English · KJV

Bede

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

Commentary

6,001–6,020 of 6,271
Revelation 21:9 · 2 passages

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.

Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. He calls the Church both the bride and the wife, which, remaining immaculate, always generates spiritual children for God. Or because now betrothed to God, she will then be led to immortal nuptials.
Then one of the seven angels came, etc. The same preachers who inflict the universal plague upon the wicked also reveal the future joys of the Church.
Revelation 21:10 · 2 passages

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,

Descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. For then she will appear more beautiful, when by the Spirit through whom her spouse is believed to have been conceived and born, she has fully merited to bear the heavenly image.
And he took me in the spirit to a great and high mountain, etc. After the fall of Babylon, the holy city, which is the bride of the Lamb, is seen placed upon a mountain. For the stone cut out of the mountain without hands crushed the image of worldly glory, and grew into a great mountain, filling the entire world (Dan. 2).
Revelation 21:11 · 2 passages

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

Like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Jasper, for the brightness of virtues; crystal, for the inner purity of the mind and unfeigned faith (1 Tim. 1).
Her light was like a precious stone. The precious stone is Christ, who says: The glory which you have given me I have given to them (John 17).
Revelation 21:12 · 4 passages

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:

And names written, etc. This signifies the memory of the ancient fathers implanted in the hearts of the preachers. Hence, the high priest entering the tabernacle is commanded to carry the memorial of the fathers on the breastplate of judgment.
And had a great and high wall. That is, the impregnable strength of faith, hope, and charity. The Lord Himself, protecting the Church on all sides, can be understood as the great wall, of whom Isaiah also says: You shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise (Isa. 26), that is, the Lord’s protection and the intercession of the saints who make a path for her by teaching into the hearts of believers.
And at the gates twelve angels. That is, the teachers following the footsteps of the apostles in the mystery of faith and the word.
Having twelve gates. These gates are the apostles, who, by their writings or deeds, originally opened the entrance to the Church to all nations.
Revelation 21:13

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

To the east three gates, etc. I believe that this detailed description of the gates was meant to indicate the mystery of the number twelve, by which either the sum of the apostles or the perfection of the Church is represented, because through it, the faith of the Holy Trinity was to be proclaimed to the whole world.
Revelation 21:14

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, etc. What the gates are, the foundations are; what the city is, the wall is. The patriarchs can also be designated by the term foundations, who held the names, that is, the figures, of the apostles in themselves. For through them, this city has foundations, even though it was opened to the nations through the apostles as through gates. It should be noted that when foundations are mentioned in the plural, they signify the teachers or virtues of the Church, but when singularly, they signify the Lord himself, who is the foundation of foundations.
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.

And the one who spoke with me, etc. Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1), reaching from end to end mightily and ordering all things sweetly (Wis. 8), measures the holy city. For, establishing all things in number, measure, and weight, he distributes the gifts of graces to each of the faithful. The teachers of the Church can also be understood as being fragile in body but heavenly in mind, who carefully examine the merits of each person.
Revelation 21:16 · 3 passages

And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

And he measured the city with twelve thousand stadia. That is, he saw the Church to be perfect in faith and deeds, or he endowed it to be so. The perfection of the four principal virtues, elevated by the faith of the Holy Trinity, composes the dignity of the Church as if by the number ten.
Its length and breadth and height are equal. This is the solidity of invincible truth, by which the Church, supported by the length of faith, the breadth of charity, and the height of hope, is not allowed to be carried about by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4). If it lacks any one of these, the perfect stability of the Church will not be.
And the city lies four-square. Therefore, the city is said to lie four-square and to be placed with equal dimensions on every side, because it is not allowed to be marked by any inequality. To be perfect according to the apostle, that is, to be wise and to have peace, is truly to subsist in the solidity of the four-square.
Revelation 21:17 · 2 passages

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

The measure of a man, which is an angel's. The Church, which is gathered from men and elevated by the promises of Christ, hopes to attain the equality of angels. As for the literal sense, it signifies that the angel appeared to him in the form of a man.
And he measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits. This total contains the four-square number of twelve (for twelve times twelve equals one hundred forty-four), signifying the stable perfection of the holy city.
Revelation 21:18 · 2 passages

And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

And the wall was built of jasper. This is what the Apostle Peter exhorts: You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2).
The city itself was pure gold, like clear glass. The Church is figured as gold, often adorned with golden candlesticks and bowls for the sake of wisdom's cultivation. Glass, however, refers to true faith, because what is seen on the outside is also inside, and there is nothing simulated or opaque in the saints of the Church. It can also refer to that time when thoughts are clearly revealed to each other.

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