XVI. ON THE APOCALYPSE CHAPTER I.

A small, ornate decorative initial 'S' marks the beginning of the first chapter.

Genesis 18 and 19.
Genesis 3.
1 Kings 3.

For the nature of things is usually shown according to the nature of the times. For this reason, Abraham, in the heat of his faith, saw the angels at midday Genesis 18; Lot, during the destruction of Sodom, saw them at evening Genesis 19; Adam saw God after midday Genesis 3; and Solomon, who would not keep his wisdom, received it in the night 1 Kings 3. Therefore, in this place, the "Lord's day" is clearly understood as faith, which was already manifest in the whole world when John saw these things.

How John was in the spirit.
Genesis 41.
1 Corinthians 14.

¶ In what way, or in what spirit, do we believe him to have been? For if he was only in his own spirit, the vision would be unworthy, and it would greatly detract from the seer. In that case, neither the prophet himself, nor his words, nor the revelations of his vision could rightly be called prophecy; indeed, he would not have understood them if he saw them only in his own spirit. For example, when Pharaoh saw the seven ears of grain and the seven oxen, he saw them not with his body but in his spirit; he was sleeping with the lights of his body closed. When he saw them, I say, he did not understand: he was not a prophet. Joseph, however, was a prophet because he did not see the things shown in his own spirit, but in the spirit of God: that is, he understood them. Pharaoh's spirit was merely formed so that he might see, but Joseph's mind was illuminated by the spirit of God so that he might understand. The Apostle briefly distinguishes these modes of visions when, having first said: "if I pray in a tongue, and my spirit does not pray, my mind is without fruit," he immediately adds: "What then? I will pray with the spirit, I will pray also with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, I will sing also with the mind" 1 Corinthians 14:14–15. What he said regarding prayer or singing must also be understood regarding vision. Indeed, when images are perceived through sight, no revelation, or recognition, or prophecy, or doctrine occurs unless understanding is added, which is the proper function of the mind. But was there such blindness in this John during his vision that the signs of things were formed in his spirit while the understanding of those same things did not shine in his mind? Far be this from that disciple whom Jesus loved! Otherwise, how could this book be called the "Apocalypse," which means revelation? How would it deserve to be called a prophecy, when he himself says: "Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy of this book"? Therefore, when he says, "I was in the spirit," let us understand the Holy Spirit; just as in the passage "Jesus was led into the desert by the spirit," we rightly understand the Holy Spirit Matthew 4:1.

Matthew 4.
John was also caught up to the third heaven.
Galatians 1.

¶ Nor do we hesitate to say that what he says, "I was in the spirit," is the same as if he had said, "I was caught up even to the third heaven." For just because the Apostle Paul alone wrote this about himself, one should not think that none of the other saints were caught up there besides him. This is like what he says elsewhere: "the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man; for I neither received it from man nor was I taught it, but through a revelation of Jesus Christ" Galatians 1:11–12. This must not be understood as if no other saint besides him learned through the revelation of Christ, or that everyone else except him received it from man. It is by no means to be thought that by saying these things, he preferred himself to this blessed John or the other apostles, or even the prophets, who certainly learned not from man or through man, but through the revelation of God, or Jesus Christ. For all of them, being caught up to the third heaven meant seeing heavenly things through the intellectual eye.

Three modes of visions.
Genesis 41.
2 Corinthians 12.
See Church History, book 7, chapter 21.

¶ For there are three heavens, and three modes of visions. There is corporal vision, by which we see bodies or bodily things with the light of the mind through the eyes of the body. There is spiritual vision, by which we see certain images while sleeping or even while thinking, but do not yet understand them: this is how Pharaoh saw the seven ears of grain and the seven oxen, as we have already said. And there is intellectual vision, by which the mind is illuminated by the Holy Spirit so that it understands: this is how Joseph understood what was signified by those same images. Are not the things contained in this book also words of this kind—arcane words which it is not lawful for a man to speak, that is, to be committed to human sense alone? For if a man speaks these things—that is, if anyone wishes to explain or receive them by human sense—a ruinous heresy is generated from it. This happened with a certain man named Nepos, a bishop in parts of Egypt, who, taking testimonies from this revelation with a Jewish understanding, tried to assert that the promises of God were to be exhibited corporally, and that the saints would reign with Christ on this earth for a thousand years in bodily delights Nepos was a 3rd-century bishop who advocated for Chiliasm, a literal 1,000-year earthly reign of Christ.

Why Paul boasts so of his rapture and revelation.
2 Corinthians 12.
Galatians 1.

