Caesarius of Arles

In his own words on Revelation

• Revelation 1:4

  Asia means "elevated," by which the human race is indicated. These seven churches and the lampstands are to be seriously considered because it is the sevenfold grace which is given by God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to us of the human race who have believed. For he himself promised to send to us the Spirit Paraclete from heaven, whom he also sent to the apostles who were seen to be in Asia, that is, in the prideful world, where he also gave the sevenfold grace to the seven churches, that is to us, through his servant John.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 1:4, HOMILY 1

• Revelation 1:13

  He who is girded signifies Christ the Lord. By the two breasts understand the two Testaments which receive from the breast of our Lord and Savior as though from a perennial fountain and from which they nourish the Christian people unto eternal life. The golden girdle is a chorus or the multitude of saints. For just as the breast is bound by a girdle, so the multitude of the saints is bound to Christ, so that as the two Testaments encompass the two breasts they are nourished by them as by holy paps.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 1:13, HOMILY 1

• Revelation 1:14

  The white hair is the multitude of those made white, that is, he is speaking of the neophytes who come forth from baptism. He speaks of wool because they are the sheep of Christ. He speaks of snow because just as snow falls freely from heaven, so also the grace of baptism comes apart from any preceding merits. For those who are baptized are Jerusalem, which each day comes down as though snow from heaven. That is, the church is said to descend from heaven because that grace is from heaven through which she is both freed from sins and joined to Christ, who is her eternal head and heavenly spouse.… The beast from the abyss is said to ascend, that is, an evil people is born from an evil people. For just as by descending humbly Jerusalem is exalted, so the beast, that is, that prideful people which arrogantly ascends, is cast down.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 1:14, HOMILY 1

• Revelation 2:5

  Note that he did not say that he "takes away" [the lampstand] but that he "moves." For the lampstand signifies the one Christian people. Therefore, he says that this lampstand is to be moved, not taken away, so that we might understand that in the very same church the evil are moved and the good confirmed. Moreover, he means that by the hidden but nonetheless just judgment of God, that which is taken from the evil is given as increase to the good. This fulfills that which is written, "He who has, it will be added to him; but to him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken from him."

  EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE 2:5, HOMILY 2

• Revelation 2:17

  "And I shall give to him a white stone," that is, the body made white by baptism. "And on the stone is written a new name," that is, the knowledge of the Son of man. "Which no one knows except him who receives it." That is, no one knows it except through revelation, and for that reason it is said of the Jews, "For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:17, HOMILY 2

• Revelation 2:20-21

  He is speaking to the leaders of the churches who fail to impose the severity of ecclesiastical discipline upon the extravagant and the fornicator and those who do whatever other kind of evil. It is possible that this also refers to heretics. "Who calls herself a prophetess," that is, a Christian, for many heresies flatter themselves with this name.

  EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE 2:20, HOMILY 2

• Revelation 3:15-16

  Let us not only beware of serious sins, as I suggested above, but let us also spurn small daily acts of negligence as the poison of the devil. There are some people who are weakened by excessive unconcern after their religious profession, because they seem to have left the world. In such people is fulfilled that sentence of our Lord in which it is said, "How I wish you were one or the other—hot or cold! But because you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth!" What does it mean that he said, How I wish you were one or the other—hot or cold? This means that it would have been better for you to have remained cold in the world or to be fervent in the monastery. Now because you have withdrawn from the world and still have refused to acquire spiritual warmth because of your carelessness, you have become lukewarm and will be vomited from the Lord's mouth, scarcely ever to be recovered again. For this reason, dearest brothers, with God's help carefully listen to the sentence of sacred Scripture, in which it is said, "With closest custody guard your heart." There should be rejoicing over the monk who has come to the monastery and, in a meek and humble spirit, wills to practice meekness, obedience and patience.

  SERMON 235.4, TO MONKS

• Revelation 3:17-18

  By the doing of alms and by standing firm in good works you might yourself be made gold. That is, that you might receive understanding from God and through your good behavior you might merit to suffer martyrdom.

  EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE 3:18, HOMILY 3

• Revelation 3:19

  Do the proud and wicked souls who commit serious sins seem happy to you because they do not suffer evil in this world? Listen to what the Scriptures say about such people: "They are not in the labors of men: neither shall they be scourged with other men. Therefore their pride has held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness. Their iniquity has come forth, as it were from fatness." They are not scourged at all in this world, because they are reserved for eternal punishment due to the excessive number of their sins. They cannot be punished in this short time, for they require endless torture. Now, our Lord and God, who withholds punishment of these people in his justice, does not cease to exercise his children with diverse tribulations, as we read: "God scourges every son whom he receives," and, "those whom I love I rebuke and chastise." If he scourges every son he receives, then if he does not chastise a person, he does not accept him. If he chastises all whom he loves, he does not love a person if he does not chastise him. The power of God does not effect this, but the wickedness of people merits to suffer it, according to what is written: "He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is just, let him be just still."

  SERMON 5.3

• Revelation 3:20

  If an earthly king or the head of a family invited you to his birthday celebration, with what kind of garments would you endeavor to adorn yourself when you approached? Surely with new and shining ones, costly ones, whose age or cheapness or ugliness could not offend the eyes of the one who invited you. Therefore, with Christ's help, strive as much as you can with a like zeal, so that your soul may with an easy conscience approach the solemn feast of the eternal king, that is, the birthday of our Lord and Savior, if it is adorned with the decoration of various virtues. Let it be adorned with the jewels of simplicity and the flowers of temperance, gleaming chastity, shining charity and joyful almsgiving. For if Christ the Lord recognizes that you are celebrating his birthday with such dispositions, he himself will deign to come and not only visit your soul but also rest and continually dwell in it. As it is written, "I will dwell with them and walk among them"; and again, "Here I stand, knocking at the door; if anyone rises up and opens the door, I will enter his house and have supper with him, and he with me." How happy is the soul which, with God's help, has striven to direct his life in such a way that he may merit receiving Christ as his guest and indwelling person.

  SERMON 187.3

• Revelation 5:1

  "Sealed," it says, "by seven seals." This means that the book was obscured by the plenitude of all mysteries, since until the passion and resurrection of Christ it had remained sealed. For in no way is anything called a "testament," unless those who are about to die make it, and it is sealed until the death of the testator, and after his death, it is opened. And so, after the death of Christ every mystery was revealed.

  EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE 5:1, HOMILY 4

• Revelation 5:1

  book written within and without. Understand it as both testaments! By the outside the old, by the inside the new, which is concealed within the old.

• Revelation 5:2

  who is worthy.... It is because Christ opened the book when he undertook the work of the Father's will, was conceived, and was born. The He broke its seals when He was slain for the human race.

• Revelation 5:3

  that is, neither angel, nor anyone living on earth, nor any of the dead, to contemplate the brightness of the grace of the New Testament.

• Revelation 5:6

  The throne, the animals, the elders and the Lamb as though slain are all the church together with her head. [The church] dies for Christ that she might live with Christ. The martyrs in the church may also be understood as the Lamb slain.

  EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE 5:6, HOMILY 4

• Revelation 5:12

  This is not said of his Godhead, in which are all the treasuries of wisdom, so that he should receive [wisdom]. Rather, this is said of his assumed manhood, that is, concerning his body, which is the church. Or, it might be said of his martyrs who were slain for his name. For the church receives all things in her Head, as the Scriptures say, "He has given us all things with him." The Lamb himself receives, as he said in the Gospel, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." However, he receives [this authority] according to his humanity, not according to his divinity.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:12, HOMILY 4

• Revelation 6:2

  The white horse is the church, and its rider is Christ. This horse of the Lord with the bow made ready for war was promised beforehand by Zechariah. "The Lord God will visit his flock, the house of Israel, and he will arrange him as a formidable horse in war, and from him he looked, and from him he arranged [the battle order], and from him came the bow in anger, and from him will come out every oppressor." And so we interpret the white horse to be the prophets and the apostles. In the rider who is crowned and has a bow we recognize not only Christ but also the Holy Spirit. For after Christ ascended into heaven, he opened all mysteries and sent the Holy Spirit. Through preachers the word of the Spirit, as though they were arrows, went out to the hearts of people and conquered their unbelief. The crown upon the head are the promises made through the Holy Spirit.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:2, HOMILY 5

