Alcuin of York

He, that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: To him that overcometh, I will give the hidden manna. By the hidden manna he means the invisible bread that came down from heaven and was made man so that man might eat the bread of angels. [Cf. John 6:51; Ps. 77:24-25] This manna is now consumed in the sacrament by faith, and will someday be consumed in reality by sight, according to this saying of the Psalmist: I shall be filled when thy glory shall appear to me. [Variant of Ps. 16:15] Indeed if we translate manna, it means “What is this?”, which we say only of a thing we have not seen before. Therefore it is appropriate for that satiety of heavenly glory to be called manna, because, according to Paul's words, neither hath eye seen, nor hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. [Part of 1 Cor. 2:9] And will give him a white counter, and in the counter, a new name, which no man knoweth, but he that receiveth it. The counter is a precious stone which is also called carbuncle, because this stone is said to do the same as a kindled piece of coal, which shines in the darkness with the size in which it stopped. Therefore, what is indicated by the white counter but Jesus Christ, who appeared clean among men without any dark stain of sin, and illuminated the darkness of our mortality with the light of his divinity? The meaning is: I will make the one who triumphs over the author of death my coheir in the Father's kingdom. Another translation has “pearl” instead of counter. The new name he is talking about is “Christian,” which was previously unheard of, concerning which the Lord says through Isaiah to the Church, Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord hath spoken. [Variant of Is. 62:2] Yet, since many who have been overcome by the Devil are called by this name, how is it that he promises to give it only to those who overcome, if not because the gift we must understand here is the one by which we know those who are predestined to life in the heavenly city have been chosen? Here it is suitably said after that, which no man knoweth, but he that receiveth it, as if he were saying, “No one defends the dignity of the Christian name by their life and manners but the one who has gained it through divine predestination to eternal life.” For knowing the name of Christ is about keeping the commandments, while receiving it is traced back to the grace of divine predestination.

And to the angel of the church of Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like to a flame of fire, and his feet like to fine brass. I know thy works, and thy faith, and thy charity, and thy ministry, and thy patience, and thy last works which are more than the former. This is said to the universal Church, whose works, charity, and faith the Lord knows because he approves them by the grace of choosing. However, these things are mentioned out of order: for you first need to believe, then to love what you believe, and lastly to do the works love and belief force you to. By ministry in this passage he wants us to understand ample almsgiving in extreme poverty. We should however ask the question of why the last works of the Church are declared to be more than the former. So, one should know that at first, the Gentiles converted to Christ were ordered by the apostles to keep only four laws: namely to abstain from things sacrificed, fornication, meat of animals killed by suffocation, and blood; [Cf. Acts 15:19-20] but after a little time had passed, they attained the summit of perfection, so that many of the believers disregarded all things of the world. Either this is the explanation, or it is because starting from the persecution of the Antichrist a greater virtue of works will shine in the Church. Indeed, while the Church made up of Gentiles is now working alone, it will then also bring the Jews to faith, and thus work twice as much.

But I have somewhat against thee: because thou sufferest the woman Jezabel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat of things sacrificed to idols. These things do not correspond to the one he honored with such great praise above, but they refer specifically to the bad preachers who allow fornication and idolatry in the Church by their negligence. It is not to be believed that Jezabel the wife of Ahab, who we know was crushed by the hoofs of horses, [2 Kings 9:33] physically survived until that time; but since there were then in that church some people who imitated her sexual intercourses, the very mother of fornications was censured in them: for the reprobates, united in an equality of vices, constitute one body, which is that of the old enemy, just as the elect, by the bond of virtues, make up one body, which is that of Christ. Jezebel's fornication is of four kinds: there is fornication in pleasure, as in Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart; [Matt. 5:28] there is also fornication in deed, whence the apostle: Fly fornication, brethren; [Variant of 1 Cor. 6:18] there is the fornication of idolatry, according to this: She played the harlot with stones and with stocks; [Jer. 3:9] and there is also the fornication of covetousness, according to this: covetousness, which is the service of idols. [Col. 3:5] It is also to be noted that Jezabel calls herself a prophetess, and seduces God's servants because of that. So, when anyone says to a celibate, “Come, let us enjoy what we desire, because if God did not wish this to happen, he would not have created man and woman,” they are seeking to seduce a soldier of God as though by prophesying. So, Jezabel translates to “flow of blood,” “flowing,” or “dunghill.” By the name of blood are symbolized sins, according to this: Deliver me from bloods. [Ps. 50:16] It is said that what happens to women when they suffer their flow of blood is that humor of blood collected during several days overflows and is discharged when the menstrual time has come. It is demonstrated that it is what happens to the universal Jezabel: a shameful pleasure accumulated during a long time springs forth to open ugliness of works when the time has come. Then the mind grows excessively anxious, and the man melts just like wax in front of fire; whence it is right for her to be called “flowing.” Finally, by the very repetition of the perpetration of lust, a stench of bad reputation is emitted far and wide, whence it is fittingly that Jezabel translates to “dunghill.”

