Commentary on the Apocalypse 1 part 13/14

among them nothing is lowly or grovelling, but all things are lofty and exalted.

For it is written concerning them: 'The mighty ones of the earth belong to God; they were greatly exalted.'

'Her light,' it says — that is, Christ, the sun of righteousness — 'was like a jasper stone.'

The jasper, as has also been said before, being somewhat green in colour, signifies the life-sustaining and life-giving quality of Christ, who opens his hand and fills every living creature with good pleasure.

For verdure takes the lead among all earthly nourishment.

But the jasper was also crystalline, signifying the purity and holiness of Christ.

For 'he committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth,' according to the prophecies of Isaiah.

And the wall of the saints, that is, of the church, is again Christ himself, being our fortress and enclosure and help.

'Having twelve gates,' it says, alludes to the divine apostles, who proclaimed to us the entrance of faith in Christ.

'And at the gates twelve angels.'

For I am persuaded that divine angels also worked together with the holy apostles for the faith of the world.

For if the law given through Moses was spoken through angels, according to the apostle who says—

'For if the word spoken through angels proved firm' — how much more, then, did the gospel proclamation have angels working together with it? And 'names inscribed,' it says, which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Israel, in the sensible sense, are those born of the patriarch Jacob.

But in the intelligible sense, it is those who follow the faith of our father Abraham.

And a witness to this is the apostle, who says: '...and father of circumcision, not to those of circumcision only, but also to those who follow in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham.'

For Israel is interpreted as 'a mind that sees God,' that is, one who is perceptive.

But who, more than the faithful, have beheld God with the mind, or become perceptive through the abundant working of the Spirit? Therefore it is the names of these that are inscribed upon the gates of the city.

And the twelve tribes indicate the fullness of the faithful.

For having once called the faithful 'Israel,' he has also kept to the number of their fullness, saying 'twelve tribes,' and he says that from the four ends of the world there were three gates each.

For the divinely inspired apostles apportioned all things by triads, having proclaimed the consubstantial Trinity to the nations, and baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

'And the wall of the city,' it says, 'had twelve foundations.'

For Christ, whom we have understood as the wall, rests upon the preaching of the apostles, and stands upon them as a precious cornerstone, according to what is written.

'And on them,' that is, on the foundations, 'were twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.'

At last he has uncovered the riddle, clearly saying that he calls the apostles the gates and foundations of the holy city, the church.

May it be that we all abide in their teaching, turning away from the profane empty talk of the falsely-named knowledge of the heretics.

By the grace of Christ, our teacher and chief shepherd.

To whom be glory forever. Amen. Book Twelve. The divinely inspired evangelist still has discourse concerning the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem — its size, its measure, its adornment, and its other arrangement.

And it says: 'And he who spoke with me had a golden measuring reed, to measure the city and its gates and its wall.'

'And the city lies foursquare, and its length is as great as its breadth, and its height is equal.'

'And he measured the city with the reed at twelve thousand stadia.'

'Its length and breadth and height are equal.'

'And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, by human measure, that is, of an angel.'

'And the material of its wall was jasper.'

'And the city was pure gold, like clear glass.'

'And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone.'

'The eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.'

'And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each one of the gates being made of a single pearl.'

'And the street of the city was pure gold, as transparent glass.'

'And I saw no temple in it, for God the Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb.'

The reed with which he measured the holy city was a geometric one.

But it was golden, on account of the preciousness both of the measuring angel and of the city being measured.

'And the city,' it says, 'lies foursquare, and its length is as its breadth, and its height is equal.'

The square shape, as those skilled in these matters hold, is and is called a cube.

For there is also a square that is a plane figure.

But when it is squared throughout and equilateral in all dimensions, [it is a cube]; and they say the cube signifies steadfastness.

For the good things belonging to the saints are abiding and unchangeable, no alteration corrupting their blessedness.

And the greatness of the city at once signifies the magnificence of the saints, and shows that, even though they are far surpassed in number by sinners, they themselves are not few in number, but sufficient to fill so great a city.

'And he measured,' it says, 'its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.'

