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enemies, he supplicates that God would rise up and rouse himself to vengeance, so that those who long ago were gathered for the same purpose and made a wicked agreement with one another, that of demonic idolatry, might be scattered, becoming far from one another. But the enemies of God and those who hate him were certain impious and atheistic demons who fill the air above the earth and work manifold evil among men; who, when God alone was moved and 23.681 roused himself to vengeance for the things done, were first scattered far from each other, being dispersed, then they took to flight; and after these things, as smoke fails, they failed, and as wax melts before fire, so they were about to perish. But you will understand how his enemies failed as smoke fails, if you consider how in old times they transformed themselves into angels of light, both the devil himself and his ministers, according to the Apostle, who says: “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” It is no great thing, then, if his ministers also transform themselves into angels of righteousness, and they were then giving oracles in every place, promising prophecies and cures, so that the superstitious sacrificed to them in an excess of madness, even their own dearest. But now, of all those things, destruction and desolation have come, so that not even a memory of them remains; they failed as smoke fails when their fire was extinguished; which is why it is also said elsewhere: “Smoke went up in his wrath.” For the wrath of God coming upon these very ones extinguished their fire with which they burned the souls of men; and when it was extinguished, smoke went up. But even this smoke, no longer being kindled underneath, nor having anything from which to subsist, fails. Since, however, God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all, this light sends out flashes of wisdom and knowledge and truth to his friends, so that they say, “The light of your face has been signed upon us, O Lord.” But to his aforementioned enemies he becomes a consuming fire. Wherefore it is said in other places: “A fire will burn before him, and around him a mighty tempest;” and, “A fire will burn before him, and will consume all his enemies.” And in the passage at hand the enemies are said not only to fail like smoke, but also as wax melts before the fire, so they are to melt away; since they themselves have made themselves enemies of God. For God loves all existing things, and abhors nothing that he has made; for he did not create anything while hating it; therefore he himself is an enemy of no one. But those who distance themselves from him, and make themselves enemies, draw destruction upon themselves; as it is said: “For behold, those who distance themselves from you will perish.” And so also do those who do the things hated by him hate God. Let these things, then, be said in one way. But since all prophecy happens to be evangelical, consider whether these things perhaps refer to God the Word, who was of old resting in the bosom of the Father; for “in the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And: “He was in the beginning with God,” he was the Only-begotten of God who is in the bosom of the Father. But since he took the form of a servant, and was found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself unto death, the Holy Spirit fittingly prophesies his resurrection, saying: “Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered;” 23.684 God being understood as God the Word. Or the prayer, while saying about Christ, “Let him arise,” is sent up to the God of all; so that “God” would be instead of “O God, let your Christ arise, and let his enemies be scattered.” For his enemies were gathered at the time of his passion, when “the nations raged, and the peoples imagined vain things. The kings stood by and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and

