Revelation of John 21 · The Lantern

Et vidi cælum novum et terram novam. Primum enim cælum, et prima terra abiit, et mare jam non est.

For after the times of the kingdom, he says, "I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat upon it, from whose face the earth fled away, and the heavens; and there was no more place for them." And he sets forth, too, the things connected with the general resurrection and the judgment, mentioning "the dead, great and small." "The sea," he says, "gave up the dead which it had in i…

This passage announces the power and strength of the Lord with the words "He has established them forever, and for ages of ages: he has made a decree, and it shall not pass away." This is to remove all doubt that God is almighty, for what he has established continues in being without change, since this conclusion is applied to the things of heaven.

In the mystery of the disclosing of Scriptures, Christ is pointed to through the One who brings about eternal beatitude, for he saw "a new heaven and a new earth." These, then, are the mysteries concerned with the Tree of Life, that is, Holy Scripture, because it begins with eternity and ends in the direction of eternity.

Et ego Joannes vidi sanctam civitatem Jerusalem novam descendentem de cælo a Deo, paratam sicut sponsam ornatam viro suo.

When these things, therefore, pass away above the earth, John, the Lord's disciple, says that the new Jerusalem above shall [then] descend, as a bride adorned for her husband; and that this is the tabernacle of God, in which God will dwell with men.

The heavenly Jerusalem is the multitude of the saints who will come with the Lord, even as Zechariah said: "Behold, my Lord God will come, and all his saints with him." These are being prepared for God as a fine dwelling, namely, those who will live with him.

When these things have been attained, our spirit becomes hierarchical for ascending upward according to its conformity to that supernal Jerusalem, into which no one enters unless it first descends into the heart through grace, as John saw in his Apocalypse.

Et audivi vocem magnam de throno dicentem: Ecce tabernaculum Dei cum hominibus, et habitabit cum eis. Et ipsi populus ejus erunt, et ipse Deus cum eis erit eorum Deus:

et absterget Deus omnem lacrimam ab oculis eorum: et mors ultra non erit, neque luctus, neque clamor, neque dolor erit ultra, quia prima abierunt.

The angel echoes the same to John: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; " from the same eyes indeed which had formerly wept, and which might weep again, if the loving-kindness of God did not dry up every fountain of tears.

And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And Isaiah the prophet said a similar thing, saying "death was swallowed up in victory, and again God took away every tear from every face." (Isa. 25:8) For if according to the divine apostle in that blessed Life of the Saints "pain and sorrow and groaning have fled away," (Isa.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Such great and exalted clarity from the gift of God will appear in that city that no traces of the old world will remain. Since the heavenly incorruption will exalt the bodies, and the vision of the eternal King will nourish the minds.

Et dixit qui sedebat in throno: Ecce nova facio omnia. Et dixit mihi: Scribe, quia hæc verba fidelissima sunt, et vera.

Et dixit mihi: Factum est: ego sum alpha et omega, initium et finis. Ego sitienti dabo de fonte aquæ vitæ, gratis.

The sensible types of these, then, are the sounds we pronounce. Thus the Lord Himself is called "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end," "by whom all things were made, and without whom not even one thing was made." God's resting is not, then, as some conceive, that God ceased from doing.

From this fountain [God] refreshes believers who are now on the way. However, to those who conquer he will provide abundantly [from this fountain] and give them to drink in the fatherland.

QUESTION: To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely. ANSWER: He now bedews believers on the road with drops of this same fountain which he will let those who overcome drink plentifully from when they have reached their fatherland. He does both freely, and the grace of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Rom. 6:23]

Qui vicerit, possidebit hæc: et ero illi Deus, et ille erit mihi filius.

Timidis autem, et incredulis, et execratis, et homicidis, et fornicatoribus, et veneficis, et idolatris, et omnibus mendacibus, pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne et sulphure: quod est mors secunda.

"But the fearful," says John-and then come the others-" will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone." Thus fear, which, as stated in his epistle, love drives out, has punishment.

But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, etc. He always mixes harsh warnings with soothing words to instill caution. Thus, Psalm 145, while abundantly declaring the grace of the Lord's mercy, suddenly introduces His strict judgment, saying: The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy (Psalm 145).

Likewise, Scripture enlightens from below by showing forth the torments of hell. In the Psalm: He rains upon the wicked fiery coals and brimstone; a burning blast is their allotted cup. In the Apocalypse: Their portion shall be in the pool that burns with fire and brimstone. And the smoke of their torments goes up forever and ever.

Et venit unus de septem angelis habentibus phialas plenas septem plagis novissimis, et locutus est mecum, dicens: Veni, et ostendam tibi sponsam, uxorem Agni.

That Christ is the Bridegroom, having the Church as His bride, from which spiritual children were to be born. In Joel: "Blow with the trumpet in Sion; sanctify a fast, and call a healing; assemble the people, sanctify the Church, gather the elders, collect the little ones that suck the breast; let the Bridegroom go forth of His chamber, and the bride out of her closet." Also in…

Through this passage it is shown that the angels not only induce the worst plagues but also act as physicians, at one time cutting and at another time applying healing medications. For he who once brought on a plague to those who deserved it, now shows to the saint the beatitude of the church. And fittingly does he call the bride the "wife" of the Lamb.

THERE FOLLOWS: Come; I will shew thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb. ANSWER: By the bride and wife he means the Church, which, while remaining unstained, is always engendering spiritual children to God; or he may also call it so because it is now espoused to God, and is then to be led to the immortal nuptials.

Et sustulit me in spiritu in montem magnum et altum, et ostendit mihi civitatem sanctam Jerusalem descendentem de cælo a Deo,

This both Ezekiel had knowledge of and the Apostle John beheld. And the word of the new prophecy which is a part of our belief, attests how it foretold that there would be for a sign a picture of this very city exhibited.

That he was "carried away in the Spirit" indicates that through the Spirit he was elevated in his mind from earthly things to the contemplation of heavenly realities. The image of the "great mountain" indicates the sublime and transcendent life of the saints, in which the wife of the Lamb, the Jerusalem above, will be made beautiful and glorified by God.

Now, the great number of thoughts arising out of faith transcend in clarity the light of the stars. Hence, in the Apocalypse: "He took me up in spirit to a mountain, great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven." And I saw that it had twelve gates, and over each gate a pearl, so that each gate was of a single pearl.

habentem claritatem Dei: et lumen ejus simile lapidi pretioso tamquam lapidi jaspidis, sicut crystallum.

Et habebat murum magnum, et altum, habentem portas duodecim: et in portis angelos duodecim, et nomina inscripta, quæ sunt nomina duodecim tribuum filiorum Israël:

In that he says there are three gates placed on each of the four sides, of single pearls, I think that these are the four virtues, to wit, prudence, fortitude, justice, temperance, which are associated with one another. And, being involved together, they make the number twelve.

"And it had a great, high wall." Zechariah said, "For I will be," says the Lord, "a wall of fire round about." What is so great and high as the Lord of majesty, who with the protection of his presence surrounds the holy city?

ab oriente portæ tres, et ab aquilone portæ tres, et ab austro portæ tres, et ab occasu portæ tres.

The city that is described is the church, which is extended throughout the whole world. There are groups of three gates on each of the four sides because throughout the four quarters of the world the mystery of the Trinity is preached in the church.

It says that the gates are divided into four groups: "on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates." This signifies that the four parts of the world have accepted the mystery of the Trinity. That the names of the patriarchs are inscribed demonstrates that the ancient faith has been fulfilled.

To the east three gates, etc. I believe that this detailed description of the gates was meant to indicate the mystery of the number twelve, by which either the sum of the apostles or the perfection of the Church is represented, because through it, the faith of the Holy Trinity was to be proclaimed to the whole world.

Et murus civitatis habens fundamenta duodecim, et in ipsis duodecim nomina duodecim apostolorum Agni.

And the wall of the city, he says, had twelve foundations; for Christ, whom we have thought of as a wall, rests upon the preaching of the apostles, and upon them has gone forth as a "chief cornerstone," (1 Peter 2:6; Isa. 28:16; Eph. 2:20) as it is written. And upon them, that is, upon those foundations, are twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The foundations of the wall are the blessed apostles, upon whom the church of Christ has been established. Their names have been inscribed upon them, as upon a public placard, for the easy instruction of those who read them.