• Revelation 6:4

  The red horse comes out against the victorious and conquering church. That is, there comes an evil and wicked people, made bloody from its rider, the devil. This is just as we read in Zechariah concerning the red horse of the Lord, except that there it is red from his own blood, while here it is red from the blood of others. "And to him a great sword was given, to take peace from the earth." This refers to the peace of the earth, for the church possesses an eternal peace that Christ left behind for himself. As we noted above, the white horse is the church and its rider is Christ or the Holy Spirit in whose hand is a bow that sends forth his commandments, as though they were powerful, sharp arrows, throughout the whole world both to kill sins and to enliven the hearts of the faithful. The crown upon his head is the promise of eternal life. Here, … the red horse is an evil people whose rider is the devil. It is said to be red because it has been made red with the blood of multitudes. And a sharp sword was given to it to take peace from the earth. This means that with the devil's connivance and influence evil people join together and do not cease to incite among themselves strife and dissension, even unto death.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:4, HOMILY 5

• Revelation 6:5

  In the black horse we recognize an evil people which works in concert with the devil. "He had a balance in his hand," which indicates that while evil persons feign to have the scales of justice, they deceive many.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:5, HOMILY 5

• Revelation 6:6

  The wine is to be interpreted as the blood of Christ, and the oil as the unction of chrismation.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:6

• Revelation 6:8

  In the pale horse we perceive evil people who never cease to incite persecutions. And these three horses are one, who came out after the white horse and against it. And they have as their rider the devil, who is death. And so, the three horses are interpreted to be war, famine, and pestilence. For in the Gospel, the Lord foretold of these things, and they have already occurred, and as the day of judgment draws nearer will occur even more.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:8, HOMILY 5

• Revelation 6:15

  This signifies that the whole world, among the good and the saints, is going to find refuge in the church, so that made firm under [the church's] protection it is able to endure unto eternal life, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:15, HOMILY 5

• Revelation 7:9

  By the white robes he means the gift of the Holy Spirit.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9, HOMILY 6

• Revelation 7:9

  He did not say, "After this I saw another people," but "I saw a people," that is, the same people that he had seen in the mystery of the 144,000, which he now sees as without number from every tribe and tongue and nation. For by believing, all nations have been engrafted into the root. In the Gospel the Lord showed forth in the [figure of the] twelve tribes the whole church both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. He said, "You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9, HOMILY 6

• Revelation 7:14

  These are not, as some think, only martyrs, but rather the whole people in the church. For it does not say that they washed their robes in their own blood but in the blood of the Lamb, that is, in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. As it is written, "And the blood of his Son has cleansed us."

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:14, HOMILY 6

• Revelation 8:5

  Jesus received his body, that is, the church, and he filled her with the fire of the Holy Spirit in order that the will of the Father might be fulfilled. "And there were voices and thunder and lightning and earthquakes." All of these things are the spiritual proclamations and virtues of the church.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:5, HOMILY 6

• Revelation 8:11

  A third part of humankind was made like the star that fell upon it.… Many die from the waters. This can manifestly be interpreted to refer to those who are rebaptized.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:11, HOMILY 6

• Revelation 9:2

  [The devil] revealed his own heart, which sins without any fear or shame. "And smoke rose from the pit," that is, from a people that covers and obscures the church, so that it is said that "the sun and air were darkened with the smoke." It says that the sun was darkened, not that it fell to the earth. For the sins of evil and prideful persons, which are constantly being committed throughout the world, obscure the sun, that is, obscure the church and sometimes cause darkness for the saints and the righteous. For the number of the evil is so great that it is often with great difficulty that the good among them become evident.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:2, HOMILY 7

• Revelation 9:5

  There are two parts in the church, one part of those who are good and one part of those who are evil. The one part is persecuted in order that it might be corrected; the other part is given up to its own desires. A part of those who are good is handed over to humiliation that they might know the righteousness of God and might remember penance, as it is written, "It is good that you have humbled me, that I might know your righteous deeds." [The torture like a sting of a scorpion] occurs when the devil draws near through the poison of transgressions and sins.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:4, HOMILY 7

