Commentary on the Apocalypse
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From the First Chapter
1.
The Revelation of
Jesus Christ
, which
God
gave to Him, and showed unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass, and signified it. Blessed are they who read and hear the words of this
prophecy
, and keep the things which are written.
The beginning of the book promises blessing to him that reads and hears and keeps, that he who takes pains about the reading may thence learn
to do
works, and may keep the precepts.
4.
Grace unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come.
He is
, because He endures continually;
He was
, because with the Father He made all things, and has at this time taken a beginning from the Virgin;
He is to come
, because assuredly
He will come
to judgment.
And from the seven spirits which are before His throne.
We read of a sevenfold spirit in Isaiah, — namely, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, of
knowledge
and of
piety
, and the spirit of the
fear
of the Lord.
5.
And from
Jesus Christ
, who is the faithful
witness
, the first-begotten of the dead.
In taking upon Him manhood, He gave a testimony in the world, wherein also having suffered, He freed us by His blood from
sin
; and having vanquished
hell
, He was the first who rose from the dead, and
death shall have no more dominion over Him,
Romans 6:9
but by His own reign the kingdom of the world is destroyed.
6.
And He made us a kingdom and
priests
unto God and His Father.
That is to say, a Church of all
believers
; as also the Apostle Peter says:
A
holy
nation, a royal
priesthood
.
1 Peter 2:9
7.
Behold, He shall come with clouds, and every eye shall see Him.
For He who at first came hidden in the manhood that He had undertaken, shall after a little while come to judgment manifest in majesty and
glory
. And what says He?
12.
And I turned, and saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks one like the
Son of man
.
He says that He was like Him after His victory over death, when He had ascended into the heavens, after the union in His body of the power which He received from the Father with the spirit of His
glory
.
13.
As it were the
Son of man
walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks.
He says, in the midst of the
churches
, as it is said in Solomon,
I will walk in the midst of the paths of the just,
Proverbs 8:20
whose antiquity is
immortality
, and the fountain of majesty.
Clothed with a garment down to the ankles.
In the long, that is, the
priestly
garment, these words very plainly deliver the flesh which was not corrupted in death, and has the
priesthood
through suffering.
And He was girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His paps are the two testaments, and the golden girdle is the
choir
of
saints
, as gold tried in the fire. Otherwise the golden girdle bound around His breast indicates the enlightened
conscience
, and the pure and spiritual apprehension that is given to the churches.
14.
And His head and His hairs were white as it were white wool, and as it were snow.
On the head the whiteness is shown;
but the head of Christ is
God
.
1 Corinthians 11:3
In the white hairs is the multitude of abbots like to wool, in respect of simple sheep; to snow, in respect of the innumerable crowd of candidates taught from heaven.
His eyes were as a flame of fire.
God's precepts are those which minister light to
believers
, but to unbelievers burning.
16.
And in His face was brightness as the sun.
That which He called
brightness
was the appearance of that in which He spoke to men face to face. But the
glory
of the
sun
is less than the
glory
of the Lord. Doubtless on account of its rising and setting, and rising again, that He was born and suffered and rose again, therefore the
Scripture
gave this similitude, likening His face to the
glory
of the sun.
15.
His feet were like yellow brass, as if burned in a furnace.
He calls the
apostles
His feet, who, being wrought by suffering, preached His word in the whole world; for He rightly named those by whose means the preaching went forth, feet. Whence also the
prophet
anticipated this, and said:
We will worship in the place where His feet have stood.
Because where they first of all stood and confirmed the
Church
, that is, in
Judea
, all the
saints
shall assemble together, and will worship their Lord.
16.
And out of His mouth was issuing a sharp two-edged sword.
By the twice-sharpened sword going forth out of His mouth is shown, that it is He Himself who has both now declared the word of the
Gospel
, and previously by
Moses
declared the
knowledge
of the law to the whole world. But because from the same word, as well of the New as of the
Old Testament
, He will assert Himself upon the whole
human race
, therefore He is spoken of as two-edged. For the sword arms the soldier, the sword slays the enemy, the sword punishes the deserter. And that He might show to the
apostles
that He was announcing judgment, He says:
I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Matthew 10:34
And after He had completed His
parables
, He says to them:
Have you understood all these things? And they said, We have. And He added, Therefore is every scribe instructed in the kingdom of God like a man that is a father of a
family
, bringing forth from his treasure things new and old,
Matthew 13:51-52
— the new, the evangelical words of the
apostles
; the old, the precepts of the law and the
prophets
: and He testified that these proceeded out of His mouth. Moreover, He also says to Peter:
Go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that shall first come up; and having opened its mouth, you shall find a
stater
(that is, two
denarii
), and you shall give it for me and for you.
Matthew 17:27
And similarly David says by the Spirit:
God
spoke once, twice I have heard the same.
Because God once decreed from the beginning what shall be even to the end. Finally, as He Himself is the Judge appointed by the
Father
, on account of His assumption of humanity, wishing to show that men shall be judged by the word that He had declared, He says:
Do you think that I will judge you at the last day? Nay, but the word,
says He,
which I have spoken unto you, that shall judge you in the last day.
John 12:48
And
Paul
, speaking of
Antichrist
to the Thessalonians, says:
Whom the Lord Jesus will slay by the breath of His mouth.
2 Thessalonians 2:8
And Isaiah says:
By the breath of His lips He shall slay the
wicked
.
Isaiah 11:4
This, therefore, is the two-edged sword issuing out of His mouth.
15.
And His voice as it were the voice of many waters.
The many waters are understood to be many peoples, or the gift of
baptism
that He sent forth by the
apostles
, saying:
Go, teach all nations,
baptizing
them in the name of the
Father
, and of the
Son
, and of the
Holy Ghost
.
Matthew 28:19
16.
And He had in His right hand seven stars.
He said that in His right hand He had seven stars, because the
Holy Spirit
of sevenfold agency was given into His power by the Father. As Peter exclaimed to the
Jews
:
Being at the right hand of God exalted, He has shed forth this Spirit received from the
Father
, which you both see and hear.
Acts 2:33
Moreover, John the Baptist had also anticipated this, by saying to his
disciples
:
For God gives not the Spirit by measure
unto Him
. The Father,
says he,
loves the
Son
, and has given all things into His hands.
Those seven stars are the seven churches, which he names in his addresses by name, and calls them to whom he wrote epistles. Not that they are themselves the only, or even the principal churches; but what he says to one, he says to all. For they are in no respect different, that on that ground any one should prefer them to the larger number of similar small ones. In the whole world
Paul
taught that all the churches are arranged by sevens, that they are called seven, and that the
Catholic
Church
is one. And first of all, indeed, that he himself also might maintain the type of seven churches, he did not exceed that number. But he wrote to the Romans, to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, to the Thessalonians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians; afterwards he wrote to individual
persons
, so as not to exceed the number of seven churches. And abridging in a short space his announcement, he thus says to Timothy:
That you may
know
how you ought to behave yourself in the
Church
of the living God.
1 Timothy 3:15
We read also that this typical number is announced by the
Holy Spirit
by the mouth of Isaiah:
Of seven
women
which took hold of one man.
Isaiah 4:1
The one man is Christ, not born of seed; but the seven
women
are seven churches, receiving His bread, and clothed with his apparel, who ask that their reproach should be taken away, only that His name should be called upon them. The bread is the
Holy Spirit
, which nourishes to
eternal
life, promised to them, that is, by
faith
. And His garments wherewith they desire to be clothed are the
glory
of
immortality
, of which
Paul
the apostle says:
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality
.
1 Corinthians 15:53
Moreover, they ask that their reproach may be taken away — that is, that they may be cleansed from their
sins
: for the reproach is the original
sin
which is taken away in
baptism
, and they begin to be called
Christian
men, which is,
Let your name be called upon us.
