from the tenth chapter.

1, 2. “I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand an open book: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth.”] He signifies that that mighty angel who, he says, descended from heaven, clothed with a cloud, is our Lord, as we have above narrated.  

“His face was as it were the sun.”] That is, with respect to the resurrection.  

“Upon his head was a rainbow.”] He points to the judgment which is executed by Him, or shall be.  

“An open book.”] A revelation of works in the future judgment, or the Apocalypse which John received.  

“His feet,”] as we have said above, are the apostles. For that both things in sea and land are trodden under foot by Him, signifies that all things are placed under His feet. Moreover, he calls Him an angel, that is, a messenger, to wit, of the Father; for He is called the Messenger of great counsel. He says also that He cried with a loud voice. The great voice is to tell the words of the Omnipotent God of heaven to men, and to bear witness that after penitence is closed there will be no hope subsequently.  

3. “Seven thunders uttered their voices.”] The seven thunders uttering their voices signify the Holy Spirit of sevenfold power, who through the prophets announced all things to come, and by His voice John gave his testimony in the world; but because he says that he was about to write the things which the thunders had uttered, that is, whatever things had been obscure in the announcements of the Old Testament; he is forbidden to write them, but he was charged to leave them sealed, because he is an apostle, nor was it fitting that the grace of the subsequent stage should be given in the first. “The time,” says he, “is at hand.”45    Rev. i. 3, xxii. 10.   For the apostles, by powers, by signs, by portents, and by mighty works, have overcome unbelief. After them there is now given to the same completed Churches the comfort of having the prophetic Scriptures subsequently interpreted, for I said that after the apostles there would be interpreting prophets.  

For the apostle says: “And he placed in the Church indeed, first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers,”46    1 Cor. xii. 28.   and the rest. And in another place he says: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.”47    1 Cor. xiv. 29.   And he says: “Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head.”48    1 Cor. xi. 5.   And when he says, “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge,” he is not speaking in respect of the Catholic prophecy of things unheard and unknown, but of things both announced and known. But let them judge whether or not the interpretation is consistent with the testimonies of the prophetic utterance.49    [Some excuse for Tertullian’s lapse is found in the prevailing uncertainty about the withdrawal of prophetic gifts.]   It is plain, therefore, that to John, armed as he was with superior virtue, this was not necessary, although the body of Christ, which is the Church, adorned with His members, ought to respond to its position.  

10. “I took the book from the hand of the angel, and ate it up.”] To take the book and eat it up, is, when exhibition of a thing is made to one, to commit it to memory.  

“And it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”] To be sweet in the mouth is the reward of the preaching of the speaker, and is most pleasant to the hearers; but it is most bitter both to those that announce it, and to those that persevere in its commandments through suffering.  

11. “And He says unto me, Thou must again prophesy to the peoples, and to the tongues, and to the nations, and to many kings.”] He says this, because when John said these things he was in the island of Patmos, condemned to the labour of the mines by Cæsar Domitian. There, therefore, he saw the Apocalypse; and when grown old, he thought that he should at length receive his quittance by suffering, Domitian being killed, all his judgments were discharged. And John being dismissed from the mines, thus subsequently delivered the same Apocalypse which he had received from God. This, therefore, is what He says: Thou must again prophesy to all nations, because thou seest the crowds of Antichrist rise up; and against them other crowds shall stand, and they shall fall by the sword on the one side and on the other.  

EX CAPITE X.

1, 2. Vidi alterum angelum fortem descendentem de coelo, amictum nube, et erat iris super caput ejus, et facies ejus tamquam sol, et pedes ejus tamquam columnae ignis: et habebat in manu sua librum apertum, et posuit pedem suum dextrum super mare, sinistrum autem super terram. Angelum istum fortem, quem dicit 0332C descendisse de coelo amictum nube, Dominum nostrum esse significat, sicut superius enarravimus.

Facies ejus sicut sol. Id est, de resurrectione.

Super caput ejus iris. Judicium innuit quod per illum factum est, aut futurum est.

Liber apertus. Revelatio operum in futuro judicio, vel Apocalypsis quam accepit Joannes.

Pedes ejus. Ut superius diximus, sunt apostoli. Nam calcari ab eo et marina et terrena, omnia pedibus ejus subjecta significat. Angelum autem dicit, id est nuntium, scilicet Patris: vocatur enim magni consilii Nuntius. Clamasse quoque eum voce magna ait. Vox magna est coelestis omnipotentis Dei verba hominibus nuntiare, et contestari, quia post clausam poenitentiam spes postea futura non est.

0332D 3. Locuta sunt septem tonitrua voces suas. Septem tonitrua locuta voces suas, Spiritus sanctus septiformis virtutis est qui per prophetas protestatus est omnia futura, et voce illius in saeculo testimonium 0333A Joannes reddidit: sed quia dicit se scripturum fuisse quanta locuta fuissent tonitrua, id est quaecumque in Veteri Testamento erant obscura praedicata, vetatur ea scribere: sed relinquere ea signata, quia est Apostolus, nec oportebat gratiam sequentis gradus in primo collocari. Tempus, inquit, prope est (Apoc., I, 3; XXII, 10). Apostoli enim virtutibus, signis, portentis ac magnalibus factis vicerunt incredulitatem. Post illos jam eisdem consummatis Ecclesiis datum est solatium propheticarum scripturarum post interpretandarum: post interpretantes prophetas dixi. Ait enim Apostolus: Et posuit quidem in Ecclesia primum apostolos, secundo prophetas, tertio doctores (I Cor., XII, 28), et reliqua. Et alio loco ait: Prophetae duo vel tres dicant, et caeteri aestiment (I Cor., 0333B XXIV, 29). Et ait: Omnis mulier orans vel prophetans, detecto capite, deturpat caput suum (I, Cor., XI, 5). Cum autem dicat, prophetae duo vel tres dicant, et caeteri aestiment, non de catholica prophetia dicit inaudita et incognita, sed et praedicata et nota: aestiment autem utrum ne interpretatio cum testimoniis congruat dictionis propheticae. Constat ergo hoc Joanni non fuisse necessarium superiori virtute armato; cum corpus Christi quae est Ecclesia, suis membris ornatum, suo loco respondere debeat.

10. Accepi librum de manu Angeli, et comedi illum. Accipere librum et comedere, ostensione sibi facta memoriae est mandare.

Et erat in ore meo tamquam mel dulcis. Dulcem esse in ore praedicationis est fructus loquentis, et audientibus 0333C dulcissimus, sed et praedicantibus et perseverantibus in mandatis per passionem amarissimus.

11. Et dicit mihi: oportet te iterum prophetare populis, et linguis, et gentibus, et regibus multis. Hoc dicit, propterea quod quando haec Joannes vidit, erat in insula Pathmos in metallo damnatus a Domitiano Caesare. Ibi ergo vidit Apocalypsin. Et cum jam senior putaret se per passionem accepturum receptionem, interfecto Domitiano, omnia judicia ejus soluta sunt. Et Joannes de metallo dimissus, sic postea tradidit hanc eamdem quam acceperat a Deo Apocalypsin. Hoc est ergo quod ait: Oportet te iterum praedicare omnibus gentibus: quia cernis insurgere antichristi turbas, et contra istas staturae sunt, et gladio alterutrum sunt casurae.