Caesarius of Arles — Commentary on Scripture

Revelation 13:1

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

“I saw a beast rising out of the sea,” that is, out of an evil people. That he was “rising out” means that he was coming into existence, even as the blooming flower comes forth from the root of Jesse. In the beast coming forth from the sea he signifies all impious who are the body of the devil.

Revelation 13:2

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The beast is like a leopard because of the variety of nations; he is like a bear because of his maliciousness and madness; he is like a lion because of the strength of his body and the haughtiness of his mouth. At the time of the antichrist his kingdom will be [as a leopard], for it will contain a commixture of various nations and people; it will have feet as a bear in its leaders, and its commanding authority will be as the mouth [of a lion]. “And the dragon gave him his power,” for we see how the heretics, who have the power of the devil, are powerful in this world. For just as formerly it was the pagans who devastated the church, so now it is the heretics.

Revelation 13:3-4

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

That which “seemed wounded” are the heretics who hypocritically seem to confess Christ and blaspheme since they do not believe as the catholic faith has it. They prophesy that he who was wounded is also raised again, for even Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light. Another interpretation might be that heresies are wounded by the catholics, for they are suppressed by the testimonies of the Scriptures. Yet, as though a wound of Satan they are revived and accomplish the works of Satan and do not cease from blaspheming and attracting whomever they can to his teachings.… [The dragon gave his power to the beast], for indeed the heretics possess power, especially the Arians. … “And they adored the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’ ” To be sure, the heretics flatter themselves that no one believes better than they and that no one can conquer their people who are marked by the name of the beast. And it will be given to him by the devil himself, although with God’s permission, that he should speak haughty things and blasphemies, as the apo…

That which “seemed wounded” are the heretics who hypocritically seem to confess Christ and blaspheme since they do not believe as the catholic faith has it. They prophesy that he who was wounded is also raised again, for even Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light. Another interpretation might be that heresies are wounded by the catholics, for they are suppressed by the testimonies of the Scriptures. Yet, as though a wound of Satan they are revived and accomplish the works of Satan and do not cease from blaspheming and attracting whomever they can to his teachings.… [The dragon gave his power to the beast], for indeed the heretics possess power, especially the Arians. … “And they adored the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’ ” To be sure, the heretics flatter themselves that no one believes better than they and that no one can conquer their people who are marked by the name of the beast. And it will be given to him by the devil himself, although with God’s permission, that he should speak haughty things and blasphemies, as the apostle says, “There must be heresies in order that those who are genuine among you may be manifested.”

Revelation 13:5-6

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

The forty-two months are to be interpreted as the time of the last persecution. “It opened its mouth to blaspheme against God.” It is clear that this refers to those who have left the catholic church, for while earlier they seemed to be within the church as though they held the right faith, in time of persecution they openly blaspheme God with the mouth. [The dwelling of God] is the saints who are contained within the church, which is called “heaven,” for they are the habitation of God.

Revelation 13:12-13

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Since the church is “heaven,” what is this fire that falls from heaven other than heresies that fall from the church? As it is written, “They went out from us, but they were not of us.” For fire falls from the church whenever heretics leave the church as though fire and persecute the church. Therefore, the beast with the two horns causes the people to worship the image of the beast, that is, the devices of the devil.

Revelation 13:14-17

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

“That he give them a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.” He speaks of the mystery of deception. For the saints who are in the church receive Christ in the hand and on the forehead. The hypocrites, however, receive the beast under the name of Christ. “Those who do not worship the beast … will be slain.” It is not inconsistent with the faith that the beast be understood as the city of the impious itself, that is, as the congregation or conspiracy of all those who are impious or filled with hubris. This city is called “Babylon,” which is interpreted as “Confusion,” and to it belong all who desire to work that which is worthy of confusion. He himself is the citizenry of unfaithful persons who are the opposite of the faithful people, that is, the city of God. His image is an imitation, that is, among those people who confess the catholic faith but live the life of infidelity. For they feign to be what they are not, and they are called Christians, not by way of the true image but by way of a false image. Of such persons the apostle wrote, “holding the form of religion but denying t…

“That he give them a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.” He speaks of the mystery of deception. For the saints who are in the church receive Christ in the hand and on the forehead. The hypocrites, however, receive the beast under the name of Christ. “Those who do not worship the beast … will be slain.” It is not inconsistent with the faith that the beast be understood as the city of the impious itself, that is, as the congregation or conspiracy of all those who are impious or filled with hubris. This city is called “Babylon,” which is interpreted as “Confusion,” and to it belong all who desire to work that which is worthy of confusion. He himself is the citizenry of unfaithful persons who are the opposite of the faithful people, that is, the city of God. His image is an imitation, that is, among those people who confess the catholic faith but live the life of infidelity. For they feign to be what they are not, and they are called Christians, not by way of the true image but by way of a false image. Of such persons the apostle wrote, “holding the form of religion but denying the power of it.” Not a small number of these persons are within the catholic church. However, the righteous do not worship the beast, that is, they do not assent to him, nor do they submit to him, nor do they receive his mark, the mark of sin, on their forehead, on account of the confession, and on their hand, on account of works.