Therefore in these seven churches, of one
Catholic
Church
are
believers
, because it is one in seven by the quality of
faith
and election. Whether writing to them who labour in the world, and live of the frugality of their labours, and are patient, and when they see certain men in the
Church
wasters, and pernicious, they hear them, lest there should become dissension, he yet admonishes them by
love
, that in what respects their
faith
is deficient they should repent; or to those who dwell in cruel places among persecutors, that they should continue faithful; or to those who, under the pretext of mercy, do unlawful
sins
in the
Church
, and make them manifest to be done by others; or to those that are at ease in the
Church
; or to those who are negligent, and
Christians
only in name; or to those who are meekly instructed, that they may bravely persevere in
faith
; or to those who study the
Scriptures
, and labour to
know
the
mysteries
of their announcement, and are unwilling to do God's work that is mercy and
love
: to all he urges penitence, to all he declares judgment.
From the Second Chapter
2.
I
know
your works, and your labour, and your patience.
In the first epistle He speaks thus: I
know
that you suffer and work, I see that you are patient; think not that I am staying long from you.
And that you can not bear them that are
evil
, and who say that they are
Jews
and are not, and you have found them liars, and you have patience for My name's sake.
All these things tend to praise, and that no small praise; and it behooves such men, and such a class, and such elected
persons
, by all means to be admonished, that they may not be defrauded of such privileges granted to them of
God
. These few things He said that He had against them.
4, 5.
And you have left your first
love
: remember whence you have fallen.
He who falls, falls from a height: therefore He said
whence
: because, even to the very last, works of
love
must be practised; and this is the principal commandment. Finally, unless this is done, He threatened to remove their candlestick out of its place, that is, to disperse the congregation.
6.
This you have also, that you hate the
deeds
of the Nicolaitanes.
But because you yourself hate those who hold the doctrines of the Nicolaitanes, you expect praise. Moreover, to
hate
the works of the Nicolaitanes, which He Himself also
hated
, this tends to praise. But the works of the Nicolaitanes were in that time false and troublesome men, who, as ministers under the name of Nicolaus, had made for themselves a
heresy
, to the effect that what had been offered to
idols
might be exorcised and eaten, and that whoever should have committed fornication might receive peace on the eighth day. Therefore He extols those to whom He is writing; and to these men, being such and so great, He promised the tree
of life
, which is in the paradise of His God.
The following epistle unfolds the mode of life and habit of another order which follows. He proceeds to say:—
9.
I
know
your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich.
For He
knows
that with such men there are riches hidden with Him, and that they deny the
blasphemy
of the
Jews
, who say that they are
Jews
and are not; but they are the
synagogue
of
Satan
, since they are gathered together by
Antichrist
; and to them He says:—
10.
Be faithful unto death.
That they should continue to be faithful even unto death.
11.
He that shall overcome, shall not be hurt by the second death.
That is, he shall not be chastised in
hell
.
The third order of the
saints
shows that they are men who are strong in
faith
, and who are not afraid of
persecution
; but because even among them there are some who are inclined to unlawful associations, He says:—
14-16.
You have there some who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught in the case of Balak that he should put a stumbling-block before the children of
Israel
, to eat and to commit fornication. So also have you them who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes; but I will fight with them with the sword of my mouth.
That is, I will say what I shall command, and I will tell you what you shall do. For Balaam, with his doctrine, taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the eyes of the children of
Israel
, to eat what was
sacrificed
to
idols
, and to commit fornication — a thing which is
known
to have happened of old. For he gave this advice to the king of the Moabites, and they caused stumbling to the people. Thus, says He, you have among you those who hold such doctrine; and under the pretext of mercy, you would corrupt others.
17.
To him that overcomes I will give the hidden
manna
, and I will give him a white stone.
The hidden
manna
is
immortality
; the white gem is adoption to
be
the
son of God
; the new name written on the stone is
Christian
.
The fourth class intimates the nobility of the
faithful
, who labour daily, and do greater works. But even among them also He shows that there are men of an easy disposition to grant unlawful peace, and to listen to new forms of prophesying; and He reproves and warns the others to whom this is not pleasing, who
know
the
wickedness
opposed to them: for which
evils
He purposes to bring upon the head of the faithful both sorrows and dangers; and therefore He says:—
24.
I will not put upon you any other burden.
That is, I have not given you
laws
, observances, and duties, which is another burden.
25, 26.
But that which you have, hold fast until I come; and he that overcomes, to him will I give power over all peoples.
That is, him I will appoint as judge among the rest of the
saints
.
28.
And I will give him the morning star.
To wit, the first resurrection. He promised the morning star, which drives away the night, and announces the light, that is, the beginning of day.
From the Third Chapter
The fifth class, company, or association of
saints
, sets forth men who are careless, and who are carrying on in the world other transactions than those which they ought —
Christians
only in name. And therefore He exhorts them that by any means they should be turned away from negligence, and be saved; and to this effect He says:—
2.
Be watchful, and strengthen the other things which were ready to die; for I have not found your works perfect before God.
For it is not enough for a tree to live and to have no fruit, even as it is not enough to be called a
Christian
and to confess
Christ
, but not to have Himself in our work, that is, not to do His precepts.
The sixth class is the mode of life of the best election. The habit of
saints
is set forth; of those, to wit, who are lowly in the world, and unskilled in the
Scriptures
, and who hold the
faith
immoveably, and are not at all broken down by any chance, or withdrawn from the
faith
by any
fear
. Therefore He says to them:—
8.
I have set before you an open door, because you have kept the word of my patience.
In such little strength.
10.
And I will keep you from the hour of
temptation
.
That they may
know
His
glory
to be of this kind, that they are not indeed permitted to be given over to
temptation
.
12.
He that overcomes shall be made a pillar in the temple of
God
.
For even as a pillar is an ornament of the building, so he who perseveres shall obtain a nobility in the
Church
.
Moreover, the seventh association of the
Church
declares that they are rich men placed in positions of dignity, but believing that they are rich, among whom indeed the
Scriptures
are discussed in their bedchamber, while the faithful are outside; and they are understood by none, although they boast themselves, and say that they
know
all things — endowed with the confidence of learning, but ceasing from its labour. And thus He says:—
15.
That they are neither cold nor hot.
That is, neither unbelieving nor believing, for they are all things to all
men
. And because he who is neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, gives nausea, He says:—
16.
I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Although nausea is hateful, still it hurts no one; so also is it with men of this kind when they have been cast forth. But because there is time of repentance, He says:—
18.
I persuade you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire.
That is, that in whatever manner you can, you should suffer for the Lord's name tribulations and
passions
.
And anoint your eyes with eye-salve.
That what you gladly
know
by the
Scripture
, you should strive also to do the work of the same. And because, if in these ways men return out of great destruction to great repentance, they are not only useful to themselves, but they are able also to be of advantage to many, He promised them no small reward — to sit, namely, on the throne of judgment.
From the Fourth Chapter
1.
After this, I beheld, and, lo, a door was opened in heaven.
The new testament is announced as an open door in heaven.
And the first voice which I heard
was
, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, saying, Come up hither.
Since the door is shown to be opened, it is manifest that previously it had been closed to men. And it was sufficiently and fully laid open when Christ ascended with His body to the Father into heaven. Moreover, the first voice which he had heard when he says that it spoke with him, without contradiction condemns those who say that one spoke in the
prophets
, another in the
Gospel
; since it is rather He Himself who comes, that is the same who spoke in the
prophets
. For John was of the
circumcision
, and all that people which had heard the announcement of the
Old Testament
was edified with his word.
That very same voice,
said he,
that I had heard, that said to me, Come up hither.
That is the
Spirit
, whom a little before he confesses that he had seen walking as the
Son of man
in the midst of the golden candlesticks. And he now gathers from Him what had been foretold in similitudes by the law, and associates with this scripture all the former
prophets
, and opens up the
Scriptures
. And because our Lord invited in His own name all
believers
into heaven, He immediately poured out the
Holy Spirit
, who should bring them to heaven. He says:—
2.
Immediately I was in the
Spirit
.
And since the mind of the faithful is opened by the
Holy Spirit
, and that is manifested to them which was also foretold to the fathers, he distinctly says:—
And, behold, a throne was set in heaven.
The throne set: what is it but the throne of judgment and of the King?
3.
