Alcuin of York

And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. By saying to see, he shows that it was not a physical voice, which cannot be seen, but a spiritual one, with which seeing it is no different from hearing it. Allegorically, the Church turned to see the voice, because it directed its attention, out of the desire of its mind, to the words of the law and of the prophets, so as to see their mysteries now fulfilled. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks: and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man. By the seven candlesticks is represented the sevenfold Church, in whose midst is Christ, who is called like to the Son of man because he was now immortal, or because he appeared not with sin, but in the likeness of the flesh of sin. We read that he appeared in the midst according to this: Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. [Matt. 18:20] It is appropriate for the Church to be symbolized by seven golden candlesticks, for the sevenfold operation of the Holy Spirit is symbolized by the number, and the brightness of eternal wisdom is symbolized by gold. So just as gold, tried by fire and stretched by blows, is made into a candlestick, so does the Church, melted by the fire of tribulation until purification, and extended into long-suffering by the blows of temptations, reach completion; whence Isaiah says, The Lord hath said it, whose fire is in Sion, and his furnace in Jerusalem. [Is. 31:9] Furthermore, one should know that one Church is represented by both the seven candlesticks and the Son of man, because the person of Christ and of the Church is one. So the same Lord who appeared clothed with a garment down to the feet in the midst of the candlesticks, put on as a garment the candlesticks themselves. Therefore, Christ's clothes are the same as the seven candlesticks, that is the Church. Indeed genus is joined to genus, when the Church is meant by both the seven candlesticks and the Son of man. Note also that the likeness to the Son of man concerns us, because just as our Head has risen again in deed, so have we in hope. Clothed with a garment down to the feet (a poderes). Podes means “feet” in Greek. What do we understand by the poderes, that is a tunic reaching the ankles, which Zechariah says is a priestly garment, [Probable reference to Zec. 3:4 LXX] if not the flesh of Christ specifically, and the whole Church generally? Indeed, by offering himself on the cross to God the Father, he carried out a priesthood. Now, this priestly garment is down to the ankles because his body, which is the Church, down to its very last members, fills up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ; [Cf. Col. 1:24] or if not, then certainly his garment down to the ankles was his work of love to the suffering of death. And girt about the paps with a golden girdle. What one should know is that Daniel saw a man girt about the loins [Dan. 10:5] and John saw him girt about the paps because the Old Testament restrains the lust of the flesh, whereas the New restrains also that of the mind. However, that double girding does not refer to the Head, but to the limbs, since it is certain that our Redeemer has been touched by neither the lust of the body nor that of the heart. So it is fitting to say that this girdle was golden, because whoever is a citizen of the heavenly fatherland, forsakes uncleanness, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love for heavenly brightness. The order given to the apostles in the New Testament, Let your loins be girt, [Luke 12:35] is given, through their persons, to those who, not yet restraining the fornication of the flesh, belong to the man of the old life; for the apostles themselves had already forsaken the uncleanness of the flesh. Alternatively, the angel is girt about the paps with a golden girdle because the Church, coming from two peoples, is united in Christ by the bond of love.

And his head and his hairs were white, as white wool, and as snow. Christ's head is God the Father; whence the apostle: The head of Christ is God; [1 Cor. 11:3] whose eternity is represented, according to the habit of human speech, by the whiteness of the head. Allegorically, the head of the Church is its Redeemer, according to this: The head of man is Christ. [Ibid.] The hairs are the most excellent people in the Church, who are compared to lambs, that is to wool, because of their innocence, and to snow because of the resurrection. Because Christ has shown both in himself (i.e. innocence and resurrection, the former of which we are ordered to imitate, the latter of which we are ordered to expect) not only the hairs, but also the whole head is assimilated to white wool and snow. And his eyes were as a flame of fire. These eyes are those concerning which it is said later, I saw a Lamb as it were slain, having seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God; [Rev. 5:6] for since the Holy Spirit both enlightens the Church to faith and burns it to the love of God, it is right for him to be assimilated to the lights of eyes and to a flame of fire. These eyes may also represent spiritual angels in the Church who enlighten the same Church with the light of knowledge and provide the fire of love.

