C. 12 - On Holy of Holies; King of Kings; Lord of Lords; God of Gods

On Holy of Holies; King of Kings; Lord of Lords; God of Gods

Lectio 1

There Are Expounded the Names That Designate the Governance of Things

C. XII, §1. 427. But because also concerning these whatever things it was necessary to say have received a fitting end, as I reckon, it is fitting that we should praise him who is of infinite names also as Holy of Holies (Dan 9:24) and King of Rulers (1 Tim 6:15) and Ruler of the Ages and unto the ages (Ex 15:18) and still, as Lord of Lords (Ps 136:3, Rev 19:16) and God of Gods (Ps 49:1, 136:2). And first of all it must be said what indeed we reckon per se sanctity to be, yet what kingship, yet what domination, yet what divinity, and what the eloquences wish to show by a duplication of names.

§2. 428. Therefore sanctity indeed is, so that it might be said according to us, free from every uncleanness and perfect and altogether immaculate cleansing;

429. yet kingship, the distribution of every end and adornment and law and order;

430. yet domination, not only the excess of the worse, but every perfect possession of beautiful and good things of all sorts and true fortitude and not prevailing to fall, whence also from this which is to make dominion, there is said domination and lord and dominating;

431. yet deity, what sees all things by providence and perfect goodness, inspecting and containing and fulfilling all things itself, and exceeding all things using this providence.

§3. 432. Therefore it is fitting indeed to praise these things in the cause exceeding all things absolutely, and it must be added that this is exceeding sanctity and domination and kingship, super-placed and most ample deity: for from this in one collectively there subsists and is distributed every cleansed diligence of every clear cleansing; each ordination and adornment of existing things, exterminating unfittingness and inequality and incommensuration and exulting and driving to well-ordered identity and direction by its participation those things that have been considered worthy; every perfect possession of all beautiful things; every good providence contemplative and contentive of things provided for, kindly bestowing itself unto the deification of the converted;

433. yet because he is super-full over all things, who is the cause of all things, according to one excess exceeding all things, he is praised as Holy of Holies and the rest, according to super-emanating cause and segregated excess; as, if anyone should say, inasmuch as existing holy or divine or dominating or regal things excel those not existing, and again participations things participating, so thus he is gathered above all existing things, who is above all existing things and the imparticipable cause of all participating things and participations.

434. Yet the eloquences call holy men (Matt 27:52, Rev 16:6, 18:20, 1 Thess 3:13, 2 Thess 1:10) and kings (Rev 5:10, 1 Pet 2:9) and lords (Eph 6:5, Col 3:22, 1 Tim 6:1) and gods (Ps 82:6, John 10:34–35) the more principle adornments in each, through whom second things receiving from the gifts of God multiply the simplicity of their distribution around their differences, the first of whom gather the variety providingly and deiformly unto their unity.

939. After Denys has expounded the divine names through which there is signified the emanation of perfections from God into creatures, here he expounds the names of God that designate the government of things; in which government indeed four things must be considered:

first of all, the providence of the divine knowledge, to which there pertains the name of deity;

second, the power of executing the ordination of the divine wisdom, to which there pertains the name of domination;

third, the very execution of government, to which there pertains the name of king;

fourth, the effect of government, which is the cleansing from every inordinateness, and to this there pertains the name of sanctity;

whence in this chapter he treats of Holy of Holies; King of Kings; Lord of Lord; God of Gods; as is clear from the title. Likewise also from this mode of speaking by which there is said Holy of Holies or King of Kings, there is designated a certain presidency of government.

940. About this therefore he does two things:

first, he says what the intention is about;

second, he pursues the proposition, at therefore sanctity indeed.

941. Therefore he says, first, that because, according to his judgment, there must be led to a fitting end those things that were necessary to say about the things set forth, it is fitting that we should praise God, who can be named in infinite ways in his effects, now as Holy of Holies, according to Daniel 9:24, according to another translation: when the Holy of Holies will have come; and as King of Kings, according to Revelation 19:16: he has written upon his garment and upon his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords; and Ruler of the Ages, according to Psalm 144:13: your kingship, the kingship of all ages; and unto the ages and still, according to Exodus 15:18: the Lord shall reign unto eternity and beyond; and as Lord of Lords, as has been introduced from Revelation; and God of Gods, according to the Psalmist in Psalm 49:1: the God of Gods, the Lord, has spoken. For he intends in this chapter to expound these divine praises posited in the Scripture.

942. Yet about the exposition of these he intends to proceed such that first he might say what is per se sanctity; and what kingship; and what domination; and what deity; then, what the Scriptures intend to demonstrate through a duplicity of names of this sort, when he is called Holy of Holies or God of Gods.

943. Then when he says, therefore sanctity indeed, he pursues the intention from the things set forth;

and first, he manifests the first, namely what must be understood through each of the aforementioned;

second, he manifests the second, namely the cause of the aforementioned reduplication in the Scriptures, at yet because he is super-full over all things.