• Revelation 9:13

  In the altar that is in the sight of God we are to understand the church. In the time of the last persecution she will despise the words and commands of that most inhumane of kings and will separate from those who have submitted to him.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:13, HOMILY 7

• Revelation 9:18-19

  [The smoke, fire, and sulphur from their mouths] are the blasphemies that proceed from their mouths against God. "Their tails are like serpents." The leaders [of the heretics] we call "tails," and the rulers of the world we call "heads." It is through these that the devil does his harm, and without these he is not able to do harm. For either irreligious kings do harm by an evil exercise of authority, or worldly prelates do harm by teaching badly.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:18-19, HOMILY 7

• Revelation 10:9-10

  "It will be sweet in your mouth but bitter in your stomach." By the mouth we are to understand the good and spiritual Christians, while by the stomach we understand the carnal and dissolute. And so it is that when the word of God is preached, it is sweet to the spiritual, but to the carnal, whose "god is the belly" as the apostle says, it seems bitter and harsh.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 10:10, HOMILY 8

• Revelation 11:5

  Should anyone harm the church or wish to harm her, through the prayers of her mouth he shall be consumed by a divine fire either in the present age for his correction or in the future age for his damnation.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:5, HOMILY 8

• Revelation 12:1

  [The moon under her feet] refers to the hypocrites and evil Christians which the church has under her feet.… The twelve stars are to be interpreted as the twelve apostles. That the woman is clothed in the sun signifies her hope in the resurrection. For this reason it is written, "then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

  EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE 12:1, HOMILY 9

• Revelation 12:4

  The tail symbolizes the evil prophets, that is, heretics who threw down to earth those stars of heaven who joined them through a repeated baptism. They are under the feet of the woman. Many believed that these are persons whom the devil made his companions since they were of the same mind as he. Many believe that these are angels who were thrown down with him when he fell.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:4, HOMILY 9

• Revelation 12:6

  We understand the wilderness to be this world where Christ feeds and leads the church unto the end. In this world the church herself tramples under foot through the help of Christ haughty and impious persons as though they were scorpions and vipers and all the power of Satan.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:6, HOMILY 9

• Revelation 12:9

  The devil, as well as every unclean spirit along with their leader, were expelled from the hearts of the saints to the earth, that is, to persons who are wise only in earthly things and have their entire hope in earthly things.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:9, HOMILY 9

• Revelation 12:12

  It says "come down" to preserve the allegory. As all are in "heaven," that is, in the church, which is rightly called heaven, when the devil is thrown out of the saints, he "comes down" to his followers who are the "earth" because of their earthly affection. He is said to be thrown out of heaven, not so that he might come to those who have already been made heaven but because of those who have not become what they might be. For the saints cannot become heaven, unless the devil has been expelled.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:12, HOMILY 9

• Revelation 13:1

  "I saw a beast rising out of the sea," that is, out of an evil people. That he was "rising out" means that he was coming into existence, even as the blooming flower comes forth from the root of Jesse. In the beast coming forth from the sea he signifies all impious who are the body of the devil.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:1, HOMILY 10

• Revelation 13:2

  The beast is like a leopard because of the variety of nations; he is like a bear because of his maliciousness and madness; he is like a lion because of the strength of his body and the haughtiness of his mouth. At the time of the antichrist his kingdom will be [as a leopard], for it will contain a commixture of various nations and people; it will have feet as a bear in its leaders, and its commanding authority will be as the mouth [of a lion]. "And the dragon gave him his power," for we see how the heretics, who have the power of the devil, are powerful in this world. For just as formerly it was the pagans who devastated the church, so now it is the heretics.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:2, HOMILY 10

• Revelation 13:3-4

  That which "seemed wounded" are the heretics who hypocritically seem to confess Christ and blaspheme since they do not believe as the catholic faith has it. They prophesy that he who was wounded is also raised again, for even Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light. Another interpretation might be that heresies are wounded by the catholics, for they are suppressed by the testimonies of the Scriptures. Yet, as though a wound of Satan they are revived and accomplish the works of Satan and do not cease from blaspheming and attracting whomever they can to his teachings.… [The dragon gave his power to the beast], for indeed the heretics possess power, especially the Arians. … "And they adored the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?' " To be sure, the heretics flatter themselves that no one believes better than they and that no one can conquer their people who are marked by the name of the beast. And it will be given to him by the devil himself, although with God's permission, that he should speak haughty things and blasphemies, as the apostle says, "There must be heresies in order that those who are genuine among you may be manifested."

