Scholia in Apocalypsem (scholia 28-38) 28 (After I knew, he says, that the root of David, the conquering lion of the tribe of Judah, had taken the book to loose its seals) I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and of the elders a Lamb standing <as> if slain. After the resurrection and ascension the Lamb that was seen was no longer slain, <but as if slain> it was seen, and still standing, that is, no longer changing. Therefore if according to a new state it now has seven horns, it has a holy and blessed kingdom, for seven is the symbol of this. In addition to the seven horns it also has seven eyes, which are none other than the seven spirits of God which go forth upon the earth, overseeing the things done by men; in harmony with these things is the verse, The seven eyes of the Lord are they that look upon all the earth. 29 It is said somewhere, Let my prayer be directed as incense before you; the bowls full of these incenses happen to be the governing faculties of those genuinely praying to Christ. And you will say the harps are their power, harmonized with good music and melody, by which they perceive and love Christ. And what do they say when singing the new song, but, Worthy are you, O Master and Savior, to take the book, and the rest? And clearly these things are about the crucified one, led as a sheep to the slaughter; from the slaughter that so occurred, the blood that flowed is given as a price for those who are saved. And since he was crucified not for a part or for one nation of men, he purchased with his blood from every tribe of Israel and every tongue of men. Furthermore, it is also possible to take the difference between a people and a nation differently it is, saying that those taken from a people are from among the pure and wise men, while those from a nation were purchased from among the more common and the many. The former hypothesis about the number of the twenty-four elders is confirmed from the preceding text; for they themselves confessed that they were purchased and chosen from among men. We, therefore, who read these things and learn that the incenses are the prayers of the saints, and that good deeds are spiritual sacrifices and well-accepted by God, see that from the coming of Christ in every place incense is offered to the name of the Lord and a pure sacrifice; for great is his name among the nations, through the teaching of Christ, as the prophet says. 30 From the scriptures it is possible to find that just as for a body of God, there are certain energies, such as serving hands, and overseeing eyes, and ears appointed for prayers, and the driving-away feet of God's providence, for those living on earth. Since, therefore, he is about to speak of the great wrath of God, it is not an accidental passion that is named, called the wrath of God, existing outside of him, but assigned for a purpose to those who need it, to whom they are also handed over, as unworthy of God, so that they might long for the God whom they have despised when they come under the power of the evil one. And the wrath of God is the devil. For also in the second book of Kingdoms it is said, And the wrath of the Lord proceeded to be kindled against Israel, and he incited David, saying: Go and number Israel and Judah. And the wrath of God is that which incited David, not saying (feminine) but saying (masculine); besides God himself, then, who is said to have spoken many things to the saints, there is some other wrath of his which says these things and commands to sin a sin for which punishment from God follows the one persuaded by such wrath that has spoken— and how does that which punishes for sins, and punishes justly, incite to sin, so that having persuaded to sin, it might punish justly? For the cause of the sin will unjustly punish the one who has sinned. But, as has been said, I think the wrath of God is the devil, by persuading to sin, wishing to take the sinner captive as a result of sinning. For also in the first book of Chronicles, relating the same cause concerning David, he says thus, And the devil stood up in Israel and incited David to

