Catechetical Lectures 11 part 6/12

For we do not glorify our own by disparaging theirs (for those too are ours), but we confirm our own things from what is among them.

But again they say that the man who had just died was raised by one who was living.

Show us, then, that it is possible for a man dead three days to rise, and whether it is possible for a man buried to rise after three days.

And when we seek testimony concerning such things, the Lord Jesus Himself gives it to us in the Gospels, saying:

"For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights."

And when we examine the narrative of Jonah, the correspondence is striking in its force.

Jesus was sent to preach repentance, and Jonah was sent.

But the one fled, not knowing what would be; the other came willingly to bring repentance unto salvation.

Jonah slept in the ship and snored while the sea was tossed by storm; and while Jesus slept by dispensation, the sea was stirred up, that afterward the power of the Sleeper might be known.

"Why do you snore? Arise, call upon your God, that God may save us."

There they said, "Call upon your God," and here, "Save."

But the one says, "Take me up and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm for you."

Here, however, He Himself rebuked the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm.

And the one was cast into the belly of the whale, but the other willingly went down to where the spiritual whale of death was.

And He willingly went down, that death might vomit up those it had swallowed, according to that which is written:

"From the hand of Hades I will deliver them, and from the hand of death I will redeem them."

Being now at this point of the discourse, let us consider which is the harder: for a man buried to rise from the earth, or for a man to go down into the belly of a whale and into so great a heat of the creature and not be corrupted.

Who among men does not know that bellies have such heat that they dissolve even bones that are swallowed? How then was Jonah, being three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, not corrupted? And how, when it is the nature of all men not to be able to live without the breathing of this air, did he live three days without breathing this air? But the Jews answer and say:

The power of God descended together with Jonah while he was tossed about in Hades.

Then the Lord, sending His power along with His own servant, grants him life; yet can He not grant it to Himself? If that is credible, this also is credible.

If this is incredible, that too is incredible.

For to me both are alike credible.

For I believe that Jonah was preserved.

I believe that Christ also was raised from the dead.

For I have many testimonies concerning this, both from the divine Scriptures and from the working of the risen One that continues to this day—who alone went down into Hades, but came up with many.

For He went down into death, and many bodies of those who had fallen asleep [rose with Him].

Death was astonished, beholding a new kind of one descending into Hades, not held there by the bonds of that place.

Why, O gatekeepers of Hades, did you cower at the sight of Him? What unaccustomed fear held you fast? Death fled, and by his flight his cowardice was exposed.

The holy prophets ran to meet Him, and Moses the lawgiver, and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, David and Samuel and Isaiah and John the Baptist, who said and bore witness:

"Are You He that should come, or do we look for another?" All the righteous whom death had swallowed up were redeemed.

For it behooved the King who had been proclaimed to become the Redeemer of His noble heralds.

Then each of the righteous said:

"O death, where is your victory? O Hades, where is your sting?" For the Victor has redeemed us.

Of this our Savior the prophet Jonah was a type, praying from the belly of the whale and saying:

"I cried out in my affliction," and so on, "out of the belly of Hades."

But being in the whale, he says he is in Hades.

For he was a type of Christ, who was to descend into Hades.

And a little later he says, in the person of Christ, prophesying most clearly:

"My head sank down to the clefts of the mountains."

And yet he was in the belly of a whale.

What mountains then hold you? But I know, he says, that I bear a type of Him who is to be laid in the hewn tomb of the rock.

And being in the sea, Jonah says it:

Since he bore a type of Christ, who went down into the heart of the earth.

And foreseeing concerning the Jews who persuaded the soldiers to lie and said, "Say that they stole Him," he says:

"They that observe lying vanities have forsaken their own mercy."

For He who had mercy on them came and was crucified and rose, giving His own precious blood for both Jews and Gentiles; yet they say, "Say that they stole Him," observing lying vanities.

And concerning His resurrection Isaiah also says:

"He that brought up from the earth the great Shepherd of the sheep."

He added "the great," lest He be thought equal in honor to the shepherds who went before.

Since therefore we have the prophecies, let faith be with us.

Let those who fall through unbelief fall, since they so will.

But you stand upon the rock of faith concerning the Resurrection.

Let no heretic ever persuade you to blaspheme the Resurrection.

For to this day the Manichaeans say that the Savior's resurrection was an appearance and not real, not heeding Paul who writes, "Of the seed of David according to the flesh," and again says afterward, "by the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord."

And again he directs his words against them, saying:

"Do not say in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? or, Who shall descend into the abyss?"—that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

And likewise securing the point, he wrote again elsewhere:

"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead."

"And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain."

"And we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise."

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that slept, and was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve."

For if you do not believe the one witness, you have twelve witnesses.

"Then He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once."

If they disbelieve the twelve, let them accept the five hundred.