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:3-4, HOMILY 10

• Revelation 13:5-6

  The forty-two months are to be interpreted as the time of the last persecution. "It opened its mouth to blaspheme against God." It is clear that this refers to those who have left the catholic church, for while earlier they seemed to be within the church as though they held the right faith, in time of persecution they openly blaspheme God with the mouth. [The dwelling of God] is the saints who are contained within the church, which is called "heaven," for they are the habitation of God.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:5-6, HOMILY 10

• Revelation 13:12-13

  Since the church is "heaven," what is this fire that falls from heaven other than heresies that fall from the church? As it is written, "They went out from us, but they were not of us." For fire falls from the church whenever heretics leave the church as though fire and persecute the church. Therefore, the beast with the two horns causes the people to worship the image of the beast, that is, the devices of the devil.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:12-13, HOMILY 11

• Revelation 13:15-16

  "That he give them a mark on the right hand or on the forehead." He speaks of the mystery of deception. For the saints who are in the church receive Christ in the hand and on the forehead. The hypocrites, however, receive the beast under the name of Christ. "Those who do not worship the beast … will be slain." It is not inconsistent with the faith that the beast be understood as the city of the impious itself, that is, as the congregation or conspiracy of all those who are impious or filled with hubris. This city is called "Babylon," which is interpreted as "Confusion," and to it belong all who desire to work that which is worthy of confusion. He himself is the citizenry of unfaithful persons who are the opposite of the faithful people, that is, the city of God. His image is an imitation, that is, among those people who confess the catholic faith but live the life of infidelity. For they feign to be what they are not, and they are called Christians, not by way of the true image but by way of a false image. Of such persons the apostle wrote, "holding the form of religion but denying the power of it." Not a small number of these persons are within the catholic church. However, the righteous do not worship the beast, that is, they do not assent to him, nor do they submit to him, nor do they receive his mark, the mark of sin, on their forehead, on account of the confession, and on their hand, on account of works.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:15-16, HOMILY 11

• Revelation 14:5

  Truly, dearest brothers, of what profit is it for a man or woman, whether cleric or monk or religious, if bodily virginity is preserved, as long as purity of the heart is violated by evil desires? Of what benefit is it to show chastity in one member and to keep corruption in all the rest? For if you notice carefully, those virgins who follow the Lamb do not do so merely because of the fact that they have preserved only bodily virginity. Finally, when he had said, "These are they who did not defile themselves with women," he continued and added, "and in their mouth there was found no lie; they are without blemish." Listen carefully that if anyone boasts about bodily virginity alone, as long as he loves deceit he will not be able to follow Christ along with those holy virgins. For this reason let no virgin presume only upon her physical virginity, because if she is disobedient or gossiping she knows that she will have to be excluded from the bedchamber of her heavenly Spouse. Although a virgin possesses a hundredfold and a married woman the thirtyfold, still a chaste and humble married woman is better than a proud virgin.

  SERMON 155.3

• Revelation 14:5

  It does not say "there was no [lie in their mouth]," but "no lie was found in their mouth." For whatever the Lord finds when he calls forth from here, that is what he judges. For whether through baptism or through penance we are able to be made both virgins and without falsehood in the interior person.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 14:5, HOMILY 11

• Revelation 14:14

  [The one like a son of man] is Christ. He is describing the church in her glory, especially since she is white after the flames of persecution. [The gold crown] is the elders with their golden crowns, and the sickle in his hand is that which separates the catholics from the heretics and the saints from the sinners, just as the Lord speaks concerning the reapers.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 14:14, HOMILY 11

• Revelation 14:17

  If we must understand the reaper seated on the white cloud to be Christ himself, who is this vintager, unless it is the Selfsame, only in his body which is the church? Perhaps we would not be far wrong were we to understand those three angels who come out to represent the threefold sense of the Scriptures, namely, the historical, the moral and the spiritual senses. The sickle would then be the difference [between them].

