From affliction to contemplation with unveiled face

Let us go from here. At the time when, according to Symmachus, they became unstable and wandering and blind, he says about their departures. For it is not "a vision that separates"; nor is it king, nor prophet, nor leader; for "they have failed" because "he came to whom they were looking forward, who was the expectation of the nations." To the apostles he commands to flee from among the Jews upon the blood of Christ having been defiled, but he permits their calling and also to the angels. If not, then he would be commanding the apostles to call the unclean to repentance, which they did, saying: "It was necessary for you first to speak the word." But if they are unwilling, he commands them to flee; therefore they say, as if unwilling, "Behold, we turn to the Gentiles." And it indicates that the one was lifted up—the fire of the destruction; the other was shaken—the migration into slavery; and the third will not add to dwelling here, because they will have permanent dwelling, no longer needing second things. He indicates the punishment from Christ: for David says, "The face of the Lord is upon those doing evil." They do not look upon him, remaining as they are; for "when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered, all Israel will be saved," and afterward he looks upon them as faithful. But if it were written: a part of them, it is clear that he speaks of those who have left. Concerning the enemies, the face of the priests they did not take, for he led them all away. From the captives, the word seems to be, of those repenting concerning the Egyptians and Assyrians to whom they gave aid. And it could be said, consistently, by those who believed from circumcision: they left the empty hope in the law, expecting.

For the law saves no one, as the apostle Paul has said. Therefore, those who cling to the law will not be able to help after grace has come. Under the Savior, those who were made fishermen of men—the disciples—went out hunting Jews with the nets of their minds, so that they would not walk upon the broad and spacious way of their fathers. Thus, even as the Savior himself inclined himself, saying, "Allow the children to come to me." For Josephus records that not even the mountains saved those who fled. There, therefore, as they dragged us, they seized us, or rather, they brought us before judgment against us. Let it be considered also concerning the apostles, of whom it was said, "Their youth was renewed like that of an eagle." Some have said that in the chosen ones, Josiah mourns more clearly, for they hoped that through his piety, Jerusalem would rise again in the midst of the nations for glory, since Jerusalem is in the midst of the nations. And this, they say, is a type of Christ, who died because of the lawlessness of the people. Yet he was not seized among the corruptions of the people, but as one who met the king of Egypt, Necho, after the prophet had forbidden it, even though he was unwilling to fight against him. Therefore, according to the divine apostle: "A veil lies upon the face of the Jews when Moses is read; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away, and the Lord is the Spirit." And through the prophet, the Lord is spoken of as the rational Spirit. Those upon whom the veil lies would not, if they could, say that Christ is the Spirit of our face, but rather, "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory," and the Lord is ever before the eyes of our mind.

It is evident that the active force present in the prophets was the Spirit of Christ, who, having become incarnate, declares: “I myself, the one who speaks, am here.” He is the Spirit, the Lord, and the Christ. Those who corrupted the divine seed within themselves first seized him. But we, the prophets, do not regard another as the Spirit of our person; after our conception, we no longer possess a place among them. Instead, we live under the shadow of Christ, no longer among the Jews, but among all the nations, at the time when “the kingdom of God was taken from them” because of their boldness against Christ, and “it was given to the nations.” Behold, the prophets now live within us, speaking about him and proclaiming him, yet no longer among those who still, even now, envelop him in their own corruptions, blaspheming him day by day. Aquilas said that the Spirit is the breath of our nostrils; Symmachus said it is the breath of our nostrils. For the God-loving continually breathe in Christ, having him before their eyes. Know this: just as Christ, being Spirit, spoke in the prophets, so also the Father speaks; for Paul says in the letter to the Hebrews: “Long ago, God spoke in many and varied ways to our ancestors through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” And so too the Holy Spirit: for the Savior says, “Well did the Holy Spirit speak through Isaiah: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand…’”