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Oecumenius

Medieval · AD 800–1500 · 987 passages across 19 books

Commentary

841–860 of 987
Revelation 17:14

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

He says these "will make war with the Lamb." For before they are completely overthrown by the Antichrist, these will persecute the church about which the book speaks. But Christ will prevail; for though they are evil, he will deliver them over to the worse Antichrist unto death. And in another way Christ will conquer: he will grant his servants endurance unto death for the faith striving toward him.

For he says they "are called and chosen and faithful", those, that is, who are servants of Christ.
Revelation 17:15

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

He says "the waters" on which "the prostitute sits are peoples and nations", on which the city, that is, holds the kingdom.
Revelation 17:16

And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

But how will Rome be laid waste by the kings? For we understood that this was indicated through the Revelation. Perhaps to them she will be fought over as a royal city and stronghold and populous and collecting tributes. Therefore in the war concerning her she is forced to suffer as the prize of victory laid up for all, being burned and laid waste.
Revelation 17:17

For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

"For God", he says, "has put into their hearts to do his purpose." He says that God, granting forgiveness, will persuade those who oppose it and those willing to take it.

And he says that they will "make one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast." And just as from one mind they will be handed over as subjects to the Antichrist, as was said before (see his comments on Rev 17:9-14), "until", he says, "the words of God shall be fulfilled." They, he says, will become subject to the beast until the punishment against the Antichrist also comes and the things spoken by the prophets by God are brought to an end, and upon him.
Revelation 17:18

And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

More clearly, concerning the city about which the passage intends to signify, he brings forward that "the woman" "is the great city which has the dominion" over all.
Revelation 18:1

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

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.

"Babylon," he says, "has fallen." He proclaims against her the sentence of God. He says that she is destined to suffer these things, and she became a dwelling-place of demons. For the demons hate mankind and are bloodthirsty; wherever they find places where the blood of men has been shed, whether in wars or by other deaths, they take pleasure in the occurrence and make their abodes there. And since most shall be destroyed in the city, as he said earlier, the place becomes from now a dwelling of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit and every unclean beast; for such creatures flee from company with men, and, occupying the wildernesses, preserve themselves from those who would ambush them and from the hunt of those who pursue. Such things, Isaiah the prophet likewise says concerning Babylon. He says also: "There will the sirens rest and there the demons dance; and there the one-horned centaurs will dwell and they will breed those scaly creatures in their houses." (Isa. 13:21-22)
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.

For from of the fury of her fornication all the nations have been drunk. By "fornication" here he means their greed and love of money; for such is the manner of prostitutes. For those in the aforesaid city have indeed grown wealthy by all the nations, and after conquering them they ordained that they should pay tribute. And the kings say that the inhabitants of it have become partners and sharers of its love of money, and the merchants who trade there, it is said, grew rich from its wealth, that is, from its arrogance and unbridled, lavish and degenerate way of life, loading and disposing all kinds of cargo there.
Revelation 18:4

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

When the divine angels seized the city of the Sodomites to execute judgment upon its inhabitants and the neighboring towns, and more precisely, as seems in the writings of the holy Cyril, when the Son of God and the Holy Spirit moved there, "since the Father judges no one" according to the Scripture, "but has given all judgment to the Son," (Jn. 5:22) the Holy Spirit being present with him, clearly and essentially as the vivifying spirit, then they say to the godly Lot: "Save yourself, preserve your own soul; do not look back nor remain anywhere in the plain; flee to the mountain, in case you be taken up with them." (Gen. 19:7)

This is also what the Revelation now teaches us: since it is not possible in so great and populous a city as Rome that there should not also be slaves of Christ in it, he says to them, "Come out of her, my people, in case you take part in her sins and lest you receive of her plagues." For to share in her sins and plagues is to share with them; for the plagues are because of them.
Revelation 18:5

For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

For he says her sins have reached to heaven; as if to say that they even defiled the intervening air with their sins.
Revelation 18:6

Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

Therefore he says that God, having been very patient, has now risen for retribution. He therefore tells her to render sins double, although through the all-wise Moses God commanded us that "one should not exact vengeance twice for the same thing." (see Deut. 32.41; Nahum 1:9) How then does he himself repay twice? Double [διπλᾶ] does not mean double in the numerical sense, but that, being loving toward mankind and good, and far less inclined to punish to the extent deserved, God considers that he has repaid twice even when he gives back a portion; and not only twice, but sevenfold. And knowing this the prophet said, "Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach which they reproached you with, O Lord." (Ps. 78:12) From the petition for sevenfold vengeance he is asking God concerning the deserved punishment of the enemies, instead of which, he says, having been glorified and having squandered the providence of this present life, he has not fulfilled the divine will. Render to her.
Revelation 18:7

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

For he says, "I will never be widowed of ruling"; for this is the widow, the one desolate of the ruler. I will see no evil.
Revelation 18:8

Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Therefore, because of her loftiness, all evil will come upon her at once; for he says God is strong and will be prevented by no one from bringing judgment and punishment upon her; may it be that by the grace of the one who called us into his knowledge and hope in Christ he would make us all free; to whom be glory for the ages. Amen.
Revelation 18:9

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

How in various ways and vividly he wove the lament over it and the height of mourning. And since almost everything is clear, if anything alone seems difficult, having noted it in passing let us proceed to the rest.
Revelation 18:13

And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

And he says horses and chariots and bodies. The word "chariots" is a Latin term; for with the Romans holding sway it is not inappropriate for the divine evangelist to have used a Latin word. The Scripture has put it into Greek. For in Latin the chariot is called rheda [ῥεδιον], and they put a general plural ending in the case; and one ought according to the Romans to say rhedioroum [ῥεδιοροὺμ], as having Hellenized it he wrote a Greek ending, having said rhedōn [ῥέδων], so that the said thing may be such. And he says horses and chariots and bodies, like also horses suitable for chariots, and bodies, that is, cavalry and made for riders.
Revelation 18:20

Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

The merchants and the kings of the earth and all who were enriched by the city standing and prospering will weep over it; but let the heavens rejoice, that is, the angels in heaven and the souls of the righteous, some because vengeance has been executed by God, others as sharing in the joy of those avenged. Again, through the discussion in the narrative he lifts up the passion of spiritual Babylon; since these things are clear, it is not necessary to have them dwell among those who confess.
Revelation 19:1

And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

As from a great multitude I heard a voice from heaven: for the ranks of the holy angels are innumerable; as one of the Fathers said, the ninety-nine are the sheep (see Matt. 18:12, Luke 15:4) preserved and steadfast, the angels, and the one that was led astray is all humanity. And they said, "Alleluia." The word alleluia is Hebrew; it means "praise" or "give thanks, praise God." Therefore they sing a song of thanksgiving at the righteous judgment of spiritual Babylon.
Revelation 19:3

And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

And a second time they raised the same hymn, and again he uttered it even more softly, that with the three times repeated alleluia the holy and much-praised Trinity might be glorified by them (see Rev 19:1, 3, 4); for this is God.

He says, And the smoke of her torment goes up for ever and ever. In the midst the alleluia being praised interrupted the sequence of the discourse, since this indeed is the course of the arrangement; and has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand; And the smoke of her torment goes up for ever and ever. For smoke it says as of the city being utterly burned about which these things are said; for smoke is a sign of fire.
Revelation 19:4

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

But to have the elders and the living creatures say Amen denotes assent to the doxology brought by the holy angels; for the Amen signifies the voice transferred into Greek from the Hebrews, "so be it."
Revelation 19:5

And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

"Praise our God," it says, "you small and you great"; for he calls small those greater in sanctification, and great those who reign.

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