In many places, according to the usage of divine Scripture, angels are called men.

And this is clear from the fact that the archangel Gabriel is interpreted as 'man of God.'

And the prophet said: 'Men and beasts you will save, O Lord,' calling angels 'men,' and men 'beasts.'

For indeed, compared to the intelligence of angels, we men are irrational and like beasts.

For he did not say 'men and beasts' as one might suppose, meaning actual men and real beasts.

For it was said by the apostle concerning beasts: 'Is it for oxen that God is concerned?' Therefore the 'beasts' in the prophet must be understood as men, and the 'men' as angels.

But the Lord too, in Luke, called angels 'men,' saying: 'Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding feast.'

Since, then, in many places angels have been called 'men' on account of the derivation from 'upward'—

and having their eyes toward God—

for this reason, it says here, 'the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.'

And by what has been said, he alludes to this: that the divine is altogether incomprehensible — for we have understood the wall of the city to be Christ in what precedes — and rather, in the contemplation of the majesty of God, men become angels.

For this reason, the wall of the city has been measured by an angelic cubit, and not a human one.

And its having a hundred and forty-four cubits is a certain mystical number, known to the wisdom of the angels, which also measures with discernment.

'And the material of its wall,' it says, 'was jasper.'

We have already understood the jasper as the life-sustaining and life-bearing quality of Christ.

'And the city,' it says, '[was] pure gold, like clear glass.'

Gold is set together with what is bright and transparent.

This sets forth the preciousness and purity of the saints in deeds and words.

'And the foundations,' it says, 'of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone.'

And the foundation of the wall—

the wall is the Lord, as has often been said.

We have said that the holy apostles are meant, in what has been stated.

as Christ rests upon their teaching and stands upon them according to the promise given, in which he says, "And behold, I am with you all the days, until the consummation of the age."

These, then, are the foundations, that is, the apostles, adorned with every virtue; for the precious stones signify virtue.

For they became pure in deed and in preaching, and in their contests on behalf of Christ, and in their goodwill toward him even unto blood.

But if someone should wish to discourse in detail also concerning the stones, it is possible to find such a contemplation; but one must begin a little way back.

The high priests under the law of Moses were variously clothed, wearing a certain long robe, and an ephod, and a mitre, and a headdress, and a girdle, and other things put about them, exhibiting at once wonder and astonishment, and also displaying a mystical figurative meaning through their attire.

the oracle of judgment, which was suspended upon the ephod by an intricately woven cord.

The shape of the oracle was a doubled piece of cloth, a span in length and square, in which twelve stones were set in four rows, named after the sons of Israel;

Of these stones, some are also placed here in the foundations of the wall, while others are cornerstones and are not among those set there.

For in the oracle of judgments there lie eight stones corresponding to the foundations here: jasper;

but four of the stones in the foundations are not numbered among those in the oracle of judgment.

And there were also the gates of the city, which we likewise understood to refer to the apostles, each made of a single pearl.

So that the pearl too is now set as something new, itself likewise not numbered among the stones of the oracle; and it is possible to see that those newly named are more precious than those set in the oracle in the old covenant;

by which it is signified that the holy apostles both had knowledge of the old covenant and were well esteemed in the ordinances established therein; wherefore also the wise apostle said, "having become blameless as to the righteousness that is in the law"; but they were also well esteemed in the commandments of the new covenant, and had grown rich in its knowledge, which was far clearer and, as it were, more precious than the knowledge in the old, since the things in the law were a kind of shadow, but the things in the new are the truth. For this is what is hinted at by the precious stones of the old and the new lying mixed together in the foundations of the city, which, as has been said, signify the apostles.

And this is what the Lord said in the Gospels: "Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a householder, who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

And there were, it says, also the gates of the city, which again, as in what has gone before, we have understood to be the apostles, each made of a single pearl, hinting at their preciousness and purity and brightness.

And the street of the city, it says, was pure gold, like transparent glass.

It has been said that the gold, and the purity and transparency of the glass, indicate the preciousness and refined purity of the life of the saints.

