CHAPTER 6
Revelation 6:1-4 And when He said, I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one sitting on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and He came forth so that the one who conquers may be victorious. And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another horse came out, fiery red, and to the one sitting on it was given the power to take peace from the earth so that people would kill one another, and a great sword was given to him .
The closing and sealing of the little scroll, which contains the names of the people written in it, signifies that it is unalterable, and that their mouths are shut from any justification before God, according to what has been previously stated (Rev. 5:1). Therefore, the gradual removal of the seals signifies the gradual repetition of the boldness and intimacy toward God, which the only begotten One, having become incarnate, has made possible for us by correcting our shortcomings through His own deeds. It must be understood that the breaking of each seal signifies one of the acts performed by the Lord for our salvation, and also those carried out by Him against the spiritual enemies of our souls. For the Lord’s providence toward us involves the overthrow of those powers.
Let no one be amazed at those things that will happen, that the Only Begotten existed before becoming incarnate; for the works and deeds before His coming to us are shown to the divine evangelist through vision. Yet, He appears as a Lamb in the revelation, as if slain.
For it is customary that what is seen by the prophets serves as a pre-announcement of things to come. Therefore, a man long ago contended with Jacob (Gen. 32:24), a type of Christ; thus, Isaiah 1 saw the prophetess conceiving in her womb and bearing a son, whose name is also called, "Despoil Quickly, Plunder Rapidly." (Isa. 8:3) Thus Daniel saw the Son of Man, still without flesh, God, the Word coming to the Ancient of Days. (Dan. 7:13)
Therefore, the first blessing, which pertains to our race through our Savior Christ, is the one that opened the first seal of the little scroll and established the beginning of leading us back to where we came from, out of the transgression in Adam, and to recover for us the lost relationship with God and to transfer our previously forbidden access into boldness. This is the bodily birth established by the Lord, which sanctified our birth so that we are no longer conceived in lawlessness and carried in sins by our mothers, but we have a holy birth of Christ through our own birth, by which the human birth is blessed. And a witness to such a noble ambition toward humanity is the divine apostle, who writes: “since your children are unclean, but now they are holy.” (1 Cor. 7:14)
Oecumenius commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:14
For if the unfaithful part is not overcome by the purity of the faithful, he says, nothing prevents the born ones from being defiled, or half-pure. Which, he says, is not so (for it is holy), casting out awe from the possession of the holy word. For this is what you say: "Since then your children are unclean," if it is not so. But now they are holy by the possession of holiness.
When the first seal was opened , he said he saw a white horse coming forth from those spiritual holy beings, holding a bow ; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering so that he might conquer . A white horse serves as a symbol of the Gospel, representing the good will to be bestowed upon humanity. The crown , on the other hand, signifies power and victory. It came forth bearing the crown with Christ, as the one who began to conquer the Devil who had enslaved our race. It is said that He came forth so that the one who conquers may be victorious . Christ was the one who conquers , so that he may conquer completely, and the symbol of victory he bore was the crown. This is the first seal .
But secondly, there is the blessing of Christ to us, who opened the second seal of the little scroll, and added to us the release of our shame, restoring to us the divine vision; He was tempted as the Lord and overcame the tempter so that He might show not only victory but also that the adversary was defeated. The adversary did not bite the heel of the rider 2 nor trip up our steps (Ps. 140:4) according to God’s commandments, but rather, falling backward and being sent away in servitude, and hearing from the Man whom he wrestled with long ago, even though God was in Him, He said, “Depart, Satan,” (Matt. 4:10) and Satan went away in shame. And now, for the first time, the adversary knowing his own weakness, he who boasts of sitting above the clouds on his throne, will be made like the Most High, imagining himself according to what was described by Isaiah. (Isa. 14:13-14)
When it happened, a fiery red horse came out , led by one of the holy creatures ; and to the one sitting on the horse it was given the power to take peace from the earth so that people would kill one another, and a great sword was given to him . The fiery red horse is a riddle 3 [αἴνιγμα] of blood; therefore, a sword is given to the one seated upon it, by which to destroy and divide the unity of those on earth toward evil. They were united in their idolatry and so that they might kill one another ; that is, to destroy each other through hostile contracts. For the Lord “did not come to bring peace upon the earth, but a sword; and to set a son against his father, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,” (Matt. 10:34-35) the new and godly against the ancient and condemned.
