Chapter V.
(Vers. 1.)
(Verse 1.) And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. In the right hand and with the seals which the Lord has given, we shall say in the following: the book indeed, written inside and on the back, signifies not only the old Testament, but also the new, which is written inside according to allegory, and on the back according to history. Therefore, this book contains the old and new Testament within itself; for the spiritual understanding in the old Testament is nothing else than the new Testament.
(Vers. 2.)
(Verse 2.) And I saw a mighty angel preaching with a loud voice. The strong angel signifies the Fathers of the Old Testament, who preached with a loud voice because they foretold the coming of Christ for the redemption of the human race. Who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals thereof? The question of the angel signifies the desire of the saints; for the saints desired to see Christ in the flesh and hear His words because they knew that all the mysteries of the Old Testament were to be revealed by Him, as He Himself said to His disciples: Amen, I say to you, many prophets and kings 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 (Luke 10:24).
(Vers. 3.)
(Verse 3) And no one was found worthy, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor beneath the earth, to open the book and to release its seals. For no angel residing in heaven, no righteous person standing on earth, and not even those who had paid the debt of death, ever appeared in the world to redeem the human race from the power of the devil, which redemption is the fulfillment of the old Testament.
(Vers. 4.)
(Verse 4.) And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it. John in this place represents those about whom we have just spoken, that is, the Fathers of the Old Testament; for the holy ones wept much, because the mysteries of the Scriptures, concealed from them, had no one to reveal them, and there was no one to rescue the human race, lost under the power of the devil. But we must inquire why he says that this book cannot be seen by anyone, when above he says that he saw it in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. For the ancient Fathers saw, whose type John holds in this place, the book of the Old Testament, and they did not see: they saw according to the letter, and did not see according to spiritual understanding.
(Vers. 5.)
(Verse 5) And one of the elders said to me: Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, to open the book and its seven seals. It seems to me that the elder has the same meaning as John, and also the strong angel; for they signify the Fathers of the Old Testament. For the strong angel asks who is worthy to open the book: John weeps, because no one is found worthy to open the book: but the elder says that the book should be opened by the lion, that is, by Christ. Therefore, those who desired the coming of Christ and asked when he would come are represented by the angel. John signifies those who wept because he delayed for so long. And the elder prophets signify those who declared how and when he would come. Therefore, Christ is understood as the Lion from the tribe of Judah, who is descended from the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David. And he is called the Lion because of his strength, for he conquered the devil and delivered his chosen ones from his power. Therefore, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, conquered the devil; in order to open the book and its seven seals; because the book could not be opened, unless the devil was first defeated, and this victory was the opening of the Old Testament. We will explain how he opened the seven seals in the following.
(Vers. 6.)
(Verse 6) And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as it were slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes: which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. The throne and the four living creatures and the elders together represent one Church with all its orders: but the Lamb, although not slain, appeared as if slain; because He tasted death for a little while, and then rising again, He no longer dies, and death shall have no more dominion over Him (Rom. 6:9): and He appeared to have seven horns and seven eyes. However, he himself explains what the seven eyes are when he adds: These are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. However, by the many horned heads they are designated. Therefore, it seems to me that the horns have a different meaning than the eyes; for by the seven horns all the chosen ones are designated, who are called the kingdom of God, whose whole multitude we have divided above into seven parts. Therefore, to the first horn belong the chosen ones who were before the flood; to the second, those who were from the flood until the Law; to the third, those who were under the Law; to the fourth, the prophets; to the fifth, those who believed in Christ from the Jews; to the sixth, the Gentile people; and to the seventh, those who are to be born at the end of the world and will fight with the Antichrist.
(Vers. 7.)
(Verse 7.) And he came and took the book from the right hand of him who was sitting on the throne. Above, we said that Christ was designated as sitting on the throne, but because he himself said: I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, and whoever sees me sees the Father (John 14:9 and following); in this place, the one sitting on the throne designates the Father, and the right hand belongs to the Son of the Father. But the Lamb designates the man whom Christ assumed. Therefore, the Lamb took the book from the right hand of him who was sitting on the throne, because the man Christ received from his divinity, in order to reveal the mysteries of the divine Scriptures.
(Vers. 8.)
(Verse 8.) And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. It is necessary to inquire how the book could be opened before the unlocking of the seals. But it is to be understood spiritually. For the prophets sometimes foretold the coming, passion, and resurrection of Christ by certain figures; and the patriarchs also foreshadowed all these things in their actions. But when Christ was born of the Virgin, when he suffered, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, he opened the book of the Old Testament; for he fulfilled in action what was foretold there: afterwards, he revealed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the doctors of the Church, what was obscure in the Old Testament and in the new. This opening is the unsealing of the seals. What follows, that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, belongs to the same doctors of the Church; for whenever they bring to mind the birth, passion, and resurrection of the Lord, and in whatever ways these were prefigured by the holy fathers and foretold by the prophets, and whenever they do not cease to investigate the things that are obscurely placed in the Gospel, so many times the sealed book is opened to them. Truly, they fall down before the Lamb, when, by meditating on the divine Scriptures, they consider the immense mercy of God and humble themselves in the sight of their Creator. And the more they humble themselves, the more they burn with love for Him; for the humility that is born in the presence of God nourishes the love of God. And by the lyres that are said to have been possessed by animals and elders, the mortification of the flesh is signified, as the Apostle says: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, and other things (Colossians 3:5). But the golden vials are the hearts of the saints, filled with spiritual wisdom, which are said to have been full of fragrant ointments. However, he himself explains what these ointments are, when he adds: which are the prayers of the saints. And in order for these ointments to ascend to God, the Psalmist prays, saying: May my prayer be directed like incense before you.