This Holy Spirit, acting in the minds of the chosen, brings about Scriptures and gives firmness to the Christian faith. And because it acts more specially in the apostles, they are said to be the twelve foundation stones.

Et qui loquebatur mecum, habebat mensuram arundineam auream, ut metiretur civitatem, et portas ejus, et murum.

In the golden rod he shows the members of the church, who, although weak in the flesh, are well founded in the golden faith. As the apostle says, "[We] have this treasure in earthen vessels."

The wall of fire surrounding it is the Lord, as we have already said. The golden measuring rod is the faith concerning the Lord's incarnation, for on account of its purity and sinlessness his body is revealed to be clearer and more brilliant than any metal.

QUESTION: And he that spoke with me, had a measure of a reed of gold. ANSWER: Christ, who is the Father's wisdom, measures the holy city, because he distributes the gifts of spiritual graces to every one of the faithful while ordering all things in number, and measure, and weight. [Wis.

Et civitas in quadro posita est, et longitudo ejus tanta est quanta et latitudo: et mensus est civitatem de arundine aurea per stadia duodecim millia: et longitudo, et altitudo, et latitudo ejus æqualia sunt.

She said to me, "Lo! do you not see opposite to you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splendid square stones?" For the tower was built square by those six young men who had come with her.

[The city is foursquare], that is, it persists in the faith of the fourfold gospel. It is said that its length is the same as its breadth, so that one might see that in its faith there is nothing disproportionate, nothing that has been added, and nothing that has been taken away.… He measured the city with his rod, which we understand to be the body of Christ, and it was twelve…

For if they are led twelve by twelve, they will be a hundred and forty-four, that is, the number of the City of Jerusalem. And so, a soul hierarchized in this way is a city in which God lives and is seen.

Et mensus est murum ejus centum quadraginta quatuor cubitorum, mensura hominis, quæ est angeli.

And he measured, it says, its wall at a hundred and forty-four cubits by the measure of a man, which is that of an angel. In many places, according to the customary usage of the divine Scripture, men are called angels. And this is clear from those passages in which Gabriel the Archangel is interpreted as a man of God (see Dan. 9:21).

We ought to regard the measure to be in the wall itself, for the wall of this city is our Lord Jesus Christ. That it was measured by the measure of a man indicates that the assumed man serves for the protection of the saints and as a guarantee of all bliss.

Et erat structura muri ejus ex lapide jaspide: ipsa vero civitas aurum mundum simile vitro mundo.

And he says that the inner structure of its wall is jasper. Already we have received jasper as the symbol of the incorruptible and life-giving Christ. And he says the city is pure gold, like clear glass. The gold is arranged with brilliance and transparency. The precious and purity of the saints is presented in works and words.

Jasper glimmers with a certain faint greenness and so shows the modest face of virginity. This is so that you might understand that our Lord Jesus Christ is joined to every building of the city and that that body taken from the flesh of the Virgin rises up for the protection of the whole wall.

And the wall was built of jasper. This is what the Apostle Peter exhorts: You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2).

Et fundamenta muri civitatis omni lapide pretioso ornata. Fundamentum primum, jaspis: secundum, sapphirus: tertium, calcedonius: quartum, smaragdus:

Tradition assures us that the heavenly Jerusalem that is above is built up of holy gems, and we know that the twelve gates of the heavenly city, which signify the wonderful beauty of the apostolic teaching, are compared with precious jewels.

In the song of Tobit we read, "All your walls will be precious stones," and also in Isaiah, "Behold, I will set your stones in order and lay your foundations with sapphires, and I will place jasper for your buttresses, and I will put your gates in formed stones, and all your borders will be in precious stones." And as though explaining what he had said, lest you think materiall…

The foundations of the city's wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The names of various stones indicate the species of virtues, their order, or their diversity, by which the entire heavenly Jerusalem is constructed. For it is difficult for each individual to flourish in all virtues.

quintum, sardonyx: sextum, sardius: septimum, chrysolithus: octavum, beryllus: nonum, topazius: decimum, chrysoprasus: undecimum, hyacinthus: duodecimum, amethystus.

