The saints glorify God for his judgments on the great harlot. Christ’s victory over the beast and the kings of the earth.
• The Saincts glorifying God for the iudgement pronounced vpon the harlot, 7 the mariage of the Lambe is prepared. 10 The Angel refuseth to be adored of S. Iohn. 1• There appeareth one (vvho is the word of God, and the King of kings and Lord of lords) sitting on a horse, vvith a great armie, and fighting against the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies 17 the birdes of the aire being in the meane time called to deuoure their flesh.
1After these things, I heard as it were the voice of much people in heaven, saying: Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power is to our God.Dopo di ciò udii come voce di molte turbe in cielo, che dicevano: alleluia: salute, e gloria, e virtù al nostro Dio:AFTER theses things I heard as it vvere the voice of many multitudes in heauen saying, Allelu-ia Praise, and glorie, and povver is to our God:Post hæc audivi quasi vocem turbarum multarum in cælo dicentium: Alleluja: salus, et gloria, et virtus Deo nostro est: 2For true and just are his judgments, who hath judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication and hath revenged the blood of his servants, at her hands.Perché veri, e giusti sono i suoi giudizi, ed ha giudicato la gran meretrice, che ha corrotto la terra colla sua prostituzione, e ha fatto vendetta del sangue de' suoi servi (sparso) dalle mani di lei.because true & iust are his iudgementes which hath iudged of the great harlot, that hath corrupted the earth in her vvhoredom, and hath reuenged the bloud of his seruants, of her handes.quia vera et justa judicia sunt ejus, qui judicavit de meretrice magna, quæ corrupit terram in prostitutione sua, et vindicavit sanguinem servorum suorum de manibus ejus. 3And again they said: Alleluia. And her smoke ascendeth for ever and ever.E dissero per la seconda volta: alleluia. E il fumo di essa sali pei secoli de' secoli.And againe they said, Allelu-ia. And her smoke ascendeth for euer and euer.Et iterum dixerunt: Alleluja. Et fumus ejus ascendit in sæcula sæculorum. 4And the four and twenty ancients and the four living creatures fell down and adored God that sitteth upon the throne, saying: Amen. Alleluia.E si prostrarono i ventiquattro seniori, e i quattro animali, e adorarono Dio sedente sul trono, dicendo: amen, alleluia.And the foure and tvventie seniors fel downe, and the foure beastes, & adored God sitting vpon the throne, saying: • Amen, Allelu-ia.Et ceciderunt seniores viginti quatuor, et quatuor animalia, et adoraverunt Deum sedentem super thronum, dicentes: Amen: alleluja. 5And a voice came out from the throne, saying: Give praise to our God, all ye his servants: and you that fear him, little and great.E uscì dal trono una voce, che disse: date lode al nostro Dio voi tutti suoi servi: e voi, che lo temete, piccoli, e grandi.And a voice came out from the throne, saying: Say praise to our God al ye his seruantes: and you that feare him, litle and great.Ex vox de throno exivit, dicens: Laudem dicite Deo nostro omnes servi ejus: et qui timetis eum pusilli et magni.
6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying: Alleluia: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, hath reigned.E udii una voce come di gran moltitudine, e come voce di molte acque, e come voce di tuoni grandi, che dicevano: alleluia: è entrato nel regno il Signore Dio nostro onnipotente.And I heard as it vvere the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many vvaters, & as the voice of great thunders, saying Allelu-ia: because our Lord God the omnipotent hath reigned.Et audivi quasi vocem turbæ magnæ, et sicut vocem aquarum multarum, et sicut vocem tonitruorum magnorum, dicentium: Alleluja: quoniam regnavit Dominus Deus noster omnipotens. 7Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb is come: and his wife hath prepared herself.Rallegriamoci, ed esultiamo, e diamo a lui gloria: perché sono venute le nozze dell'Agnello, e la sua consorte si è messa all'ordine.Let vs be glad and reioyce, and giue glorie to him: because the mariage of the Lambe is come, and his vvife hath prepared her self.Gaudeamus, et exsultemus: et demus gloriam ei: quia venerunt nuptiæ Agni, et uxor ejus præparavit se. 8And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications of saints.E le è stato dato di vestirsi di bisso candido, e lucente. Imperocché il bisso sono le giustificazioni de' santi.And it vvas giuen to her that she clothe her self vvith silke glittering and vvhite. For the silke are • the iustifications of Sainctes.Et datum est illi ut cooperiat se byssino splendenti et candido. Byssinum enim justificationes sunt sanctorum. 9And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith to me: These words of God are true.E dissemi: scrivi: beati coloro, che sono stati chiamati alla cena nuziale dell'Agnello: e dissemi: queste parole di Dio sono vere.And he said to me, Vvrite, Blessed be they that are called to the supper of the mariage of the Lambe. And he said to me, These vvordes of God, be true.Et dixit mihi: Scribe: Beati qui ad cœnam nuptiarum Agni vocati sunt; et dixit mihi: Hæc verba Dei vera sunt. 10And I fell down before his feet, to adore him. And he saith to me: See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Adore God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.E mi prostrai a' suoi piedi per adorarlo. Ma egli mi disse: guardati dal farlo: io sono servo come te, e come i tuoi fratelli, i quali rendono testimonianza a Gesù. Adora Dio. Imperocché testimonianza (renduta) a Gesù egli è la spirito di profezia.• And I fel before his feete, to adore him. And he saith to me, See thou doe not: I am thy fellovv-seruant, and of thy brethren that haue the testimonie of IESVS. Adore God. For the testimonie of IESVS, is the spirit of prophecie.Et cecidi ante pedes ejus, ut adorarem eum. Et dicit mihi: Vide ne feceris: conservus tuus sum, et fratrum tuorum habentium testimonium Jesu. Deum adora. Testimonium enim Jesu est spiritus prophetiæ.
11And I saw heaven opened: and behold a white horse. And he that sat upon him was called faithful and true: and with justice doth he judge and fight.E vidi aperto il cielo, ed ecco un caval bianco, e quegli, che vi stava sopra, si chiamava fedele, e verace, e giudica con giustizia, e combatte.And I savv heauen opened, and behold a vvhite horse: and he that sate vpon him, vvas called Faithful and True, and vvith iustice he iudgeth & fighteth.Et vidi cælum apertum, et ecce equus albus, et qui sedebat super eum, vocabatur Fidelis, et Verax, et cum justitia judicat et pugnat. 12And his eyes were as a flame of fire: and on his head were many diadems. And he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself.Gli occhi di lui erano come fuoco fiammante, e aveva sulla testa molti diademi, e portava scritto un nome non ad altri noto, che a lui.And his eies as a flame of fire, and on his head many diademes. hauing a name written, vvhich no man knovveth but him self.Oculi autem ejus sicut flamma ignis, et in capite ejus diademata multa, habens nomen scriptum, quod nemo novit nisi ipse. 13And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood. And his name is called: THE WORD OF GOD.Ed era vestito d'una veste tinta di sangue: e il suo nome si chiama, Verbo di Dio.And he vvas clothed vvith a garment sprinkled vvith bloud: & his name is called, THE VVORD OF GOD.Et vestitus erat veste aspersa sanguine: et vocatur nomen ejus: Verbum Dei. 14And the armies that are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.E gli eserciti, che sono nel cielo, lo seguivano sopra cavalli bianchi, vestiti essendo di bisso bianco, e puro.And the hostes that are in heauen folovved him on vvhite horses clothed in vvhite and pure silke.Et exercitus qui sunt in cælo, sequebantur eum in equis albis, vestiti byssino albo et mundo. 15And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two-edged sword, that with it he may strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God the Almighty.E dalla bocca di lui usciva una spada a due tagli, colla quale egli ferisca le genti. Ed ei le governerà con verga di ferro: ed ei pigia lo strettoio del vino di furore d'ira di Dio onnipotente.And out of his mouth procedeth a sharpe svvord: that in it he may strike the Gentiles. And he shal rule them in a rod of yron: and he treadeth the vvine presse of the furie of the vvrath of God omnipotent.Et de ore ejus procedit gladius ex utraque parte acutus, ut in ipso percutiat gentes. Et ipse reget eas in virga ferrea: et ipse calcat torcular vini furoris iræ Dei omnipotentis.
16And he hath on his garment and on his thigh written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.Ed ha scritto sulla sua veste, e sopra il suo fianco: Re de' regi, e Signore di que' che imperano.And he hath in his garment and in his thigh vvritten, KING OF KINGES AND LORD OF LORDES.Et habet in vestimento et in femore suo scriptum: Rex regum et Dominus dominantium. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that did fly through the midst of heaven: Come, gather yourselves together to the great supper of God:E vidi un Angelo, che stava nel sole, e gridò ad alta voce, dicendo a tutti gli uccelli, che volavano per mezzo il cielo: venite, e regimatevi per la gran cena di Dio:And I savv one Angel standing in the sunne, & he cried vvith a loud voice saying to al the birdes that did flie by the middes of heauen, Come and assemble together to the great supper of God:Et vidi unum angelum stantem in sole, et clamavit voce magna, dicens omnibus avibus, quæ volabant per medium cæli: Venite, et congregamini ad cœnam magnam Dei: 18That you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of tribunes and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them: and the flesh of all freemen and bondmen and of little and of great.Per mangiare le carni dei re, e le carni dei tribuni, e le carni de' potenti, e le carni de' cavalli, e dei cavalieri, e le carni di tutti, liberi, e servi, e piccoli, e grandi.that you may eate the flesh of kings, and the flesh of tribunes, and the flesh of valiants, and the flesh of horses & of them that sit on them, & the flesh of al freemen and bondmen, and of litle and great.ut manducetis carnes regum, et carnes tribunorum, et carnes fortium, et carnes equorum, et sedentium in ipsis, et carnes omnium liberorum, et servorum, et pusillorum et magnorum. 19And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war with him that sat upon the horse and with his army.E vidi la bestia, e i re della terra, e i loro eserciti radunati per far battaglia con colui, che stava sul cavallo, e col suo esercito.And I savv the beast and the kings of the earth, & their armies gathered to make vvarre vvith him that sate vpon the horse and vvith his armie.Et vidi bestiam, et reges terræ, et exercitus eorum congregatos ad faciendum prælium cum illo, qui sedebat in equo, et cum exercitu ejus. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who wrought signs before him, wherewith he seduced them who received the character of the beast and who adored his image. These two were cast alive into the pool of fire burning with brimstone.E fu presa la bestia, e con essa il falso profeta, che fece prodigi dinanzi a lei, co' quali sedusse coloro, che ricevettero il carattere della bestia, e adorarono la sua immagine. Tutti due furono messi vivi in uno stagno di fuoco ardente pello zolfo.And the beast vvas apprehēded, and vvith him the false •prophet: vvhich vvrought signes before him, vvherevvith he seduced them that tooke the character of the beast, and that adored his image. These tvvo were cast aliue into the poole of fire burning also with brimstone.Et apprehensa est bestia, et cum ea pseudopropheta: qui fecit signa coram ipso, quibus seduxit eos, qui acceperunt caracterem bestiæ, et qui adoraverunt imaginem ejus. Vivi missi sunt hi duo in stagnum ignis ardentis sulphure:
21And the rest were slain by the sword of him that sitteth upon the horse, which proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.E il restante furono uccisi dalla spada di lui, che sta sul cavallo, la quale esce dalla sua bocca: e tutti gli uccelli si sfamarono delle loro carniAnd the rest vvere slaine by the svvord of him that sitteth vpon the horse, vvhich procedeth out of his mouth: and al the birdes vvere filled vvith their flesh.et ceteri occisi sunt in gladio sedentis super equum, qui procedit de ore ipsius: et omnes aves saturatæ sunt carnibus eorum.
19:1
Calmet
Here we enter upon a new scene. Babylon the great is fallen. The saints are here represented rejoicing over the woman who was drunk with the blood of the saints. (Chap. 17:6.) (Calmet)
Witham
The voice of many multitudes....saying: Alleluia. In these visions, when the martyrs have triumphed and overcome persecutors, are sometimes represented their praises of God in heaven. Here in the Protestant translation, are retained Alleluia and Amen, which as St. Augustine takes notice, used not to be changed nor translated in any language. (Witham)
19:6
The voice of a great multitude. Menochius applies this voice to the multitude of Angels and saints, which from its strength may be compared to the voice of rushing waters, and because of the terror with which it strikes the wicked. Pastorini understands by this voice of many waters, the voices of many Angels that preside over the nations, denoted by waters, which had all before groaned under the tyranny of antichrist; and the voice of great thunders, that of the Angel who presides over fire, which, as employed in military engines, by its explosion resembles thunder. It must be observed that the latter author refers it to the last stage of the world.
