Alcuin of York — Commentary on Scripture

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. They overcome him by the blood of the Lamb because they follow the example of the sufferings of Christ, and by the word of their testimony because they keep the rightness of faith. It is then added concerning them, and they loved not their lives unto death, which means that they put themselves to death so as not to love their lives wickedly.

Revelation 12:12

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein. He invites the heavens in the plural to rejoice, because he is here indicating the numerousness of the churches, which all make up one. By those who dwell in heaven he means angels or holy men, for whom it is right to rejoice together in harmony in the Lord when, the enemy vanquished, men come back to the fellowship of angels. There is nothing more here that needs explaining, except that, with this joy remaining, this book should come to its due end. The exposition of the remaining chapters is missing from the manuscript, whether Alcuin wrote it or not — though in verse 3 of this last chapter he does promise that he will write more.

Revelation 14:1

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

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 bea…

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.

Revelation 14:2

And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

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 ha…

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]

Revelation 20:1

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

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 th…

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.

Revelation 20:2-3

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

QUESTION: After having been bound for a thousand years, he must be loosed a little time. ANSWER: He will be loosed, as Saint Augustine says, when there is only a short time left. We read indeed that it is during three years and a half that he will rage with all his and his people's might, and those against whom he will have to wage war will be such that they cannot be overcome by his force and snares, great though they be. On the other hand, if he were never loosed, his evil power would be less apparent, the most faithful patience of the holy city would be less well proven, and, finally, it would be less well perceived how great the Devil's evil was that God Almighty had made so good use of; because the more powerful the Devil's evilness is, the better and more pleasant will God's power appear.

Revelation 20:6

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

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…

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.)

Revelation 20:11-12

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

QUESTION: And I saw a great throne, and one sitting upon it, and before him the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. ANSWER: Another edition has “which is the book of the life of each person.” So, by the books opened he means the Testaments, for the world shall be judged according to both Testaments. By the book of the life of each person he means the memory of our actions, not that the Knower of secrets has a book to remind him of things. THERE FOLLOWS: And the dead were judged by those things which are written in the books, according to their works. ANSWER: That is, they were judged by the Testaments, according to what they had done or not done of what is in them. The books may also be understood to mean the acts of the just, by comparison with which the reprobates are damned, and, when this happens, it is as if they read in books exposed the good they themselves had refused to do.

Revelation 20:14-15

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

QUESTION: And death and hell were cast into the pool of fire, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life. ANSWER: That is, whosoever was not judged by God as being alive. Whence it seems to me that the right interpretation for the books opened above is rather that of those who interpret them as being every single person's conscience and works being disclosed, and interpret the book of life as being God's foreknowledge, which cannot be mistaken concerning those who will be given eternal life, since they are written in that book, that is, foreknown.

Revelation 21:1

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

QUESTION: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone. ANSWER: That is, when the wicked have been judged, then the shape of this world will pass due to the burning of heavenly fires, so that, heaven and earth being changed for the better, the quality of the change of both will harmoniously match the incorruptibility and immortality of the bodies of the saints.

Revelation 21:6

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

QUESTION: To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely. ANSWER: He now bedews believers on the road with drops of this same fountain which he will let those who overcome drink plentifully from when they have reached their fatherland. He does both freely, and the grace of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Rom. 6:23]

Revelation 21:8

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

THERE FOLLOWS: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, etc. ANSWER: He always mixes pleasant words with severe ones to instill carefulness into us. As the Psalmist says, The Lord keepeth all them that love him; but all the wicked he will destroy. [Ps. 144:20] He puts the fearful together with the unbelieving because you are afraid to venture into the battle when you doubt the reward of the winner. THERE FOLLOWS: And all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning. ANSWER: He shows that there are many kinds of lies; but the most dangerous and most detestable one is the one with which you sin against religion, this being the kind of lie about which he said earlier, “They say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie, for they are the synagogue of Satan.” [Rev. 2:9 and 3:9]

Revelation 21:9

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

THERE FOLLOWS: Come; I will shew thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb. ANSWER: By the bride and wife he means the Church, which, while remaining unstained, is always engendering spiritual children to God; or he may also call it so because it is now espoused to God, and is then to be led to the immortal nuptials.

Revelation 21:10-11

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

QUESTION: And he took me up in spirit to a great mountain: and he shewed me the holy city Jerusalem. ANSWER: After the fall of Babylon, the holy city, which is the bride of the Lamb, is seen on the mountain, for the stone cut out of a mountain without hands has broken in pieces the effigy of worldly glory, and has grown into a great mountain, and filled the whole world. [Dan. 2:34-35] THERE FOLLOWS: Coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. ANSWER: It will indeed appear more beautiful when, by the Spirit by which its bridegroom is believed to have been conceived and engendered, it has gained fully to have a heavenly appearance.

Revelation 21:12

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

QUESTION: And it had a wall great and high. ANSWER: That is, the impregnable firmness of faith, love, and hope. The Lord himself, protecting the Church on all sides, may also be taken to be the great wall, about which Isaiah says, A wall and a bulwark shall be set therein, [Is. 26:1] that is, the protection of the Lord and the intercession of the saints, who make a way for him to the hearts of believers by their teaching. THERE FOLLOWS: Having twelve gates. ANSWER: These gates are the apostles, who were the first, whether by their writings or by their works, to open the entrance to the Church for all nations.

Revelation 21:15

And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

QUESTION: And he that spoke with me, had a measure of a reed of gold. ANSWER: Christ, who is the Father's wisdom, measures the holy city, because he distributes the gifts of spiritual graces to every one of the faithful while ordering all things in number, and measure, and weight. [Wis. 11:21] We may also understand it to mean the teachers of the Church, fragile in body but heavenly in mind, who cleverly examine the merits of everyone.

Revelation 21:21

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

THERE FOLLOWS: And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. ANSWER: He makes the streets of the same materials as those he had previously said the city was adorned with, for there are many people in the Church who, even leading a less strict and inferior life, are endowed with the greatest virtues, and shine with both purity of mind and the radiance of work.

Revelation 21:23

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

QUESTION: And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. ANSWER: Because the Church is not guided by the light or elements of the world, but it is led through the darkness of the world by Christ, the eternal Sun. THERE FOLLOWS: For the glory of God will enlighten it. ANSWER: The light we shall enjoy in our fatherland is the same one by which we are now guided as we walk on the way. It is by the same light by which we have been taught to distinguish between good and evil that we shall then be made blessed and see only what is good.

Revelation 21:24

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

QUESTION: And the nations shall walk through the light of it. ANSWER: It means that it is the selfsame Lamb that is now the way for travelers and will then be the life for citizens. [Ref. to John 14:6]

Revelation 21:25

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

THERE FOLLOWS: And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day: for there shall be no night there. ANSWER: He is saying that there will be in that city the perpetual light of the Lamb, or rather that the Lamb himself will be there as a perpetual light, while nighttime will have been eliminated. As for the gates not being shut, it is a sign of the fullest security; for there it is no longer said, Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation, [Matt. 26:41, Mark 14:38] but rather, Be still and see that I am God. [Ps. 45:11]