Primasius of Hadrumetum — Commentary on Scripture

Revelation 4:1

This is, therefore, the voice of prophecy of which it is said, “Lift up your voice like a trumpet.” One has gone up and ascended who, having despised the world, is either compelled to come to the church or obtains admission to her. He ascends from the valley of tears to the height of that dignity of which we read, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways.” However, the faithful are also invited to ascend to heaven when they are commanded to seek and to taste what is in heaven and not what is upon the earth. For when a neophyte in the church is taught that Christ suffered, was raised and has ascended to the Father, and then beyond these things is taught and instructed spiritually to contemplate him in the Father according to the form of God, he is rightly said to ascend, since he will see the secrets of the mysteries in which he has believed. Therefore, the Lord said, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father,” wishing this touching to be understood as belief.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:1

Revelation 4:3

Since the rainbow was given as a sign of safety after the flood, it is now suitably used as a sign of the church’s reconciliation to God. For when the storm clouds are irradiated by the splendor of the sun, they produce the form of a rainbow. In comparison to this, when the souls of the saints are illumined by the Sun of righteousness, which is Christ, his deity deigns to be reconciled by their intercession.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:2-3

Revelation 4:5

In the voices and thunder the proclamation of the gospel is indicated, while the lightning signifies the miraculous signs, as we read in the Gospel, “They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs which followed.” And again: “The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind, and your lightning illumined the whole world.” For, as though from the clouds, the world, trembling by the thunderous commandments and astonishing miracles, was brought to fear and made to believe.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:5

Revelation 4:5

These seven lamps are the seven spirits of God. Even if he had not explained it, we would have properly understood these seven lamps to represent the Holy Spirit. For we know that at the beginning he had illuminated the apostles in the form of fiery tongues, and [we are aware] of his sevenfold operation. How much more clear is it, when now he himself adds, “which are the seven spirits of God.” But where is the Holy Spirit more properly said to be present than at the time of baptism, when we believe that each one of the faithful have properly received him.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:5

Revelation 4:6

The sea of glass refers to baptism, where “it is believed with the heart unto justification, and there is confession with the mouth unto salvation.” And it is likened to glass because of faith. For in glass there is nothing to be seen on the outside than what is true on the inside. Nor is it without reason that baptism is said to be in the presence of the throne, lest heretics believe that they possess this or can bestow this outside [the church]. As so it says that [baptism is] in the presence of the throne, just as we read what was said to Moses, “The place is near me,” or as God himself exhorted in Deuteronomy, “In the place which the Lord your God chooses, to make his name present there.” We know that by all these passages the indivisible unity of the church is declared, where the Trinity may be received by baptism unto salvation, while the one who receives [baptism] outside [the church] is born to destruction. The gift of baptism is not evil but becomes evil when one to whom it is given makes evil use of it, just as was the morsel which was extended to Judas by the hand of the L…

The sea of glass refers to baptism, where “it is believed with the heart unto justification, and there is confession with the mouth unto salvation.” And it is likened to glass because of faith. For in glass there is nothing to be seen on the outside than what is true on the inside. Nor is it without reason that baptism is said to be in the presence of the throne, lest heretics believe that they possess this or can bestow this outside [the church]. As so it says that [baptism is] in the presence of the throne, just as we read what was said to Moses, “The place is near me,” or as God himself exhorted in Deuteronomy, “In the place which the Lord your God chooses, to make his name present there.” We know that by all these passages the indivisible unity of the church is declared, where the Trinity may be received by baptism unto salvation, while the one who receives [baptism] outside [the church] is born to destruction. The gift of baptism is not evil but becomes evil when one to whom it is given makes evil use of it, just as was the morsel which was extended to Judas by the hand of the Lord.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:6

Revelation 4:6-7

The church, therefore, lives and works on the strength and beauty of the royal majesty, because the Lion of the tribe of Judah conquers. “For Judah is a lion’s cub,” from whose tribe kings are accustomed to be set over the people. “And the second animal was like a calf.” For the same reason, the virtue of the church is indicated in the calf, namely, the first victim, for whenever anyone of the faithful is slain for Christ, he conquers at that moment. “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable worship,” so that what the Head has accomplished on behalf of the body, the body may be worthy to fulfill for the Head. For this reason, [the Gospel of Luke] began with Zechariah the priest. “The third animal had a face like a man.” In my opinion, the humility of the church is here commended. For although she has received “the Spirit of the adoption of sons” and possesses “this treasure in clay vessels,” she nevertheless freely prefers to glory humbly in her weaknesses than to be praised in the strengths that she has acquired. In this way she d…

