ACC ~ Revelation 12 v5

THE INSTRUCTOR OF ALL THE NATIONS. HIPPOLYTUS: “And she brought forth,” he says, “a man child who is to rule all the nations.” By this is meant that the church, always bringing forth Christ, the perfect manchild of God, who is declared to be God and man, becomes the instructor of all the nations. And the words “her child was caught up unto God and to his throne” signify that he who is always born of her is a heavenly king and not an earthly; even as David also declared of old when he said, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” ON THE ANTICHRIST 61.

THE CHURCH LABORS. METHODIUS: If any one, for there is no difficulty in speaking distinctly, should be troubled and reply to what we have said: “But how, O virgins, can this explanation seem to you to be according to the mind of Scripture, when the Apocalypse plainly states that the church brings forth a male, while you teach that her labor-pains have their fulfillment in those who are baptized?” We will answer: … Long before the Apocalypse, the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word was fulfilled. John speaks concerning things present and things to come. But Christ, long ago conceived, was not caught up to the throne of God when he was brought forth, from fear of the serpent injuring him. But for this purpose he was begotten and came down himself from the throne of the Father: that he should remain and subdue the dragon who made an assault upon the flesh. So you also must confess that the church labors and gives birth to those who are baptized. As the Spirit says somewhere in Isaiah: “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her son.”From whom did he flee? Surely from the dragon, that the spiritual Zion might bear a masculine people, who should come back from feminine passions and weakness to the unity of the Lord and grow strong in manly virtue. … I think that the church is here said to give birth to a male child; since the enlightened receive the features, image and the manliness of Christ, the likeness of the form of the Word being stamped on them and begotten in them by a true knowledge and faith. Thus in each one Christ is spiritually born. And, therefore, the church swells and labors until Christ is formed in us, so that each of the saints, by partaking of Christ, has been born a Christ. To this end it is said in a certain scripture, “Do not touch my anointed, and do my prophets no harm,” as though those who were baptized into Christ had been made Christs by communication of the Spirit, the church contributing here their clearness and transformation into the image of the Word. SYMPOSIUM 8.7-8.

CHRIST RULES ALL HIS ENEMIES. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: “And he was caught up to the throne of God.” We read of this in the Acts of the Apostles. For as he was speaking with the disciples, he was caught up into heaven. “And he is to rule all nations with a rod of iron,” which is the sword. For under the subterfuge of the antichrist all the nations are going to be arrayed against the saints. By the sword, it says, both will fall. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.3.

THE DEVIL CEASED TO BE CONQUEROR. TYCONIUS: “And she brought forth a male child.” The church brings forth Christ who, although he was God, deigned to be born as man. He speaks of a “male child,” because through his victory the devil, who had conquered a woman, ceased to be a conqueror. “Who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron.” Indeed, [he speaks here] of his whole body. For the same Lord said of this, “He who conquers and keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father.”“And her son was caught up to God and his throne.” This means that whoever shall be resurrected in Christ will sit with him on the throne of God at the right hand of the Father. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.5.

THROUGH THE FATHER’S PROVIDENCE THE CHILD ESCAPED HEROD. OECUMENIUS: Reveal to us more clearly, O John, who this is who was born, this male child! He says, “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” O inspired one, you have declared clearly to us that he is our Savior and Lord, Jesus, the Christ. For his own Father promised him, “Ask of me, and I will give to you the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession. You will shepherd them with a rod of iron, and you will dash them like a potter’s vessel.” “But her child was caught up to God and to his throne.” The poisonous dragon lay in wait and incited Herod to kill the children in Bethlehem, thinking that certainly among them he would locate the Lord.But by the providence of the Father the child escaped the plot. For Joseph heard a warning from heaven and took the child and its mother and fled into Egypt, since Herod was seeking the life of the child. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.3-6.

WHAT IS OF THE HEAD CORRESPONDS TO HIS CHURCH AS TO HIS BODY. PRIMASIUS: Rightly is Christ, the Head of the church, said to be born in each [of his] members, who is known to rule [in them]. For he himself is both the Author and the Finisher of faith in whom we shall accomplish virtue. He reigns among the good with a rod of iron, that is, with an inflexible righteousness, but he breaks the evil into pieces. What is from the head is joined also to his church as to his body, “for all who have been baptized have put on Christ,” and “the two shall be one flesh,” because whatever is to be understood “in Christ,” the apostle says is also “in the church.” “Her child was caught up to God and to his throne.” Although Christ, when his work was completed, went on before as the Head and so ascended to the Father, this nonetheless also corresponds to the church. For this reason the apostle can speak like this: “He who raised us up, made us to sit in the heavenly places,”and “Our citizenship is in heaven,” and “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Should you wish to interpret [this passage] as referring especially to the person of Christ, you can appropriately gather other stories together and consider the treacheries of the red dragon to be all those persecutions that Christ had to face from his cradle because of Herod even unto death on the cross to which he willed to submit. For although the dragon sought his death, as it were, with gaping mouth, yet he was brought to naught by his resurrection. However, we must except from these agonies his birth from the blessed Mary, for we know that in conceiving she experienced no sin of sexual desire. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.5.

THE FULLNESS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Through those who are baptized, the church is always giving birth to Christ, since in them he is being formed unto the fullness of spiritual maturity, as the apostle says.The “male child” is the people of the church who are not effeminate in their desires, through whom Christ, our God, as though an iron rod has already ruled the nations by the mighty hands of the powerful Romans. However, also after the resurrection of the dead he will establish those strong in the faith as judges and will rule as with iron the nations who are crumbling and weak vessels. For by their unfaithfulness they did not possess the mystical new wine. “But her child was caught up to God and to his throne.” The saints are caught up in midst of temptations, lest they be subdued by difficulties beyond their powers. And “they will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,” and they will be with God and his throne, that is, with the most excellent of the angelic powers. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12.5.

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