ACC ~ Revelation 21 v5 - 8

OVERVIEW:

Truth himself speaks words that are true, and he here effects in reality (ANDREW OF CAESAREA) the renewal of the saints in all things, whereby they shine in splendor and are free from all sin and pain (APRINGIUS, OECUMENIUS). The words of him who is infinite God (OECUMENIUS) have nothing false in them and exclude all doubt about the future (PRIMASIUS). Moreover, the Truth who speaks “It is done!” is both the Creator of the world and he who consummates the world (BEDE). He is both God and man, and his providence extends from the first creature to the last (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). It is this One who shall bring all things to completion with a great suddenness (APRINGIUS).

To those who are still on the way to such completion, God freely gives the rain of the life-giving Spirit (PRIMASIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Those who here desired the remission of sins through baptism (CAESARIUS OF ARLES) will receive an inebriating abundance of spiritual rain in the fatherland of the new Jerusalem (PRIMASIUS). No suffering of this present world compares with that future life of the saints (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Those who remain steadfast in the labor of good works will become sons of God and enjoy the goodness of the Father (APRINGIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Those who remain in their sin and falsify virtue into evil counterfeits (OECUMENIUS) shall receive the painful wrath of the lake of fire (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). To keep us from such an inheritance, God urges us in every way, by harsh wrath and by kindness (ANDREW OF CAESAREA, BEDE), so that we might through the desire for bliss or through the fear of torment acquire the promised blessings (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Let us pray God to keep us free from any weakness of our willpower (OECUMENIUS) but especially from the great detestable lie of religious hypocrisy (BEDE), so that we will not have received the grace of God in vain (ANDREW OF CAESAREA).

21:5 | “These Words Are True”

THE PROMISE OF THE MOST HIGH IS ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE SAINTS. APRINGIUS OF BEJA: The promise of the Most High is accomplished for the saints, so that they might be renewed in all things and might shine with every splendor. Therefore, the apostle says, “and the dead will rise incorruptible,” and they will change into glory. TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.5.

WHEN TEARS DO NOT INTERRUPT JOY, ALL THINGS ARE INDEED NEW. OECUMENIUS: If the heaven, earth and the sea are new, and moreover if humankind and that which pertains to their joy and glory are new and in no way interrupted by tears or pains or sins, then indeed all things are new. “Do not think, O John,” he says, “that because of their surpassing greatness what has been said and revealed to you is false or fantasy. All of these things are trustworthy and true. Therefore, write them down.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.3-5.

WORDS SPOKEN BY THE TRUTH. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: These words are true, for they issue from the Truth himself and are [expressed] no longer by way of symbols. Rather, they are recognized by the realities themselves. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.5-6.

21:6a | “I Am the Alpha and Omega”

THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE COMPLETED WITH QUICKNESS. APRINGIUS OF BEJA: He declares that the matter is completed with such quickness so that it might be regarded as though it had already happened. Therefore, all these things are promised to those who conquer, so that the one who conquers might be called “son of God.” TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6-7.

GOD IS WITHOUT BEGINNING AND WITHOUT END. OECUMENIUS: “They are done!” he says. What is done? These things, namely, that which is here spoken, and nothing in them is false. He has written “they are done,” instead of “they shall be done.” “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end,” he says. Since he repeats what he had earlier said, also we, as it were following in his footsteps, repeat what we have said in previous passages. The phrase “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” signifies that God is without any beginning and without any end. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6-8.

NO ONE SHOULD DOUBT CONCERNING THE FUTURE. PRIMASIUS: It is necessary that these [words] be believed not explained, especially since he said “It is done!” concerning the past so that no one might doubt concerning the future. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.5-6.

CHRIST IS DIVINE AND HUMAN. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Christ is “the first and the end,” since he is “first” because of his divinity and “end” because of his humanity. Moreover, his providence extends from the first creation of the incorporeal creatures to the last human beings. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.5-6.

CHRIST CREATED THE WORLD AND CONSUMMATES IT. BEDE: Just as he testified at the beginning of the book that he was [the Alpha and the Omega], so now this is repeated for the third time, so that no one might believe that there is any other god before him or any other god after him, as Isaiah says. Indeed, since he is speaking of the end of the world, the one who consummates the world should be understood to be the same one as he who was its creator. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 21.6.

21:6b | To the Thirsty I Give Freely

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PRESENT NOT EQUAL TO THE FUTURE BLESSINGS. OECUMENIUS: In the Gospels the Lord says, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Therefore, to one who thirsts after such a thirst, I shall give life without payment. But how is it that he said “without payment,” since the saints attain to the future life with very great hardships? Why, therefore, does he say that he gives it “without payment”? He says this to indicate that one never bears anything worthy of the blessings of that [future] time, no matter how much one might labor. And the apostle made the same point when he said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6-8.

GOD WATERS THOSE ON THE WAY AND THOSE IN THE FATHERLAND. PRIMASIUS: From this fountain [God] refreshes believers who are now on the way. However, to those who conquer he will provide abundantly [from this fountain] and give them to drink in the fatherland. He causes rain to fall upon both, so that those who are still on the way are not deprived of drink in this desert and so that those who become citizens [of the new Jerusalem] might continually be inebriated from the stream of delights that come from God. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6.

THE REMISSION OF SINS COMES THROUGH BAPTISM. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: This is to say, [I will give from the fountain of life] to him who desires the remission of sins through the font of baptism. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6, HOMILY 18.

CHRIST PROMISES THE SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: To the one who thirsts after righteousness he promises to grant the joy of the life-giving Spirit that he supplied in the Gospels to those who believed in him. It is “without payment” either because “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to the saints,” or because it is not possessed except by the good works and the goodness of him who gives it. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6.

21:7 | “I Will Be His God”

HE BECOMES A SON OF GOD WHO CONQUERS THE DEMONS. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: He who conquers in the war against the invisible demons will receive these good things, becoming a son of God and reveling in the good gifts of the Father. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.7.

21:8 | The Second Death

DEATH AWAITS THOSE WEAK TO EVERY GOOD WORK. OECUMENIUS: But “for the vile and the unfaithful” and such as those, there will be an inheritance “in the lake of fire.” He calls those “vile” who are weak to every good work, for the endurance of hardship is a matter of one’s willpower. “And all liars,” it says. He did not say “for all liars” but “for all deceivers,” that is, those who behave contrary to nature and falsify the natural beauty of virtue into the base and counterfeit appearance of evil. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.6-8.

GOD EXHORTS US THROUGH KINDNESS AND ANGER. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The God who thirsts after our salvation urges us in every way, both through kindness and through anger, toward the inheritance of his blessings. He brings now before our eyes the brightness of the heavenly Jerusalem and the dark, painful wrathfulness of the fiery Gehenna, so that whether through a desire for eternal bliss or through fear of unending torment, we might, as there is opportunity, acquire that which is good together with the rest of those in need. He indicates that those who were cowards and deserters in the battle against the devil will be condemned to the second death. May we propitiate him who desires mercy and does not will the death of sinners but their conversion, and so [let us] obtain his gifts by good deeds. To these [gifts] he exhorts us, not only through the enticement of words but also through the enticement of works and sufferings. For it suffices him to encourage toward the good and to discourage from evil, and afterward either to punish or to honor those worthy of glory or punishment. He did not disdain to suffer for us lest by his own power or by his appearance he might harm or disregard anything that pertains to our healing and restoration. Therefore, let us not receive the grace of God in vain, but let us render his beneficence effective by conversion and by the demonstration of good works, so that we might attain to the promised blessings in Christ himself, our God, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21.8.

GOD ENCOURAGES WATCHFULNESS. BEDE: He always mixes harsh sayings in with the easy and appealing words, so that watchfulness is encouraged. Psalm 144 does the same when it mentions the grace of God’s abundant mercies and suddenly mentions also his impending judgment: “The Lord watches over all who love him but will destroy all sinners.” He mentions the cowardly along with the unbelievers, since those who doubt the rewards for those who conquer will certainly be afraid to undergo trial. … He shows that there are many classes of liars. However, the greatest and most detestable liar is the one who sins in religion. The author spoke of such persons above: “They say that they are Jews but they are not, for they are lying; they are the synagogue of Satan.” EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 21.8.