Et duodecim portæ, duodecim margaritæ sunt, per singulas: et singulæ portæ erant ex singulis margaritis: et platea civitatis aurum mundum, tamquam vitrum perlucidum.

These pearls symbolize the apostles, who are also called "gates" because through their teaching they make known the door of eternal life.

The twelve gates are manifestly the twelve disciples of Christ, through whom we have come to know the door and the way. And they are also the twelve pearls that have received their splendor from the one, most precious pearl, namely, Christ.

And by the twelve gates, each one made of a single pearl, may be understood the twelve principal ideas to which the others may then be retraced, and according to which the others are ruled and directed: and these twelve principal ideas are bright, vivifying, and joyful. The first of these ideas was to consider God as the first Being; the second, to consider Him as triune.

Et templum non vidi in ea: Dominus enim Deus omnipotens templum illius est, et Agnus.

Et civitas non eget sole neque luna ut luceant in ea, nam claritas Dei illuminavit eam, et lucerna ejus est Agnus.

And in that he says that the sun is not necessary in the city, he shows, evidently, that the Creator as the immaculate light shines in the midst of it, whose brightness no mind has been able to conceive, nor tongue to tell.

What an image there is in these words, that the city, which has no need of a temple, has no need of the brightness of the heavenly luminaries! And what is the reason for this? Because the glory of God gives it light.

QUESTION: And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. ANSWER: Because the Church is not guided by the light or elements of the world, but it is led through the darkness of the world by Christ, the eternal Sun. THERE FOLLOWS: For the glory of God will enlighten it.

Et ambulabunt gentes in lumine ejus: et reges terræ afferent gloriam suam et honorem in illam.

And it says the nations will walk by its light. Not only the nations, but also the saints from Israel who have believed. But since those from the Gentiles are more numerous, it indicated these as well as those from the greater number. And the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it.

By the light, the Lamb is clearly shown to be the [city's] lamp, and the kings and the nations will walk in his light. The prophet knew this and said, "In your light we shall see light." The apostle also spoke concerning this light: "The night is far gone, the day is at hand." The Evangelist also writes in a similar way: "The life was the light of men, and the light shines in t…

QUESTION: And the nations shall walk through the light of it. ANSWER: It means that it is the selfsame Lamb that is now the way for travelers and will then be the life for citizens. [Ref. to John 14:6]

Et portæ ejus non claudentur per diem: nox enim non erit illic.

And that the gates cannot be shut, it is evidently shown that the doctrine of the apostles can be separated from rectitude by no tempest of contradiction.

The passage refers to the perpetual light of the Lamb. Indeed, the Lamb himself will be the eternal [light] in that city when the time of night has been removed. As Isaiah said, "It shall be for them from month to month and from sabbath to sabbath." By month he signifies the light because of the full splendor of the moon; by sabbath he is signifying the eternal rest.

THERE FOLLOWS: And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day: for there shall be no night there. ANSWER: He is saying that there will be in that city the perpetual light of the Lamb, or rather that the Lamb himself will be there as a perpetual light, while nighttime will have been eliminated.

Et afferent gloriam et honorem gentium in illam.

Non intrabit in eam aliquod coinquinatum, aut abominationem faciens et mendacium, nisi qui scripti sunt in libro vitæ Agni.

And he says that nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and falsehood shall ever enter it, but those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb. "For what fellowship has light with darkness," (2 Cor. 6:14) or a sinner with the righteous of God? whom the Lord in the Gospels also delivered to us as separated by a great chasm. (see Luke 16:26)

It is true that no one enters into that communion of the saints who either refuses to be cleansed of former sin and from the guilt of their parents, or having become filthy after purification refused to be cleansed by the washing of humility and the shedding of tears. Indeed, Judas committed such an abomination, and so does a heretic who worships God deceitfully.

QUESTION: Nor hath there entered into it anything defiled. ANSWER: He is describing the Church of that time when, after the wicked have been excluded from among them, the good alone will reign with Christ. But already now, every unclean person and liar is not in the Church, nor does the one who hates the city of God see its light, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Revelation of John21