ACC ~ Revelation 10 v1 - 7

OVERVIEW:

The seer sees the Lord as a mighty angel sent from the almighty Father coming down from heaven. With the signs of his resurrection and his judgment (VICTORINUS) he comes wearing in the form of a cloud his own holy flesh and his church, which is his body. In his coming he bears the symbols of the promise of salvation and perseverance that he gave to his church, and in his face he shows the future brightness of the saints (TYCONIUS, PRIMASIUS). This “messenger of great counsel” carries an open scroll, for he reveals the grace of the New Testament, which is announced throughout the world by his apostles (VICTORINUS, TYCONIUS, PRIMASIUS). Although all things have been placed under his feet (VICTORINUS), many will nonetheless be martyred in his name before his final advent (PRIMASIUS). These are the strong members of the church who suffer the attacks of persecution (TYCONIUS, PRIMASIUS). Others, however, have not yet received the sign of faith (TYCONIUS), nor have they been tempted by great dangers. Such persons will be spared by God, who will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength to endure (PRIMASIUS).

During this time of repentance, the church interprets the Old Testament through her prophets (VICTORINUS) and proclaims her message in various manners befitting the various readiness of her hearers (PRIMASIUS). But the church will not make known her mysteries to the unworthy and the faithless, so that they might remain mired in their wickedness (TYCONIUS). And after the time of the preaching of repentance, there will be no future hope for the sinner (VICTORINUS). The saints, however, will then undergo no further testing or cleansing but rather experience the end of all persecution and perpetual peace (TYCONIUS).

Or, the seer sees an angel descend from heaven for the punishment of the impious and the unrepentant (OECUMENIUS). Attending him are the symbols of the formlessness and the invisibility of the angels and of the brightness and virtue of their angelic nature (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). The angel brings with him a little book in which are written the names of the wicked who have sinned upon the land and upon the sea. This angel expresses his wrath against the impious, for he and the other angels agree that the verdict of God against the sinners is just and right (OECUMENIUS). Much of this will remain unrevealed until the clear interpretation of all things is given at the end of time (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Then that eternity will begin which has no temporal measure and in which God is worshiped and praised (ANDREW OF CAESAREA).

10:1 | A Mighty Angel Came from Heaven

THE SIGNS OF RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: And by this “mighty angel” … he signifies our Lord. By the words “his face was as the sun” he indicates the resurrection. By the “rainbow over his head” the seer indicates the judgment, which has occurred or will occur. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1.

CHRIST COMES WEARING HIS CHURCH LIKE A CLOUD. TYCONIUS: In this angel the person of our Savior is indicated. On his body he wears the church as though she were a cloud. For the church was constituted in the body of Christ and is often described in diverse manners. At times we read of her as a cloud, as a robe, as the sun, as the moon and as clothes white as snow. And even the saints are compared with clouds, as we read in the prophet Isaiah, “These are they who will fly as the clouds.” To be sure, the cloud with which he is clothed is his body, which was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The “rainbow over his head” indicates the promise and the perseverance of his church. “His face was like the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.” There is here a great and marvelous plan, so that at the beginning of this book he might show the fire of the last persecution and afterward might indicate the future brightness of the saints as a fire. For at first he spoke of “his feet as refined in a furnace,” and afterward he describes his face “as the shining in full strength.” That he might show how great is the brightness of the church, he now mentions the face before the feet, which are refined, and afterward compares his feet with pillars of fire. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1.

ANGELS ARE INVISIBLE, BRIGHT AND FULL OF VIRTUE. OECUMENIUS: He says, “I saw an angel descending from heaven.” The angel comes with various forms of punishment against those who were still alive and even though they had heard or seen the torments of the sinners had nonetheless not repented but had remained in their wickedness. His appearance and equipment were as follows. He was wrapped in a cloud. The cloud signifies the formlessness and invisibility of the holy angels, for the cloud is a symbol of invisibility, as the prophet clearly indicates when he speaks of the invisibility of God, saying, “A cloud and deep darkness were around him.” “And a rainbow was over his head.” This is as though he had said, “The primary and distinctive feature of the good angels is brightness,” for they are angels of light. “And his face was as the sun,” it says. This is a demonstration of unmixed brightness. While the rainbow grants a brightness and is indicative of that brightness that comes through virtues—for that reason, the brightness of the rainbow is not uniform but is varied, signifying all the virtues of the angels—the sun is symbolic of their natural brilliance. Therefore, he was wrapped in a rainbow—for the virtues are around us—but his face resembled the sun, for in us there is every natural excellence. “And his feet were like pillars of fire.” Fire symbolizes that punishment that he brought against the impious. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1-4.