Behold, I put her into a bed: and they that commit adultery with her shall be in very great tribulation, except they do penance from their deeds. And I will kill her children unto death. Jezabel, those who fornicate in her, and her children are one body, that of Satan, which is put in a bed not in order that it may rest, but that it may run into madness: for by the name of bed are meant the audacity and feeling of security to commit wrongs. She is said to be put in it by God not because he himself impels her, but because he does not snatch her away from this illusion of security by punishing her; and since increases of vices are like some kinds of torments, it is right for the bed to be called a great tribulation. The bed may also indicate eternal torment; it seems to me this is why another translator put “mourning” instead of bed. And the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts. By the reins he wants us to understand the very perpetrated wickedness of physical lust, because the seed of human conception comes from the loins of men. By the word hearts he wants us to understand incitements to spiritual adultery. Whence the Psalmist: Burn my reins and my heart. [Ps. 25:2] But can it be that before the Lord publicly unmasks idolaters and fornicators and massacres them, the Church does not know that he is the Knower of secrets? Or how can it be called Church, if it gets to know it by this outcome of events rather than by faith? We should therefore hold the firm belief that, as far as the present state of things is concerned, they are punished with a hidden death, so that the meaning should be the following: When I condemn the reprobates hiddenly and secretly, even then the faithful do not doubt that I know the actions of everyone. And I will give to every one of you according to his works. He comes back from species to genus. There is nothing more to be explained here, but there is more to be feared. To you I say, to the rest who are at Thyatira: Whosoever have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depth of Satan. In this passage the discourse returns to the elect. By the depth of Satan we should understand his ruinous pride, because of which he was the first to carry himself high and swell with vanity against God. The elect are said not to know this pride, that is, not to agree to take it as an example to imitate; in the same way as the sacred Scripture says that unmarried women have not known men, which means that they have no experience whatsoever of the actions of men in sexual acts, and in the same way as we say that a truthful person knows nothing about lying. As they say, I will not put upon you any other burthen. Who are those who say this but the peoples of the Jews, who say that the observances of the old law are being put on the shoulders of believers? Whence Luke the evangelist: Some coming down from Judea, taught the brethren: That except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. [Acts 15:1]