The church, therefore, lives and works on the strength and beauty of the royal majesty, because the Lion of the tribe of Judah conquers. “For Judah is a lion’s cub,” from whose tribe kings are accustomed to be set over the people. “And the second animal was like a calf.” For the same reason, the virtue of the church is indicated in the calf, namely, the first victim, for whenever anyone of the faithful is slain for Christ, he conquers at that moment. “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable worship,” so that what the Head has accomplished on behalf of the body, the body may be worthy to fulfill for the Head. For this reason, [the Gospel of Luke] began with Zechariah the priest. “The third animal had a face like a man.” In my opinion, the humility of the church is here commended. For although she has received “the Spirit of the adoption of sons” and possesses “this treasure in clay vessels,” she nevertheless freely prefers to glory humbly in her weaknesses than to be praised in the strengths that she has acquired. In this way she devoutly follows in the footsteps of the Master who was “made obedient even unto death” and who said, “Learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart.” “The fourth animal was like a flying eagle.” The celestial church is being described as flying on the spiritual thoughts of her members. For she is free from the heaviness of earthly desires and is drawn into the heights at the direction of the two Testaments.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:7

Revelation 4:8

Everywhere diffused in its individual members and in those who profess [the faith], the church ceaselessly praises God by word and deed in times of difficulty and in times of prosperity, and she does this throughout a variety of cities, regions, provinces, languages and peoples. Nor does she cease to praise the Lord day and night, while that perpetual praise continues that is given by those rational creatures in the heavens, in the Jerusalem above, after whose likeness the pilgrim church rejoices to be formed.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:8

Revelation 4:10

When the animals resound with praise, that is, when the Evangelists preach and celebrate the dispensation of Christ, … the twenty-four elders, that is, the whole church, that is, the leaders and people immediately fall on their faces and adore him who lives forever and ever.… By casting their crowns before the throne, they are ascribing to God whatever they possess of virtue and dignity. For whatever good we seek and acquire by right is attributed to him from whom he who conquers receives assistance. A figure of this action occurred in the Gospel when the people, going before the Lord, cast their garments and palm branches on the road before him, saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:10

Revelation 5:1

The book is in the right hand because it is in Christ, for he is the arm of God, he is the right hand of the Father, or it means that it was in the highest blessedness. The book written on the inside and the outside is both Testaments, the Old Testament on the outside because it was visible, and the New Testament on the inside because it lay hidden within the Old. The apostle speaks to the Hebrews of this: “For you have not come to what may be touched, a fire, a storm, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice with words whose hearers entreated that no further word be given to them, for they could not bear what was said,” and the following. However, now “comparing spiritual things with spiritual things, we do not contemplate what is seen but what is not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” And therefore one book is mentioned, since the New Testament cannot be without the Old, nor the Old without the New. For the Old Testament is the messenger and the veil of the New, while the New is the fulfillment and…

The book is in the right hand because it is in Christ, for he is the arm of God, he is the right hand of the Father, or it means that it was in the highest blessedness. The book written on the inside and the outside is both Testaments, the Old Testament on the outside because it was visible, and the New Testament on the inside because it lay hidden within the Old. The apostle speaks to the Hebrews of this: “For you have not come to what may be touched, a fire, a storm, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice with words whose hearers entreated that no further word be given to them, for they could not bear what was said,” and the following. However, now “comparing spiritual things with spiritual things, we do not contemplate what is seen but what is not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” And therefore one book is mentioned, since the New Testament cannot be without the Old, nor the Old without the New. For the Old Testament is the messenger and the veil of the New, while the New is the fulfillment and revelation of the Old. And because the Old Testament was on the outside, it neither disclosed everything nor did it conceal everything. Or, to express this more clearly, every dispensation of the Savior that is either promised or enacted in either Testament is collected here in this book.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:1

Revelation 5:3

When it says that no one in heaven was found worthy, it indicates that [opening the scroll] exceeded the capacities of the angels. This was not because they were ignorant of the future mystery of the Lord’s incarnation and work but because this was not to be completed through an angelic creature. For the Son of God, who through the assumption of true humanity was going to redeem humanity, wishes to fulfill all things through himself. Therefore Isaiah said, “Neither an angel nor a messenger but the Lord himself saved them.” When it says that no one on the earth was worthy, it means that no one of the just remains perfect in this life, for in order to be re-created man requires the assistance of him who alone is Creator. And that no one could be found under the earth means that no one among the saints who had died was found worthy to open the scroll or even to see it. Here “to see” means “to comprehend,” and therefore Paul says that he preaches the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles of which the Lord spoke, that is, the glory of the New Testament that was hidden in the law a…

When it says that no one in heaven was found worthy, it indicates that [opening the scroll] exceeded the capacities of the angels. This was not because they were ignorant of the future mystery of the Lord’s incarnation and work but because this was not to be completed through an angelic creature. For the Son of God, who through the assumption of true humanity was going to redeem humanity, wishes to fulfill all things through himself. Therefore Isaiah said, “Neither an angel nor a messenger but the Lord himself saved them.” When it says that no one on the earth was worthy, it means that no one of the just remains perfect in this life, for in order to be re-created man requires the assistance of him who alone is Creator. And that no one could be found under the earth means that no one among the saints who had died was found worthy to open the scroll or even to see it. Here “to see” means “to comprehend,” and therefore Paul says that he preaches the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles of which the Lord spoke, that is, the glory of the New Testament that was hidden in the law and that Christ reserved for his own presence. And so, no one was able to see this with an adequate sight, so that he might be able to effect it, since Christ had the power to fulfill it by his own dispensation. For [this glory] could only be foreseen by them, but it could not be effected.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:3

