Revelation of John 1 · The Lantern

Prologue

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants what things it behooves to take place with speed; and he signified it, having sent through his angel, to his servant John,

And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place.

Revelation is the revealing of hidden mysteries when the intellect is enlightened by either divine dreams or by visions from divine enlightenment while awake. things which must shortly come to pass.

which must shortly come to pass That is, the trials of the Church which must come to pass quickly, because this proceeds from the divine command which is not able to be altered. This is for the testing of the faithful and to expand of their glory. sending by His angel Jesus appearing in this way.

who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, as much as he saw.

Who bore witness to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus, etc. Lest you doubt the person of John, it is he who bore witness to the eternal Word of God and the same incarnate, as he saw, saying: We have seen his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father (John 1).

Who hath given testimony to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen. John gave testimony then, and now the Church does, whose symbol he was bearing when he saw this Apocalypse.

Who has given testimony to the word of God In the beginning of his gospel about his eternal Godhead saying, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (Jn. 1:1)"; that is about to his incarnation, saying, "And the Word was made flesh, etc.(Jn. 1:14)" Therefore, he adds: And the testimony of Jesus Christ, That is, concerning Jesus Christ.

Happy is the one reading, and those hearing the words of the prophecy and keeping the things written in it; for the time is near.

John Greets the Seven Churches

John, to the seven churches in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne,

In writing to seven Churches, he writes just as Paul wrote thirteen letters but wrote them to seven Churches. That to the Hebrews he does not judge to be Paul's, but perhaps Clement's.

What is the importance of the people of Asia that they alone deserve to receive the apostolic revelation? However, there is a mystery in the number and a sacrament in the name of the province.

This "7" is understood as the Church established in the world. St. Gregory says in Homily 25, "Because in 7 days all time is comprehended; the number 7 is a proper figure for the whole. Grace unto you In the present life. And peace in the future, for there the humanity will be completely tamed. From Him who is That is, from the eternal God.

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one loving us and having released us from our sins through his blood —

For we were imprisoned by sin, being born in sinfulness and living under death. But God the Father was very merciful: He sent His creative Word, who in coming to deliver us came to the very place and spot in which we had lost life, and brake the bonds of our fetters.

Since earlier he had recalled that Word who, before the assumption of the flesh, was with the Father in glory, he of necessity adds the humanity of the assumed flesh when he says, "And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness." For through the humanity which he had assumed, he gave a faithful testimony to his divinity, and by his passion and blood he interceded for our sins and…

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness Of the glory of the Father and majesty, as is clear in the Gospel. the first begotten That is, the first among those rising from the dead, although before Him Lazarus and many others were brought back to life. Nevertheless, this was mortal life, which is more properly called death than life, as St.

and he has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father — to him be the glory and the dominion to the ages of the ages. Amen.

Are not even we laics priests? It is written: "A kingdom also, and priests to His God and Father, hath He made us." It is the authority of the Church, and the honour which has acquired sanctity through the joint session of the Order, which has established the difference between the Order and the laity.

QUESTION: What is meant by And hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father? ANSWER: Seeing that the King of kings and heavenly Priest united us to his body by sacrificing himself for us, there is no one among the saints who does not spiritually have the office of a priest, since each of them is a member of the highest and eternal Priest.

made us a kingdom. That is, to be written as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will behold him, and those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail because of him. Yes, Amen!

Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made perfect in the last time.

Hold most firmly and never doubt that the Word made flesh always has the same truly human flesh with which God the Word was born of the Virgin, with which he was crucified and died, with which he rose and ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God, with which he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

they also that pierced him. That the Jews, who crucified Him by word of the soldiers by hand and Pilate by judging.

“I myself am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is being and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.

Thus, then, the milk which is perfect is perfect nourishment, and brings to that consummation which cannot cease. Wherefore also the same milk and honey were promised in the rest.

Concerning which it is rightly added: "You shall consume the head with the feet and the entrails," because our Redeemer is the Alpha and Omega, that is, God before the ages and man at the end of the ages. And as we have already said, brothers, we have learned from Paul's testimony that God is the head of Christ.

For sacred Scripture is principally concerned with the works of reparation. Whence it treats chiefly of faith, hope, and charity, through which virtues the soul must be reformed, and most especially of charity. Of which the Apostle says that it is the end of the commandment, insofar as it proceeds from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned.

John’s Vision on Patmos

I myself, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus, was on the island being called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

This other author, on the contrary, did not even deem it sufficient to name himself once, and then to proceed with his narrative; but he takes up his name again, and says: "I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Chris…

Was in the island, etc. The story is known, that John was banished to this island by Caesar Domitian because of the gospel, to whom it was fittingly given to penetrate the secrets of heaven when he was forbidden to exceed certain earthly spaces.

I was on the isle of Patmos—All the books attest that the apostle was expelled to the isle of Patmos, and also the epistle that Dionysius the Areopagite wrote to him there. Because of the word of God—because of the faith.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like that of a trumpet,

There is the selfsame difference in respect of the soul's corporeality, which is (perhaps) invisible to the flesh, but perfectly visible to the spirit. Thus John, being "in the Spirit" of God, beheld plainly the souls of the martyrs.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. He also indicates a suitable time for the spiritual vision. For Scripture often expresses the fixed limits of causes, as often of place, body, or air, so also of time. For the angels visit Abraham at noon, Sodom in the evening. Adam feared at the voice of the Lord walking in the afternoon.