And, it says, I saw no temple in it;

for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb.

For what need is there of a temple, since God is present with the saints and in a certain manner lives together with them, and is seen face to face so far as is attainable? For the divine apostle called the present knowledge of God "through a mirror and in a riddle";

but the knowledge in the age to come, face to face.

One might reasonably ask why on earth he mentioned God the Almighty—that is, the Father of the Lord—and the Lamb, the Son of God, but no longer also the Holy Spirit? To him it must be said:

In saying "the Lord and God," O friend, he has named the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit—for these are God; and further, in saying "the Lord God Almighty," he has signified the Holy Trinity by these three appellations.

But someone might further ask this also:

why then, having mentioned the venerable Trinity by saying, "For the Lord God Almighty is its temple," does he add the Lamb, who is Christ, as if numbering him from outside, so that we no longer conceive of a Trinity? By no means, I would say to him.

For we are not taught in this way, but mention is made both of the Holy Trinity and of the Lamb, the passage signifying that he who was made flesh is one of the Holy Trinity, and that the Son, together with his flesh, fills up the Holy Trinity, and is not now in heaven apart from the flesh.

For he signified the incarnate Son periphrastically both by "God," who is the Son, and by "the Lamb," who is again the same Christ made flesh, consubstantial with us and endowed with a rational soul;

with which flesh the Word has been united according to hypostasis.

And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

And the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it;

and its gates shall by no means be shut by day;

And the city, it says, has no need of the sun.

for they enjoy the divine and intelligible light.

For the saints, in that lot of intelligible things, perceive that there is no need of sensible light.

And the nations, it says, shall walk by means of its light.

Not the nations alone, but also the saints from Israel who believed.

But since those from the nations are far more numerous, from the greater number he indicated both these and those.

And the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

By "kings of the earth" he means all the saints, concerning whom it is written, "When the Heavenly One scatters kings upon her, they shall be made white as snow in Zalmon," as has also been said before.

These, then, still possess something glorious and honorable.

They shall dedicate the glories that come from virtue to that holy city, since, as he said, the goods that come from virtue dwell together with the saints.

And its gates, it says, shall by no means be shut by day.

For either he means by this that there will be peace and freedom from fear, so that there is no need to keep watch over the city or ever to shut its doors, or to secure them with bars; or that the apostolic teachings—for we have said that the gates are the apostles—will not fall silent even there, but the apostles will be there too, teachers to the saints of new and more divine doctrines;

for being sons of day and of light, the righteous will delight in divine and illuminating praises and mysteries, day and the light of divine illumination being always about them.

For, it says, there shall be no night there.

For if the divine illumination were ever interrupted, then there would indeed also be night;

but if it is impious to say this, since the divine light operates without interruption, how could night come upon the saints? "And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it."

And there shall by no means enter into it anything common, or that works abomination and falsehood, but only those written in the Lamb's book of life.

And he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street;

and on this side and on that of the river, a tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month;

and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

And there shall no longer be any curse;

and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him;

and they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads;

and there shall be no more night, and they shall have no need of the light of a lamp, nor of the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever;

By "the glory and honor of the nations," brought into the holy city, he means, by periphrasis, those among the nations who were well approved and who did deeds worthy of life;

for these shall be brought into the heavenly Jerusalem and shall live together with the saints who are in it.

And, it says, there shall by no means enter into it anything common, or that works abomination, but only those written in the book of life.

For what fellowship has light with darkness, or the sinner with the righteous of God? whom the Lord also taught us in the Gospels are separated by a great chasm.

And, it says, he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of the street of the city.

The river of life would be the abundant and rich gifts of Christ, which are ceaselessly poured out upon the saints, so as to flow and stream into them after the manner of a river.

And, it says, on this side and on that of the river, a fruitful tree of life, bearing fruit every month.

The tree of life is the Lord, according to what is written by the writer of Proverbs concerning wisdom:

"She is," it says, "a tree of life to all who hold fast to her."

And the wise Paul has taught us that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

He says that the saints are not only enriched with the gifts of Christ, but also have him himself dwelling within and dwelling together with them;

which is the very sum of the highest blessedness.

