Christ the breath of our face; veil lifted; live in his shadow

Some said that among the exceptional ones he more clearly laments Josiah; for they were hoping through his piety for Jerusalem to be raised in the midst of nations unto glory—for Jerusalem is in the midst of nations. And this one, they say, is a type of Christ, having died through the people’s lawlessnesses. And yet he was not seized in the people’s corruptions, but as the prophet forbade, having met Necho Pharaoh, though he was not willing to fight toward him. According to the divine apostle, then, “a veil lies upon the face of the Jews when Moses is read; but if it turns toward the Lord, the veil is taken around; and the Lord is the spirit.” And through the prophet he calls the Lord spirit. Those, then, upon whom a veil lies would not say: “spirit of our face is Christ the Lord,” but those “mirroring the Lord’s glory with uncovered face,” before whose mind’s eyes the Lord always is; so that clearly the spirit that worked in the prophets was the Christ, who also having become human says: “I myself who speak am present,” himself being spirit and Lord and Christ. This one those who first corrupted in themselves the seeds of piety seized. But we the prophets, not considering another the spirit of our face, after our seizure no longer having a place in them, will live under Christ’s shadow—no longer among Jews, but in all the nations—when “the kingdom of God having been lifted from them” through the daring against Christ “was given to the nations.” For behold prophets live, speaking about him and proclaiming, but no longer among those who still even now surround him with their own corruptions, blaspheming him daily. And Aquila said “spirit of our nostrils,” and Symmachus “breath of our nostrils.” For the God-loving continually breathe Christ, having him before the eyes. And one must know that just as Christ being spirit spoke in the prophets, so also the Father; for Paul says in Hebrews: “God having spoken of old in many parts and in many ways in the prophets, upon the last of the days spoke to us in a Son.” And thus also the Holy Spirit; for the Savior says: “well did the Holy Spirit say in Isaiah: with hearing you will hear, and you will not understand.” And in Corinthians Paul, having said the gifts, among which is prophecy, says: “and all these the one and the same Spirit works, distributing to each as it wills”—that is, authoritatively, not slavishly. And you would say “spirit of face is Christ,” the one who gifted us the spirit of prophecy; for this is prophets’ face, and spirit the gift, and shadow the law—“for the law having a shadow of the good things about to be.” The prophets, then, lived among us and in the law’s shadow. The prophetic gift, then, toward which the outcome of all prophecy looks, is Christ—that is, from Christ. “For Christ is end of law and prophets.” And it would also be said from the apostles’ and believers’ person; “for in him we both live and move and are”; of whom we said “in his shadow we will live,” that is according to imitation of him. For the divine apostle says: “become imitators of me just as I also of Christ.”