XXIIII

ON THE APOCALYPSE CHAPTER I.

He has need of a modest virtue, that is, humility.

He opens and no one shuts; he shuts and no one opens. Behold, he says, I have set before you an open door which no one can shut. This is to say: Behold, I have led you into my cellars, or into my wine cellar, by the open door of understanding: so that you may draw from within the riches of wisdom and knowledge, which no one can take away once I have granted them to you. For what reason? Because of merit: because, he says, you have a modest virtue, that is, you possess an outstanding humility: having confidence not in your own power, but in mine. Now, the one to whom he speaks these things is the angel of Philadelphia, which is interpreted as "brotherly love" original: "dilectionis fraternæ". Therefore, until that King opens for those standing outside with his key, one must possess modest virtue, that is, humility must be maintained. Thus, through brotherly love, we may freely share that little bit of sweetness we have already tasted—if indeed we have deserved to taste or find anything—having hope

Matthew 7.
Luke 11.
To smile upon little works.

in him who also speaks elsewhere: "He who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened." You, most illustrious Archbishop FREDERICK, greatly strengthen this hope of my soul. In your great benevolence, you have been able not only to be well-disposed toward my little works, but even to smile upon them. It is as if you were present, and considered me to be present with you, at that great and festive banquet

Genesis 21.
1 Corinthians 14.
Hebrews 5.
Genesis 21.
This book is solid food for the perfect.

which Abraham, the father of laughter—the father, I say, of his boy Isaac, whose name means "laughter"—prepared on the day of his weaning. For that banquet belongs to those who, reading the scriptures, do not become children in their senses, but are indeed infants in malice while remaining perfect in their senses. Such people do not need milk, but rather the solid food that belongs to the perfect. There is the beginning of laughter and joy: that eternal laughter which the mother Sarah foreshadowed in a mystery when she said: "God has made laughter for me; whoever hears will laugh with me." Certainly, this book of the Apocalypse is especially to be set before such people, because it is clearly not milk for infants, but solid food for the perfect. All the mysteries contained in it are strong

Song of Songs 7.
Luke 11.

like wine, and indeed a wine (as the bride says in the Song of Songs regarding such things) most sweet and excellent, worthy for my beloved to drink, and for his lips and teeth to ruminate upon. Let us therefore seek, as we have begun, so that we may find; let us knock perseveringly, so that it may be opened to us.

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THE SECOND BOOK OF COMMENTARIES

OF ABBOT RUPERT OF DEUTZ ON THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN

The Gospel of John against Cerinthus and other antichrists.

A large decorative woodcut initial 'P' features interlaced strapwork and floral motifs.
In the preceding chapter of the most clear vision, John the Evangelist saw a wonderful omen of what he was to write: namely, the Son of Man clothed in a long robe and girded with a golden belt. His head was white, by which was signified the Ancient Word original: "uerbū antiquū" who was in the beginning with God. This was specifically directed against Cerinthus an early Gnostic heretic and other antichrists, who were beginning to deny that Christ existed before Mary. It was said to him, after he saw these and other things: "Write therefore what you have seen." Then the sacrament of the seven stars and the seven lampstands was explained to him: namely, that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. And immediately there follows:

CHAPTER II.
The nature of the one who speaks here.

Write to the angel of the church of Ephesus. These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. Here now the seven spirits of God begin to speak, who are in the presence of the throne of God. For he who speaks is indeed the Son of Man, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: who was dead and lives: who has a sword sharp on both sides: who has eyes like a flame of fire: who has the seven spirits of God: who has the key of David: who is the beginning of the creation of

Colossians 2.
Seven spirits speak to the seven churches.

