ACC ~ Revelation 6 v15 - 17

THE DEMONS SEEK ESCAPE. OECUMENIUS: By kings and great men and generals and rich and strong he refers to those sinful demons who tyrannize those on the earth through deceit and guile, and he calls “servants” and “freemen” those among the demons who are of inferior and superior status. That they seek to hide themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and nevertheless also say “fall upon us and hide us,” all of this is spoken figuratively, indicating that they are fugitives who are attempting to escape from the punishment of Christ that is coming upon them. For were there not a certain invisible punishment and retribution coming upon them, what would be the meaning of that spoken by the prophet Isaiah in the person of Christ: “I have trodden the winepress utterly alone, and from the peoples there was none with me, and I have trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath, and I have poured out their blood upon the earth,” and what would be the meaning of that spoken by the demons, hated of God, according to Matthew: “What do you have to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come to torment us?” Someone might think that these things reported in the Revelation were not only concerning the sufferings of the demons but also of those lawless Jews who nailed the Lord to the cross and who, accosted by the war with the Romans, became fugitives in the mountains and the caves and the crevices of the earth and from every direction were hemmed in by difficulty and strife. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.12-17.

THE REFUGE OF THE SAINTS. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: This signifies that the whole world, among the good and the saints, is going to find refuge in the church, so that made firm under [the church’s] protection it is able to endure unto eternal life, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.15, HOMILY 5.

THE POWERFUL WILL SEEK TO ESCAPE THE DIVINE ANGER. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: “The kings of the earth,” that is, those who exert power over it and possess nothing in heaven, they too shall pray with all the great and rich and with the servants of the things below and those free of the service of Christ, that they be hidden by the caves and the rocks and the mountains. For they do not want to experience the divine wrath that with divine consent will pour down upon them either at the coming of the antichrist in the form of punishments from famine and other plagues or in endless torments which are expected after the resurrection. For then the divine anger will burn righteously as a furnace, consuming those who built upon the foundation of faith with wood and chaff and stubble, as though food for the fire. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6.14-17.

THE WEAK WILL SEEK THE PROTECTION AND COMPASSION OF THE STRONG. BEDE: Since all the weak at that time will seek to be strengthened by the examples of the highest in the church, and to be fortified by their counsel, and to be protected by their exhortations and to be sheltered by their prayers, it is as though they entreated the mountains themselves to fall upon them out of compassionate affection. For “the high mountains are a refuge for the deer, and the rocks for the badger.” “And hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.” That is, when he comes, that he should not find us worthy of condemnation but steadfast in faith, our sins being covered by the intercession of the saints and the mercy of God. “And who will be able to stand.” Certainly that one will be able to stand who has now taken care to be vigilant, to be steadfast in faith and to live courageously. Because, if one refers this earthquake literally to the day of judgment itself, it is not surprising if at that time the kings and princes of the earth out of fear seek the refuge of the holy mountains, just as we read has already occurred in the story of the rich man clothed in purple and the poor Lazarus.EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 6.16-17.

144,000 SEALED REVELATION 7:1-8

OVERVIEW: The suffering of earth and humankind when the judgment of God comes was indicated long ago through the tyranny of the four ancient kingdoms (BEDE). Such suffering was more recently indicated through the suffering of the Jews during the war against the Romans (OECUMENIUS). But such suffering will especially occur at the coming of the antichrist, when the good order of the creation itself will dissolve (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Before this happens, however, Elijah will come down to call the Jews to the faith that is spread abroad among the Gentiles (VICTORINUS) so that through the light of the gospel those Jews worthy of salvation might be identified and not suffer the same fate as the sinners. To some extent this happened when those Jews who believed in Christ fled from the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans. These Jews were very numerous (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA) and probably included Jews who for whatever reason were not complicit in the plot against Christ and who later were sealed in the faith of Christ (OECUMENIUS).

At the time of antichrist, however, all the faithful will be separated from the faithless by the seal of the life-giving cross, and the creation too will be made clean and freed from its torments (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). The Lord brought this cross with him from heaven when he was born in the flesh. The very shape of the cross reveals the universality of his kingdom and the innumerable multitude of the whole church whose number is perfect and complete (BEDE). The church includes Gentiles and Jews, for had the Jews believed from the first, Christ would not have been crucified, and the Gentiles would have been left bereft of salvation (JEROME). This church possesses in all her members an equal zeal and a unanimity of faith (OECUMENIUS) and possesses virtues that lead her from confession and faith to the right hand of eternal life (BEDE). This way of the church’s sojourn is a way of spiritual sight and good works, of blessings and prayer, of hope for things ahead and obedience, of strength in suffering and grace for eternal life. This path upon which the church of the elect walks and that leads to the felicity of Christ’s right hand is symbolized by the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (ANDREW OF CAESAREA, BEDE).

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