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Bede

Late Patristic · AD 500–800 · 6,271 passages across 45 books

On Revelation

241–260 of 640
Revelation 9:16

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

And the number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. This number designates the deceptive duplicity of the perverse army. Which another translation, saying "twice ten thousand times ten thousand," can be more easily understood; and this number is also opposed by the evangelical parable to the king having ten thousand (Matt. IV), as the duplicity of the wicked resists the simple faith of Christ, to whom thousands of thousands minister and ten thousand times ten thousand stand (Dan. VII).
Revelation 9:17 · 2 passages

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

And from their mouths proceeds fire and smoke and sulfur. He shows what he had said about hyacinth smoke. But these things do not clearly come out of their mouths, but by harmful preaching, they generate punishment for themselves and their listeners. For, he says, I will bring forth a fire from the midst of you, which shall devour you (Ezek. XXVIII).
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, etc. The malignant spirits, in whose hearts they preside, are clothed with their punishments. For we read that those worshipping the beast are to be tormented with fire and sulfur, and the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever. Note that in the plague of locusts he did not say he saw horsemen, but only horses. Here indeed, the magnitude of the persecutions shows the open presence of the opposing power. Thus, here the heads are of lions, while there the faces are indeed human, but the teeth are only bestial. Because often heretics show some humanity, but the ministers of the final storm extort what they persuade by words and signs even through punishments.
Revelation 9:19 · 2 passages

For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. That is, in speech and in action; for the prophet teaching lies, he is the tail. Who covers in a certain way the blind and unclean part with the volubility of a flattering tongue, saying to the wicked: You are good.
For their tails are like serpents, etc. False teachers, like the ancient serpent who deceived man, supported by the patronage of rulers, harm more than if they persuaded only by speech. He sits, he says, in ambush with the rich (Ps. X).
Revelation 9:20

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

And the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues, etc. Because he had described false Christians and heretics, now, to encompass the entire body of the devil, he also mentions the error of the Gentiles, to whom it benefits nothing not to be killed by these plagues, as it is evident they will continue in their Gentile malice even then. For in that persecution the Gentiles will not be compelled to consent to the aforementioned but will die in their own unbelief.
Revelation 9:21

Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

And they did not repent of their murders, etc. To their impious religion, they also add wicked morals. After describing the cruelty of the Antichrist, he, in his manner, recapitulates the beginning of Christ's birth and the glory of the Church to show the ruin of the same.
Revelation 10:1 · 2 passages

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. The Lord, the angel of great counsel, descended from heaven, clothed with the cloud of flesh. As Isaiah also says: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and will come to Egypt (Isaiah XIX), and a rainbow was upon his head. Around the good, the promise of propitiation remains.
And his face was like the sun, etc. With the face of the Lord shining, that is, his knowledge manifested through the glory of the resurrection, his feet are prepared to evangelize and proclaim peace on the mountains (Romans X), illuminated by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and established like pillars. For James, Cephas, and John seemed to be pillars of the Church.
Revelation 10:2 · 2 passages

And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land. The preaching of the Christian faith is spread by land and sea. But, allegorically, stronger members are set in greater dangers, and others in suitable places. For God does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians X).
And he had in his hand a little book open. This is the book previously mentioned, which, long closed by its cover, was finally opened by the grace of the Lord, so that, according to the prophet, even the deaf might hear the words of the book (Isaiah XXIX). And his face deservedly shines like the sun, because he now carries the book open.
Revelation 10:3

And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their voices. When the Lord preaches mightily, the Church, also full of sevenfold grace, raises its voices to preach. For the lion roars, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who will not prophesy (Amos III)? For the seven thunders are the same as the seven trumpets of which he speaks.
Revelation 10:4 · 2 passages

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

And when the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write. For earlier he heard: What you see, write in a book (Revelation I).
Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken, and do not write it down. The mysteries of the Christian faith are neither to be shown to all indiscriminately, lest they become cheap, nor hidden from the worthy, lest they be entirely unknown. Hence, later he heard: Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book (Revelation XXII). Both are comprehended in one verse in Daniel, where it is said to him through the angel: Seal the book and shut up the words until the appointed time (Daniel XII).
Revelation 10:5-6

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore, etc. The angel swears by the one who lives forever, as Christ, coming in the name of the Father, confirms his words with his unchangeable truth: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (Matthew XXIV).
Revelation 10:6 · 2 passages

And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Because time shall be no more. Indeed, as the psalm says, there will be a time for the wicked forever (Psalm LXXX), but the mutable variety of secular times will cease at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and their inheritance will be forever (1 Corinthians XV).
Who created heaven and the things that are in it, etc. Standing on the sea and land, and reaching up to heaven, he fittingly swears by the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea.
Revelation 10:7

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The mystery of God will be finished, etc. The mystery which is now preached will then be completed, when the wicked will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew XXV).
Revelation 10:8

And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again, etc. As the Lord reveals the mysteries of the future time, saying: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew X), the Church is also admonished to take up the same book of preaching. Although these words can also be fittingly applied to John himself, who would return to preach after exile.
Revelation 10:9

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And he said to me: Take the book and devour it. That is, insert it into your innermost parts and inscribe it in the breadth of your heart.

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