To corroborate this, St. Irenaeus of Lyon says:
All the visions of this kind [i.e. in the Old Testament] refer to the Son of God, in His being with people and speaking to them. Certainly, it is not the Father of all, the Creator, for He is never seen by the world... It was not the Father who stood in a specific place and spoke with Abraham. That was the Word of God, who was always with mankind, foretelling what was to come and acquainting man with God."
This quotation of yours is taken directly from the heretical H.O.M.B. [Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Boston] pamphlet put out by your Met. Ephraim, called "The True Image of the Father".
All the visions of this kind refer to the Son of God, in His being with people and speaking to them.
What could be more clear? Is St. Irenaeus referring to all manner of Old Testament visions, or does the saint say specifically,
"visions of this kind"? What kind?
St. Irenaeus clarifies what kind of visions he is referring to:
All the visions of this kind refer to the Son of God, in His being with people and speaking to them.
Naturally, this raises a question we should examine, with all diligence and exactitude. Are all visions in the Old Testament exactly alike, revealed in precisely the same manner? But of course not. How many saints need I quote to prove this? The list is long and distinguished.
Let us begin with the testimony of Sacred Scripture:
I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. (Hosea 12.10)
Now I could quote any number of saints on this matter, but if you don't mind, I think I will start off quoting the wonder-working St. Epiphanios of Cyprus, seeing how he refutes more than one of your group's erroneous assertions in one fell swoop.
St. Epiphanius of Salamis Panarion Book III:
A Concise, Accurate Account of the Faith of the Catholic and Apostolic Church
This Father, Son and Holy Spirit has always vouchsafed to appear in visions to his saints, as each was able to receive [the vision] in accordance with the gift which had been <given> him by the Godhead. This gift was granted to each of those who were deemed worthy, sometimes to see the Father as each was able, <sometimes> to hear his voice as well as he could. When he said by the mouth of Isaiah, “My beloved servant shall understand,” this is the voice of the Father. And when Daniel saw “the Ancient of Days,” this is a vision of the Father. And again, when he says in the prophet, “I have multiplied visions and been portrayed by hands of the prophets,” this is the voice of the Son. And when, in Ezekiel, “The Spirit of God took me” and “brought me out unto the plain,” this refers to the Holy Spirit.
So much for the foolish prattle coming from your group alleging that the appellation 'Ancient of days' should be referred properly only to the Son, and not the Father.
So much for your false assertion that only Augustine of Hippo opposed or disputed the teaching of the Arian Eusebius, father of the Iconoclasts, that the Word alone appeared in the Old Testament visions.
The quote from St. Irenaeus offers little help to your cause, because the saint clearly specifies that he is speaking about certain visions "of this kind".
"...the Son of God, in His being with people and speaking to them....It was not the Father who stood in a specific place and spoke with Abraham. That was the Word of God"
Irenaeus cites several Old Testament visions or manifestations just prior to or after this quotation of his.
Where in this writing of his does the saint cite the vision of Daniel where the prophet saw the Ancient of days? Where does he cite the vision whereby Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a throne? Where does he cite the vision of Ezekiel?
Nowhere that I can tell.
So the truth is, this passage you supplied from St. Irenaeus in no way "corroborates" the heretical assertions of Eusebius, who claims that all visions of the Old Testament must be of the Word, because he is a creature, and less than the Father, and not of one essence with the Father.
All this serves to demonstrate is that certain visions of a certain kind must be related to the Son, but not all.
Cyprian