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 14:17, HOMILY 11

• Revelation 16:2

  All of these plagues are spiritual, and they occur in the soul. For at that time the whole people of the impious will be unharmed by any plague of the body, because they were undeserving to be chastised in the present age, and it was as though they had received all the power of causing pain. However, spiritually all who are impious and haughty are going to suffer, for their sins of will and their mortal sins are sores in their souls.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:2, HOMILY 12

• Revelation 16:9

  These plagues from God do not strike them in the body but in the soul. And, therefore, they do not consider God but progress toward greater evil and for that reason blaspheme [God] and persecute his saints.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:9, HOMILY 12

• Revelation 16:13

  In addition to their ugly appearance, frogs are unclean also in their places of habitation. Although they seem to be native to the waters, they cannot endure it when the waters recede or dry up, and they roll around in the waters themselves and in the mud and filth of the waters. The hypocrites likewise do not spend their time in the waters, as they seem to, but in filthy acts that those who believe lay aside in the water. Similar to frogs are such persons who are not ashamed to wallow in sins and vices, which others put aside through penance or baptism. Whenever someone converts to God and repents that he had been arrogant, adulterous, drunken or lustful, such a person imitates these sins that another has relinquished by confessing and thinking to himself says, "I do what I want and later I will do penance as that one has done penance." But suddenly the last day overtakes him, and any confession is lost and his damnation remains. Such is that person who wishes to imitate others, not in that which is good but in that which is evil, and like frogs cover themselves and roll around in that muck and mire from which others have been liberated. Frogs, therefore, signify the spirits of demons who do signs and wonders.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:13-14, HOMILY 13

• Revelation 16:19

  This great city is to be understood as in general every people that is under heaven and that is seen to be in three parts when the church is divided [into three parts]. And so, the Gentiles are considered to be one part, the heretics and false Christians [are] another part, and the catholic church [is] the third part.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:19, HOMILY 13

• Revelation 17:3

  In the beast the whole people who are evil is recognized, and in the woman its corruption is revealed. It says that the woman sits [on the beast] in the desert, because she sits on the impious, those who are dead in their souls and those who are deserted by God. [He was led] in the spirit, it says, because a desertion [by God] of this kind cannot be seen except in the spirit.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:3, HOMILY 13

• Revelation 17:6-7

  There is one body that opposes the church within and without. For within the church there are false Christians, and outside the church there are heretics and pagans. And although this body might seem to be separated in terms of place, yet when it persecutes the church there is working a unity of spirit. For it is impossible that a prophet perish away from Jerusalem, which persecutes the prophets. That is to say, it is impossible for good Christians to suffer any persecution without evil Christians. And so the descendants of their ancestors are accused of consenting to the stoning of Zachariah, even though they themselves did not do it.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:6, HOMILY 14

• Revelation 17:8

  We understand this to mean that an evil people is born out of an evil people. And so we can say the beast comes out of the beast and the abyss out of the abyss. And what does it mean that the beast comes out of the beast, unless an evil people is born out of an evil people? This is so because wicked children copy and replace their wicked parents, and while some are dying, others succeed to them. Therefore, those who from the beginning have always plotted against the church are never lacking, whether they be few or many, whether they be hidden or manifest. And although in this world we can never be separated from having some contact with them, let us beseech the mercy of God, that we might be so separated in our conduct that we do not go with them to an eternal punishment. Rather, when they hear, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire," may we be worthy to hear, "Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom."