Revelation 14:5 · 2 passages

And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

It does not say “there was no [lie in their mouth],” but “no lie was found in their mouth.” For whatever the Lord finds when he calls forth from here, that is what he judges. For whether through baptism or through penance we are able to be made both virgins and without falsehood in the interior person.

Truly, dearest brothers, of what profit is it for a man or woman, whether cleric or monk or religious, if bodily virginity is preserved, as long as purity of the heart is violated by evil desires? Of what benefit is it to show chastity in one member and to keep corruption in all the rest? For if you notice carefully, those virgins who follow the Lamb do not do so merely because of the fact that they have preserved only bodily virginity. Finally, when he had said, “These are they who did not defile themselves with women,” he continued and added, “and in their mouth there was found no lie; they are without blemish.” Listen carefully that if anyone boasts about bodily virginity alone, as long as he loves deceit he will not be able to follow Christ along with those holy virgins. For this reason let no virgin presume only upon her physical virginity, because if she is disobedient or gossiping she knows that she will have to be excluded from the bedchamber of her heavenly Spouse. Although a virgin possesses a hundredfold and a married woman the thirtyfold, still a chaste and humble married…

Truly, dearest brothers, of what profit is it for a man or woman, whether cleric or monk or religious, if bodily virginity is preserved, as long as purity of the heart is violated by evil desires? Of what benefit is it to show chastity in one member and to keep corruption in all the rest? For if you notice carefully, those virgins who follow the Lamb do not do so merely because of the fact that they have preserved only bodily virginity. Finally, when he had said, “These are they who did not defile themselves with women,” he continued and added, “and in their mouth there was found no lie; they are without blemish.” Listen carefully that if anyone boasts about bodily virginity alone, as long as he loves deceit he will not be able to follow Christ along with those holy virgins. For this reason let no virgin presume only upon her physical virginity, because if she is disobedient or gossiping she knows that she will have to be excluded from the bedchamber of her heavenly Spouse. Although a virgin possesses a hundredfold and a married woman the thirtyfold, still a chaste and humble married woman is better than a proud virgin.

Revelation 14:14

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

[The one like a son of man] is Christ. He is describing the church in her glory, especially since she is white after the flames of persecution. [The gold crown] is the elders with their golden crowns, and the sickle in his hand is that which separates the catholics from the heretics and the saints from the sinners, just as the Lord speaks concerning the reapers.

Revelation 14:17

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

If we must understand the reaper seated on the white cloud to be Christ himself, who is this vintager, unless it is the Selfsame, only in his body which is the church? Perhaps we would not be far wrong were we to understand those three angels who come out to represent the threefold sense of the Scriptures, namely, the historical, the moral and the spiritual senses. The sickle would then be the difference [between them].

Revelation 16:2

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.

All of these plagues are spiritual, and they occur in the soul. For at that time the whole people of the impious will be unharmed by any plague of the body, because they were undeserving to be chastised in the present age, and it was as though they had received all the power of causing pain. However, spiritually all who are impious and haughty are going to suffer, for their sins of will and their mortal sins are sores in their souls.

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.

These plagues from God do not strike them in the body but in the soul. And, therefore, they do not consider God but progress toward greater evil and for that reason blaspheme [God] and persecute his saints.

Revelation 16:13

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

In addition to their ugly appearance, frogs are unclean also in their places of habitation. Although they seem to be native to the waters, they cannot endure it when the waters recede or dry up, and they roll around in the waters themselves and in the mud and filth of the waters. The hypocrites likewise do not spend their time in the waters, as they seem to, but in filthy acts that those who believe lay aside in the water. Similar to frogs are such persons who are not ashamed to wallow in sins and vices, which others put aside through penance or baptism. Whenever someone converts to God and repents that he had been arrogant, adulterous, drunken or lustful, such a person imitates these sins that another has relinquished by confessing and thinking to himself says, “I do what I want and later I will do penance as that one has done penance.” But suddenly the last day overtakes him, and any confession is lost and his damnation remains. Such is that person who wishes to imitate others, not in that which is good but in that which is evil, and like frogs cover themselves and roll around in t…

