ON THE APOCALYPSE CHAPTER I.

Christ loved us first. Ephesians 5.

"All our righteousnesses," he says, "are like a menstrual rag." A small decorative initial L begins this section. He washed us, that is the whole church, from our sins. He loved us to that extent. He did not love us as we were, but he loved us so that we might become something else. By washing us in that blood and that water, he regenerated us. Thus, by loving us, he made the church a body joined to his own flesh which he had assumed. He gave himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water and in the word of life, to present to himself a glorious church, not having

How he washed those who did not yet exist.

a stain, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. He did not only wash those who were already believers, or had been, but those who were to come. Not indeed in actual fact then, but by power he washed those who were to come. For those who were not yet born, or who had not yet believed, could not yet be washed. He gave them the power to be washed, he gave them the power to become children of God through the lavacrum washing of regeneration.

Matthew, last chapter.

For he said to his disciples after he rose from the dead: "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." That way, that rule of baptizing, that water which had come out from that temple from the right side, from the pierced temple of his body—and had washed the first church, which had been gathered from the world—descended into the sea of the nations, according to

The water into the sea washed the primitive church, which had been collected from the world. They descended into the sea of nations according to that prophecy of Ezekiel: "These waters that go out toward the mounds of eastern sand and descend to the plains of the desert shall enter the sea, and shall go out, and the waters shall be healed. And every living animal that crawls, wherever the torrent comes, shall live."

that prophecy of Ezekiel: "These waters that go out toward the mounds of eastern sand and descend to the plains of the desert shall enter the sea, and shall go out, and the waters shall be healed. And every living animal that crawls, wherever the torrent comes, shall live." This is the great fruit of that love by which he loved us, and in the virginal womb, the Word who is God joined our nature to himself. By that bond of love, in such an outcome, he gathered into one all the children of God who were scattered. And he made

Ezekiel 47.

us (he says) a kingdom and priests to God and his Father. O wonderful condescension of goodness, greater than our heart and mouth. He did not buy us for slavery at such a dear price, with his own precious blood, but to make us a kingdom and priests to God his Father: a kingdom indeed for his Father, priests for his God. He alone was King and Priest. He had purposed to make kings and priests out of the servants of sin and children of death, and for this reason he shed his blood. How many crowns is he the head of, as this faithful witness? "You shall take," says the Lord in the prophet, "silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua original: "Iesu", son of Jozadak original: "Iosedech", the high priest."

He made us a kingdom and priests.

Regarding this, the illustrious man Jerome says: "Crowns are placed on

Zechariah 6. Jerome on Zechariah.

Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, because the Lord is crowned through our individual virtues. Rather, when we are crowned through the virtue of repentance, the Savior receives a crown in each of us."

Psalm 8.

Truly, therefore, O Lord our Lord, your name is admirable, because you have crowned this Prince of the Kings with admirable glory and honor, with as many crowns as there are kings in this kingdom, in which all who are sanctified by his blood are splendid kings. ¶ And he made us priests, he says, namely by the sacrifice by which he conquered the spiritual Pharaoh, that is the devil,

How all Christians are priests.

and destroyed the kingdom of sin. For just as the sons of Aaron were priests of that typical sacrifice because their father with Moses was a minister of that liberation, which was commemorated through the paschal feast of the yearling lamb, so the children of this Priest, whom he spiritually begot through the washing of regeneration, are by right priests of that sacrifice, by which is commemorated not a temporal salvation like that one, but the eternal salvation of all. Rightly, therefore, there is no distinction of nation or tribe, as long as one is suitable in knowledge and character. Because, clearly, we are all children according to the spirit of the heavenly Priest, who begot no one according to the flesh. ¶ And if we do not all perform that order of priesthood here, so as to consecrate the body and blood of the same Lord our Lord with a sacred mouth, nevertheless

We ought to offer ourselves.

it is necessary for us all to be priests in him, so that we may offer ourselves to God, just as the apostle says: "I beseech you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service." For otherwise it is not granted to us to enter into those heavenly holy of holies, into heaven itself, where these appearances of our sacrifice, the appearances of bread and wine, will not exist.

Romans 12. A sacrifice common to all.

¶ A small decorative initial S begins this section. However, the sacrifice which he may always offer will be lacking to no one for eternity: namely, the host of thanks, the voice of praise, the voice of exultation and confession. Of such a kind is that very thing which he immediately adds here: "To him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen." ¶ A small decorative initial H begins this section. This surely the reason of justice demands, that once a benefit is received, the creature should return praise and thanksgiving to the Creator.

A hymn and thanksgiving is owed by us to Christ.

For example: Thus Moses and the children of Israel, liberated from Egyptian slavery through the blood of the lamb, after Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the Red Sea, sang a song of glory to the Lord. Indeed, the beginning of ingratitude is not to acknowledge a benefit and to keep a mute mouth and a silent tongue from returning thanks. This brief song of praise and thanksgiving, therefore, as he says: "To him be glory and dominion

Exodus 15. Philippians 2.

forever and ever," let us all say: "Amen." And let every tongue (as the apostle says) confess that the Lord Jesus

XI.
COMMENTARY BOOK I.
L

Christ is in the glory of God the Father. ¶ A small decorative initial H begins this section. Thus far, this one of the most illustrious

John, the leader of our faith.

leaders of our faith has himself confessed what is necessary for the perfection of confession, and has given us an example of confessing. Even if in other words, it is with the same meaning as what follows in the Creed: because from there, clearly, where he now sits, the Prince of the Kings of the earth, where glory and dominion are his forever and ever—from there, I say, from that glory of his, from that right hand of the Father, he is to come with his great power and majesty to judge the living and the dead. Therefore it follows: A small decorative initial E begins this section. Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and those who pierced him. ¶ A small decorative initial V begins this section. One thing remains, which is also the greatest: because it is near. Hence also another Apostle says: "The Lord," he says, "is near; be anxious for nothing." It is familiar in the manner of the prophets and all the watchful saints, who vigilantly foresaw that coming, to

Philippians 4.

say: "Behold, he will come; behold, he will appear; he will come swiftly; he will appear to you quickly." But indeed, the wicked servant thinks this will happen in a long time, saying in his heart, "My lord delays his coming." He begins to strike his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. But what? The lord of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him asunder and place his portion

Isaiah 66. Ezekiel 7. Joel 1. Luke 12.

with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ¶ A small decorative initial E begins this section. Therefore, to those who sleep and whose sense is not sharpened because of drunkenness, the times seem long. For to those who watch, whose prudent souls faith has nourished, hope has moved forward, and charity has expanded and made great, all the time of the present world is considered brief in consideration of eternity and the world to come. And so, "Behold, he comes, he comes quickly, he will appear quickly." How? On what vehicles? On what seat of judgment? A small decorative initial C begins this section. With clouds, he says. He himself also said this: "And then," he says, "they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud," or

Luke 21. Matthew 24. Acts 1.

in the clouds of heaven, as it is written in another Gospel, with great power and majesty. But even the angels said when he was ascending: "He will come in the same way as you saw him going into heaven." Now, a cloud had received him from their eyes. Therefore, he will come in this way, that is, he whom the cloud received will come likewise with a cloud, or with the clouds of

1 Thessalonians 4. Why Christ will come with clouds.

heaven. About which the Apostle also says: "At the same time," he says, "we will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." ¶ A small decorative initial H begins this section. Here it is now asked why he will come in this way, for what reason will he come with clouds? Is it to hide or conceal himself with clouds? Certainly not. For then he will come openly, who previously came hidden. And, as it is written here, "Every eye shall see him." Why, then, will he come with clouds? Let us ask another scripture. ¶ A small decorative initial P begins this section. The prophet Isaiah, when he had previously said regarding the wicked man in the form of a question: "And he shall not see the glory of the Lord," immediately added through a certain concession: "Lord,

Isaiah 26.

let your hand be exalted and let them not see." And immediately he added: "Let them see and be confounded, the jealous people, and let fire devour your enemies." As if he said: If justice had allowed it, let your hand be exalted and let them not see; but he corrected himself saying, let them see and be confounded. Therefore, in one way they will not see, and in another way the wicked also will see him coming. ¶ A small decorative initial V begins this section. That the wicked may not see the glory of the Lord, he will come with clouds. That the wicked may be confounded as they look, every eye shall see him. Indeed, the clouds with which he comes will hide his glory so that the wicked do not see it. But they will not hide the power of his majesty, so that every eye may see. ¶ A small decorative initial Q begins this section. For what kind of clouds will those be then? Not indeed such as we

Those clouds will be stormy.

often see now, dripping with rain and cooling the earth, but stormy clouds, breathing fire,

Psalm 49. 2 Thessalonians 1.

throwing lightning. For a fire shall burn in his sight, and around him a mighty tempest. Paul, laboring to express the vehemence of such clouds, of burning clouds, says when writing to the Thessalonians: "It is just with God to repay tribulation to those who trouble you, and to you who are troubled, rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power, in a flame of fire, giving vengeance to those who did not know God." ¶ A small decorative initial H begins this section. Every eye will see this; the wicked will see so that they may be confounded, but they will not see the glory of the Lord. So that they may not see it, his hand will be exalted. Those obstructing clouds will hide from the wicked the brightness of his body, or the body of his brightness, to which our body (as the Apostle says) of

Philippians 3.

humility will be configured after being reformed. But they will not hide the Son of Man himself. Every eye will see him, and the wicked, seeing him, will be confounded. But the pious will see his glory. As the Apostle says, so that they may always be with the Lord, they will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4.

They will pass through the fiery clouds, the cloudy fires, quickly and safely upward. And so they will always be with the Lord. Below, the wicked will be amazed and will see, so that they are confounded as they look, especially those who pierced him. These are clearly they who dug into his hands and feet; who perforated his side with a spear. Those, seeing him, will surely be confounded, and whoever does not obey his gospel will be partakers of their confusion. A small decorative initial L begins this section. And all the tribes of the earth shall wail over him. ¶ A small decorative initial H begins this section. This, with the testimony of an older prophet

John imitates with testimony.