Chapter X: receiving the book and doubts

“of the seventh Angel,” and it is an admonition to preaching.

And five things are said. First, John is admonished to receive the understanding of the Scriptures, there, “Go, and take the book.” Second, his affection for receiving it is noted, there, V. 9: “And I went to the Angel.” Third, it is said that he should receive it in such a way that he fulfills it by work, in the same place, “And he said to me.” Fourth, that he received it in this way, there, V. 10: “And I took the book.” Fifth, that he must still preach to the Gentiles and peoples, there, V. 11: “And he said to me: You must again.”

Therefore he says: “And the voice,” or “the voice” others have. “And the voice which,” namely the voice, “I heard.” The voice is an inward breathing, or an Angelic admonition. “Which I heard,” with interior hearing, “from heaven,” in which the sublimity of this Angel is noted, “again speaking with me,” that is, with me as desiring. Hence because the desire of the heart is the speech by which the soul speaks to God, and John desired to know these things, therefore he says, “speaking with me,” and not to me, but with me in the secret of the heart.

“And saying,” that is, commanding: “Go.” The Gloss says: that is, merit the grace of God; “and take the open book,” that is, the understanding of Scripture, which God opened by being born, suffering, rising again, and ascending. This book is open to the good, but sealed to the evil, as above, V. 4, it was said: “Seal the things that were spoken, etc.”

“From the hand of the Angel,” that is, of Christ, who revealed the mysteries, “standing upon the sea,” that is, who overcame all the bitternesses of the Passion, “and upon the earth,” that is, who overcame all the desires of this world.

And he is said to be “standing” because after the resurrection Christ reigns immortal and impassible. Or, in this it is noted that he reigns over all things, according to that saying of the Psalmist, Psalm VIII, 8: You have subjected all things under his feet.

9. “And I went to the Angel, saying to him that he should give me the book.”

This is the second point, where John’s affection for receiving the understanding of Scripture is shown. Hence Haymo says: “The affection of the Saints follows most readily the nod of God commanding.” Job XIV, 15: You will call me, and I will answer you.

Therefore he says: “And I went,” namely as truly obedient, “to the Angel,” that is, to Christ, to whom, as Haymo says, one approaches not by the steps of the body but by the steps of the mind.

“Saying to him.” The Gloss says: by work and prayer; “that he should give,” freely, not sell it for merits. Matthew X, 8: Freely you have received, freely give.

“That he should give me,” namely as one prepared to receive, obedient, and asking, “the book,” that is, the understanding of the Scriptures. In this it is noted that wisdom ought to be sought by prayer and obedience. James I, 5: If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask, etc.

“And he said to me: Take the book and devour it, and it will make your belly bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet like honey.”

This is the third point of this part, where John is admonished to receive the understanding of Scripture in such a way that he fulfills it by work.

Hence he says: “And he said to me,” namely to one praying and obeying: “Take the book,” that is, the understanding of Scripture and the office of preaching, “and devour it,” that is, eat it eagerly and quickly, or handle it by working and inquiring. Or, “Devour it,” by firmly committing it to memory. Ambrose says: “To devour the book is to hide the understanding of the Scriptures in one’s cut-open inward parts.”

“And it will make your belly bitter,” namely sensuality, which is soft and fragile like the belly, and is a receptacle of depraved desires as the belly is of filth; “but in your mouth it will be sweet like honey,” that is, it will please you in thinking, meditating, and preaching. Psalm CXVIII, 103: How sweet are your words to my throat!

10. “And I took the book from the hand of the Angel and devoured it; and it was in my mouth like sweet honey, and when I had devoured it, my belly was made bitter.”

This is the fourth point, where it is said that he had the understanding just as the Angel said to him.

Hence the sense is: “And I took the book,” that is, the understanding of Scripture, “from the hand of the Angel,” that is, from the gift and operation of Christ. As if he were saying: Not from merit or study.

“And I devoured it,” that is, I took it with eagerness. Ezekiel III, 2: I opened my mouth, and he fed me with that scroll. Or, “I devoured it,” that is, I handed it over to memory and fulfilled it by work.

“And it was in my mouth like sweet honey,” namely in the interior mouth, that is, in preaching. Ezekiel III, 3: And it became in my mouth like sweet honey.

“And when I had devoured it,”

That is, had committed it to memory and fulfilled it by work. Note: Three words are proposed here: go, take, devour. Go by asking; take by obeying and understanding; and devour by firmly imprinting it on memory.

“And my belly was made bitter,” that is, my mind grieved from compassion over the affliction of the Saints and over the damnation of those who contemn, in the time of Antichrist.

11. “And he said to me: You must prophesy again to many nations and peoples and tongues and kings.”

“And he said to me,” namely the Angel, “You must again.” Note that John had received the understanding of the Scriptures so that he might fulfill it by work; and therefore the Angel says that although he is now in prison, because he was in exile, nevertheless he must still preach. Therefore what is said here is understood concerning the person of blessed John, who, when he had been relegated into exile, received consolation concerning the promised liberation and the preaching to be restored to him.

And two things are said here. First it is said that he must still preach. Second, the mode of preaching is shown, below, XI, 1: “And a reed was given to me.”

Therefore he says: “You must prophesy again,” that is, preach, or foretell the future evils that you have seen. And he says again because he had already done this before he was sent into exile.

“To peoples,” to diverse nations, “and to Gentiles, etc.”

Here it is asked: How is this true that he preached to many kings, etc., since afterward he did not go out from Asia?

Response. By writing he preached to many kings, and by word to Gentiles and peoples; and returning from exile, he found Asia corrupted and tainted by heresies. Hence, when a three-day fast had been proclaimed or granted, he wrote the Gospel, where by manifesting truth he destroyed heresies. Or, it can be said that this is said of the Preachers of the last time, because at the end, through preaching freely and without any contradiction of armies, the remnants of Israel will be converted, as is said in Isaiah X, 22.

Therefore he says: “You must again,” namely when Antichrist is dead, “prophesy,” that is, foretell hidden things for the building up of human beings, “to peoples, and Gentiles, and tongues, and many kings.” Matthew XXIV, 14: This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the consummation will come.

Here there are doubtful points.

First, doubt arises on that word, V. 1: “And I saw another Angel.” On the contrary: Habakkuk III, 4: There his strength is hidden, etc.

Response. It is hidden in this, that he was dead; but he appeared strong when, by dying, he overcame death; stronger, when by his own power he rose from death; strongest, when through death he cast down the demons and drew the Saints from limbo. Zechariah IX, 11: You also, in the blood of your testament, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit in which there is no water.

Second, it is asked on that word, V. 2: “And he set his right foot upon the sea, but the left upon the earth.” Why did he do this?

Response of Haymo: “Almighty God established the stronger members upon the waves of the sea, but the weaker upon the solidity of the earth.”

Third, it is asked on that word, V. 4: “Seal the things that the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them, etc.” On the contrary: Above, I, 11: The things you see, write in a book. Likewise, below, XXI, 10: Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book.

Response. Such things are to be sealed and also opened: they are to be sealed or closed to unbelievers and the evil, but revealed to the good. On account of the first it is said here: “Seal the things that were spoken, etc.”; on account of the second, below, “Do not seal, etc.”

Fourth, it is asked on that word, V. 6: “And he swore by the one living unto ages of ages.” On the contrary: God forbids swearing, Matthew V, 34: Do not swear at all; but he ought not do what he forbids.

The response of Bede: “The Angel swears by the one living unto ages, when Christ, coming in the name of the Father, confirms his sayings by his unchangeable truth.” Haymo solves it otherwise, saying: “Human beings are rightly forbidden to swear, since they are often deceived in an oath. But he who is truth is never deceived, and therefore one who cannot be deceived can swear. But his oath is every utterance of his, because whatever he speaks is fulfilled without any ambiguity.”

Fifth, it is asked on that word, V. 8: “Go, and take the open book, etc.” On the contrary: Luke XXIV, 45: Then he opened their sense so that they might understand the Scriptures, etc.; therefore John then received the open book. What then is this, that he is now said to receive it here?

Response. Here it is said to John in the person of future Preachers, who had not yet received the office of preaching, but were going to receive it. Or this is said to John here so that he may receive the book, that is, resume the office of preaching that he had interrupted because of exile.