CHRIST COMES WITH THE CHURCH, MARTYRS AND APOSTLES. PRIMASIUS: He sees the Lord Christ coming down from heaven dressed in a cloud, which is the church. Or, he is clothed by the cloud of his flesh, which is elsewhere said to be a new bride who descends from heaven, or as Daniel says, the Son of man has come on the clouds of the heavens. The arc above his head represents the promise of propitiation, which remains among those who are good, but it signifies also those who will be decorated with martyrdom before the advent of the Lord, as Abel and others. … And his face was as the sun, since the Lord Jesus Christ was made manifest through the glory of the resurrection, of which we read, “In the sun he has set his tabernacle,” that is, where he is revealed so that he might no longer be hidden. For by his face is indicated the revelation of the present, which the prophet awaited and said, “Show your face, and we shall be saved.” His feet are the apostles who were enflamed by the words of God and by the Holy Spirit and were sent out to preach. As it says, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road and opened to us the Scriptures?” They are called “pillars” on account of the stability of the church, and of them the prophet said, “I have strengthened its pillars,” and “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet which announce and declare peace.” Finally, the apostle said, “Who [Peter, James, John] were reputed to be pillars of the church.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1.

ANGELS POSSESS VIRTUE AND ALL KNOWLEDGE. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The cloud, the rainbow and the light like the sun show how we are to understand this holy angel. For through these [symbols] the manifold character of its virtues and the brightness of the angelic nature and understanding is revealed. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1.

10:2 | A Little Scroll

CHRIST IS THE MESSENGER OF THE FATHER. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: The “open book” is the Revelation that John received. As we explained earlier, “his feet” are the inspired apostles. That he stands upon both the sea and the land signifies that all things have been placed under his feet. He speaks of him here as an “angel,” for he is the messenger of the almighty Father and is called the “messenger of great counsel.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1.

THE REVELATION OF CHRIST ADVANCES. TYCONIUS: With reason did his face shine “as the sun in full strength,” for he opened the book that had been sealed in mystery. “He placed his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the land,” so that he might confirm the precept of his law by land and by sea. Nor was it without reason that he placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. In the right foot he signifies the stronger members who have been made firm through great dangers. In the left foot he indicates the crowd of candidates who have not yet received the sign of the faith. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.2.

THE ANGEL OPENS THE RECORD OF THE WICKED. OECUMENIUS: “And he had in his hand,” it says, “a little scroll opened.” Daniel recalled such scrolls when he said, “The tribunal sat before him, and books were opened.” It was the little scroll in which were written both the names and the transgressions of the severely wicked who are going to be punished. And therefore he used the diminutive “little scroll,” since there is a book or a scroll—both are mentioned in holy Scripture—in which the names of all people are written. But here he speaks of a little scroll in which the names of the exceedingly wicked are written. For those who worship idols and are marked by murders and sorceries and are enfeebled in other ways that he reports would not be sufficient to fill an entire book. “And he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the land.” On the one hand, this is an indication of the multitude of the saints, but on the other hand this indicates that he was carrying the instruments of punishment for those who transgressed upon the land and upon the sea, in that they were drowned in it, and who had otherwise done evil. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1-4.

THE STRONG SUFFER PERSECUTION; THE WEAK ARE SPARED. PRIMASIUS: If earlier the deep secrets of the Old Testament were recognized to have been hidden in the sealed book, it is appropriate that the revealed grace of the New Testament is believed to be disclosed here in the opened book. Therefore, the apostle confidently says, “And we, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from glory to glory, as though by the Spirit of the Lord.” Indeed, this is why his face is said to shine like the sun. Moreover, the right foot upon the sea represents those members who are strong so that they might suffer the attacks of persecution. … The left foot upon the land represents those who are not exposed to the greater dangers. For God does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with temptation [he] provides also a way, so that we might endure. It is certain, nonetheless, that the proclamation is extended by way of land and sea. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.2.

10:3 | Seven Thunders Sounded

AFTER THE TIME FOR REPENTANCE. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: That he “cried out with a loud voice” signifies that great voice of heaven, which announces the words of the almighty God to people that when the time of repentance is closed there will afterward be no future hope. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1.

GOD’S PUNISHMENT IS JUST. OECUMENIUS: That the holy angel roars like a lion is symbolic of his wrath against the impious. “And when he called out,” it says, “the seven thunders sounded their voices.” He calls the seven ministering spirits “seven thunders.” They were mentioned earlier. Here he mentions them by way of the definite article, “the seven thunders,” referring to those seven spirits who bear the offering. What does it mean that the seven spirits cry out? It means that these also concur fully with the punishments against the sinners and bring forth a hymn of thanksgiving to God, that all that he has done is just. And they cried out together revealing the forms of the punishments. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.1-4.

