Alcuin of York

And the four and twenty ancients, who sit on their seats in the sight of God, fell on their faces. Concerning the ancients, it has already been said that they signify the preachers, because a genus should be understood in the species. It is right for them to be twenty-four because of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles. By the seats and the ancients is understood one seat, that of Christ, consisting of superiors and inferiors. It is right to say that the ancients sit in the sight of God, because, when they examine the actions of their inferiors, they do not seek thereby human gratitude, but God's glory. They fall on their faces because they attribute all good not to themselves, but to God. And adored God, saying: We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who wast, and who art. By the fact that they do not say “who art to come,” it is made clear that all this will be said or done at the last judgment. As for what follows, because thou hast received thy great power, and the nations were angry, it refers to his first coming. He received in his humanity the great power he has always had by his divinity. On the other hand, what is said next, because thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, refers to his second coming. Yet since the Lord says, Love your enemies, [Matt. 5:44 and Luke 6:27/35] how can it be said that these people are giving thanks for the coming of his wrath against the reprobates? Therefore they are not rejoicing at the destruction of the wicked, but at their own resurrection and glorification, which they know cannot possibly be fulfilled unless the damnation of the wicked comes first. It is according to this interpretation that the souls of the slain under the altar of God are said to cry, How long, O Lord, etc.; [Rev. 6:10] for they are not asking for revenge, but to be themselves rewarded after revenge has been taken on the wicked. Hence the Psalmist: The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge. [Ps. 57:11] The Judge's wrath does not mean a perturbation of the mind, but its straightness. So one shall see him such as one's own conscience is like. That thou shouldest judge them, and render reward to thy servants the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great. When the apostle says that we are saved by grace, [Eph. 2:8] how can the Lord be said here to render reward? One should know then that when the Lord renders reward to his servants, it is his own gifts that he rewards in them, for we could not have any work worthy of reward if we had not received from him the ability to do works. Note also that by the name of prophets are represented the apostles. Meanwhile, let no one despair on account of their imperfection, if they nonetheless strive to do perfect things but do not succeed; because even the little ones shall obtain that reward; whence blessed Job: The small and great are there. [Job 3:19] And shouldest banish them who have corrupted the earth. They are said to be banished rather than killed so as to show the everlasting exile of damnation, their eternal indigence. To corrupt the earth is to pervert one's life with wicked works. So it is from this that the third woe of the wicked results, about which it was foretold that it would come quickly with the seventh angel.

And the temple was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple. This saying goes back to the beginning of faith, and describes the battles of the Church with new symbols. What indeed does God's temple signify but Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells corporeally? [Col. 2:9] It is said to be open because Christ has already been born, suffered, been resurrected, and been elevated, and since it is in the Church that Christ is proclaimed to have done all this, consequently he is said to open the temple in heaven. The ark of the testament, in which the power of the two Testaments was written by God's finger, means the Church; according to Exodus, this ark has four golden rings with bars through them to be carried on, [Ex. 25:12-14] that is the four Gospels through which the Church is governed by the holy preachers. In it there is a golden pot with manna inside, that is the wisdom of the divine Word with the food of life; and also Aaron's rod, [Heb. 9:4] that is the proof of kingly priesthood. And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail. Lightnings are miraculous signs, by which the minds of the unfaithful were struck so that they submitted to humility; whence the Psalmist: Thou wilt multiply lightnings, and trouble them. [Probably a variant of Ps. 143:6, but also reminiscent of Ps. 17:15.] It is appropriate for the voices, that is the preachers, to come after the lightnings, because, in order to bring the incredulous to faith by speaking, the preachers first displayed new miracles. After words there follow thunders in order for those who despise voices to be shaken by terror of the judgment. Then an earthquake, that is persecution, which is also indicated by hail; for just as hail gets crushed as it crushes the fruits of the earth, and the earth bears fruit again, when the furious multitude of the Gentiles tried to take the name of God away from the earth, it was itself reduced to naught, either by force or by being changed for the better — for quite many of them came to Christ's faith.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. The woman clothed with the sun is blessed Virgin Mary, covered with the power of the Most High. A genus, namely the Church, is also understood in her. The Church is not called a woman by reason of weakness, but because it gives birth every day to new people, with whom the general body of Christ is being formed. So the Church is clothed with the sun according to this: As many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. [Gal. 3:27] Indeed Christ is the Sun of justice, [Mal. 4:2] and the brightness of eternal light. [Wis. 7:26] The moon, which wanes as time passes, represents the mutability of time; and since the Church despises it, it is as if it pressed it down under its feet. Note also that there are some things in the following that do not correspond to the species, but to the genus. And on her head a crown of twelve stars. The twelve stars the crown is fitted with are the twelve apostles, through whom the Head of the Church, that is Christ, first won victory. They are called stars because the reason of truth illuminates the darkness of ignorance.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. The dragon's tail is depraved preachers, according to this: The prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. [Is. 9:15] People who from the outside seem to stick to the pursuit of heavenly life are made to fall into the iniquity of overt error by false preachers out of love for the earth. About these people Job says, Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof. [Job 3:9] Now since the tail is the end of the body, we may understand by it the Antichrist and his preachers, if we take it that the past is here being used for the future — and indeed the casting down of these stars will be more manifest then. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. The dragon then stood that he might swallow down the Head after it was born, and he is always standing that he may swallow down the limbs of the Head; but, as the following shows, the woman's son escaped the dragon's bite because he was taken up to the Father's throne. From this there arises a serious question; for neither did Christ physically climb to heaven as soon as he was born and sought by Herod, nor do his limbs avoid the dragon's teeth by leaving the body altogether to come to their Head. One should know then that the right faith, which keeps the commandments of life and is revealed by the sacred pages of the Scriptures, is an ascent of the mind towards God, by means of which one avoids the dragon's evilness. Therefore he does not mean an ascent in the physical sense. Note also that those whom the dragon is not said to stand behind, but before, are those who know his tricks.

