ACC ~ Revelation 12 v13 - 17

OVERVIEW:

Having fallen from his angelic rank, the devil persecuted the Virgin Mary, who had given birth to the Savior of humankind. He was envious of humankind, for it would ascend to heaven while he had been expelled from heaven (OECUMENIUS). And so the devil’s hatred against Christ and the apostles and the church knows no bounds (PRIMASIUS), for condemned to eat the dirt of earthly thoughts, he pursues all the more those who bear the virility of Christ and are free from desire (PRIMASIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA).

Although pursued by Satan, Mary was saved by an angel who told Joseph to flee to the wilderness of Egypt (OECUMENIUS). To be sure, the virginity of Mary is symbol of that wilderness which is barren of all evil and desire and which all true virgins imitate and so receive the crowns of virtue (METHODIUS). Mary perhaps even escaped death, but she never had carnal relations (EPIPHANIUS). And this is an image of the church, which escapes earthly thoughts and desires by her love for God and for the neighbor (PRIMASIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Taught by the two Testaments, the church escapes the world by the affection of her mind, the absence of lust and the vision of God in a pure heart (PRIMASIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA, BEDE). Even as the heart of Mary was made glad when the earth took the body of Christ and gave it back again (OECUMENIUS), so is the church made sure through the teachings of Christ and through the victory of his human nature, which swallowed death in the fullness of its life (PRIMASIUS). Even now monks swallow up the temptations of the devil through their humility and sincerity of heart (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Having failed to kill the Lord incarnate or to sap the apostles of their confidence, the devil now persecutes the offspring of Mary through earthly tyrants, for the faithful confess the child born of Mary to be God and keep the commandments of God by faith in Jesus Christ (OECUMENIUS, BEDE).

12:13 | The Dragon Pursued the Woman

SATAN ENVIES HUMANKIND ITS SALVATION. OECUMENIUS: When the dragon saw himself in these bad circumstances and that he had fallen from his angelic rank, he became exceedingly bitter against humankind and persecuted the woman who had given birth to the Savior of humankind, in order that he might kill her. “He pursued the woman,” for he knew that her child was too great to be captured, and he envied people their salvation from the Lord, for he could not tolerate such a change that while he had been expelled from heaven, people would ascend from earth to heaven through virtue. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13-17.

THE DEVIL’S HATRED IS BOUNDLESS. PRIMASIUS: As we said before, the devil carries on a hatred against the church that is without bounds and with all means. For the more he is defeated and is expelled, the more sharply does he try to multiply his deceptions. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13.

THE DEVIL PERSECUTES THE CHURCH. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: When the devil wrestled with Christ after his baptism, he was overcome. Then arming himself against the holy apostles, he was again shamed when he saw that they found life through death, while as a snake he had been condemned to crawl upon the ground and to eat dirt, that is, earthly thoughts. He then began to persecute the church, for it has borne and continues to bear the masculine people of God which is not womanly because of desire. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13-14.

12:14 | The Woman Was Given Two Wings

A VICTORIOUS VIRGIN WINS THE SEVEN DIADEMS OF VIRTUES. METHODIUS: The church, then, coming into this wilderness, a place barren of evils, is nourished, flying on the heavenward wings of virginity, which the Word called the “wings of the great eagle,” having conquered the serpent and driven away from her full moon the wintry clouds. It is for the sake of these things, meanwhile, that all these discourses are held, teaching us, O fair virgins, to imitate according to our strength our mother and not to be troubled by the pains and changes and afflictions of life. … Do not, therefore, lose courage on account of the schemes and slanders of the beast, but bravely prepare for the battle, armed with the helmet of salvation, your breastplate and your leg armor. For you will bring on him an immense consternation when you attack him with great advantage and courage; nor will he at all resist, seeing his adversaries set in array by One more powerful. But the many-headed and many-faced beast will immediately allow you to carry off the spoils of the seven contests. … Therefore, with a virile and sober mind, take up your arms against the swollen beast and do not at all give way, nor be troubled because of his fury. For you will have endless glory if you overcome him, and take away his seven diadems, on account of which we have to struggle and wrestle, according to our teacher Paul. For she who having first overcome the devil and destroyed his seven heads gains the seven diadems of virtue, having gone through the seven great struggles of chastity. For one head of the dragon is incontinence and luxury, and whoever crushes this is wreathed with the diadem of temperance. Another head is cowardice and weakness; and whoever tramples this carries off the diadem of martyrdom. Another head is unbelief and folly and other similar fruits of wickedness; and whoever has overcome these and destroyed them carries off the honors connected with them, the power of the dragon being in many ways uprooted. SYMPOSIUM 8.12-13.