And He that sat upon the throne was, to look upon, like a jasper and a sardine stone.
Upon the throne he says that he saw the likeness of a jasper and a sardine stone. The jasper is of the color of water, the sardine of fire. These two are thence manifested to be placed as judgments upon God's tribunal until the consummation of the world, of which judgments one is already completed in the deluge of water, and the other shall be completed by fire.
And there was a rainbow about the throne.
Moreover, the rainbow round about the throne has the same colors. The rainbow is called a bow from what the Lord spoke to
Noah
and to his sons, that they should not
fear
any further deluge in the generation of
God
, but fire. For thus He says: I will place my bow in the clouds, that you may now no longer
fear
water, but fire.
6.
And before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal.
That is the gift of
baptism
which He sheds forth through His Son in time of repentance, before He executes judgment. It is therefore before the throne, that is, the judgment. And when he says a sea of glass like to crystal, he shows that it is pure water, smooth, not agitated by the wind, not flowing down as on a slope, but given to be immoveable as the house of
God
.
And round about the throne were four living creatures.
The four living creatures are the four
Gospels
.
7-10.
The first living creature was like to a lion, and the second was like to a calf, and the third had a face like to a
man
, and the fourth was like to a flying eagle; and they had six wings, and round about and within they were full of eyes; and they had no rest, saying, Holy,
holy
,
holy
, Lord Omnipotent. And the four and twenty elders, falling down before the throne, adored God.
The four and twenty elders are the twenty-four books of the
prophets
and of the law, which give testimonies of the judgment. Moreover, also, they are the twenty-four fathers — twelve
apostles
and twelve patriarchs. And in that the living creatures are different in appearance, this is the reason: the living creature like to a lion designates Mark, in whom is heard the voice of the lion roaring in the
desert
. And in the figure of a
man
, Matthew strives to declare to us the genealogy of
Mary
, from whom Christ took flesh. Therefore, in enumerating from
Abraham
to David, and thence to Joseph, he spoke of Him as if of a man: therefore his announcement sets forth the image of a
man
. Luke, in narrating the
priesthood
of Zacharias as he offers a
sacrifice
for the people, and the
angel
that appears to him with respect of the
priesthood
, and the victim in the same description bore the likeness of a calf. John the
evangelist
, like to an eagle hastening on uplifted wings to greater heights, argues about the
Word of God
. Mark, therefore, as an
evangelist
thus beginning,
The beginning of the
Gospel
of
Jesus Christ
, as it is written in Isaiah the
prophet
;
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Isaiah 40:3
— has the effigy of a lion. And Matthew,
The book of the generation of
Jesus Christ
, the son of David, the son of
Abraham
:
Matthew 1:1
this is the form of a
man
. But Luke said,
There was a
priest
, by name Zachariah, of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of
Aaron
:
Luke 1:5
this is the likeness of a calf. But John, when he begins,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God
, and the Word was
God
,
sets forth the likeness of a flying eagle. Moreover, not only do the
evangelists
express their four similitudes in their
respective
openings of the
Gospels
, but also the Word itself of
God
the Father Omnipotent, which is His Son
our Lord Jesus Christ
, bears the same likeness in the time of His advent. When He preaches to us, He is, as it were, a lion and a lion's cub. And when for man's
salvation
He was made man to overcome death, and to set all
men
free, and that He offered Himself a victim to the Father on our behalf, He was called a calf. And that He overcame death and ascended into the heavens, extending His wings and protecting His people, He was named a flying eagle. Therefore these announcements, although they are four, yet are one, because it proceeded from one mouth. Even as the river in paradise, although it is one, was divided into four heads. Moreover, that for the announcement of the
New Testament
those living creatures had eyes within and without, shows the spiritual
providence
which both looks into the secrets of the heart, and beholds the things which are coming after that are within and without.
8.
Six wings.
These are the testimonies of the books of the
Old Testament
. Thus, twenty and four make as many as there are elders sitting upon the thrones. But as an animal cannot fly unless it have wings, so, too, the announcement of the
New Testament
gains no
faith
unless it have the fore-announced testimonies of the
Old Testament
, by which it is lifted from the earth, and flies. For in every case, what has been told before, and is afterwards found to have happened, that begets an undoubting
faith
. Again, also, if wings be not attached to the living creatures, they have nothing whence they may draw their life. For unless what the
prophets
foretold had been consummated in
Christ
, their preaching was vain. For the
Catholic
Church
holds those things which were both before predicted and afterwards accomplished. And it flies, because the living animal is reasonably lifted up from the earth. But to
heretics
who do not avail themselves of the prophetic testimony, to them also there are present living creatures; but they do not fly, because they are of the earth. And to the
Jews
who do
not
receive the announcement of the
New Testament
there are present wings; but they do not fly, that is, they bring a vain prophesying to
men
, not adjusting facts to their words. And the books of the
Old Testament
that are received are twenty-four, which you will find in the epitomes of Theodore. But, moreover (as we have said), four and twenty elders, patriarchs and
apostles
, are to judge His people. For to the
apostles
, when they asked, saying,
We have forsaken all that we had, and followed You: what shall we have?
our Lord replied,
When the
Son of man
shall sit upon the throne of His
glory
, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel
.
Matthew 19:27-28
But of the fathers also who should judge, says the patriarch Jacob,
Dan also himself shall judge his people among his brethren, even as one of the tribes in
Israel
.
Genesis 49:16
5.
And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and seven torches of fire burning.
And the lightnings, and voices, and thunders proceeding from the throne of
God
, and the seven torches of fire burning, signify announcements, and promises of adoption, and threatenings. For lightnings signify the Lord's advent, and the voices the announcements of the
New Testament
, and the thunders, that the words are from heaven. The burning torches of fire
signify
the gift of the
Holy Spirit
, that it is given by the wood of the passion. And when these things were doing, he says that all the elders fell down and adored the Lord; while the living creatures — that is, of course, the actions recorded in the
Gospels
and the teaching of the Lord — gave Him
glory
and
honour
. In that they had fulfilled the word that had been previously foretold by them, they worthily and with reason exult, feeling that they have ministered the
mysteries
and the word of the Lord. Finally, also, because He had come who should remove death, and who alone was worthy to take the crown of
immortality
, all for the
glory
of His most excellent doing had crowns.
10.
And they cast their crowns under His feet.
That is, on account of the eminent
glory
of
Christ's
victory, they cast all their victories under His feet. This is what in the
Gospel
the
Holy Spirit
consummated by showing, For when about finally to suffer, our Lord had come to Jerusalem, and the people had gone forth to meet Him, some strewed the road with palm branches cut down, others threw down their garments, doubtless these were setting forth two peoples — the one of the patriarchs, the other of the
prophets
; that is to say, of the great men who had any kind of palms of their victories against
sin
, and cast them under the feet of
Christ
, the victor of all. And the palm and the crown signify the same things, and these are not given save to the victor.
From the Fifth Chapter
1.
And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.
This book signifies the
Old Testament
, which has been given into the hands of
our Lord Jesus Christ
, who received from the Father judgment.
2, 3.
And I saw an
angel
full of strength proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no one was found worthy, neither in the earth nor under the earth, to open the book.
Now to open the book is to overcome death for man.
4.
There was none found worthy to do this.
Neither among the
angels
of heaven, nor among
men
in earth, nor among the
souls
of the
saints
in rest, save Christ the
Son of God
alone, whom he says that he saw as a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns. What had not been then announced, and what the law had contemplated for Him by its various oblations and
sacrifices
, it behooved Himself to fulfil. And because He Himself was the testator, who had overcome death, it was just that Himself should be appointed the Lord's heir, that He should possess the substance of the dying man, that is, the
human
members.
5.
Lo, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah
, the root of David, has prevailed.
We read in Genesis that this lion of the
tribe of Judah
has conquered, when the patriarch Jacob says,
Judah, your brethren shall praise you; you have lain down and slept, and have risen up again as a lion, and as a lion's cub.
