Nicholas of Lyra

In his own words on Revelation

• Revelation 1:1

  which must shortly come to pass That is, the trials of the Church which must come to pass quickly, because this proceeds from the divine command which is not able to be altered. This is for the testing of the faithful and to expand of their glory. sending by His angel Jesus appearing in this way.

• Revelation 1:2

  Who has given testimony to the word of God In the beginning of his gospel about his eternal Godhead saying, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (Jn. 1:1)"; that is about to his incarnation, saying, "And the Word was made flesh, etc.(Jn. 1:14)" Therefore, he adds: And the testimony of Jesus Christ, That is, concerning Jesus Christ. he has seen In His way of life, in His miracles, in His death and resurrection, as he clearly shows in the words his Gospel.

• Revelation 1:3

  Blessed He tells the hearers to listen to the power of the book; that is, how to get blessedness, saying: Blessed is he that reads Referring to the doctors of the Church, who hear Referring to pious students, The words of this prophesy, By keeping in mind. and keeps those things that are written in it; By enduring the future trials, and the reason is added: For the time is at hand, already passing, as if to say, the suffering is brief and the reward of blessedness is forever.

• Revelation 1:4

  This "7" is understood as the Church established in the world. St. Gregory says in Homily 25, "Because in 7 days all time is comprehended; the number 7 is a proper figure for the whole. Grace unto you In the present life. And peace in the future, for there the humanity will be completely tamed. From Him who is That is, from the eternal God. According to Boethius in the Consolation of Philosophy, "Eternity is endless life possessed all at once in its totality and its perfection. Nevertheless, his simplicity is not apprehended by us except by a comparison to time; for we understand in terms of succession and time. For he assists at every time, even infinitely as it were; therefore, this is expressed to us through the distinctions of present, past, and future time. And from the 7 spirits That is, from all the angels who are ministers of our salvation. Who are before His throne, Prepared to follow His will.

• Revelation 1:5

  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness Of the glory of the Father and majesty, as is clear in the Gospel. the first begotten That is, the first among those rising from the dead, although before Him Lazarus and many others were brought back to life. Nevertheless, this was mortal life, which is more properly called death than life, as St. Gregory says in Homily 25, "The true resurrection is to immortal life to which Christ rose first. His resurrection is the cause of the resurrection of others. and the prince of the kings of the earth On account of this He said in his resurrection, "All power is given unto me in Heaven and on earth.(Matt. 28:18)" who hath loved us, and washed us That is, who alone by His love and not by our merits washed us. from our sins Original and actual sin. in his own blood The sacraments of baptism and penance, are made efficacious by His blessed passion.

• Revelation 1:6

  made us a kingdom. That is, to be written as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.

• Revelation 1:7

  they also that pierced him. That the Jews, who crucified Him by word of the soldiers by hand and Pilate by judging.

• Revelation 1:7

  even so. Amen. this is the adverb of affirmation in Latin and similarly Amen in Hebrew, and by means of this double affirmation it is implied that truth is not retractable.

• Revelation 5:1

  in the right hand. The operative power of God is called metaphorically called His right hand.

• Revelation 5:2

  who is worthy to open the book. That is, to reveal the mystery of God. and to loose the seals: That is, to show how each seal proceeds from the divine will.

• Revelation 5:2

  a strong angel. This seems to have been Gabrial who is interpreted as God's might.

• Revelation 5:3

  And no man was able, neither in heaven: The angels. nor on earth: Humans. nor under the earth: The demons in whom the natural things remain intact. to open the book: No one can understand the divine mysteries, unless God, who first revealed them to the human Christ and Christ to John, reveals them.

• Revelation 5:4

  In this weeping John indicates the desire to know the future course of the Church.

• Revelation 5:5

  lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David. That is, descending from the root of David according to the flesh, as it was prophesied in Is. 11, "A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

• Revelation 5:5

  one of the ancients. Who this elder was is not said. Some say that he was Matthew, the evangelist.

• Revelation 20:3

  he must be loosed for a little while. This they (Peter Auriol and Alexander Minorita) explain with regards to the time of the Antichrist when the power of the Devil will be released to deceive the nations.

• Revelation 20:5

  until the thousand years were finished. That is, the time of Christ; for they will rise with others at the end of the world to be punished simultaneously in body and spirit.

• Revelation 20:6

  Supply the life of glory for their souls, which glorifies life is called the first resurrection. Indeed the second will be when they will rise in glorious bodies. Because these have salvation that they already posses in their souls and afterwards they will have this bodily;

• Revelation 20:7

  By Gog, which means 'roof.' Antichrist is understood, who will be the dwelling place of the Devil. By Magog, which means 'from the roof,' those who follow Antichrist are understood, as has been said more fully in Ez. 39.

• Revelation 20:7

  the four quarters of the earth. that is, from all parts of the earth.

• Revelation 20:8

  the beloved city. That is Jerusalem, which will be inhabited at that time by Christians, as was said in Ez. 39.

• Revelation 20:9

  the beast. That is, those living in a bestial fashion.