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and upon Christ. For the entrance is through him to the Father, who is also an engraving, as it were, the form and character of the Father's substance, and the radiance of his glory. But the sun will no longer give you day, nor will the moon light you by night. For those of the new age will be neither in night, nor in perceptible light. For the Savior says: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. For God is their light and glory; for the more perfect, he becomes instead of the sun, and for the lesser, instead of the moon, giving his rays in proportion to their capacity, fulfilling in deed the beatitudes, through which he said: Those who mourn will be comforted, and those who weep will laugh. Whence he adds: The days of your mourning will be fulfilled, all injustice having been abolished. As one chosen, therefore, he will inherit the land promised to him, the one promised to the meek, in which is also the heavenly city. Such is my people, the shoot of my planting. "For every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up," And being the works of his hands, he will inherit the land, when he who in the present life is few, will become thousands, according to, "Have authority over five, or ten cities." Therefore, they will become, as it were, commanders of thousands of those who are saved. And he who is now least, will become a great nation. As Paul says: To me, the least of all the saints, this grace was given, who will rule a very great nation before God. The appointed time for these things will come, he says, when these things will be through my Synagogue, when he will send the angels, and will gather the saints from the ends of the heavens, and he will fashion one city from the two peoples, such as it is, that "there may be one flock, one shepherd." Some, however, have understood the things concerning the sun and moon in reference to the present age. For even if the sun withdraws at night, and the moon by day, nevertheless the divine and intelligible light which the Savior supplies through the Spirit to those who believe will be unquenchable, and they have no need of any perceptible light for the illumination of the mind for the knowledge of God and the practice of virtues. Therefore he says: "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." And the phrase, "And the days of your mourning will be fulfilled," since dejection is proper to sinners, who expect 2640 fire and darkness, but the righteous rejoice in hope, having laid aside the mourning for sins. Therefore he adds: All your people will be righteous. For Christ justifies the people of the Church by grace, whose planting we are, of the hands that grafted us into the good olive tree. Now, therefore, in this age the glory of the saints is hidden, but in the age to come the least will lead many, at which the saints, rejoicing, say: "He has subjected peoples to us, and nations under our feet." And this will be, when I also gather them, having descended from heaven, and they will be caught up in the clouds to meet me. But some have rendered it thus, that having ceased from impiety, you will no longer chiefly reckon the light to the sun and moon, but to their Creator, having his truth shining upon you. And the mourning of your captivity will cease when you have received back your land. And as those compared to plants, it is fitting to render the due fruit. For God is the one who planted, and who obviously cares for them, things which contribute to the glory of God. Who also foretells their increase to a multitude, with God gathering them and making the few many. CHAP. 61. 1. 9The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to call the acceptable year of the Lord, and a day of retribution, to comfort all who mourn, to give to those who mourn in Zion glory instead of ashes, the oil of gladness to those who mourn, a garment of glory instead of a spirit of faintheartedness9, etc. He who added to the evangelical promises, "I the Lord will gather them in due time," now says that he has been anointed for the sake of this Lord, that is, to gather them.

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καὶ ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ. Ἡ γὰρ εἴσοδος δι' αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὅς ἐστι καὶ γλύμμα, οἱονεὶ μορφὴ καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως τοῦ Πατέρος, καὶ ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὐκέτι ἥλιος ἡμέραν σοι παρέξει, οὐδὲ νυκτὸς ἡ σελήνη σε φωτιεῖ. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐν νυκτὶ, οὔτ' ἐν αἰσθητῷ φωτὶ γενήσονται οἱ τοῦ καινοῦ αἰῶνος. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς. Φῶς γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ δόξα Θεός· τελειοτέροις μὲν, ἀνθ' ἡλίου, ὑποβεβηκόσι δὲ, ἀντὶ σελήνης γινόμενος, ἀναλόγως τῷ τούτων χωρητικῷ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ διδοὺς ἀκτῖνας, ἔργῳ πληρῶν τοὺς μακαρισμοὺς, δι' ὧν εἶπεν· Οἱ πενθοῦντες παρακληθήσονται, καὶ οἱ κλαίοντες γελάσονται. Ὅθεν ἐπιφέρει· Ἀναπληρωθήσονται αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πένθους σου, πάσης ἀδικίας ἀνῃρημένης. Ὡς οὖν ἐκλελεγμένος κληρονομήσει τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην αὐτῷ γῆν τὴν τοῖς πραέσιν ἐπηγγελμένην, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἡ πόλις ἡ ἐπουράνιος. Τοιοῦτος δὲ ὁ λαός μου, βλαστὸς ἐμῆς φυτείας. "Πᾶσα γὰρ φυτεία, ἣν οὐκ ἐφύτευσεν ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ οὐράνιος, ἐκριζωθήσεται," Ἔργα δὲ χειρῶν ὑπάρχων αὐτοῦ, κληρονομήσει τὴν γῆν, ὅτε καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ὀλιγοστὸς, εἰς χιλιάδας ἔσται, κατὰ τὸ, "Ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω πέντε, ἢ δέκα πόλεων." Οἱονεὶ τοίνυν χιλίαρχοι τῶν σωζομένων γενήσονται. Καὶ ὁ νῦν δὲ ἐλάχιστος, εἰς ἔθνος μέγα. Οἷος ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· Ἐμοὶ δὲ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη, ὃς ἔθνους ἄρξει μεγίστου παρὰ Θεῷ. Ἥξει δὲ, φησὶν, ὁ τούτοις ὡρισμένος καιρὸς, ὅτε ταῦτα διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἔσται Συναγωγῆς, ὅτε τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀποστελεῖ, καὶ συνάξει τοὺς ἁγίους ἀπ' ἄκρων τῶν οὐρανῶν, μίαν τε ἐκ τῶν δύο λαῶν κατασκευάσεται πόλιν, ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ, ἵνα "γένηται μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν." Τινὲς δὲ πρὸς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν παρόντα τὰ περὶ ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης ἐξέλαβον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑποχωρεῖ ἥλιος μὲν ἐν νυκτὶ, σελήνη δὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ἀλλ' οὖν τὸ θεῖον καὶ νοητὸν φῶς ὃ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὁ Σωτὴρ χορηγεῖ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν, ἄσβεστον ἔσται, καὶ φωτὸς οὐδενὸς αἰσθητοῦ πρὸς νοῦ φωτισμὸν ἐπιδέονται πρὸς γνῶσιν Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπιτήδευσιν ἀρετῶν. ∆ιό φησιν· "Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. Ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ, οὐ μὴ περιπατήσῃ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς." Τὸ δὲ, Καὶ ἀναπληρωθήσονται αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πένθους σου, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς μὲν ἁμαρτωλοῖς τὸ κατηφὲς οἰκεῖον, πῦρ προσδοκῶσι 2640 καὶ σκότος, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι τῇ ἐλπίδι χαίρουσι τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀποθέμενοι πένθος. ∆ιὸ ἐπάγει· Ἔσται ὁ λαός σου πᾶς δίκαιος. Τῆς γὰρ Ἐκκλησίας τὸν λαὸν Χριστὸς δικαιοῖ τῇ χάριτι, οὗ φύτευμά ἐσμεν τῶν χειρῶν ἐγκεντρίσαντος ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν καλλιέλαιον. Νῦν μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ κέκρυπται τῶν ἁγίων ἡ δόξα, ἐν δὲ τῷ μέλλοντι ὁ ἐλάχιστος πλείστων ἡγήσεται, ἐφ' ᾧ χαίροντες οἱ ἅγιοί φασιν· "Ὑπέταξεν λαοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ἔθνη ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν." Ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτε καὶ συνάξω αὐτοὺς, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς, καὶ ἁρπασθήσονται ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησίν μου. Τινὲς δὲ οὕτως ἀπέδωκαν, ὡς παυσάμενος ἀσεβείας οὐκ ἔτι προηγουμένως ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ λογίσῃ τὸ φῶς, ἀλλὰ τῷ τούτων ∆ημιουργῷ, ἐπιλάμψασαν ἔχων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ παύσεταί σου τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τὸ πένθος ἀπολαβόντος τὴν γῆν σου. Ὡς δὲ φυτοῖς παραβαλλομένους προσῆκόν ἐστι τὸν ὀφειλόμενον καρπὸν ἀποδιδόναι. Θεὸς γὰρ ὁ φυτεύσας, καὶ δηλονότι ἐπιμελούμενος, ἅτινα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ συντείνει. Ὃς καὶ προλέγει αὐτῶν τὴν εἰς πλῆθος ἐπίδοσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ συνάγοντος, καὶ τοὺς ὀλίγους ποιοῦντος πολλούς. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΞΑʹ. αιʹ. 9Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με, εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέ με, ἰάσασθαι τοὺς συντετριμμένους τῇ καρδίᾳ κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν, καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν, καλέσαι ἐνιαυτὸν Κυρίου δεκτὸν, καὶ ἡμέραν ἀνταποδόσεως, παρακαλέσαι πάντας τοὺς πενθοῦντας, δοθῆναι τοῖς πενθοῦσι Σιὼν δόξαν ἀντὶ σποδοῦ, ἄλειμμα εὐφροσύνης τοῖς πενθοῦσι, καταστολὴν δόξης ἀντὶ πνεύματος ἀκηδίασ9, κ.τ.λ. Ὁ ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ἐπειπὼν, Ἐγὼ Κύριος κατὰ καιρὸν συνάξω αὐτοὺς, νῦν παρὰ Κυρίου τούτου χάριν κεχρίσθαι φησὶ, τοῦ συναγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς δηλονότι.