THE CHURCH ADAPTS PREACHING TO THE HEARERS. PRIMASIUS: [The loud voice] indicates that through his servants he was proclaimed faithfully and with strength. As the prophet says, “And he made firm the glory of his strength.” “When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.” Because of the known use of the number seven, I think that the seven thunders signify the various manners of the church’s preaching. The apostle Paul spoke of this concerning his service to others, “As babes in Christ, I fed you with milk, not solid food,” however to others, “solid food is for the perfect,” yet also to others, “avoid the heretical man after the first and second admonition.” Therefore, the church is said to proclaim rightly through its usual offices of preaching. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.3.

10:4 | “Seal Up What the Seven Thunders Said”

THE CHURCH INTERPRETS THE OLD TESTAMENT THROUGH HER PROPHETS. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: “The seven thunders uttered their voices.” The Spirit of sevenfold power announced through the prophets all things that were to come and by his voice has given witness in the world. But since he said that he was going to write whatsoever the thunders had said, that is, whatever had been obscurely foretold in the Old Testament, he was forbidden to write but told to keep it [sealed]. For he was an apostle, and it was not good that the grace of the second rank should be given to the person in the first rank, “for the time is already near.” For the apostles overcame unbelief by powers and signs and wonders and mighty deeds. And after them the comfort of having the prophetic Scriptures interpreted was given to the churches which were confirmed in the faith. These interpreters [the apostle] calls prophets, for he says, “He has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers” and following. In another place he says, “Let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said.” And he says, “Any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head.” When he said, “Let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said,” he is not speaking of some unheard of and unknown orthodox prophecy but of that prophecy which is already spoken. They weigh what is said to ensure that the interpretation conforms with the witness of the sayings of the prophets. It is clear that John, armed with a superior power, had no need of this, while the church, which is the body of Christ, is adorned by her own members and ought to respond from her own rank. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.2.

THE CHURCH DOES NOT REVEAL MYSTERIES TO THE UNWORTHY. TYCONIUS: It was said to him, “Do not write” that which you have heard, so that what is in mystery and is reserved to the church would not be revealed to those who are unworthy and faithless. … [Elsewhere] he says, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” He shows that there are those to whom the mystery ought to be sealed and those to whom it ought to be opened. As the Lord himself said, “To you”—he is speaking to his disciples—“it has been given to know the secret of the kingdom of God, but for others it is in parables.” It says, “Let him who continues to do evil, do evil still, and him who is filthy, be filthy still, and let him who is righteous still perform more righteous deeds, and likewise the holy more holy deeds.” This is to say, “This is why I speak to them in parables, that they who do not see may see and they who see might become blind.” And again, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” Daniel likewise said, “Seal the book until the time of the consummation.” And [John] explains why he was commanded to seal the book in the following words, “Let the unrighteous transgress so that all the wicked and the sinners might not know, but let those who understand understand.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.4.

COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: This shows that what is now undisclosed is to be explained through experience and the course of the events themselves. And from the heavenly voice the Evangelist learned that the voices are to be imprinted on the mind but that the final understanding and the clear interpretation of them is reserved for the last times. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.4.

10:5-6 | The Angel on the Sea

ETERNAL LIFE. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: God swears by himself, since there is none greater than he. But the angels, being creatures, swear by the Creator, for due to our untrustworthiness, they are the guarantors of what is said by them. They swear either that in the coming age there will no longer be time which is measured by the sun, since eternal life is transcendent to temporal measure, or they swear that there is not much time after the six voices of the angel before the prophecies are fulfilled. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.5-6.

10:7 | The Mystery of God Should Be Fulfilled

THE FUTURE PEACE EXCLUDES ALL FURTHER TESTING. TYCONIUS: The seventh trumpet signifies the end of the persecution and the advent of the Lord, our Savior. For this reason the apostle Paul said that the resurrection of the dead would occur “at the last trumpet.” Therefore, he affirms that in the time of the future peace the time of the church would no longer be one of cleansing. For the final persecution will cleanse the church until the seventh trumpet. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10.7.

EVERY MYSTERY RECEIVES ITS FULFILLMENT. OECUMENIUS: This is said in the manner of an ellipsis. For it says, “When the seventh angel was about to blow his trumpet,” all the various and different punishments against the impious will be fulfilled. He does not say that this will occur now when he blows his trumpet in this vision, since the other [woes] have not yet occurred. Rather, this will happen when he blows his trumpet at the appointed time. And when this has happened, “the mystery of God as he proclaimed it to his servants, the prophets” will receive its completion. For the prophets prophesied until the judgment and the recompense of the good and the wicked, but after that [they prophesied] no longer. Therefore, when the seventh angel blows his trumpet at that [seventh] age, every mystery and every prophetic foretelling will receive its fulfillment. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE, 10.5-7.