ACC ~ Revelation 8 v5

THE SACRIFICE OF GOD IS PERFECTED. TYCONIUS: The Lord received his body, that is, the church, and filled her with fire from the altar to accomplish the Father’s will. This is to say that he filled [the church] with the power of loosing and of binding, which consists in sacrifices and the propitiation of God. Therefore, it is also said, “Who makes the winds his messengers and burning fire his ministers.” For in them the church received all power in heaven and on earth, while she perfected the sacrifice of God, first of all the Lord offering up himself and the saints presenting their own bodies as a living and holy sacrifice. And he cast it upon the earth, for through the preaching of the church knowledge of the future judgment comes to the world, as Zechariah says, “I will place the officers of Judah as a flaming fire.”… “And there were thunders and voices and lightning and earthquakes.” All of these things are spiritual and have to do with the church. The voices are of those who reproach and who threaten, the “broods of vipers” and following. Or, [the voices say], “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The thunder is the proclamation of the Christian faith; the lightning represents the virtues of those have have been made whole; the earthquakes are persecutions that are foretold to come and that are suffered at various times. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.5.

WONDERS AND MARVELS. OECUMENIUS: Then, it says, the holy angel took and filled the altar with divine fire and “threw it on the earth, and there were voices and peals of thunder and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” Similarly, an angel threw this heavenly fire upon Mount Sinai and there was thunder and voices and trumpets and lightning, and the mountain was covered in smoke, since God had come and was present.Therefore, just as at that time thunder and fearsome wonders preceded him, so also now such wonders occur before the glorious advent of the Lord. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.3-6.

JESUS FILLED THE CHURCH WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: Jesus received his body, that is, the church, and he filled her with the fire of the Holy Spirit in order that the will of the Father might be fulfilled. “And there were voices and thunder and lightning and earthquakes.” All of these things are the spiritual proclamations and virtues of the church. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.5, HOMILY 6.

PRIESTS ARE MEDIATORS BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The prayers of the saints offered through an administering angel cause the censer filled with the avenging fire to be poured out upon the earth. This is just as it was revealed long ago to Ezekiel by one of the cherubim, that he should receive from such a fire and give it to the angels that they might send the fire for the punishment of the wicked inhabitants of Jerusalem. And every high priest is representative of such an angel, for as a mediator between God and people, he carries up their petitions and brings down God’s redemption, and he turns some sinners to repentance either by word or by harsher chastisements. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.4-5.

THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. BEDE: Rightly does he mention the censer as filled with fire. “For God does not give the Spirit in measure,” and we know that this was most especially fulfilled concerning the humanity of Christ, in whom “all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.” EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 8.5.

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