Apocalipse 4
Apringius of Beja
Apocalipse 4:2-3
Who would think that he speaks anything fleshly who reports that he had entered in the spirit? A man so thoroughly tested by his God receives nothing fleshly, nothing earthly. But he was in the spirit so that he might see the Lord of majesty, whom he perceives in the spirit, but does not behold in the flesh. He thereby fulfilled what the apostle said: "Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we know him thus no longer." — TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:2
Apocalipse 4:2-3
The jasper stone shines with a green and radiant brightness, so that he might know that the flesh of the assumed man, taken up without a hint of sin, shines with the vigor of everlasting sincerity and glows through the indwelling of the divine power. However, the carnelian stone is red and glimmers with a certain darkness, so that you might recognize the integrity of the undefiled flesh assumed from the modest and humble Virgin. — TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:3
Apocalipse 4:4
Most evidently John has described the chorus of the patriarchs and of the apostles, who sit upon the chair of holy doctrine. These he calls "elders," that is, "fathers," and they are clothed in white garments, that is, they are clothed in works of righteousness and in purity. They carry upon their heads golden crowns, for they have been made victors in present struggles, since that evil enemy, the devil, has been thrown down, and they have received their crowns from the Lord. Concerning this crown, the vessel of election says: "I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the day, and not only to me but also to those who love his appearing." — TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:4
Apocalipse 4:5
He desires that we understand that the entire original preaching of the apostles and indeed the heavenly and sacred doctrine proceeds from the judgment and inspiration of God. We interpret therefore the flashes of lightning to be the words of all the saints, and likewise the thunder to be the voices of the preachers. We confess that all these things come forth from one source, namely, God. Concerning these flashes of lightning and sounds of thunder, it is said: "The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings illumined the whole world." — TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:5
Apocalipse 4:6
The sea of glass is like crystal, that is, it is transparent, indicating that it is infused by a certain whiteness and an uncommon purity. With good reason we think that this is said of the font of baptism and of the grace of regeneration. For [baptism] cleanses and illumines those who have received it and it clothes those who have been led to purity with the splendor of righteousness. These are the waters of which it is written in the prophets: "In those days living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. They shall continue in summer and in winter." — TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:6
Apocalipse 4:6-7
"The first animal was like a lion." Most of our interpreters say that this signifies the person of Mark, the Evangelist. And indeed this seems most apt and true, for his Gospel begins in this way: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, 'Behold, I send my messenger who shall prepare the way before your face.' " Nor is it strange that here Isaiah is mentioned instead of Malachi, for most certainly this testimony occurs in Malachi. However, "Isaiah" means "the salvation of the Lord," and "Malachi" means "angel." And so at the beginning of the Gospel he prefers to speak of the salvation of the Lord, which is "Isaiah," rather than of the angel, which is "Malachi," in order that through the faith of the gospel he might suggest the immovable perpetuity of the present and future life. And then, to be sure, he mentions the "messenger," which is "angel," and he adds the words of Isaiah: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight the highways of our God," so that, salvation having been both promised and foretold, he might show the messenger of the truth and might prepare the hearts of humankind for the reception of grace. And the form of the lion is in this, that he reports that John was in the desert preaching and enjoying the desert, as he says: "John was in the desert baptizing and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." The words "the second creature was like an ox" introduce Luke. For a bull is representative of the priesthood, as it is said in Isaiah: "Blessed are you who sow upon all the waters, letting the feet of the ox and the ass go free." And so at the beginning of his Gospel, he speaks of Zechariah the priest: "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah." "The third living creature with the face of a man" indicates Matthew, for at the beginning of his Gospel, Matthew wished to report the genealogy of the Lord according to the flesh. The words "the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle" indicate John. For, at the beginning of his Gospel, John did not speak of the humanity of the Lord or of the priesthood or of John preaching in the desert. Rather, desiring like an eagle to reach toward the height of heaven itself, he left behind all things lowly and spoke properly of him as God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God." — TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:7