Works › Commentary on the Apocalypse of Blessed John
Volume 38 · p. 585
Chapter VI: conclusion of the sixth seal and a doubt
recedunt a fide superbi. Secundo, quod cupidi, ibi, « Et divites, et fortes. » Tertio, quod servientes voluptati carnali, ibi, « Et omnis servus, et liber. »
Dicit ergo: « Et omnis mons, » id est, omnes superbi, qui alios transcendunt per elationem, sicut montes terrae planitiem. « Et insulae. » Glossa, negotiis saeculi agitati, « moti sunt de locis suis, » id est, a fide, et charitate, deserentes Christum, et adhaerentes Antichristo.
« Et reges terrae, et principes, etc. »
« Et reges terrae, » qui sciunt se et alios regere in moribus, et inde superbiunt. Augustinus: « Sola superbia bonis operibus insidiatur ut pereant. »
« Et principes, » id est, qui de potentia superbiunt, et ideo a fide recedunt. Isa. I, 23: Principes tui infideles.
« Et tribuni, » id est, qui de scientia superbiunt. I ad Corinth. VIII, 1: Scientia inflat. Et sicut tribunal sedes judicis appellatur, sic tribuni qui judicant alios nuncupantur. Illi ergo qui superbiunt de vita, appellantur reges: qui de potentia, principes: qui de scientia, tribuni.
« Et divites, et fortes. » Hic dicit fieri immutationem in cupidis, qui divites sunt in possidendo, fortes in acquirendo, et retinendo, et acquisita multiplicando. Tales sunt divites in temporalibus, pauperes in spiritualibus.
« Et fortes, » ad spoliandum pauperes, sed in bello contra diabolum debiles: « et omnis servus, » id est, libidini deditus, « et liber, » a lege rationis. Ad Roman. VI, 20: Cum servi essetis peccati, liberi fuistis justitiae.
« Absconderunt se, » id est, abscondere desiderant. Praeteritum pro futuro. « In speluncis, » ut lateant ibi: « et in petris, » ut refugium habeant, « montium, » id est, daemonum qui sunt alti per superbiam. Psal. LXXIII, 3: Superbia eorum qui te oderunt, etc.
« Et dicunt montibus et petris, etc. »
« Et dicunt, » scilicet desiderando, « montibus et petris, » id est, daemonibus altis et duris, in quibus putabant se habere tutam protectionem: « Cadite super nos, » id est, inclinate vos ad nostrum auxilium, ut a praesentia judicis nos protegatis. « Et abscondite nos a facie sedentis super thronum, » id est, a praesentia judicis, vel Christi. Vel, « Sedentis super thronum, » id est, Patris Ecclesiae praesidentis.
« Et ab ira Agni, » id est, Christi hominis, qui in ira sua conturbabit eos 1.
« Quoniam venit dies magnus irae, etc. »
Quasi dicat: Necesse est ut hoc faciatis, et nos abscondatis, « quoniam venit dies magnus irae ipsorum, » id est, Patris sedentis et Agni, id est, Christi. Joel. II, 11: Magnus dies Domini et terribilis valde, et quis sustinebit, etc.
« Et quis poterit stare? » Quasi dicat: Nullus. Malach. III, 2: Quis poterit stare ad videndum eum?
Aliter exponitur illud: « Et omnis mons, et insulae, etc., » de bonis qui magnitudine tribulationis concussi, separabunt se fide et opere a malis, et suffragia Angelorum sanctorum postulabunt, ut eorum precibus mereantur poenas evadere, et misericordiam judicis consequantur. Haec expositio est in Glossa.
Hic sunt dubitabilia.
Super illo verbo V. 8: « Interficere gladio, fame, et morte. » Contra: Amos VIII, 11: Mittam famem in terram, non famem panis, neque sitim aquae, sed audiendi verbum Dei. Si ergo Deus famem mittit, quid committit qui eos fame interficit?
Responsio Haymonis: « Quod Deus facit justo judicio, diabolus facit invasione, et mala voluntate. »
the proud withdraw from faith. Second, that the covetous do this, there, “And the rich, and the strong.” Third, that those serving carnal pleasure do this, there, “And every slave, and free man.”
Therefore he says: “And every mountain,” that is, all the proud, who transcend others by elation, as mountains transcend the plainness of the earth. “And the islands.” The Gloss says: those tossed by the affairs of the world, “were moved from their places,” that is, from faith and charity, deserting Christ and adhering to Antichrist.
“And the kings of the earth, and princes, etc.”
“And the kings of the earth,” who know how to rule themselves and others in morals, and hence become proud. Augustine says: “Pride alone lies in wait for good works, that they may perish.”
“And princes,” that is, those who are proud of power, and therefore withdraw from faith. Isaiah I, 23: Your princes are faithless.
“And tribunes,” that is, those who are proud of knowledge. 1 Corinthians VIII, 1: Knowledge puffs up. And as a tribunal is called the seat of a judge, so those who judge others are called tribunes. Therefore those who are proud of life are called kings; those who are proud of power, princes; those who are proud of knowledge, tribunes.
“And the rich, and the strong.” Here he says that a change occurs among the covetous, who are rich in possessing, strong in acquiring and retaining and multiplying what has been acquired. Such people are rich in temporal things, poor in spiritual things.
“And strong,” for plundering the poor, but weak in war against the devil; “and every slave,” that is, one given to lust, “and free,” from the law of reason. Romans VI, 20: When you were slaves of sin, you were free from justice.
“They hid themselves,” that is, they desire to hide themselves. The past is used for the future. “In caves,” so that they may lie hidden there; “and in the rocks,” so that they may have refuge, “of mountains,” that is, of demons, who are high through pride. Psalm LXXIII, 3: The pride of those who hate you, etc.
“And they say to the mountains and rocks, etc.”
“And they say,” namely by desiring, “to the mountains and rocks,” that is, to demons high and hard, in whom they thought they had secure protection: “Fall upon us,” that is, incline yourselves to our aid, so that you may protect us from the presence of the judge. “And hide us from the face of the one sitting upon the throne,” that is, from the presence of the judge, or of Christ. Or, “of the one sitting upon the throne,” that is, of the Father presiding over the Church.
“And from the wrath of the Lamb,” that is, of Christ as man, who in his wrath will trouble them 1.
“For the great day of wrath has come, etc.”
As if he were saying: It is necessary that you do this and hide us, “for the great day of their wrath has come,” that is, of the Father sitting and of the Lamb, that is, of Christ. Joel II, 11: The day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who will endure it, etc.
“And who will be able to stand?” As if he were saying: No one. Malachi III, 2: Who will be able to stand to see him?
Otherwise that passage, “And every mountain, and the islands, etc.,” is expounded of the good, who, shaken by the greatness of the tribulation, will separate themselves by faith and work from the wicked, and will ask the suffrages of the holy Angels, so that by their prayers they may deserve to escape punishments and obtain the mercy of the judge. This exposition is in the Gloss.
Here there are things to be doubted.
On that word, V. 8: “To kill with sword, famine, and death.” On the contrary: Amos VIII, 11: I will send famine upon the earth, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of God. If therefore God sends famine, what fault does he commit who kills them with famine?
Response of Haymo: “What God does by just judgment, the devil does by assault and evil will.”
Notes
- Psalm XX, 10. (Psal. XX, 10.) ↩
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