PART SECOND
FROM THE OPENING OF THE ABYSS TO ITS CLOSING
1. PREPARATION FOR THE REIGN OF ANTICHRIST
PART II
From the Opening of the Abyss to Its Closing
And I saw a star fall from heaven upon the earth, and there was given to him the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit.
APOCALYPSE
ix, 1, 2.
HERESIES AND RELIGIOUS WARS
CHAPTER IX
1. And the fifth angel sounded the trumpet, and I saw a star fall from heaven upon the earth, and there was given to him the key of the bottomless pit.
2. And he opened the bottomless pit: and the smoke of the pit arose, as the smoke of a great furnace: and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke of the pit.
3. And from the smoke of the pit there came out locusts upon the earth. And power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power:
4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree; But only the men who have not the sign of God on their foreheads
5. And it was given unto them that they should not kill them; but that they should torment them five months: And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man.
6. And in those days men shall seek death, and shall not find it: and they shall desire to die, and death shall fly from them.
7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle: and on their heads were, as it were crowns like gold: and their faces were as the faces of men.
8. And they had hair as the hair of women; and their teeth were as lions:
9. And they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was as the noise of chariots and many horses running to battle.
10. And they had tails like to scorpions, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had over them
11. A king, the angel of the bottomless pit; whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon; in Latin Exterminans.
The vision described in this chapter is one of the most important of the whole Apocalypse. It foretells the first woe announced by the flying eagle, the conditions and events destined to usher in the reign of Anti-christ.
1. In the fallen star ancient commentators saw a figure of Arius and other early heretics. As a matter of fact, any priest or bishop of the Church who becomes the leader of heresy may be compared to a star fallen from heaven. But in this case the star refers to some particular person whose revolt from the Church shall lead directly to the reign of Antichrist.
We cannot agree with those who refer the beginning of this vision to the early ages of the Church. The prophecies of St. John are developed in regular order according to time This vision marks a new period of exceptional gravity for the Church. We hold with Cornelius a Lapide and many others that it refers to the pretended Reformation with the star as a symbol of Luther. In that case the fifth angel may be taken as a figure of the defenders of Catholic Faith in those days.
The Arian heresy and the Greek schism had deplorable results for the Church, but they cannot be compared to those of the religious upheaval of the sixteenth century. Most of the evils that afflict the Church and society in general can be traced directly to the so-called Reformation. To it must be ascribed the apostacy of nations, the weakening of faith, and the rapidly increasing impiety and unbelief of the present day. As a result of these evils great social disturbances appear on every side, and society is tottering to its very foundations. The reign of Antichrist, which must be relatively near, will mark the culmination of evil.
2. Instead of the keys of heaven" this apostate priest received the "key of the bottomless pit." He did in very truth open the pit by turning loose against the Church all the fury of hell. By tongue and pen he in stilled into the hearts of individuals and nations a diabolic hatred of the Church which still manifests itself in calumny, misrepresentation and opposition to the Church.
The dense smoke arising from the pit obscures the heavens. This signifies that the heresy shall succeed for a time. True Catholic doctrine is obscured and even lost to many peoples.
3. From the smoke of the pit comes forth a swarm of locusts. Unlike ordinary locusts they attack men in stead of growing plants. In this respect they have the power or nature of scorpions. These locusts are a fitting image of demons, heretics, and apostates who swarm over the earth spreading spiritual destruction far and wide.
4, 5. These verses make it clear that there is no question of real locusts such as those that ravaged Egypt in the days of Moses. They are purely symbolic, and their ravages chiefly spiritual. Their sting burns and poisons the soul with false doctrines, but has no power to injure those who remain faithful to the graces received in Baptism and Confirmation. For a short time these locusts are permitted to harass and persecute with out killing, but they cannot destroy the Church.
6. In those days men seek death and find it not. The good would welcome death as an escape from the evils and miseries that surround them. Many who have been led astray by false doctrines would likewise welcome death as a relief from their doubts and remorse of conscience.
7. The locusts resemble horses accoutred for war. Heresy and schism are ever fruitful sources of religious wars and persecutions. The crowns indicate that rulers, emperors, kings, and princes will be arrayed against the Church as actually happened at the Reformation in the sixteenth century. The crowns merely resembled gold, because there was but a mere semblance of real Christian charity in those days. The human faces prove that these locusts symbolize real persons.
8-10. The hair of a woman probably signifies vanity and immorality; the teeth of a lion strength and cruelty. The breastplates of iron show preparedness for defense as well as for attack. The sound of their innumerable wings resembles the thunder of chariots rushing to battle. This indicates their great numbers and impetuosity. The scorpion-like sting is a symbol of heresy that stings and poisons the soul. Its location in the tail signifies deceit and hypocrisy.[1]
11. The king of these symbolic locusts is called the Destroyer (Exterrainans). He is Lucifer, the angel of the abyss, the leader of the rebel angels. His minions on earth are the leaders of heresy, schism, and persecution.
