ACC ~ Revelation 12 v14

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.

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