"Then He was seen of James," His own brother, and first bishop of this diocese.

Since then such a bishop first saw the risen Christ Jesus, do you, his disciple, not disbelieve.

But you say that James his brother testified out of favor? Then I, Paul the enemy, also saw Him.

And what testimony of an enemy who proclaims it is doubted? I, the former persecutor, now preach the Resurrection.

Many are the witnesses of the Savior's resurrection.

The night, and the light of the full moon—for it was the sixteenth night.

The rock of the tomb that received Him; and the stone shall stand up as a witness against the face of the Jews, for it itself saw the Lord.

The stone then rolled away bears witness to the Resurrection, lying there to this day.

Angels of God being present bore witness to the resurrection of the Only-begotten.

Peter and John and Thomas and all the rest of the apostles—some who ran to the tomb and after the Resurrection saw the burial linens, in which He had first been wrapped, lying there; others who handled His hands and feet and beheld the prints of the nails; and all together enjoyed the saving in-breathing and were counted worthy to forgive sins in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The women who held His feet, who beheld the greatness of the earthquake and the brightness of the angel present.

And the linens, which He left behind, wrapped about Him, when He rose.

The soldiers, and the money that was given.

The place itself, still visible; and this house of the holy Church, which by the Christ-loving purpose of Constantine the emperor, of blessed memory, was built and, as you see, thus made resplendent.

Tabitha, who was raised from the dead in His name, also bears witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

For how shall the risen Christ be disbelieved, when even His name raised the dead? The sea also bears witness to the resurrection of Jesus, as you heard before.

The catch of fish also bears witness, and the fire of coals that lay there, and the fish that was laid upon it.

Peter also bears witness, who first denied, but the third time confessed and was charged to shepherd the spiritual sheep.

The Mount of Olives stands to this day, all but showing to the eyes of the faithful, to this day, Him who ascended upon a cloud, and the heavenly gate of His ascent.

For into Bethlehem He came down from the heavens, but from the Mount of Olives He went up into the heavens—there beginning His struggles among men, here being crowned upon His struggles.

Many therefore are the witnesses you have.

You have this place of the Resurrection, and you have also, to the east of us, the place of the Ascension.

You have also as witnesses the angels who testified there, and the cloud upon which He went up, and the disciples who came down from there.

And the sequence of the teaching of the faith was urging us to speak also of the Ascension.

But the grace of God arranged that you heard most fully, according to our weakness, yesterday on the Lord's Day, by the dispensation of divine grace, in the assembly when the sequence of the readings contained the matters concerning the ascent of our Savior into the heavens.

And the things spoken were said chiefly for all and because of the multitude of the faithful together, but especially for you.

And it is asked whether you gave heed to the things spoken.

For you know that the sequence of the faith teaches you to believe in Him who rose on the third day, and ascended into the heavens, and sat down at the right hand of the Father.

Now I think indeed that you remember the exposition.

Yet in passing I now also remind you of what was said.

Remember what is plainly written in the Psalms:

Remember that the divine powers also said to one another:

"Lift up your gates, you princes," and what follows.

Remember also the Psalm that says:

"He ascended on high, He led captivity captive."

Remember the prophet who said:

"He that builds His ascent into heaven," and the rest that was said yesterday because of the Jews' objections.

For when they contradict the Savior's ascent as something impossible, remember the things said concerning the transporting of Habakkuk.

For if Habakkuk was transported by an angel, carried by the hair of his head, much more was the Lord of both prophets and angels, mounting a cloud from the Mount of Olives, able by His own power to make His ascent into the heavens.

And remember the like miracles, but reserve the preeminence to the Lord, the Worker of wonders.

For they were carried, but He carries all things.

Remember that Enoch was translated, but Jesus ascended.

Remember the things said yesterday concerning Elijah, that Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire, but Christ's was the chariot.

Ten thousand times thousands praising; and that Elijah was taken up toward the east of the Jordan, but Christ ascended toward the east of the brook Kidron; and that Elijah went as if into heaven, but Jesus into heaven.

And that Elijah said a double portion in the Holy Spirit would be given to his disciple, but Christ bestowed on His own disciples such enjoyment of the grace of the Holy Spirit, that not only did they have it in themselves, but also through the laying on of their hands they imparted the fellowship of it to those who believe.

And when you have thus wrestled with the Jews, when you have prevailed by likeness, then come at last to the preeminence of the Savior's glory—that they are servants, but He is the Son of God.

And thus too you will remember the preeminence, considering that a servant of Christ was caught up to the third heaven.

For if Elijah reached only to the first heaven, but Paul to the third heaven, then Paul attained a more honored dignity.

Be not ashamed of your apostles.

They are not inferior to Moses, nor second to the prophets, but good among the good, and better than the good.

For Elijah was indeed taken up into heaven, but Peter holds the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, having heard:

"Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens."

Elijah went only into heaven, but Paul into both heaven and paradise (for it was fitting that the disciples of Jesus should receive manifold grace); he heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

And Paul came down again from above, not because he was unworthy of remaining in the third heaven, but that, having enjoyed things beyond man and come down in honor, and having preached Christ and died for Him, he might receive also the crown of martyrdom.

But I now pass over the rest of the argument that was made yesterday at the assembly of the Lord's Day.

For with intelligent hearers, even a mere reminder suffices for learning.

And remember also what has often been said to me concerning the Son's sitting at the right hand of the Father, on account of the sequence of the faith which says:

"And ascended into the heavens, and sat down at the right hand of the Father."

Let us not curiously inquire into the peculiar nature of the throne.

Nor let us tolerate those who say wickedly that only after the Cross and the Resurrection and the ascent into the heavens did the Son then begin to sit at the right hand of the Father.

For He did not obtain the throne by progress, but from the very time that He is (and He is ever begotten), He sits together with the Father.

And the prophet Isaiah, having seen this throne before the incarnate coming of the Savior, says:

"I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up," and what follows.

For no one has ever seen the Father; but He who then appeared to the prophet was the Son.

"Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting."

Though there are many testimonies concerning this, because of the lateness of the hour we are content with these also.

Now I must remind you of a few out of the many things said concerning the Son's sitting at the right hand of the Father.

For the one hundred and ninth Psalm plainly says:

"The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies the footstool of Your feet."

And the Savior, confirming the saying in the Gospels, says that David spoke these things not of himself, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, saying:

"How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand," and so on? And in the Acts of the Apostles, on the day of Pentecost, Peter standing up with the eleven and discoursing with the Israelites, mentioned word for word this testimony in the one hundred and ninth Psalm.

And I must also remind you of a few other testimonies likewise concerning the Son's sitting at the right hand of the Father.

For in the Gospel according to Matthew it is written:

"Nevertheless I say to you, Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power," and what follows.

In agreement with which the apostle Peter also says, writing:

"Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God."

And the apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, says:

"Christ who died, yes rather who is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God."

And writing to the Ephesians he has spoken thus:

"According to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand," and what follows.

And the Colossians he taught thus:

"If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of the Father."

And in the Epistle to the Hebrews he says:

"When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

"For to which of the angels did He ever say:

Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies the footstool of Your feet? And again:"

"But this one, having offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down at the right hand of God, from then on waiting until His enemies be made the footstool of His feet."

"Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

And though there are still other testimonies concerning the seating of the Only-begotten at the right hand of God, these also suffice us for the present, while we make again the same reminder: that not after the incarnate coming did He obtain the dignity of this seat, but that even before all the ages the Only-begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, ever holds the throne at the right hand of the Father.

And may the God of all, the Father of Christ and our Lord Jesus Christ, who came down and went up and is enthroned together with the Father, guard your souls; may He keep your hope in the risen One unshaken and unchangeable; may He raise you together from the dead works of your sins into His heavenly gift; may He count you worthy to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air at the fitting time; and, until that time of His glorious second coming comes, may He inscribe the names of all of you in the book of the living, and having inscribed them, may He never blot them out.

For the names of many who fall away are blotted out.

And may He grant to all of you to believe in the risen One, to await Him who ascended and is coming again—coming not from earth (for guard yourself, O man, against the deceivers who are to come)—Him who sits above and is yet present here with us, who beholds the order of each and the steadfastness of his faith.

For do not, because He is now absent in the flesh, on that account suppose that He is absent also in spirit.

He is present here in the midst, hearing the things said about Him, beholding the things conceived in you, and searching the reins and hearts.

Who is even now ready to present all of you who come to baptism to the Father in the Holy Spirit, and to say:

"Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me."

Fifteenth Catechetical Lecture to the candidates for illumination, delivered extempore at Jerusalem, on the words: "And coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end."

And a reading from Daniel:

"I beheld until thrones were set, and the Ancient of Days did sit."

"I beheld in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven."

We proclaim the coming of Christ, not one only, but also a second, far more glorious than the former.

For the former had the display of patient endurance, but the latter bears the diadem of the divine kingdom.

For with our Lord Jesus Christ, for the most part, all things are twofold.

A twofold generation: one from God before the ages, and one from a virgin at the consummation of the ages.

Twofold are His descents: one the hidden, like rain upon a fleece, and the second the manifest, which is to come.

In the former coming He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in the second He is clothed with light as with a garment.

In the former He endured the Cross, despising the shame; in the second He comes attended by a host of angels, glorified.

We do not rest on the first coming only, but also look for the second.

And as in the former we said, "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord," so in the second we shall say the same again, that meeting the Master with the angels and worshiping we may say, "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord."

The Savior comes, not to be judged again, but to judge those who judged Him.

