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ACC ~ Revelation 14 v14 - 16

OVERVIEW:

Christ is seen seated on the “cloud” of his flesh (PRIMASIUS). The mother of God may also be called a “cloud,” for she is pure and blameless and not even one sin weighed her down (OECUMENIUS). Christ also rides upon his own body, which is the church made white through persecution (PRIMASIUS, CAESARIUS OF ARLES). Although Christ ascended upon a visible cloud into heaven (ANDREW OF CAESAREA) and rides now upon the angelic powers who are sublime and exalted in nature and rank (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA), Christ will come for judgment covering his divinity with the cloud of his flesh so that the wicked will see him whom they pierced (BEDE). Christ governs both the visible and invisible powers (ANDREW OF CAESAREA) and is crowned with the glory of his kingdom (OECUMENIUS). The church, too, is crowned with the twelve apostles whose preaching the church has preserved from the beginning (PRIMASIUS). The same Christ who came in the flesh possesses power over the world’s consummation (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA), and through his judgment the impious will be separated from the pious and the heretics from the catholics (PRIMASIUS, CAESARIUS OF ARLES, BEDE). At that time, there will be a plentiful harvest, and whatever chaff remains among humankind will be given over to fire (OECUMENIUS, PRIMASIUS). The church also, when it has completed her spiritual warfare, will more clearly discern those who are truly the faithful and those who are not (PRIMASIUS). The angels in heaven pray for the coming of this separation when what is transient will give way to what is immoveable and enduring (ANDREW OF CAESAREA).

14:14 | One Like a Son of Man

CHRIST CAME ON THE “CLOUD” OF HIS PURE AND BLAMELESS MOTHER. OECUMENIUS: He sees the Lord who was worthy to become the Son of man and who is riding upon a cloud. This is either in reality a cloud, for the Gospel also speaks of this, whose witness we have referred to in an earlier discussion, or the cloud is a certain angelic power, for it is written, “He mounted on cherubim and flew, he flew on the wings of the winds.” He calls the angels a “cloud” on account of their sublimity and their exalted nature and rank. Or rather, he calls the mother of God a “cloud” on whom he rode, honoring her who is his mother according to the flesh. For, indeed, Isaiah foresaw her in this manner, saying, “Behold, the Lord is seated on a swift cloud, and he will come to Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence.” Interpreting this saying, Aquila says that the cloud is a “light material.” “Material,” as I think, because she was a human being and flesh, and “light” because of her purity and blamelessness and because not even one sin weighed her down, yet also because of the excellence and heavenward character of her soul. You will consider the “cloud” in this manner. It is white because of the purity and radiance of those things that are here seen. To be sure, the crown signifies the kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. For Christ is king of things both unseen and seen. The crown is of gold to depict the glory of the kingdom by means of that which among us has great value. That he has a sickle in his hand signifies that the consummation of the age rests in his power. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.14-16.

CHRIST COMES ON THE CHURCH. PRIMASIUS: By the cloud he indicates the incarnation of our Head, Jesus Christ. Or he shows the body of the church that Christ put on after the fires of persecution were cooled as with snow. [The church] has a golden crown on her head. This is the [twenty-four] elders with their golden crowns, or the [crown is] the twelve apostles whom the beginning of the preaching of the faith acquired at the beginning. Therefore we read, “You set a crown of precious stone on his head.” The sharp sickle is symbolic of the judicial sentence against the impious by which they are to be separated [from the pious], and this sentence is more justly inflicted upon them by divine judgment for the sake of the church, for whose defense Christ, the Shepherd, is always vigilant. Therefore, Zechariah said, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.14.

SEPARATING THE CATHOLICS FROM THE HERETICS. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: [The one like a son of man] is Christ. He is describing the church in her glory, especially since she is white after the flames of persecution. [The gold crown] is the elders with their golden crowns, and the sickle in his hand is that which separates the catholics from the heretics and the saints from the sinners, just as the Lord speaks concerning the reapers. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.14, HOMILY 11.

HE GOVERNS THE VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE POWERS. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: We think that this cloud is either the visible cloud that took our Lord Jesus Christ from the eyes of the apostles, or that it is a certain angelic power [here called a “cloud”] because of its purity and sublimity, for the psalmist says, “He rode on a cherub and flew.” For this reason, we believe that the one seen upon the cloud similar to a son of man is Christ, and that the crown upon his head signifies his governance over both the visible and the invisible powers. The crown is gold because of the value of this substance among us. The sickle indicates the consummation, for indeed the Lord himself called the end of the world a “harvest.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.14.

CHRIST COMES WITH THE CLOUD OF HIS FLESH. BEDE: Until now we have heard the voices of the heralds. However, now the person of the judge himself is revealed, who, when he comes for judgment, covers the glory of his divinity with a cloud of flesh so that the wicked might behold him whom they pierced. … What kind of crown this is was described above concerning the adornment of the woman, “And on her head a crown of twelve stars.” But perhaps it may signify the victory of the King. … [The sharp sickle] refers to the judicial sentence of separation, and we can in no way avoid this judgment. We are most definitely within it, no matter where we might try to flee, for whatever is felled by a sickle falls within. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 14.14.

14:15-16 | He Reaped the Earth

AT THE HARVEST OF ALL HUMANKIND. OECUMENIUS: And why does the angel say to him, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe”? “And he swung his sickle,” it says, “and the earth was reaped.” A “plentiful harvest” is mentioned in the Gospels, while “the laborers are few.” However, in that passage the harvest signified the gathering of the faithful, while here the harvest represents the consummation of humankind, so that, should there be any chaff or impurities in them which is worthy of fire, it might be given over to fire. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.14-16.

THE CHURCH WILL RECEIVE JUDICIAL POWER FROM GOD. PRIMASIUS: From the explanation of the Lord, we know that the angels will be the reapers and that the end of the world is signified by the appearance of a ripe harvest. Moreover, it is known that after the harvesting of the crop there is chaff in the straw and fragile ears, while the wheat is in the grains. And so, we see with greater clarity in this passage that when it says that the sickle must be used on the ripe crop, the fate merited by the good and by the evil are symbolized. And to whom more appropriately than to the church is this said? … At the time of the last judgment, when she has concluded her spiritual warfare against the beast, the church will possess a greater illumination and will be able to know whom she must consider as her own and whom as outside. To sit on the cloud means that when she has received the judicial power from God, [the church] will distinguish between the good and the evil: “You will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.15-16.

ALL HEAVENLY POWERS PRAY. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The cry of the angel symbolically represents the supplications of all the heavenly powers who desire to see both the honoring of the saints and the separation of the transgression of the sinners. At that time, that which is changeable and transient will cease to exist and that which is immovable and enduring will be manifested. That the harvest is ripe indicates that the time of the consummation has come when the seed of piety, having matured as ripe wheat, will be regarded as ready for the heavenly granaries and will yield for the husbandman thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 14.15-16.