COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE OF THE BLESSED JOHN

 from the first chapter.

 from the second chapter.

 from the third chapter.

 from the fourth chapter.

 from the fifth chapter.

 from the sixth chapter.

 from the seventh chapter.

 from the eighth chapter.

 from the ninth chapter.

 from the tenth chapter.

 from the eleventh chapter.

 from the twelfth chapter.

 from the thirteenth chapter.

 from the fourteenth chapter.

 from the fifteenth chapter.

 from the seventeenth chapter.

 from the nineteenth chapter.

 from the twentieth chapter.

 from the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters.

from the twelfth chapter.

1. “And there was seen a great sign in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And being with child, she cried out travailing, and bearing torments that she might bring forth.”] The woman clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet, and wearing a crown of twelve stars upon her head, and travailing in her pains, is the ancient Church of fathers, and prophets, and saints, and apostles,57    [No hint here that this was a manifestation of the Blessed Virgin, the modern fiction of Rome. See vol. vi, p. 355, this series.]   which had the groans and torments of its longing until it saw that Christ, the fruit of its people according to the flesh long promised to it, had taken flesh out of the selfsame people. Moreover, being clothed with the sun intimates the hope of resurrection and the glory of the promise. And the moon intimates the fall of the bodies of the saints under the obligation of death, which never can fail. For even as life is diminished, so also it is increased. Nor is the hope of those that sleep extinguished absolutely, as some think, but they have in their darkness a light such as the moon. And the crown of twelve stars signifies the choir of fathers, according to the fleshly birth, of whom Christ was to take flesh.  

3. “And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold a red dragon, having seven heads.”] Now, that he says that this dragon was of a red colour—that is, of a purple colour—the result of his work gave him such a colour. For from the beginning (as the Lord says) he was a murderer; and he has oppressed the whole of the human race, not so much by the obligation of death, as, moreover, by the various forms of destruction and fatal mischiefs. His seven heads were the seven kings of the Romans, of whom also is Antichrist, as we have said above.  

“And ten horns.”] He says that the ten kings in the latest times are the same as these, as we shall more fully set forth there.  

4. “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them upon the earth.”] Now, that he says that the dragon’s tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, this may be taken in two ways. For many think that he may be able to seduce the third part of the men who believe.58    [A noteworthy testimony to primitive interpretation.]   But it should more truly be understood, that of the angels that were subject to him, since he was still a prince when he descended from his estate, he seduced the third part; therefore what we said above, the Apocalypse says.  

“And the dragon stood before the woman who was beginning to bring forth, that, when she had brought forth, he might devour her child.”] The red dragon standing and desiring to devour her child when she had brought him forth, is the devil,—to wit, the traitor angel, who thought that the perishing of all men would be alike by death; but He, who was not born of seed, owed nothing to death: wherefore he could not devour Him—that is, detain Him in death—for on the third day He rose again. Finally, also, and before He suffered, he approached to tempt Him as man; but when he found that He was not what he thought Him to be, he departed from Him, even till the time. Whence it is here said:—  

5. “And she brought forth a son, who begins to rule all nations with a rod of iron.”] The rod of iron is the sword of persecution.  

“I saw that all men withdrew from his abodes.”] That is, the good will be removed, flying from persecution.59    [Compare Tertullian, De Fuga, vol. iv. p. 117, this series.]    

“And her son was caught up to God, and to His throne.”] We read also in the Acts of the Apostles that He was caught up to God’s throne, just as speaking with the disciples He was caught up to heaven.  

6. “But the woman fled into the wilderness, and there were given to her two great eagle’s wings.”] The aid of the great eagle’s wings—to wit, the gift of prophets—was given to that Catholic Church, whence in the last times a hundred and forty-four thousands of men should believe on the preaching of Elias; but, moreover, he here says that the rest of the people should be found alive on the coming of the Lord. And the Lord says in the Gospel: “Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains;”60    Luke xxi. 21.   that is, as many as should be gathered together in Judea, let them go to that place which they have ready, and let them be supported there for three years and six months from the presence of the devil.  

14. “Two great wings”] are the two prophets—Elias, and the prophet who shall be with him.  

15. “And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a flood, that he might carry her away with the flood.”] He signifies by the water which the serpent cast out of his mouth, the people who at his command would persecute her.  

16. “And the earth helped the woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”] That the earth opened her month and swallowed up the waters, sets forth the vengeance for the present troubles. Although, therefore, it may signify this woman bringing forth, it shows her afterwards flying when her offspring is brought forth, because both things did not happen at one time; for we know that Christ was born, but that the time should arrive that she should flee from the face of the serpent: (we do not know) that this has happened as yet. Then he says:—  

7–9. “There was a battle in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon warred, and his angels, and they prevailed not; nor was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast forth, that old serpent: he was cast forth into the earth.”] This is the beginning of Antichrist; yet previously Elias must prophesy, and there must be times of peace. And afterwards, when the three years and six months are completed in the preaching of Elias, he also must be cast down from heaven, where up till that time he had had the power of ascending; and all the apostate angels, as well as Antichrist, must be roused up from hell. Paul the apostle says: “Except there come a falling away first, and the man of sin shall appear, the son of perdition; and the adversary who exalted himself above all which is called God, or which is worshipped.”61    2 Thess. ii. 3, 4.    

EX CAPITE XII.