And she brought forth a man son. The one gave birth to the Head, the other gives birth to the limbs of the Head. But why did he add man, since he already said son? Because it can be said either in a positive sense with regards to someone's excellence in strength, or in a negative sense with regards to the immensity of their wickedness: just as it is here used in a positive sense, so is it used in a negative sense in Jeremiah when he says, Cursed be the man that brought the tidings to my father, saying: A man child is born to thee. For the rest, the Church does not give birth to any effeminate, any slack child. Who is to rule all nations with an iron rod. This refers both to the Head and to the body. By the rod is represented the straightness of justice; whence the Psalmist, The rod of thy kingdom is a straight rod. [Variant of Ps. 44:7] Now, what is meant by what is said after that, as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken, if not that vile works among the inferiors are broken by the severity of justice so that they may be turned from worthless vessels into vessels of honor and sanctification? Though it could also refer to Christ's reprobates. And her son was taken up to God, and to his throne. This was explained a little earlier.

And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels. Let the faithful's hearts not believe that this battle happened when the old enemy fell from heaven with his followers because of his pride; but it should be believed without any doubt that it has been on-going since the beginning of the Christian faith and will last until the end of this life, because it is demonstrated that the dragon, that is the Devil, has been fighting back and offering opposition in heaven, that is in the Church (whence it is proclaimed by the apostle's voice, Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against the spirits of wickedness in the high places) [Eph. 6:12] ever since the beginning. Now if we are fighting, why is it said, contradictorily with this idea, that Michael is fighting? With regards to this, one should know that it is shown in numerous other passages too that the struggle against the Devil belongs both to us and to angels; for while Peter said, Whom resist ye, strong in faith, [1 Pet. 5:9] and James, Resist the devil, and he will fly from you, [James 4:7] yet David declares that this same thing is done by angels, saying, The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them. [Ps. 33:8] By these examples it is shown that neither do we fight without the angels' fighting, nor do the angels without our fighting. Some angels are said to be Michael's not because, as the perfidy of some heretics would have it, he created them, but because he received them from God as a help, or because it is believed that they are soldiers under one king and from one city, in the same way as the angels who are demonstrated to belong to the dragon and to do his will are called the dragon's angels — and bad men are included in their number, just as we are included in the number of the good angels.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is there made salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night. Since the dragon falls from heaven to the earth every day, it is certain that this voice, which is a desire of the mind for praising, starts from the Lord's coming, and does not stop clamoring in heaven, that is in the Church, until the end of the world. Therefore it is all time that is included in the adverb now. They say that salvation is made because we have been saved by the free goodness of God; strength because we have been strengthened by it; and power because we have been raised to a high glory. Indeed all these things have been made among men, although not by man, but by Jesus Christ. The Devil accuses people day and night when he takes care that some be lifted up in success, and others broken in adversity. The Devil accuses the saints not by speaking on the outside, but by listening on the inside; for his evilness is his accusation of the saints.

