ACC ~ Revelation 9 v2

HUMAN SIN OBSCURES THE SUN OF FAITH. TYCONIUS: “He opened the shaft of the pit” means that he revealed his own heart and taught people to sin without any fear or shame. “And smoke arose from the pit,” that is, from the heart of a blasphemous people which also persecutes the church. “And the sun and air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.” The sins that people constantly commit through the world obscure among them the sun of faith and of righteousness and in some produce a blindness so that they do not see the light of truth. “As smoke from a great furnace.” This smoke that precedes the fire of the furnace generally refers to the last persecution, for the earlier persecution burns against the church, and then the crowd of hypocrites and unbelievers will be manifested. And outside [the church] the insanity of many caused by this smoke is already advanced. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9.2.

THOSE THROWN INTO THE PIT ARE WRAPPED IN DARKNESS. OECUMENIUS: And “smoke rose from the shaft,” as though a significant fire was evidently burning in the shaft. So the smoke indicates not only fire but also darkness. For the words of the prophet, “the voice of the Lord divides the flame of fire,” is interpreted by the saints in this way, that the light-giving fire of Gehenna will be divided, so that only the burning heat of the fire along with the darkness remain in it. “And the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke.” This does not suggest that these elements were themselves darkened but that those cast into the shaft were filled with darkness because of their punishment and could not any longer see the air and the sun. For, one of the holy prophets said, “The sun will be darkened at midday,”referring by this to the misfortunes of the Jews, even though the sun had not been darkened. But those who were suffering in this tribulation were not able to see the sun, because the magnitude of misfortune sometimes causes dizziness. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9.1-4.

EVIL AND PRIDEFUL PEOPLE DARKEN THE TRUE CHURCH. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: [The devil] revealed his own heart, which sins without any fear or shame. “And smoke rose from the pit,” that is, from a people that covers and obscures the church, so that it is said that “the sun and air were darkened with the smoke.” It says that the sun was darkened, not that it fell to the earth. For the sins of evil and prideful persons, which are constantly being committed throughout the world, obscure the sun, that is, obscure the church and sometimes cause darkness for the saints and the righteous. For the number of the evil is so great that it is often with great difficulty that the good among them become evident. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9.2, HOMILY 7.

Rev