19:7
Calmet
For the marriage, etc. In the New Testament, the word marriage points out the establishment of the Church, the vocation of different people to the faith, or the reign of the Messias. (Calmet)
19:8
Pastorini
Fine linen. The symbol of justifications, or the good works and merit of her holy members; the most pleasing attire in which she can present herself to the Lamb. Her robe is glittering and white, because she has been purified as silver in the furnace, and washed white in the waters of tribulation and persecution. (Pastorini)
The fine linen, or byssus, here mentioned, is, according to Calmet, a kind of silk produced by a shell-fish, called pinna; though the same learned commentator allows that the Greek authors use this word for fine linen.
19:10
Witham
And I fell before his feet, to adore him.[Ver. 10. Cecidi ante pedes ejus ut adorarum illum: epeson emprosthen ton podon autou proskunesai auto, proskunein, as Mr. Legh shews out of other authors: promiscuè de Dei et hominum cultu apud LXX.[the Septuagint] usurpatur, cui respondet apud Latinos, adorare, quod est quasi ad aliquem orare, says Erasmus, capite vel corpore inclinato. We have very many examples in the holy Scripture, where both proskunein and latreuein signify not only divine honour, but also the honour paid to men. When God gave the ten commandments, (Exodus xx.) he forbad his people to adore strange gods; non adorabis ea, neque coles; ou proskuneseis autois, oude me latreuseis autois. Yet the same words are used in a great many places, where it is evident that no divine adoration or worship was designed, as we read of Abraham, (Genesis xxvii. 7.) adoravit populum terrae, prosekunese to lao tes ges; Genesis xlii. 6. of Joseph's brethren, cum adorassent eum fratres sui, prosekunesan auto epi prosopon. See also 1 Kings xx. 41. where David is said to have adored Jonathan, cadens pronus in terram adoravit, epesen epi prosopon kai prosekunesen auto tris. See likewise 3 Kings 1:16. where Bethsabee[Bathsheba] is said to have adored old king David, adoravit regem, prosekunese to basilei. Though in these and many other places be the same expressions as when St. John is here said to have fallen at the angel's feet to adore him, or worship him, yet no one can think that in these places is meant the supreme worship due to God alone: did Bathsabee take her old, decayed, dying husband, David, to be God, or design to pay him divine honour? Nothing then is more frivolous than such arguments drawn from the like words, which have different significations.] They of the pretended reformation think they have here a clear proof that no veneration is due to Angels and saints, and that papists in so doing are idolaters. In answer to this: First, they make St. John the apostle guilty of that idolatry which they lay to our charge. For they must suppose and grant that St. John, as to the dispositions of his mind and will, was just ready, or rather falling down, did pay an idolatrous worship to the Angel; and what Christian can believe this of so great an apostle, that after he had been favoured with all those extraordinary visions, he should either be so very ignorant as not to know what was idolatry, or so impious as to become guilty of it, and give divine honour to any creature? And what makes St. John altogether inexcusable, (had it been idolatry) we find him doing the very same a second time, in the last chapter of the Apocalypse; (ver. 7 and 8) that is, falling down at the Angel's feet to adore. Secondly, as it would be extravagantly unreasonable to suspect this apostle, this evangelist, this prophet of the new law, to be guilty of what every Christian, every Jew knows to be idolatry; to wit, to give the divine honour due to God alone to any creature whatsoever; so in reason we cannot but conclude that he was not for giving divine honour to any Angel, knowing them all to be God's creatures. If therefore he was about to pay divine honour, we must either say that he took him who then appeared to him to be our Saviour Christ, God and man, as some expound it; or, which seems more probable, he was only for offering an inferior honour and veneration to the Angel, such as he knew was lawful: and therefore he was for doing it afterwards a second time; though the Angel would not receive it from St. John, to make us the more convinced of the great dignity of this apostle and prophet, who should be raised in heaven to a degree of glory, not inferior to that of the Angels: and thus the Angel tells him, that he is his fellow creature, who with him must adore Almighty God, that by these prophecies they both bear testimony concerning Jesus Christ and his Church, the Angel by revealing them, and St. John by publishing them, which seems to be the sense of the following words, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy: or they may be expounded thus, for the testimony that we give concerning Christ and his Church, we both of us receive from the divine spirit of God, who reveals such truths to his prophets. Thirdly, the Protestants are for proving us idolaters from what St. John was about to do, or rather from what he did, expressed in these words, and I fell before his feet to adore him; or, as in the Protestant translation, and I fell at his feet to worship him. Now it is certain and evident that these words neither in the Latin nor in the Greek, express that divine worship and honour which is due, and which is given to God alone, whether we consult the Hebrew or the Septuagint of the Old Testament, the very same words are many times used to signify no more than an inferior honour given to creatures. This is a thing well known, and agreed upon by every Protestant as well as Catholic, who has read the Scriptures, or who knows any thing of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew. Fourthly, it seems very strange, very unaccountable, that our adversaries will not understand the difference betwixt divine honour due to God alone, and an inferior honour, respect, or veneration given to Angels or saints, to their relics or images, which inferior honour may, in some sense, be called a religious honour, inasmuch as it is paid to persons or things that may be called sacred or holy. Is not honour or veneration certainly different, as the objects or things we pay honour to, and the intention of him that pays this honour, are different, though perhaps the exterior marks of bowing, of kneeling, of prostrating, of kissing, may be the same? We honour the king, and we also honour his courtiers, his officers, and such as are invested with dignities and authority from him: but shall any one think that we pay the same honour to all these persons or things belonging to them? though the eastern people kneel or prostrate themselves before kings or persons in dignities, they neither give nor design to give them divine honour. Why will our adversaries pretend to make us idolaters against our wills, minds, and intentions, when we have always protested that we give divine honour and supreme worship to God alone? that we honour, worship, serve and adore him only as the author of all things? that we never design to pay any thing but an inferior honour to the highest Angels or saints, or to their relics and images. We know, believe, and profess that there is an infinite distance betwixt God the creator, and the highest and most perfect of all created beings; so that the honour we give them is infinitely inferior, as they themselves are, to the honour that with our hearts and minds we pay to God: and must it be said that we give divine honour to creatures, and so become idolaters, when we never design it, when we design quite the contrary? This made Mr. Thorndike, in his book of just weights and measures, tell his Protestant brethren, that the Church of Rome cannot be charged with idolatry for their reverencing images, nor on any other account; and so exhorts them not to pretend to lead the people by the nose, to make them believe suppositions which they cannot prove. See Apocalypse 2:and xix. (Witham)
Calmet
Fell before, etc. St. Athanasius and St. Augustine think St. John took the Angel to be Jesus Christ, and as such was desirous of paying him the supreme homage, or latreia. (Calmet)
Pastorini
St. John, in token of gratitude, offers to pay to the Angel such homage as is due to a being of his rank, which the Angel however refuses to accept, giving for reason, that his is a fellow-servant of the apostle, and of the apostle's brethren, who bear testimony to Jesus Christ. (Pastorini)
This speech evidently agrees with the character of John the Baptist, but not with that of a real Angel.
Pastorini
Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The testimony which you give to Christ, by suffering for his holy name and the profession of his doctrine, is of equal value with the spirit of prophecy which I possess (Pastorini; Calmet)
19:11
Witham
Behold a white horse. The titles and character given to him that sat on this white horse, shew that hereby was represented Jesus Christ, called also here the word of God, ver. 13; and ver. 16, and he hath on his garment and on his thigh written: King of kings and Lord of lords, etc. (Witham)
Pastorini
And he that sat, etc. The heavens open and St. John sees Jesus Christ, the Son of God, descending, seated on a white horse. He is known by the peculiar appellations of faithful and true. Faithful, in protecting his servants; and true, by always keeping strictly true whatever he promises. (Pastorini)
19:12
Flame, etc. Which shews his indignation.
Pastorini
Diadems; the mark of power. So Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, after he had entered Antiochia, took two crowns, to signify that he was king of two countries, Syria and Egypt. (Pastorini)
Calmet
Which (name) no man knoweth but himself. Some interpreters think St. John alludes to an ancient custom which still obtains among the Orientals, of having a secret name, which they discover to no one. (Calmet)
Pastorini understands this to be the name of the word of God, as mentioned in the subsequent verse; which is so comprehensive in its meaning, that human reason cannot fathom it, and no man knoweth but himself.
19:13
Sprinkled with blood, etc. Which betokens the carnage made among his enemies.
19:14
Pastorini
The armies, etc. The celestial armies of saints follow the Son of God, as their captain and commander; they are all like him, mounted on white horses, and clothed in fine linen, white and clean, a symbol of their merit and glory. (Pastorini)
19:15
Menochius
Sharp two-edged sword. The power which Christ exercises over the impious. (Menochius)
Calmet
Wine press, etc. This painting corresponds to the triumph of Jesus Christ. (Calmet)
Pastorini
Some of the attributes here mentioned are also ascribed to Christ, by the prophet Isaiah, (Isaias 63:2, 3.) "Why then is thy apparel red, and thy garments like theirs that tread in the wine press? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the Gentiles there is not a man with me: I have trampled on them in my indignation, and have trodden them down in my wrath, and their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my apparel." (Pastorini)
19:17
Pastorini
An Angel....in the sun,...with a loud voice invites all the birds of the air to a most plentiful entertainment which is preparing for them, where they may fill themselves with human flesh of all kinds; from that of kings to that of bondmen; (ver. 18) and with the flesh of horses and that of them that sin on them: an expressive picture of the immense slaughter that is going to be made. It would seem that this bloody scene will terminate in the evening of the day, as the invitation is given to a supper. (Pastorini)
19:19
Pastorini
We have just now seen the heavenly captain on horseback, at the head of his holy troop, marching to battle; and now we see who are the enemies he comes to encounter. Here is the beast, or antichrist, with prodigious armies gathered from all parts of the earth, and headed by their kings and princes. (Pastorini)
19:20
Menochius
The beast, etc. Antichrist is taken alive. (Menochius)
19:10
I fell down before, etc.... St. Augustine (lib. 20, contra Faust, c. 21) is of opinion, that this angel appeared in so glorious a manner, that St. John took him to be God; and therefore would have given him divine honour had not the angel stopped him, by telling him he was but his fellow servant. St. Gregory (Hom. 8, in Evang.) rather thinks that the veneration offered by St. John, was not divine honour, or indeed any other than what might lawfully be given; but was nevertheless refused by the angel, in consideration of the dignity to which our human nature had been raised, by the incarnation of the Son of God, and the dignity of St. John, an apostle, prophet, and martyr.
19:1
In the liturgy The Epistle for many martyrs.
ALLELVIA.
19:3
This often repeating of Allelu-ia. in times of reioycing, the Church doth folow in her Seruice.
19:4
4. Amen, Alleluia.] These tvvo Hebrue vvordes (as other els vvhere) both in the Greeke & Latin text are kept religiously, 〈Greek〉 & not translated, vnles it be once or tvvise in the Psalmes. Yea and the Protestants them selues keepe them in the text of their English Testaments in many places. Amen. Alleluia, not translated. and maruel it. is vvhy they vse them not in al places, but sometimes turne, Amen, into, verely, vvhere of see the Annotation Ioan. 8. v. 34. and in their Seruice booke they translate, Alleluia, into, Praise ye the Lord. as though Alleluia had not as good a grace in the acte of seruing God, (vvhere it is in deede properly vsed) as it hath in the text of the Scripture.
The Church Catholike doth often and specially vse this sacred vvord, to ioyne vvith the Church triumphant, Alleluia often vsed in the Church, specially in Easter time. consisting of Angels and Saincts, vvho here are said to laude and praise God vvith treat reioycing, by this vvord Alleluia, and by often repetition thereof: as the Catholike Church also vseth, namely in Easter time euen til Vvhit-sontide, for the ioy of Christs resurrection, vvhich (as S. Augustine declareth ep. ad Ianuarium) vvas the general vse of the Primitiue Church, Epist. ad Ian. c. 17. &c. 15. making a greater mysterie and matter of it, then our Protestants novv do. At other times of the yere also he saith it vvas sung in some Churches, but not in al, and S. Hierom numbereth it among the heresies of Vigilantius, That Alleluia could not be sung but at Easter. Aduers. Vigilant. c. 1.