MARY NEVER HAD CARNAL RELATIONS. EPIPHANIUS OF SALAMIS: When the Savior was on the cross, the Lord turned, as the Gospel according to John tells us, “and saw the disciple whom he loved, and said to him of Mary, ‘Behold thy mother.’ And to her he said, ‘Behold thy son.’” If Mary had children and her husband was alive, why did he entrust Mary to John and John to Mary? Why not rather entrust her to Peter? Why not to Andrew, Matthew and Bartholomew? But it is plain that he entrusted her to John because of virginity. For he says, “Behold thy mother,” even though physically she was not John’s mother; he says this to show that as the originator of virginity she was his mother, since the life began with her. … For if she had not truly been the mother who bore him, he would not have taken care to entrust the Ever-virgin to John—his mother because of the incarnation, but in his honor undefiled and the wondrous vessel. But the Gospel says, “And from that day he took her unto his own home.” But if she had a husband, a home, children, she would return to her own home and not to someone else’s. … Indeed, when this had been done and John had taken her to himself, she did not yet live with him. If any think I am mistaken, moreover, let them search through the Scriptures and neither find Mary’s death, nor whether or not she died, nor whether or not she was buried—even though John surely traveled throughout Asia. And yet, nowhere does he say that he took the holy Virgin with him. Scripture simply kept silence because of the overwhelming wonder, not to throw people’s minds into consternation. For I dare not say—though I have my suspicions, I keep silent. Perhaps, just as her death is not to be found, so I may have found some traces of the holy and blessed Virgin. In one passage Simeon says of her, “And a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” And elsewhere the Revelation of John says, “And the dragon hastened after the woman who had born the man child, and she was given the wings of an eagle and was taken to the wilderness, that the dragon might not seize her.” Perhaps this can be applied to her; I cannot decide for certain, and [I] am not saying that she remained immortal. But neither am I affirming that she died. For Scripture went beyond human understanding and left it in suspense with regard to the precious and choice vessel, so that no one would suspect carnal behavior of her. Whether she died, I don’t know; and even if she was buried, she never had carnal relations, perish the thought! PANARION 7.78.10.9-11.5.

MARY ESCAPED ON EAGLE’S WINGS. OECUMENIUS: And so, the woman did not come into the control of Satan but fled into the desert. This is Egypt. For this reason the prophet sought “wings like a dove, so that flying away, he might take rest … in the desert.” But to the all-holy Virgin even more powerful wings were given, the wings of the great eagle. By the phrase “wings of an eagle,” he refers to the visitation of the holy angel who urged Joseph to take the boy and his mother and flee into Egypt. By means of this visitation, as though by means of the wings of an eagle, they arrived in Egypt. And since the dragon failed in this plot, which he had devised through Herod, he developed another one against the Virgin, namely, the death of her son. Consequently, the remaining portion of the narrative relates the cross and death of the Lord. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13-17.

THE CHURCH FLEES IDOLATRY. PRIMASIUS: As though they were wings, the church uses the two Testaments, for taught by them and instructed in their precepts, she strives to avoid the snares of the enemy, and being fashioned to followed their examples, she overcomes. Moreover, [the church] is guided by the twofold love of God and the neighbor. The place of solitude is this place of our earthly sojourn, for “while we are in the body, we are away from the Lord.” And this is especially true of the heart that does not go away from the world by way of place but by way of affection, as the prophet says, “Behold, I fled afar off and remained in solitude; I awaited him who might save me.” It is proper that here he used the image of the eagle, for it can fly to greater distances than can other birds, yet when it sees its prey from afar, moved by its natural needs, it immediately swoops to low levels. Such is the church also, for although in her spiritual members she seeks and ponders in her mind that which is above, yet burdened by the weakness of the body, she submits to the requirements of bodily needs. Because of this, “she groans in travail until now, for the creation is subjected to futility, not of its own will but on account of him who subjected her in hope.” And again, “For either we are beside ourselves for God, or in our right mind for you.” The period of three years and six months signifies that time up to the end of world during which the church increases and flees the worship of idols and every error of the serpent. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.14.

THE CHRISTIAN FLEES FROM UNWORTHY DESIRES. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: From the beginning love for God and for the neighbor and a mind receptive of him who was crucified for us was given to [the church], as were the two Testaments. All of these things are symbolized by the wings of the eagle, and they were given to [the church] so that taking flight by them into the desert, that is, into a citizenship devoid of every desire, she might be nourished. To be sure, this occurs always, but it will especially be so at the coming of the antichrist, who will rule everywhere, it is written, for the designated time of three and a half years. It may be that during that time even those who have hid themselves in the mountains and caves of the literal, physical desert will flee him. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13-14.