Genesis 49:8-9
For He is called a lion for the overcoming of death; but for the suffering for men He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. But because He overcame death, and anticipated the duty of the executioner, He was called as it were slain. He therefore opens and seals again the testament, which He Himself had sealed. The legislator
Moses
intimating this, that it behooved Him to be sealed and concealed, even to the advent of His
passion
, veiled his face, and so spoke to the people; showing that the words of his announcement were veiled even to the advent of His time. For he himself, when he had read to the people, having taken the wool purpled with the blood of the calf, with water sprinkled the whole people, saying,
This is the blood of His testament who has purified you.
Exodus 24:7-8
It should therefore be observed that the Man is accurately announced, and that all things combine into one. For it is not sufficient that that law is spoken of, but it is named as a testament. For no law is called a testament, nor is anything else called a testament, save what
persons
make who are about to die. And whatever is within the testament is sealed, even to the day of the testator's death. Therefore it is with reason that it is only sealed by the Lamb slain, who, as it were a lion, has broken death in pieces, and has fulfilled what had been foretold; and has delivered man, that is, the flesh, from death, and has received as a possession the substance of the dying person, that is, of the
human
members; that as by one body all
men
had fallen under the obligation of its death, also by one body all
believers
should be born again unto life, and rise again. Reasonably, therefore, His face is opened and unveiled to
Moses
; and therefore He is called Apocalypse, Revelation. For now His book is unsealed — now the offered victims are perceived — now the fabrication of the
priestly
chrism; moreover the testimonies are openly understood.
8, 9.
Twenty-four elders and four living creatures, having harps and phials, and singing a new song.
The proclamation of the
Old Testament
associated with the New, points out the
Christian
people singing a new song, that is, bearing their confession publicly. It is a new thing that the
Son of God
should become man. It is a new thing to ascend into the heavens with a body. It is a new thing to give remission of
sins
to men. It is a new thing for men to be sealed with the
Holy Spirit
. It is a new thing to receive the
priesthood
of sacred observance, and to look for a kingdom of unbounded promise. The harp, and the chord stretched on its wooden frame, signifies the flesh of Christ linked with the wood of the passion. The phial signifies
the
Confession, and the race of the new Priesthood. But it is the praise of many
angels
, yea, of all, the
salvation
of all, and the testimony of the universal creation, bringing to our Lord thanksgiving for the deliverance of men from the destruction of death. The unsealing of the seals, as we have said, is the opening of the
Old Testament
, and the foretelling of the preachers of things to come in the last times, which, although the prophetic Scripture speaks by single seals, yet by all the seals opened at once,
prophecy
takes its rank.
From the Sixth Chapter
1, 2.
And when the Lamb had opened one of the seven seals, I saw, and heard one of the four living creatures saying, Come and see. And, lo, a white horse, and He who sat upon him had a bow.
The first seal being opened, he says that he saw a white horse, and a crowned horseman having a bow. For this was at first done by Himself. For after the Lord ascended into heaven and opened all things, He sent the
Holy Spirit
, whose words the preachers sent forth as arrows reaching to the
human
heart, that they might overcome unbelief. And the crown on the head is promised to the preachers by the
Holy Spirit
. The other three horses very plainly signify the
wars
, famines, and pestilences announced by our Lord in the
Gospel
. And thus he says that one of the four living creatures said (because all four are one),
Come and see.
Come
is said to him that is invited to
faith
;
see
is said to him who saw not. Therefore the white horse is the word of preaching with the
Holy Spirit
sent into the world. For the Lord says,
This
Gospel
shall be preached throughout the whole world for a testimony to all nations, and then shall come the end.
3, 4.
And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and to him that sat upon him was given a great sword.
The red horse, and he that sat upon him, having a sword, signify the coming
wars
, as we read in the
Gospel
:
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in
various
places.
This is the ruddy horse.
5.
And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And, lo, a black horse; and he who sat upon it had a balance in his hand.
The black horse signifies famine, for the Lord says,
There shall be famines in
various
places;
but the word is specially extended to the times of
Antichrist
, when there shall be a great famine, and when all shall be injured. Moreover, the balance in the hand is the examining scales, wherein He might show forth the merits of every individual. He then says:—
6.
Hurt not the wine and the oil.
That is, strike not the spiritual man with your inflictions. This is the black horse.
7, 8.
And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, Come and see. And, lo, a pale horse; and he who sat upon him was named Death.
For the pale horse and he who sat upon him bore the name of Death. These same things also the Lord had promised among the rest of the coming destructions — great pestilences and deaths; since, moreover, he says:—
And
hell
followed him.
That is, it was waiting for the devouring of many unrighteous
souls
. This is the pale horse.
9.
And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the
souls
of them that were slain.
He relates that he saw under the altar of
God
, that is, under the earth, the
souls
of them that were slain. For both heaven and earth are called God's altar, as says the law, commanding in the
symbolic
form of the
truth
two altars to be made — a golden one within, and a brazen one without. But we perceive that the golden altar is thus called heaven, by the testimony that our Lord bears to it; for He says,
When you bring your gift to the altar
(assuredly our gifts are the
prayers
which we offer),
and there rememberest that your brother has anything against you, leave there your gift before the altar.
Assuredly
prayers
ascend to heaven. Therefore heaven is understood to be the golden altar which was within; for the
priests
also were accustomed to enter once in the year — as they who had the anointing — to the golden altar, the
Holy Spirit
signifying that Christ should do this once for all. As the golden altar is acknowledged to be heaven, so also by the brazen altar is understood the earth, under which is the Hades, — a region withdrawn from punishments and fires, and a place of repose for the
saints
, wherein indeed the righteous are seen and heard by the
wicked
, but they cannot be carried across to them. He who sees all things would have us to
know
that these
saints
, therefore — that is, the
souls
of the slain — are asking for vengeance for their blood, that is, of their body, from those that dwell upon the earth; but because in the last time, moreover, the reward of the
saints
will be perpetual, and the condemnation of the
wicked
shall come, it was told them to wait. And for a solace to their body, there were given unto each of them white robes. They received, says he, white robes, that is, the gift of the
Holy Spirit
.
12.
And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake.
In the sixth seal, then, was a great earthquake: this is that very last
persecution
.
And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair.
The sun becomes as sackcloth; that is, the brightness of doctrine will be obscured by unbelievers.
And the entire moon became as blood.
By the moon of blood is set forth the
Church
of the
saints
as pouring out her blood for Christ.
13.
And the stars fell to the earth.
The falling of the stars are the
faithful
who are troubled for
Christ's
sake.
Even as a fig-tree casts her untimely figs.
The fig-tree, when shaken, loses its untimely figs — when men are separated from the
Church
by
persecution
.
14.
And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up.
For the heaven to be rolled away, that is, that the
Church
shall be taken away.
And every mountain and the islands were moved from their places.
Mountains and islands removed from their places intimate that in the last
persecution
all
men
departed from their places; that is, that the good will be removed, seeking to avoid the
persecution
.
From the Seventh Chapter
2.
And I saw another
angel
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.
He speaks of Elias the
prophet
, who is the precursor of the times of
Antichrist
, for the restoration and establishment of the churches from the great and intolerable
persecution
. We read that these things are predicted in the opening of the Old and
New Testament
; for He says by Malachi:
Lo, I will send to you Elias the Tishbite, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, according to the time of calling, to recall the
Jews
to the
faith
of the people that succeed them.
And to that end He shows, as we have said, that the number of those that shall
believe
, of the
Jews
and of the
nations
, is a great multitude which no man was able to number. Moreover, we read in the
Gospel
that the
prayers
of the
Church
are sent from heaven by an
angel
, and that they are received against
wrath
, and that the kingdom of
Antichrist
is cast out and extinguished by
holy
angels
; for He says:
Pray that you enter not into
temptation
: for there shall be a great affliction, such as has not been from the beginning of the world; and except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved.
Mark 13:18-20
Therefore He shall send these seven great archangels to smite the kingdom of
Antichrist
; for He Himself also thus said:
Then the
Son of man
shall send His messengers; and they shall gather together His elect from the four corners of the wind, from the one end of heaven even to the other end thereof.