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ἐχθροὶ, διαναστῆναι τὸν Θεὸν καὶ διεγεῖραι ἑαυτὸν εἰς ἐκδίκησιν ἱκετεύει, ὅπως οἱ πάλαι κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ συνηγμένοι καὶ κακὴν συμφωνίαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους θέμενοι, τὴν τῆς δαιμονικῆς εἰδωλολατρείας, διασκεδασθῶσι μακρὰν ἀλλήλων γενόμενοι. Ἐχθροὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ μισοῦντες αὐτὸν ἦσαν, οἱ τὸν ὑπὲρ γῆς ἀέρα πληροῦντες καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολυπλανῆ κακίαν ἐνεργοῦντες δυσσεβεῖς τινες καὶ ἄθεοι δαίμονες· οἳ, κινηθέντος αὐτοῦ μόνον τοῦ 23.681 Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν πραττομένων ἐκδίκησιν ἑαυτὸν διεγείραντος, πρῶτον μὲν ἐσκορπίζοντο μακρὰν ἀλλήλων διασκεδαννύμενοι, εἰτ' ἐχρῶντο φυγῇ· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὡς ἐκλείπει καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον, καὶ ὡς τήκεται κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς, οὕτως ἤμελλον ἀπόλλυσθαι. Νοήσεις δὲ ὅπως ὡς ἐκλείπει καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐπιστήσας ὡς τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν μετεσχηματίζοντο εἰς ἀγγέλους φωτὸς, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ διάβολος καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ὅς φησιν· «Αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός.» Οὐ μέγα οὖν εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται εἰς ἀγγέλους δικαιοσύνης, ἐχρησμοδότουν τε τότε κατὰ πάντα τόπον, μαντείας καὶ θεραπείας ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, ὡς τοὺς δεισιδαίμονας θύειν αὐτοῖς καθ' ὑπερβολὴν μανίας καὶ τὰ ἑαυτῶν φίλτατα. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐκείνων πάντων ἀφανισμὸς καὶ ἐρημία γέγονεν, ὡς μηδὲ μνήμην αὐτῶν ἐπιλιπέσθαι· ἐξέλιπον δὲ ὡς ἐκλείπει καπνὸς ἀποσβεσθέντος αὐτῶν τοῦ πυρός· διὸ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ εἴρηται· «Ἀνέβη καπνὸς ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ.» Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀργὴ τούτοις αὐτοῖς ἐπελθοῦσα, τὸ πῦρ αὐτῶν ᾧ κατέφλεγον τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς κατέσβεσεν· οὗ σβεσθέντος, ἀνέβη καπνός. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος ὁ καπνὸς μηκέθ' ὑποκαιόμενος, μηδὲ ἔχων ὁπόθεν ὑποστῆ, ἐκλείπει. Ἐπεὶ, δὲ ὁ Θεὸς φῶς ἐστι, καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία, τοῦτο τὸ φῶς τοῖς αὐτῷ φίλοις σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως, καὶ ἀληθείας μαρμαρυγὰς ἐκπέμπει, ὡς φάναι αὐτοὺς, «Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριε.» Τοῖς δὲ προλεχθεῖσιν ἐχθροῖς αὐτοῦ πῦρ καταφλέγον γίγνεται. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται ἐν ἑτέροις· «Πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά·» καὶ, «Πῦρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ἐν τῷ μετὰ χεῖρας οἱ ἐχθροὶ οὐ μόνον ἐκλείπειν ὡς καπνὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τήκεται κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς, οὕτως ἐκτήκεσθαι εἴρηνται· ἐπειδήπερ αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ πεποιήκασιν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἀγαπᾷ τὰ ὄντα πάντα, καὶ οὐδὲν βδελύσσεται ὧν ἐποίησεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ μισῶν τι κατεσκεύαζε· διὸ οὐδενὸς ἐχθρὸς αὐτός. Οἱ δὲ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐχθροποιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς, ἐπισπῶνται τὴν ἀπώλειαν· ὡς λέγεσθαι· «Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ ἀπολοῦνται.» Οὕτω δὲ καὶ μισοῦσι τὸν Θεὸν οἱ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μεμισημένα πράττοντες. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καθ' ἕνα λελέχθω τρόπον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ πᾶσα προφητεία εὐαγγελικὴ τυγχάνει, θέα μήποτε ταῦτα εἰς τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον ἀναφέρεται, ὃς ἦν μὲν πάλαι ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ἀναπαυόμενος τοῦ Πατρός· «Ἐν ἀρχῇ» γὰρ «ἦν ὁ Λόγος· καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος.» Καί· «Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν,» αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ Μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός. Ἐπεὶ δὲ μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἰκότως τὴν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ θεσπίζει λέγον· «Ἀναστήτω ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ διασκορπισθή 23.684 τωσαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ·» Θεοῦ νοουμένου τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου. Ἢ τῆς εὐχῆς περὶ μὲν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λεγούσης τὸ, «Ἀναστήτω,» πρὸς δὲ τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων ἀναπεμπομένης· ἵν' ᾖ τὸ, «ὁ Θεὸς,» ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὦ Θεὲ, ἀναστήτω ὁ Χριστός σου, καὶ διασκορπισθήτωσαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ. Συνήχθησαν μὲν γὰρ οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ καιρὸν, ὁπηνίκα «ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη, καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά. Παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