ACC ~ Revelation 10 v1

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.

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