God. But observe carefully, because through each of the seven sections of his speech, he cries out: "He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Therefore, the seven spirits of God speak, while here the one Son of Man, or Son of God, is speaking. They speak, I say, from that dwelling place of theirs, in whom the whole fullness of the divinity dwells corporally. They are in the presence of the throne of God as an example for the church of God. This Son of Man is set forth for the church to imitate, having in himself the seven spirits of God. Here, in the first place, the Spirit of Fear speaks to the churches; second, the Spirit of Piety; third, the Spirit of Knowledge; fourth, the Spirit of Fortitude; fifth, the Spirit of Counsel; sixth, the Spirit of Understanding;

Psalm 110 and Proverbs 1.
Isaiah 11.

and seventh, the Spirit of Wisdom. For while the church imitates Christ, it begins from fear and reaches wisdom by ascending, just as it is written: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Furthermore, where the Son of God descends to instruct the same church, the first is the Spirit of Wisdom and the last is the Spirit of Fear, as the prophet says: "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord speaks to the Angel of Ephesus.

piety, and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord shall fill him." Therefore, with that same spirit leading the way, let him who has an ear for hearing hear what each of these spirits says to the churches, according to the property of its own dignity. And first, let us see what the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord says. To the angel of the church of Ephesus, he says, write, and so forth. That he who says these things to the churches is the Spirit of Fear is made more clearly manifest by what he says: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and move your lampstand out of its place, unless you do penance." The name of Ephesus, or the interpretation of the name, hints at the state of those to whom it is appropriate to say these things. For Ephesus is interpreted as "a great fall" original: "lapſus magnus", or "my will in her." It is indeed a great fall to have left one's first charity and to have fallen from it. It is the will of God that whoever has כך fallen or slipped should do penance. The angel, that is, the priest of the church of Ephesus, was of this sort then, and today there are many priests, or those living in the church under priests, whom the Spirit of Fear rebukes in this one angel, partly by terrifying them and partly by praising and

The stars are held so they do not fall.

restoring them. He begins thus: "These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand." The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, as was said before. Now, by this saying, he constrains such stars with a healthy fear: because these stars are in heaven in such a way that they must be held lest they fall to the

Below, chapter 6.
Isaiah 14.
Romans 11.
Psalm 35.

earth. For many stars have fallen from heaven and the princes of darkness have been made into stars. By saying, therefore, "he who holds the seven stars in his right hand," he simultaneously and terribly hints that he who thinks he stands should see that he does not fall. For he does not stand by his own power, but by the right hand of the Lord holding him. This must be guarded against especially because he who holds these same stars watches vigilantly, lest perhaps the foot of pride should come to anyone because of that very brilliance. Whence he adds:

Jeremiah 17.

"He who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands." This is the same as if he said: "He who, walking in your midst, searches the hearts and minds of each person." For, as was said before, the seven lampstands are the seven churches. When he walks in the midst of such lampstands, let him see the light of each one as it shines, lest perhaps without the oil of charity and without the works of love, the faith of the dead should merely smolder. For when he finds such a thing, he says: "I know your works, and your labor and patience, and that you cannot bear

Faith without charity profits nothing.

evil men. You have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. You have patience, and you have endured for my name's sake and have not failed." Clearly these works are indeed good: to labor in the rule of the Catholic faith and to have patience in this labor, even by disputing against perverse dogmas, whose evil makers are so many and so talkative that you cannot bear them. Such at that time were Marcion and Cerinthus, and many other heretics. These are indeed good works, to test those lying teachers and to convict false apostles. But perfection does not consist in this, no matter how much patience you have in enduring these people and not failing, if you lack the primary ornament of charity. For the

1 Corinthians 13.
James 2.

Apostle also says: "And if I should have all faith, so that I could move mountains, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profits me nothing." And the Apostle James says: "But do you want to know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle?" For faith is idle, no matter how much it may seem to work, unless it works through love. He says therefore: "But I have this against you, that you have left your first charity." It is as if he said: That which you do works for you and acts on your behalf, but this is against you, that in

First charity, that is, the principal good.
1 Cor 13 at the end.
John 13.

this work of yours you have left your first charity. For the "first," that is, the principal good, is charity, which is also the more excellent way according to the Apostle. This is almost the only and unique sign of perfection, and the testimony of true virtue, as he said elsewhere: "In this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." By this sign was Stephen the protomartyr known, when in his labor and patience, though he could not bear the

Acts 7 at the end.

evil ones whom he had found and convicted as liars, he yet had such patience and endured for the name of the Lord that, dying, he even prayed for them, saying: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."