And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. The fabrication of fine brass is said to be as follows: copper is thrown into a furnace, a violent fire is applied to it, a certain medicine is also thrown into it all, and the copper as a result both gains a greater solidity and turns into the brightness of gold: whence it is appropriate for the feet like unto fine brass to refer to those last members of the Church that are to be melted by an intense fire of tribulation under the Antichrist, but will be found to be stronger and brighter after using the medicine of endurance. Because the trouble will be even more severe in Judea, where the Lord was crucified by the wicked Jews, another translation has “fine brass of Lebanon,” which is said to be a mountain in Judea. And his voice as the voice of many waters. Above, he compared the voice of the one who appeared to a trumpet, and now he compares it to the voice of many waters, because what was first proclaimed by a few preachers, was afterwards proclaimed by the whole world. Alternatively, we could understand, by the voice of the trumpet, the voice of the Old and of the New Testament, and by the voice of many waters, love, whose law is manifold, as it is said in and thou shalt know that his law is manifold. [Cf. Job 11:6]

And he had in his right hand seven stars. By the seven stars, as the same angel explains below, angels are meant; not however those spirits of the heavenly fatherland, in whom nothing reprehensible can be found, but preachers of the Church, about whom it is said, The angels of peace shall weep bitterly. [Is. 33:7] It is right for these to be represented by stars and angels, because they both shine in the night of this world by the cleanness of their lives, and prove to be angels of truth by announcing heavenly things to their listeners. Because they are seven not truly in number, but in the signification of totality, this species includes all the preachers of the Church. Whence in signification there are no longer seven angels, but one, that is the perfected order of preachers, just as the seven candlesticks represent not only the churches of Asia, but the universal Church; and if we pay subtle attention, we also find the candlesticks in these seven stars, that is, the universal Church in the holy preachers. Whence, when the Lord speaks to one angel, he says in the end: Let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. [Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22] The right hand in this passage should be understood to mean the utmost blessedness, which now is there in hope, and will then be there in fact; whence this saying of Isaiah: The right hand of my just one will uphold thee. [Variant of Is. 41:10] Then, when we hear that the Church is held in the right hand, from the whole we must understand a part, which must be placed on the right hand in the future. And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword. What is symbolized by the sword but the preaching of the Old and of the New Testament? As in this saying of Paul's: and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [Eph. 6:17] It is right for it to be called two-edged, because it cuts off faults committed in deed on one side, and forbidden thoughts on the other; or because it informs imperfect people on the outside according to the literal meaning, and instructs perfect people on the inside according to the mystical meaning. And his face was as the sun shineth in his power. By the face shining as the sun, we may understand the elect, as in The just shall shine as the sun. [Matt. 13:43] If we wish to understand the sun mentioned in this sentence to mean the visible sun, we should know that it will then be of a greater brightness than it now is, and the glory of the saints will then be greater, as Isaiah attests, who says, The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days: in the day when the Lord shall bind up the wound of his people; [Is. 30:26] whence in this passage it is added in his power. Alternatively: what is symbolized by the face of the angel but the Redeemer's manifest incarnation, which had, as it were, a rising in being born, a setting in dying, and again a rising in being resurrected? And since his resurrection had already become well-known throughout the world, it is as if the sun had gone up to the hours around midday when John was seeing these things, and this is why he said, with those words added, as the sun shineth in his power.

And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. In this passage John signifies Christ's limbs, and the angel signifies Christ specifically. Therefore John falls as dead at the angel's feet because the Church follows Christ's footprints to die to the world. It is appropriate to say that he is as dead, because even if the Church dies to the world and to vices, it still lives to God. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. The right hand of the angel in this place represents the preachers. Hence it is said by Moses, In his right hand a fiery law, [Deut. 33:2] that is, in the holy preachers the teaching of the Holy Spirit. It is not mentioned at all what the angel did with his hand laid upon him, but we deduce with a certain reasoning that he lifted up from the ground either John or the Church in him. Now, can it be that the Church was put away from the imitation of the sufferings of Christ? No. Therefore the angel laying his hand upon John who lay at his feet as dead and raising him from the ground, is the Redeemer Lord lifting up the Church which imitates his sufferings from sorrow of the heart to the hope of future glory by encouraging it through the holy preachers, as in The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us. [Rom. 8:18] He fittingly says Fear not, as if the Lord were saying to the Church, “Receive confidence from above, and drive human fear away.” I am the First and the Last, and I was alive, and dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever. Here it is made clear that this angel specifically bore the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom all this corresponds to. And have the keys of death and of hell. By the keys is represented the divine judgment’s power, which no one can escape, but it shuts everyone in like a key, according to this: He shutteth, and no man openeth; [Rev. 3:7] by death is meant the one about whom it is written, By the envy of the devil, death came into the world; [Wis. 2:24] and by hell are represented those who belong to him. So with one set of keys the Devil is released to tempt the Church, and with the other he is bound; whence it is written, God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able. [1 Cor. 10:13]

Write therefore the things which thou hast seen, and which are, and which must be done hereafter. It passes from genus to species, for here John represents the preachers specifically. Note also that he repeats things he had already said, so that the fault of sluggishness should be put away. Write therefore, he says, the things which thou hast seen, as if he were saying “the things foretold concerning me in the law and the prophets,” “and which are — namely the things fulfilled by me — and which must be done hereafter — that is the things that are to be fulfilled among my limbs.” But we should now close this book in its due end, so that we not get tired in the flat of plains before we come to climb the mountains of this Apocalypse. As we have already said in the previous book, some affirm that this vision is a spiritual one, while others affirm it is an intellectual one. If it is an intellectual one, it is not in his own person, but in that of others that he learns. If, on the other hand, it is a spiritual one, he says in some places how he received understanding of the vision, and keeps silent about it in other places. This he of course does with the right moderation, because if the vision were made altogether clear, it would lose its worth, and if it remained completely obscure, it would be despised.

And unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he, who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience. In this place, blessed John, either in his own person or in that of preceding preachers, writes the Lord's words at the latter's bidding to the universal Church, which is represented by the angel. In this angel, sometimes the whole body of the elect, which consists of holy preachers and good listeners, is extolled by the proclamation of its merits, sometimes a part in particular is censured as wicked. So, what does it mean that the Redeemer Lord holds stars in his right hand, if not that he has predestined his elect to the blessedness of success? What does it mean that the same walks in the midst of the candlesticks, if not that he is present everywhere by bestowing the grace of gifts on every one of the saints through his inward discernment? If by the stars and candlesticks we understand the whole body of the Church, which consists of the elect and of the reprobates, by the right hand of Christ we should understand the power of his divinity, which no one can escape, for in his hand are all the ends of the earth; [Ps. 94:4] and he walks among the candlesticks, visiting the just and forsaking the unjust. The Lord says he knows the works, labor, and patience of the saints, which means that he approves them by the grace of choosing. But then the speech turns back to a specific weak part of the body when it is said after that, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil: for it is not a sign of merit, but of great weakness, that the angel cannot bear them that are evil. It is also to be noted that he says below to the same angel, Thou hast endured for my name: [Rev. 2:3] which is not incompatible with this passage, because in the one is indicated the weakness of some limbs, and in the other the strength of others. And thou hast tried them, who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. It is to be believed that false apostles had then spread in the Church of Ephesus, whom the same John calls Antichrists in his epistle, [1 John 2:18] and in whose persons is denoted the perfidy of all heretics. As for trying, it is sometimes done with a view to approbation, as in The Lord your God trieth you. [Deut. 13:3] So the Church tries the false ones when, through the preachers, it interrogates the heretics about faith, to see whether they are disciples of the truth or of falsehood.

But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first charity. Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance, and do the first works. Let us not believe that the one who has left his first charity is the one he honored with such great praise in the previous verse; but from this species he turns his speech towards another, which he judges worthy of reprimand. By the first charity, he means that of earlier times, using a human way of speaking. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance. What does it mean to say to an unrepentant man, I come to thee, if not “I will make thee feel the presence of my wrath?” And since the angel and the candlestick are one in signification, what does it mean to say I will move thy candlestick out of its place, if not “I will move thee?” Here we must understand not the whole angel, but the unrepentant part of him, and its place is the Church; for since he is dealing not with genus but with species in the angel, he shows the place of the species in the genus. It is also to be noted that he does not say “I will throw away,” but I will move, showing that an unrepentant person is by no means totally torn away from the Church as long as they are in this life, but that, because of their unrepentant heart, they do not deserve the gift of holiness by which they shone before human eyes. The Lord is said to move a candlestick (that is, not to set it up) in the same way as he is said to harden Pharaoh's heart. [Ex. 4:21; 7:3, 13, 22; 8:19; 9:12, 35; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8] So when someone commits a fault, then their candlestick is moved in the sight of men; but if they quickly stand up through penitence, it is mercifully put back in the same place; and that is why many are standing in the sight of God, who in the sight of men seem to be lying down. Therefore he says, I will quickly move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance, that is “Thou shalt not get the gift of holiness back after thy fall, except thou take care to soften thy heart to penance.”

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaites, which I also hate. As if the universal angel were told, “Not in the species that I have just frightened, but in another one, thou hast this, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaites, which I also hate.” As for what the specific deeds of the Nicolaites are, blessed Augustine explained it in his book on heresies, saying: “Nicolas, according to the story, was one of the seven deacons who were ordained by the apostles. [Cf. Acts 6] As he was censured for jealousy towards his wife, who was very beautiful, he is said, in order to exculpate himself, to have given permission for anyone who so wished to use her. This deed of his gave rise to a most shameful sect, which has as a principle the promiscuous use of women. Its followers also do not even keep their food free of things sacrificed to idols.” Moreover, all the heretics generally, are Nicolaites: indeed “Nicolas” translates to “foolish people.” Therefore all those who do not hold the right views concerning the Father's wisdom, which is the Son, even if they are wise for the world, show that they are fools for God. We find Nicolaites even in the Church: namely those we see foolishly amassing treasure in their love for the world. Finally, it is to be noted that he does not say “Thou hatest the Nicolaites,” but the deeds of the Nicolaites, because it is demonstrated that the Lord and those who are on his side do not hate in them the nature, which was created good in them, but their execrable deeds.