...to the saints, so that generosity overtakes generosity, and they are never left wanting of the divine outpouring.

And the leaves of the tree, it says, are for the healing of the nations.

The leaves of life are the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs and confessors, who are attached to Christ and cling to him, and the ministers of the gospel in their several times, and the shepherds of the church, and every righteous soul;

which even now heal souls, and will be an addition of good things for the saints.

"And there shall no longer be any curse," he says.

For now, even though one flees very strenuously from accursed things, we nevertheless wallow among them, countless occasions arising for us both knowingly and unknowingly.

But then the saints will be pure and free from every stain of soul, just as also of body.

"And the kingdom of God," he says, "shall be in the city."

"And the saints shall serve him," he says, with a service not toilsome, but one accompanied by pleasure and spiritual joy.

And this will come to pass from seeing his face.

"For they shall see his face," he says.

And they shall see insofar as is attainable for human nature; "and his name," he says, "[shall be] upon their foreheads."

This present saying alludes to unceasing remembrance of and communion with God.

For as God, resting upon them and inscribed upon them, so will he always be present together with the saints.

And this is clear also from what Paul said:

"And so we shall always be with the Lord."

"And there shall be no night," he says, so that the saints have no need of illumination from sun or lamp, since the divine light provides illumination without ceasing.

"And the saints shall reign," evidently forever.

These things the most wise Daniel indeed bears witness to, saying: "And the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and shall possess it forever and ever."

"These words are faithful and true, and the Lord of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show his servants what must come to pass quickly."

"Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book."

And John, hearing and seeing these things...

"And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things."

"I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book."

"These words," he says, "are faithful," that is, true.

"And the Lord of the spirits of the prophets"

By "spirits of the prophets," he says, are meant the prophetic gifts, according to what was said by the most wise Paul.

"And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets"; and to the divinely-inspired prophet Isaiah:

"Because of fear of you, O Lord, we have conceived and been in labor pains;"

"and we have brought forth the spirit of your salvation, which you have wrought upon the earth."

"To show," he says, "to his servants what must come to pass quickly."

For through the mediation of John and his writings, all have come to learn the things that were shown to him.

For all time is short, as has also been said before, even if it should seem to be exceedingly great, when compared to the coming endless ages.

For this very reason he also added: "Behold, we are coming (sic) quickly."

"Blessed are those who keep these words of this prophecy."

For those who keep them strive, through a life pleasing to God, not to fall into the punishments spoken of in it.

"And when," he says, "I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel."

These things have been explained in what has gone before, where we also demonstrated that the doctrines of the godless Greeks concerning their national gods have nothing in common with the most pure doctrines of the church.

"Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near."

"Let the one who does wrong still do wrong, and let the filthy still be made filthy; and let the righteous still do righteousness, and let the holy still be made holy."

"Behold, I am coming quickly, quickly, and my reward is with me, to render to each as his work shall be."

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

"...of life, and may enter the city by the gates."

"Do not seal," he says, "these words," that is, do not keep them to yourself, nor shut them up and guard them in the storeroom of your mind, but make them manifest to all.

"For the time," he says, "is near."

Nor is their time very far off, as it was then.

But it is not that they now have no need to be heard;

For neither is it already present, so that the exhortation drawn from these words would be superfluous.

For what need is there of exhortation for those who are already experiencing the evils or the goods themselves? For it is untimely to instruct by word those who are learning by deed.

But what is it that he says is "near," neither being long delayed, nor yet already present? "Let the wrongdoer," he says, "still do wrong, and let the filthy still be made filthy."

It is not [the word] of one commanding and ordering wrongdoing or defilement, but he says this:

A little time is still being generously granted to mankind;

let each, therefore, do what is pleasing to himself, and let him use his own free will as he wishes, whether for evil or for good.

Wherefore he adds: "And let the righteous still do righteousness, and let the holy still be made holy."

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to render to each as his work shall be."

"I am coming," says the Lord, at the second advent, bringing with himself what must be rendered to each, whether good or evil.

