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Savior. 15:24. 9For behold, the Lord will come as a fire, and his chariots as a whirlwind, to render his vengeance in wrath, and his rebuke in a flame of fire. For by the fire of the Lord all the earth will be judged, and by his sword, all flesh. Many will be the slain of the Lord, they who sanctify themselves and purify themselves for the gardens, and in the porches eating swine's flesh, and the abominations, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the Lord. And I know their works and their thoughts9, etc. Having stated the promises to those who will believe, and how he will threaten the disobedient with the threat, he now sets forth his glorious coming, showing when he will come with the glory of the Father, and his angels, to judge the living and the dead. But the phrase 'as fire,' the others interpreted 'in fire.' And by saying 'chariots,' he indicates the angels and the powers around him, according to that in the Psalms: "The chariot of God is ten thousandfold, thousands of prosperous ones." And as a whirlwind he will come to those worthy of punishment. And the 'rebuke' indicates their rejection, as he will say: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire;" and the 'sword' signifies punishment, both customarily and fearfully to the hearers. Such is the apostolic saying: "But in accordance with your hardness and your unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath," and what follows. He adds for whom the fire is rather prepared, and if before the coming, he says it is for those not purified according to the law with the ashes of a heifer and with sacrifices, but if after this, for those who, instead of divine baptism, are cleansed with water of a high garden, or even enchanted water, in groves and thickets where they also offered their worship. For they purified themselves with fire and water, thinking to wash away through these the pollutions of the soul, which they had contracted from debauchery and murders. But instead of 'And in the porches eating swine's flesh,' Symmachus says: 'One after another in the midst of those eating swine's flesh,' not saying they themselves eat, but that they live among the Gentiles, for which reason they will perish with them, since God sees not only actions 2712 but also thoughts. "As is the saying, 'Your eyes saw my unformed substance.'" But some took 'abominations' not to mean foods, but idols, just as they say the mouse, perhaps, was worshipped in shrines. However, some even now eat field mice. But having said he would gather every tongue, 'They shall see,' he says, 'my glory, and I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send forth from them those who are saved.' Which he says more clearly in the Gospels: "But when the Son of Man comes in the glory of his Father, and all the angels. with him, and they will gather all the nations," and what follows. But that he might show those of the Gentiles who would be saved according to their worth, he went back to the first coming; concerning which some have taken the saying, 'I will gather the tongues,' to be a recapitulation of the whole prophecy, saying that the things from this point on contain in brief the power of the economy in the flesh from beginning to end, showing the calling of the Gentiles, just as, having appointed the apostles, he will be worshipped by every nation. For the old law gathered one nation and one tongue; but Christ gathered all, with those saved from Israel, saying: 'Hear these things, all you nations.' Who also have seen his glory, having learned through the divine preaching that he is equal to the Father, and works wonders even to the raising of the dead, and not saying, as the Jews did: "Why do you, being a man, make yourself God?" but saying in harmony: "You are the Son of the living God." Upon whom also is set the sign of the precious cross; or according to Paul who said: "We were sealed with the spirit of redemption." But from them, he says, 'I will send to the nations,' clearly from those who are perishing, about whom it was said: 'They will be consumed together.' From whom the remnant that is saved will be sent for the calling of this and that nation, and 'they will see my glory,' according to what has already been said: 'Those to whom it was not proclaimed, will see concerning him;' and again: "I became manifest to those who did not seek me." Who