The truth is, by the vse of the Scriptures it hath more in it then, Praise ye the Lord, signifying vvith laude, It signifieth more then (as the Protestants trāslate it) praise ye the lord. glorifying, and praising of God, a great reioycing vvithal, mirth, and exultation of hart in the singers thereof, and that is the cause vvhy the holy Church saith, Laus tibi Domine, Praise be to thee ô Lord, in Lent and times of penance and mourning, but not Alleluia. vvhich (as S. Augustine also declareth) is a terme of signification and mysterie, ioyned vvith that time, and then vsed specially in the Church of God, vvhen she representeth to vs in her Seruice, the ioyes and beatitude of the next life: vvhich is done specially at Easter, by the ioyful celebrating of Christs glorious Resurrection and Ascension, after the penal time of Lent vvhich representeth the miserie of this life. See S. Augustine Ser. 1. & 5. c. 9. & 6. c. 9 de Diuersis to. 10. and his ena•tation vpon the 148 Psalme. for in the titles and endes of diuerse holy Psalmes this Alleluia is ful of mysterie & sacred signification. •Palse translation. Vvhere vve must aske the Protestants, vvhy they haue left it out altogether, being in the Hebrue, saying neither Alleluia, nor, Praise the Lord, in the Bible 1577: & that nine times in the sixe last Psalmes.
Moreouer the said holy Doctor li. 2 de doct, Christ. c. 11) affirmeth that Amen & Alleluia be not translated into any other language, Amen and Alleluia should not be translated into vulgar tongues. propter sanctiorem authoritatem, for the more sacred authoritie of the vvordes so remaining. and ep. 178. he saith that it is not lavvful to translate them. Nam sciendum est &c. for it is to be knovven (saith he) that al nations do sing Amen and Alleluia in the Hebrue vvordes, vvhich neither the Latine man not the Barbarous may translate into his ovvne language. See S. Hierom also epist. 137. And namely for our Nation, S. Gregorie vvil beare vs vvitnes that our countrie receiued, the vvord Alleluia vvith their Christianitie, Al nations in the primitiue Church sang Amen and Alleluia. saying thus li. 27 Moral. c. 6. Lingua Britannia qua nihil aliud nouerat quim barbarum frendere, iamdudum in Diuinis laudibus Hebraeum capit resenare Alleluia. that is, The Britan tongue, vvhich knevv nothing els but to mutter barbarously, hath begone of late in Gods diuine laudes and praises to sound the Hebrue Alleluia. And for Iurie, S. Hierom ep. 17. c. 7 vvriteth, that the husbandmen at the plough sang Alleluia, vvhich vvas not then their vulgar speache. Yea he saith that in Monasteries the singing of Alleluia vvas in steede of a bel to call them together ad Collectam. in Epitaph. Paulae. c. 10.
This vvord is a sacred, Christian, mystical, and Angelical song. and yet in the nevv seruice booke it is turned into, The Protestāts profane this vvord by translating it, and diminish the signification thereof. Praise ye the Lord, and Alleluia is quite gone, because they list neither to agree vvith the Church of God, not vvith the vse of holy Scriptures, no not vvith their ovvne translations, but no maruel, Psal. 136. that they can not sing the song of our Lord and of Angels in a strange countrie, that is, out of the Catholike Church, in the captiuitie of schisme & heresie, Lastly, vve might aske them vvhether it be al one to say Mat. 21, Hosanna, &, Saue vs vve beseeche thees vvhereas Hosanna is vvithal a•vvord of exceding congratulation and ioy vvhich they expressed tovvard out Sauiour, euen so Alleluia hath an other maner of sense and signification in it, then can expressed by, Praise ye the Lord.
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At this day shal the whole Church of the elect be finally & perfectly for euer ioyned vnto Christ in mariage inseparable.
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8. Iustifications of Saincts. Here the Heretikes in their translations. could not alter the vvord iustifications into ordinances, Iustificatiōs are good vvorkes, not as the effectes of saith iustifying, but because them selues also with faith iustifie a man. or constitutions, as they did falsely in the first of S. Luke, vvhereof see the Annotatiō there vers. 6. but they are forced to say in Latin, iustificationes, as Beza: and in English, righteousnes, (for iustifications they vvil not say in any case for feare of inconuenience.) yea and they can not deny but these iustifications be the good vvorkes of saincts. Beza. but vvhere they make this glose, that they be so called, because are the fruites of effect of faith and of the iustice vvhich vve haue by onely faith, it is most euidently false, & against the very text, and nature of. the word. for there is no cause vvhy any thing should be called a mans iustification. but for that it maketh him iust, so that, iustifications, be the vertues of faith, hope, charitie, and good deedes, iustifying or making a man iust, and not effectes of iustification, neither faith onely, but they al together be the very ornaments and invvard garments, beauty, and iustice of the soule, as here it is euident.
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Concordance Mat. 22. Lu. 14,
That is the feast of eternal life prepared for his spouse the Church.
Concordance Apoc. 22. 9.
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10. And I fel.] The Protestants abuse this place, and the example of the Angels forbidding Iohn to adore him being but his fellow seruant, S. Iohns adoring of the Angel, explicated against the protestāts abusing the same. and appointing him to adore God, against al honour, reuerence, and adoration of Angels, Saincts, or other sanctified creatures, teaching that no religious vvorship ought to be done vvto them. But in truth it maketh for no such purpose, but only vvarneth vs that Diuine honour and the adoration due to God alone, may not be giuen to any Angel or other creature. S. August. de vera relig. cap. vltimo. And vvhen the Aduersaries replie that so great an Apostle, as Iohn vvas. could not be ignorant of that point, not vvould haue giuen diuine honour vnto an Angel (for so he had been an Idolater) and therfore that he vvas not reprehended for that, The Protestāts are re•elled by their ovvne reason. but for doing any religious reuerence or other honour vvhatsoeuer to his fellovv-seruant 〈◊〉 ve ansvver that by the like reason, S. Iohn being so great an Apostle, if this later kinde of reuerence had been vnlavvful and to be reprehended, as the Protestants hold it is no lesse then the other, could not haue been ignorant thereof, not vvould haue done it.
Therfore they might much better haue learned of S. Augustine (q. 61 in Genes.) hovv this facte of S. Iohn vvas corrected by the Angel, S. Iohn erred only in the person, mistaking the Angel to be Christ him self, and so adoring him as God. and vvherein he errour vvas. In effect it is thus, That the Angel being so glorious and ful of maiestie, presenting Christs person, and in his name vsing diuers vvordes proper to God. Apoc. c. 1. as, I am the first and the last, and aliue and vvas dead, and such like, might vvel be taken of S. Iohn, by errour of his person, to be Christ him self, and that the Apostle presuming him to be so in deede, adored him vvith Diuine honour: vvhich the Angel correcting, told him he vvas not God, but one of his fellovves, and therfore that he should not so adore him, but God. Thus then vve see, Iohn vvas neither so ignorant, to thinke that any vndue honour might be giuen to any creature: not so il, to commit idolatrie by doing vndue vvorship to any Angel in heauen: and therfore vvas not culpable at al in his facte, but onely erred materially (as the Scholemen call it) that is, by mistaking one for an other, thinking that vvhich vvas an Angel, to haue been our Lord: Esa. 9 in Graco. because he knevve that our Lord him self is also called an Angel, Malac. 3. and hath often appeared in the visions of the faithful.
And the like is to be thought of the Angel appearing in the 22 of the Apocalypse, vvhether it vvere the same or an other. S. Iohn sinned not in this adoration. for that also did so appeare, that Iohn not tell vvhether it vvere Christ him self or no, til the Angel told him. Once this is certaine, that Iohn did not formally (as they say) commit idolatrie, not sinne at al herein, knovving al dueties of a Christian man, no lesse then an Angel of heauen, being also in as great honour vvith God, yea and in more then many Angels. An other explication of this place. Vvhich perhaps may be the cause (and consequently an other explication of this place) that the Angel knovving his great greaces and merites before God, vvould not accept any vvorship or submission at his handes, though Iohn againe of like humilitie did it, as also immediatly aftervvard chap. 22. vvhich belike he vvould not haue done, if he had been precisely aduised by the Angel but a moment before, of errour & vnduetifulnes in the facte. Hovvsoeuer that be, this is euident, that this the Angels refusing of adoration, taketh not avvay the due reuerence and respect vve ought to haue to Angels or other sanctified persons and creatures, and so these vvordes, See thou doe it not, The Protestāts by conference of Scriptures might finde ⸢r⸣eligious adoratiō of creatures. signifie rather an earnest refusal, then any signification of crime to be committed thereby.
And maruel it is that the Protestants making them selues so sure of the true sense of euery doubtful place by conference of other Scriptures, folow not here the conference and comparing of Scriptures that them selues so much of onely require. Vve vvil giue them occasion and a methode so to doe, thus. He that doubteth of this place, findeth out three things of question, vvhich must be tried by other Scriptures. The first, vvhether there ought to be or may be any religious reuerence or honour done to any creatures. taking the vvord religion or religious vvorship not for that special honour vvhich is properly and onely due to God, Aug. de vera relig. c. 55. as S. Augustine sometimes vseth it, Three points herein examined and proued by Scriptures. but for reuerence due to any thing that is holy by sanctification or application to the seruice of God. The second thing is, vvhether by vse of Scriptures, that honour be called adoration in latin, or by a vvord equiualent in other, languages, 〈Greek〉. Hebrue, Greeke, or English. Lastly, vvhether vve may by the Scriptures fall downe prostrate before the things, or at the feete of the persons that vve so adore. •or of ciuil duetie done to our Superiors by capping, 〈Greek〉. kneeling, or other courtesie, I thinke the Protestants vvil not stand vvith vs: though in deede, their arguments make as much against the one as the other.
But for religious vvorship of creatures (vvhich vve speake of) let them see in the Scriptures both old and nevv: first, Ps. 5. 137. vvhether the Temple, 1 Religious vvorship of creatures. the tabernacle, the Arke, the propitiatorie, the Cherubins, Dan. 6. the altar, the bread of proposition, the Sabboth, and al their holies, 3 Reg. 8. vvere not reuerenced by al signes of deuotion and religion: vvhether the Sacraments of Christ, Ios. 7. Ps. 98. 131. the Priests of our Lord, the Prophets of God, the Gospel, Scriptures, the name of IESVS, such like (vvhich be by vse, signification, or sanctification made holy) are not •ovv to be reuerenced: and they shal finde al these things to haue been reuerenced of al the faithful, 2 The same is called adoration. vvithout any dishonour of God, and much to his honour. Secondly, that this reuerence is named adoration in the Seriptures, these speaches do proue Ps. 93. Adore ye his footestoole, because it is holy. and Hebr. 11. He adored the toppe of his rod. Thirdly, that the Scriptures also vvarrant vs (as the nature of the vvord adoratiō giueth in al three tonges.) to bowe downe our bodies, 3 Falling prostrat before the persons or things adored. to fall flat on the ground at the presence of such thinges, and at the feete of holy persons, specially Angels, as Iohn doth here, these examples proue. Gen. 18. Abraham adored the Angels that appeared to him, Moyses also the Angel that shewed him self out of the bush, Exod. 3. vvho vvere creatures, though they represented Gods person, as this Angel here did, that speake to S. Iohn Balaam adored, the Angel that stoode before him vvith a svvord drawen. Iosue 5. Num. 22. Adoring of Angels. Iosuè adored falling flat downe before the feete of the Angel, calling him his Lord, knowing by the Angels owne testimonie, that it vvas but an Angel. Vvho refused it not, but required yet more reuerence, commaunding him to plucke of his shoes, because the ground vvas holy, no doubt so made by the presence onely of the Angel.
Yea not onely to Angels, Adoring of Prophets and holy persons. but euen to great Prophets this deuotion vvas done, as to Daniel by Nabuchodonosor, Dan. 2. vvho fell flat vpon his face before him, and did other great offices of religion, vvhich the Prophet refused not, because they vvere done to God rather then to him, as S. Hierom defendeth the same against Porphyrie, vvho charged Daniel vvith intolerable pride therein, and the said holy doctor alleageth the fact of Alexander the great, that did the like to or, Iaddus. Ioiadas the high priest of the Ievves. Hovvsoeuer that be (for of the sacrifice there mentioned there may be some doubt, vvhich the Church doth alvvaies immediatly to God, and to no creature) the fact of the prophets (4 Reg. 2) to Elizeus, is plaine: vvhere they perceiuing that the double grace and spirit of Elias vvas giuen to him, 4 Reg. 4. Iudith. 13. fel flat dovvne at his feete and adored. So did the Sunamite. to omit that Achior adored Iudith, falling at her feete, as a vvoman blessed of God, and infinite other places.