And he that shall overcome, and keep my works unto the end, I will give him power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken, as I also have received of my Father. The Son did not receive this power from the Father in his divinity, but in his humanity, in which he is inferior to the Father; whence this: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth; [Matt. 28:18] and since the elect are his limbs, they also receive this power in their Head, according to this: Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven, etc. [Matt. 18:18] By the rod of iron is represented the authority of preachers; for a rod of iron has straightness without weakness: so are the holy preachers capable neither of sparing themselves nor others when it comes to fighting vices, but they only strive to build the path of justice in themselves and others; whence it is said to Christ: The rod of thy kingdom is a straight rod. [Variant of Ps. 44:7] It is appropriate for believers to be compared to earthen vessels, for they are vessels in that they bear the treasure hidden from eternity, and they are earthen because they are burdened by the decay of the flesh; whence the apostle: We have this treasure in earthen vessels. [2 Cor. 4:7] As for the fact that these vessels are said to be broken when touched by the rod, we should understand here a part of the vessels that is still being destroyed in order to be remoulded for the better. Hence it is said to the potter of mankind: Turn the wicked, and they shall not be, [Prov. 12:7] implying “they shall not be wicked, but good.” Now what is meant by the first words, he that shall overcome, and keep my works unto the end? Is no one ruling believers until he triumphs over the Devil by reaching the end? Or maybe he will rule afterwards? Therefore one should know that the Lord, using the future instead of the past, is indicating that those to whom he proclaims he will give power over the nations, have already overcome by the grace of predestination, and have already kept his works unto the end; as if he were saying, “I will rightly give the duty of ruling to the one who I find out for certain is victorious and will continue my works unto the end.” This is because for him the future is the present. And I will give him the morning star. In the sacred Scripture, the morning star in the singular signifies Christ (whence he says later, I am the morning star) [Rev. 22:16] and in the plural it signifies angels. So the Lord will give the morning star to those who overcome, when he remoulds the body of our humility, that is, when all those who are in the graves hear the voice of the Lord and come forth: [John 5:28-29] he will bring them to the perfect day [Prov. 4:18] when he shows them the brightness of his divinity.

And to the angel of the church of Sardis, write: These things saith he, that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast the name of being alive: but thou art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, which were ready to die. The Lord has the seven spirits in a different way from the way he has the stars, for he has the sevenfold Spirit as an entity equal to him in the nature of the divinity, while he has the sevenfold Church as an entity subject to him in his power, as a servant. Now if he indicates that this angel, whether in the preachers or in some of his listeners, has the name of being alive through confession of faith alone, but is dead in works, how is it that he adds in order to warn the same, Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which were ready to die? One should know therefore that he shows that he is partly dead through his faults, and partly alive through good works. Now how can someone be partly alive if he is dead, even because of one fault, if not because, if he rises again from sin through penance, he does not even lose, once he is alive, the good things he did when he was dead, because those things are themselves brought back to life with him? This is why he hears, Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which were ready to die, which means, “If you come back to life in that part in which you are dead, you strengthen the other things that are still alive in you, in order that they do not die.” Alternatively, there are many people within the bosom of the Church who, keeping their lives from all fault, are considered alive by men, but are regarded as dead by God because their intention is not right, and these are told, Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which were ready to die, as if they were told, “If you want the framework of your merits to be alive, watch the intention behind your works; pride will be alive.” For I find not thy works full before my God. That is, since the head, which is intention, has lost its vigor, the limbs, which are the merits, are by no means vigorous, full or plump, but they languish, meagre and almost dead.

He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments. That is, he who fights against the enemy to get his garments back, and overcomes, will be clothed in the same garments again and shine in the same way as those who have kept them unstained. This can also apply to the unfaithful, who are exhorted to overcome, that is to believe in Christ; because this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. [1 John 5:4] And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. A great question arises for us in this place: for these words seem to mean that the name of the one who does not overcome is blotted out from the book, while it is well-known that only the elect are kept in heaven's book, written there by the pen of blessed predestination. Then it remains for us to understand the names of the reprobates being blotted out from the book of life as a way of speaking, usual in the sacred Scripture, meaning that, due to reprobation, they are not written at all; in the same way as Pharaoh's heart is said to be hardened by the Lord. [Ex. 4:21; 7:3, 13, 22; 8:19; 9:12, 35; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8] As for this book, it is a kind of divine force which predestined before the ages a certain and determined number of elect to be in glory in the future. So we should take what is said about the victor, I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, as if he were saying, “The one who I know will be victorious, I am already keeping his name written in heaven.” And I will confess his name before my Father and his angels. What does it mean for the Son of God to confess the victor's name before the Father and the angels, if not to show that he who has overcome is united to him by his good works? Which will happen principally when he says to the elect, Come, ye blessed of my Father, etc. [Matt. 25:34]

And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia, write: These things saith the Holy One and the true one, he that hath the key of David; he that openeth, and no man shutteth; shutteth, and no man openeth: Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut. The Lord is called the Holy One and the True One as if he were the only one, because compared to him no one is holy or truthful. It is indeed written, No one is clean from filth, [Variant of Job 14:4, very close to the LXX version.] as well as, Every man is a liar. [Ps. 115:11] We take the key of David to mean our Redeemer's incarnation, which he got from the seed of David. The door, which the same key opens and shuts, is Christ himself, according to this: I am the door, etc. [John 10:9] For he is called the key and the door in the same way as in the Gospel he is called the shepherd as well as both the porter and the door. [Ibid.1-5] So the open door is Christ born according to the flesh, having suffered, and resurrected on the third day; the door however is not open to the incredulous, but to believers. The Jews were trying to shut this door when they scourged the apostles and charged them that they should not speak in the name of Jesus; [Acts 5:40] but since when he opens, no man shuts, they replied immediately, We cannot but speak the things which we have heard. [Acts 4:17-20] As this door was shut to the Asians, the apostles tried to open it; but since when he shuts, no man opens, the spirit of Jesus stopped them. [Acts 16:7] The open door may also be taken to mean the Scripture, through which we come in towards Christ with the steps of faith. So he opens the door with the key of David, and no man shuts, because no one is able, with any veil of the Jews, to cast a shadow in the elect's hearts over the words of the sacred Scripture, which he made his elect understand spiritually by the grace of his incarnation. On the other hand, he shuts it for the unbelieving Jews, and it cannot be opened by anyone. This too can be analyzed symbolically: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Here it is no small question that arises: how can someone have only a little strength if they keep the word of God and do not deny his name? We should know therefore that it was said according to the estimation of human weakness, because, while the elect are capable of many things through Christ, they presume that they are capable of little. Indeed Thou hast a little strength is said as if it were said “Thou thinkest that thou hast a little strength.”

He that shall overcome, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. God's temple is the Church, according to this: The temple of God is holy, which you are. [1 Cor. 3:17] Since not only the preachers, but also the good listeners triumph over the old enemy, and in this verse everyone who overcomes is said to become a pillar in God's temple, we are forced to confess that a pillar is the same as the temple, that is the universal Church. In what follows, and he shall go out no more, it is openly shown that the Church, in the younger brother, had once passed from the unity of faith and work it kept in the prophets under the law to the error of perfidy and perverse work; but it was recovered through the killing of the fatted calf. [Luke 15:11-31] Alternatively, all of us, Jews as well as Gentiles, went out in Adam; but after we have been brought in victorious to the second Adam, we are made into a pillar of God's temple, because, overcoming the temptations of the old enemy through the blood of that same Mediator of ours, we are established in the heavenly glory of the saints by that steadfastness in the commandments which we are demonstrated to have lost in the first Adam. But we shall never go out again, because no incitements of the enemy shall tear us away from that common happiness of the heavenly fatherland. Note also that he says he has a God as he speaks according to his humanity. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name. He that hath ears, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. The name of the Father being written on the one who overcomes means that he becomes his Son by adoption of the Spirit. Indeed, with what pen is it written, if not with the grace of the Spirit of both? Whence the apostle: The Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. [Rom. 8:16] As for Jerusalem, it translates to “sight of peace.” It is said to come down out of heaven from God because the Church of the elect, which directs its course towards the sight of heavenly peace with the steps of love, went down, as it was predestined to, into the womb of the Virgin together with the Lord, whose body it is; or it is because its number increases every day through heavenly grace. It is called new because, through baptism and love, it is stripped of the oldness of the earthly man and clothed in heavenly newness; whence this: The old things are passed away, and behold all things are made new. [2 Cor. 5:17] So the name of Jerusalem is written on the victor when he joins the number of the saints. As for where we get all this from, it is revealed when it is added and my new name (implying I will write) namely the one that was given in time to the same Mediator, that is “Christ.” This is where our dignity and high position comes from, this is the cause of our being called sons of God, New Jerusalem, and Christians. Therefore, where we hear the sum of all salvation, let us at last put a due end to this book.