CHAPTER IX
12. One woe is past, and behold there come yet two woes more hereafter.
13. And the sixth angel sounded the trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before the eyes of God,
14. Saying to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet: Loose the four angels, who are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15. And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men.
16. And the number of the army of horsemen was twenty thousand times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them.
17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: and they that sat on them, had breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and from their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone.
18. And by these three plagues was slain the third part of men, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For, their tails are like to serpents, and have heads: and with them they hurt.
20. And the rest of the men, who were not slain by these plagues, did not do penance from the works of their hands, that they should not adore devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.
21. Neither did they penance from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their fornication, nor from their thefts.
12. The invasion of the locusts is the first woe predicted by the eagle. The two yet to come will fill up the "mystery of iniquity" with the appearance of Anti-christ and his prophet.
13. God sends a sixth angel to instruct and guide the Church. This mission will still further reveal the thoughts of many hearts. The wicked continue to be separated from the just.
A voice from the golden altar commands the captive angels of the Euphrates to be released. As noted above, the altar is Christ, who makes trials and tribulations a means of sanctification for souls and an increase of fervor and holiness in the Church. They also serve to spread the blessings of the Gospel for as Tertullian says: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians. [2]
Christ Himself gives command to release the captive angels, thus showing that the enemies of the Church have no power against her unless God permits. The Church can say to her enemies as Christ said to Pilate: "Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above." [3]
14. The captive angels are demons who will arouse new enemies and increased enmities against the Church. In a figurative sense they represent the new enemies thus aroused against the Church, whether they be nations, individuals or secret societies hostile to her. Four, the number of universality, indicates how widespread will be their influence.
With the prophets of old the region of the Euphrates was ever the country whence came the enemies of God's people. Its mention here indicates that these new enemies will arise among nations already hostile to the Church. In a secondary sense the term may be taken literally to represent peoples from that region who are hostile to the Church.
The four angels of the Euphrates, now ordered to be released, may be the same as those whom Christ for bade to injure the earth until the Church could be firmly established after the persecutions. [4]
15. Even the time for the manifestation of these evil spirits and their minions has been accurately fixed in the designs of Providence. The very day and hour has been determined.
Great numbers will be done to death in the religious wars and revolutions stirred up by these angels from the Euphrates. The prophecy may also mean that large numbers will be led into new errors and schisms. Both interpretations are fully justified by the history of the pretended Reformation and the wars that followed it.
16. These scourges shall be more terrible than any yet predicted. The first plagues were brought to earth by four horsemen (ch. vi). Then we saw four char ioteers, the four winds, ready to scourge mankind. Here we find a vast array of cavalry. The chastisements sent upon the world increase with the growth of iniquity and the approach of Antichrist.
17. 18. The description of horses and riders in this vision gives some idea of their boldness, strength, and cunning ferocity. They inflict upon men the plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur. The fire is persecution and war. Smoke symbolizes the obscuring of doctrine and the weakening of faith; sulphur, the moral depravity which follows.
The fire, smoke and sulphur issue from the mouth of the horses. From the mouth should proceed words of wisdom; instead there come forth heresies, and incitements to revolt and revolution. It should be noted that Luther openly preached revolt and revolution to the peasants of Germany, but when they put his words into practice, he turned to the princes and urged them to stamp out the revolt with fire and sword.
19. The horses of this vision inflict injuries with their tails which resemble serpents. Amongst all peoples the serpent is a symbol of lying and hypocrisy. These vices have ever characterized the enemies of the Church.
There is no question here of real artillery as some have imagined. St. John is giving only the broad out lines of the Church's history. He is not concerned with the material means employed by men to wage war against her.
The vision of locusts and the vision of cavalry horses are not two representations of one and the same event. They foreshadow two distinct events that follow one another in the order of time. The one is the great revolt against the Church brought about by the fallen star. The other consists of wars and disturbances which follow in the wake of that revolt.
20, 21. After these plagues have passed there still remain many who worship idols, and many guilty of robbery, murder, and immorality. This is verified today. Although nineteen twenty have elapsed since the first preaching of the Gospel, whole nations are still steeped in idolatry, and Christendom seems hopelessly divided by heresy and schism. Man's obstinacy in evil brings on the plagues described in subsequent chapters.
Part II. 1
A PREPARATORY VISION
CHAPTER X
1. And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was on his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.
2. And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth.
3. And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth. And when he had cried seven thunders uttered their voices.
4. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Seal up the things which the seven thunders have spoken, and write them not.
5. And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven.
6. And swore by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things which are therein; and the earth, and the things which are in it; and the sea, and the things which are therein; That time shall be no longer.
7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared by his servants, the prophets.
1. An angel coming in clouds of grace and glory brings to St. John a book of further prophecies. The rainbow about his head symbolizes mercy, [5] while the brightness of his countenance expresses the power of his teachings to enlighten souls. The feet as of tire indicate that he shall lead the Church in the ways of truth and justice as the pillar of fire guided the Israelites in the wilderness. [6]
2. The book is open to signify that the prophecies therein revealed to St. John are intelligible and shall be understood in due time according to the needs of the Church. The angel places one foot upon the sea, the other upon the land to express God's supreme dominion over all things.
3. 4. The voice like the roar of a lion is the voice of the Gospel which shall penetrate to the very ends of the earth teaching divine truth, condemning error, and threatening persecutors with the vengeance of God. Here, as elsewhere, the thunders may symbolize the anathemas of the Church against all wickedness and error; but it would be useless to comment on their exact meaning since St. John was commanded to seal up their words. In like manner Daniel was ordered to seal up the words of his prophecies until the time appointed by God for their publication. [7] The words of the seven thunders may also have been such as St. Paul heard "secret words which it is not granted to man to utter." [8]
5, 6. Lifting his hand to heaven the angel calls upon the God of all creation to witness the truth of his words that time shall be no more. This does not mean that the end of the world is at hand, but that the time for judgment against obstinate sinners and persecutors has arrived.
7. This judgment shall be the great persecution of Antichrist and its attendant evils. Then shall be accomplished the "mystery of God" which has been announced (evangelized) by the prophets of old. To evangelize is to announce good tidings, hence this "mystery of God" is probably the plenitude of the Redemption applied to all nations of earth. After the destruction of Antichrist and his kingdom all peoples shall accept the Gospel and the Church of Christ shall reign peacefully over all nations. [9]
CHAPTER X
8. And I heard a voice from heaven again speaking to me, and saying: Go, and take the book that is open, from the hand of the angel who standeth upon the sea, and upon the earth,
9. And I went to the angel, saying unto him, that he should give me the book. And he said to me: Take the book, and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey.
10. And I took the book from the hand of the angel, and ate it up: and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11. And he said to me: Thou must prophecy again to many nations, and peoples, and tongues, and kings.
8-10. Eating the book symbolizes an intimate union with the Holy Ghost by which the mind of the Apostle is illuminated with the spirit of prophecy. St. John finds the book sweet to the taste because it announces mercy to the elect and the final triumph of the Church. It is bitter in so far as it predicts dire persecution for the Church and terrible punishment for the wicked.
11. The angel commands St. John to announce to all the prophecy communicated to him concerning the reign of Antichrist, the subsequent triumph of the Church, and the final persecution under Gog and Magog.
Part II. 1
THE TWO WITNESSES
CHAPTER XI
1. And there was given to me a reed like unto a rod: and it was said to me: Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar and them that adore therein.
2. But the court, which is without the temple, cast out, and measure it not: because it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city they shall tread under foot two and forty months.
3. And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
4. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks, that stand before the Lord of the earth.
5. And if any man will hurt them, fire shall come out of their mouths, and shall devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, in this manner must he be slain.
6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and they have power over waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they will.
7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast, that ascendeth out of the abyss, shall make war against them, and overcome them, and kill them.
8. And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which is called spiritually, Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord also was crucified.
9. And they of the tribes, and peoples, and tongues, and nations, shall see their bodies for three days and a half: and they shall not suffer their bodies to be laid in sepulchres.
10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry: and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon earth.
11. And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them. And they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them that saw them.
12. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying to them: Come up hither. And they went up to heaven in a cloud: and their enemies saw them.
13. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell: and there were slain in the earthquake names of men seven thousand: and the rest were cast into a fear, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The account of the two witnesses given here in one connected discourse, necessitates a brief outline of the reign of Antichrist, his persecution of the Church, and his overwhelming defeat, events to be more fully related in subsequent chapters.
1. St. John is commanded to measure the temple and number the people found therein. Here again, the temple is a figure of the Church and those who worship there are the faithful who remain steadfast during the great persecution of Antichrist.
2. The outer court, cast off and given over to the Gentiles, signifies that a great number of Christians will fall away from the Faith in those evil days. With the other followers of Antichrist they will trample Jerusalem beneath their feet during the forty-two months of persecution. The holy city is here taken literally for Jerusalem, but it is also a figure of the Church, the chief object of attack under Antichrist.
3. At the beginning of this terrible persecution God will send two prophets, or "witnesses," to guide the Church and preach penance for the space of 1260 days. According to all tradition, both Jewish and Christian, the prophet Elias, will be one of these witnesses. "Behold I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great day of the Lord." [10] The tradition is also confirmed by the words of Christ: " Elias indeed shall come and restore all things." [11] The other witness will probably be Henoch, who like Elias, "was translated that he should not see death." [12] Yet some think that Moses will be the second witness because he appeared with Elias at the Transfiguration of Christ. [13] The two witnesses shall appear among men as apostles of the Church and adversaries of Antichrist.