He, that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. By saying this, he clearly shows that in the one church of the Ephesians, he includes the totality of believers. He is not after the ears of the body, but after those of the heart, according to this: I say to you that hear. [Luke 6:27] Now, since the angel bore the person of the Son specifically, what does it mean that it is not said “what the Son of God” but what the Spirit saith to the churches, if not that, to instruct human manners, the words of the Son are the words of the Spirit? Or, alternatively, we should understand in the Spirit not the person of the Holy Spirit specifically, but the whole Trinity. To him, that overcometh, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God. The tree of life is the wisdom of God the Father, according to this saying of Solomon's: Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, a tree of life, etc. [Prov. 3:13-18] It is fitting for it to be called a tree of life, because in the present it protects its elect from the heat of vices, and in the future blessedness it will provide those who desire wisdom with the food of eternal contemplation; whence this: I shall be filled when thy glory shall appear to me. [Variant of Ps. 16:15] So to him who overcomes, that is to him who, in Christ and through Christ, prevails over the temptations of the old enemy, Christ will, according to his humanity, give to eat of the tree of life, because, when he comes for the judgment, he will bring him to contemplate the majesty of his divinity. As for the paradise the tree of life is in, it is eternal life, which is in the tree of life. Note also that he says he has a God as he speaks according to his humanity which he assumed for us. Furthermore, the fact that he both partly praises and partly blames this angel, is in accordance with the latter's name: for “Ephesus” means both “great fall” and “my will.”

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. According to this saying of the Gospel: Fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul. [Matt. 10:28] Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison that you may be tried: and you shall have tribulation ten days. Here it is clearly shown that he is addressing several people in one angel: for while he first said Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer in the singular, he said some of you in the plural, as well as that you may be tried; but he did not say either “that they may be tried” or “they shall have,” but that you may be tried and you shall have: he did so in order to let us know by saying this that many are standing together in one. So it is all the straits of oppressions that he indicated by the name of prison. When he says not “you” but some of you, he wants us to understand by this those who emerge victorious from the tribulations inflicted on them. Now what does it mean that he confines the tribulation of the Church to a number of ten days, if not that the Church is doing battle against the various sufferings of persecutions and diverse enticements of desires while submitting to the commandments of the Decalogue? Be thou faithful until death: and I will give thee the crown of life. This is said to the whole Church generally, and to every one of the faithful specifically. Hence the Lord in the Gospel: He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved. [Ibid. 22]

But I have against thee a few things: thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat, and to commit fornication. These things do not at all correspond to the one to whom he had previously said, “Thou holdest fast my name”, etc.; but the speech turns towards another species. What he calls the doctrine of Balaam is the advice he gave Balac to put very beautiful women before the children of Israel so that, delighted by their looks, they might rush into forbidden embraces; enticed by their flatteries, they might eat of Beelphegor's sacrifices; and because of this be forsaken by God and fall before their enemies. [Num. 31:16] Now if we turn from the literal meaning to the symbol, we find how things happened afterwards or are still to happen. Balaam indeed translates to “varying people;” whence it suitably indicates the heretics, who are weakened by their divergent errors. As for Balac, it translates to “knocking out”, and by him are represented the powers of this world, which (most of the time on the advice of heretics) bring the dignity of the Church down for a time. By Israel, “man seeing the Lord God,” are symbolized the elect. So, on Balaam's advice, Balac casts before the children of Israel the stumbling block (that is the deception) of women so that they should eat of things sacrificed to idols and fornicate with them, because, on the heretics' advice, the princes of this world present in their discourses on the outside the sects of the heretics as if they were beautiful, while we know that they are full of all filth inside. Alternatively, Balaam, that is the Devil, teaches Balac, that is the flesh, to cast women, that is pleasures of the world, for souls to perish from.

So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaites. Enough has already been said concerning the deeds of the Nicolaites. When he says not “thou hast there” but so hast thou also, he shows that the speech is turning from one species to another. Now since it makes no difference whether one is convicted of tolerating in silence the doctrine of Balaam or that of the Nicolaites, it is suitably said after that, In like manner do penance. With these words are also secretly invited to penance those whom the same sluggish preachers are reprimanded for having completely failed to correct; whence it is also said after that, If not, I come to thee, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Why indeed does he not say “I will fight against thee” but I will fight against them, if not because, as already said, he is exhorting to come to lamentation of their faults also those who he knew had perished because of the sluggishness of the preachers? Which is the same as if he said, “I come to thee, and will fight against thee,” as another translation shows, or “I come to you all, and will fight against you.” Now what does it mean to say I come to thee, if not “I make thee feel consideration for my wrath?” Or what does it mean to say I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth, if not “I will damn them with the sharp sentences of my words?”