὶ ∆αβίδ· "Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη." Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ τῶν δαιμονίων πλῆθος ἀπώλετο μετ' ἤχους, ὡς ἀγνοῆσαι μηδένα· οὕτω τὸ σωτήριον κήρυγμα πᾶσιν ἐξάκουστον γέγονε βασιλέα δεξαμένοις ἀντὶ τοῦ πάλαι τυράννου τὸν Κύριον. Ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονεν ἡμῖν ἀφορμὴ πανηγύρεως, κατὰ τό· "Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν,