Concerning the harlot it says, The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. That is to say, while the church remains in her joyful praise, the smoke of the destruction of the wicked also remains. Just as the beginning of fire is in smoke, so smoke is present as long as fire remains. I think that the Lord gave us an example of these good and evil persons in the figures of the pauper and the rich man.^[1]

The saints exult over the destruction of the traitorous city, and they praise God with the jubilation of praise. What does this describe other than the coming of the retribution of the evildoers and the rewarding of the good? This is that of which Daniel spoke, Some will rise to everlasting life, and some to everlasting reproach,^[1] so that they might see [this] forever. For this reason it is said, The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.

I heard a voice from heaven as of a great multitude, it says. The ranks of the holy angels are without number. As one of the fathers has said, the ninety-nine sheep who were kept safe and did not go astray represent the angels, while the one sheep who went astray represents the entirety of humankind.^[1] They said, Hallelujah! Hallelujah is a Hebrew expression that means praise God or sing to God. Therefore, they are singing a hymn of thanksgiving for the righteous judgment of the spiritual Babylon. And they cried out the same hymn a second time, and yet later they spoke it again. And so by this threefold offering of the Hallelujah they give glory to the holy and much to be praised Trinity, for this [Trinity] is God. The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. The doxology of the Hallelujah interrupted the flow of the discourse, since clearly the sequence of the narrative is this: And he has avenged on her the blood of his servants. And the smoke from her goes up forever and ever. He mentions smoke since the city of which he speaks is completely in flames. For smoke is an indication of fire.

This is the voice of the church when the separation has already occurred and when all wicked persons have gone out of her to be consumed with eternal fire. And their^[1] smoke goes up for ever and ever. Hear, O brothers, and fear and know that Babylon and the harlot whose smoke ascends forever and ever are not to be understood as anything other than lustful, adulterous and arrogant persons. And, therefore, if you wish to avoid these punishments, do not desire to commit such grievous sins. . . . Is it smoke of a burned-out city that is visible and goes up forever and ever, and not rather [the smoke] of people who remain in their arrogance? It says it goes up, not it will go up, for in the present age Babylon is always going into destruction and burning up in part, just as Jerusalem is moving into paradise in those saints who leave the world. The Lord showed this in the story of the poor man and the rich man.^[2]

Hallelujah signifies divine praise, while Amen means truly or let it be so. This praise is common both from the angelic powers as well as from humankind, which is similar to the angels, and this praise is sent up to God three times on account of the tri-hypostatic deity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. God has avenged the blood of his servants from the hand of Babylon and has benefited her inhabitants by accomplishing the cessation of sin through its punishment. The words that the smoke from the city goes up forever and ever show either the unforgettable nature of the punishment that has come upon the city, or that although she meted out punishments in part and to some extent, she will, nonetheless, be punished eternally in the coming age.

It mentions two deeds of the harlot, namely, that she corrupted herself with evil deeds and that she persecuted those who are good. It seems to me that in these two acts every [type of] transgression is comprehended.

The elders and the living creatures say Amen, signifying their agreement with the doxology that was proffered by the holy angels. For when rendered from the Hebrew into the Greek, Amen means γέυοιτο [let it be]. It says, Praise our God, you small and you great. By small he refers to those who are greater in holiness; by great he refers to those who are outstanding in holiness.

When [the voice] commands that this [praise] be done and then it is reported that [such praise] was given, it indicates that [God] has accepted the praise of his elect as pleasing, indeed, giving his approval to the praise that had been given and indicating that it is to be perpetual. The great in the church are those of whom the apostle said, We speak wisdom among the perfect,^[1] and of whom the Lord said, Whoever teaches men so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.^[2] The small are those of whom it is said, As babes in Christ, I have given you milk to drink, not solid food.^[3]

The throne of God is the seraphim and the cherubim. Whether these be great or small in their accomplishments, all are urged to praise God according to their abilities. However, I think that also those who are small in age and children who are not yet grown shall be great when they sing to God who has done such great things.

The church worships her Lord not only with her lips but also with the affection of the highest devotion. The words Amen and Hallelujah can be interpreted, for they refer to faith or to the truth and praise of the Lord. However, out of reverence for the holiness of the original language, the use and authority of these words is preserved. The church continues to sing Hallelujah on the days of the Lord and throughout the period of Quinquagesima^[1] because of the hope of the resurrection, which in the praise of the Lord is future. . . . It says the small and the great, because to be small in natural abilities does not matter if one’s heart and tongue are full of the praise of the Lord.

We know that later on the apostles also [sang psalms and hymns], since not even in prison did they cease to sing. So, too, Paul speaks to the prophets of the church: When you come together, each of you has a hymn, has an instruction, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.^[1] And again, in another place: I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the understanding also.^[2] So, too, James sets down in his epistle: Is any one of you sad? Let him pray. Is any one in good spirits? Let him sing a hymn.^[3] And John in the Apocalypse reports that when the Spirit revealed himself to him, he saw and heard a voice of the heavenly army, as it were the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Alleluia. From all this we may conclude that no one should doubt that this ministry, if only it is celebrated with true faith and devotion, is one with that of the angels, who, as we know, unhindered by sleep or other occupation, cease not to praise the Lord in heaven and to bless the Savior.

According to the holy prophet Isaiah,^[1] the seraphim said holy three times and so composed a threefold hymn to one lordship. In this manner they showed that there are three individual existences or, which is to speak in a similar way, [three] persons of whom to sing, while there is one essence of the Godhead. Also in this passage the holy angels, having spoken the Hallelujah three times in the passages above and having rendered homage to each of the three holy hypostases, now sing the Hallelujah to the holy Trinity, showing that the holy and much-sung Trinity is in one unique essence and Godhead. For the Lord our God reigns, it says. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, even before his saving incarnation, as the only begotten Son and Word of the Father and the Maker of all things, reigned over what is in heaven and on earth with the Father and the all-holy Spirit. But even after the incarnation he is similarly Lord and King of all things, for by his taking of flesh he was in no way made inferior in regards to his rule and dominion over all things. As the all-wise apostle says, we do not yet see all things subjected to him, but all things will rather be subjected to him in the coming age, including those who now until then behave insolently toward him. Even death itself is to be subjected—for the last enemy to be destroyed is death^[2]—the holy angels properly say the Lord our God reigns. [In this way they] lift up a doxology regarding the future age, since then by the subjection of all things, Christ will have acquired a perfect sovereignty over all things. Some will experience this subjection by way of torment, while others will experience it by way of a direct knowledge which is not through a dim mirror or an enigma,^[3] as is the case now.

The trumpets^[1] signify that preaching of which Isaiah spoke, saying, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet.^[2] In this preaching the dread of the divine judgment is also indicated, which I think is also suggested by the mention of the thunder. . . . In the many waters those peoples are symbolized who praise God by saying Hallelujah. And so, when the church preaches and fears and praises, she exults with trembling, as we read, Serve the Lord with fear; praise him with trembling.^[3] For our Lord the Almighty reigns. The voice rightly mentions God’s omnipotence. For he created from nothing that which did not exist, and he sought those who had perished from sin, and he found those who were deserving of punishment, and from these he mercifully made righteous those whom he willed. Then from these, as though from members, he made for himself the church, and when he had redeemed her for such a dignity, he made her to be his bride since she did not merit to be his servant girl.

The voice of a great multitude and of many waters and thunderpeals signifies the piercing clarity of the hymn, for all the angelic and heavenly powers are without number, and some have interpreted these to be the waters above the heavens. With these [heavenly powers] the whole body of the righteous give glory to the Creator. Indeed, Christ rules as King. By nature he governs all those of whom he is the Creator, but he rules these also by virtue of his incarnation, either according to his free and purposeful fellowship [with them] or according to the authority which is proper to him as King and Judge.

The great voice of those singing indicates the great devotion of the heart. By the manifold repetition of praise, [the voice] rejoices in the destruction of the wicked and in the eternal glory of the Lord and of those who are his.

The fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. After thanksgiving has been given and after the voice of exhortation has been heard, the praise to God, as though the sound of claps of thunder, is loudly proclaimed by those who rejoice that the marriage feast of the Lamb has come. This will occur when, after the consummation of the world, every rule and authority will have been destroyed and he will have delivered the kingdom to God the Father, so that God will be all in all.^[1] This will occur, that is, when his wife, namely the catholic church, will be joined to him in the purity of faith. Concerning this the holy apostle said: For I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure virgin to one husband.^[2] And so, the fine linen which she [the church] wears does not represent the beauty of a vestment, but the righteousness of the saints.

In the present age the marriage of the Lord with the church is still in the stage of courtship and is not yet a consummated marriage. The holy apostle indicates this when he writes his second letter to the Corinthians and says, For I betrothed you as a pure bride to one husband to present you to Christ.^[1] Therefore, the time of courtship remains. For I betrothed refers to courtship, and we receive the pledge of the Spirit as a sign of courtship. However, when the church becomes one spirit with Christ, as a husband becomes one body with his wife, then will the marriage be perfected. For indeed the wise apostle has spoken wisely concerning bodily marriage when he wrote, The two shall become one flesh.^[2] But then he continues, This is a great mystery, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.^[3] For this reason the holy angels say, The marriage of the Lamb has come, signifying that the marriage, which now is in the stage of courtship, will then be consummated. And the Gospel also clearly gives this understanding to us. For on one occasion it introduces the wedding festivities of a son, prepared by his father who is a king. Although many have been invited to the banquet, some partake of the feasting while others excuse themselves from the supper, and one person is excluded because he is not dressed in a wedding garment.^[4] On another occasion the Gospel speaks of ten virgins, five of whom are wise and they enter with the bridegroom into the blessed bridal chamber. The other [virgins] are locked outside since they did not fill up their lamps with sufficient oil.^[5] It is not suitable to regard any of this as referring to the present time; it rather refers to that which is coming. Therefore, the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride, the church, is presented as ready to receive those ineffable gifts that come by union with Christ. [The church] is clothed, it says, with fine linen, that is, with a robe made of virtues. It is linen because it is bright and of fine texture, bright from her incomprehensible manner of life, and fine because of her teachings and convictions concerning God.

The marriage supper of the Lamb occurs when the church will be united with her Lord in the wedding chamber of the heavenly kingdom. And his bride has made herself ready. By always persisting in the works of righteousness, [the church] has shown herself worthy of the spiritual banquet and the eternal kingdom. One can also interpret this according to the parable of the Gospel, which speaks of the virgins who, when the bridegroom was coming, rose up to prepare their lamps,^[1] that is, among themselves to consider their deeds for which they hope to receive eternal blessedness. . . . It was granted to [the church] to be clothed with her own deeds. But it is not so with the wicked who, according to Isaiah, weave a spider’s web and will not be covered by their works, for their works are without benefit.^[2]

Who are those who have been invited to the feast of the Lamb, unless those to whom it is said: I will not drink from this fruit of the vine until I will drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father who is in heaven.^[1] And again, Many will come from east and west and will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^[2] This is to drink the new cup, to prepare the new bodies of those being raised, to keep a new joy, and to repay the sincere righteousness of a true faith. These are the blessed who are prepared for this feast and for this repast.

The Lord spoke of this, saying, They will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,^[1] and again, He will come and serve them.^[2] Certainly [the Lord] is indicating those who are called according to his purpose^[3] and who enter the full number of the elect. For many are called, but few are chosen.^[4]

The marriage supper of Christ is the feast of those who are being saved and the joy that accompanies it. The blessed will come into these things when they enter into the eternal bridal chamber with the holy Bridegroom of their purified souls. For he who has promised this is faithful. Since there are many blessings in the coming age, which surpass every understanding, the participation in them is indicated through various terms. Sometimes they are called the kingdom of heaven on account of their glory and honor; sometimes they are called paradise on account of the everlasting banquet of good things; sometimes they are called the bosom of Abraham on account of the rest of those who repose there, or the bridechamber and marriage because of the endless joy and the perfect and inexpressible union of God with his servants. This union surpasses every carnal and bodily union as much as light is separated from darkness or a perfume from a foul odor.

It says that they are invited to a supper, not to a mere lunch, for at the end of days the supper will certainly be a great feast. Therefore, when the time of the present life is ended, those who come to the refreshment of the heavenly contemplation are truly invited to the supper of the Lamb.

The lowest person must worship the same God as is worshiped by the highest angel. In fact it is by refusing to worship him that human nature has been brought low. The source of wisdom and of truth is the same for angel and humankind, namely, the one unchangeable Wisdom and Truth. The very Virtue and changeless Wisdom of God who is consubstantial and coeternal with the Father, for our salvation deigned, in the temporal dispensation, to take upon himself our nature in order to teach us that humanity must worship what every rational intellectual creature must also worship. Let us believe that the highest angels and most excellent ministers of God want us to join them in the worship of the one God, in contemplation of whom they find their happiness. Even we are not made happy by seeing an angel but by seeing the Truth, by which we love the angels too and rejoice with them. We do not grudge that they should have readier access to the Truth and enjoy him without obstacle. Rather, we love them because we are bidden by our common Lord to hope for the same condition hereafter. So we honor them with love but not with divine worship. We do not build temples for them. They do not wish to be honored by us in that way, because they know that when we are good people we are ourselves the temples of the most high God.

When the royal commands of God were heard, he fell down to worship him who was speaking with him. However, to respect the nature of his own office and to show that God is above all things, he prohibited this, saying, Do not do this, because I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is the true profession of the catholic confession. For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. The Spirit of prophecy is truth and judgment and justice, which in their fullness are contained in the catholic faith.

The [pagan] Greeks, though accursed and hated by God, heard of the teaching given in our prophecies that by the good will of God the holy angels protect the nations and the churches and every individual. . . . Since [the Greeks] have heard that such things were being taught by us, they say to us, Since you claim the same things as we do, O people, why do you find fault with the teaching that we advance concerning the gods that rule over the nations? For those whom you call angels we call gods, so that we differ only in the use of the names but not in the substance of the matter. But since you also call the order of angels gods, there is no difference with us even in regard to the use of names.

To such persons one must say the following: O you accursed people. You worship the works of your own hands and until very recently have established for yourselves gods with whom you associated for every vile purpose. You have purloined most of our divine teachings and adding these to your own destructive teachings, you have made a grand mixture of them. But since you use your own mind as guide and not God, you have not been able to maintain the nobility of our teachings in every regard. Rather, although you followed him for a short while, somewhere at the beginning of things, you suffered shipwreck. There is, therefore, nothing in common between us and you, just as there is nothing in common between light and darkness or between Christ and Beliar, as it is written.^[1] Assuming the gods, or rather the unclean demons, to be the rulers of the nations, you bring yourselves into league with them, ascribing reverence to them and wishing to worship them as gods.

Moreover, [these demons] are regarded by you as divine, while no mention is made of that God who has ordered all things for the providential care of humankind, these rather governing the nations by their own counsel, as they themselves wish. Therefore, you have assigned to Ares^[2] the most savage and bloodthirsty Scythians and Germans, who became such since they were ruled by that murderous plague of man, Ares. But you assigned the Greeks, because of their understanding, to Athena,^[3] since from her they received understanding as their lot. And you assigned other peoples to other gods, each of the gods training the nations according to their own passions.

When the evangelist wished to worship the holy angel, . . . [the angel] says, See that you do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. The exclamation See! is not simply the cry of someone who wishes temporarily to hinder something but of someone who wants to prevent something altogether. He calls himself a fellow servant with all of those who confess themselves to be servants of Christ and who testify that he is God incarnate. What, then, is to be done, O most holy angel, since you forbid yourself to be worshiped? Worship God! he says, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. This is as though he had said, Do you seek to worship me, since I announced to you ahead of time what was to take place? Whoever witnesses to the lordship and deity of Christ is filled with the prophetic grace, not I alone. Why therefore, he says, do you worship that grace which I have in equal measure with my fellow servants? Are the things which the Greeks think about the rulers of the nations really the same as what the Christians say about the holy angels?

Indeed, the whole point of prophecy and of the sanctifying work of the Spirit lies in the testimony of Jesus Christ, whom the entire law and all prophecy serve [as though slaves]. For this reason, when he manifested himself on the mountain between Moses and Elijah, his face and his clothing were resplendent with his brightness, and he declared that the law and the prophets had truly testified of him. And so, whatever they had foretold, he himself testifies that it serves Christ and the church, for he said of Moses, For he wrote of me.^[1] And when he had risen from the dead, he said, Everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.^[2]

Do not worship me as one who is foretelling the future, the holy angel says. For the confession of Christ, that is, the testimony is the gift of the prophetic Spirit. And you should note also this. The prophecy [is given] for this reason, so that the testimony of Christ may be made strong and the faith be given witness by the saints. Therefore, do not pay homage to me, as fellow servant, but to him who possesses power over all things. From this passage we also learn of the humble disposition of the holy angels, for they do not claim for themselves divine glory as do the evil demons but ascribe this glory to the Lord. May it be that we outdo one another with a humble mind,^[1] thus fulfilling the saying of the Lord: Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.^[2] And may we receive rest in the coming age, where sorrow and pain and groaning have fled,^[3] and where the dwelling is of all who rejoice and gaze upon the light of the face of Christ our God,^[4] to whom every song of praise, honor and worship be given, together with the Father and the life-giving Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

I think that heaven has been closed to those who are impious and who bear the image of the earthly but opened to those who are just and who have been adorned with the image of the heavenly.^[1] For the higher things have been closed to the impious, inasmuch as they are below and are still in the flesh. They cannot understand them or their beauty. They do not wish to perceive them, in that they are stooped over and do not devote themselves to lifting up their heads. But he opened the heavenly places with the key of David^[2] to be contemplated by the just, inasmuch as they have citizenship in heaven. The divine Word opens them and explains them by riding a horse. The horse signifies the words that proclaim the meanings. He is white because the nature of the knowledge is remarkable and white and luminous. And he who is called Faithful sits on the white horse, seated more firmly and, if I may so speak, royally, on words that cannot be overturned, words that run faster and swifter than any horse and that surpass every opponent in their rush, that is, every supposed word that is a dissembler of the Word and every dissembler of truth that seems to be truth. But he who is on the white horse is called Faithful, not so much because he trusts as because he is trustworthy, that is, he is worthy of being trusted, for according to Moses, the Lord is faithful and true.^[3] For he is also true in contradistinction to a shadow, and a type, and an image, since the Word in the opened heaven is such. For the Word on earth is not like the Word in heaven, inasmuch as he has become flesh and is expressed by means of a shadow and types and images. . . . This Word of God, indeed, who is called faithful is also called true, and he judges and fights justly. He has received the ability from God to impart what each creature deserves and to judge with absolute justice and judgment. . . . Now just as it is said that the task of the Word is to judge with justice, so also his task is said to be to fight according to justice, that by thus fighting the soul’s enemies with reason and justice, he may dwell in it and justify it when the irrational elements and injustice are destroyed. He casts out the hostile elements from that soul which, if I may speak in this way, has been taken captive by Christ for salvation.

It shows a white horse and him who sat upon it, namely, our Lord coming with his celestial army to establish his kingdom. At his coming all the nations will be gathered and will be slain with the sword. Those among them who are more noble will be preserved in order to serve the saints,^[1] and it will be necessary that these at the end of time, when the kingdom of the saints is ended, before the judgment and when the devil is again released, be killed. The prophets prophesy about all these things in a similar manner.

The white horse is the body which [Christ] assumed. He who sits upon it is the Lord of Majesty; he is the Word of the most high Father; he is the only begotten of the unbegotten Father. Therefore, the true character of his person is expressed when he is called Faithful and True. For of God it is said, God is faithful, in whom there is no iniquity.^[1] And in righteousness he judges and makes war. For concerning him it is written, God is a judge, just, strong and patient.^[2] He makes war by freeing us from the adversity of sin; he is patient by enduring the sins we commit; he is called strong because he repels whatever opposes him.

The Evangelist now receives the revelation of the fall of the antichrist and of the arch-evil dragon. He sees moreover the punishment they will receive at the time of the end and their recompense, as well as the fall of those kings who at that time will oppose the servants of Christ. And see what it says: I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and the rider is faithful and true and just. He sees the Lord as he is about to join the battle and fight for the saints and make war against his adversaries. For this reason the vision depicts him in the form of a general, giving him a horse and a sword and the leadership of armies. And, behold, a white horse upon which the Lord was riding. By this the vision reveals that Christ depends upon no others than those who are pure and are not tainted by any stain of sin. For this reason, the Lord also said of that chosen instrument, namely, Paul, that he would carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.^[1] You see, therefore, that Christ depends upon and rides on such persons as Paul. He who sat upon it, that is, upon the horse, is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. He who is true is also faithful, as the apostle said concerning him: He remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself,^[2] and so he is the Faithful and True. And about him two assertions are made which address the same matter. The prophet was witness that he judges righteously and that he makes war on behalf of his servants against their visible enemies: O God, give your judgment to the king, and your righteousness to the king’s son, that is, to Christ—for the son of Solomon was Christ according to the flesh, to whom the psalmist was referring—and then it continues, that he might judge your people with righteousness and your poor with judgment.^[3] That he also makes war [the psalmist] shows when he speaks of him arming himself as a soldier: Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, in your comeliness and in your beauty, and bend [your bow] and prosper and reign. Then he adds, Your weapons are sharpened, O mighty one, the nations shall fall under you.^[4]

He judges as the King of all ages. He makes war as one who always suffers in his members. When he fights, he conquers; he crowns himself; he offers himself as strength to those who struggle; he promises himself as the prize for those who overcome.

The Lord, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life,^[1] and to whom it is said through the prophet, For you have done wonderful things, plans ancient and faithful, Amen,^[2] mounts the throne of his white body, that is, his pure body, in order to conquer the powers of the air.

As the flame is bright and at the same time illuminating, and further also has a nature that is fiery and consumes the more material elements, so the eyes of the Word, if I may speak in this way, with which he sees, and everyone who participates in him, destroy and obliterate the more material and gross elements of thoughts by grasping them by means of the spiritual powers inherent in him. Everything false, in any way whatso-ever, has fled the subtlety and precision of the truth. . . . If the lie were one and simple against which the Word who is faithful and true prevailed, who received the crown when the lie was overcome, the Word who became master of God’s opponents would also reasonably have been recorded to wear one diadem. But now, since the lies that profess the truth are many against which the Word has fought and is crowned, there are many diadems surrounding the head of him who has conquered them all.

In him in whom we shall perform great deeds,^[1] in him the multitude of the saints are said to have the beauty of crowns.

As fire penetrates everything which contains it and leaves no portion untouched by the force of its burning heat, so the eyes of the Lord cannot be avoided, for they are everywhere and pervade all things, and seeing all things which people do, they investigate them with a holy scrutiny. . . . There are many [diadems] because he brings to God, who gathers all, all the glory of the saints and all the honor of the blessed. And these do not remain quiet, but bring forth praise and thanksgiving.

The flames of fire come forth from his eyes, that is, from his all-seeing power. For those who are righteous, this fire does no harm but illumines and makes bright. However, for the sinners this fire burns but does not make bright. The multiple diadems symbolize either his kingdom, which is over all things in heaven and on earth—as many as there are ranks of angels and kingdoms upon the earth and assemblies among holy people—or they signify the victory against the sinners that was won for us by all of his acts of mercy, as a certain holy person said, And you will gain victory when you are judged.^[1]

Sometimes he speaks of the commandments as the eyes of the Lord, sometimes he is speaking of the Spirit. Of the commandments, he says, Your word, O Lord, is a lamp to my feet,^[1] and of the Spirit, he says, I came to cast fire upon the earth.^[2]

The living Word alone understands some things because of the natural inferiority in those who came into existence after him. None of them can contemplate all the things that he grasps. And perhaps also only those who share in the Word, in contradistinction to those who do not, know what the others are missing.

In Exodus, God speaks to holy Moses: I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, being their God, but I did not reveal to them my name, the Lord,^[1] showing that it is to be regarded as superior to any report of man. And for this reason, the Lord also handed over to his apostles how those who had turned to the knowledge of God ought to be baptized, saying, baptizing them in the name.^[2] And when he said name, he did not transmit the proper names—for he had no power to give utterance to their names. Rather, instead of the proper names, he transmitted relational and personal names, for he spoke names of relation when he said, in the name of the Father and of the Son, while he added a personal name, and in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, most definitely, also in the Revelation he allows the proper name of the Only Begotten to remain unknown to everyone.

Perfect knowledge of the Word of God is revealed to those who are worthy to be the body of Christ and members [of him], since the Head especially gives knowledge of himself to the body, and he knows what the church is worthy to know in him. The apostle says, He who is united to the Lord is one spirit, for the two shall be one flesh.^[1] Neither the Jews nor the foreigners nor the heretics will ever know this name, for if they had [known], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory,^[2] and again, The world has not known you.^[3] And the Lord said again to his disciples, You will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.^[4] And the disciples answered, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world?^[5] Concerning the heretics, the Lord said, To you it has been given to know the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive.^[6] He has a great name inscribed that no one knows except himself. However, we must beware lest by a purely carnal wisdom we think that the name of the Son is unknown to the Father or to the Holy Spirit. . . . If the Son alone is said to know something, the whole Trinity is also regarded as knowing it. Similarly, if the Father alone is said to know something, he is without doubt thought to know it together with his Wisdom, who is Christ, and with his Spirit, who is believed to be the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. For when the Father alone was said to know the day of judgment,^[7] certainly it was not denied that the Son and the Spirit also knew it. So also, when the Holy Spirit alone is said to know something, and the names of the Father and of the Son are unspoken, nevertheless it is declared that they know in the same manner. When the apostle says, What person knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God,^[8] it would be foolish to separate the Father and the Son from such knowledge. When he says elsewhere, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption,^[9] he is not excluding the persons of the Father and of the Son from the work of our redemption, even though he does not mention their names. For through the undivided power of the one nature, we teach that the works of the Trinity are inseparable.

That his name is unknown signifies the incomprehensibility of his essence. By virtue of his works he is known by many names, such as Good, Shepherd, Sun, Light, Life, Righteousness, Holiness, Redemption.^[1] Similarly, he is called by terms of negation, such as Incorruptible, Invisible, Immortal, Unchangeable.^[2] However, according to his essence he is without name and is unapproachable, being known by himself alone with the Father and the Spirit.

John does not see the Word of God mounted on a horse naked. He is clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood, since the Word who became flesh, and died because he became flesh, is invested with traces of that passion, since his blood also was poured forth upon the earth when the soldier pierced his side. For perhaps, even if in some way we attain the most sublime and highest contemplation of the Word and of the truth, we shall not forget completely that we were introduced to him by his coming in our body.

If no one is allowed to know his name, why is he now openly called the Word of God? When we read, No one has ascended into heaven, but he who has descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven,^[1] we are to understand that whoever of his members will ascend is allowed to ascend in the Head himself and through him. By promising this to his members, he has granted them hope, and by fulfilling this, he will give to them the possibility [to receive this]. So here, the Son alone is said to know what is allowed to his bride to know in him, through whom and in whom the church is instructed. In speaking of the robe sprinkled with blood, it is indicating the tokens of his passion, whether this be in the Head himself or in his body, which is the church. For this reason, the apostle teaches the Hebrews that from the beginning in the animal sacrifices demanded by the law there was no remission of sins with the shedding of blood.^[2] Concerning the church he says, that in my flesh I might complete what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings,^[3] remembering the words which he heard, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?^[4] For whatever the church suffers, Christ also truly suffers, and of him Paul says, he suffered once to take away the sins of many,^[5] however, he suffers frequently in his members. Isaiah spoke of the appearance of this robe in this way, Who is this that comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah? He is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength. It is I who speaks righteousness and who am a fighter for salvation. Why then is your garment red, and your apparel as though freshly trodden in a winepress? I alone have trodden the winepress, and from the peoples no one was with me.^[6]

How is it that he who is without name and is unknown to all is here named Word? This is either to demonstrate his filial personhood and his impassible generation from the Father, just as our speech comes from our minds [impassibly], or his name suggests that he bears within himself the causes of all things, or that he is the interpreter of the wisdom and power of the Father.

Apparently this passage refers to the passion, as his immaculate birth was indicated in the white horse and his innocent death is indicated in the bloodstained garment.^[1] His name is called Word of God because the same who in time appeared as a man who was going to suffer in the beginning was God with God. He is called Word, because nothing in the substance of his nature is visible or corporeal, or because through him the Father created all things. As it says above, perfect knowledge of his nature is known to himself alone, and to the Father. For the peace of God passes all understanding,^[2] that is, that peace by which God himself is peace unto himself surpasses every creaturely understanding, all human understanding and even the understanding of the angels. His wisdom is without end.^[3] When it says, And to whom the Son chooses to reveal [the Father],^[4] it means that one who knows the Son and the Father, knows them after the manner of the creature.

All the hosts of heaven follow this Word of God. They follow the Word who leads them and imitate him in all things, especially in having mounted white horses like him, for all things are open to those who understand. And just as pain and grief and groaning fled^[1] at the end of things, so, I think, obscurity and dismay fled when all the mysteries of God’s wisdom burst forth with precision and clarity. And consider the white horses of those who follow the Word, clothed in pure white linen.^[2] [What does this mean] unless the linen garments, since linen comes from the earth, are types of the languages on earth in which the sounds have been clothed, which indicate the realities in a pure manner?

We interpret the armies of heaven to be the bride herself, who above was said to be prepared for the marriage of the Lamb. When it says that they were on white horses, it is speaking either of the purity of faith, or it is alluding to the members of our bodies made new through the resurrection. [The fine linen] is the righteous works of the saints.

[Christ] is the commander-in-chief of the heavenly powers. The Lord in fact called himself that when bearing the name of Jesus, son of Nun, he said, I, as commander of the army of the Lord have now come.^[1] The horses that belong to the holy angels are also white, for the angels too rejoice over the pure deeds of humankind, since they are pure by nature and free from every stain. This is symbolized by their raiment of fine linen, which is pure and white.

In heaven the churches, as though with unveiled face beholding the glory of God,^[1] all being pure in heart and made whiter than snow by grace, are said to follow Christ. . . . They always go forward on white horses, that is, with pure bodies and minds, following the footsteps of Christ, who is going before and to whom it is said in the Song of Songs, We run after you for the aroma of your ointments.^[2]

[The heavenly armies] signify the heavenly orders that are resplendent with the excellence of their nature, with the sublimity of their thoughts and with the brightness of their virtues and their intimate union with God.

With pure white bodies the church imitates [Christ], for because of the battle of her struggles, it receives by right the name of army.

The sharp sword that issues from his mouth is the authority of the law and the severity of the judge. It remains sharp for justice, so that he might separate all things and reckon the deeds of every person. Then it says, so that he might smite the nations with [the sword]. To smite means to strike, to determine, to free, to damn, to justify, to rescue, to save. . . . The rod of iron is the discipline of power by which he will make right all nations, equally changing them and judging them. . . . The wine press is hell, and the wine is the judgment by which those are restrained and subdued upon whom the righteous anger of God will have come.

The vision places [the sword] in the mouth. In this way it is indicated that all things have their existence by the Word of God and that whoever in any way disobeys him will not remain unpunished. So that with it he might smite the nations. Which nations? Those that are arrayed with the antichrist for war against the servants of Christ and have been gathered under him. And he will rule them, it says, with a rod of iron. Since he is intrinsically good and merciful, the Lord desired to rule these nations . . . with a staff of comfort, as would a shepherd and to lead them to green pastures and to nourish them with the waters of rest.^[1] But since they did not wish this, they will be governed with a rod of iron, that is, with severity and death. For certainly punishment awaits those whom the Word does not reform. To indicate that the rod of iron is that of severity and punishment, the prophet suggests the rule of the Romans^[2] about which Daniel spoke in saying, Arise, devour much flesh,^[3] when he spoke to God, saying, You will rule them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel.^[4] However, when there existed a favorable time, God ruled them with the former rod, but at the last time, he will rule them with this latter rod. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. In the Gospels, the Lord says of his own Father, The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son.^[5] Most appropriately, therefore, it says in the Revelation that he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God. For through the judgment and recompense of the wicked, he fulfills the will of his Father in that he fulfills the righteous anger of the Father.

The sharp sword symbolizes either the two Testaments or what we read concerning wisdom, She carries law and kindness on her tongue,^[1] namely, judgment and mercy. On the other hand, the rod of iron symbolizes the unbending standard of justice. . . . As the action of threshing separates the wheat from the chaff so that it is stored in the barn, so also the weight of the pressure of the winepress purifies the wine as it is separated from the grape skins or the oil from the dregs. The prophet referred to this when he said, He dug out a wine vat in her.^[2] This occurs in the church when persecution arises or some other kind of calamity happens. Then, some like dregs will run down by an irremediable fall, while others will shine more brightly by their faith which now is tested.

The two-edged sharp sword is the power of Christ by which the righteous are defended and the unrighteous are punished. The rod of iron is the righteousness of God by which the humble are instructed but the proud are broken to pieces as though they were a clay pot. . . . He treads [the winepress of God’s wrath] even now, when he permits the evil to persecute the good and leaves them to their own desires. However, later he will seek repayment, when he sends those into Gehenna who have not repented.

Christ is the basis and the foundation on which Paul builds as an architect. Christ is the good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep.^[1] Christ is the head of every dominion and power. He is himself the head of the church, wherefore it is said, the head of man is Christ,^[2] because he is the head of the church. He is the father, because by him through baptism all the nations of the earth are born again. His thigh, on which his name is written, are the believers whom the Son of God, that is, Christ, has willed to name sons through the adoption of faith. His robe is the assumed man, and because there is one person of two substances, we recognize his divinity in his robe, that is, in the sacrament of the Lord’s body. Upon the vestment of his body it is said that his name was written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Indeed, it is written on his thigh, because all who are called sons through faith witness with an unswerving confession that he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The robe symbolizes the flesh of the Lord, which was endowed with a rational soul. The holy angels spoke of his flesh through Isaiah, Why are your garments red and your apparel as if from a trodden winepress, utterly stained by trodden [grapes]?^[1] Moreover, the thigh indicates his birth in the flesh, for it is written in Genesis, All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, who came out of his thighs.^[2] Therefore, when the vision shows that on the robe and on the thigh it is written that the Immanuel is king of all, it shows that the Word, united personally to the flesh and having undergone a fleshly birth from a virgin, was in no way established less a King and Lord of all things in heaven and upon earth; nor was he diminished in rank by virtue of his incarnation. For even as such he was God and is and shall be God.

[The name is inscribed] on his robe, that is, on the church with which Christ is clothed and which, according to the apostle, he cleansed by the washing of water with the word, that he might present to himself a church glorious, without spot or wrinkle.^[1] He cleansed the robe that it might have no spot, and he stretched it that it might have no wrinkle. The thigh symbolizes the posterity of his offspring, by which all nations will be blessed, according to the apostle who teaches, It does not say, ‘and to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘and to your offspring,’ which is Christ.^[2] As though to a dead brother, according to ancient custom, the same apostle raises offspring spiritually, saying, Lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name,^[3] since he says that from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum he has done all things for the gospel, so that he might truthfully say to the Gentiles, I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.^[4] Therefore, on this thigh, as though on children, the knowledge of Christ is written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts,^[5] which confess him to be the King of kings and the Lord of all lords.

This is a name that the proud do not know. For by serving [Christ], the church reigns in Christ, and she is lord of lords, that is, she conquers vices and sins.

This name reveals the unity of the divine incarnation. For in this unity he who is God suffered in the flesh, and although man, he is King of kings and Lord of lords. Those who have ruled the passions and in cooperation with Christ have possessed the authority and power over sin shall also rule with him in the coming age.