He who before was silent when judged, reminding them, says to the lawless who dared their reckless deeds upon the Cross:

"These things you did, and I kept silence."

By dispensation He came then, teaching men with persuasion; but then men will be ruled by necessity, even against their will.

And concerning these two comings the prophet Malachi says:

"And the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to His temple."

And again concerning the second coming he says:

"And the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire."

"Behold, the Lord Almighty comes."

"And who shall endure the day of His coming? or who shall stand at His appearing? For He comes in like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap."

"And He shall sit refining and purifying."

And immediately afterward the Savior Himself says:

"And I will draw near to you in judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulteresses, and against those who swear falsely by My name," and what follows.

Therefore, securing us beforehand, Paul says:

"If anyone builds upon this foundation gold and silver and precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each one's work shall be made manifest;"

"For the Day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire."

Now Paul also signifies these two comings, writing to Titus and saying:

"The grace of God the Savior has appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."

Do you see how he spoke of the first, for which he gives thanks, and the second, which we look for? Therefore the articles of the faith now professed by us have been thus delivered: to believe in Him who also ascended into the heavens and sat down at the right hand of the Father, and is coming in glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, comes from the heavens.

And He comes about the consummation of this world, with glory, in the last day.

For there comes an end of this world, and this created world is again made new.

For since corruption and theft and adultery and every kind of sin have been poured out upon the earth, and bloods have been mingled with bloods in the world, in order that this wondrous dwelling place may not remain filled with iniquity, this world passes away, that the better one may be brought to light.

And do you wish to receive the proof from the Scriptures? Hear Isaiah saying:

"And the heaven shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all the stars shall fall as leaves from a vine, and as leaves fall from a fig tree."

"The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven."

Let us not grieve as though we alone die.

The stars also die, but perhaps they rise again.

And the Lord shall roll up the heavens, not to destroy them, but to raise them up again more beautiful.

Hear David the prophet saying:

"In the beginning You, O Lord, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands."

"They shall perish, but You endure."

See, he plainly says that they shall perish.

Hear how he says "they shall perish."

"And they all shall wax old as a garment, and as a vesture You shall fold them up, and they shall be changed."

For just as the perishing of a man is spoken of, according to that which is said, "Behold how the righteous perished, and no one lays it to heart"—and this while the resurrection is awaited—so we await as it were a resurrection of the heavens also.

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon" [into blood].

Let those who have turned back from the Manichaeans be instructed, and let them no longer deify the luminaries, nor let them impiously suppose that this sun, which is to be darkened, is the Christ.

And again hear the Lord saying:

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

For the things made are not of equal honor with the words of the Master.

The things that are seen, then, pass away, and there come the things awaited, more beautiful than these.

But let no one curiously inquire into the time.

For it is not for you, He says, to know times or seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority.

And do not presume to declare when these things will happen, nor on the other hand lie down to sleep on your back.

For "watch," He says, "because at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man is coming."

But since we needed to know the signs of the consummation, and since we look for Christ, lest we die deceived and be led astray by the false Antichrist, the apostles, moved by divine purpose according to God's providence, came to the true Teacher and said:

"Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the consummation of the age?"

We look for You coming again, but Satan transforms himself into an angel of light.

Make us secure, then, lest we worship another instead of You.

And He, opening His divine and blessed mouth, says:

"Take heed that no one deceive you."

And you, the hearers, now beholding Him as it were with the eyes of your mind, hear Him saying the same things to you also:

"Take heed that no one deceive you."

And the word exhorts you all to give heed to what is said.

For it is not a history of things past,

but a prophecy of things to come, things that will certainly arrive—not that we are prophesying (for we are unworthy), but that the things written are set forth before all, and the signs are declared.

See for yourself which of them have already come to pass, and which still remain, and make yourself secure.

"Take heed that no one deceive you."

"For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."

For Simon Magus has already said this, and Menander, and certain others of the godless heresiarchs.

And others will say it in our own day or even after us.

"And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars."

Is there not now a war of the Persians against the Romans about Mesopotamia, or is there not? Does nation rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, or not? "And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places."

"And there will be terrors from heaven and great storms."

"Watch therefore," He says, "for you do not know on what day our Lord is coming."

But we seek a sign of His coming that is our own.

We who belong to the Church seek an ecclesiastical sign.

"And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another."

If you hear that bishops rise against bishops, and clergy against clergy, and peoples against peoples even unto blood, be not troubled.

Give heed, therefore, not to the things that are happening, but to the things that are written.

Nor, if I who teach you should perish, will you also perish with me.

But it is possible for the hearer to become even better than the teacher, and for him who came last to become first, since the Master receives even those who come about the eleventh hour.

If betrayal was found among the apostles, do you wonder that hatred of the brethren is found among bishops? But the sign concerns not only the rulers, but also the peoples.

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."