Al vvhich thinges, by comparing the Scriptures, our Aduersaries should haue found to be lavvfully done to men, and Angels, and soueraine holy creatures. Vvhereby they might conuince them selues, & perceiue, that that thing could not be forbidden S. Iohn to doe to the Angel, which they pretend: though the Angel for causes might refuse euen that vvhich S. Iohn did lawfully vnto him, as S. Peter did refuse the honour giuen him by Cornelius, according to S. Chrysostoms opinion. he. 23 in c 10 Act. yea euen in the third chapter of this booke (if our Aduersaries vvould looke no further) they might see where this Augel prophecieth & promiseth that the Ievves should fall dovvne before the feete of the Angel of Philadelphia and adore, See the Annot. there.
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Concordance Es. 63, 1.
The second person in Trinitie, the Sonne of the Vvord of God, vvhich vvas made flesh. Io. 1.
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Concordance Apoc. 2, 27.
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Concordance Apo. 17, 14.
Euen according to his humanitie also.
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Tertullian † AD 220 Scorpiace 2
… “Cursed be the man who maketh a graven or a molten image, an abomination, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place.” But in Leviticus He says: “Go not ye after idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.”
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St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Daniel 2.26
26. He added also these words: “And his arms and his feet like polished brass;” to denote the first calling of men, and the second calling like unto it, viz. of the Gentiles. “For the last shall be as the first; for I will set thy rulers as at the beginning, and thy leaders as before. And His voice was as the voice of a great multitude.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 2.20
… Blessed are those servants whom their Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching.” Also in the Apocalypse: “The Lord God omnipotent reigneth: let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give to Him the honour of glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.”
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Mathetes † fl. AD 130 Epistle to Diognetus 12
… Bearing this tree and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather in those things which are desired by God, which the Serpent cannot reach, and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted, but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the Apostles are filled with understanding, and the Passover
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Christian Doctrine 1.16
15. For the Church is His body, as the apostle’s teaching shows us; and it is even called His spouse.
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Christian Doctrine 1.33
… or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” and again: “Neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” And the angel admonisheth the man who is about to worship him, that he should rather worship Him who is his Master, and under whom he himself is a fellow-servant.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 20.21
… They rent their clothes, and restrained the people, crying out to them, and persuading them that they were not gods. We see it also in the angels, as we read in the Apocalypse that an angel would not allow himself to be worshipped, and said to his worshipper, "I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethen."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 86.11
… But what do ye say? We worship Angels, we have Angels as gods. Ye know not altogether what Angels are. Angels worship the one God, and favour not men who wish to worship Angels and not God. For we find Angels of high rank forbidding men to adore them, and commanding them to adore the true God.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 97.10
… He was teaching a disciple of Christ, and showing him many wonders in the Revelation of John: and when some wonderful vision had been shown him, he trembled, and fell down at the Angel’s feet; but that Angel, who sought not but the glory of God, said, “See thou do it not; for I am a fellow-servant of thee, and of thy brethren the prophets.”
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.20.11
… And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He may smite the nations; and He shall rule ( pascet ) them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of God Almighty. And He hath upon His vesture and upon His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. ”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Against the Heresy of One Noetus 15
… and He that sat upon him (was) Faithful and True; and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. And His eyes (were) as flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. And He (was) clothed in a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called the Word of God.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 1.42
… For no one knows the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son reveals Him, and inasmuch as He is the Word He is the Messenger of Great Counsel, who has the government upon His shoulders; for He entered on His kingdom by enduring the cross. In the Apocalypse,
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.4
… This we say, by no means denying that truth and wisdom and reason are of God, but we wish to indicate the purpose of the omission in this passage of the words “of God,” and of the form of the statement, “In the beginning the Logos was with God.” The same John in the Apocalypse gives Him His name with the addition “of God,” where he says:
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 2.4
… And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Also in the Apocalypse: “And I saw the heaven opened, and lo, a white horse; and he who sate upon him was called Faithful and True, judging rightly and justly; and He made war. And He was covered with a garment sprinkled with blood; and His name is called the Word of God.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 2.31
… And out of His mouth went forth a sword with two edges, that with it He should smite the nations, which He shall shepherd with a rod of iron; and He shall tread the winepress of the wrath of God Almighty. Also He has on His garment and on His thigh the name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 118.2
… Such is the list of the trials that have been laid upon you; such is the conflict waged by the old enemy against Julian a raw recruit to Christ’s standard. If you look only to yourself your troubles are indeed great but if you look to the strong Warrior,
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 21.4
4. “For Thou hast presented Him with the blessings of sweetness” ( ver. 3 ). Because He had first quaffed the blessing of Thy sweetness, the gall of our sins did not hurt Him. “ Diapsalma . Thou hast set a crown of precious stone on His Head.”
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Novatian † AD 258 A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity 13
And thus also John, describing the nativity of Christ, says: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” For, moreover, “His name is called the Word of God,”
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 3.7
45. And since that instance comes before us, that the Lord Jesus shall slay with the Spirit of His mouth, the Spirit is understood to be as it were the Sword of the Word. Lastly, in the Gospel also the Lord Jesus Himself says: “I came not to send peace but a sword.” For He came that He might give the Spirit; and so there is in His mouth a two-edged sword,
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St John of Damascus † AD 749 An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 4.15
… and if sons, also heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ : and the Lord in the holy Gospels says to His apostles, Ye are My friends . Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth . And further, if the Creator and Lord of all things is called also King of Kings and Lord of Lords
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 5.28.2
… wherefore also shall he deservedly “be cast into the lake of fire:”
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1. AFTER THESE THINGS I HEARD AS IT WERE THE VOICE OF A GREAT MULTITUDE. — Ambrose and Bede wrongly read "of many trumpets": for in Greek it is ὄχλου πολλοῦ. By this voice is signified a multitude of heavenly beings, and the common rejoicing and exultation of all. ALLELUIA. — In Hebrew hallelu ia, that is praise God (for ia is an abbreviation of Jehova) with joyful and loud voice in jubilation. For Alleluia contains an acclamation with exhortation, as Ribera, Viegas and Alcazar say. SALVATION. — Thus the Roman and Greek texts, not "praise," as Ribera wishes it to be read. The sense is, as if to say, Our salvation, by which we have been freed from the persecution of Babylon, that is Pagan Rome, by its destruction, and thence follows "glory," both of God and of ours; and "power," in Greek δύναμις, that is strength and might, by which it has brought forth this victory and salvation for us: it is not to be attributed to our own strength, but to be referred and given to our God. Alcazar adds, καὶ ἡ τιμή, that is "and honor," so that these four praises might correspond to the fourfold Alleluia, of which presently. But this neither the Roman text nor the Complutensian have. Symbolically, salvation and victory are attributed to the Father, the glory of redemption to the Son, the power of sanctifying and beatifying to the Holy Spirit.
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2. WHICH CORRUPTED THE EARTH IN HER FORNICATION — in her idolatry and other crimes. See what is said at chapter XVII, verse 2.
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3. AND AGAIN THEY SAID: ALLELUIA. — Note: The heavenly citizens, from a great affection of devotion and exultation, repeat Alleluia four times, namely, the first, verse 1; the second, verse 3; the third, verse 4; the fourth, verse 6. AND THE SMOKE THEREOF (namely of Babylon burned, chapter XVIII) ASCENDETH UP FOR EVER AND EVER. — As if to say: They praise God by singing Alleluia, and, that is because, Babylon, that is, the impious and persecutors of the Romans, the damnation and punishments will endure eternally. Hence Isidore, book VI of the Etymologies, chapter xix, teaches that the Church uses and repeats Alleluia on the more joyful feasts, and that she received this from this place of the Apocalypse, as well as from the psalms, and from Tobias xiii, 22, where it is said: "In the streets thereof (Jerusalem) Alleluia shall be sung." Mystically Alcazar: Perfect, he says, praise of God comprises four parts, which correspond to the fourfold Alleluia: the first is faith itself and knowledge of God and the holy Trinity, and of His victory and salvation; the second is the integrity of life: for a pious life praises God more than voice. For this is a lasting, indeed eternal, praise of life and morals. Hence it is said in Psalm cx, 10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding to all that do it: his praise continueth for ever and ever." Where "his praise" is called that praise which the fear of God attributes to Him, that is the praise which piety renders to Him. The third is the public praise of the whole Church in the sacrifice of the Mass, in sermons, in the singing of divine Offices. Whence this Alleluia is sung by the twenty-four elders, that is by the Priests. The fourth is of those who strive for perfection, so that always intent upon greater glory of God, they serve God religiously each in his own state, and burn with zeal for souls, and by prayers, pious conversations and admirable life by example promote the common good, that is the greater glory of God in the conversion and perfection of souls. For by this means the Apostles and the first Christians converted the barbarians, and men wholly impious. But if priests and the faithful were now to do the same and conspire in it, they would easily convert both heretics, and pagans, and Turks. Hence a voice from heaven, that is, the instinct and efficacious breathing of the Holy Spirit, stirs men to this Alleluia, and therefore Christ ascended into heaven, that He might send this Spirit from heaven upon us. This voice is like the sound of many waters, and like thunder, because it is sonorous, penetrating and efficacious in moving and stirring souls. Moreover these four Alleluias correspond to, and are more fully explained by, twenty Alleluias, which are prefixed as titles to twenty psalms, namely to psalm civ, cv, cvi, cx, cxi, cxiii, cxiv, cxv, cxvi, cxvii, cxviii, cxxxiv, cxlv, cxlvi, cxlvii, cxlviii, cxlviii, cxlix, cl, which Alcazar, in note 2, measures and adapts to these four Alleluias. Again Richard notes that Alleluia is repeated four times here, to signify that God is triune and equally one; for three and one make four. Thus in Africa, in a place which was called Regia, when at the paschal solemnity a lector in the pulpit sang Alleluia, his throat was pierced by an arrow shot by the Arians, and he died singing, and as a martyr flew to heaven, to modulate there an eternal Alleluia, as Victor of Utica relates, book I of the Vandal history. St. Jerome testifies in the Life of St. Paula, that in her monastery the nuns were accustomed to be called to the holy Synaxis by the voice of "Alleluia" sung more loudly. St. Augustine in Psalm cvi, writes that by ancient tradition diffused throughout the whole world by the Catholic Church, Alleluia was accustomed to be sung, namely at paschal time. Wherefore what St. Gregory says, book VII, epistle 36: "That Alleluia should be said here (at Rome), from the Church of Jerusalem by the tradition of Blessed Jerome, in the time of Blessed memory Damasus is said to have been brought": understand with Baronius, that it was said outside paschal time. For St. Jerome himself teaches that the use and singing of Alleluia was so frequent, that it was even sung at the funeral of the dead. For thus he says in the Epitaph of Fabiola: "The psalms resounded, and the gilded roofs of the temples, echoing on high, shook with Alleluia." The same Jerome teaches that Christians had Alleluia so frequently on their lips, that even infants when they began to speak were taught to sound and stammer Alleluia first. Thus indeed concerning Paula, writing to Laeta her mother, in epistles 7 and 27, he relates that she as a little child with stammering lips was accustomed to sing Alleluia. Other pious mothers did the same, who taught infants to sound Alleluia as their first word. Finally St. Jerome, epistle 17 to Marcella, teaches that at Jerusalem Alleluia was so frequent in the mouth of all the faithful, that even farmers lightened the hardships of their labor with this song: "Wherever," he says, "you turn yourself, the ploughman holding the plough sings Alleluia." It is wonderful what Bishop Constantius relates, and from him Baronius, namely that in the year of the Lord 429, the Britons pressed by enemies, at the exhortation of St. Germanus crying out Alleluia, obtained a remarkable victory over them. For when all with one voice cried out Alleluia: "The hostile," he says, "army is prostrated by terror, and they tremble as if not only the surrounding rocks had fallen upon them, but even the very machinery of heaven itself," etc. See what I have noted concerning Alleluia at Ephesians v, 20.
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4. AMEN, ALLELUIA. — The twenty-four elders say "Amen," as it were approving the doxology and the Alleluia of the heavenly beings which preceded: wherefore after "Amen," they themselves add their own proper Alleluia, as if to say: So be it entirely, let all praise God, let all say Alleluia.
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5. AND A VOICE FROM THE THRONE (from God through some Seraph or Cherub) WENT FORTH, SAYING: GIVE PRAISE TO GOD — that is, say Alleluia. This voice exhorts the heavenly beings to repeat and redouble the Alleluia which they have begun to say, on account of the magnitude of the victory over Babylon overthrown, and the salvation and exultation consequent thereupon. Or certainly this voice goes forth from heaven, and tends toward the earthly, so that the faithful here in the Church may say Alleluia, just as the heavenly beings said it in verses 1, 3 and 4. Whence alluding to this, St. Jerome says: "In the Church," he says, "after the likeness of heavenly thunder, Amen resounds," equally as Alleluia. Thus he himself in the preface to the epistle to the Galatians, book II.