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Σωτῆρα. ιεʹκδʹ. 9Ἰδοὺ γὰρ Κύριος ὡς πῦρ ἥξει, καὶ ὡς καταιγὶς τὰ ἄρματα αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι ἐν θυμῷ ἐκδίκησιν, καὶ ἀποσκορακισμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν φλογὶ πυρός. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ πυρὶ Κυρίου κριθήσεται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ αὐτοῦ, πᾶσα σάρξ. Πολλοὶ τραυματίαι ἔσονται ὑπὸ Κυρίου, ἁγνιζόμενοι, καὶ καθαριζόμενοι εἰς τοὺς κήπους, καὶ ἐν τοῖς προθύροις ἔσθοντες κρέας ὕειον, καὶ τὰ βδελύγματα, καὶ τὸν μῦν, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀναλωθήσονται, εἶπε Κύριος. Κἀγὼ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν αὐτῶν ἐπίσταμαι9, κ.τ.λ. Τὰς τῶν πιστευσόντων ἐπαγγελίας εἰπὼν, καὶ ὡς ἀπειλήσει τοῖς ἀπειθήσασι τὴν ἀπειλὴν, ἐκτίθεται νῦν τὴν ἔνδοξον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν, δηλῶν ὅτε ἥξει μετὰ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Πατέρος, καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. Τὸ δὲ ὡς πῦρ, ἐν πυρὶ ἑρμήνευσαν οἱ λοιποί. Ἅρματα δὲ λέγων, τοὺς ἀγγέλους, καὶ τὰς περὶ αὐτὸν δυνάμεις δηλοῖ, κατὰ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· "Τὸ ἅρμα τοῦ Θεοῦ μυριοπλάσιον, χιλιάδες εὐθηνούντων." Ὡς καταιγὶς δὲ ἤξει τοῖς τιμωρίας ἀξίοις. Ὁ δὲ ἀποσκορακισμὸς δηλοῖ τὴν τούτων ἀποβολὴν, ἐροῦντος· "Πορεύεσθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ οἱ κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον·" ἡ δὲ ῥομφαία τὴν τιμωρίαν σημαίνει, συνήθως ἅμα καὶ φοβερῶς τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις. Τοιοῦτον τὸ ἀποστολικόν· "Κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμεταμέλητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ἐπιφέρει δὲ τίσιν ἡτοίμασται μᾶλλον τὸ πῦρ, καὶ εἰ μὲν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας, τοῖς μὴ κατὰ νόμον ἁγνιζομένοις φησὶ σποδῷ τε δαμάλεως, καὶ θυσίαις, εἰ δὲ μετὰ ταύτην, τοῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος, ὕδατι κήπο ὑψιλῷ, ἢ καὶ μεμαγευμένῳ καθαιρομένοις, ἐν δρυμοῖς τε καὶ ἄλσεσιν ἔνθα καὶ τὰς λατρείας προσέφερον. Περιηγνίζοντο γὰρ πυρί τε καὶ ὕδατι, ψυχῆς μολυσμοὺς διὰ τούτων ἐκπλύνειν οἰόμενοι, οὓς ἐξ ἀσελγείας καὶ φόνων ἐναπεμάξαντο. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προθύροις ἔσοντες κρέας ὕειον, ὁ Σύμμαχός φησιν· Ὀπίσω ἀλλήλων ἐν μέσῳ ἐσθιόντων τὸ κρέας τὸ χοίρειον, οὐκ αὐτοὺς λέγων ἐσθίειν, μεταξὺ δὲ ζῇν τῶν, ἐθνῶν, διὸ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀπολοῦνται, τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ μόνον πράξεις 2712 ὁρῶντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ λογισμούς. "Ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ, Ἀκατέργαστόν μου εἴδοσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου." Τινὲς δὲ τὰ βδελύγματα, οὐκ ἐπὶ βρωμάτων, ἀλλ' ἐπ' εἰδώλων ἐδέξαντο, ὡς καὶ μῦν φασιν, ἴσως ἐν σηκοῖς ἔχειν σεβόμενον. Πλὴν τοὺς ἀρουραίους τινὲς εἰσέτι νῦν ἐσθίουσι μῦς. Συνάξειν δὲ πᾶσαν γλῶσσαν εἰπὼν, Ὄψονται, φησὶ, τὴν δόξαν μου, καὶ καταλείψω ἐπ' αὐτῶν σημεῖον, καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ ἐξ αὐτῶν σεσωσμένους. Ὃ σαφέστερον ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις φησίν· "Ὅτ' ἂν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατέρος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι. μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνάξουσι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτῳ. Ὡς ἂν δὲ δείξῃ τῶν ἐθνικῶν τοὺς κατ' ἀξίαν σωθησομένους, ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην ἀνέδραμεν παρουσίαν· περὶ ἧς καὶ τὸ, συνάξω τὰς γλώσσας, τινὲς ἐξειλήφασιν ἀνακεφαλαίωσιν εἶναι τῆς ὅλης προφητείας, τὰ ἐντεῦθεν εἰπόντες τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὴν δύναμιν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, μέχρι τέλους, ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ περιέχοντα, δηλοῦντα τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν κλῆσιν, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἀναδείξας παρὰ παντὸς ἔθνους προσκυνηθήσεται. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ παλαιὸς νόμος ἓν ἔθνος, καὶ μίαν γλῶσσαν συνήγαγεν· Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς πάντα μετὰ τῶν σωθέντων ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ λέγων· Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Οἳ καὶ τεθέανται τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, μαθόντες διὰ τοῦ θείου κηρύγματος, ὡς ἴσος ἐστὶ τῷ Πατέρι, θαυματουργεῖ τε μέχρι καὶ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους εἰπόντες· "∆ιατί σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν, ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν Θεόν;" συμφώνως δὲ λέγοντες· "Σὺ εἶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος." Ἐφ' ὧν καὶ τέθειται σημεῖον τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ· ἢ κατὰ Παῦλον εἰπόντα· "Ἐσφραγίσθημεν τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως." Ἀπ' αὐτῶν δὲ, φησὶν, ἀποστελῶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη, δηλονότι τῶν ἀπολλυμένων, περὶ ὧν ἐλέγετο· Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀναλωθήσονται. Ἐξ ὧν διασωθὲν τὸ κατάλειμμα πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶνδε καὶ τῶνδε κλῆσιν ἀποσταλήσεται, καὶ ὄψονταί μου τὴν δόξαν, κατὰ τὸ ἤδη ῥηθέν· Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη, περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται· καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν." Οἳ