¶ But someone will say: if this was the grace of all the apostles, to speak heavenly mysteries of Christ through revelation, since they were themselves unlearned and without letters before the revelation: why was it necessary for the Apostle to assert so vehemently about himself that he had been caught up to the third heaven, and that he had learned not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ? To this I say: it was greatly necessary because the evangelical faith was in danger among the Corinthians and the Galatians. False apostles were preaching against the person of the Apostle Paul so that faith might be led into circumcision and Jewish ritual. They were disparaging the Apostle Paul as if he should not be heard in such a great matter, claiming he did not know the truth of the Gospel and was not among the great apostles. For this reason, he asserted such things about himself as were mentioned before, not preferring himself to the others, but making himself equal to the apostles; namely, so that the truth of the Gospel might remain. But now let us enter the paths of that same revelation. He says: And I heard behind me a great voice like a trum-

XVII. COMMENTARY BOOK I.

pet saying: What you see, write. What was "behind" John, when he was in the spirit? Surely the whole world, whatever is discerned by bodily eyes; indeed, even the whole state of the present church. These things were "behind" him because he was extending himself toward the things ahead, being caught up on high to see them; however, what we now say was yet to come.

Nerva.
History of the occasion for writing the Gospel according to John.

¶ When John himself returned to Ephesus after the killing of Domitian, with the permission of the pious prince Nerva, he was compelled by almost all the bishops of Asia at that time and by delegations from many churches to speak more deeply concerning the divinity of Christ, which is co-eternal with the Father. This was because in the writings of the three evangelists—namely Matthew, Mark, and Luke—they seemed to have sufficient testimony concerning his humanity and the things he did as a man. Why was this? Because while he was in exile, heretics had broken into the church like wolves into sheepfolds left without a shepherd: Marcion, Cerinthus, and Ebion, and other antichrists who denied that Christ existed before Mary. They had stained the simplicity of the evangelical faith with perverse doctrine. Therefore, he heard behind him a "great voice like a trumpet," because it was to happen that he would be greatly compelled by almost all the already mentioned bishops of Asia. Thus, as if rising for war, he might oppose the faithless heretics and, with the sword of the word of God drawn, defend the boundaries of the ecclesiastical faith. We understand that great voice to represent that intense intention of everyone by which he was to be compelled.

Like the voice of a trumpet.

¶ At the same time, because the truth of the faith does not love corners and does not desire to speak in secret, but openly to the whole world: it was rightly fitting for that which has been said to be signified not by just any voice, but by a "great voice like a trumpet." What you see, he says, write. This is the voice of all the bishops of Asia saying:

John 13.
John's Gospel against Cerinthus, Ebion, Marcion etc.

O John, beloved of Jesus Christ, who reclining upon his breast drank the streams of evangelical truth from the sacred fountain of the Lord's own breast John 13:23–25: since Marcion, Cerinthus, and Ebion, and other antichrists have broken into the church during your absence and exile and have stained the simplicity of the evangelical faith with perverse doctrine, denying that Christ existed before Mary; and since the other evangelists—namely Matthew, Mark, and Lucas—have confirmed sufficient testimony in their writings concerning his humanity: you, concerning the antiquity of his divinity, write what you see, what you know, and what you hold with your evangelical pen. By your writing, dispel all the darkness of the heretics with the revealed light of truth.

Send to the seven churches.

¶ And send to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and Smyrna, and Pergamum, and Thyatira, and Sardis, and Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Send to the seven churches—that is, deliver it to the universal church, which is diffused throughout the whole world, ordered and confirmed by the sevenfold Holy Spirit. For in Lesser Asia there are indeed seven metropolitan cities, of which Ephesus is the head. Nevertheless, because he speaks to the seven churches of Asia, he certainly speaks to the whole church; which, though it is one, is encompassed by the number seven, by which universality is often designated. He specifically directs his prophecy to those seven churches of Asia over which divine grace appointed him as preacher; but he nonetheless desires to deliver these things, which he knows were revealed to him, to the universal church for the common progress of all, since he says without exception: "blessed is he who reads and hears the words of this prophecy." It follows: And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.

And I turned, namely to prayers and fasts.

¶ When the bishops of Asia asked John, as was said above, to speak more deeply concerning the divinity of Christ which is co-eternal with the Father, what did he do? Surely he turned to prayer and fasting; responding that he would not do otherwise unless, a fast having been declared, everyone prayed together to the Lord so that he might be able to write worthy things. He did this; or rather, when he saw these things, he was going to do it. Rightly, therefore, he says, and I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. For he who was asked to ascend into heaven, as it were, and demonstrate the hidden divinity to men, fled to prayer and fasting. Being anxious and suspicious of his own fragility, he is rightly said to have turned, or to be turned, so that he might "see the voice" that spoke with him. This means that by the gift of supreme grace he might obtain what he is asked to utter, and that he might first deserve to see or know what he is to show or write down.

¶ And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven golden lampstands one like the Son of Man, clothed in a floor-length robe, and girded at the breasts with a golden sash.

Seven lampstands are one lampstand.
Matthew 5.
Luke 11.

¶ And this was done accordingly. For having turned (as was already said) to prayers and fasts, while the church celebrated the declared fast together, he saw by the revelation of the Holy Spirit what things were worthy to be written concerning the divinity of Christ. The present text describes these things most beautifully, with a golden meaning and a surface that is entirely silver. And I saw, he says, seven golden lampstands. The seven lampstands are the seven churches. Therefore, just as there are seven churches and yet there is one church, so the seven lampstands are one lampstand. Of this lampstand the Lord himself speaks in the Gospel: "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place, nor under a basket, but upon a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light" Matthew 5:15; Luke 11:33. This...