QUESTION: And I beheld, and lo a lamb stood upon mount Sion. ANSWER: It means that, when his Church is sweating under the burden of struggles, the Lord Christ will be there for it with his example of courage and his protection. THERE FOLLOWS: And with him an hundred forty-four thousand. ANSWER: This finite number should be taken as being used for an indefinite one, and, in the meaning of its secret mystery, it is fit for a multitude of virgins which, loving God with all heart, all soul, and all mind, [Cf. Matt. 22:37] is also consecrated to him through integrity of the body, which consists of four qualities; for three times three are nine and four times four are sixteen, and sixteen times nine make a hundred forty-four, so that, when we see such a perfect multitude made up of those who deserve to be seen on Mount Sion with the Lamb because they have led a stricter life, there may be no doubt concerning the rest of the members of the Church. THERE FOLLOWS: Having his name, and the name of the Father, written on their foreheads. ANSWER: He shows what the mark on the forehead of the beast's body is imitating, when he says that “God” and “Christ” are written on the foreheads of the Church. As for what he calls Sion, he shows that it is nothing else but the Church, which, in order to overcome the pains of afflictions, raised up by the high joy of contemplation, celebrates the battles of its King both by praise and by imitation; for this is truly to sing hymns for the standing Lamb.

QUESTION: And the voice which I heard, was as the voice of harpers, harping on their harps. ANSWER: While God's harpers are all the saints, who crucify their flesh with the vices and concupiscences [Gal. 5:24] and praise him with psaltery and harp, [Ps. 150:3] how much more those who by the privilege of evangelical chastity make all of themselves a holocaust to the Lord, deny themselves singularly, and, taking up their cross, will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth! [Matt. 16:24, Luke 9:23, Rev. 14:4] (14:3) THERE FOLLOWS: And they sang as it were a new canticle before the throne. ANSWER: The old canticle was, Blessed is he that hath seed in Sion and household in Jerusalem, [Is. 31:9 acc. to LXX] but the new one is, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not, [Gal. 4:27, Is. 54:1 (the latter acc. to LXX)] and also, I will give to the eunuchs in my house, says the Lord, and within my walls, a place, and a name better than sons and daughters. [Is. 56:4-5] QUESTION: And no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty-four thousand, who were purchased from the earth. ANSWER: To have the singular privilege to sing the canticle with the Lamb means to rejoice with him forever more than all the other faithful because even one's flesh is uncorrupted. The rest of the elect can nonetheless hear this canticle, although they cannot say it; out of love, they are naturally happy to see them in that high status, even though they themselves cannot rise to the level of their rewards. (14:4) THERE FOLLOWS: These were purchased from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. ANSWER: Out of the holy and immaculate flock of the Church, they are chosen by the Holy Spirit, for the merits of their will, as yet holier and purer sacrifices. The apostle, having no commandment of the Lord concerning them, [1 Cor. 7:25] beseeches them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God. [Rom. 12:1]

QUESTION: And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. ANSWER: So, the Lord, equipped with the Father's power, came down in the flesh to wage war against the prince of the world, bind him, and take the latter's containers back. (20:2) THERE FOLLOWS: And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan. ANSWER: Devil translates to “flowing downwards,” and in Greek it means “slanderer;” Satan means “adversary” or “prevaricator.” So, he is called a dragon because of his evilness in doing harm, a serpent because of his craft in deceiving, devil because of his fall from his status, and Satan because of his obstinacy in opposing the Lord. (20:4) THERE FOLLOWS: And the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God. ANSWER: Here is implied what he was going to say afterwards: reigned with Christ a thousand years. So, the Church reigns with Christ over the living and the dead, for, as the apostle says, to this end Christ died, that he might be Lord of the living and of the dead. [Rom. 14:9] Now, he mentioned only the souls of the martyrs because those who reign more than others after death are those who have fought unto death for the truth; because it is not those who merely start, but those who persevere who are promised eternal blessedness.

QUESTION: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. ANSWER: That is, he who keeps what he has gained in his second birth. THERE FOLLOWS: But they shall be saints of God and of Christ. ANSWER: Another edition has “priests of God and of Christ.” This does not refer only to bishops and church ministers, who are the ones properly called priests in the Church, but, just as we are all called “christs” because of the mystical unction, so are we all called priests because we are the limbs of one priest; whence Peter says, a holy nation, a kingly priesthood. [1 Pet. 2:9] QUESTION: And shall reign with Christ a thousand years. ANSWER: When John was writing this, the Spirit announced that the Church would reign for a thousand years, that is until the end of the world. (20:7) THERE FOLLOWS: And when the thousand years shall be finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. ANSWER: Saying finished, he meant a part by the whole, for Satan shall be loosed when there are still left the three years and six months of the last battle; but apart from this trope, it is right to say that the time will be finished. (What he earlier defined as three years and a half, he here called three years and six months.)