Revelation 5:4

It was the church that wept in John’s weeping, for she is weighed down with the burden of sins and beseeches her own redemption, which was shown to exist in the opening of this book.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:4

Revelation 5:7

The Son of man is said to have received the book from the right hand of God as both the dispensation from the Father and an arrangement from himself, for each reigns upon the throne with the Holy Spirit. And also here we ought understand the right hand to represent the blessedness of the victory. Nor ought it be understood in a fleshly manner as though he received the book from another hand of the Father, since the self-same is Son of the Father and the self-same the right hand [of God]. But since he who said, “Rejoice, for I have overcome the world,” always conquers in those who belong to him, he also makes his own church to exist as a conqueror, and it is declared of her that she receives the book.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:7

Revelation 5:8

The bowls that are accepted by God are the pious confession in which no one is hidden with a duplicitous heart but is rather sincere with an open affection. They are also the golden vessels that are in the great house, burning with the sweetness of the pleasant odor of Christ. Moreover, the prayers of the saints are the grateful deeds of those who rejoice over the salvation of the world and their intercessions for the wellbeing of the helpless. [The apostle] says, “Christ suffered for us, leaving for us an example that we should walk in his footsteps.” When, therefore, “those who belong to Christ crucify their own flesh with its passions and desires,” it is as though they are playing to Christ on harps, so that what he has done for them, they might do for him, “looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:8

Revelation 5:9-10

Christ wrote a new song by the harmonious truth of both Testaments. This he did when he, remaining the Word which was in the beginning, was born by a new sort of birth through the Virgin. This he did when he as God put on man in a new manner. This he did when he gave himself over to his killers by his own power. This he did when he was wondrously made alive from the dead and when at a time of his own choosing was ascended beyond the heavens. And this new song he bestowed upon all those who belong to the church which he acquired, that it might be sung continually, and that in this [the church] might rest secure as it awaits in hope the coming judge, that “we might walk in the newness of life.” As he said, “If any one wishes to be my disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:9

Revelation 6:1

He said, “I heard one of the four animals say, ‘Come and see.’ ” This one animal is the whole church preaching with a great voice and inviting the church to greater faith, “Come and see!” “If anyone thirsts, let him come and drink.” “Approach him and you will be illuminated.” “Arise, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will illuminate you.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:1

Revelation 6:2

This white horse can be understood as the church of truth, represented in the persons of the apostles and preachers, which was made whiter than snow by grace. The rider upon the horse is Christ. Therefore, it was said to him through the prophet, “For you mounted your horses and your army is salvation.” For the same reason he is said to hold an arrow. An arrow is aptly compared with the preaching of the Word of God, for when the hearts of people are pierced, they are able to bear the fruit of faith. And so we read, “Your sharp arrows are very powerful; people fall before you.” The crown indicates the reward rightly given to preachers.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:2

Revelation 6:3

The same words of exhortation to “come and see” are repeated, but for a different reason. The white horse is portrayed as good, but the red horse is portrayed as evil. Just as in regard to the good, joy is promised for the church’s victory, so here there is a warning against evil from a foreknowledge of the future.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:3

Revelation 6:6

I think that the different numbers of one and three are mentioned on account of the diversity of personal habitations. In the one denarius is indicated eternal life that is common to all even though [they live] among many mansions. And if one is there regarded as more sublime than another according to merits or is given a greater reward, yet no one is thought to be preeminent in comparison with another. For where there is a single immortality to each, there a common eternity exists for all. So also in the wine and oil he prohibits the dishonoring of the power of the sacraments, since that is the chrismation and the precious blood. Therefore we read, “What does he have which is good and beautiful, unless it be the fruit of the elect and producing virgins as wine.” And in the psalm: “Wine gladdens the heart of man, and his face is made cheerful in oil.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:6, HOMILY 5

Revelation 6:10

This ought not be understood in a carnal manner, as though they were inflamed by animosity and wished revenge. We know that we are to love our enemies through an abundance of love, but it is manifest that they prayed against the kingdom of sin and were praying out of a desire for that kind of kingdom for which we say, “Thy kingdom come!”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:10

Revelation 6:11

We believe that this was revealed to them by the knowledge of divine wisdom, that since the impious will inevitably be punished with eternal punishment and since the fountain of heavenly grace will flow forth unto the end of the world, many will until then be taken into the company of the holy martyrs. And when they received this response, they were filled with an inexpressible joy, which we believe is aptly symbolized by the white robes. Therefore, each one received a white robe, so that through the perfection of love that is poured out into the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit, they might be content with this consolation and prefer rather to wait for the completion of the number of other brothers.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:11