Final Defeat of the Beast and His Armies

For when he (Antichrist) is come, and of his own accord concentrates in his own person the apostasy, and accomplishes whatever he shall do according to his own will and choice, sitting also in the temple of God, so that his dupes may adore him as the Christ; wherefore also shall he deservedly "be cast into the lake of fire: "

[The angel in the sun] is the preaching that takes place in the church.… Depending on the context, we interpret birds or beasts to represent the good or the wicked. For example, “The wild beast will bless me,” or, “The Lion from the tribe of Judah.” In the present passage the birds flying in mid-heaven are the churches that, being considered as one body, it had said was an eagle flying in mid-heaven.

We know that this in fact happens in the church. For when all nations are incorporated in the church, they are spiritually devoured. Indeed, those who have been devoured by the devil become the body of the devil, while those who have been received by the church are made to be members of Christ.

“The beast was captured and with him the false prophet.” This refers to the devil and the antichrist or the leaders and their entire following.… There are two, the head and the body, the devil and his society … which shall continue until the end of time. “The rest were slain by the sword … which issues from his mouth.” It divides the one body into parts, wishing to show both those who have been dead a long time and those whom Christ will find living at his second coming, as we read, “whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the brightness of his coming.”

“And all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” We ought not think of this in a carnal manner so that we believe that the saints, who seek higher things, are sated on the flesh of the impious. Rather, when the equity of the divine judgment has been revealed, through which [God] will determine the full number of the elect and so decree that the others are to be damned, [the saints] are said to be sated with the knowledge of that righteousness after which they hungered and thirsted in this life but were unable to comprehend perfectly. For even Isaiah said of the impious, “And they shall be a complete spectacle to all flesh.” I think it is the satiety of the birds that is mentioned in this passage. Also the apostle admits that he has not yet understood perfectly when he says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on so that I might understand because I have been known by Christ.” And so, they shall not rejoice at the damnation of the wicked, but sated by the light of the divine righteousness, they will at that time rejoice. One might interpret the birds in a negative way and regard them as the transgressing angels. Having led their followers into destruction, these angels are said to have fulfilled their evil desire and to be filled on the flesh of the lost. Thus, they acquire their satiety from the damnation of those to whom they had offered themselves as guides to error.

The angel refers to the church in her preaching. Rightly it adds “one,” for “my dove is only one.” In this manner the mystery of unity is preserved. [The angel] is “in the sun,” where it may be already brightly visible and not further hidden because of fear. “And with a loud voice it called out.” In the loud voice we recognize the liberty of a great trust.… In some contexts birds are interpreted by the qualities of evil birds, in other contexts they are interpreted by the qualities of good birds. As earlier the form of an eagle in flight was mentioned, so in this passage those who are spiritual are invited to the feast. Peter, who bore the image of the present church, was told of this feast when it was said to him, “Kill and eat.” Since they kill what they had been so that they might become what he is, that is, faithful, they are transformed into the body of the church, and having been planted with the members of the Christ, they reign with them. For whatever we eat, we bring over into our body.