ACC ~ Revelation 5 v7

THE INCARNATE WORD BRINGS ALL THINGS TO COMPLETION. IRENAEUS: The Lord says, “All things are delivered to me by the Father.” … But in the “all things” [it is implied that] nothing has been kept back [from him], and for this reason the same person is the Judge of the living and the dead; “having the key of David: he shall open, and no man shall shut: he shall shut, and no man shall open.” For no one was able, either in heaven or in earth, or under the earth, to open the book of the Father, or to behold him, with the exception of the Lamb who was slain and who redeemed us with his own blood, receiving power over all things from the same God who made all things by the Word, and adorned them by [his] Wisdom, when “the Word was made flesh”; that even as the Word of God had the sovereignty in the heavens, so also might he have the sovereignty in earth, inasmuch as [he was] a righteous man, “who did not sin, neither was there found guile in his mouth”; and that he might have the preeminence over those things that are under the earth, he himself being made “the first-begotten of the dead”; and that all things, as I have already said, might behold their King; and that the paternal light might meet with and rest upon the flesh of our Lord, and come to us from his resplendent flesh, and that thus humanity might attain to immortality, having been invested with the paternal light. AGAINST HERESIES 4.20.2.

THE PASSION OF CHRIST UNCOVERS THE FACE OF MOSES. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: Therefore, he opens and unseals the testament, which he had sealed. And Moses the lawgiver knew that it was necessary for [the testament] to be sealed and hidden until the coming of his passion, and so [he] covered his face and in that way spoke to the people, revealing that the words of preaching were veiled until the time of Christ’s coming. For when he had read this law to the people, he took wool soaked in calf’s blood and water and sprinkled all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the testament, concerning which the Lord had commanded you.” Therefore, the diligent person ought to be attentive to the fact that the totality of preaching comes together into a unity. For it was not sufficient that it was called “law,” since it was also called a “testament.” For no law is called a testament, nor is anything called a testament, except that which is made by one who is about to die. And whatever is within the testament is sealed until the day of the death of the testator. And therefore rightly it is unsealed by the Lamb slain who, as a lion, destroyed death and fulfilled that which had been foretold of him, and had freed man, that is, flesh, from death, and had received as a possession the property of him who was dying, namely, of the human race. For as through one body all people had come into the debt of death, so through one body all who believe might rise to eternal life. Now the face of Moses is uncovered; now it is revealed, and therefore the apocalypse is called a “revelation”; now his book is unsealed; now the sacrifices of the victims are understood; now the offerings and the duties of the Anointed, the building of the temple and the prophecies are clearly understood. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5.2.

CHRIST REVEALED THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY. APRINGIUS OF BEJA: To be sure, the Lamb is the assumed man who for our salvation willingly offered himself over to death. Worthily he received the scroll, that is, the power of all the works of God, and from the right hand of him who is seated on the throne, that is, he received all things from God the Father, as he himself said: “All which the Father has is mine.” Then did he receive this scroll, when rising from the dead he showed the mystery of the Trinity, which had been hidden from the ages, and revealed it to the world. TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 5.7.

CHRIST IS ALSO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. PRIMASIUS: The Son of man is said to have received the book from the right hand of God as both the dispensation from the Father and an arrangement from himself, for each reigns upon the throne with the Holy Spirit. And also here we ought understand the right hand to represent the blessedness of the victory. Nor ought it be understood in a fleshly manner as though he received the book from another hand of the Father, since the self-same is Son of the Father and the self-same the right hand [of God]. But since he who said, “Rejoice, for I have overcome the world,” always conquers in those who belong to him, he also makes his own church to exist as a conqueror, and it is declared of her that she receives the book. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5.7.

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