a number multiplied by itself from 12. For twelve times 12 is 144. The square shape bears the symbol of a firm standing. 32 Going down further he says these 144 thousand are virgins; and if you take these tribes, the physical ones spoken of in Israel, where would you find virgins, where 12 thousand of virginity, in each tribe? But in the church we find this, virginity being zealously pursued, the Word teaching it, not by command nor to cast a snare upon the hearers, but voluntary in gladness and exultation, as it is written. These therefore are they who were not defiled with women, as has been said, for they are virgins; and no lie was found in their mouth. 33 These white robes can signify their undefiled intentions and deeds. In addition to the white robes with which they are clothed, they hold palm branches in their hands, a symbol of the victory with which they have overcome the world. These are they who come from the great tribulation, through martyrdom and confession, clearly, and the other circumstances for Christ's sake which evil men and demons bring upon the disciples of Jesus, having made white and washed the robes they wear in the blood of the lamb slain for them. And so that we humans might understand the unceasing nature of their service, the time among us was named, being divided into day and night. 34 Consider if the washed and whitened robes of those who have ascended from the great tribulation can be their bodies, already contemplated as having risen incorruptible and spiritual. 35 God, having judged to subject the sinners to plagues, allowed some people to be unacquainted with these plagues, and those still persisting in what they were doing and as many as were left twice untasted of the plagues, so that they might have a place for repentance, so as no longer to worship the golden demons and the idols made from other material. It is shown that some worship the demons of gold and silver, and of bronze and of wood; so that demons may be understood as the spirits that lie in wait upon the lifeless forms. The golden and the rest, not perceiving through sight and hearing nor walking, are the tangible idols. For they have a mouth and do not speak and so on, as is written in the psalms. 36 That great words being made clear are thunders to the righteous and the prophet perhaps indeed shows it, saying the voice of your thunder was in the wheel; for you will seek a wheel there, and seeing the wheel turning you will see a thunder there. And examining also the things concerning the sons of thunder, James and John, whom Jesus called Boanerges, which is sons of thunder, you will find them rightly called sons of thunder on account of the magniloquence of their thoughts and doctrines. For I heard (he says) seven thunders, and what things the seven thunders spoke I was about to write and it was said to me, Do not write what things the seven thunders spoke. Do you then understand from this that such thunders spoke words which could be written and not be written; and that the holy John heard an articulate voice through such a voice. But perhaps the seven thunders which have spoken to John, if you attend to the scripture, you will find who they are; one thunder is wisdom; another thunder is understanding; a third thunder is counsel; a fourth thunder is strength; knowledge a fifth thunder; piety a sixth; a seventh thunder is fear. If I hear these thunders speaking, I cannot write, for not even the world itself could contain the books written from the voice of the holy thunders which speak in Christ Jesus, to whom be the glory for ever. Amen. 37 And your wrath came and the time of the dead according to the time of the consummation, when all were made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ, that each might receive in a worthy manner for the things done in life. The wrath of God is established, which each has stored up for himself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; at which time also the reward of the prophets and saints and of those fearing the name of God will be given. Therefore three orders of those who will receive a reward are shown, of prophets and of saints and of others fearing the name of God. And see if the

ἀριθμὸς ἰσάκις ἰσοσκελισθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ιβʹ. δωδεκάκις γὰρ ιβʹ ρμδʹ. βεβαίας δὲ στάσεως σύμβολον τὸ τετράγ<ω>νον σχῆμα φέρει. 32 Παρακατιὼν λέγει ταύτας ρμδʹ χιλιάδας παρθένους· καὶ ἐὰν λαμβάνῃς φυλὰς ταύτας τὰς σωματικὰς τὰς λεγομένας ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, ποῦ παρθένους, ποῦ ιβʹ χιλιάδας παρθενίας, εὕροις ἂν κατὰ φυλήν; ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦτο εὑρίσκομεν, παρθενίαν ἐζηλωμένην διδάσκοντος αὐτὴν τοῦ Λόγου, οὐ κατ' ἐπιταγὴν οὐδὲ ἵνα βρόχον ἐπιβάλῃ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἀλλ' αὐθαίρετον ἐν εὐφρούνῃ καὶ ἀγαλλιάει, καθὼς γέγραπται. οὗτοι οὖν εἰσιν οἳ μετὰ γυναικῶν οὐκ ἐμολύνθησαν, ὡς εἴρηται, παρθένοι γάρ εἰσιν· καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ψεῦδος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν. 33 Αὗται αἱ λευκαὶ στολαὶ δύνανται δηλοῖν τὰς ἀχράντους προθέσεις καὶ πράξεις αὐτῶν. πρὸς ταῖς λευκαῖς στολαῖς ἅς εἰσιν περιβεβλημένοι, φοίνικας ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν κατέχουσιν, σύμβολον τῆς νίκης ᾗ νενικήκαιν τὸν κόμον. Οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης θλίψεως ἐρχόμενοι, διὰ μαρτυρίου καὶ ὁμολογίας δηλονότι, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων περιστάσεων τῶν διὰ Χριστὸν ἃς ἐπάγουσιν τοῖς Ἰησοῦ μαθηταῖς οἱ πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποί τε καὶ δαίμονες, λευκάναντες καὶ πλύναντες ἃς περίκεινται στολὰς τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν σφαγέντος ἀρνίου. ὅπως δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι νοήσωμεν τὸ ἀδιάστατον τῆς θεραπείας αὐτῶν, ὠνομάσθη ὁ παρ' ἡμῖν χρόνος τεμνόμενος εἰς ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα. 34 Ἐπίστησον εἰ αἱ πλυθεῖσαι καὶ λευκανθεῖσαι στολαὶ τῶν ἐκ μεγάλης θλίψεως ἀναβεβηκότων εἶναι δύναται τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν, ἤδη προτεθεωρημένα ὡς ἀν<α>στάντα ἄφθαρτα καὶ πνευματικά. 35 Κρίνας ὁ θεὸς πληγαῖς ὑποβάλλειν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀπειράτους τῶν πληγῶν τούτων ἐνίους ἀνθρώπους εἴασεν, καὶ τοὺς ἔτι ἐμμένοντας οἷς εἰργάζοντο καὶ ὅσοι ἄγευστοι δὶς τῶν πληγῶν ἀπελείφθησαν, ἵνα ἔχωσι μετανοίας τόπον, ὥστε μὴ προσκυνεῖν ἔτι τὰ δαιμόνια τὰ χρύσεα καὶ τὰ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὕλης κατεσκευασμένα ἀγάλματα. δηλοῦται ὡς προσκυνοῦσί τινες τὰ δαιμόνια τὰ χρύσεα καὶ τὰ ἀργύρεα, χάλκεά τε καὶ ξύλινα· ἵνα δαιμόνια νοῆται τὰ ἐφεδρεύοντα πνεύματα τοῖς ἀψύχοις μορφώμασι. χρύσεά τε καὶ τὰ λοιπά, μὴ αἰσθανόμενα δι' ὄψεως καὶ ἀκοῆς μηδὲ βαδίζοντα, τὰ αἰσθητὰ ἀγάλματα. Στόμα γὰρ ἔχουιν καὶ οὐ λαλήουι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς. 36 Ὅτι οἱ μεγάλοι λόγοι σαφηνιζόμενοι βρονταί εἰσι τοῖς δικαίοις καὶ ὁ προ φήτης τάχα μὲν δηλοῖ φάσκων φωνὴ τῆ βροντῆ ου ἐν τῷ τροχῷ· ζητήσεις γὰρ ἐκεῖ τροχόν, καὶ κυκλούμενον τὸν τροχὸν ἰδὼν ὄψει ἐκεῖ βροντήν. ἐξετάζων δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς βροντῆς Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην, οὓς ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς Βοανεργέ, ὅ ἐτιν υἱοὶ βροντῆ, εὑρήσεις αὐτοὺς εἰκότως υἱοὺ βροντῆ κεκλημένους διὰ τὴν μεγαλοφωνίαν τῶν νοημάτων καὶ δογμάτων αὐτῶν. Ἤκουσα γὰρ (φησί) βροντῶν ἑπτά, καὶ ὅσα ἐλάλησαν αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταὶ ἔμελλον γράφειν καὶ ἐλέχθη μοι Μὴ γράψῃς ὅσα ἐλάλησαν αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταί. ἄρα νοεῖς ἐπὶ τούτων ὅτι αἱ τοιαῦται βρονταὶ ἐλάλησαν λόγους δυναμένους γράφεσθαι καὶ μὴ γράφεσθαι· καὶ ὅτι ἤκουσεν ἐνάρθρου φωνῆς διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης φωνῆς ὁ ἱερὸς Ἰωάννης. ἀλλὰ μήποτε αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταὶ αἱ ἐλαληκυῖαι τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, ἐὰν προσσχῇς τῇ γραφῇ, εὑρήσεις τίνες εἰσίν· μία βροντὴ οφία· ἄλλη βροντὴ ύνει· τρίτη βροντὴ βουλή· τετάρτη βροντὴ ἰχύ· γνῶι πέμπτη βροντή· <εὐέβεια> ἕκτη· ἑβδόμη βροντὴ φόβο. ἐὰν ταῦτα λαλουσῶν ἀκούσω τῶν βροντῶν, <οὐ> δύναμαι γράφειν, οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸν τὸν κόμον χωρῆαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία ἀπὸ φωνῆς τῶν ἁγίων βροντῶν τῶν λαλουσῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν. 37 Καὶ ἦλθεν ἡ ὀργή σου καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῶν νεκρῶν κατὰ τὸν τῆς συντελείας καιρόν, φανερωθέντων πάντων τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριτοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ λαβεῖν ἕκατον ἐπαξίως τῶν βεβιωμένων. ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ συνίσταται, ἣν ἕκαστος ἐθηαύριεν ἑαυτῷ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆ καὶ ἀποκαλύψεω δικαιοκριία τοῦ θεοῦ· ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ καὶ ὁ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἁγίων <καὶ> φοβουμένων τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ μισθὸς ἀποδοθήσεται. τῶν οὖν μισθὸν ληψομένων τρία τάγματα δηλοῦται, προφητῶν καὶ ἁγίων καὶ ἑτέρων φοβουμένων τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ὅρα <εἰ> οἱ