ACC ~ Revelation 8 v8 - 9

OVERVIEW:

At the blowing of the second trumpet, the devil is seen cast down from heaven into the “sea” of the world (TYCONIUS, PRIMASIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). There the devil destroys human souls by inflicting upon them spiritual death, which comes from the wisdom of the flesh, which is hostile to God (PRIMASIUS, BEDE). Such wisdom even blasphemes the Trinity (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Spiritual death is passed on from one person to another by death-bearing and useless teaching (TYCONIUS). But many are made filthy in the “sea” of the world by their sins, which are bitter and briny like sea water, and such persons become dissipated over useless remorse for what they did during their lives. The vision may also indicate that the sea, as part of the earth, is presently in bondage but will be freed from corruption and made new by purification (OECUMENIUS).

8:8 | A Mountain Cast into the Sea

THE DEVIL BURNS THOSE WHO ARE NEAR TO HIM. TYCONIUS: He speaks of the devil as a burning mountain, for he consumed those near to him as though he were a fire. He is called “great” because he is one angel among others and is himself a creature. … He calls the world a “sea,” in which he saw the devil who had been cast down from heaven as a burning fire. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.8-9.

THE SEA WILL BE PURIFIED AND MADE NEW. OECUMENIUS: The holy apostle writes to the Romans that “the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.” And when will it be set free? When there will be “new heavens and a new earth according to his promises,” as Peter proclaims to us in his second letter. And since the earth changes that it might be freed from corruption and made new, it is necessary that also the sea suffer this same fate, for the sea is on the earth. And how would it also be purified unless by means of purifying fire? And so fire is thrown into it and changes it into blood and kills one third of those in it. This may be interpreted as something that is literal and perceptible. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.8-9.

THE DEVIL’S TOOL FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF SOULS. PRIMASIUS: The burning mountain cast into the sea is the devil, who was sent against the peoples. A third part of the sea became blood. By “blood” he means the wisdom of the flesh, which is hostile to God. For this reason it is said that through such wisdom the human soul is destroyed. And so the apostle said, “To be wise according to the flesh is death, for flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.8-9.

THE DEVIL IS WRATHFUL AGAINST US. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: We are aware that according to the opinion of some this shows the sea with those in it burning by a purifying fire after the resurrection. However, the mention of a third seems to us illsuited for this interpretation. For, as it is said, those who are being punished are more than those being saved. But according to the anagogical sense there is nothing wrong with thinking that the present life is figuratively called a “sea.” … As some of our teachers think, we think that the “great mountain” is the devil, who burns with the fire of wrath against us but who will be bound in Gehenna. But during the time allowed to him he will destroy a third of the islands and ships in the sea and that which swims in it, even as long ago he did to Job. For he is an enemy and an accuser against the righteous judgment of God. For “to that which one is submitted, to that one is a slave.” And it would not be foreign and contrary to the intention of the passage to say that the death of the soul comes upon those who in the sea of life blaspheme the Trinity through works and words. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.8-9.

THE DEVIL RAGES AGAINST HIS OWN. BEDE: The second trumpet indicates the expulsion of the devil from the church that he might burn more hotly in the sea of the world. … As the Christian religion increased, the devil, puffed up with pride and burning with the fire of his own anger, was cast into the sea of the world, as the Lord said: “If you should say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast yourself into the sea,’ it will be done,” not because he was not there before but because, thrown out of the church, he began to rage even more against his own followers, inflicting upon them spiritual death by the arrogance of fleshly wisdom. For to be wise according to the flesh is death. For flesh and blood did not teach the apostles, but the Father who is in heaven. For they guided the ship of faith upon that sea that had proven itself suitable for walking to the feet of the Lord. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 8.2, 8.

8:9 | Living Things and Ships Destroyed

MANY DIE A SPIRITUAL DEATH. TYCONIUS: Another edition has the reading “[a third of] those who have souls” and shows thereby that they have died a spiritual death, similar to that which the apostle said about the widow, “She who is self-indulgent is dead.” And so the passage suggests that one third has killed another third by a poisonous tradition and by imitation of a useless teaching. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.8-9.

THE DEVIL DECEIVES BY TRICKERY. TYCONIUS: When he speaks customarily of the part that has a soul, he refers to persons who are spiritually dead and separated from the kingdom of God. “And a third of the birds fell to the ground.” Therefore, that third that died in the sea destroyed by its own death another third. He is describing the devil and those who are of one mind with the devil, who after the manner of birds fly around and deceive or wish to deceive all by their trickery. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.9.

THE DISTRACTIONS OF LIFE. OECUMENIUS: According to analogy and rhetorical custom, the “sea” may be regarded as the present life because of its turbulence and its many distractions. And one might interpret the “fish” and the “boats” to be those persons who are made filthy by salty and bitter sins and who are dissipated by anxiety over useless regrets for what they did in life. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.8-9.

