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Commentary on Revelation By Oecumenius
INTRODUCTION
Revelation 1
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John, 2 Who hath given testimony to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen.
At the beginning of all his writings, it is a common practice of John to use words that express the divinity of our Savior Jesus Christ. In this work he instead uses words that express His humanity, unless we might come to know Him from His divine qualities and not from His human qualities too. For it is a sign of true theology to believe that God the Word has been begotten from God and the Father before all eternity and of time and space, being coeternal and consubstantial with the Father and the Spirit, and joint-ruler of the ages and of all conceivable and sensible creation, according to the words of the most wise Paul in the letter to the Colossians, that: "For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him. And he is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy: (Col.1:16,18)"
But it is also a sign of true theology to believe that He has become Man for us and for our salvation in these last days, not lifting up His Deity, but by receiving human flesh, animated by mind. In this way the one who is Emmanuel is known to have been one from two natures, divinity and humanity, each being complete according to the dwelling Word and according to the distinct characteristics of each nature, neither misunderstood nor altered by their unity, neither kept separate after the unspeakable and hidden union. For Nestorius and Eutyches are both similarly abominable, opposing but indeed measurably evil.
Therefore, in this manner he uses human words and thoughts and gives an accurate and polished doctrine of our Savior, after dwelling on the divinity of our Lord in other writings. Besides, neither before did he give an account of what is divine from what is human, nor in that case what is human from what is divine. But rather a greater or lesser attention to his writings. This is why he says, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, as if he was saying, : "Although this revelation has been given by the Father to the Son, it has now been given by the Son to us his slaves," By calling the saints slaves of Christ, he has defended his divine nature. For to whom would man belong, other than to the Creator and Maker of mankind? And who is the Maker of mankind and of all the creation? No one other than the one and only Word and Son of God. For "all things were made by Him," says John in his Gospel (1:3)
But what is meant by adding the things which must shortly come to pass, since those things that were going to happen have yet to be fulfilled, even though a long time, more than 500 years has gone by since John said this? The reason is because that all time in the eyes of the infinite eternal God are as nothing. For the prophet says, "For a thousand years in your sight are as the yesterday which is past, and as a watch in the night.(Ps. 90:4 LXX)" Therefore, he added shortly, not looking at actual time of the fulfillment of the future, but to the power and eternity of God. In this way, all temporary prolongings, even though it may seem long and extended as possible, is short when compared to eternity. Therefore, he says that Jesus Christ made known to me what must come to pass, not as appearing and speaking Himself, but through an angel he initiated me into his mysteries. You see the truthfulness of John in confessing that it was though an angel that the revelation came to him, and that he did not hear it from the mouth of the Lord. John says the angel hath given testimony to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen. He has used the same style in the Gospel too, as to preserve the truthfulness of his teaching. He said there, "This is that disciple who gives testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.(Jn. 21:24)" And now he says, he is the witness of the divine word which was seen by him concerning this Revelation and the testimony given by Christ, that is, "Through the testimony of the witness, I am the author."
1:3 Blessed is he, that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy; and keepeth those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand.
He does not call them blessed who are readers alone, because there would be many who would be blessed because there were many readers, but it is meant for those who hear and keep the warnings in the prophecy, and those who faithfully keep and observe its commands as divine laws.
For he says, the time is at hand. For everyone who keeps the commandments of God the time of blessedness is at hand. That is what he means or he could mean that the conclusion of what he said is close at hand. What is meant by at hand has already been explained.
1:4a John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come,
This is just like saying, “Grace to you from the God of all of us.” For the Father calls Himself “Being/ONTA” when he talked to the most wise Moses at the bush, saying, “I am The One Who Is,(Ex. 3:14)” and this evangelist said “He was” concerning the Son, saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,(Jn. 1:1)” and again in the first of the Catholic Epistles, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life.(1Jn. 1:1)”
And by that is to come he means the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit was not only there on the day of Pentecost, according to the account in Acts, but He is always present, too, to the souls who are worthy to receive Him.
1:4b and from the seven spirits which are before his throne,
The seven spirits are seven angels, but they are neither equal in honor nor coeternal as to be included to the Holy Trinity, but as genuine and faithful slaves. For the prophet says to God, “For all things are slaves of yours.(Ps. 118:91)” In all things the angels are included too. Also the same prophet says concerning them, “Bless the Lord, all his host, his ministers doing his will.(Ps. 102:21)” Likewise, the apostle mentions to Timothy when writing the first letter, “I charge you before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels.(1Tim. 5:21)”
Further, by saying which are before his throne John gives more testimony to their position as servants and ministers, and not as having the same honor.
1:5a And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth,
He had written before concerning the pre-incarnate Word of God, describing of Him as “he who was”, but now he says concerning Him as the incarnate, saying, and from Jesus Christ. He does not divide him into two, but bares witness to Him in both states at one time, that He is both the Word of the Father and that He was made flesh.
He is the faithful witness- for according to the apostle "who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession.(1Tim. 6:13)" But He was because He is God and Lord of all even though He is incarnate. But this testimony is indeed true. He calls the one who is true faithful and genuine.
the first begotten of the dead: Paul also testifies, saying, "who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. (Col. 1:18)" They call Him the firstborn of the dead as being the one who founded the universal resurrection, and who, according to Scripture, "A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh"(Heb. 10:20), by the resurrection of the dead. For everyone who was raised from the dead before the Lord came died again, because that was not the true resurrection, but a temporary pardon from death. That is why they were not called the firstborn from the dead. But the Lord is called this, as He was both the beginning and reason of the true resurrection. And just as He is a type of first-fruits of the resurrection of man, so when He became a man he led the way as from a tomb, from death to life. Concerning the Lord, the blessed Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, saying, "Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no more have dominion over him. 10 For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he lives, he lives unto God.(Rom. 6:9-10)"
He says and the prince of the kings of the earth, Daniel also said this to the king of Babylon, "until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of heaven, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please.(Dan. 5:21)" So Christ is the King of all those in Heaven too. But now he speaks concerning those on earth. As he continues he demonstrates how He is King of the holy legions in the Heaven too.
1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father, to him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen.
The structure of these words goes from the end to the beginning. He means that it was to Him who hath loved us that glory and empire are owed.
For how did He not love "who gave Himself as a ransom"(1Tim. 2:6) on behalf of the life of the world.
and washed us from our sins in his own blood: For He Himself removed the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he hath taken the same out of the way, fastening it to the 'wood of His' cross,(Col. 2:14) paying for our sins by His own death, and with His own blood he freed us from the error of our transgressions. He did this by becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross,(Phil. 2:8) and so healing our disobedience.
And hath made us a kingdom: And what does it profit of our becoming , as he says, priests to God and his prophets? That man should be thought worthy of these things proves to us the kingdom to come and the assurance of the unspeakable glory in the present. For this is even greater and more miraculous than washing away our sins in His own blood, and is worthy to be called the gift of God, there has not been another kind of offering beforehand such as our empowering to be priests and prophets of God, this is a valuable gift.
1:7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him. Even so. Amen
he cometh with the clouds: The Lord spoke of this concerning Himself in the Gospel of Mark, saying, “And the stars of heaven shall be falling down, and the powers that are in heaven, shall be moved. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.(Mk. 13:25-26)” Just as it is written in Acts, when He was ascending up into the heavens on the day of the ascension, “and a cloud received him out of their sight,(1:9) so He will come again with a cloud. I believe that the Holy Scriptures call the holy angels clouds because of their lightness and being lifted high and walking on air, as though John is saying, “the Lord will come riding on the angels of God as his spearmen.” For this is how the prophets spoke of Him saying, “And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.(Ps. 17:11)”
and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him: For His glorious second coming will not be pushed aside, nor secretly, as the first time when visited the world in the flesh. The prophet clearly told us beforehand about His first coming, saying, “He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth.(Ps. 71:6)” But the second coming will be visible so that every eye will see, even the sinful and ungodly, among whom must be divided as those who drunkenly beat Him or pierced Him.
And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him: Those are who continued on in disbelief and did not yield under His saving yoke. But the words because of him you shall understand to mean to His appearance and coming. And then to add to the assurance that this will happen he adds, Even so, Amen, as saying accurately and positively that these things will happen. For as among the Greek “Even so” points out approval to what will happen, so does “Amen” among the Hebrews.
1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty, and Lord of creation.
Alpha means beginning, and Omega means the end. Therefore he says, “I am the first and the last (Rev. 1:17).” He professes by the first that God has no beginning, and by the last that He has no end. But with there is nothing that is without beginning and end, he says this for us instead of saying, “without beginning nor end.” This is what God also said through Isaiah, “I, God, am first, and for the things coming, I Am.(Is. 41:4)”
the Almighty, and Lord of creation: He calls God Lord over the spiritual and visible creation.
1:9a I John, your brother and your partner in tribulation, and in the kingdom,
He was writing to the faithful who had suffered many things for the Gospel and the preaching of Christ at the hands of those who persecuted the pious. He calls himself as being “in Jesus” as sharing in their oppression and perseverance, and in the kingdom of God, because of the way they reside in oppression in behalf of the Word.
1:9b and patience in Christ Jesus, was in the island, which is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus.
of Jesus: This is what it means to be “in Jesus.
for the word of God, and for the testimony: is what he testified when he proclaimed the Gospel, he was exiled to Patmos. Eusebius told in his Canonical Chronicle in the time of Domitian. Then he goes on to say, while he was living on the island,
1:10a I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
I was in the spirit: These words mean that that he saw a vision that was not understandable by the senses nor seen with physical ears or eyes, but with a prophetic sense. Isaiah spoke concerning this spiritual hearing when he told “me a learned tongue, that I should know how to uphold by word him that is weary: he wakened in the morning, in the morning he wakened my ear, that I may hear him as a master. 5 The Lord God has opened my ear.(Is. 50:4-5)”
1:10b and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying: What thou seest, write in a book, and send to the seven churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
There are more cities in Asia than these, but he is commanded to write to those taught by him and who had received the faith of Christ. For those who did not believe and turned away from the saving word, how could anybody even advise them?
1:12-16 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks: 13 And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 And his head and his hairs were white, as white wool, and as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. And his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars. And from his mouth came out a sharp two edged sword: and his face was as the sun shineth in his power.
The seven candlesticks are the seven churches that he was commanded to write. He called them candlesticks as they produce the enlightening of the glory of Christ. He did not call them candles, but candlesticks. The candlesticks cannot not be enlightened all by themselves, for it possess what it needs to be able to enlighten. Christ enlightens His churches spiritually. Just as the holy apostle counsels those who have received the faith, “shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.(Phil. 2:15-15)” Indeed, the star does not have light on its own but is able to get light from something else, just like the evangelist saw the churches as candlesticks and not just candles. For it says about Christ, “For it is you who gives light marvelously from everlasting mountains.(Ps. 75:3)”
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