1, 2. Et signum grande visum est in coelo: Mulier amicta sole, et luna sub pedibus ejus, et in capite ejus 0336Acorona stellarum duodecim: et in utero habens, clamans, parturiens, et tormenta sustinens ut pariat. Mulier amicta sole, et lunam sub pedes suos habens, coronamque in capite gestans stellarum duodecim, et parturiens in doloribus suis, antiqua Ecclesia est patrum et prophetarum, et sanctorum, et apostolorum; quae gemitus et tormenta desiderii sui habuit, usquequo fructum ex plebe sua secundum carnem olim promissum sibi videret Christum ex ipsa gente corpus sumpsisse. Sole autem amicta, spem resurrectionis significat, et gloriam repromissionis. Luna vero casum sanctorum corporum ex debito mortis, quod deficere numquam potest. Nam quemadmodum minuitur vita, sic et augetur. Nec in totum extincta est spes dormientium, ut quidam putant, sed habent 0336B in tenebris lucem sicut luna. Corona autem stellarum duodecim chorum patrum significat secundum carnis nativitatem, ex quibus erat Christus carnem sumpturus.

3. Et visum est aliud signum in coelo: Ecce draco rubeus habens capita septem. Quod autem illum dicit coloris esse rubei, id est coccinei, operis fructus talem dedit ei colorem. Ab initio enim fuit (ut Dominus ait) homicida, et omne genus humanum non tam debito mortis, verum etiam variis gladiis obitibusque oppressit. Septem capita, septem reges Romanorum ex quibus et antichristus est, ut in priori diximus.

Et cornua decem. Decem reges in novissimo tempore hos eosdem dicit, ut plenius ibi tractabimus.

0336C 4. Et cauda ejus habebat tertiam partem stellarum coeli, et misit illas in terram. Quod autem dicit draconis caudam traxisse tertiam partem stellarum coeli, bifariam hoc accipi potest; multi enim arbitrantur tertiam partem hominum credentium posse eum seducere. Sed quod verius intelligi debeat angelorum sibi subditorum cum adhuc princeps esset, cum descenderet constitutione sua, tertiam partem seduxisse: ergo quod superius dicebamus ait Apocalypsis.

Et draco stetit in conspectu mulieris quae incipiebat parere, ut cum peperisset, filium ejus devoraret. Draco rufus stans et exoptans, ut cum peperisset filium, devoraret eum, diabolus est, Angelus refuga scilicet, 0336D qui hominum omnium interitum per mortem aequalem esse opinabatur: sed qui de semine natus non erat, nihil morti debebat, propter quod devorare eum non potuit, id est in morte detinere, nam tertia die resurrexit. Denique et priusquam pateretur tentare eum accessit tamquam hominem: sed cum non invenisset illum esse quem putabat, discessit ab illo usque ad tempus; unde heic dicitur:

5. Et peperit filium qui incipit regere omnes gentes in virga ferrea. Virga ferrea, gladius est persecutionis.

0337AOmnes vidi recessisse de locis suis. Hoc est, boni movebuntur persecutionem fugientes.

Et filius raptus est ad Deum et ad thronum ejus. Raptum ad solium Dei et nos legimus in Actis apostolorum, quemadmodum loquens cum discipulis raptus est in coelos.

6. Mulier autem fugit in solitudinem; et datae sunt illi duae alae aquilae magnae. Auxilium alarum magnae aquilae, donum scilicet prophetarum, Ecclesiam illam catholicam ex qua in novissimo tempore creditura sunt centum quadraginta quatuor millia hominum ad praedicationem Eliae; sed et caeterum populum vivum inveniri in adventu Domini, heic dicit. Et Dominus in Evangelio ait: Tunc qui in Judaea sunt, fugiant in montes (Luc., XXI, 21): id est, quotquot in Judaea 0337B fuerint collecti, eant ad illum locum quem paratum habent, et nutriantur ibi triennium et menses sex a facie diaboli.

14. Alae duae magnae. Duo sunt prophetae, Elias et qui cum illo fuerit propheta.

15. Et emisit serpens ex ore suo post mulierem aquam velut flumen, ut eam eo flumine auferret. Aquam quam emisit de ore suo serpens, jussu suo populum qui persequatur eam, significat.

16. Et adjuvit mulierem terra, et aperuit os suum, et absorbuit illud flumen quod draco emisit ex ore suo. Aperuisse os suum terram, et devorasse aquas, vindictam de praesentibus manifestat. Hanc igitur licet parturientem significet, postea partu edito fugientem ostendit; quia non uno tempore utraque sunt facta: 0337C Christus enim quod natus est scimus; sed tempora intercessisse, ut illa aufugiat a facie serpentis, adhuc actum non esse. Deinde ait:

7-9. Factum est praelium in coelo: Michael et angeli ejus pugnabant cum dracone, et draco praeliatus est et angeli ejus: et non valuerunt, nec inventus locus eorum amplius in coelo. Et projectus est draco ille magnus, serpens antiquus: projectus est in terram. Hoc est initium Antichristi. ante tamen oportet praedicare Eliam, et pacis tempora esse; ac postea consummatis triennio et sex mensibus in praedicatione Eliae, etiam jactari eum de coelo ubi habuerat potestatem ascendendi usque ad illud tempus: et angelos refugas universos, sic et Antichristum, de inferno suscitari, Paulus apostolus ait: Nisi prius venerit discessio, et apparuerit homo peccati, filius perditionis et 0337Dadversarius, qui seelevavit super omne quod nominatur Deus, aut quod colitur (II Thess., II, 3, 4.).