944. About the first, he does two things:

first, he shows what each of the aforementioned is, considered according to itself;

second, how it is attributed to God, at therefore it is fitting indeed to praise.

945. About the first, he expounds four things: first he expounds what sanctity is; and he says that, according to our reception, through sanctity there is understood cleansing which is free from every uncleanness and perfect and immaculate; in which words three grades of cleansing are designated that are required for sanctity:

the first of which is freedom from every uncleanness; yet the slave of uncleanness exists as one who is totally conquered by uncleanness and subjected to it. The first grade of cleansing, therefore, is that someone should be freed from this sort of servitude to uncleanness.

Yet the second grade is that there should be perfect cleansing; for that is perfect to which nothing is lacking; yet it happens sometimes that someone indeed is not subject to uncleanness, nevertheless something is lacking for him for cleansing, inasmuch as he is disturbed by the passions of uncleanness which, when they are removed, perfect cleansing is made.

The third grade of cleansing is that it should be altogether immaculate; for that is said to be stained which is polluted not from within, but from without. Therefore there shall be cleansing altogether immaculate when someone not only has purity in himself, but also there is nothing outside that can draw him away to uncleanness. And in these three grades of cleansing, the ratio of sanctity perfectly consists.

946. Then when he says, yet kingship, he shows what kingship is; yet the name of kingship is taken from ruling:

yet in every direction, first, there must be considered the end to which the director intends to lead;

second, there must be considered the faculty of arriving unto the end;

third, there must be considered the rule through which something directly is led to the end, which rule indeed, in human acts, is called law;

whereas fourth, there must be considered the proportion of what is led to the end to the end itself: for not just anything thing has been born to obtain whatever end.

Whereas because through the name of kingship there is given to be understood the direction not only of one, but of the whole human multitude, which indeed is not uniform, but having many varieties according to the diverse conditions and diverse offices of men, which pertain to the good state of the multitude, for this reason, although there is one common end of the whole multitude, nevertheless there are many and different particular ends of diverse men; for example, of a physician, health; of a soldier, victory; of a businessman, riches; and so concerning the others.

Yet for the pursuing of diverse ends, it is necessary that men should have diverse faculties from the diverse goods from which they arise and should be regulated by diverse laws: for some laws must be imposed on the soldier; others on the buyer; others on the seller; and thus concerning the others. Likewise for diverse ends, diverse orders of men must be instituted: for it is not fitting that the same men should be soldiers and businessmen, lest through confusion the offices should be impeded.

Therefore because the king is he who has care of ruling the multitude, it pertains to him first of all to distribute the ends so that nothing of necessary things might be lacking to the multitude; it pertains to him also to distribute the adornments of good things and to distribute the laws, namely so that individuals might be regulated by their proper laws; it pertains to him also to distribute the orders of offices; and this is what he says: that kingship is the distribution of end and adornment and law and order.

947. Then when he says, yet domination, he shows what is domination, for which three things are required:

first of all, superiority of grade.

Yet it would be indecent for someone to be in a superior grade, unless he were to abound in better goods; and for this reason, second, there is required an abundance of goods.

Which indeed would not suffice unless, third, there were present the power of containing and of coercing subjects, otherwise excess according to abundance of goods would make him richer or better, yet not lord; and for this reason, third, there is required the power of ruling subjects.

Therefore this is what he says: that domination* is *not only the excess of the worse, that is, of inferiors, which pertains to the grade of sublimity, but is also perfect possession of beautiful and good things of all sorts; yet he says, of beautiful and good things: for not only is it necessary that he who dominates should abound in good things, but also, so that he might be held in reverence, it is necessary that those good things should be conspicuous, which pertains to the ratio of beauty. Yet he says, every perfect possession of all sorts, so that he might have all good things and each of those that he has might be perfect and so that he might have them fully and not feebly.

Whereas as regards the third, he says, and true fortitude and not prevailing to fall; which can be expounded either concerning the fortitude of interior virtue, which is true fortitude for those things that belong to man, and it cannot fall, except with divine grace removed; or that it is true and not fake, as happens in some men who show themselves to be mightier than they are, can be referred to exterior fortitude, and not prevailing to fall, namely concerning ease on account of the sufficiency of aids.

And that this is of the ratio of domination he proves through the derivation of the name, because this which signifies to make dominion, in Greek, from which there is denominated domination and lord and dominating, signifies the aforementioned things.

948. Then when he says, yet deity, he shows what is deity. And because, as Damascene says, this name Theos which in Greek signifies God, is said from theasthe, that is, by considering all things, for this reason here Denys expounds the name of deity according to the ratio of providence. (John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, bk. 1, c. 9.) Yet in the name of providence there is understood knowledge not through the mode of speculation only, but according as it is directive and inclining to the government of things.

And therefore in the name of deity,

first of all there is understood the divine regard for all things;

second, the continence by which all things are contained under God by certain fixed rules and measures;

third, the communication of the divine goodness in creatures which are contained under God.

And this is what he says: that deity is what sees all things: yet it is said from theaste which is to see, as has been said. But how this vision of all things is, which is understood in the name of deity, is expounded through what is added: that this is also inspecting and containing and fulfilling all things itself, by communicating its goodness, and this according to providence and perfect goodness.

But lest anyone were to reckon that the divine providence and goodness is bound to that course and order which is apparent in things from the divine government, to exclude this he adds that deity exceeds all things that use his providence, namely because his wisdom and virtue and goodness are not limited to that course of things, but superabound unto the infinite.

949. Then when he says, therefore it is fitting indeed to praise, he shows how the aforementioned things are attributed to God; and he says that in God, who is the cause exceeding all the aforementioned, they can be praised absolutely, so that it might be said that in God there is sanctity, kingship, domination, and deity. But still we can add some things pertaining to his excess, as that we should say that the first cause itself is sanctity and exceeding domination and even supreme kingship and most simple deity, because deity does not befit the first cause through participation, but through essence.

950. Yet consequently he assigns the reason for the things set forth: and first of all, as regards the sanctity that he said is a certain cleansing; and he says that every cleansing of whatever existing things preexists in one which is the first cause, not indeed dividedly, but collectively, namely as those things that are multiplied in effects are found simple in the cause and from this first cause cleansing and purity are distributed to all existing things, according as it applies to each.

But it must be noted that he joins two things to cleansing, namely diligence and clarity; one of which, namely diligence, is operative of cleansing: for it is necessary that cleansing should be conserved with diligent zeal; whereas the other, namely clarity, follows from cleansing: for those things that are purified are more evident in themselves and can receive splendor from elsewhere more perfectly.

951. Then, as regards the ratio of kingship, he says that likewise in the first cause there subsists and is distributed by it ordination and adornment, which are included in the ratio of kingship, through which there is exterminated, that is, removed, unfittingness and inequality and incommensuration which are opposed to justice, which ought to be established through kingship: so that unfittingness might be received through the comparison of a man to his action, while he does what is not fitting; whereas inequality through the comparison of one man to another, while the equality of justice is not preserved between men; yet incommensuration through the comparison of a man to those things that he has, namely while many things are given to someone at some time, beyond his measure. For all these things ought to be excluded through the ordination of kingship.

Nor does it suffice to exclude vices, unless those who are governed through kingship should be directed to the due end; whence he says that the ordination of the divine kingship exults, that is, elevates with a certain happiness, those things that are considered worthy of its participation, and drives them to a certain well-ordered identity, that is, so that they might come together in the same best order; and direction, that is, so that they might obtain their due rectitude: for this is the end of kingship: that all should be contained and directed under one, by good order.

952. Then as regards domination, he says that in one, which is the cause of all things, there collectively subsists and is distributed every perfect possession of all beautiful things, which pertain to the ratio of domination, as has been said.

953. Whereas as regards deity, he adds that in the same one there subsists and in the same there is distributed every good providence of God which is considerative and contentive of those things for which it provides, which are contained under its order, inasmuch as from its kindness it bestows itself through a certain participation unto this: that it should deify those who are converted to it; deify, I say, that is, make gods through participation of likeness, not through propriety of nature.

954. Then when he says, yet because he is super-full over all things, he responds to the second question, namely what the eloquences wish to show through the duplication of names;

and first, he shows how God is called Holy of Holies, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, God of Gods;

second, he shows who are those holy ones and kings of whom God is said to be holy, and king, etc., at yet the eloquences call holy men.

955. Therefore he says, first, that God, who is the cause of all things, supereminently over all things, has the fullness of goodness over all other things. For this reason: for designating this excess by which he exceeds all things, he is called in the Scriptures Holy of Holies and the rest, that is, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and God of Gods: for there is designated, in this mode of speaking, a certain emanation from a superior cause, so that there might be understood, when he is called Holy of Holies, that holiness emanates from him into all other things, and thus concerning the others.

There also is designated a certain excess, according to which God is segregated from all things, as though existing superior to all things, so that the sense might be: Holy of Holies, that is, holy exceeding all holy men; so also those things that are holy and divine and dominating and regal exceed those that are not such; and again, as participations exceed things participating, as holiness a holy thing, so there is gathered above all existing things he who is superior to all existing things, because he is a certain imparticipable cause of all participating things and participations: for a cause exceeds things caused.

956. Then when he says, yet the eloquences call holy men, he shows those who are called holy and kings to whom God is compared; and he says that the holy eloquences name holy men and kings and lords and gods, the more principal adornments in each, that is, those who obtain the first grades in each of the orders, as, among the angels, the supreme angels and, among men, supreme men: and this for this reason: because the supreme in each of the orders receive the gifts of God in greater simplicity, because they are more assimilated to God, in whom there is simple and uniform deity and goodness. And thus through the more principal from his simplicity he distributes to those, and gifts of God of this sort are multiplied in inferiors, according to their differences; and again, according to the ordination of the end, the first and superiors gather variety coming forth in inferiors through a certain reduction to the likeness of their unity, through a certain deiform providence: for thus also God by diffusing his gifts both multiplies and again through the work of providence reduces multiple things into the order of one end.