Israel returns only through Christ; Law sacrifices cease
Cyril: And that the truth is altogether and in every way — how can one doubt?
Palladius: Least of all.
Cyril: And Israel, having slipped from kinship with him — since, not having accepted the faith, he did not know God — will return to the original good, he says very well, in no other way except through Christ alone, having left off the customs according to Law. And it is written again: ‘Therefore the sons of Israel will sit many days, there being no altar, nor priesthood, nor manifestations; and after these things the sons of Israel will return and will seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and will be amazed at the Lord and at his goods in the last of these days.’ For when the fullness of the nations has entered, then all Israel will be saved — yet in Christ; and he has been named David because of being from David’s seed and tribe. And that even the sacrifices according to Law would be taken away he was confirming clearly through Joel, saying: ‘Gird yourselves and beat yourselves, you priests; lament, you who minister at the altar; go in, sleep in sackcloth, you who minister to God; because sacrifice and drink-offering have been cut off from the house of your God.’ And again through the same prophet: ‘Sacrifice and drink-offering have been lifted from the Lord’s house; mourn, you priests who minister at the altar.’ And toward those who still cling to the letter he shows that there will be a kind of remelting and reshaping of priesthood and of sacrifices together.
Palladius: I understand.
Cyril: For the ‘he will pour and will purify,’ spoken as of gold and a goldsmith — does it not want us to go toward this thought?
Palladius: Very much so.
Cyril: For that the Word, having become human, was going to accomplish some such thing intelligibly, God and Father has given full assurance, saying that ‘Suddenly the Lord will come into his temple—
Greek
δήσει δὲ ὅτι πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἡ ἀλήθεια, πῶς ἔστιν ἀμφιβαλεῖν;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἥκιστά γε.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀπολισθήσαντα δὲ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἰκειότητος τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἐπεί τοι τὴν πίστιν οὐ προσηκάμενος, οὐκ ἔγνω Θεὸν, οὐχ ἑτέρως ἐπανήξειν εἰς τὸ ἀπαρχῆς εὖ μάλα φησὶν, πλὴν ὅτι διὰ μόνου Χριστοῦ, καταλήξαντα τῶν ἐθῶν τῶν κατὰ νόμον. Γέγραπται, δὲ αὖ· «Διότι ἡμέρας πολλὰς καθίσονται οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, οὐκ ὄντος θυσιαστηρίου, οὐδὲ ἱερατείας, οὐδὲ δήλων· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιστρέψουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπιζητήσουσι Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ Δαβὶδ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκστήσονται ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν.» Ὅταν γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται· πλὴν ἐν Χριστῷ· κατωνόμασται δὲ Δαβὶδ διὰ τὸ ἐκ σπέρματος εἶναι καὶ ἐκ φυλῆς τοῦ Δαβίδ. Ἀναιρεθήσεσθαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς κατὰ νόμον θυσίας διεβεβαιοῦτο σαφῶς διὰ Ἰωὴλ λέγων· «Περιζώσασθε καὶ κόπτεσθε οἱ ἱερεῖς, θρηνεῖτε οἱ λειτουργοῦντες θυσιαστηρίῳ, εἰσέλθετε, ὑπνώσατε ἐν σάκκοις λειτουργοῦντες Θεῷ· ὅτι ἀπέσχικεν ἐξ οἴκου Θεοῦ ὑμῶν θυσία καὶ σπονδή.» Καὶ πάλιν δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ προφήτου· «Ἐξῆρται θυσία καὶ σπονδὴ ἐξ οἴκου Κυρίου· πενθεῖτε οἱ ἱερεῖς λειτουργοῦντες τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ.» Καὶ πρός γε δὴ τούτοις, καὶ αὐτὴν ἐκ μέσου γενήσεσθαι τὴν σκηνὴν ὑπισχνεῖτο, λέγων· «Καὶ ἔσται, ἐὰν πληθυνθῆτε, καὶ αὐξηθῆτε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, λέγει Κύριος, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις οὐκ ἐροῦσιν ἔτι, Κιβωτὸς διαθήκης Κυρίου ἁγίου Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ καρδίαν, οὐδὲ ὀνομασθήσεται, οὐδὲ ἐπισκεφθήσεται, καὶ οὐ ποιηθήσεται ἔτι.» Ἀνατετραμμένης γὰρ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς τῆς ἐν τύποις ἔτι καὶ δι' αἱμάτων θυσίας, ἀνάγκη πως ἦν, καὶ αὐτὴν ἐκ μέσου ποιεῖσθαι τὴν σκηνὴν, ἅτε δὴ τῆς ἀληθεστέρας ἀντεγηγερμένης, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ὑπὲρ ἧς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφη Χριστός· «Ὧδε κατοικήσω, ὅτι ᾑρετισάμην αὐτήν.» Καὶ ὅτι μεταχωρήσει καὶ μεταστήσεται πρὸς τὸ ἄμεινον τῆς λατρείας ὁ τρόπος πρὸς τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ καὶ νέαν, σαφὲς ἂν γένοιτο, γράφοντος ἡμῖν περὶ Θεοῦ τοῦ Μαλαχίου· «Καὶ καθαριεῖ τοὺς υἱοὺς Λευῒ, καὶ χεεῖ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ τὸ χρυσίον, καὶ ὡς ἀργύριον· καὶ ἔσονται τῷ Κυρίῳ προσάγοντες θυσίαν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἀρέσει τῷ Θεῷ ἡ θυσία Ἰούδα, καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καθὼς ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ καθὼς τὰ ἔτη τὰ ἔμπροσθεν.» Συνίης δὴ οὖν, ὅτι μονονουχὶ μεταχάλκευσίν τινα καὶ ἀναπλασμὸν ἱερωσύνης τε ἅμα καὶ θυσιῶν ἔσεσθαί φησι;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Συνίημι.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τὸ γάρ τοι, χεεῖ καὶ καθαρίσει, καθάπερ ἐπὶ χρυσοῦ τε καὶ χρυσουργοῦ λελεγμένον, ἆρ' οὐχὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἐννοιῶν ἡμᾶς ἰέναι βούλεται;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὅτι γὰρ ἔμελλε νοητῶς τοιοῦτόν τι κατορθοῦν, ἐνανθρωπήσας ὁ Λόγος, πεπληροφόρηκεν εἰπὼν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, ὅτι «Ἐξαίφνης ἥξει εἰς τὸν ναὸν
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius on worship in spirit and truth. Book 2 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 2 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 2 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 2)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 2)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.