I was in the Spirit, on the day of the Lord—He calls the first day of the week the Lord's, because on that day our Lord rose from the tomb, and on that day the Spirit descended upon the apostles, and on that day creation was created, and on that day our Lord arose.

saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

We have already said that he addressed one church which exists during the time of the whole world, that is, from that time when he spoke to the consummation of the world. Since he now mentions the names of these churches specifically, let us see what meanings they have.… There is a mighty mystery in the names which we will examine and discuss to the extent that God allows.

And send to the seven churches, etc. The Church of Christ was not then only in these places, but the fullness consists in the number seven. Asia, which is interpreted as elevation, designates the proud height of the world in which the Church sojourns; and, as is the custom of divine mystery, the genus fits the species.

Seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, etc.—Those cities are in the region of Asia; the beginning calls them churches.

And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

If, then, neither Moses, nor Elias, nor Ezekiel, who had all many celestial visions, did see God; but if what they did see were similitudes of the splendour of the Lord, and prophecies of things to come; it is manifest that the Father is indeed invisible, of whom also the Lord said, "No man hath seen God at any time." But His Word, as He Himself willed it, and for the benefit o…

Resting on three arms, a lampstand raises the body of a single shaft, and upon this shaft there is placed a lamp of light.

I saw seven golden lampstands—he calls lampstands the churches of those cities. Just as a lampstand gives light to the inhabitants of a house, so the churches illuminate with their teaching the peoples who lie in sin.

and in the midst of the lampstands one like the Son of Man, having clothed himself to the feet, and having girded himself about at the breasts with a golden sash.

And, behold, six men were coming toward the way of the high gate which was looking toward the north, and each one's double-axe of dispersion was in his hand: and one man in the midst of them, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and a girdle of sapphire about his loins: and they entered, and took their stand close to the brazen altar.

The breasts of the Lord are the holy teaching of the law and the gospel. This girding is a sign of the passion, concerning which the Lord himself spoke to Peter: "When you are old, another will gird you and lead you where you do not wish" The "golden girdle" is his everlasting power, washed in the blood of the Lord's passion.

In the mystery of the disclosing of Scriptures, Christ is pointed to through the symbol of the One presiding, as is clearly shown through the "son of man... in the midst of the seven lamp stands" that have "seven stars," which are the "Seven Churches."

And his head and the hairs are white as if white wool, as snow; and his eyes are like a flame of fire;

and his feet are like fine bronze as refined in a furnace; and his voice is like the voice of many waters;

Thus it was, too, that God formed man at the first, because of His munificence; but chose the patriarchs for the sake of their salvation; and prepared a people beforehand, teaching the headstrong to follow God; and raised up prophets upon earth, accustoming man to bear His Spirit [within him], and to hold communion with God: He Himself, indeed, having need of nothing, but grant…

And the feet are also the foundations of the church. And they are "like bronze incense," which, the medical people say, possesses a good smell when burned, and which is called by them masculine incense.

Like Lebanese bronze—however: the mystery of the fathers is figured in the feet, which are solid in works just like bronze. And his voice like the voice of many waters—By voice he designates his teaching like water, according to that: rivers of living water flow from his belly.

and he is holding in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword is going forth, and his face is like the sun shining in its full strength.

Now the Apostle John, in the Apocalypse, describes a sword which proceeded from the mouth of God as "a doubly sharp, two-edged one." This may be understood to be the Divine Word, who is doubly edged with the two testaments of the law and the gospel-sharpened with wisdom, hostile to the devil, arming us against the spiritual enemies of all wickedness and concupiscence, and cutti…

"and he had seven stars in his right hand," he said. He himself interprets these stars as the angels of the seven churches, as the divine Gregory said in the presence of the bishops, addressing the ruling angels; "for I believe that each church is guarded by a different angel, as John teaches in the Revelation." I believe that the "stars" are called the holy angels because of t…

In his right hand seven stars—seven ministering spirits, which are in his power, as in his hand: the lampstands of the churches. And out of his mouth a sharp sword—the divine word, which is sharper than a sword against the evil. And his face like the sun—to the good he will appear glorious and mild in countenance.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. And he placed his right hand upon me, saying, “Do not fear. I myself am the First and the Last,

It is customary for the holy prophets to see a vision and be struck with awe, revealing human weakness; and how much the divine surpasses the human and excels it with incomparable differences. This we also know from Joshua the son of Nave, when he saw the chief commander of the Lord's army (Jos. 1:9), and Daniel the man of desires in the visions that appeared to him. (Dan.

Fear not; I am the first and the last. The first, because all things were made through him. The last, because all things are restored in him.

And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. In this passage John signifies Christ's limbs, and the angel signifies Christ specifically. Therefore John falls as dead at the angel's feet because the Church follows Christ's footprints to die to the world.

and the Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of the ages, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

Write therefore the things that you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to be after these,

the mystery of the seven stars that you saw on my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Now all these [heretics] are of much later date than the bishops to whom the apostles committed the Churches; which fact I have in the third book taken all pains to demonstrate.

The stars placed in the right hand of God are the souls of the saints, or, what is the same thing, the entire congregation of the blessed who have been and who will be until the consummation of the world.

Because the truth to the belief of which we are bound by faith, and which sacred Scripture principally treats, is not just any truth, but divine truth, either as it is in its own nature or as it is in the assumed nature — for in the knowledge of this truth consists both the reward of the fatherland and the merit of the way —: hence it is that the articles of faith, which are th…

Revelation of John1

Prologue

John Greets the Seven Churches

John’s Vision on Patmos