Scholia in Apocalypsem (scholia 28-38) 28 (Μετὰ τὸ ἐγνωκέναι μέ, φησιν, ὅτι ἡ ῥίζα ∆αυείδ, ὁ νικήσας λέων ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα, εἴληφεν τὸ βιβλίον ἐπὶ τῷ λῦσαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ) Εἶδον ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀρνίον ἑστηκὸς <ὡς> ἐσφαγμένον. μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν καὶ ἀνάληψιν ὀφθὲν τὸ ἀρνίον οὐκέτι ἐσφαγμένον <ἀλλ' ὡς ἐσφαγμένον> ὤφθη καὶ ἔτι ἑστός, τουτέστιν οὐκέτι ἀλλοιούμενον. εἰοὖν κατὰ καινὴν στάσιν ἔχει λοιπὸν ἑπτὰ κέρατα, ἁγίαν βασιλείαν καὶ εὐλογημένην ἔχει, ταύτης γὰρ σύμβολον τὰ ἑπτά. πρὸς τοῖς ἑπτὰ κέρασι καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἑπτὰ ἔχει, οὐκ ἄλλους ὄντας τῶν ἑπτὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πνευμάτων ἃ πορεύεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐπισκοποῦντα τὰ πρὸς ἀνθρώ πων πραττόμενα· συνᾴδει τούτοις τὸ Ἑπτὰ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου εἰὶν ἐπιβλέποντε ἐπὶ πᾶαν τὴν γῆν. 29 Εἴρηταί που Κατευθυνθήτω ἡ προευχή μου ὡ θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν ου· πλήρεις τούτων τῶν θυμιαμάτων φιάλαι τυγχάνουσι τὰ ἡγεμονικὰ τῶν γνησίως εὐχομέ νων Χριστῷ. ἐρεῖς δὲ καὶ τὰς κιθάρας τὴν ἡρμοσμένην εὐμούσως καὶ εὐμελῶς δύναμιν αὐτῶν καθ' ἣν νοοῦσι καὶ ἀγαπῶσιν Χριστόν. τί δὲ κατὰ τὸ ᾄδειν τὴν καινὴν ᾠδὴν λέγουσιν ἢ τό Ἄξιος εἶ, ὦ δέσποτα σωτήρ, λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; προφανῶς δὲ περὶ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἐστὶ ταῦτα, ἀχθέντο ὡ πρόβατον ἐπὶ φαγήν· ἐκ τῆς οὕτω γεναμένης σφαγῆς τὸ ῥεῦσαν αἷμα τιμὴ δίδοται ὑπὲρ τῶν σεσωσμένων. καὶ ἐπειδὴ μὴ ὑπὲρ μέρους ἢ ἑνὸς ἔθνους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐσταυρώθη, ἠγόρασεν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάσης φυλῆς Ἰσραὴλ καὶ διαλέκτου πάσης τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἔτι μὴν καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους διαφορὰν διαφόρ<ως ἔστι> λαβεῖν φάσκοντα ὅτι ἐκ τῶν καθαρίων καὶ σοφῶν ἀνθρώπων ληφθέντες ἀπὸ λαοῦ, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν χυδαιοτέρων καὶ πολλῶν ἀπὸ ἔθνους ἠγοράσθησαν. πιστοῦται ἡ προτέρα ὑπόθεσις τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν εἴκοσι τεσσάρων πρεσβυτέρων ἐκ τῆς προκειμένης λέξεως· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ὡμολόγησαν ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἠγοράσθη σαν καὶ ἐξελέγησαν. ἡμεῖς οὖν οἱ ἀναγινώσκοντες ταῦτα καὶ μαθόντες ὅτι τὰ θυμιάματά εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ πνευματικαὶ θυίαι καὶ εὐπρόδεκτ<ο>ι θεῷ αἱ ἀγαθαὶ πράξεις, ὁρῶμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ θυμίαμα προάγεται τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου καὶ θυία καθαρά· μέγα γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομά ἐστιν ἐν τοῖ ἔθνει, διὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν, ὡς φησὶν ὁ προφήτης. 30 Ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ὡς <ὥσ>περ σῶμα θεοῦ <ἐνερ>γίαι εἰσί τινες, οἷον αἱ ὑπηρετικαὶ χεῖρε, καὶ ἐποπτικαὶ ὀφθαλμοί, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν εὐχῶν τεταγμέναι ὦτα, καὶ ἀπελαστικαὶ προνοίας θεοῦ πόδε, τοῖς κατὰ γῆν διαιτωμένοις. ἐπεὶ οὖν μέλλει ἐρεῖν ὀργὴν θεοῦ μεγάλην, οὐ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς πάθος ὀνομάζεται, θεοῦ ὀργὴ καλούμενον, ἔξω ὑπάρχον αὐτοῦ, πλὴν εἰς χρείαν κατατασσόμενον τοῖς δεομένοις, ᾧ καὶ παραδίδονται, ὡς ἀνάξιοι θεοῦ, ἵνα ποθήσωσι τὸν θεὸν οὗ καταπεφρονήκασιν ὅτε ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ χείρονος ἐξουσίαν γίνονται. καί ἐστιν ὀργὴ θεοῦ ὁ διάβολος. καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Βασιλειῶν εἴρηται Καὶ προέθετο ὀργὴν Κυρίου ἐκκαῆναι ἐπὶ Ἰραὴλ καὶ ἐπέειε τὸν ∆αυῒδ λέγων· Βάδιζε καὶ ἀρίθμηον τὸν Ἰραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν. καί ἐστιν ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἐπιείαα τὸν ∆αυῒδ οὐχὶ λέγουα ἀλλὰ λέγων· παρὰ αὐτὸν ἄρα τὸν θεόν, τὸν λεγόμενον εἰρηκέναι πολλά τινα πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους, ἑτέρα τίς ἐστιν ἡ ὀργὴ αὐτοῦ ἡ ταῦτα λέγουσα καὶ κελεύουσα ἁμαρτάνειν ἁμαρτίαν ἐφ' ᾗ κόλασις ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ πεισθέντι τῇ τοιάδε εἰρηκυίᾳ ὀργῇ- καὶ πῶς ἡ κολάζουσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ δικαίως κολάζουσα ἀνασείει ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαν, ἵνα πείσασα ἐπὶ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν κολάσῃ δικαίως; ἀδίκως γὰρ κολάσει ἡ αἰτία τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα. ἀλλά, καθὼς εἴρηται, ὀργὴν θεοῦ οἶμαι εἶναι τὸν διάβολον τῷ ἀναπείθειν ἁμαρτάνειν, βουλόμενον ὑποχείριον λαβεῖν τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα ἐκ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν. καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ τῶν Παραλειπομένων τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἱστορῶν οὕτω φησίν Καὶ ἔτη ὁ διάβολο ἐν τῷ Ἰραὴλ καὶ ἐπέειε τὸν ∆αυῒδ τοῦ