Mark 13:27
For, moreover, He previously says by the
prophet
:
Then shall there be peace for our land, when there shall arise in it seven shepherds and eight attacks of men; and they shall encircle Assur,
that is,
Antichrist
,
in the trench of Nimrod,
Micah 5:5-6
that is, in the nation of the
devil
, by the spirit of the
Church
. Similarly when the keepers of the house shall be moved. Moreover, the Lord Himself, in the
parable
to the
apostles
, when the labourers had come to Him and said,
Lord, did not we sow good seed in Your field? Whence, then, has it tares? Answered them, An enemy has done this. And they said to Him, Lord, will You, then, that we go and root them up? And He said, Nay, but let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, that they gather the tares and make bundles of them, and burn them with
fire everlasting
, but that they gather the wheat into my barns.
Matthew 13:27-30
The Apocalypse here shows, therefore, that these reapers, and shepherds, and labourers, are the
angels
. And the trumpet is the word of power. And although the same thing recurs in the phials, still it is not said as if it occurred twice, but because what is decreed by the Lord to happen shall be once for all; for this
cause
it is said twice. What, therefore, He said too little in the trumpets, is here found in the phials. We must not regard the order of what is said, because frequently the
Holy Spirit
, when He has traversed even to the end of the last times, returns again to the same times, and fills up what He had
before
failed to say. Nor must we look for order in the Apocalypse; but we must follow the meaning of those things which are prophesied. Therefore in the trumpets and phials is signified either the desolation of the plagues that are sent upon the earth, or the
madness
of
Antichrist
himself, or the cutting off of the peoples, or the diversity of the plagues, or the hope in the kingdom of the
saints
, or the ruin of states, or the great overthrow of
Babylon
, that is, the Roman state.
9.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man was able to number, of every nation, tribe, and people, and tongue, clothed with white robes.
What the great multitude out of every tribe implies, is to show the number of the elect out of all
believers
, who, being cleansed by
baptism
in the blood of the Lamb, have made their robes white, keeping the
grace
which they have received.
From the Eighth Chapter
1.
And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
Whereby is signified the beginning of everlasting rest; but it is described as partial, because the silence being interrupted, he repeats it in order. For if the silence had continued, here would be an end of his narrative.
13.
And I saw an
angel
flying through the midst of heaven.
By the
angel
flying through the midst of heaven is signified the
Holy Spirit
bearing
witness
in two of the
prophets
that a great
wrath
of plagues was imminent. If by any means, even in the last times, any one should be willing to be converted, any one might even still be saved.
From the Ninth Chapter
13, 14.
And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is in the presence of
God
, saying to the sixth
angel
which had the trumpet, Loose the four
angels
.
That is, the four corners of the earth which hold the four winds.
Which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
By the corners of the earth, or the four winds across the river Euphrates, are
meant
four nations, because to every nation is sent an
angel
; as said the law,
He determined them by the number of the
angels
of
God
,
until the number of the
saints
should be filled up. They do not overpass their bounds, because at the last they shall come with
Antichrist
.
From the Tenth Chapter
1, 2.
I saw another mighty
angel
coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand an open book: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth.
He signifies that that mighty
angel
who, he says, descended from heaven, clothed with a cloud, is our Lord, as we have above narrated.
His face was as it were the sun.
That is, with respect to the resurrection.
Upon his head was a rainbow.
He points to the judgment which is executed by Him, or shall be.
An open book.
A revelation of works in the future judgment, or the Apocalypse which John received.
His feet,
as we have said above, are the
apostles
. For that both things in sea and land are trodden under foot by Him, signifies that all things are placed under His feet. Moreover, he calls Him an
angel
, that is, a messenger, to wit, of the Father; for He is called the Messenger of great counsel. He says also that He cried with a loud voice. The great voice is to tell the words of the Omnipotent God of heaven to
men
, and to bear
witness
that after penitence is closed there will be no hope subsequently.
3.
Seven thunders uttered their voices.
The seven thunders uttering their voices signify the
Holy Spirit
of sevenfold power, who through the
prophets
announced all things to come, and by His voice John gave his testimony in the world; but because he says that he was about to write the things which the thunders had uttered, that is, whatever things had been obscure in the announcements of the
Old Testament
; he is forbidden to write them, but he was charged to leave them sealed, because he is an
apostle
, nor was it fitting that the
grace
of the subsequent stage should be given in the first.
The time,
says he,
is at hand.
For the
apostles
, by powers, by signs, by portents, and by mighty works, have overcome unbelief. After them there is now given to the same completed Churches the comfort of having the prophetic Scriptures subsequently interpreted, for I said that after
the
apostles
there would be interpreting
prophets
.
For the apostle says:
And he placed in the
Church
indeed, first,
apostles
; secondly,
prophets
; thirdly, teachers,
1 Corinthians 12:28
and the rest. And in another place he says:
Let the
prophets
speak two or three, and let the others judge.
1 Corinthians 14:29
And he says:
Every
woman
that
prays
or prophesies with her head uncovered, dishonours her head.
1 Corinthians 11:5
And when he says,
Let the
prophets
speak two or three, and let the others judge,
he is not speaking in respect of the
Catholic
prophecy
of things unheard and unknown, but of things both announced and
known
. But let them judge whether or not the interpretation is consistent with the testimonies of the prophetic utterance. It is plain, therefore, that to John, armed as he was with superior
virtue
, this was not necessary, although the body of
Christ
, which is the
Church
, adorned with His members, ought to respond to its position.
10.
I took the book from the hand of the
angel
, and ate it up.
To take the book and eat it up, is, when exhibition of a thing is made to one, to commit it to memory.
And it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
To be sweet in the mouth is the reward of the preaching of the speaker, and is most pleasant to the hearers; but it is most bitter both to those that announce it, and to those that persevere in its commandments through suffering.
11.
And He says unto me, You must again prophesy to the peoples, and to the tongues, and to the
nations
, and to many kings.
He says this, because when John said these things he was in the island of
Patmos
, condemned to the labour of the mines by Cæsar
Domitian
. There, therefore, he saw the Apocalypse; and when grown old, he thought that he should at length receive his quittance by suffering,
Domitian
being killed, all his judgments were discharged. And John being dismissed from the mines, thus subsequently delivered the same Apocalypse which he had received from
God
. This, therefore, is what He says: You must again prophesy to all nations, because you see the crowds of
Antichrist
rise up; and against them other crowds shall stand, and they shall fall by the sword on the one side and on the other.
From the Eleventh Chapter
1.
And there was shown unto me a reed like a rod: and the
angel
stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of
God
, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
A reed was shown like to a rod. This itself is the Apocalypse which he subsequently exhibited to the churches; for the
Gospel
of the complete
faith
he subsequently wrote for the sake of our
salvation
. For when
Valentinus
, and
Cerinthus
, and Ebion, and others of the school of
Satan
, were scattered abroad throughout the world, there assembled together to him from the neighbouring provinces all the
bishops
, and compelled him himself also to draw up his testimony. Moreover, we say that the measure of God's temple is the command of God to confess the Father Almighty, and that His Son Christ was begotten by the Father before the beginning of the world, and was made man in very
soul
and flesh, both of them having overcome misery and death; and that, when received with His body into heaven by the
Father
, He shed forth the
Holy Spirit
, the gift and pledge of
immortality
, that He was announced by the
prophets
, He was described by the law, He was God's hand, and the Word of the Father from
God
, Lord over all, and founder of the world: this is the reed and the measure of
faith
; and no one worships the
holy
altar save he who confesses this
faith
.
2.
The court which is within the temple leave out.
The space which is called the court is the empty altar within the walls: these being such as were not necessary, he commanded to be ejected from the
Church
.
It is given to be trodden down by the
Gentiles
.
That is, to the men of this world, that it may be trodden under foot by the
nations
, or with the nations. Then he repeats about the destruction and slaughter of the last time, and says:—
3.
They shall tread the
holy
city down for forty and two months; and I will give to my two witnesses, and they shall predict a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth.
That is, three years and six months: these make forty-two months. Therefore their preaching is three years and six months, and the kingdom of
Antichrist
as much again.
5.
If any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies.
That fire proceeds out of the mouth of those
prophets
against the adversaries, bespeaks the power of the world. For all afflictions, however many there are, shall be sent by their messengers in their word. Many think that there is Elisha, or
Moses
, with Elijah; but both of these died; while the death of Elijah is not heard of, with whom all our ancients have
believed
that it was Jeremiah. For even the very word spoken to him testifies to him, saying,
Before I formed you in the belly I
knew
you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a
prophet
unto the nations.
But he was not a
prophet
unto the nations; and thus the truthful word of God makes it necessary, which it has promised to set forth, that he should be a
prophet
to the nations.
4.
These are the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth.
These two candlesticks and two olive trees He has to this end spoken of, and admonished you that if, when you have read of them elsewhere, you have not understood, you may understand here. For in Zechariah, one of the twelve
prophets
, it is thus written:
These are the two olive trees and two candlesticks which stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth;
Zechariah 4:14
that is, they are in paradise. Also, in another sense, standing in the presence of the lord of the earth, that is, in the presence of
Antichrist
. Therefore they must be slain by
Antichrist
.
7.
And the beast which ascends from the abyss.
After many plagues completed in the world, in the end he says that a beast ascended from the abyss. But that he shall ascend from the abyss is
proved
by many testimonies; for he says in the thirty-first chapter of Ezekiel:
Behold, Assur was a cypress in Mount Lebanon.
Assur, deeply rooted, was a lofty and branching cypress — that is, a numerous people — in Mount Lebanon, in the kingdom of kingdoms, that is, of the Romans. Moreover, that he says he was beautiful in offshoots, he says he was strong in armies. The water, he says, shall nourish him, that is, the many thousands of men which were subjected to him; and the abyss increased him, that is, belched him forth. For even Isaiah speaks almost in the same words; moreover, that he was in the kingdom of the Romans, and that he was among the Cæsars. The
Apostle Paul
also bears
witness
, for he says to the Thessalonians:
Let him who now restrains restrain, until he be taken out of the way; and then shall appear that Wicked One, even he whose coming is after the working of
Satan
, with signs and lying wonders.
And that they might
know
that he should come who then was the prince, he added:
He already endeavours after the secret of mischief
2 Thessalonians 2:10
— that is, the mischief which he is about to do he strives to do secretly; but he is not raised up by his own power, nor by that of his father, but by command of
God
, of which thing
Paul
says in the same passage:
For this
cause
, because they have not received the
love
of
God
, He will send upon them a spirit of
error
, that they all may be persuaded of a
lie
, who have not been persuaded of the
truth
.
2 Thessalonians 2:11
And Isaiah says:
While they waited for the light, darkness arose upon them.
Isaiah 59:9
Therefore the Apocalypse sets forth that these
prophets
are killed by the same, and on the fourth day rise again, that none might be found equal to
God
.
8.
And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called
Sodom
and
Egypt
.
But He calls Jerusalem
Sodom
and
Egypt
, since it had become the heaping up of the
persecuting
people. Therefore it behooves us diligently, and with the utmost care, to follow the prophetic announcement, and to understand what the Spirit from the Father both announces and anticipates, and how, when He has gone forward to the last times, He again repeats the former ones. And now, what He will do once for all, He sometimes sets forth as if it were done; and unless you understand this, as sometimes done, and sometimes as about to be done, you will fall into a great confusion. Therefore the interpretation of the following sayings has shown therein, that not the order of the reading, but the order of the discourse, must be understood.
19.
And the temple of God was opened which is in heaven.
The temple opened is a manifestation of our Lord. For the temple of God is the
Son
, as He Himself says:
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
And when the
Jews
said,
Forty and six years was this temple in building,
the
evangelist
says,
He spoke of the temple of His body.
And there was seen in His temple the ark of the Lord's testament.
The preaching of the
Gospel
and the forgiveness of
sins
, and all the gifts whatever that came with Him, he says, appeared therein.
From the Twelfth Chapter
1.
And there was seen a great sign in heaven. A
woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And being with child, she cried out travailing, and bearing torments that she might bring forth.
The
woman
clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet, and wearing a crown of twelve stars upon her head, and travailing in her pains, is the ancient Church of fathers, and
prophets
, and
saints
, and
apostles
, which had the groans and torments of its longing until it saw that
Christ
, the fruit of its people according to the flesh long promised to it, had taken flesh out of the selfsame people. Moreover, being clothed with the sun intimates the hope of resurrection and the
glory
of the promise. And the moon intimates the fall of the bodies of the
saints
under the obligation of death, which never can fail. For even as life is diminished, so also it is increased. Nor is the hope of those that sleep extinguished absolutely, as some think, but they have in their darkness a light such as the moon. And the crown of twelve stars signifies the
choir
of fathers, according to the fleshly birth, of whom Christ was to take flesh.
3.
And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold a red dragon, having seven heads.
Now, that he says that this dragon was of a red color — that is, of a purple color — the result of his work gave him such a color. For from the beginning (as the Lord says) he was a murderer; and he has oppressed the whole of the
human race
, not so much by the obligation of death, as, moreover, by the various forms of destruction and fatal mischiefs. His seven heads were the seven kings of the Romans, of whom also is
Antichrist
, as we have said above.
And ten horns.
He says that the ten kings in the latest times are the same as these, as we shall more fully set forth there.
4.
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them upon the earth.
Now, that he says that the dragon's tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, this may be taken in two ways. For many think that he may be able to seduce the third part of the men who
believe
. But it should more
truly
be understood, that of the
angels
that were subject to him, since he was still a prince when he descended from his estate, he seduced the third part; therefore what we said above, the Apocalypse says.
And the dragon stood before the
woman
who was beginning to bring forth, that, when she had brought forth, he might devour her child.
The red dragon standing and desiring to devour her child when she had brought him forth, is the
devil
— to wit, the traitor
angel
, who thought that the perishing of all
men
would be alike by death; but He, who was not born of seed, owed nothing to death: wherefore he could not devour Him — that is, detain Him in death — for on the third day He rose again. Finally, also, and before He suffered, he approached to tempt Him as man; but when he found that He was not what he thought Him to be, he departed from Him, even till the time. Whence it is here said:—
5.
And she brought forth a son, who begins to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
The rod of iron is the sword of
persecution
.
I saw that all
men
withdrew from his abodes.
That is, the good will be removed, flying from
persecution
.
And her son was caught up to
God
, and to His throne.
We read also in the Acts of the Apostles that He was caught up to God's throne, just as speaking with the
disciples
He was caught up to heaven.
6.
But the
woman
fled into the wilderness, and there were given to her two great eagle's wings.
The aid of the great eagle's wings — to wit, the gift of
prophets
— was given to that
Catholic
Church
, whence in the last times a hundred and forty-four thousands of men should
believe
in the preaching of Elias; but, moreover, he here says that the rest of the people should be found alive on the coming of the Lord. And the Lord says in the
Gospel
:
Then let them which are in
Judea
flee to the mountains;
Luke 21:21
that is, as many as should be gathered together in
Judea
, let them go to that place which they have ready, and let them be supported there for three years and six months from the presence of the
devil
.
14.
Two great wings
are the two
prophets
— Elias, and the
prophet
who shall be with him.
15.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the
woman
water as a flood, that he might carry her away with the flood.
He signifies by the water which the serpent cast out of his mouth, the people who at his command would
persecute
her.
16.
And the earth helped the
woman
, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
That the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the waters, sets forth the vengeance for the present troubles. Although, therefore, it may signify this
woman
bringing forth, it shows her afterwards flying when her offspring is brought forth, because both things did not happen at one time; for we
know
that Christ was born, but that the time should arrive that she should flee from the face of the serpent: (we do not
know
) that this has happened as yet. Then he says:—
7-9.
There was a battle in heaven: Michael and his
angels
fought with the dragon; and the dragon warred, and his
angels
, and they prevailed not; nor was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast forth, that old serpent: he was cast forth into the earth.
