Oecumenius, Commentary on Apocalypse

neither having been asked, nor having come to judgment, 168 just as also the sinners brought forward in the Gospels, for whom their uncharitableness and unwillingness to share was the cause of their punishment. Concerning these, I think the prophet says that the ungodly will not stand up in judgment. And he has called the punishment a winepress, elegantly using the metaphor of the grapes and the vintage. And the winepress, he says, was trodden outside the city; for it was not right for those being punished to receive the retributions for their evils in the heavenly Jerusalem allotted to the saints and to mar the gladness of the saints through sympathy for those justly punished, not to mention that a great chasm also separates the pious from the impious according to the words of the patriarch Abraham, which he made to the rich man in the Gospels. And blood, he says, came out from the winepress. He well said blood, to show that in saying grapes he spoke metaphorically, since it was indeed men who were being trodden and mangled up to, he says, the bridles of the horses, for one thousand six hundred stadia. Certain horses of God are handed down to us in the divine scripture, signifying an angelic power having God as its rider; for the heavenly bridegroom says to the bride in the Song, to my mare in Pharaoh’s chariot I have likened you, my love, my love. And Habakkuk the prophet also sings to God that you will mount upon your horses, and your riding is salvation. The Apocalypse says that the bridles of these horses are wet with the blood of the sinners, not standing near but at a distance; and the whole saying is figurative, the riddle showing that the blood was so much. For many more are those who travel the broad way than those 169 who travel the narrow and afflicted one, so as to wet the bridles of the horses, or rather angels, who are in charge of the punishment. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? for you only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before you; for your judgments are made manifest. I saw, he says, seven angels having seven plagues. Seven he says, meaning the many, which are prepared against the sinners, through which the wrath of God comes to an end. And I saw, he says, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Somewhere in his own words the most wise Paul says, If any man builds upon this foundation, gold, silver, 170 precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is; because it is revealed by fire. Therefore, not only the sinners who take up the easily combustible burdens of sin, but also the righteous will be tested in fire, even though they bring gold and precious materials? This is what he now says, that those who have completely conquered the beast are standing in the sea of glass mixed with fire, of glass because of the brilliance and purity of the righteous in it, and mixed with fire because of its cleansing and purifying quality for every stain, since even the righteous have need of cleansing. For we all stumble in many things, according to what is written, and who will be clean from filth? Not even if his life on earth is but one day. The harps, as has often been said, signify the saints' melodious song to God. And they sing, he says, that song of Moses which he sang when Pharaoh was drowned with all his army, saying, Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously glorified; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea; a helper

μήτε ἐρωτηθέντες, ἢ εἰς κρίσιν ἐλθόντες, 168 ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις εἰσαχθέντες ἁμαρτωλοί, οἷς τὸ ἀμετάδοτον καὶ ἀκοινώνητον αἴτιον γέγονε τῆς κολάσεως. περὶ τούτων οἶμαι τὸν προφήτην λέγειν ὅτι οὐκ ἀναστήσονται ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κρίσει. ληνὸν δὲ κέκληκε τὴν κόλασιν τῇ μεταφορᾷ τῶν βοτρύων καὶ τοῦ τρυγητοῦ ἀστείως χρησάμενος. καὶ ἐπατήθη φησὶν ἡ ληνὸς ἔξω τῆς πόλεως· οὐ γὰρ ἦν θέμις τοὺς κολαζομένους ἐν τῇ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποκεκληρωμένῃ ἐπουρανίῳ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὰς ἀντιδόσεις δέχεσθαι τῶν κακῶν καὶ λυμαίνεσθαι τὴν τῶν ἁγίων εὐφροσύνην διὰ τῆς τῶν δικαίως τιμωρουμένων συμπαθείας, μὴ ὅτι καὶ χάσμα μέγα διείργει τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀσεβῶν κατὰ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἁβραάμ, οὓς πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις πεποίηται. καὶ ἐξῆλθέ φησιν αἷμα ἐκ τῆς ληνοῦ. καλῶς εἶπεν αἷμα, ἵνα δείξῃ ὅτι βότρυας εἰπὼν μεταφορικῶς εἴρηκεν, ἐπεί τοί γε ἄνθρωποι ἦσαν οἱ συμπατούμενοι καὶ κναπτόμενοι ἄχρι φησὶν τῶν χαλινῶν τῶν ἵππων ἀπὸ σταδίων χιλίων ἑξακοσίων. ἵπποι τινὲς Θεοῦ παραδέδονται ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ, δύναμιν ἀγγελικὴν αἰνιττόμενοι ἔποχον ἔχουσαν τὸν Θεόν· φησὶ γὰρ τῇ ἐν τῷ Ἄσματι νύμφῃ ὁ οὐράνιος νυμφίος τῇ ἵππῳ μου ἐν ἅρματι Φαραὼ ὡμοίωσά σε, ἡ πλησίον, ἡ πλησίον μου. καὶ Ἀμβακοὺμ δὲ ὁ προφήτης ᾄδει πρὸς Θεὸν ὅτι ἐπιβήσῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους σου, καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία. τούτων τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς βρέχεσθαι τῷ αἵματι τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν φησιν ἡ ἀποκάλυψις, οὐ πλησίον ἀλλ' ἀπὸ μήκους ἑστώτων· τροπικὸν δὲ ὅλον τὸ εἰρημένον δεικνύντος τοῦ αἰνίγματος, τοσοῦτον εἶναι τὸ αἷμα. πολλαπλασίους γὰρ οἱ τὴν πλατείαν ὁδεύοντες παρὰ τοὺς 169 τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην, ὡς καὶ τοὺς χαλινοὺς ἀναδεῦσαι τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ ἐφεστώτων ἵππων εἴ τ' οὖν ἀγγέλων. καὶ εἶδον ἄλλο σημεῖον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ μέγα καὶ θαυμαστόν, ἀγγέλους ἑπτὰ ἔχοντας πληγὰς ἑπτὰ τὰς ἐσχάτας, ὅτι ἐν αὐταῖς ἐτελέσθη ὁ θυμὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ εἶδον ὡς θάλασσαν ὑαλίνην μεμιγμένην πυρί, καὶ τοὺς νικῶντας ἐκ τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ἐκ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ, ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν ὑαλίνην, ἔχοντας κιθάρας τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ ᾄδουσιν ὠδὴν Μωυσέως τοῦ δούλου τοῦ Θεοὺ καὶ τὴν ὠδὴν τοῦ ἀρνίου, λέγοντες· μεγάλα καὶ θαυ μάσια τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε, ὁ Θεός, ὁ παντοκράτωρ· δίκαιαι καὶ ἀληθιναὶ αἱ ὁδοί σου, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν. τίς οὐ μὴ φοβηθῇ, Κύριε, καὶ δοξάσει τὸ ὄνομά σου; ὅτι μόνος ὅσιος, ὅτι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἥξουσι καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν ἐνώπιόν σου, ὅτι τὰ δικαιώματά σου ἐφανερώθησαν. εἶδόν φησιν ἀγγέλους ἑπτὰ ἔχοντας ἑπτὰ πληγάς. ἑπτὰ λέγει τὰς πολλάς, τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ηὐτρεπισμένας, δι' ὧν ὁ θυμὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ πέρας λαμβάνει. καὶ εἶδόν φησι θάλασσαν ὑαλίνην μεμιγμένην πυρί, καὶ τοὺς νικῶντας ἐκ τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ἐκ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν ὑαλίνην ἔχοντας κιθάρας τοῦ Θεοῦ. φησί που τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων ὁ σοφώτατος Παῦλος εἴ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον, χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, 170 λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην, ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάσει· ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται. ἆρα οὖν οὐ μόνον οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ οἱ τὰ εὐκατάπριστα φορτία τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀνατιθέμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δίκαιοι ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμασθήσονται, καί τοι χρυσὸν καὶ τὰς τιμίας ὕλας ἐπαγόμενοι; τοῦτο καὶ νῦν λέγει τοὺς νενικηκότας διὰ πάντων τὸ θηρίον, ἑστῶτας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ τῇ ὑαλίνῃ τῇ μεμιγμένῃ πυρί, ὑαλίνῃ μὲν διὰ τὸ λαμπρὸν καὶ καθαρὸν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ δικαίων, ἀναμὶξ δὲ πυρὶ διὰ τὸ σμηκτικὸν καὶ καθαριστικὸν ῥύπου παντός, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῖς δικαίοις χρεία καθάρσεως. πολλὰ γὰρ πταίομεν ἅπαντες κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον καὶ τίς καθαρὸς ἔσται ἀπὸ ῥύπου; ἀλλ' οὐ δὲ ἐὰν μία ἡμέρα ἔσται ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. αἱ κιθάραι ὡς πολλάκις εἴρηται, τὴν εὔηχον Θεῷ τῶν ἁγίων ὠδὴν αἰνίττεται. καὶ ᾄδουσί φησι τὴν ὠδὴν Μωυσέως ἐκείνην πάντως ἣν ᾖσε καταποντισθέντος πανστρατιᾷ τοῦ Φαραώ, ᾄσωμεν εἰπὼν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐνδόξως γὰρ δεδόξασται· ἵππον καὶ ἀναβάτην ἔρριψεν εἰς θάλασσαν· βοηθὸς