(Vers. 9.)
(Verse 9.) And they sang a new song, saying: The new people sing a new song; the new song is the song of the Gospel. You are worthy, O Lord God, to receive the book and to open its seals (Psalm 140:2). What he says here pertains to his humanity; for according to his divinity, he could not receive anything, since he always possessed everything. But why he was worthy to receive the book and to open its seals, he makes clear by adding: For you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. Here it is shown that the Church was gathered from all nations; for there were certain heretics who denied this.
(Vers. 10.)
(Ver. 10.) And you have made us a kingdom and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. If the saints of God are the kingdom of God, how are they said to reign on the earth, that is, to reign over the holy Church? Therefore, the saints of God are the kingdom of God, because God reigns in them, and they are kings because they know how to rule themselves and others well. They are also priests because, being daily inflamed by the fire of charity, they are accustomed to offer themselves to God through heartfelt contrition and tears, as the Psalmist says: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit (Psalm 50:19). Whether they are called priests of God, because they are members of the highest Priest of whom the Psalmist says: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4).
(Vers. 11, 12.)
(Verse 11, 12.) And I saw and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures. And their number was thousands upon thousands, saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. The throne, the four living creatures, and the elders represent the entire Church with its teachers: but the angels, who were seen surrounding the throne, that is, the Church, are the angels who have been appointed by God to guard the Church, as the Apostle Paul speaks, saying: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14)? But the largest number of them is designated as an innumerable multitude who are said to bless the Lamb with a loud voice; because they are never cease from praising God for whatever angelic duties they are assigned to fulfill: and just as this book entirely consists of the number seven, so it is said that the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit rested on Christ; likewise, seven blessings are placed in this place, by which the Angels are said to praise God incessantly.
(Vers. 13.)
(Verse 13) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: 'To Him that sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, honor, glory, and power, for ever and ever.' By the creature which is in heaven, the angels are meant; by that which is on the earth, men; by that which is under the earth, those who have already paid the debt of death are designated. But by those in the sea, we are to understand the waters of the sea; and by the sea, the place in which the waters are contained. But indeed he adds: And those things that are in it; we can understand the fish that dwell in the waters. But if through every creature that is on earth we can understand all human beings; how do all human beings praise God, when pagans and Jews are more fit to be called blasphemers of God than praisers? We also find certain wicked individuals, who are called Christians, who, although they seem to praise God, do not actually praise God; because as Scripture says: There is no beautiful praise in the mouth of a sinner (Ecclesiasticus 15:9). And if we must understand through every creature that is on the earth, all souls whose bodies rest on the earth, how are those who are tormented in hell to be believed to praise God? But through every creature, that which is on the earth and that which is beneath the earth, we must understand only the chosen ones: who do not cease to praise God with works and words on earth, and placed in the heavens with the Lord, they never cease from His praises. By the sea, indeed, we can understand the Church; by the waters of the sea, the multitude of the faithful; by the fishes dwelling in the waters, the doctors of the Church. Following this, comes the blessing, by which the faithful are said to continually bless God: Blessing, honor, glory, and power to our God forever and ever; for the chosen ones continually bless God, joining words with deeds.
(Vers. 14.)
(V. 14) And the four living creatures said: Amen. Amen is the confirmation of the word: therefore the four living creatures say, Amen, when the holy preachers constantly desire that their hearers may make greater and greater progress in good works. And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped. The twenty-four elders in this place have the same significance as the four living creatures: therefore the elders fall down and worship, when the holy preachers, the more they see their hearers to have advanced in good works, the more they humble themselves in the sight of God, as Scripture says: The greater you are, humble yourself in all things, and before God you will find favor (Eccl. 3:20). It follows the opening of seals, which is believed to pertain only to the opening of the divine Scriptures. For even those things that are said to have been done in the opening of the seals pertain to the opening of the Old and New Testament: and just as the whole body of the elect consists of seven parts, so there are also seven seals that correspond to each part, to show those things that are obscurely placed in the divine Scriptures, or what the deeds of the holy fathers signify. Therefore, the opening of the first seal pertains to events that occurred before the flood; but the opening of the second seal pertains to the patriarchs; the opening of the third seal pertains to those who lived under the Law; and the opening of the fourth seal pertains to the prophets. However, the three remaining openings pertain to the New Testament. The fifth opening pertains to the martyrs; the sixth to the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles; and the seventh pertains to the coming of Christ. We will discuss why the coming of the Lord is placed in the seventh position in the following sections. But we must inquire why the opening of the Old Testament is represented by the vision of four horsemen; for the horseman, on the one hand, is recognized as irrational in part, being a part of the horse, and on the other hand, is recognized as rational in part, being a part of the rider. Similarly, certain legal precepts are found to be irrational in part with regard to the literal sense, but are found to be highly rational in part with regard to the allegorical sense.