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and the kingdom; and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve him. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his authority shall not be taken away. Then, he says, all the earth will rejoice, that is, the new creation, and all the people of God who have inhabited the earth from the beginning of time; or also those who are to inherit the heavenly earth, according to the saying: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. For as the bodily substance is changed into incorruption according to the principles of the resurrection, the earth will rejoice, since it too will be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven. Let many islands be glad; many, but not all, because of the heretics; for it is not right for the impious to rejoice. For sometimes the sacred Scripture calls the Churches islands; as lying in the sea in this place, and surrounded by bitter waters in its circumstances, and buffeted by the persecutions as by most violent waves; yet firmly established without falling, and holding themselves up high, and not submerged by the tribulations. For the Churches are unshaken because of Christ, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against them. Therefore, if one wishes to understand the Churches from the Gentiles as islands, he will not proceed from a proper perspective. Indeed, in Isaiah, islands are dedicated to God, the Churches from the Gentiles, just being established, and emerging from the salty unbelief, and they receive a firm foundation in God. Well, therefore, has he also here called islands the souls of those who show forth what is firm and unchangeable in temptations, which the brine of wickedness surrounds on all sides, yet it does not have such strength in its assault as to cause any disturbance to the stability of virtue. Cloud and darkness are round about him, righteousness and judgment are the establishment of his throne. A cloud 23.1228 is a luminous and very fine fabric of light-like air; but darkness is a misty and foggy gloom. Through both, the word reveres the unseeable nature of the divine. For just as it is impossible to see one who is concealed by a cloud and darkness, so it is utterly impossible to behold the invisible nature. It also signifies the hidden descent of the Lord among men, when he was in the form of a servant, so that the assumed flesh is understood as a cloud and darkness, since it conceals the divinity, according to the saying: He made darkness his secret place, his pavilion round about him. And it also reminds us that he is the one who on Mount Sinai made his own epiphany through a cloud and darkness, and it teaches that, although it is impossible to see the divine nature, yet it is possible to contemplate its power through its energy. For he disciplined men in righteousness, and taught those who do all things indiscriminately to live with right judgment. These things his throne and his kingdom have accomplished; wherefore it adds: Righteousness and judgment are the establishment of his throne. This, he says, has become the cause of his coming, to judge righteously our judgment, which we have, that is, against the evil and opposing powers. For Christ has reigned over us, that he might justify by faith those in sin. And he used a judgment befitting God and benevolent; for he has justified not by works of righteousness, but according to his great mercy; and he has saved us also through the holy and mystical water, in which the many-headed dragon was crushed and trampled, or rather even destroyed, and the evil powers with him. These things the kingdom of Christ has accomplished. And it is clear from the fact that we were freed from those who unjustly enslaved us, while they were condemned. For this is a just judgment, to cast down the tyrannical devil, and to free the tyrannized men. But nevertheless he also requires us to establish righteousness and judgment. A fire shall burn before him, and shall flame round about his enemies. His lightnings shone upon the world; the earth saw, and was shaken.

