ACC ~ Revelation 1 v14a

CHRIST IS ANCIENT AND IMMORTAL. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: By the “whiteness on the head” is shown his antiquity and immortality, and the source of his majesty, for “the head of Christ is God.”COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 1.2.

CHRIST POSSESSES THE PURITY OF GOD AND IS TENDER TOWARD SINNERS. APRINGIUS OF BEJA: The head of Christ is God, and he himself is white on account of the brightness of the purity of the Unbegotten and on account of the unmixed light of the Only Begotten and on account of the pure radiance of the Holy Spirit and the immaculate glory of his righteousness. And not without reason is he called white, because he is compared to white wool and to snow on account of his tenderness which he gives without ceasing to the sinners. As it is written: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and though they are red as crimson, they shall become as wool.” TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 1.14.

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST IS ANCIENT. OECUMENIUS: “His head,” it says, “and his hairs were like white wool, like snow,” for the mystery in Christ was new at its appearance, although to be sure eternal according to good pleasure. The holy apostle has written concerning this: “the mystery which was hidden from the ages and generations, which has now been revealed to his saints, to those whom he willed.” Therefore, the whiteness of his head, which is compared with wool and with snow, represents the antiquity of the mystery, such as relates to the good pleasure of God. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 1.12-16.

THE BAPTIZED ARE THE SHEEP OF CHRIST AND THE NEW JERUSALEM. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: The white hair is the multitude of those made white, that is, he is speaking of the neophytes who come forth from baptism. He speaks of wool because they are the sheep of Christ. He speaks of snow because just as snow falls freely from heaven, so also the grace of baptism comes apart from any preceding merits. For those who are baptized are Jerusalem, which each day comes down as though snow from heaven. That is, the church is said to descend from heaven because that grace is from heaven through which she is both freed from sins and joined to Christ, who is her eternal head and heavenly spouse. … The beast from the abyss is said to ascend, that is, an evil people is born from an evil people. For just as by descending humbly Jerusalem is exalted, so the beast, that is, that prideful people which arrogantly ascends, is cast down. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 1.14, HOMILY 1.

Rev