This is the beginning of
Antichrist
; yet previously Elias must prophesy, and there must be times of peace. And afterwards, when the three years and six months are completed in the preaching of Elias, he also must be cast down from heaven, where up till that time he had had the power of ascending; and all the
apostate
angels
, as well as
Antichrist
, must be roused up from
hell
.
Paul
the apostle says:
Except there come a falling away first, and the man of
sin
shall appear, the son of perdition; and the adversary who exalted himself above all which is called
God
, or which is worshipped.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
From the Thirteenth chapter.
1.
And I saw a beast rising up from the sea, like a leopard.
This signifies the kingdom of that time of
Antichrist
, and the people mingled with the variety of nations.
2.
His feet were as the feet of a bear.
A strong and most unclean beast, the feet are to be understood as his leaders.
And his mouth as the mouth of a lion.
That is, his mouth armed for blood is his bidding, and a tongue which will proceed to nothing else than to the shedding of blood.
* * * * * * * *
18.
His number is the name of a
man
, and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
As they have it reckoned from the Greek characters, they thus find it among many to be
τειταν
, for
τειταν
has this number, which the
Gentiles
call Sol and Phœbus; and it is reckoned in Greek thus:
τ
three hundred,
ε
five,
ι
ten,
τ
three hundred,
α
one,
ν
fifty — which taken together become six hundred and sixty-six. For as far as belongs to the Greek letters, they fill up this number and name; which name if you wish to turn into Latin, it is understood by the antiphrase DICLUX, which letters are reckoned in this manner: since D figures five hundred, I one, C a hundred, L fifty, V five, X ten — which by the reckoning up of the letters makes similarly six hundred and sixty-six, that is, what in Greek gives
τειταν
, to wit, what in Latin is called DICLUX; by which name, expressed by antiphrases, we understand
Antichrist
, who, although he be cut off from the supernal light, and deprived thereof, yet transforms himself into an
angel
of light, daring to call himself light. Moreover, we find in a certain Greek codex
αντεμος
, which letters being reckoned up, you will find to give the number as above:
α
one,
ν
fifty,
τ
three hundred,
ε
five,
μ
forty,
ο
seventy,
ς
two hundred — which together makes six hundred and sixty-six, according to the Greeks. Moreover, there is another name in Gothic of him, which will be evident of itself, that is,
γενσήρικος
, which in the same way you will reckon in Greek letters:
γ
three,
ε
five,
ν
fifty,
σ
two hundred,
η
eight,
ρ
a hundred,
ι
ten,
κ
twenty,
ο
seventy,
ς
also two hundred, which, as has been said above, make six hundred and sixty-six.
11.
And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth.
He is speaking of the great and
false prophet
who is to do signs, and portents, and falsehoods before him in the presence of men.
And he had two horns like a lamb — that is, the appearance within of a man — and he spoke like a dragon.
But the
devil
speaks full of
malice
; for he shall do these things in the presence of
men
, so that even the dead appear to rise again.
13.
And he shall make fire come down from heaven in the sight of men.
Yes (as I also have said), in the sight of men. Magicians do these things, by the aid of the
apostate
angels
, even to this day. He shall
cause
also that a golden image of
Antichrist
shall be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and that the
apostate
angel
should enter, and thence utter voices and oracles. Moreover, he himself shall contrive that his servants and children should receive as a mark on their foreheads, or on their right hands, the number of his name, lest any one should buy or sell them. Daniel had previously predicted his contempt and provocation of
God
.
And he shall place,
says he,
his temple within
Samaria
, upon the illustrious and
holy
mountain that is at Jerusalem, an image such as
Nebuchadnezzar
had made.
Daniel 11:45
Thence here he places, and by and by here he renews, that of which the Lord, admonishing His churches concerning the last times and their dangers, says:
But when you shall see the contempt which is spoken of by Daniel the
prophet
standing in the
holy
place, let him who reads understand.
Matthew 24:15
;
Daniel 9:27
It is called a contempt when God is provoked, because
idols
are worshipped instead of
God
, or when the
dogma
of
heretics
is introduced in the churches. But it is a turning away because steadfast men, seduced by false signs and portents, are turned away from their
salvation
.
From the Fourteenth Chapter
6.
And I saw an
angel
flying through the midst of heaven.
The
angel
flying through the midst of heaven, whom he says that he saw, we have already treated of above, as being the same Elias who anticipates the kingdom of
Antichrist
in his
prophecy
.
8.
And another
angel
following him.
The other
angel
following, he speaks of as the same
prophet
who is the associate of his prophesying. But that he says —
15.
Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather in the grapes of the vine,
he signifies it of the nations that should perish on the advent of the Lord. And indeed in many forms he shows this same thing, as if to the dry harvest, and the seed for the coming of the Lord, and the consummation of the world, and the kingdom of
Christ
, and the future appearance of the kingdom of the blessed.
19, 20.
And the
angel
thrust in the sickle, and reaped the vine of the earth, and cast it into the wine-press of the
wrath
of
God
. And the wine-press of His fury was trodden down without the city.
In that he says that it was cast into the wine-press of the
wrath
of
God
, and trodden down without the city, the treading of the wine-press is the retribution on the sinner.
And blood went out from the wine-press, even unto the horse-bridles.
The vengeance of shed blood as was before predicted,
In blood you have
sinned
, and blood shall follow you.
For a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
That is, through all the four parts of the world: for there is a quadrate put together by fours, as in four faces and four appearances, and wheels by fours; for forty times four is one thousand six hundred. Repeating the same
persecution
, the Apocalypse says:—
From the Fifteenth Chapter
1.
And I saw another great and wonderful sign, seven
angels
having the seven last plagues; for in them is completed the indignation of
God
.
For the
wrath
of God always strikes the obstinate people with seven plagues, that is, perfectly, as it is said in Leviticus; and these shall be in the last time, when the
Church
shall have gone out of the midst.
2.
Standing upon the sea of glass, having harps.
That is, that they stood steadfastly in the
faith
upon their
baptism
, and having their confession in their mouth, that they shall exult in the kingdom before God. But let us return to what is set before us.
From the Seventeenth Chapter
1-6.
There came one of the seven
angels
, which have the seven bowls, and spoke with me, saying, Come, I will show you the judgment of that great whore who sits upon many waters. And I saw the
woman
drunk with the blood of the
saints
, and with the blood of the
martyrs
.
The decrees of that senate are always accomplished against all, contrary to the preaching of the
true
faith
; and now already mercy being cast aside, itself here gave the decree among all nations.
3.
And I saw the
woman
herself sitting upon the scarlet-colored beast, full of names of
blasphemy
.
But to sit upon the scarlet beast, the author of murders, is the image of the
devil
. Where also
is treated
of his captivity, concerning which we have fully considered. I remember, indeed, that this is called
Babylon
also in the Apocalypse, on account of confusion; and in Isaiah also; and Ezekiel called it
Sodom
. In fine, if you compare what is said against
Sodom
, and what Isaiah says against
Babylon
, and what the Apocalypse says, you will find that they are all one.
9.
The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the
woman
sits.
That is, the city of
Rome
.
10.
And there are seven kings: five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he has come, he will be for a short time.
The time must be understood in which the written Apocalypse was published, since then reigned Cæsar
Domitian
; but before him had been Titus his brother, and
Vespasian
, Otho, Vitellius, and Galba. These are the five who have fallen. One remains, under whom the Apocalypse was written —
Domitian
, to wit.
The other has not yet come,
speaks of Nerva;
and when he has come, he will be for a short time,
for he did not complete the period of two years.
11.
And the beast which you saw is of the seven.
Since before those kings
Nero
reigned.
And he is the eighth.
He says only when this beast shall come, reckon it the eighth place, since in that is the completion. He added:—
And shall go into perdition.
For that ten kings received royal power when he shall move from the east, he says. He shall be sent from the city of
Rome
with his armies. And Daniel sets forth the ten horns and the ten diadems. And that these are eradicated from the former ones — that is, that three of the principal leaders are killed by
Antichrist
: that the other seven give him
honour
and wisdom and power, of whom he says:—
16.
These shall
hate
the whore, to wit, the city, and shall burn her flesh with fire.