In addition to their ugly appearance, frogs are unclean also in their places of habitation. Although they seem to be native to the waters, they cannot endure it when the waters recede or dry up, and they roll around in the waters themselves and in the mud and filth of the waters. The hypocrites likewise do not spend their time in the waters, as they seem to, but in filthy acts that those who believe lay aside in the water. Similar to frogs are such persons who are not ashamed to wallow in sins and vices, which others put aside through penance or baptism. Whenever someone converts to God and repents that he had been arrogant, adulterous, drunken or lustful, such a person imitates these sins that another has relinquished by confessing and thinking to himself says, “I do what I want and later I will do penance as that one has done penance.” But suddenly the last day overtakes him, and any confession is lost and his damnation remains. Such is that person who wishes to imitate others, not in that which is good but in that which is evil, and like frogs cover themselves and roll around in that muck and mire from which others have been liberated. Frogs, therefore, signify the spirits of demons who do signs and wonders.

Revelation 16:19

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

This great city is to be understood as in general every people that is under heaven and that is seen to be in three parts when the church is divided [into three parts]. And so, the Gentiles are considered to be one part, the heretics and false Christians [are] another part, and the catholic church [is] the third part.

Revelation 17:3

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

In the beast the whole people who are evil is recognized, and in the woman its corruption is revealed. It says that the woman sits [on the beast] in the desert, because she sits on the impious, those who are dead in their souls and those who are deserted by God. [He was led] in the spirit, it says, because a desertion [by God] of this kind cannot be seen except in the spirit.

Revelation 17:6-7

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

There is one body that opposes the church within and without. For within the church there are false Christians, and outside the church there are heretics and pagans. And although this body might seem to be separated in terms of place, yet when it persecutes the church there is working a unity of spirit. For it is impossible that a prophet perish away from Jerusalem, which persecutes the prophets. That is to say, it is impossible for good Christians to suffer any persecution without evil Christians. And so the descendants of their ancestors are accused of consenting to the stoning of Zachariah, even though they themselves did not do it.

Revelation 17:8

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

We understand this to mean that an evil people is born out of an evil people. And so we can say the beast comes out of the beast and the abyss out of the abyss. And what does it mean that the beast comes out of the beast, unless an evil people is born out of an evil people? This is so because wicked children copy and replace their wicked parents, and while some are dying, others succeed to them. Therefore, those who from the beginning have always plotted against the church are never lacking, whether they be few or many, whether they be hidden or manifest. And although in this world we can never be separated from having some contact with them, let us beseech the mercy of God, that we might be so separated in our conduct that we do not go with them to an eternal punishment. Rather, when they hear, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire,” may we be worthy to hear, “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom.”

Revelation 17:15-18

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

The harlot is the life of luxury that is lived by plunder and pleasures. It says that they would hate the harlot, for dissolute persons who are also proud, lustful and arrogant not only persecute the saints, but they also hold themselves in hatred. And in another way do those hate themselves in whom the word of Scripture is fulfilled, “Those who love iniquity hate their own soul.” “And they will make her desolate and naked.” Through the wrath of God and his just judgment by which they are abandoned by him, they themselves will make the world a desert, since they have been given over to it and use it unrighteously. “And they will devour her flesh.” This is so, because as the apostle says, “They will bite and eat one another.”

Revelation 18:2

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Can the ruins of a single city contain every unclean spirit or every foul bird, or at the time when a city falls, is the whole world made devoid of impure spirits and birds so that they inhabit the ruins of a single city? There is no city that contains every unclean soul except the city of the devil, in which every uncleanness dwells in wicked persons throughout the whole earth. Those whom it calls “kings” because they persecute Jerusalem are evil people who persecute the church of God.… Whenever you hear the name Babylon, do not think of it as a city made of stones, for “Babylon” means “confusion.” Rather, understand that the name signifies those people who are arrogant, robbers, dissolute and impious, and who persevere in their wickednesses.… Whenever you hear the name Jerusalem, which refers to the vision of peace, understand that it refers to persons who are holy before God.

Revelation 18:3

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

[The kings of the earth fornicated] with each other. For it would be impossible for all kings to commit fornication with a single harlot. Rather, since the evil and profligate, who are members of the harlot, corrupt each other, they are said to commit fornication with the harlot, that is, by a sinful manner of life. Then it says that “all the merchants of the earth were made rich by the wealth of her wantonness.” Here it speaks of those who were wealthy in their sins. For excess in luxury makes for poverty rather than for wealth.