"I am," he says, "the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

These things have been sufficiently spoken of in what has gone before.

"Blessed," he says, "are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life."

Blessed, therefore, are those who live well and cleanse themselves from every filth of sin;

for those who have thus lived shall have authority to lean upon the tree of life and to rest upon it; and the tree of life is the Lord, as has been said before.

"and may enter the city by the gates."

And through the gates, that is, the apostolic doctrines and teachings, they become partakers of the conduct and blessedness of the saints.

"Outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things concerning the churches."

"I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star."

"And let him who hears say, Come."

"Let him who desires take the water of life freely."

"I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:"

"if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book;"

"and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book."

It is the custom of divine Scripture to call "dogs" those who have prostituted themselves, on account of their shamelessness and uncleanness.

For indeed, he says, the law of Moses the hierophant states in Deuteronomy: "You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord your God for any vow."

But that such men are like dogs in shamelessness:

One of the wise men outside [the faith] also testifies, speaking thus: "Flee all murder, and the adulterous bed of a woman;"

"and oaths sworn by the blessed ones, and the shameless beds of youths."

Outside the holy city, then, and outside the company of the righteous, are the dogs, both these and those.

For what have they in common with the righteous of God? And "everyone who loves and practices a lie," he says, "shall be outside."

Everything contrary to nature is a lie:

For since virtue is according to nature—since the Creator implanted in our formation from the beginning the seed of virtue—vice is contrary to nature.

For just as in bodies health is according to nature but disease is contrary to nature, and seeing and hearing are according to nature but blindness and deafness are contrary to nature, so also in souls virtue is according to nature but vice is contrary to nature:

For health is analogous to virtue, and vice to disease:

And in this respect too, vice is a lie, because it often falsely pretends to be virtue:

For all these turn out to be vices, wearing about them the mask of virtue; and so it casts outside the divine precincts those who practice the lie of vice.

"I, Jesus," he says, "sent my angel to testify to you these things concerning the churches."

By "testify" he means to solemnly attest, not in secret nor in an obscure corner, but with the churches everywhere listening, so that no one, pretending ignorance, might be wicked through willful malice.

"I," he says, "am the root and the offspring of David," although, as far as appearances go, it would have been more consistent to say, "I am the branch that sprouted from the root of David."

But now, on the contrary, he has called himself the root of David, and not only root but also offspring, as has been said before.

Root and cause of all things, among whom is also David, insofar as he is and is understood to be God:

But offspring of David, and having arisen from him according to the flesh, insofar as he is and is understood to be man:

so that he is both—for to say the same things often is not tiresome to me, but is safe for those who read them, as the divine apostle somewhere says of his own words—so that Emmanuel is, then, of both divinity and humanity, each of the natures existing perfectly according to its own principle, without confusion, without change, without alteration, without illusion.

But after the ineffable union we are persuaded that there is one person and one hypostasis and one activity, even though the difference of the natures is not unknown, from which we say the unspeakable union has been effected, nor is the natural property according to quality lost, according to the words of our divinely-inspired father Cyril.

Or he means the sun, since he is also called "sun of righteousness" by Malachi; and moreover, as the prophet sings in the psalm, "fire fell upon them"—that is, upon the chief priests of the Jews—"and they did not see the sun," namely this sun of righteousness, Christ; or he means the morning star.

For indeed he is also called this by Peter in his second epistle, who says, "until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

"And the Spirit," he says—that is, the prophetic Spirit—"and the Bride"—the universal Church in every place—"say, Come."

For we have been commanded to seek the second coming of the Lord, and indeed also to set it in our prayer:

For the one who says to God, "Your kingdom come," asks for the kingdom of Christ, which is also the kingdom of the Father and of the Spirit.

"And let the one who hears," he says, "say, Come."

"And everyone," he says, "who hears the words of the present [book]"—and you too, John, make the kingdom of Christ's coming a matter of prayer.

He says this, exhorting all to the works and practices of righteousness:

For no one who is not conscious of righteousness in himself would make Christ's coming a matter of prayer, in which he will be required to give account of the things he has lived: