Commentariorum in apocalypsim Johannis

Philippians 2. Even unto death, he provided an example in himself, having been made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Likewise, concerning the reward which he promises, saying:

And I will give you the crown of life,
he presents the certainty and confidence in his own head referring to Christ as the head of the Church, as the Apostle continues in that same place: "Because of this, God also exalted him, and gave him a name which is above every name, Hebrews 2. so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth." And elsewhere: "We see the Lord Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death." Therefore, he says, be faithful until death, because after death faithfulness is no longer required to be maintained, but the faithfulness that has been maintained is crowned.

An ornamental drop cap 'Q' is decorated with foliage and floral patterns.
He who has ears, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. To hear or to have heard this saying of the spirit, the spirit of piety, with the ears of the heart, is to desire the crown of life which he promises here. It is also, through the hope of that crown, not only to not flee from tribulation or persecution Galatians 5 at the end. for the sake of Christ, but even to embrace it willingly. It is to follow his example by giving the cheek to the one who strikes, and to be filled with reproaches. If an external persecutor is lacking, one should pursue oneself internally, crucifying one's own flesh with its vices and lusts, and weeping without ceasing because one is delayed from the kingdom of God and from the vision of him who died for us and lives. Furthermore, the same spirit requires this kind of hearing or this kind of hearer not from only one church of that city of Smyrna, but from all the churches. For this reason, he does not say in the singular, "let him hear what the spirit says to the church," but in the plural, "let him hear what the spirit says to the churches." Finally, he appropriately adds the conclusion for the sake of the cause or The second death is the death of the soul. An objection. intention in this way:

He who overcomes shall not be harmed by the second death.
This is the meaning: He who remains faithful until the death of the flesh shall not fear the eternal death of the soul. He called the death of the soul the second death. But indeed, the death of the soul, which is the death of sin, or which happens by sinning, is so much earlier than the death of the flesh that even the resurrection of the soul, which rises through the faith of Christ in baptism, is earlier than the death of the flesh. It is necessary for one to obtain that resurrection before passing out of this world through the death of the flesh, if anyone desires to see the kingdom The solution. of God. How then, or why, is it now called the second death, unless because it is experienced later? For indeed, Adam died Genesis 2. by the death of the soul before the death of the flesh, namely on the same day in which he violated the forbidden tree, according to the truth of the one who said:
In whatever day you eat from it, you shall die the death.
But he only finally felt that same death of the soul by experience when dust returned to dust, which is the death of the flesh, and the soul descended to the lower regions. Therefore, the death of the soul, which separates the soul from God through sin, is indeed the first in cause or origin, The spirit of knowledge. but it is the second death in sense or experience.

The sword original: "rhomphæa" sharp on both sides is the word of God. And to the angel of the church of Pergamum write: After the spirit of piety, the spirit of knowledge follows from above. In this church of Pergamum, this spirit rebukes those holding evil doctrine, the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, saying: therefore, to the angel of this church likewise, "Repent." Surely, for the destruction of every wicked doctrine, there is need for the power or grace of the spirit of knowledge, and for the word of truth. Regarding this, he also says here in the beginning:

These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword original: "rhomphæam".
And afterward he says, "if not," that is, unless you repent, "I come to you quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Therefore, the sword sharp on both sides, or that sword of the mouth of the Lord, is the word of God. Concerning this, the Apostle also says:
For the word of God is living and effective, and more piercing than any two-edged sword, and reaching Hebrews 4. even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
For it discerns between the soul and the spirit, because it clearly knows what the natural man thinks or does for the sake of earthly advantages, and what the spiritual man does for the sake of heavenly things. And so that we may speak according to the present place or cause, it discerns between the blessings of Balaam and the blessings of Moses. Both of these men indeed blessed the children of Israel, but in other matters their doctrine differed widely. For Balaam, with the same mouth Pergamus Pergamum by which he blessed, was teaching Balak to place a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication. Moses did not do this. The name of Pergamum itself fits this cause or intention. For Pergamus Pergamum is interpreted as diuidens cornua eoru dividing their horns. This angel is warned that, according to the name of his church which is Pergamum, he should divide and discern the doctrine of Balaam or the doctrine of the The history of Balaam and the Midianites. Nicolaitans from sound doctrine through the holy spirit of knowledge. He says therefore: "These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword." For what purpose does he have that sword? To take vengeance on all those holding the doctrine of Balaam, and on him, whoever he is, who teaches the doctrine of Balaam. For you ought to remember

Numbers 31. ...the history of truth, in which the Lord says to Moses:

Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites.
And immediately after:
And when they had fought against the Midianites and had conquered, they killed all the males and their kings Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five princes of the nation: they also killed Balaam, the son of Beor, with the sword.
And after a little while, Moses, being angry with the leaders of the army, the tribunes and the centurions who had come from the war, said:
Why have you saved the women? Are these not the ones who deceived the children of Israel at the suggestion of Balaam, and made you trespass against the Lord in the sin of Peor original: "Phogor"? Wherefore also the people were struck. Therefore kill all who are of the male gender, even the little ones, and slaughter the women who have known men in cohabitation.
I say we ought to remember this true history here. Because what was done there in reality, he who professes to have the sharp two-edged sword protests that he will do here spiritually. He says:
I know where you dwell, where the seat of Satan is.
This is a great and vehement Reproof of negligence. reproof of the angel of that church, that he dwells there where the seat of Satan is, or that where that angel dwells is the seat of Satan. The following discourse will declare what kind of negligence his was, or how the seat of Satan was permitted to be there. In the meantime, he says:
And you hold my name, and you have not denied my faith.
This might seem a great thing if the following negligence or work did not obscure the confession of the name.
And in those days, Antipas was my faithful witness, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.
According to the name of Pergamum, which is interpreted as "dividing their horns," he has up to this point praised what was to be praised. He commemorates a martyr (as some report) of this name, which is Antipas, who suffered at Pergamum, with the testimony of praiseworthy faith. Thereafter he rebukes what is to be rebuked. Thus he divides the horn of justice from the horns of injustice according to that verse of the psalm: Psalm 74 This refers to Psalm 75:10 in modern numbering..

And I will break all the horns of the sinners, and the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
For there follows:
But I have a few things against you, because you have there those holding the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication. So you also have those holding the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
The present passage admonishes many who seem to be of the church to consider more diligently what the doctrine of Balaam was according to history, and how they hold or imitate it even today. That Balaam was the same one who is called Elihu in the book of Job Balaam is called Elihu in the book of Job.. He was at first a prophet and a holy man, but afterward, because of greed, he was called by the name of a soothsayer or diviner. This man, having the power or efficacy of blessing and cursing, bore the figure of priests who, though they are evil, nevertheless have the power of communicating or excommunicating by virtue of their office. Wherefore Balak also speaks to him:
Come and curse this people: for I know that he is blessed whom you have blessed, and cursed upon whom you have heaped curses.
He also had Numbers 22. the judgment of God, and knew that a priest heaps curses in vain upon one whom his own cause or fault does not subject to curses. And yet, going along because of greed, The greed of Balaam. and searching so many times if perhaps it might please God that he should curse this people, he clearly expresses the form of those who sell blessings and curses in the church, and do all things for the sake of gain. The height of his wicked doctrine was that which he said:
Nevertheless, going to my people I will give counsel, what your people should do to this people.
And he gave counsel, which was also done, so that the people committed fornication with the daughters of Moab, who called them to their sacrifices. They ate and drank, and they were initiated into Baal-Peor original: "Beelphegor", and the Lord was angry. Finally, this is the counsel that he gave. Numbers 31.

Are these not, said Moses, the ones who deceived the children of Israel at the suggestion of Balaam?
He fell into this kind of doctrine through greed, not through ignorance. For he himself said, professing his own knowledge: Numbers 24.

Balaam the son of Beor has said, the man whose eye is darkened has said, the hearer of the words of God has said, who knows the doctrine of the Most High, and sees the visions of the Almighty, who falling has his eyes open.
Surely, in saying these things, he was falling into the deep pit of greed, and he himself saw his own fall. So divided, so double was that Balaam: in public he gave blessings, singing with Balaam was a type of venal priests. Balak was a type of evil Christian kings. resonant voices, but in secret he was devising deceit and providing counsel to an impious king for the destruction of the people of God. Does he not, in his own person, prefigure the intolerable hypocrisy of venal priests? Are not all things today full of the internal plague of such sacrilegious men? The violent secular hand, loving this world and powerful in this world, sends forth according to the name of Balak. For "Balak" is interpreted as "licking" or "crushing," namely, licking the delights of the world,