Revelation 6:5-8 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come.” And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and the one sitting on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and the one sitting on it was named Death, and Hades followed with him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with death and by the beasts of the earth .
Thirdly, the mercy of Christ has opened the third seal for us, and has brought us, from having been condemned to rejection, to God and the Father. And this is his saving teaching, and the benefits through the divine signs; for these brought about the overthrow of the Devil; for through them we have come to know who is by nature and truly God, “so that we may not be infants, tossed about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14); and we honor those things which our hands have made, exchanging the corruptible demons for the glory of God. For the divine teaching of the Lord drew to itself, like yeast to flour, those who were learning, according to the voice of the Lord, and enjoying the miracles, which healed souls more than bodies.
Oecumenius commentary on Ephesians 4:14
"That we should no longer be infants ." He shows that they had suffered this long ago, and as if arranging it in the order of a narrative he corrects them, composing himself because it is not burdensome. "Infants," he says, "in faith. And being carried about." For truly to be infants is to be carried about, and not having gone on and become established. "By every wind." Having said being tossed about, he continued with the turn, and by way of teaching called it the wind of doctrine. "by the sleight of men." Sleight of words are called those who sometimes teach this, sometimes that, and continually shift from one thing to another deceitfully. Such are the heretics. And such, he says, are also crafty in finding a method and a pretext for error, contriving everything to deceive.
When these things happened, a black horse came forth, and the one sitting on it had a pair of scales in his hand . The black horse symbolizes sadness and mourning, imposed by the divine teachings following the downfall of the Devil, and therefore, in Devil’s mourning, it finds its own release 4 [λῦσιν], corresponding to such extensive periods of time.
The scales are indeed a symbol of equality and justice. For “the one who judges righteousness sat upon the throne; he rebuked the nations of the demons, and the impious one,” (Ps. 9:5-6) their leader, perished. Therefore, the scales is a symbol of the righteous judgment of the Lord, the scales that is upon us; it also signifies that we may speak boldly before Him: “You have established my judgment and my justice,” (Ps. 9:5) so that the nations may know that we are men, and not subjected to the judgment of beasts, dragged by a “bridle and a strap,” (Ps. 31:9) and pastured by destructive tyrants.
And he said, I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the win e.” The word and the teaching, as a seed, is metaphorically expressed in the divine Scripture; for it is written according to Matthew: "The sower went out to sow" (Matt. 13:3); and again, the most favored of the servants said to their lord, "Lord, did you not sow good seed in the field? Where then do the weeds come from?" (Matt. 13:27) As for the seed, it is indeed grain, like the evangelical preaching which serves as proper nourishment for mature men, “who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb. 5:14)
Oecumenius commentary on Hebrews 5:14
"by constant practice." He refers to habit, perfection, the well trained, having their senses exercised, such as hearing, tongue, eyes. Indeed, he speaks of the senses of the soul. To distinguish , he says, what is good, and high doctrines, and what are the spurious and corrupt. He hints at those who teach anything to everyone, giving themselves and being persuaded. For he who receives everything simply, has indiscriminately both good and evil.
What then is barley ? According to the Law of Moses, it is the teaching, as the earliest form of grain, fully matured, and serving as nourishment appropriate for livestock, feeding the infant Israel.
Therefore, God speaks from among the four living creatures saying: “ A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius .” Through this, a famine is foretold, along with a scarcity among the people of that time of both teaching and the Gospel from the Lord, as well as of the law, according to what is written: "I will give them neither hunger for bread nor thirst for water, but hunger for hearing the word of the Lord." (Amos 8:11)
Even if he says that those who despise every teaching and turning should suffer these and those things most of all, do not harm the oil and the wine ; leave them alone and do not bring any punishment upon them; God says there is still mercy for them from me. Since there is hope for them, to be spiritually joyful in the divine proclamations of my Only Begotten; for this is “the wine that spiritually gladdens the heart of man.” (Ps. 104:15)
Therefore, by continuing in their previous disobedience, he would wrong the mercy granted to them by God, as well as the joy that would be perceived 5 [νοητὴν] through faith. And why do I say “perceived” only? For the teachings of the Lord possessed grace that was both perceptible and visible; and the prophet bears witness, saying, “Grace has been poured out upon your lips,” (Ps. 44:32) addressing the Lord. Moreover, Josephus, the Jewish man, compelled by truth, writes concerning Him in his book Antiquities of the Jews 6 the following: “At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, if it is proper to call him a man; for he was a doer of extraordinary works, a teacher of people who accept the truth with pleasure; and he attracted many Jews and many from the Greek population.
This was the Christ. And He was shown to us as one of the first men, having been crucified by Pilate; those who first loved Him did not cease. For He appeared to them alive again on the third day, fulfilling what the divine prophets had spoken, these and countless other miracles concerning Him. Even now, the community 7 [φῦλον] of those called Christians has not perished from this time onward.”
It is the breaking of the fourth seal and the beginning of the release from the sin of Adam’s transgression. For this release is the indicator of reconciliation with God. For if “our sins separate us from God”, as Isaiah says (Isa. 59:2), then their removal brings us back into fellowship. But what is the remedy? The wounds of Christ, through which we have been freed (see 1 Peter 2:24; Isa. 53:5). For since we were condemned by the pleasure of tasting, we have been healed by its opposites. Opposite to pleasure are the wounds, which bear the painful sensation, all of which Christ endured on our behalf, through which we were led to the corruption of death, but He endured it through opposites: through obedience, disobedience (see Rom. 5:19); through painful submission, pleasure; through the brave placing of His hands upon the cross, which had rashly touched the forbidden tree.
Of which it is said to have occurred, by the command of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and the one sitting on it was named Death, and Hades followed with him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth . The pale horse is a symbol of wrath; for the bile is pale green, and so it is called by physicians.
Death and Hades were indeed sent forth spiritually to overthrow the deceitful demons and to exact justice for the destruction of humanity. However, since the saving work of Christ’s passion had not yet been accomplished through the Revelation, by which He atoned all the sins committed against us, the complete destruction of the demons had not yet occurred; rather, only a quarter part had been destroyed.
This destruction is metaphorically called a slaughter and famine by those who long ago worshipped them; and death , the end of their tyranny, is brought about through death itself, and their annihilation by the beasts of the earth ;
beasts of the earth being the passions of pride and vanity in the demons. Though these demons are earthly by nature, as they delight in the earthly passions that afflict those on earth, even though they have a spiritual nature, they are weakened and consumed as they are cast out from their dominion over humanity.
Revelation 6:9-11 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony 8 they had maintained. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: "How long, O Master, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood from those who dwell on the earth?" And to each of them was given a white robe, and it was said to them that they should rest a little longer, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who were to be killed as they were, should be completed .
Therefore, the fifth salvation of the Lord was granted to humanity, which opened the fifth seal of the Lord and brought us liberation from sins and reconciliation with God. The bonds and wounds, by which the Lord was bound and brought before Pilate, and which He suffered from Pilate who had a half-hearted reverence (see Matt. 27), were therefore overcome. Regarding these matters, Isaiah 9 spoke of the plagues, saying that when the Lord was asked by the divine angels, "What are these wounds in the midst of your hands?" He replied, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my beloved." (Zech. 13:6) For these wounds healed our wounds, which we received when we were going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who bound us and wounded us, leaving us half dead, according to the parable of Luke. (Luke 10:30) But He has also loosened our bonds, the cords of sin by which we were bound; for the prophet says that “the cords of sinners were entangled around me.” (Ps. 118:61) Therefore, the Devil, acting wickedly on his own accord, was unaware, and in the Lord’s rebukes, he thrust the sword against himself and fell from his poorly established authority 10 .
When this happened, since previously the saints who had testified in the old days had not yet experienced such things against Christ; although He was spat upon, struck, and slapped, these acts were done in secret, in the unlawful council of the high priests, with only the servants and those summoned to the council as witnesses, and they still remained silent, remembering no one but themselves; but when they saw the Lord bound, scourged publicly by Pilate, and before all the Jewish people, they then rose up together, and having become witnesses against their master, they also remembered themselves.
For he said, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had maintained . He said, I saw the souls of the martyrs who held the highest place; for they were above the heavenly altar. Then he also says by which martyrs, having been slain, he speaks on behalf of the devotion of the ancient word and of the church, or rather the synagogue, which they had. For not only do the martyrs die for themselves, but they make the benefit common; for their courage becomes an encouragement to the rest, and the knowledge of God was built up by the blood of the saints.
And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: "How long, O Master, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood from those who dwell on the earth? " They directed their prayer not against men, but against the demons who dwell among earthly passions; for it was not characteristic of the love of the saints to rise up against their fellow kindred, but against those who lead men into destruction against them.
Having said these things, they first put on white robes . This was a symbol 3 [αἴνιγμα] of being purified by their own blood and of laying aside all impurity.
Then they hear: " rest a little longer, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who were to be killed as they were, should be completed ." For it was not just that those who were equal in courage should be hindered from receiving the crowns of martyrdom, which had been taken away prematurely from those whom demons tormented.
Revelation 6:12-17 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree casting its unripe figs when shaken by a strong wind; and the sky departed like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the powerful and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? "
The breaking of the sixth seal accomplished the perfect completion of our salvation; it destroyed death; it restored life; it crowned the conqueror of mankind, triumphing with confidence according to what is written: “For the only-begotten ascended on high; he led captivity captive; he received gifts among men.” (Ps. 68:18: Eph. 4:8)
Oecumenius commentary on Ephesians 4:8
For the other things are common, but the gifts are given according to the proportion of each one's purity. Therefore he says, " Having ascended on high." And that, he says, the grace is a gift of Christ, and he himself measured and gave, hear, he says, to David. But the "Having ascended on high" he says elsewhere, namely, "Your majesty has been exalted above the heavens." (Ps. 57:11) Whom did he capture? Clearly us, the good and beneficial captivity. Having overcome the Devil in a spiritual war, he took us captive, not in order that he might enslave us (how could he subdue those who were already slaves?), but that he might free us from the bitter tyranny of the evil one. Some understood this of the cross. Having ascended on the cross, he took captives.
What then is the sixth seal’s opening? It is the cross of the Lord and His death, followed by the prayer of every intellectual and sensible creature, the resurrection and ascension, “which He inaugurated for us a new and living way,” the return from death to life through the tearing of “the veil of His flesh” (Heb. 10:20); which benefited not only the living but also those who had gone before.
Oecumenius commentary on Hebrews 10:20
"which He inaugurated for us." It was the entrance of the holy places, and a path leading to it, recently cut. For this, it is said, was inaugurated. "new." Which in our times, he says, took its beginning. And this is our claim, that in the times around Abraham, this road did not exist, but was established among us. "and living." For the first way led to death and to disbelief; this one, however, truly brings to life, since it itself lives and endures. "through the veil." For all these good things have come to us through the flesh of Christ and His sacrifice. This also recently prepared the way to heaven, having walked it first. And rightly is the flesh of Christ called the veil. For when He was lifted up, that is, on the cross, then the things in heaven were revealed, which belong to the veil, and that it concealed the Divinity within itself. And this is also the characteristic of a veil.
For the Lord also went and preached to those in Hades who had once disobeyed, according to the divine apostle Peter, (1 Peter 3:19-20) and saved those who believed there, as is also thought by Cyril 11 .
Of which things having happened, a great earthquake occurred , he says, and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree casting its unripe figs when shaken by a strong wind . The vision clearly depicts for us the signs that occurred on the cross: the earthquake and the shaking of the earth (Matt. 27:51), the darkening of the sun, and the entire transformation of the moon into blood.
Indeed, the whole [ὅλη] was added very precisely to the moon ; for being nearly full and not divided, it showed the entire suffering on the day of the crucifixion through its entirety. It is customary for the enlightened part for such things to occur during lunar eclipses. And these things the prophet Joel also foretold would happen, saying, "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes." (Joel 2:31)
The stars of the sky fell to the earth , it is said, happened either by chance and was perceptible; if not, the account suggests that the heavenly light ceased, and everything was darkened (Luke 23:44-45, Matt. 27:45, Mark 15:33).
The sky is described as departed like a scroll being rolled up . Through the sky , the heavenly powers of the angels are mentioned, who themselves were disturbed, unable to bear the insult to their master, both here and there. The sky is said to be torn apart like a scroll being unrolled and shaken .
It is also said that every mountain and island moved from their places . Mountains and islands are called the ranks 12 [τάγματα] of the high-minded spirits, according to what is written about them; “and mountains can be moved within the hearts of the seas.” (Ps. 45:3) He also says that islands themselves rise up and are lifted by the vain vanity of their intellect in the unstable and salty distractions of this life. (see Isa. 23:2-6.)
And , he says, the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the powerful and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? " Kings again and great men , commander s and the rich and powerful , he calls wretched demons, as those who began to oppress the earth through violence and deceit; but slaves and free men , those who excel among the demons and are subject to them.
As for hiding themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains , and yet saying, “ You will fall upon us and hide us ,” this is spoken figuratively; it hints at fugitives attempting to escape the punishment imposed on them by Christ. For if an invisible punishment and retribution were not inflicted upon them, what is the meaning of what was said by the prophet Isaiah concerning Christ’s presence: “I have trodden the winepress alone, and among the nations there is no man with me; I have trampled them in my anger, and crushed them in my wrath, and their blood I have poured out upon the earth”? (Isa. 63:2-3) And what is the meaning of calling the God-hated [θεοστυγεῖς] demons by Matthew: “What have we to do with you, Son of God? Have you come to torment us?” (Matt. 8:29) But one might understand that these things spoken in the Revelation are not only the sufferings of demons, but also of the lawless Jews who crucified the Lord on the cross, who, being oppressed by the war against the Romans, became fugitives in the mountains and caves and the clefts of the earth, and were everywhere tormented by distress and anguish.
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Translator’s notes for chapter 6.
1. Cyril of Alexandria quoted this passage by Isaiah and is in line with Oecumenius, saying, “For God commanded the prophet both to take the scroll and to write with a pen concerning what is appointed for us in it;; He also came to the prophetess to write with a pen concerning what is appointed for us in it;. And what is the meaning of "He came"? It was formed instead of the law of the assembly. The prophetess is called holy and virgin, for she prophesied while bearing Christ. Then he says: “And in the womb she received and bore a son,” to whom even the law assigns, not as a mere man again, but as God according to His deeds. “For you shall call His name, “Despoil Quickly, Plunder Rapidly,” he says. (Isa.8:3) For the divine and supreme infant, having been born immediately, was indeed in swaddling clothes and still in the mother's womb because of His humanity; but since He was also by nature God, an indescribable power immediately anticipated the devices of Satan. For the magi came from the East, seeking Him and saying: “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matt.2:2)
2. The phrase "bite the heel of the rider" is primarily a biblical metaphor from Genesis 3:15 and 49:17.
3. “riddle” αἴνιγμα is an Ancient Greek word meaning a riddle, puzzle, or obscure saying, something difficult to understand or mysterious, leading to the English word "enigma". It refers to an unclear statement, hint, or dark saying, like looking through a clouded mirror, often used in a spiritual or philosophical sense to describe limited, partial understanding.
4. “release” [λῦσιν] Λῦσιν is an Ancient Greek word meaning release, deliverance, or freedom. It is an inflected form (accusative singular) of the noun λύσις. In specific contexts, such as the New Testament (1 Cor. 7:27), it refers to divorce or the dissolution of the marriage bond.
5. “perceived” νοητὴν (in its accusative feminine singular form) is an Ancient Greek word meaning intelligible, mental, or perceptible by the mind or intellect rather than by the physical senses. It is related to the Greek word νους, which means mind or intellect. The term is primarily used in philosophical and theological contexts to describe non-physical or incorporeal concepts, such as "mental essence" (νοητὴν οὐσίαν), which refers to rational, spiritual beings like angels, as opposed to material or sensible things. Plato, for example, used the term to describe an "intelligible substance" (οὐσίαν νοητὴν) of the soul.
6. Josephus, On the Antiquities of the Jews 18.63-64
7. “community” [φῦλον] φῦλον is an Ancient Greek word meaning "race," "tribe," "class," "stock," or "kind," referring to a group of people, gods, animals, or other beings sharing common descent or characteristics, and it's the root for English words like phylum (biological classification) and phylogeny (evolutionary history). It signifies a shared origin or grouping, from humans to divine beings.
8. The oldest Oecumenius manuscript reads “church.” But Oecumenius manuscripts 203 and 240 has the correct reading of “testimony.” Oecumenius also uses the word “testimony” below in the comments.
9. “Isaiah”. The manuscripts say Isaiah, and perhaps Oecumenius originally erred in giving credit to Isaiah for the citation, which the correct prophet was Zechariah. The Church Fathers often quoted Scripture from memory, which goes to show how well read they were, even though they may make a minor error like this every once in a while.
10. Satan's fall was a swift and definitive expulsion from his original place in heaven due to his sin of pride and rebellion. This event is described using imagery of sudden judgment, such as "fall like lightning from heaven" in Luke 10:18.
11. Cyril of Alexandria, Frag in 1 Pet 3:19-20. “Here Peter answers the question which some objectors have raised, namely, if the incarnation was so beneficial, why was Christ not incarnated for such a long time, given that he went to the spirits which were in prison and preached to them also? In order to deliver all those who would believe, Christ taught those who were alive on earth at the time of his incarnation, and these others acknowledged him when he appeared to them in the lower regions, and thus they too benefited from his coming. Going in his soul, he preached to those who were in hell, appearing to them as one soul to other souls. When the gatekeepers of hell saw him, they fled; the bronze gates were broken open, and the iron chains were undone. And the only-begotten Son shouted with authority to the suffering souls, according to the word of the new covenant, saying to those in chains: ―Come out!‖ and to those in darkness: ―Be enlightened.‖ In other words, he preached to those who were in hell also, so that he might save all those who would believe in him. For both those who were alive on earth during the time of his incarnation and those who were in hell had a chance to acknowledge him. The greater part of the new covenant is beyond nature and tradition, so that while Christ was able to preach to all those who were alive at the time of his appearing and those who believed in him were blessed, so too he was able to liberate those in hell who believed and acknowledged him, by his descent there. However, the souls of those who practiced idolatry and outrageous ungodliness, as well as those who were blinded by fleshly lusts, did not have the power to see him, and they were not delivered.”
12. The τάγματα is the plural of τάγμα in Greek, which primarily means a military unit, order, or body (such as a company, battalion, regiment), especially the elite Byzantine regiments.