THE CHRISTIAN SEES GOD WITH A PURE HEART. BEDE: Supported by the two Testaments, the church avoids the poisonous tumults of the world, and by the affection of the mind each day seeks the solitude of a quick and gentle spirit. And so in joy she sings, “Behold, I have gone far away in flight and remain in solitude.” Nor is it contradictory that [in the psalm] she asked for the wings of a dove while here she received the wings of an eagle. For, just as the church, whose youth will be renewed as the eagle’s, is represented in the former because of the gift of the Holy Spirit, so in the latter she is symbolized because of the lofty flight and sublime sight by which she sees God with a pure heart. “Where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.” He is speaking of the whole time of the church, which is comprehended in the number of days mentioned previously. For a “time” signifies one year, “times” signifies two years, and “half a time” signifies six months. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 12.14.

12:15-16 | The Serpent Poured a River of Water

THE EARTH GAVE AID TO MARY. OECUMENIUS: The holy Scripture figuratively speaks of temptation as a “river.” Jonah said, “You have cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the rivers encircled me,” and the Lord spoke similarly: “The rain fell, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, but they did not blow that house down, because it was built upon the rock.” And so here the trial of the Lord’s passion is called a “river,” and it says that through this [the dragon] intended to drown the Virgin. And truly, since they [the rivers] did bring her to this [the cross] and to very great grief, the dragon was able to fulfill his intention. For why did Simeon say to her, “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed”? “But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured out of its mouth” upon the woman. That the earth swallowed the river signifies that it received the trial into itself, that is, it received the Lord, who had been crucified. But the help that the earth rendered was not simply in this. Rather, its help was in this, that it gave the Lord back again. For on the third day he came to life again, having trampled on death, since it was not strong enough to hold him who was the Author of life, as the blessed Peter says. And that the whole narrative might be told, one must know the ending to the words “the earth came to the help of the woman.” Consequently, as though responding to a question after the manner of this aid, it says, “it swallowed the river,” that is, it received in itself the Lord, who had been betrayed, and gave him back again, and in this way [the earth] rendered its assistance. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13-17.

CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE SWALLOWED DEATH. PRIMASIUS: It is possible to interpret the “earth” here to refer to the church, as in the psalm, “He who set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken.” That is, he [set the earth] on the saints whose prayers and teachings and the working of salvation [which they have received] dispels the uncovered intrigues of the enemy. However, it would be better to interpret the “earth” to be the human nature in Christ, for it is itself the “truth” that “has sprung up from the earth,” and that always appears before the face of God and so, as the apostle says, “intercedes for us.” When it swallowed death, which it took to itself, this earth is said to have opened its mouth when it gulped down the author of death by the abundance of its own life. And no less was he swallowed when Christ taught sitting upon the mountain and opening his mouth gave greater precepts to his disciples, “abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.16.

THE DEVIL SENDS DEMONS AFTER THE MONKS. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: When the church fled to inaccessible places where the deceiver makes his approach, out of his mouth, that is, clearly by his command, came water like a river after her. That is, he sent out against her a host of godless people and evil demons and all kinds of temptations that he might enslave her. But the earth, it says, came to [the church’s] aid. This may refer to the very great distances of travel in the desert and the aridity and dryness of those places, and in this way the river of temptations were swallowed up. Or [the demons and their temptations were overcome] by the humility of the saints who say with utter sincerity, “I am earth and dust” and so bring to naught all the snares of the devil, even as the angel said to the holy Anthony. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.15-16.

12:17 | The Dragon Made War on the Woman’s Offspring

THE DRAGON PERSECUTES THE FAITHFUL. OECUMENIUS: And since the dragon had failed also in his second plot [i.e., to kill the male child], what further is there for him to do? He has persecuted those called sons and brothers of the Lord, that is, the faithful—for it says that these are the offspring of the woman, since the faithful are the sons and brothers of the Lord, as it is written, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers,” and again, “Behold, I and the children which God has given to me.” Therefore, they are relatives of his mother—and [the dragon] made war with them, persecuting them and plotting against them and killing them through the tyrants and powers of the earth, since they were giving witness that the one born of the Virgin was God. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.13-17.

BY OBEDIENCE THE FAITHFUL FIGHT THE DEVIL. BEDE: The [dragon] saw that he could no longer continue the persecutions since they were stopped by the mouth of the holy earth [i.e., Christ], and so he armed himself all the more with the mystery of wickedness, so that he might be able to continue his plotting. “Who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.” To keep the commandments of God by faith in Jesus Christ is to fight against the devil and to provoke him to war. But thanks be to God who has brought to naught all that the evil dragon has begun! For, behold, although he tried to kill the Lord incarnate, he was frustrated in this by the Lord’s resurrection. And afterward, he worked to take from the apostles the confidence of their teaching, and this was as though he had given himself the task of taking the woman, that is, the whole church, from human affairs. But since he has failed to accomplish this, he fights against the faithful in every age. “And he stood on the sand of the sea.” This means that he stood upon the multitude of the people, “which the wind drives away from the face of the earth.” For when he wishes to excite plots and wars, he stands upon that multitude that is in the habit of adopting his plans. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 12.17-18.