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:8, HOMILY 14

• Revelation 17:16

  The harlot is the life of luxury that is lived by plunder and pleasures. It says that they would hate the harlot, for dissolute persons who are also proud, lustful and arrogant not only persecute the saints, but they also hold themselves in hatred. And in another way do those hate themselves in whom the word of Scripture is fulfilled, "Those who love iniquity hate their own soul." "And they will make her desolate and naked." Through the wrath of God and his just judgment by which they are abandoned by him, they themselves will make the world a desert, since they have been given over to it and use it unrighteously. "And they will devour her flesh." This is so, because as the apostle says, "They will bite and eat one another."

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:16, HOMILY 15

• Revelation 18:2

  Can the ruins of a single city contain every unclean spirit or every foul bird, or at the time when a city falls, is the whole world made devoid of impure spirits and birds so that they inhabit the ruins of a single city? There is no city that contains every unclean soul except the city of the devil, in which every uncleanness dwells in wicked persons throughout the whole earth. Those whom it calls "kings" because they persecute Jerusalem are evil people who persecute the church of God.… Whenever you hear the name Babylon, do not think of it as a city made of stones, for "Babylon" means "confusion." Rather, understand that the name signifies those people who are arrogant, robbers, dissolute and impious, and who persevere in their wickednesses.… Whenever you hear the name Jerusalem, which refers to the vision of peace, understand that it refers to persons who are holy before God.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:2, HOMILY 15-16

• Revelation 18:3

  [The kings of the earth fornicated] with each other. For it would be impossible for all kings to commit fornication with a single harlot. Rather, since the evil and profligate, who are members of the harlot, corrupt each other, they are said to commit fornication with the harlot, that is, by a sinful manner of life. Then it says that "all the merchants of the earth were made rich by the wealth of her wantonness." Here it speaks of those who were wealthy in their sins. For excess in luxury makes for poverty rather than for wealth.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:3, HOMILY 16

• Revelation 18:4-5

  We see from this passage that Babylon is divided into two parts. For as long as God allows, the wicked are converted to the good, so that Babylon is divided, and that part that departs from it is the making of Jerusalem. For as long as some are moved from Babylon to Jerusalem and others are seduced from Jerusalem to Babylon, so long are the wicked converted to the good and those who seem through hypocrisy to be good are openly revealed to be wicked. And, therefore, through Isaiah Scripture speaks to the good, "Go out from their midst and touch no unclean thing; go out from their midst and be separated from them, you who bear the vessels of the Lord." The apostle also mentions this separation, saying, "The firm foundation of the Lord remains; and the Lord knows those who are his, and let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." "Lest you take part in her sins," it says, "and lest you share in her plagues." Although it is written, "Whatever righteous man shall be taken by death, he will be at rest," how can a righteous person, whom the fall of the city affects along with the impious, partake of sin? Except perhaps in this way. When the good leave the city of the devil, that is, abandon a profligate and impious life, should any one of them choose to remain and to enjoy the pleasures of Babylon, such a one would certainly share in its plagues. But whenever it says "Come out," do not understand this in a bodily sense but in a spiritual sense. For one comes out of Babylon whenever one abandons an evil manner of life. Babylonians are with Jerusalemites in each house and in the one church and in each city. Nonetheless, as long as the good do not consent with the wicked and the wicked do not convert to the good, Jerusalem is recognized in the good and Babylon is recognized in the wicked. Although they live together in the body, they are far from each other in the heart, for the life of the wicked is always in the things of the earth, for they love the earth and they place their entire hope and the entire intention of their soul in the earth. But according to the apostle, the mind of the good is always in the heavens, since they are wise in that which is on high.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:4, HOMILY 16

• Revelation 18:9-10

  With this repentance, the kings are not bewailing the evil of wealth, because they sinned with [the harlot]. Rather, they recognize that they are losing the prosperity of the world through which they became subject to its pleasures. Or, since those things in it were beginning to come to an end that because of their luxury were previously pleasing to them, these profligates fight and consume one another.… They are said to stand afar off, not physically but in their souls, since each one will fear for himself when he sees what another suffers through the maliciousness and power of the haughty. "They say, 'Alas, alas, thou great city, Babylon!' " … The Spirit speaks the name of the city. Indeed, they lament the world, which is overtaken by punishment in such a short time and all of whose industry has come to an end so violently.

  EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:9-10, HOMILY 16