THE THIRD TRUMPET REVELATION 8:10-11

OVERVIEW: At the blowing of the third trumpet, the devil was seen to fall (TYCONIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). Through pleasures, the devil brings upon people a bitter destruction, and therefore we ought to examine ourselves so that we might remain spiritually healthy and not be condemned with the world (ANDREW OF CAESAREA). However, persons of good reputation and persons who live the spiritual life within the church sometimes fall like stars from their positions and like animals bend down toward earthly things (TYCONIUS, PRIMASIUS). Similarly, heretics leave the church and pollute the rivers of the holy Scriptures and so make many bitter and corrupt by an evil imitation of their teaching (TYCONIUS, PRIMASIUS, BEDE). As evil teaching makes bitter those who hear it, so too those waters that are used in rebaptisms make dead those who fall into them (CAESARIUS OF ARLES). Finally, as Naomi was called “Bitter” because of her many troubles, so also sinners will become bitter in their sufferings when they see the saints in glory (OECUMENIUS).

8:10 | A Great Star Like a Torch

SOME WHO LIVE THE SPIRITUAL LIFE FALL. TYCONIUS: The “great star” is the devil, of whom the Lord spoke in the Gospel, “I saw Satan fall from heaven as fire or lightning.” It is possible that this passage also refers to ecclesiastical people, who living the spiritual life in the church, have become forgetful of themselves and like animals bend down to the things of the earth and fall from their positions of authority. We read what has been written of such persons: “Although he is in honor, he does not understand; he is compared to the senseless cattle and has become like them.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.10.

SOME OF GOOD REPUTE FALL LIKE STARS. PRIMASIUS: It speaks of men who have fallen from heaven as though from the church, that is, of those who have the public reputation of shining brightly with good merits. For that reason they are compared to stars and torches, as did the apostle Jude, who called them “stars of seduction,” since they lead astray by a superficial splendor. And the Lord also compared such people with walls and “whitewashed tombs.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.2.10-11.

THE DEVIL GIVES A BITTER DESTRUCTION TO DRINK. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Some say that the bitterness revealed through the wormwood is symbolic of the torment that comes to those sinners being punished in Gehenna, who, on account of their number, are reasonably called “waters.” But we think that these depictions signify the sufferings at the time, which has been shown. The star indicates either that these things come upon people from heaven, or it refers to the devil, of whom Isaiah says, “How has the Day Star, which rose in the morning, fallen from heaven.” For, through pleasure he gives people a foul and bitter destruction to drink and through this allows punishing torments to come upon them, although not to everyone, but by the longsuffering of God to a third part. … It is necessary, therefore, that we examine ourselves lest we be judged. As the holy apostle says, “For if we judged ourselves, we should not be judged, but when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened,” and we receive the sufferings that come upon us with thanksgiving. For those who are concerned about sicknesses in the body bear patiently the cuts and cauteries of the physician, for they desire to be healed. Therefore, [we should examine ourselves] so that being spiritually healthy and bringing no wood to fuel the fire of Gehenna, we might not be condemned with the world but eternally rule with Christ, to whom be glory, honor and worship, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.10-11.

HERETICS POLLUTE THE WATERS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. BEDE:

The third trumpet shows the heretics apostatizing from the church and corrupting the rivers of the holy Scriptures. … The heretics, whom the apostle Jude calls “stars of seduction,” fall from the height of the church and by the flame of their own iniquity endeavor to pollute the fountains of the divine Scriptures, fearing neither to falsify their meaning and often even their words. And so they are worthy of the name Wormwood. For even a small admixture of this is able to make bitter a great sweetness. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 8.2, 10-11.

8:11 | Many Died of the Bitterness

TEACHERS OF THE SCRIPTURES SOMETIMES BECOME WAYWARD. TYCONIUS: The rivers and fountains of waters signify the teachers of the divine Scriptures who instruct others but turn themselves away from the way of truth. Indeed, the name Wormwood indicates either the bitterness or the sweetness of sins, which give a present sweetness to those who desire them but afterwards change themselves into bitterness. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.11.

SINNERS ARE EMBITTERED AT THE GLORY OF THE SAINTS. OECUMENIUS: Naomi, who lived long ago, was called “Bitter” because of the many troubles she had with her children and with other circumstances of her life. A sample of the extraordinary plagues is that bitterness that we sinners suffer at that time when we are embittered at the glory of the saints. For although such good things have been prepared for humankind, we ourselves have exchanged the things of the present for those which are to come. I think the falling star refers to a certain wrath of God that makes the waters bitter. He speaks figuratively of people as “waters,” according to that spoken by the prophet, “From the voice of many waters, wonderful are the waves of the sea,” and again, “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring.” Although these things are spoken in figurative speech, it is not impossible that these things and things like them will occur at that time. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.10-11.

THE FALL OF GREAT PERSONS CORRUPTS MANY OTHERS. PRIMASIUS: Since the ruin of those who are great often confuses many, it says that the star fell upon part of the rivers and fountains, and that its name was Wormwood because of its great bitterness. We know that many are weakened by the fall of such persons and are corrupted by an evil imitation of their teaching. [The star] is rightly compared with wormwood, since a small amount of bitterness, when mixed with that which is sweet, will make the whole bitter. Elsewhere the Scriptures make the same point: “I planted you as a chosen vine; how did you turn into the bitterness of the vine of another?” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.10-11.

THOSE WHO ARE REBAPTIZED DIE FROM THE WATERS. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: A third part of humankind was made like the star that fell upon it. … Many die from the waters. This can manifestly be interpreted to refer to those who are rebaptized. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 8.11, HOMILY 6.