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καὶ ἡ βασιλεία· καὶ πάντες οἱ λαοὶ, φυλαὶ, γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσιν. Ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ βασιλεία αἰώνιος, καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀφαιρεθῇ. Τότε, φησὶν, ἀγαλλιάσεται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, ἤτοι ἡ καινὴ κτίσις, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐξ αἰῶνος τὴν γῆν οἰκήσαντες ἄνθρωποι τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἢ καὶ οἱ μέλλοντες κληρονομεῖν τὴν ἐπουράνιον γῆν, κατὰ τό· Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. Τῆς γὰρ σωματικῆς οὐσίας εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν μεταβαλλούσης κατὰ τοὺς τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγους, ἀγαλλιάσεται ἡ γῆ, ἅτε τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας καὶ αὐτὴ καταξιωθησομένη. Εὐφρανθήτωσαν νῆσοι πολλαί· πολλαὶ δὲ, καὶ οὐ πᾶσαι, διὰ τῶν κακοδόξων· οὐ χρὴ γὰρ χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι. Νήσους γὰρ ἔσθ' ὅτε τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποκαλεῖ· οἷον ἐν θαλάσσῃ κειμένας ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ, καὶ πικροῖς ὕδασι περιεχομένας ταῖς ἐν αὐτῷ περιστάσεσι, καὶ ὡς ῥαγδαιοτάτοις κύμασι καταπαιομένας τοῖς διωγμοῖς· πλὴν ἀδιαπτώτως ἐρηρεισμένας, καὶ ἀνεχούσας ὑψοῦ, καὶ ταῖς θλίψεσιν οὐ βαπτιζομένας. Ἀκλόνητοι γὰρ διὰ Χριστὸν αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῶν. Οὐκοῦν εἰ δὴ βούλοιτό τις νήσους ἐννοεῖν τὰς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρέποντος βαδιεῖται σκοποῦ. Ἐγκαινίζονται γοῦν πρὸς Θεὸν νῆσοι τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ, αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαι,ἄρτι καθιστάμεναι, καὶ τῆς ἁλμυρᾶς ἀπιστίας ἀνακύπτουσαι, καὶ πῆξιν λαμβάνουσι τῷ Θεῷ βάσιμον. Καλῶς τοίνυν κἀνταῦθα τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς τὸ ἑδραῖόν τε καὶ ἀμετάθετον ἐπιδεικνυμένων, νήσους ὠνόμασεν, ἃς πάντοθεν μὲν διαλαμβάνει ἡ τῆς κακίας ἅλμη, οὐ μὴν τοσοῦτον ἰσχύει προσπίπτουσα, ὡς καὶ σάλον τινὰ τῷ παγίῳ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐμποιῆσαι. Νεφέλη καὶ γνόφος κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ, δικαιοσύνη καὶ κρῖμα κατόρθωσις τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ. Νεφέλη 23.1228 μέν ἐστιν ἐκ φωτοειδοῦς ἀέρος φεγγοβόλον καὶ λεπτότατον ὕφασμα· γνόφος δὲ ἀχλυώδης καὶ ὁμιχλώδης σκοτασμός. ∆ι' ἀμφοτέρων τὸ ἀθεώρητον τῆς θείας φύσεως ἀποσεμνύνει ὁ λόγος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν νεφέλῃ τινὶ καὶ γνόφῳ συγκαλυπτόμενον ἀδύνατον κατιδεῖν, οὕτω πάμπαν ἀδύνατον θεάσασθαι τὴν ἀόρατον φύσιν. Σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τὴν λεληθυῖαν ἐν ἀνθρώποις τοῦ Κυρίου κάθοδον, ὅτε πέφυκεν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ, ὡς νοεῖσθαι νεφέλην καὶ γνόφον τὴν προσληφθεῖσαν σάρκα, ἅτε τὴν θεότητα ὑποκρύπτουσαν, κατὰ τό· Ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ, κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ. Ἀναμιμνήσκει δὲ καὶ ὡς αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ Σινᾷ ὄρει διὰ νεφέλης καὶ γνόφου τὴν οἰκείαν ποιησάμενος ἐπιφάνειαν, καὶ διδάσκει, ὅτι, εἰ καὶ τὴν θείαν φύσιν ἀδύνατον κατιδεῖν, ἀλλ' οὖν διὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας τὴν ταύτης δύναμιν ἔνεστι θεωρῆσαι. ∆ικαιοσύνην γὰρ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπαίδευσε, καὶ τοὺς ἀδιακρίτως ἅπαντα δρῶντας μετὰ κρίσεως ὀρθῆς ἐδίδαξε πολιτεύεσθαι. Ταῦτα αὐτοῦ ὁ θρόνος καὶ ἡ βασιλεία κατώρθωσε· διὸ ἐπάγει· ∆ικαιοσύνη καὶ κρῖμα κατόρθωσις τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ. Αὕτη, φησὶ, γέγονε τῆς παρουσίας ἡ αἰτία, τὸ κρῖναι δικαίως τὴν κρίσιν ἡμῶν, ἣν ἔχομεν δηλαδὴ πρὸς τὰς πονηρὰς καὶ ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις. Βεβασίλευκε γὰρ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα δικαιώσῃ τῇ πίστει τοὺς ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ. Ἐχρήσατο δὲ καὶ θεοπρεπεῖ καὶ φιλαγάθῳ κρίματι· δεδικαίωκε γὰρ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοσύνης, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος· σέσωκε δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ δι' ὕδατος τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ μυστικοῦ, ἐν ᾧ συνετρίβη καὶ πεπάτηται, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀπόλωλεν ὁ πολυκέφαλος δράκων, καὶ αἱ σὺν αὐτῷ δυνάμεις πονηραί. Ταῦτα ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ βασιλεία κατώρθωσε. ∆ῆλον δὲ ἀφ' ὧν ἡμεῖς μὲν τῶν καταδουλωσάντων ἀδίκως ἠλευθερώθημεν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ κατεκρίθησαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ κρίσις δικαία, τὸ τὸν μὲν τυραννοῦντα διάβολον καθελεῖν, τοὺς δὲ τυραννουμένους ἀνθρώπους ἐλευθερῶσαι. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν κατορθοῦν. Πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ κύκλῳ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ. Ἔφαναν αἱ ἀστραπαὶ αὐτοῦ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ· εἶδε καὶ ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ.