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of them or from the nations which he mentioned by name a little before: «Tarshish and Phud and Lud and Mosoch and Thobel and into Greece and into the islands far away, who have not heard my name nor have they seen my glory», from these very ones, he says, I will take priests and Levites, said the Lord. And he adds a deduction, showing the reasonableness of the statement: for in the way, he says, that the new heaven and the new earth, which I make, remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your seed and your name stand; for if the heaven will be new and the earth new and Jerusalem new, it would follow that the priests and Levites will also be new. Wherefore it was also said in the preceding passages: «they shall not remember the former things, nor shall they come up upon their heart». I will take, therefore, from those very ones, of whom I spoke before, priests and Levites; for it was not plausible for it to be said concerning the people of the Jews: I will take priests and Levites, since these already pre-existed among them, but neither was it possible to take Levites from Levites nor priests from priests, because all those from the tribe of Levi were simply priests and Levites, but now he promises to make a selection from the calling of the nations. And these things will be, since also the heaven will be new and the earth new, which I make to remain; «for the first things were not remaining». Wherefore it was said: «heaven and earth will pass away», and again: «the heaven will be rolled up like a scroll», and: «the earth will be utterly destroyed», but of the age to come «Christ is the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming». Then the new heaven and the new earth, concerning which he said in the beatitudes: «blessed are» such as these, «for theirs is the kingdom of heaven», and: «blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth». This new heaven, therefore, and the new earth of the new age remain, enduring for an infinite and unending age. And he indicates to me a difference of places in the kingdom: «for there are many mansions with the Father», of which some will bear an analogy of earth to heaven, while others, by comparison with the lower mansions, will hold the glory of the heavens. Which indeed will be remaining forever, no longer passing away; «for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal». Wherefore he says: which I make to remain before me, and your name will thus be remaining forever before me; and 'forever' hints at eternal and immortal and infinite life. Then he adds: and it shall be from month to month and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, said the Lord, in Jerusalem. The phrase 'in Jerusalem,' therefore, is not found in the other interpreters nor in the Hebrew reading. However, its presence in the Septuagint is not problematic; for it is clear that it signifies the heavenly Jerusalem, where the kingdom of our savior will be established. But if the things legislated by Moses were types and symbols and images of the heavenly things, it is consistent to understand intellectually the feasts in heaven and the true sabbaths there and the months there, «concerning which the account is long and difficult to interpret», requiring both long leisure and its own proper subject. However, just as in the case of the earthly Jerusalem the great multitude of the nation inhabited various cities, but the place of the sanctuary was special, where at appointed times those inhabiting the rest of the land would come «to perform the rites of the worship of God», so also in the case of the conceptual heavenly city and of the special sanctuary there, where it is accessible to no one but «the high priest alone», that is, the Son of God, for whom alone it is lawful to approach the divinity of the Father, and he passes into the very bosom of the Father. Those who will inhabit «the many mansions» of heaven at appointed times, such times as one must understand the times and years there to be, of which one of the prophets, having them in mind, said: «and I remembered eternal years and I meditated»; for they will cross over to the heavenly city, the special one set apart for the kingdom of God and for those who to the uttermost

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αὐτῶν ἢ ἀφ' ὧν εἴρηκεν ἐθνῶν μικρῷ πρόσθεν ὀνομάσας· «Θαρσεῖς καὶ Φοὺδ καὶ Λοὺδ καὶ Μοσὸχ καὶ Θοβὲλ καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ εἰς τὰς νήσους τὰς πόρρω, οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι τὸ ὄνομά μου οὐδὲ ἑωράκασι τὴν δόξαν μου», ἐξ αὐτῶν τούτων λήψομαί φησιν ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας, εἶπε κύριος. ἐπάγει δὲ συλλογισμὸν τὸ εὔλογον δεικνὺς τοῦ λόγου· ὃν τρόπον γάρ φησιν ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή, ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, μένει ἐνώπιόν μου, λέγει κύριος, οὕτως στήσεται τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν· εἰ γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς ἔσται καὶ ἡ γῆ καινὴ καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινή, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας καινοὺς ἔσεσθαι. διὸ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐλέγετο· «οὐ μὴ μνησθῶσι τῶν προτέρων, οὐκ ἀναβήσεται αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν». λήψομαι τοίνυν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων, ὧν προεῖπον ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας· οὐδὲ γὰρ πιθανὸν ἦν περὶ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων λαοῦ λέγεσθαι τό· λήψομαι ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας, προϋφεστώτων ἤδη παρ' αὐτοῖς τούτων, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οἷόν τε ἦν ἀπὸ Λευιτῶν Λευίτας λαμβάνειν οὐδ' ἀπὸ ἱερέων ἱερέας διὰ τὸ πάντας ἁπαξαπλῶς τοὺς ἐκ φυλῆς Λευὶ ἱερεῖς εἶναι καὶ Λευίτας, νῦν δὲ ἐκλογὴν ἐπαγγέλλεται ποιήσειν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κλήσεως. καὶ ταῦτα ἔσται, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ἔσται καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή, ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ μένειν· «τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτα οὐ μένοντα ἦν». διὸ ἐλέγετο· «ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται», καὶ πάλιν· «ἑλιγήσεται ὡς βιβλίον ὁ οὐρανός», καί· «φθορᾷ φθαρήσεται ἡ γῆ», τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος «ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός, ἔπειτα οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ». εἶτ' ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή, περὶ ὧν ἐν μακαρισμοῖς ἔλεγε· «μακάριοι» οἱ τοιοίδε, «ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν», καί· «μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν». οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ καινὸς οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ τοῦ νέου αἰῶνος καινὴ γῆ μένουσιν εἰς ἄπειρον καὶ ἀτελεύτητον αἰῶνα διαρκοῦντες. διαφορὰν δέ μοι νοεῖ τῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τόπων· «πολλαὶ γὰρ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ πατρί», ὧν αἱ μὲν γῆς πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἄξουσιν ἀναλογίαν, αἱ δὲ παραθέσει τῶν ὑποβεβηκυιῶν μονῶν οὐρανῶν δόξαν ἐφέξουσιν. ἃ δὴ καὶ ἔσται μένοντα ἀεί, οὐκέτι παρερχόμενα· «τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια». διό φησιν· ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ μένειν ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα δὲ ὑμῶν οὕτως ἔσται διαμένον εἰς ἀεὶ ἐνώπιόν μου· τὸ δὲ εἰς ἀεὶ αἰώνιον καὶ ἀθάνατον καὶ ἄπειρον ζωὴν αἰνίττεται. Εἶτ' ἐπιλέγει· καὶ ἔσται μῆνα ἐκ μηνὸς καὶ σάββατον ἐκ σαββάτου ἥξει πᾶσα σὰρξ τοῦ προσκυνῆσαι ἐνώπιόν μου, εἶπε κύριος, εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ. τὸ μὲν οὖν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ οὐ κεῖται παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἑρμηνευταῖς οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ ἀναγνώσει. πλὴν οὐ λυπεῖ κείμενον παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα· δῆλον γὰρ ὡς τὴν ἐπουράνιον σημαίνει Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἔνθα συστήσεται ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν βασιλεία. εἰ δὲ τύποι καὶ σύμβολα καὶ εἰκόνες ἦσαν τὰ παρὰ Μωσεῖ νενομοθετημένα τῶν ἐπουρανίων, ἀκόλουθόν ἐστιν κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐκλαμβάνειν τὰς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἑορτὰς καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖ σάββατα ἀληθινὰ καὶ τοὺς μῆνας τοὺς ἐκεῖ, «περὶ ὧν πολὺς ὁ λόγος καὶ δυσερμήνευτος», σχολῆς τε μακρᾶς καὶ οἰκείας ὑποθέσεως δεόμενος. πλὴν ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς κάτω Ἰερουσαλὴμ τὸ μὲν πολὺ πλῆθος τοῦ ἔθνους διαφόρους κατῴκει πόλεις, ἐξαίρετος δὲ ἦν ὁ τοῦ ἁγιάσματος τόπος, ἔνθα κατὰ καιροὺς ἀπήντων οἱ τὴν ἄλλην οἰκοῦντες χώραν «τὰ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ λατρείας ἐπιτελέσοντες», οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς νοουμένης οὐρανίου πόλεως καὶ τοῦ αὐτόθι ἐξαιρέτου ἁγιάσματος, ἔνθα οὐδενὶ βατὸν ἢ «μόνῳ τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ» δηλαδὴ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, ᾧ μόνῳ θέμις τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς πελάζειν θεότητι, καὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς τοὺς πατρικοὺς διαβαίνει κόλπους. οἱ «τὰς πολλὰς μονὰς» τὰς οὐρανίους οἰκήσοντες καιροῖς τεταγμένοις, ὁποίους χρὴ νοεῖν τοὺς ἐκεῖ καιροὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖ ἐνιαυτούς, ὧν ἐν περινοίᾳ γενόμενός τις προφητῶν ἔλεγε· «καὶ ἔτη αἰώνια ἐμνήσθην καὶ ἐμελέτησα»· διαβήσονται γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν οὐρανόπολιν τὴν ἐξαίρετον καὶ ἀφωρισμένην τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῖς εἰς ἄκρον