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6. FOR THE LORD OUR GOD HATH REIGNED. — With hostile Babylon cut off, now our God enters upon a kingdom peaceful, joyful and firm. He alludes to Psalm xcii, xcvi and xcviii, which each begin thus: "The Lord hath reigned."
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7. LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE, AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM: FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB IS COME. — He alludes to the parable of the marriage of Christ, Matthew xxii, 2. Thus St. Jerome and Jansenius there. And to Psalm xliv: "My heart hath uttered a good word, I speak my works to the king," which is an epithalamium of bridegroom and bride, that is, of Christ and the Church. For just as Ahasuerus, having repudiated Vashti, taking Esther as his wife, commanded "a great feast to be prepared for all the princes and his servants, for the joining and marriage of Esther," Esther II, 18: so also God the Father prepared a marriage, that is a nuptial feast, and that perpetual, for Christ and the Church, that is for the faithful in heaven. Literally therefore in this place all the heavenly beings rejoice exultingly and acclaim, because the day of judgment has now come, and the perfect marriage of Christ with the Church in heavenly beatitude is to be celebrated. Whence he subjoins: AND HIS WIFE HATH PREPARED HERSELF — as if to say, The Church with all virtue, and with all variety and number of the Elect, namely of Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, Confessors, hath adorned herself, so that like a bride she may be led into the bridal chamber of the bridegroom Christ in the heavens, and may become his wife, and enjoy him forever. Note: In this life the Church is the bride of Christ, whose espousals are celebrated in baptism through grace; in the future life however the same shall be his wife through glory, whose marriage shall be celebrated in heaven throughout all eternity. Of the espousals of Christ and the Church it is said in Canticles cap. iii, verse 11: "Go forth and see, ye daughters of Sion, king Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals." Of the marriage it is said here: "For the marriage of the Lamb is come." Thus St. Gregory and others whom I shall cite verse 9. Wherefore it is mystical and accommodative what Alcazar thinks, namely that the wife is the Roman Church; that her marriage was when Rome was converted by St. Peter and others to Christ, and therefore the whole Church says Alleluia.
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8. AND IT IS GIVEN TO HER TO BE CLOTHED IN FINE LINEN SHINING — in Greek λαμπρῷ, that is bright: for those things which are very clean and polished, these shine and gleam by reason of their brightness. FOR THE FINE LINEN IS THE JUSTIFICATIONS (that is, the just and holy works) OF THE SAINTS. — Fine linen represents the most pure and innocent conversation of the Saints, which shines forth and gleams more brightly in tribulation and persecution: just as fine linen and flax (for the fine linen of the ancients was the most excellent linen, as I have taught at Exodus xxv, the beginning of the chapter) by injury, that is by beating, pounding, carding, always becomes better, namely purer, whiter and more brilliant, as Pliny says, book XVIII, chapter 1. Wherefore the Syrian translator renders it, "for that fine linen is the due reward (that is the merit for which great reward is owed) of the Saints"; the Arabic, "for fine linen is the justice of the Saints." Again, fine linen and white cloth are a symbol of happiness. Hence by the Poets the threads of the Fates are called golden or white, to signify great happiness. Whence Martial, book VI, On the thread of Domitian: "The goddess herself shall draw golden threads for you with snowy finger, / And Julia shall weave the whole fleece of Phryxus." On the contrary, black cloth is a symbol of unhappiness; hence the Poets call the black threads of life and fate in an unfortunate matter: because black, says Plutarch, is the symbol of the evil demon. Thus at Thebes the spiders, which had once woven white cloths around the doors of Ceres, wove black ones when the Macedonians invaded the borders, says Pausanias in the Boeotian account.
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9. AND HE SAID TO ME: WRITE — so that all who read these things may be encouraged to hope, fortitude and constancy in persecution and struggle with the impious. You will ask: Who said these things? Alcazar responds: The angel of great power of whom in chapter xviii, verse 1, whom he himself believes to be St. Peter. Whence it follows that John fell at the feet of B. Peter to kiss them, as in chapter xxii, verse 9, at the feet of another angel, who was one of the seven angels having the phials, namely at the feet of St. Paul, he fell down as a suppliant, exulting with joy on account of the most happy news of the conversion of Rome, and the most prosperous success of the Roman Church. For which reason he is prohibited by them for this reason, because they say they are fellow servants of John, as if they were to say: You are equally a Prophet in this your Apocalypse, as we are Prophets revealing to you the conversion of Rome, and therefore you are our equal; and accordingly it is not fitting for you to fall at our feet, since you stand in the same degree of dignity with us. Thus he himself piously and ingeniously accommodates and applies these things rather than explains them. But I say this angel is a true one, namely that one who revealed the Apocalypse to St. John by the command of Christ, as I myself said in chapter i, verse 1. For that angel of great power, of whom in chapter xviii, verse 1, had already long before, namely there in verse 4, finished his mission and discourse. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO THE SUPPER OF THE NUPTIALS OF THE LAMB. — The Syrian: "Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the banquet of the Lamb"; the Arabic: "Blessed are those who are called to the banquet of the Lamb." Alcazar takes these of the nuptials, that is, the conversion of the Roman Church, and its union with Christ: for Christ then called it to his banquet of wisdom and sacred Scripture. "I remember," says Alcazar, "that I heard from a man of extraordinary wisdom and holiness, that the image of heavenly happiness which is found on earth seems to him to be none other than to read and understand sacred Scripture." And deservedly: for in the same sense Christ used the name Blessed, when he said to Peter Matt. chapter xvi, verse 17: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven." And: "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." And: "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear" the Gospel and the word of God. "Amen I say to you, that many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them," Matt. xiii, 16. For what the Apostles saw and heard, this same thing we read dictated by the Spirit and written in sacred Scripture. To this banquet contributes, and adorns and illustrates it the frequency of admirable sermons, the abundance of books filled with heavenly doctrine, conversations held with most wise men, excellent instruction of spiritual men, and above all the interior illumination of the divine Spirit through pious commentaries on divine things, and frequent prayer to God, always adhering to the institution of the Roman Church and the Holy Councils. Again to this banquet pertains the frequency of the sacrifice of the Mass and sacred communion, which began in Rome as soon as she herself professed the faith of Christ, the easy custom of Religious life, on account of monasteries erected by men sacred to God, the multitude of temples, the adoration of images, the veneration of the holy relics, and the celebration of divine offices. For all these things disposed the minds of the faithful to the supper of the Lamb, that is to union with Christ. Furthermore B. Peter called the Romans to this supper: whence John here alludes to those words of Peter in epistle II, chapter i, verse 2: "Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God, and of Christ Jesus our Lord." These are true and pious, but mystical. Wherefore the reader should use these aptly and suitably, as mystical and moral. St. John therefore speaks literally of the nuptials which the blessed Church celebrates with Christ in heaven: for whosoever have been efficaciously called and brought to Him are thrice and four times blessed. Beatitude is called a supper, first, because in the evening and at the end of life this heavenly feast shall be given to us. It is also called a dinner, Matt. xxii, 4, when Christ says: "Say to them that are invited: Behold, I have prepared my dinner," so that the continuance and perpetuity of the joy and heavenly felicity may be signified: for after dinner supper follows. Thus in heaven there shall be a continuous and eternal banquet. So St. Gregory, hom. 24 in Evangelia, Bede, Salmeron, Maldonatus, Barradius in Matt. xxii, 4, Viegas and Ribera here. Leonidas, that valiant leader of the Greeks, said, when about to rush with three hundred most brave soldiers into the innumerable camps of Xerxes: "Dine here, fellow soldiers, to sup in hell." But Christ says: "Dine here, fellow soldiers, to sup in heaven." Thus St. Dorothy, when after dire torments she received the sentence of death from the Prefect, said with rejoicing: "I bless Thee, O Lord Jesus, lover of my soul, that Thou hast deigned to call me, unworthy as I am, to the nuptials of the spotless Lamb, and to invite me to Thy heavenly chamber." Secondly, because it alludes to the custom of the ancients, who celebrated nuptials in the evening and night, after the business of the day was finished, as is evident from Matt. xxv, 1, in the parable of the ten virgins, who with lamps awaited the bridegroom coming by night to the nuptials. The same is evident from Plutarch, Varro, Tiraquellus and others. Whence also they carried lighted torches before the bride and groom at nuptials. Wherefore a torch is taken for the nuptials themselves, as in Ovid epist. 4: "But not even married, and the conjugal torch received." And epist. 6: "The modest torch gave me to thee, and thee to me." And Catullus De Coma Berenices: "The torch joined you with longed-for light." And Seneca in Oedipus: "Twin Cupid sings the torches (that is, the epithalamium, or nuptial song)." Hence "conjugal torch" in Cato, cap. x. And "to join torches" is to enter into nuptials, in Statius, lib. III Silv., IV. THESE WORDS OF GOD ARE TRUE (that is, certain, firm, indubitable) — so that concerning these promises of God, although great and wonderful, it is permitted to no one to doubt.
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10. AND I FELL DOWN AT HIS FEET TO ADORE HIM — as if to say, On account of the most joyful tidings of the destruction of Babylon and the nuptials of the Lamb, and on account of the voices of the heavenly beings repeating Alleluia, I fell to the ground, so that I might render honour of this kind to the angel announcing such joyful and divine things, by prostrating myself before him. Add that perhaps St. John suspected that here the discourse of the angel revealing the Apocalypse to him comes to an end; for its end is the destruction of the impious and the nuptials of the Lamb. For this reason he had not adored him until now, because he desired to hear more from him, and did not wish to interrupt his discourse. Now indeed, thinking that he had heard all things, as if in thanksgiving for all that he had heard, he falls to the ground, so that he might venerate him and give him thanks. But when afterwards he saw the angel still revealing more things, he rose up, and finally, when all things were finished at the end of the Apocalypse, cap. xxii, vers. 9, he attempts again to adore him. SEE THOU DO IT NOT: I AM THY FELLOW SERVANT (the Syriac, "companion"), AND OF THY BRETHREN THAT HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS: ADORE GOD. — The Arabic version renders it, "not, because I am a friend (companion) to thee: adore God; because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of truth." You will ask: For what reason did the angel here not wish to be adored by St. John? First, St. Athanasius, sermon 3 Against the Arians; St. Thomas, II II, Question LXXXIV, article 4, and St. Augustine, book XX Against Faustus, chapter xxi, hold that St. John thought this angel, on account of his unusual splendour, to be Christ, and therefore wished to adore him as God; for which reason the angel repelled him, saying: "I am thy fellow servant; adore God"; or, as St. Cyprian reads it in the book On Patience: "Adore the Lord Jesus." But this is not likely. For St. John, accustomed here, after he had learned in the first angelic visions that this was not Christ but an angel, wished again to adore him, knowing him thus, cap. xxii, vers. 9. Second, Alcazar holds that this angel is St. Peter, just as he holds that in cap. xxii, vers. 9, he is St. Paul; and neither Peter nor Paul therefore permitted themselves to be adored by St. John, because he himself was their equal in office and merits. But this is accommodated, not literal. Third, St. Gregory, homily 8 in the Gospel, and from him Haymo, Rupertus, Richardus and Ausbertus hold the opinion that this angel, properly speaking, did not permit himself to be adored by John, on account of reverence for the incarnation of Christ. "For the angels," says St. Gregory, "after they perceive our nature assumed above them in Christ, fear to see it prostrated before them." And, as St. Ambrose says, "the angel fears to be adored by man, who above himself adored God made man." But the angel does not bring forward this, but another cause here. Fourth, the angel did not wish to be adored by St. John on account of the virtue and merit of virginity, in which St. John excelled all angels, equally and men, and this to such a degree as he approached the virginity of the Blessed Mary through the merit of companionship, diligence, and perpetual custody, as Peter Damian says, sermon 1 On the Excellence of St. John. Fifth, because John was a priest and pontiff, having the power of consecrating the body of Christ in the Eucharist, and of absolving the guilty from sins in the Sacrament of penance; and therefore he was more worthy than the angels, who lack both these powers, says Viegas. Sixth and genuinely, this angel did not wish to be adored by John, because John was a Prophet. For the angel gives this reason, cap. xxii, vers. 9, saying: "For I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the Prophets," as if to say, I am not superior to thee, why therefore dost thou adore me? for thou art to me equal in dignity, because thou art an Apostle of Christ, thou art a Prophet, an Evangelist, a Preacher (for all these things are signified by the name Prophet), and a continuous martyr (who constantly endures the greatest labours and sufferings for Christ), and therefore thou art equal, nay superior to the angels by merit, and shalt be likewise superior in reward and glory in heaven. For this is what he says: "I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus," as will presently be clear. Cardinal Baronius adds, tom. I anno Christi 60, that the angel did not wish to be adored by John, so that he might refute the heresy of Cerinthus already then arising, who exalted the angels too much, preferring them to Christ, and teaching that through the angels the world was created, and that the God of the Hebrews was one of those angels. Whence also the Apostle, Coloss. ii, 18, inveighs against this religion, that is, superstition and idolatry of angels. And Hebr. i, proves to many doctors that the angels are inferior to Christ; then it is signified that, although Christ reigns on earth, the struggle and battle against the enemies of the Church will never be wanting, but victory will be assured and certain to Christians. HAVING THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS — that is, having the spirit of prophecy, says Ambrose, Rupert, Bede, Viegas. For thus John explains himself, cap. xxii, and in the following verse here, when he adds: "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," which namely in you and your like is, O John. But that spirit is not now given except to those who are servants of Jesus Christ: not just any, but distinguished by illustrious faith and Christian life, so that their prophecy bears them testimony among all, and they testify themselves to be servants and Prophets of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, says Ribera. These therefore Prophets were at the same time Apostles, Doctors, Preachers and Martyrs. For they had the testimony of Jesus objectively, namely in the heart through faith, in the mouth through preaching, in life through imitation of the patience and other virtues and miracles of Jesus. Wherefore through the spirit of prophecy, first, with Alcazar it can be understood the spirit and zeal of preaching the Gospel. For this is excellent prophecy, and therefore preachers are excellent Prophets. Second, it can be understood as prophecy properly so called, breathed forth by the Holy Spirit: thus Ambrose, Rupert, Bede, Viegas and Ribera. Hence it is clear that all Prophets aim at Christ as at a target, and therefore those alone are true Prophets, and as such to be heard, who lead us to Christ.
