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ACC ~ Revelation 6 v1 - 2

OVERVIEW:

The alienation of sinners from God, symbolized by the sealed book, begins to be reversed when the Lamb opens the seals of the book (OECUMENIUS). As the prophecies of the Old Testament are revealed and the events of the last days are made known, the human race is invited to faith (VICTORINUS, PRIMASIUS). The recovery of humanity’s free relationship with God was begun when Christ was born of Mary so that we might be born to a confident freedom (OECUMENIUS). When he ascended into heaven to the Father, Christ sent forth the Holy Spirit, who through the preaching of the apostles and of the preachers after them began to conquer the devil, the spirits of the air and human unbelief (VICTORINUS, OECUMENIUS, CAESARIUS OF ARLES, BEDE). As though it were an arrow shot from a bow, the Word of God pierced the hearts of people so that nations were converted to Christ (ANDREW OF CAESAREA) and began to bear the fruits of faith (PRIMASIUS). As Christ had overcome death by dying and received the crown of victory (BEDE), so also the apostles received the crown of victory when they willingly died through torture for the sake of the gospel (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Likewise, the crown awaits all preachers who speak the word of truth (VICTORINUS, PRIMASIUS).

6:1 | The Lamb Opened the First Seal

THE LAMB FORETELLS WHAT WILL HAPPEN. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: The breaking of the seals is the disclosing of the prophecies of the Old Testament and the foretelling of those things that will happen at the end of time. Although our prophetic writing expresses the events to come by way of the individual seals, it is not until all of the seals have been opened that the announcement is able to run its course. … He said, “one of the living creatures,” because all four are one. “Come and see.” “Come” is spoken to one who is invited to faith. “See” is spoken to one who has not seen. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.1.

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST INITIATED OUR RESTORATION TO GOD. OECUMENIUS: The closing and sealing of the scroll signifies the fearful alienation of those inscribed in it and the closing of their mouths from making any plea for justice before God. Therefore, the gradual opening of the seals reveals the gradual recovery of our free and open relationship with God, which the Only Begotten acquired for us when by his own righteousness he set aright our offenses. It is then to be noted that the loosing of each seal reveals a work done by the Lord for our salvation and effected by him against our spiritual enemies. For the intention of the Lord on our behalf is the destruction of their domination of us. … Therefore, the first good work of Christ our Savior toward our race, which loosed the first seal of the scroll, is the physical birth of the Lord. For his birth initiated our restoration from that exile that was occasioned by Adam’s sin, and it began the recovery of that closeness of God with us which we had lost and the change of our fearful alienation into a confident freedom. For [his birth] sanctified our birth, so that we might no longer be conceived in transgressions or be born in the sins of our mothers, but that we might have a sanctified birth, Christ having blessed human birth through his own birth. The holy apostle witnesses to this goodness toward humankind when he writes, “Since your children are unclean, but now they are holy.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.1-4.

WITH ONE VOICE. PRIMASIUS: He said, “I heard one of the four animals say, ‘Come and see.’” This one animal is the whole church preaching with a great voice and inviting the church to greater faith, “Come and see!” “If anyone thirsts, let him come and drink.” “Approach him and you will be illuminated.” “Arise, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will illuminate you.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.1.

THE APOSTLES ARE CALLED TO A ROYAL STRUGGLE. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Indeed, here is indicated the good order of those in heaven, which descends from the first ranks to the second. And therefore from one figure of the four-formed living creatures, namely, from the lion, he heard the first voice that gave the command, “Come!” to the angel who mystically symbolizes the vision. The first living creature, the lion, seems to me to signify the royal intention of the apostles against the demons. Concerning them it is said, “Behold, the kings of the earth have gathered together.” And again: “You will establish them as rulers over all the earth.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.1.

6:2 | A White Horse and Its Rider

THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS TO THE HUMAN HEART. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: When the first seal was opened, he says that “he saw a white horse and a rider who was crowned and who had a bow”—for this is what happened at first. For, after our Lord ascended into heaven, he opened all things and sent forth the Holy Spirit. Through preachers, the words of the Holy Spirit penetrate into the human heart as though they were arrows and they conquer unbelief. The crown on the head is promised to the preachers by the Holy Spirit. … And therefore, the white horse is the word of preaching when the Holy Spirit was sent into the world. For the Lord has said, “This gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness to the nations, and then the end will come.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:1.

CHRIST CONQUERS THE DEVIL. OECUMENIUS: The white horse is a symbol of the gospel, since through it good deeds will be done to humanity. The crown is an image of strength and victory. And [the white horse] went out to bring the crown to Christ, who had begun to conquer the devil who had placed our race under bondage. “He went out,” he says, “conquering and to conquer.” Christ was he who was conquering that he might conquer utterly and totally, and he brought the crown as a symbol of victory to him. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.1-4.

PIERCED BY THE WORD OF GOD. PRIMASIUS: This white horse can be understood as the church of truth, represented in the persons of the apostles and preachers, which was made whiter than snow by grace. The rider upon the horse is Christ. Therefore, it was said to him through the prophet, “For you mounted your horses and your army is salvation.” For the same reason he is said to hold an arrow. An arrow is aptly compared with the preaching of the Word of God, for when the hearts of people are pierced, they are able to bear the fruit of faith. And so we read, “Your sharp arrows are very powerful; people fall before you.” The crown indicates the reward rightly given to preachers. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.2.

SPEAKING THROUGH THE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: The white horse is the church, and its rider is Christ. This horse of the Lord with the bow made ready for war was promised beforehand by Zechariah. “The Lord God will visit his flock, the house of Israel, and he will arrange him as a formidable horse in war, and from him he looked, and from him he arranged [the battle order], and from him came the bow in anger, and from him will come out every oppressor.” And so we interpret the white horse to be the prophets and the apostles. In the rider who is crowned and has a bow we recognize not only Christ but also the Holy Spirit. For after Christ ascended into heaven, he opened all mysteries and sent the Holy Spirit. Through preachers the word of the Spirit, as though they were arrows, went out to the hearts of people and conquered their unbelief. The crown upon the head are the promises made through the Holy Spirit. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.2, HOMILY 5.

THE APOSTLES GAINED TWO VICTORIES. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: We understand the loosing of the first seal to signify the generation of the apostles. For, as though it were a bow, they stretch forth the gospel message against the demons and led to Christ those wounded by the arrows of salvation. And because they conquered the leader of deceit through the truth, they received a crown, and in hope they await a second victory, namely, the confession of the name of the Master unto a violent death. Therefore, it is written, “he went out conquering and to conquer.” For, the first victory is the conversion of the nations; the second is the willing departure from the body in persecution for the sake of that conversion. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.2.

BY DYING, CHRIST OVERTHREW THE REIGN OF DEATH. BEDE: The top of that ark is doubtless properly ordered to be encircled with a golden crown, because when he appeared in the flesh and came to redeem the human race, the Son of God was anticipating a certain time and hour when he would overcome the death he had borne for us (along with the author of death himself) and ascend victorious to the Father in heaven. Of this crown the apostle says, “But we see Jesus, who was indeed made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death.” Of this crown John in the Apocalypse says, “And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And the one who was sitting upon it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering that he might conquer.” Surely the white horse is the church. The rider who was commanding it is the Lord. He had a bow because he was coming to make war against the powers of the air; and a crown of victory was given to him because by dying he overthrew the reign of death. ON THE TABERNACLE 1.25.11.