English · KJV

Bede

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

Commentary

5,841–5,860 of 6,271
Revelation 15:2 · 2 passages

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire. That is, the translucent fountain of baptism, consecrated with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Or also, in regard to the quality of fire, reddened by martyrdom.
Having the harps of God, and singing, etc. That is, bearing hearts dedicated to praising God, and singing with the truth of both Testaments. Or, the flesh extended on the wood of the passion. Where not only the sound of the voice, but also the effect of good work is signified.
Revelation 15:3

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty, etc. This song is found in both Testaments, where the Lord, both true and merciful, is sung by all ages as the judge to be worshipped. He repeats what he had proposed, saying:
Revelation 15:5

And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

And behold, the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened. The vision harmonizes with the song. For the Lord to be worshipped by all nations, that temple of God's secrets, once enclosed within the walls of a single city, has now begun to be spiritually opened to the whole world.
Revelation 15:6 · 3 passages

And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

Clothed in pure bright linen. As many (the Apostle says) as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. III). For He is the supreme cornerstone chosen. Or if you understand the singular number for the plural, it signifies various ornaments of virtues. Another translation has white linen, indicating the mortification of the heart for teachers, according to that: I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (I Cor. IX).
And girded around their chests with golden belts. Whoever wants to preach strong things should not only mortify the body but also gird the chest with the gold of wisdom. Or certainly to gird the chest with golden belts is to restrain all the movements of mutable thoughts with the bonds of God's love alone.
And the seven angels came out, having the seven plagues from the temple. This is what Mark says: But they went out and preached everywhere.
Revelation 15:7

And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels, etc. These are the bowls which the living creatures and elders, who are the Church, bear with odors, who are also the seven angels. For the same bowls are said to contain both the sweetness of supplications and the wrath of punishments, when they are poured out by the saints for the coming of God's kingdom, when God's judgments, no longer hidden like an abyss, but open as bowls, bring salvation to the righteous, but are proclaimed to bring ruin to the wicked, as the Apostle says: For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (II Cor. II).
Revelation 15:8 · 2 passages

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

And the temple was filled with smoke, etc. The Church, about to preach to the nations, first warms itself with the fire of charity, emitting the smoke of pious confession, giving thanks to God for His indescribable gift.
And no one was able to enter the temple, etc. No one can be incorporated into the members of the Church unless he hears the mysteries of faith from the preachers and learns that Jesus is appointed by God as the judge of the living and the dead. But if you interpret the smoke as the hidden secrets of God's judgments, these remain impenetrable and closed to mortals until, with the plagues of the present age finished, the Lord comes, who will both illuminate what is hidden in darkness (I Cor. IV), and reveal how much benefit or justice the advent of the Antichrist brings either for proving the faith of the Church or for blinding the Jews who did not accept the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
Revelation 16:1

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And I heard a great voice: Go and pour out the seven bowls, etc. The Church is given the power to impose judgment on the damned and to mercifully grant absolution to the converted. And indeed, all angels are commanded to pour out on the earth; but these earthly men receive different names due to the variety of their sins, so that just as the fullness of preaching and vengeance, so also the fullness of guilt is reckoned by the number seven.
Revelation 16:2 · 2 passages

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

And the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Preachers pour out the bowls of God's wrath in two ways: either by spiritually judging and imposing punishments on the impious, as Peter did to Simon, saying: Your money perish with you (Acts VIII); or by manifesting it through preaching to the holy Church, as he also said: For their judgment is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber (II Pet. II). A third way can also be understood, in which any sinner, upon hearing the preaching of the truth, is corrupted by a more severe wound of contradiction. Of which the Lord said: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin (John XV).
And it became a severe wound, etc. Those who, having forsaken the Lord, worship the devil, will perish spiritually by the grievous wound of the same impiety.
Revelation 16:3

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

And the second poured out his bowl on the sea, etc. Those who are not only marked with the character of the Antichrist but also attack the stability of Christ's servants with the waves of bitter persecution will be punished with a spiritual vengeance, which he calls blood; and those who boasted of living will be proven to have served the author of death.
Revelation 16:4

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

And the third poured out his bowl on the rivers, etc. And those who, to pour their poison into the unsuspecting, pretend to offer sweet things, will be punished with a worthy, eternal plague of vengeance.
Revelation 16:5

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

And I heard the angel of the waters saying, You are just, etc. By the angel of the waters, he means all the angels of the peoples, harmonizing with divine praises from their inner affection, because in avenging the blood of His servants, He has given the murderers to drink death.
Revelation 16:7

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

And I heard another from the altar saying: Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments. What the angels are, the altar, giving thanks to God, also signifies, that is, the inner affection of the saints, whether angels or humans, who preside over the people by teaching.
Revelation 16:8

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, etc. The persecutors of the Church, who, like a burning sun, try to dry up the seed of God's word, are destined to be burned with the future fire of hell. Or if you interpret the sun as the splendor of the wise, it is not the angel pouring out on the sun, but the sun itself given the power to affect men with heat and fire, because when wise men, overcome by tortures, are touched by the error of evil deeds, persuaded by their example, the weak burn with temporal desires. However, the heat, as we have said, can also be understood as the body of the devil being irremediably tormented by the stability of the saints and being incited to blasphemy. Of which the prophet says: Zeal, he says, has taken hold of an uneducated people; and now fire consumes the adversaries. And now, indeed, except for the final fire of judgment.
Revelation 16:9

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

And men were scorched with great heat. At present, indeed, as much as is permitted, the devil glorifies his own. But that clarity and joy the Holy Spirit has defined as plagues and sorrows. For we read above that the army of the devil killed men by fire, smoke, and brimstone. Not that he clearly killed them, but that he destined those who consented to these punishments.
Revelation 16:10

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

And the fifth poured out his bowl, etc. The seat of the beast, that is, his kingdom, like judicial power, is darkened by such plagues, that is, the false joy of earthly happiness, and it becomes devoid of light, as the Psalm says: You cast them down as they were lifted up (Psalm LXXIII). For he did not say, after they were elevated.

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