Christ's kingship has no end; the linen headdress and belt
Cyril: …a sending, yet for kingship and glory. For in this way he brings Aaron to completion, setting the golden band on his forehead. And Christ is Lord and King of all, both by nature and by participation. For though he is God by nature, he emptied himself, lowering himself into the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7); and he receives kingship in the way that befits his human form, even though from above and from the beginning he sits beside God the Father, rules all things with him and is Master of all with him. Notice how his turban is made of blue and bears the bright token of kingship, I mean the golden plate. Blue is a sign of heaven; and remember that Christ says, ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ (John 18:36). For Christ is not an earthly king but a heavenly one, having the whole creation under his feet (Ephesians 1:22). And by adding, ‘And Aaron shall take away the sins of the holy things, whatever they consecrate, of every gift of their holy things’ (Exodus 28:38), he has clearly shown that all access and all perfecting are in Christ, and indeed that all justification is in him and through him, and also the putting away of former offenses. For he takes away our sins (John 1:29), and through him we have become acceptable, bringing offerings in spirit to God the Father (1 Peter 2:5).
Palladius: Well said.
Cyril: And showing very well that our Savior’s kingship cannot be laid aside, but is continual and stretches into endless ages, he says of the plate on the turban, ‘And it shall be on Aaron’s forehead continually’ (Exodus 28:38). What then will become of the bold and senseless talk of the unholy heretics, who have babbled that Christ’s dominion will one day come to an end, and that Emmanuel will hand over the kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24) and leave the thrones of the Godhead? For they pride themselves on doctrines so dreadful and so short-lived; and it is fitting to say to them, ‘You are wrong, because you do not know the Scriptures’ (Matthew 22:29). For look, look: while God the Father plainly and clearly crowns Aaron with lasting glory and honor and with the tokens of kingship, they take the crown from him, and all but snatch away the sacred turban that graces his forehead.
Palladius: True.
Cyril: ‘And you shall make a headdress and a belt of fine linen’ (Exodus 28:39), he says. Aaron’s dress is that of a soldier, a belt and a helmet; for the headdress is shaped rather like a helmet. For Christ has fought for us ‘with a hidden hand’ (Exodus 17:16), as it is written; and ‘he has bent his bow and made it ready; he has fashioned his arrows for those who are burning’ (Psalm 7:12–13); and he has pulled down rulers, led powers in triumph (Colossians 2:15), shaken dominions, and rescued those on earth who were captives. And that the war he waged was not visible or material, nor, so to speak, against blood and flesh (Ephesians 6:12), seems to be shown in a riddle by this: that from linen alone, and that very…
Greek
ἀποστολὴ, πλὴν εἰς βασιλείαν καὶ δόξαν. Τελειοῖ γὰρ οὕτως τὸν Ἀαρὼν, χρυσοῦν ἐπὶ τῷ μετώπῳ τὸ ψαλίον τιθείς. Κύριος δὲ τῶν ὅλων καὶ βασιλεὺς, ὁ Χριστὸς, φυσικῶς τε ἅμα καὶ μεθεκτῶς. Θεὸς γὰρ ὢν φύσει κεκένωκεν ἑαυτὸν, καθεὶς ἐν δούλου μορφῇ. Καὶ δέχεται βασιλείαν, κατά γε τὸ πρέπον τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ σχήματι, καίτοι σύνεδρος ὢν ἄνωθέν τε καὶ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, καὶ συγκατάρχων τῶν ὅλων καὶ συνδεσπότης. Σύνες δὲ ὅπως ἐξ ὑακίνθου γέγονεν ἡ μίτρα αὐτοῦ, τὸ λαμπρὸν τῆς βασιλείας ἔχουσα σύνθημα, φημὶ δὴ τὸ πέταλον τὸ χρυσοῦν. Ὑάκινθος δὲ οὐρανοῦ σημεῖον· καὶ διαμέμνησο λέγοντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, «Ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου.» Οὐ γὰρ ἐπίγειος βασιλεὺς, ἀλλ' οὐράνιος ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅλην ὑπὸ πόδας ἔχων τὴν κτίσιν. Προσεπενεγκὼν δὲ, ὅτι «Καὶ ἐξαρεῖ Ἀαρὼν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τῶν ἁγίων ὅσα ἂν ἁγιάσωσι, παντὸς δόματος τῶν ἁγίων αὐτῶν,» ὅτι πᾶσά τε προσαγωγὴ καὶ τελείωσις ἐν Χριστῷ, διαμεμήνυκεν ἐναργῶς, καὶ μὴν ὅτι πᾶσα δικαίωσις ἐν αὐτῷ τε καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ τῶν πάλαι πλημμελημάτων ἀπόθεσις. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμῶν αἴρει τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ γεγόναμεν δεκτοὶ, τὰς ἐν πνεύματι δωροφορίας προσκομίζοντες τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀναπόθετον δὲ καὶ διηνεκῆ καὶ εἰς ἀπεράντους αἰῶνας ἐκτεινομένην τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν βασιλείαν εὖ μάλα καταδεικνὺς, περί τε τῆς μίτρας τοῦ πετάλου φησί· «Καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου Ἀαρὼν διὰ παντός.» Εἶτα ποῖ ποτ' ἂν ἡμῖν ὁ θρασὺς καὶ ἀπόπληκτος τῶν ἀνοσίων αἱρετικῶν οἰχήσεται λόγος, πεφλυαρηκότων ὅτι καταλήξει ποτὲ τὸ Χριστοῦ κράτος, καὶ παραδώσει τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, τῶν τῆς θεότητος ἀποφοιτήσας θώκων ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ; Ἐπισεμνύνονται γὰρ τοῖς ὧδε δεινοῖς καὶ ἐξιτήλοις δόγμασιν, οἷς ἀκόλουθον εἰπεῖν· «Πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφάς.» Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἰδοὺ σαφῶς τε καὶ ἐναργῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ διηνεκεῖ, καὶ τοῖς τῆς βασιλείας συνθήμασι ταινιοῦντος τὸν Ἀαρὼν, ἀποστεφανοῦσιν αὐτοὶ, καὶ μονονουχὶ τοῖς μετώποις ἐμπρέπουσαν τὴν ἱερὰν ἁρπάζουσι μίτραν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές.
{ΚΥΡ.} «Κίδαρίν τε καὶ ζώνην ἐκ βύσσου ποιήσεις,» φησί. Στρατιωτικὸν δὲ τῷ Ἀαρὼν τὸ σχῆμα, ζωστήρ τε καὶ κράνος· ἐν εἴδει γάρ πως ἡ κίδαρις τῷ τοιῷδέ ἐστι. Πεπολέμηκε γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς «ἐν χειρὶ κρυφαίᾳ,» κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ «Τὸ τόξον αὐτοῦ ἐνέτεινε, καὶ ἡτοίμασεν αὐτὸ, τὰ βέλη αὐτοῦ τοῖς καιομένοις ἐξειργάσατο,» καὶ καθεῖλεν ἀρχὰς, τεθριάμβευκε δυνάμεις, κατέσεισε κυριότητας, καὶ αἰχμαλώτους ὄντας ἐῤῥύσατο τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ὅτι δὲ οὐχ ὁρατὸς ἢ παχὺς ὁ πόλεμος, οὐδὲ οἷον πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, γέγονεν αὐτῷ, ὑποφαίνειν ἔοικεν αἰνιγματωδῶς τὸ ἐκ βύσσου μόνης τῆς ἄγαν