Now that one of the heads was, as it were, slain to death, and that the stroke of his death was directed, he speaks of
Nero
. For it is plain that when the cavalry sent by the senate was pursuing him, he himself cut his throat. Him therefore, when raised up, God will send as a worthy king, but worthy in such a way as the
Jews
merited. And since he is to have another name, He shall also appoint another name, that so the
Jews
may receive him as if he were the Christ. Says Daniel:
He shall not
know
the
lust
of
women
, although before he was most impure, and he shall
know
no God of his fathers: for he will not be able to seduce the people of the
circumcision
, unless he is a judge of the law.
Daniel 11:37
Finally, also, he will recall the
saints
, not to the worship of
idols
, but to undertake
circumcision
, and, if he is able, to seduce any; for he shall so conduct himself as to be called Christ by them. But that he rises again from
hell
, we have said above in the word of Isaiah:
Water shall nourish him, and
hell
has increased him;
who, however, must come with name unchanged, and doings unchanged, as says the Spirit.
From the Nineteenth Chapter
11.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True.
The horse, and He that sits upon him, sets forth our Lord coming to His kingdom with the heavenly army. Because from the sea of the north, which is the
Arabian
Sea, even to the sea of Phœnice, and even to the ends of the earth, they will command these greater parts in the coming of the
Lord Jesus
, and all the
souls
of the nations will be assembled to judgment.
From the Twentieth Chapter
1-3.
And I saw an
angel
come down from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a chain in his hand. And he held the dragon, that old serpent, which is called the
Devil
and
Satan
, and bound him for a
thousand years
, and cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the
thousand years
should be finished: after this he must be loosed a little season.
Those years wherein
Satan
is bound are in the first advent of
Christ
, even to the end of the age; and they are called a
thousand
, according to that mode of speaking, wherein a part is signified by the whole, just as is that passage,
the word which He commanded for a thousand generations,
although they are not a thousand. Moreover that he says,
and he cast him into the abyss,
he says this, because the
devil
, excluded from the hearts of
believers
, began to take possession of the
wicked
, in whose hearts, blinded day by day, he is shut up as if in a profound abyss. And he shut him up, says he, and put a seal upon him, that he should not deceive the nations until the
thousand years
should be finished.
He shut the door upon him,
it is said, that is, he forbade and restrained his seducing those who belong to
Christ
. Moreover, he put a seal upon him, because it is hidden who belong to the side of the
devil
, and who to that of
Christ
. For we
know
not of those who seem to stand whether they shall not fall, and of those who are down it is uncertain whether they may rise. Moreover, that he says that he is bound and shut up, that he may not seduce the
nations
, the nations signify the
Church
, seeing that of them it itself is formed, and which being seduced, he previously held until, he says, the
thousand years
should be completed, that is, what is left of the sixth day, to wit, of the sixth age, which subsists for a
thousand years
; after this he must be loosed for a little season. The little season signifies three years and six months, in which with all his power the
devil
will avenge himself under
Antichrist
against the
Church
. Finally, he says, after that the
devil
shall be loosed, and will seduce the nations in the whole world, and will entice
war
against the
Church
, the number of whose foes shall be as the sand of the sea.
4, 5.
And I saw thrones, and them that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and
I saw
the
souls
of them that were slain on account of the testimony of
Jesus
, and for the word of
God
, and which had not worshipped the beast nor his image, nor have received his writing on their forehead or in their hand; and they reigned with
Christ
for a
thousand years
: the rest of them lived not again until the
thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection.
There are two resurrections. But the first resurrection is now of the
souls
that are by the
faith
, which does not permit men to pass over to the second death. Of this resurrection the apostle says:
If you have risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.
6.
Blessed and
holy
is he who has part in this resurrection: on them the second death shall have no power, but they shall be
priests
of
God
and
Christ
, and they shall reign with Him a
thousand years
.
I do not think the reign of a
thousand years
is
eternal
; or if it is thus to be thought of, they cease to reign when the
thousand years
are finished. But I will put forward what my capacity enables me to judge. The tenfold number signifies the decalogue, and the hundredfold sets forth the crown of
virginity
: for he who shall have kept the undertaking of
virginity
completely, and shall have faithfully fulfilled the precepts of the decalogue, and shall have destroyed the untrained nature or impure thoughts within the retirement of the heart, that they may not rule over him, this is the
true
priest
of
Christ
, and accomplishing the millenary number thoroughly, is thought to reign with Christ; and
truly
in his case the
devil
is bound. But he who is entangled in the
vices
and the
dogmas
of
heretics
, in his case the
devil
is loosed. But that it says that when the
thousand years
are finished he is loosed, so the number of the perfect
saints
being completed, in whom there is the
glory
of
virginity
in body and
mind
, by the approaching advent of the kingdom of the hateful one, many, seduced by that
love
of earthly things, shall be overthrown, and together with him shall enter the lake of fire.
8-10.
And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the
saints
about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the
devil
who seduced them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where both the beast and the
false prophet
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This belongs to the last judgment. And after a little time the earth was made
holy
, as being at least that wherein lately had reposed the bodies of the
virgins
, when they shall enter upon an
eternal
kingdom with an
immortal
King, as they who are not only
virgins
in body, but, moreover, with equal inviolability have protected themselves, both in tongue and thought, from
wickedness
; and these, it shows, shall dwell in rejoicing for ever with the Lamb.
From the Twenty-First and Twenty-Second Chapters
16.
And the city is placed in a square.
The city which he says is squared, he says also is resplendent with gold and precious stones, and has a sacred street, and a river through the midst of it, and the tree of life on either side, bearing twelve manner of fruits throughout the twelve months; and that the light of the sun is not there, because the Lamb is the light of it; and that its gates were of single pearls; and that there were three gates on each of the four sides, and that they could not be shut. I say, in respect of the square city, he shows forth the united multitude of the
saints
, in whom the
faith
could by no means waver. As
Noah
is commanded to make the ark of squared beams, that it might resist the force of the deluge, by the precious stones he sets forth the
holy
men who cannot waver in
persecution
, who could not be moved either by the tempest of persecutors, or be dissolved from the
true
faith
by the force of the rain, because they are associated of pure gold, of whom the city of the great King is adorned. Moreover, the streets set forth their hearts purified from all uncleanness, transparent with glowing light, that the Lord may
justly
walk up and down in them. The river of life sets forth that the
grace
of spiritual doctrine flowed through the minds of the
faithful
, and that manifold flourishing forms of odours germinated therein. The tree of life on either bank sets forth the Advent of
Christ
, according to the flesh, who satisfied the peoples wasted with famine,
that
received life from One by the wood of the Cross, with the announcement of God's word. And
in
that he says that the sun is not necessary in the city,
he
shows, evidently, that the Creator as the immaculate light shines in the midst of it, whose brightness no mind has been able to conceive, nor tongue to tell.
In that he says there are three gates placed on each of the four sides, of single pearls, I think that these are the four
virtues
, to wit,
prudence
,
fortitude
,
justice
,
temperance
, which are associated with one another. And, being involved together, they make the number twelve. But the twelve gates we
believe
to be the number of the
apostles
, who, shining in the four
virtues
as precious stones, manifesting the light of their doctrine among the
saints
,
cause
it to enter the celestial city, that by intercourse with them the
choir
of
angels
may be gladdened. And that the gates cannot be shut, it is evidently shown that the doctrine of the
apostles
can be separated from rectitude by no tempest of contradiction. Even though the floods of the nations and the vain
superstitions
of
heretics
should revolt against their
true
faith
, they are overcome, and shall be dissolved as the foam, because Christ is the Rock by which, and on which, the
Church
is founded. And thus it is overcome by no traces of maddened men. Therefore they are not to be heard who assure themselves that there is to be an earthly reign of a
thousand years
; who think,
that is to say
, with the
heretic
Cerinthus
. For the kingdom of Christ is now
eternal
in the
saints
, although the
glory
of the
saints
shall be manifested after the resurrection.
About this page
Source.
Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis.
From
Ante-Nicene Fathers
,
Vol. 7.
Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe.
(
Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co.,
1886.
)
Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
<http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0712.htm>.
Contact information.
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