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11. AND I SAW HEAVEN OPENED, AND BEHOLD A WHITE HORSE. — Note: St. John in this vision saw heaven as it were opened; and from thence Christ came forth as a rider with his angelic and blessed troops, and from there descended through gates as it were opened to wage battle with the Antichrist, and to bring aid to his faithful fighting against him, before he celebrates their victorious and triumphal nuptials, of which he spoke in verse 7. Moreover, he sits upon a white horse, first, because this color is joyful and festive, and a symbol of happiness and triumph; for which reason the Poets feign the chariot of Jupiter to be drawn by white horses, as Suetonius testifies in the Life of Augustus, cap. ix. Wherefore Camillus, carried in a triumphal chariot by white horses, incurred envy, as if he wished to equal himself to Jupiter. Secondly, because white horses were swifter than others, and therefore here they are a symbol of the swift victory of Christ. Thus Virgil, lib. XII of the Aeneid, describes Turnus promising himself victory over Aeneas: "He calls for horses, and rejoices seeing them before his face foaming, / Which in whiteness would surpass the snows, in speed the breezes." And below: "In white chariots goes Turnus, / Brandishing in his hand two broad-pointed spears." And Plautus in the Asinaria, denoting swift quadrigae, calls them white. For the ancients believed white horses to be swifter, as Turnebus teaches, lib. XXIV, cap. xxxi. See the remarks on cap. vi, vers. 2. Thirdly, because the white color is fitting for God and divine things. For it signifies the purity, blessedness, glory and immortality of God and Christ. Whence Virgil, eclogue 5: "The white one marvels at the unwonted light of Olympus." Where Servius says: "White," that is, "God," as against the dead whom we call "black." And Cicero, lib. II of the Laws: "The white color," he says, "is especially becoming to God, both in other things and especially in woven cloth." Namely, because virtues ought to be apt and connected with one another, therefore woven things are more pleasing to God; or because chastity, faith and other virtues, unless joined with charity, which is signified in woven gold, do not come acceptable to God: therefore white garments were formerly in sacred use, and still are; the reason for which Plato gives as we have said, and Plutarch in the book On Isis and Osiris. Thus Martin of Roa, lib. VI of Singularities, cap. xv. Viegas understands by the white horse the humanity of Christ, by the rider the divinity, or, as St. John says, the "Word of God." Thus also others. Aureolus understands by this horse Baldwin, who succeeded Godfrey of Bouillon, and was the second Christian king of Jerusalem. For he with the Teutons, Templars, and Hospitallers defeated the Saracens. He has "written on his thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords," because for love of Christ the King of kings, among other virtues he preserved continence and chastity. Secondly, just as the rose is called the flower of flowers, so the king of Jerusalem, as being the most ancient and most noble, is called King of kings. This is an accommodated sense, not a literal one. Note: Lactantius, lib. VII, cap. xvii and xviii, seems to assert that this descent of Christ, the sword, the battle, etc., will happen plainly and literally as they sound. Hear him: "When these things," he says, "shall have been done, the just and followers of truth will separate themselves from the wicked, and will flee into solitudes. Hither the impious king, inflamed with anger, will come with a great army, and having brought all his forces, will surround the mountain on which the just will dwell, that he may seize them. But when they see themselves shut in on all sides and besieged, they will cry out to God with a loud voice, and will implore heavenly aid." And cap. xix: "God therefore, moved by the twofold danger and the pitiful lamentation of the just, will straightway send a liberator. Then heaven will be opened in the middle of a dark and gloomy night, so that the light of the descending God may appear throughout the whole world like lightning." And shortly after: "He, before he descends, will give this sign: a sword will suddenly fall from heaven, so that the just may know that the leader of the holy army is about to descend. And he will descend accompanied by angels into the midst of the earth, and before him will go an unquenchable flame. But the power of the angels will deliver into the hands of the just that multitude which surrounded the mountain, and they will be cut down from the third hour until evening, and blood will flow like a torrent, and when all the forces are destroyed, the impious one alone will escape, and his power will depart from him. This is he who is called the Antichrist: but he will falsely claim to be Christ, and will fight against the true one, and being overcome will flee; and he will often renew the war, and will often be conquered, until in the fourth battle, when all the impious are destroyed, he is at last defeated and captured, and then pays the penalty for his crimes." Thus far Lactantius. But it seems more truly that these things shown symbolically to John signify only the empire, dominion, and command of Christ, by which He Himself remaining in heaven through Michael, as it were His leader, accompanied by other angels, with great light as if by lightning will strike down and breathe upon the Antichrist, and thus will deprive him of all force, strength and life, and will hurl him into the depths of hell. That this is so is evident first, because it is certain that those things which are here said of heaven opened, of white horses, of Christ's diadems and garment sprinkled with blood, of the title inscribed on the thigh: "King of Kings and Lord of Lords," will not happen in reality, but are shown only symbolically through a vision to John, to represent the mysteries of Christ which I have explained in this chapter of the Apocalypse. Therefore the rest, since they are similar to these, are to be understood symbolically, not as about to happen in reality. By a similar scheme the Psalmist, Psalm xvii, describes symbolically and poetically God carried on clouds, armed with hail, thunder, lightning, etc., descending to crush his impious enemies. Second, because the Apostle says, II Thessalonians ii, 8, that Christ will kill the Antichrist, not with a sword, but with the spirit, that is the command of His mouth; and with the illumination, that is the brightness preceding and announcing His coming. For with this brightness as if with lightning sent from heaven, either by itself, or rather through Michael, He will strike down and consume the Antichrist. Third, because Daniel, chapter xii, verse 1, says that then Michael will rise up in battle for Christ and Christians. Just as therefore a king wages wars and defeats the enemy through a leader, so Christ will defeat the Antichrist through Michael. For He is the Ruler of the Church, and therefore the leader of Christ. Whence also in the Apocalypse xii, He is placed as the leader of Christian warfare, by which namely at the end of the world He will conflict with Lucifer and the Antichrist for Christ and Christians, and will rout the Antichrist. Fourth, because St. Peter, Acts iii, 21, teaches that Christ after His ascension into heaven, where He will remain, will not descend from there visibly, except on the day of judgment, when He will restore all things. Therefore He will not descend to kill the Antichrist. For he will be killed many days, and perhaps weeks and months before the day of judgment, as I will show in verses 11 and 12. Fifth, the right subordination of divine providence requires this. For God is accustomed to exercise His judgments through angels; for these are the administrators of His Spirit, Hebrews i, 14. For the contrary would neither befit Christ, nor the Antichrist. For why would Christ, God and Lord of all, with so many legions of angels and Saints descend from heaven to defeat the Antichrist, who will be a wretched and vile little man, whom He can kill by a single breath alone, indeed by a mere nod, and even annihilate? Why do so many legions of Angels stand by Him as if soldiers, prepared for His every command, of which one is sufficient to destroy many thousands of men? Sixth, because the Sibyl, book III, predicts that the Antichrist will be breathed upon with heavenly fire, namely with lightning, when she says: "When burning power (namely fire and strong lightning) pouring forth comes to the earth, and Beliar will set on fire, and proud men; all whosoever shall have given faith to him." For Beliar (that is Belial; for the letter l is sometimes changed into r), that is, the most impious man, without yoke, without God and law, is the Antichrist. AND HE THAT SAT UPON HIM WAS CALLED FAITHFUL AND TRUE. — To this horseman, who is the leader of the following army in verse 14, four names or epithets are given. The first, "faithful and true"; the second, verse 12: "A name written which no one knows but Himself"; the third, verse 13: "The Word of God," namely of whom John said, chapter i of the Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word": see the things said there; the fourth, verse 16: "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." The first is a name of power; the second, of essence; the third, of person; the fourth, of power and dominion. He is therefore called here "Faithful and True," because faithfully, as He promised, He will protect and reward those who are and will be faithful to Him; but the unfaithful and impious He will punish. Whence it follows: "With justice," that is, most justly and with the most equitable right He wages war; "He judges," that is He avenges, "and fights," namely the impious enemies by killing them. Symbolically, as if to say He is called Jehova. For Jehova is the same as "He who is, who causes to be, who keeps promises (as I said Exodus vi, 3)," that is, faithful and true.
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12. His eyes were as a flame of fire. — Eyes flaming and flashing signify Christ's wrath against the wicked, proceeding to their vengeance and punishment, as I said at chapter i, verse 14. Great power resides in the eyes; for the basilisk, with its fierce eyes, kills whomever it looks upon. On the other hand, ostriches and turtles, by looking kindly upon their eggs, warm them, says Pliny, book IX, chapter x. The reason is, because the eyes are, as Damascenus says in the Life of Isidore, ἀγάλματα τῆς ψυχῆς, exact images of the soul, through which the soul itself flows forth. Thus Christ with flaming eyes will examine his enemies, but with serene and gentle eyes will wonderfully refresh the elect. AND ON HIS HEAD DIADEMS MANY. — Formerly kings and emperors used not crowns, but a diadem, as we see the Roman emperors depicted with bands encircling the head. For, as Rhodiginus says, book XXIV, chapter vi, a diadem was a white band which was bound around the heads of kings. This insignia of kings was first invented by Father Liber, according to Pliny. Hence when someone had placed a laurel crown bound with a band on the statue of Caesar, the Tribunes of the plebs ordered the band to be removed from the crown, as an insignia of kingship, and the man to be led into chains. Thus Alexander the Great, Curtius relates, removed the diadem from himself, so that he might bind with it a wound which Lysimachus had received on his forehead. Ammianus Marcellinus relates that it was given as a cause of envy by rivals to Pompey, that he wore a band around his leg because of an ulcer, as if it were a presage of an affectation of new things. Moreover, "diadems many" were many such bands, or spirals encircling the head, such as we see in the turbans of the Turks, in which a linen or cloth garment is wrapped around the head in multiple coils, and each such coil, or circuit, is as it were a diadem, says Alcazar. Christ therefore has many diadems, because he is King of kings, and Lord of all the kingdoms of the earth; for he contains all things in himself alone. HAVING A NAME WRITTEN (on his head and diadem. For another name, "King of kings," was written on his thigh, verse 16) WHICH NO ONE KNOWS BUT HIMSELF. — Ribera, Viegas and others think this name to be that which follows at verse 13, namely "the Word of God." For no one knows, that is, perceives, penetrates, and fully understands and comprehends this, except Christ himself. But John, as I said at verse 11, seems here to give four names to Christ, and according to this to distinguish it from the third, which is "the Word of God"; for he says this second is unknown, but the third is known, namely "the Word of God." For he does not say the thing signified by the name is unknown, but the name itself is unknown: wherefore this name is not the Word of God, nor any other from him, or revealed by Holy Scripture, but another unknown to us. For it was so inscribed that it could not be read even by John, but by Christ alone: and this was to signify the immensity and incomprehensibility of the nature and substance of Christ, which no human or angelic intellect can comprehend. Thus Aretas and Alcazar. It alludes to the name Jehova; for that was ἄρρητον καὶ ἀσύγκριτον, that is ineffable and incomparable, as I said at Exodus chapter vi, 3. Again, the name Jehova was borne by the high priest, written on a golden plate hanging from his tiara; in like manner, Christ the High Priest has this name written on his head and diadem, because this is the name signifying and representing his divinity.
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13. AND HE WAS CLOTHED WITH A GARMENT SPRINKLED WITH BLOOD. — Understand this garment of both Christ and of the holy Martyrs. For the humanity of Christ was made bloody by the Jews, and even now with the scars of wounds remaining in the body of Christ it is ruddy, as if to say Christ bears the marks and memory of His blood, and of His own, impiously shed by the impious, whose vengeance He now demands, and at the sight of which He stirs Himself to vengeance and is inflamed. Thus Viegas. Our Martin of Roa describes the same thing graphically and tragically in book I of his Singulars, chapter ii, saying: "Therefore that Christ might slay the demon, He shows Himself to him bloody on the cross: since he was the author of that crime and injury, and having beheld his body fouled with blood, mindful of so atrocious an injury, he will not dare to engage, and will yield. Hence you may understand the mystery, why in Zechariah chapter iii, when Satan stood at the right hand of Jesus the high priest, to resist him, Jesus was clothed with filthy garments. The fiercest enemy stands, aims his sword, devotes the priest's head to death and destruction: he opposes to him his naked side, naked head and body, or, which is the same in war, a torn and filthy garment. The royal prophet David had already seen before this engagement, had seen Christ Jesus, whose type he bore, had seen Him preparing Himself for battle; but he exhorted Him to gird Himself with His sword, and to arm Himself with His strength: 'Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty.' The prophet Isaiah had seen it, and likewise forewarned: 'Arise, put on Thy strength, O arm of the Lord.' Why with torn and bloody garments for battle? But the Emperor Christ, in place of a bronze breastplate, opposes a bloody cloak, in place of iron gauntlets and greaves iron nails, in place of a helmet thorns, in place of the protection of soldiers solitude, in place of the clanging of trumpets silence, and patience when engaging with the enemy. For neither shall 'He have pleasure in the strength of a horse, nor shall He delight in the legs of a man.' But no sword is equally powerful as bloody flesh; no strength more excellent against the enemy than the very weakness of a lacerated body: when he sees it, he is weakened and broken, because he is the author of its atrocity. The passage in Apocalypse xix agrees: 'And He was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood, and His name was called the Word of God.' Therefore when He goes forth to battle, He proceeds in a bloody or purple garment, and on a red horse." St. Jerome in Isaiah chapter lxiii says: "The Lord and Saviour," he says, "sat upon a red horse, assuming a human body, to whom it is said: Why are Thy garments red? and: Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosra? etc. But He sat upon a white horse when after the resurrection He assumed an immortal and incorruptible body: and whosoever followed Him used white horses, namely incorruptible and immortal bodies." Secondly and rather, Christ's garment was sprinkled with the blood of the enemy, which He shed, and soon will shed; for, as follows: "He treadeth the winepress of the wine of the fierceness of the wrath of God." For Christ is introduced here as it were fighting, trampling down and slaughtering enemies, namely the impious: whence He is sprinkled and made bloody with their blood, and as bloody symbolically through a vision He is presented to John to behold, even before the battle, because He goes forth to a bloody battle, and will be made bloody by it. For there is an allusion to Isaiah lxiii, 1, where concerning Christ slaughtering enemies it is said: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosra? I have trodden the winepress alone, I have trodden them in My fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments."
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14. AND THE ARMY WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN (of angels and heavenly beings) followed him — not so much as soldiers about to fight for him, as companions and spectators of his battle and victory. For Christ alone accomplished this war. Whence it is said of him in verse 21: "They were slain with the sword of him that sitteth upon the horse, which proceedeth out of his mouth." Hence likewise Christ alone is said to have a garment sprinkled with blood; but his other horsemen companions were "clothed in fine linen white and clean": which garment is a symbol both of purity and innocence, and also of happiness, glory and triumph. It is credible nevertheless that their garment, especially of the Martyrs, was sprinkled with blood, for the reasons already stated. Thus in the Old Testament not so much the Hebrews fighting, as God fighting for them brought forth victories. For this is what is said Deut. i, 30: "The Lord your God who is your leader, he himself shall fight for you." Similar passages are Josue xxiii, 3, Judith v, 16. Therefore to Christ alone is this victory attributed, because by his strength, command and authority Michael and the angels shall accomplish it. IN WHITE HORSES. — St. Jerome in Isaiah lxvi, and St. Gregory, Ansbertus and Viegas, by white horses, understand the incorrupt and immortal bodies of the Saints. More literally Ribera: To the heavenly beings and angels, he says, white horses are given here symbolically, so that by them victory and triumph may be signified. Thus Zacharias, cap. i, vers. 8, saw angels the guardians of men sitting upon white horses. Morally hear St. Gregory: "A horse," he says, "is to each holy soul its own body, which namely it knows both to restrain from unlawful things by the bridle of continence, and again to release by the impulse of charity in the exercise of good works. By the name of horseman therefore the soul of a holy man is expressed, which governs the beast of the body well subjected. Whence also John in the Apocalypse, contemplating the Lord, says: And the army which are in heaven followed him in white horses; for he rightly calls the multitude of Saints which had labored in this battle of martyrdom an army; who therefore are described to sit in white horses, because their bodies shone forth both with the light of justice and the brightness of chastity." Thus he himself, lib. XXXI Moral., cap. ix.
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15. And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword on both sides (this sword is the empire, force and power of Christ, which he exercises against the Antichristians and the wicked. Whence it follows) THAT IN IT HE MAY STRIKE THE NATIONS (with present and eternal death, in which) AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AND HE TREADETH THE WINEPRESS OF THE WINE OF THE FIERCENESS OF THE WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD — that is, he shall most severely press, tread and punish them both here and in the future. For here he shall corporally strike and slay them: but in the future he shall torment them in hell, so that they shall always seem to die and be slain, yet never truly die, but always live mortally in deadly torments, and immortally mortally. Note: St. John after the Hebrew manner frequently and variously uses καί, that is "and" for "for," "then," "afterwards," etc. For the Hebrews use their vau for all particles.
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16. AND HE HATH ON HIS GARMENT AND ON HIS THIGH WRITTEN: KING OF KINGS. — "On his garment," that is, on the breastplate; "and on his thigh," that is, on the breeches, or the lower part of the tunic. Secondly and more properly, it is a hendiadys, "on his garment and on his thigh," that is, on the garment covering the thigh, or on the clothed thigh; for since the garment covered the whole body, therefore here he designates a certain part of it, saying: "On his thigh." Whence the Syriac version renders it, "and he hath upon his garment, and upon his thigh names written: King of kings and Lord of lords." You may ask why Christ bears this name "on his thigh." I answer, because the thigh symbolically signifies the humanity of Christ. For he himself received it from the thigh of Jacob, David and others, and through it he spiritually begot all the elect to God; for the thigh, because it encompasses the genital parts adjacent to itself, is hence the cause and symbol of generation. By the thigh therefore, first is signified the incarnation of the Word. Thus St. Gregory, homily 15 on Ezekiel. Secondly, the passion of Christ; for this thigh and garment of Christ is sprinkled with blood, as I said at verse 13: by the merit of this blood and passion Christ became King of kings and Lord of lords. And so just as on his head he has the name of divinity (for the head is the symbol of this), "which no one knows but himself": so on the thigh of his humanity he has a name known to all, namely that as man he is "King of kings and Lord of lords." Thirdly, by the thigh is signified the offspring of Christ, namely his sons and grandsons, as Alcazar says, according to that Genesis xlix, 10: "A ruler from his thigh." Whence it is written on his thigh: "King of kings," etc., indicating that his true sons are kings, and that he himself is king of them. For in the thigh is understood the propagation of the race, as St. Gregory, Ansbert and Bede teach, as if to say, Christ will make his sons kings, and they also shall judge the nations. To this tends that iambic verse of Blessed Thomas More: "A pious prince will never lack children / The father of the whole kingdom is the prince." Therefore he abounds most happily with as many children as peoples. Fourthly, Maldonatus in Matthew chapter xxvii, 11: on the thigh, he says, is signified the kingdom of Christ, and that Christ as God reigns by his own nature: for by the thigh is signified nature, as if to say, Christ is king not by force, not by tyranny, not by election, not by adoption, but by nature, and by natural propagation and generation. Secondly, Ambrose takes the garment to mean the Saints, and the thigh to mean the humanity of Christ: "For," he says, "first, in the works of the Saints is recognized that he is the true God, who possesses such servants; secondly, because in the works which he himself performed while placed in the flesh, it was known that he is the true Son of God." Thirdly, Pannonius: "The garment," he says, "is external, the thigh is from nature; and Christ has humanity externally in time, but divinity from nature, from which he is God from eternity: and he has neither of these without the honor of dignity, because from both he is king," as if to say, Christ both as man and as God is King of kings. But the first sense is the simplest and the genuine one. KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. — This was the title and eulogy of the kings of Persia, as testified by Alexander ab Alexandro, book I of Genial., chapter xxviii. Thus Julius Capitolinus calls Sapor King of kings, chapter xxiv, where he recounts his letters to the Emperor Constantius; the inscription of which was: "King of kings Sapor, sharer of the stars, and brother of the sun and moon, to Constantius my brother, greetings." Whence that remark of Agesilaus to him who in the manner of the time called the great king of Persia: "Is he," he says, "greater than me, unless he be also more just and more modest?" Thus Plutarch in the Laconian. So also Suetonius in Caligula, chapter vi, calls the king of the Parthians, King of kings. So also Plutarch in Lucullus calls Tigranes king of the Armenians, King of kings. Moreover among the Parthians, the first great king was called Artabanus, and he used a double diadem, as testified by Herodian, book VI. These and more things Pineda in Job i, 1, number 17.
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17. AND I SAW ONE ANGEL STANDING IN THE SUN, AND HE CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAYING TO ALL THE BIRDS, etc.: COME AND GATHER YOURSELVES TOGETHER TO THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD. — This Angel stands in the sun, to signify that in the sight of the whole world this vengeance upon the Antichristians by Christ shall be accomplished. The calling and invitation of the birds signifies that there shall be an enormous slaughter, so much so that to feed upon and devour the corpses of the Antichristians, vultures and other carnivorous birds shall fly together from all sides. For God has prepared this supper for them, that is, this banquet and feast of corpses. He alludes to Jeremiah xii, 9: "Come; gather yourselves together, all the beasts of the earth, make haste to devour." Again he alludes to, or rather cites, Ezekiel xxxix, 17, where, speaking of the same destruction of the army of Antichrist, namely Gog and Magog, God says: "Say to every bird and to all the beasts of the field: Gather yourselves together, make haste, come together from every side to my victim, which I am sacrificing to you, a great victim upon all the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood." Mystically, this Angel is a type of the Evangelical preacher. But why does this new preacher cry out from the sun as from a pulpit? Is it because, just as the sun always hastens and never rests, so the Evangelical preacher swiftly circles and travels through the whole world? Is it because, just as the sun rises beneficently upon all, upon the just and the unjust, so the Evangelical preacher is devoted to the welfare of all, both good and bad, especially their spiritual welfare? Or finally, is it because, just as the sun illuminates the whole world with its splendor and makes it fertile with its heat, so the Evangelical preacher illuminates the blind minds of men with his words and inflames their perverse wills with his example? Thus our Mendoza in I Kings iii, 21.
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19. AND I SAW THE BEAST AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH — ten, concerning which see what is said cap. xvii, at the end. This Beast is Antichrist, as I said cap. xiii, vers. 1. For he, together with all his followers, who shall be innumerable, shall be gathered in Armageddon to fight against Christ and the Christians, but shall be utterly defeated by Christ. Whence it follows:
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20. And the beast was taken (Antichrist), and WITH HIM THE FALSE PROPHET — namely that notorious impostor, who shall be the precursor of Antichrist, of whom cap. xiii, vers. 11. WERE CAST ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE BURNING WITH SULPHUR. — Some read, "burning"; Primasius, "burning with fire and sulphur"; the Greek, "burning in sulphur"; the Arabic, "full of fire and sulphur." But the Roman texts read, "burning with sulphur." Note: Antichrist, to prove himself to be Christ, as an ape of Christ, shall feign that he dies and after death rises again to life, as is evident from Apocalypse xiii, 12. Hear St. Gregory, lib. XI, epist. 3: "When Antichrist comes into the world, he shall command that the day of the Sabbath and the Lord's Day be kept from all work. For because he shall feign that he dies and rises again, he shall order the Lord's Day to be held in veneration; but because he shall compel the people to judaize (so that he may appear to be the Messiah promised to the Jews) to restore the rites of the Mosaic law and to subject the perfidy of the Jews to himself, he shall force the Sabbath to be observed. After this feigned and hypocritical resurrection, he shall ascend before all the people upon the Mount of Olives (as Daniel ii, 45 signifies), and shall wish like Christ to ascend into heaven, from which he shall falsely claim to have descended at first: demons shall lift him up in the air, taking on the appearance of angels, while all marvel and acclaim his divinity," says Pererius. But soon he shall be cast down by Christ through Michael, and soon the earth shall open and swallow Antichrist, and demons shall seize him alive and drag him into the depths, whether he arrives there alive (for to perish from the earth and to be delivered to the fire of hell shall be his death and destruction, says Andrew of Caesarea), or rather he shall die and be suffocated on the way first. For both are probable, as I have taught concerning Korah, Dathan and Abiron in Numbers xvi, 33. The latter, however, is more probable and more in accord with Holy Scripture, which elsewhere says that all men without exception shall die, as in II Thessalonians ii, 8; Hebrews ix, 27. Moreover, Antichrist shall be killed, "as the doctors hand down, on the Mount of Olives, in his pavilion and throne, in that place against which the Lord ascended into heaven," says Haymo in cap. xi of Isaiah. Furthermore, Michael shall cast him down with lightning, as it seems. For thus the Sibyl sings of him, lib. III: "When burning power pouring forth upon the earth shall come, and shall burn Beliar (that is, Antichrist)." Unless someone with Ribera should say that the wrath of Christ killing the impious is called by the Sibyl, in poetic and prophetic manner, burning power. BURNING WITH SULPHUR. — From this place and cap. xx, vers. 9, and cap. xxi, vers. 8, it is clear that there is true sulphur in the infernal regions, as the Doctors commonly teach. For sulphur is a matter and fuel most apt for fire, and by its stench and acridness it increases the punishment of fire. There is, I say, sulphur in hell, not one thing succeeding another, but the same always in number, remaining and constant, just as the fire itself is always the same in number and constant to itself.
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21. AND THE REST WERE SLAIN WITH THE SWORD — that is to say, The rest of the soldiers of Antichrist, namely the army of the ten kings, and Gog and Magog, shall be slain "with the sword," that is, by the command and power of Christ, which He shall execute not by a sword, but by fire sent from heaven, as chapter xx, verse 9 teaches. The sword therefore here shall be fire and hail, which shall proceed from the mouth of Christ, because by the command of Christ they shall descend from heaven, and shall destroy that army of the impious. Morally, observe here how sharp and terrible is the vengeance of God upon the impious and those hostile to Christ, especially upon the leaders of heresies, whose chief and head shall be Antichrist. The destruction of Simon Magus, the first leader of heresy, is well known, whom Arnobius describes thus briefly in book II Against the Gentiles: "The Romans saw the course of Simon Magus and the fiery chariots breathed forth from Peter's mouth, and when Christ was named they vanished; they saw, I say, him trusting in false gods, and betrayed by those same gods fearing him, cast down by his own weight, and lying with his neck broken; afterwards he was carried to Brundisium, worn out by tortures and shame, and cast himself down again from the highest summit." Julian the Apostate, struck by a heavenly weapon, filled his hand with blood, and casting it into the air, said: "Thou hast conquered, O Galilean," as Theodoret says, book III of the History, chapter xx. Valens, the Arian Emperor, was burned by the Goths in a house; which St. Isaac the monk, though absent, saw in spirit: "Now," he said, "Valens is tormented by fire, and his nostrils perceive the foul odor flowing from him." Thus Nicephorus, book XI, chapter L. St. Jerome adds in Daniel xii, 11, that he shall be slain on day 1290 from the beginning of his reign, and that Daniel signifies this when he says: "And from the time when the continual sacrifice shall be taken away (by Antichrist at the beginning of his monarchy), and the abomination unto desolation shall be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred ninety days." Daniel adds: "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh unto a thousand three hundred thirty-five days." From which words St. Jerome and others everywhere gather that after the death of Antichrist there shall remain 45 days until the day of judgment, which God shall give to men fallen in the persecution of Antichrist, that they may repent. Some with him take these days precisely, so that on the next day foreseen, namely the 46th from the death and persecution of Antichrist, there shall be the resurrection of all and universal judgment. Furthermore, it is probable that the day of general resurrection shall be the same on which Christ rose, namely the day of Easter. Whence Lactantius, book VII, chapter xix, teaches us that we shall rise on the Lord's Day, indeed at the same hour in which Christ rose: for Christ was the exemplar of our resurrection. The same teaches St. Anselm in the Elucidarium, and Macarius in homilies 5 and 12, saying that our resurrection shall be at the time of April, when all things bloom and exhibit the appearance of heavenly glory. The same opinion is held by our John Salas in I II, Question V, article 5, tract. 2, disp. 14, sect. x. These two principles being supposed, namely first, that from the death of Antichrist until the day of judgment and resurrection there shall be precisely 45 days; second, that the resurrection shall be on the very day of Easter: it follows that Antichrist shall be slain at the end of the Carnival (which let those who revel note and fear) on the first day of Lent; and then the whole of Lent shall be given to those fallen for repentance, that they may prepare themselves for the final Easter, on which they shall rise to undergo universal judgment. For Lent from its beginning until Easter contains 46 days; take away from these the first day, inasmuch as Antichrist shall be slain on it, there remain 45 days, which Daniel numbers until the day of judgment: so that when the 45th day is finished, and the 46th begins, which shall be Easter, all shall rise and be judged. Thus a certain learned man in Rome, who discussed this matter with me, thinks. If you say: "Therefore the day of judgment could be known precisely, which Christ denies in Mark xiii, 32," I answer by denying the consequence. For now it cannot be known, and hereafter it cannot be known until the death of Antichrist: but that being accomplished, it could probably be known from what has been said, but not known with certainty: because each principle on which this opinion rests is uncertain and merely probable, namely that the resurrection shall take place on the day of Easter, and that there shall be precisely 45 days from the death of Antichrist until the day of judgment. For many think there shall be far more, as I said in Daniel xii, 11. In these conjectures therefore nothing can be defined with certainty, especially since various others are brought forward by different people, and which of them is true the event shall declare. You will ask, when Antichrist shall be slain. I answer, after he shall have reigned three and a half years, as Daniel xii, 7 teaches, and St. John in the Apocalypse chapter xi, verses 2 and 3, and chapter xii, verse 14. Zeno, an Emperor of Eutychian heresy, was buried alive by his wife; concerning whom Cedrenus says: "The soldiers," he says, "who were placed to guard the sepulcher in which he was laid, reported that for two nights they heard a lamentable voice from the sepulcher saying: Have mercy on me, and open for me. When they said that another was already reigning: I care nothing," he says, "take me away to a monastery. But when it was not opened, they say that somewhat later the monument was opened, and Zeno was found in it, who from hunger had eaten his own arms, and the stockings which he wore." Anastatius the Emperor, says Zonaras, saw a terrible man saying: "Behold, on account of the perversity of your faith, I blot out fourteen years of your life." For, as the same author adds, and Cedrenus, when he learned from an oracle that he was to perish by fire, he opened a cistern which is called the Cold, with many passages, in order to elude the oracle; but in vain, for he was struck by lightning. Theodoricus, an Arian king, was seen by a certain holy man between Pope John and Symmachus the Patrician, whom he had killed, ungirt, barefoot, and with bound hands cast into the pot of Vulcan. Thus St. Gregory, book IV of the Dialogues, chapter xxx. Constantinus Copronymus, enemy of the Mother of God, died miserably in Chalandion, crying out and saying: "While still living I am delivered to inextinguishable fire," and he desired the holy Virgin Mother of God to be named and praised, says Theophanes. Arius in seclusion burst asunder in the middle like Judas, and poured out his bowels, because he wished to take away from God the Father his bowels, that is, the consubstantial Son. Thus St. Gregory of Nazianzus in the Praises of St. Athanasius. The blasphemous tongue of Nestorius against Christ and the Mother of God was eaten away by worms, and his whole body rotted away with decay, as Evagrius, book I, chapter vii, Cedrenus and others relate. That Luther broke his own throat is reported to have been received from his most intimate associates by Bozius in the Signs of the Church, Genebrardus and others, and a crowd of ravens accompanied his funeral; indeed, demons from the possessed at Geel (I myself saw this town in Brabant, and the possessed who flock there to St. Dympna) flew to Saxony to his funeral, narrates Tilmannus Bredembachius, book VII of Sacred Collections, chapter xxxix. Beza writes that Calvin was afflicted with consumption, colic, asthma, stone, gout, and hemorrhoids. There was added a disease of lice, which pervaded his whole body; and a most foul and purulent ulcer about his private parts: he therefore expired, eaten away by worms, like Herod, Huneric, Maximian and Antiochus Epiphanes, the most bitter persecutors of Christ and the Church: thus Jerome Bolsec, a Doctor of medicine, in the Life of Calvin, chapter xxii.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
19:1
… An allusion to such a solemn liturgy of the Temple can be seen in Apoc. 19, 1-6.
19:4
… Neh. 5:13; 8:6). In this sense it occurs in the final doxologies of the first four books of the Psalms (v.) (at the end of Psalms 40 [41]; 71 [72]; 88 [89]; 53, the a. is doubled; in 105 [106], it is joined to the Alleluia: cf. 1 Chron. 16:36 Heb., and Rev. 19:4). In these cases the Septuagint has γένοιτο, γένοιτο, which the Vulgate renders Fiat, fiat. …
… Holy Scripture speaks of it (Gen. 42:6; 43:26, 28; Jos. 5:15). Thus the Magi venerated the Infant Jesus (Mt. 2:11); thus Jesus himself prayed in the garden (Mt. 26:39); thus the Apocalypse presents the elders in adoration (Apoc. 5:14; 19:4). Prostration, very much in vogue in the ancient Persian court, was not unknown in Rome (Suetonius, Aul. …
19:9
… In the New Testament similar beatitudes occur: Mt. 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; Lk. 11:28; 12:37 f., 43; 14:15; Jn. 20:29; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 3:14; 4:14; Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14. To this day the Christians of the East call the beatitudes "macarisms." The Arabic Diatessaron interprets the initial adjective "blessed" in an adverbial sense: "long …
19:10
… The Angels (v.), especially the Angel of the Lord, in the Old Testament are there the object of profound religious veneration, though generic (e.g., Ex. 23, 20-22; Num. 22, 31-35; Job 5, 13-16; cf. Col. 1, 8; 4, 14; Apoc. 19, 10) because they are glorious beings, servants and messengers of God, his heavenly court, always in his presence (cf. Mt. 18, 10). And although there is a strong warning against the misunderstood …
19:13
… The doctrine of both issues into a transcendent eschatology, is hinged on the basic ideas of (eternal) life, light, the Lamb and the Shepherd, the Word of God (only Jn. 1:1-14 and 1 Jn. 1:1 and Rev. 19:13), divine judgment, two opposing kingdoms (God and Satan, heaven and world). …
In Apoc. 19:13 there appears a crowned horseman, with a "name written, which no one knows except himself. …
Servant of Yahweh (Heb. 'Ēbhedh Yahweh)
… 15:21 with Is. 52:15; Jn. 12:38 with Is. 52:1; Mt. 8:17 with Is. 53:4; Acts 8:32-35 with Is. 53:7-8; Lk. 22:37 with Is. 53:12. In these one observes fulfilled in Christ what is said of the S. of Y. (cf. also Lk. 2:32 - Is. 42:6; Mt. 11:5 - Is. 42:7; Rev. 19:13-15 - Is. 49:2; Mt. 26:67 - Is. 50:6). Jesus applies to himself Is. 53:12 (Mk. 15:28; Lk. 22:37). No one can doubt that the figure and the mission of the S. of Y. fit in full only Christ, …
19:16
Cor. 8, 6; Phil. 2, 11). He is the king of kings, the lord of lords (Apoc. 19, 16). With Baptism one becomes his (I Cor. 1, 12-13).
19:17
… The narrative of the battle and of God's victory over the coalition of the kings, foreshadowed by the name A. in Rev. 16:16, is deferred to Rev. 19:17-21.
19:20
… But in I Io. the pseudo-prophet (4:1-3) is identified with the A. (2:22: identical features); cf. Apoc. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10. The Fathers apply Io. 5:43 b directly to the A.; e.g. Origen (Tractatus de libris ss. Scripturarum, ed. Batiffol, Paris 1900, p. 116).
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.