The duration of the persecution is sometimes given in years; at other times in months or days, but in every case the same definite length of time is predicted. This seems to indicate that the three and one-half years are to be taken literally.
4. The two witnesses were symbolized by the two olive trees and the candlestick mentioned in the prophecy of Zacharias. [14] The olive is a symbol of God's mercy as in the days of the deluge. [15] The oil from the olive also symbolizes the unction of the Holy Ghost poured forth upon the two prophets who are to be lights (candle sticks) to the faithful by their preaching.
5, 6. The two witnesses shall have miraculous power to overcome their enemies as Elias of old destroyed the soldiers of Ochozias with fire from heaven. [16] They shall also punish the unfaithful with drought and famine as did Elias in the days of Achab. [17] Changing water into blood may mean that the rivers shall run red with blood from wars and revolutions. More probably the words should be taken literally to foretell plagues such as Moses brought upon the land of Egypt. [18] In either case there is a reference to the plagues of Egypt which seems to confirm the belief that Moses shall be one of the witnesses.
7. Having fulfilled their mission the two prophets will be put to death by Antichrist, the beast from the abyss. [19] Thus will they share the fate of their divine Master and of innumerable heralds of the Gospel. Their martyrdom will take place at the end of a war in which Antichrist and his followers will win the decisive battle in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
8-10. For three days and a half the bodies of the martyred prophets shall lie unburied in the streets of Jerusalem "where our Lord was crucified." The enemies of the Church will rejoice and commemorate their short lived victory by exchange of gifts. Like the Jews of old who thought they had rid themselves of Christ by His death on the Cross, these enemies of His Church will think they have done with the prophets who harassed them by their preaching and miracles. Naturally, the faithful will be seized with fear, as were the disciples at the death of our Lord.
11, 12. At the end of three days and a half the followers of Antichrist shall be dumbfounded to see the two prophets arise from the dead and ascend into heaven before their very eyes.
Centuries before, Elias and Henoch had been taken up from earth [20] and reserved for this supreme conflict. Now by a special privilege they anticipate the general resurrection as a reward for their labors and sufferings.
This triumph of the two prophets leads directly to the defeat of Antichrist as foretold by Isaias: With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked one." [21] In like manner St. Paul says: Then that wicked one shall be revealed whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of His mouth." [22] These passages seem to imply a personal intervention by our Lord but He may send an angel as His instrument of destruction; or, perhaps, Elias will rain down fire from heaven upon Antichrist as he did upon the soldiers of Ochozias and the priests of Baal. [23]
13. As the two prophets are taken up to heaven Jerusalem is shaken with a mighty earthquake in which seven thousand people perish and a tenth part of the city is destroyed. At sight of these prodigies all who survive are converted and begin to praise and glorify God. Here is seen the great mercy of God who punishes not to destroy but to convert and save.
CHAPTER XI
14. And the second woe is past: And behold the third woe will come quickly.
15. And the seventh angel sounded the trumpet: and there were great voices in heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Amen.
16. And the four and twenty ancients, who sit on their seats in the sight of God, fell on their faces and adored God, saying:
17. We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art to come: because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and thou hast reigned.
18. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged and that thou shouldst render reward to thy servants the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great, and shouldst destroy them who have corrupted the earth.
19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earth quake, and great hail.
14. The reign of Antichrist is the second woe announced by the eagle. [24] The third woe following close upon the second shall end with the destruction of Rome, the new Babylon, [25] and the defeat of the false prophet.
15. The seventh angel proclaims the triumph of Christ and His kingdom which shall endure until the end of time. The Church, the kingdom of Christ, shall be established upon the ruins of the empire of Antichrist far more gloriously than it had been upon the ruins of the old empire of pagan Rome. Heresies, schisms and religious wars shall be no more, and all nations shall be converted to Christianity. }}
16, 17. The paeans of the four and twenty ancients to their triumphant Saviour represent the praises of the Church given to Christ through the ministry of the priesthood.
18. Toward the end of the world a final revolt against the Church shall be punished by a deluge of fire. [26] Shortly thereafter shall come the resurrection of the body, and the general judgment in which God will reward His prophets and saints, and all who fear His name be they great or small. The wicked shall then suffer the just punishment of their iniquity.
19. If this verse be connected with the foregoing, it describes the intervention of Christ to protect His Church against her enemies in the last conflict at the end of the world. It seems better, however, to take it as a prelude to the following chapter. It then refers to the assistance which God gives His Church in her conflict with Satan mentioned above (vv. 2, 3), and described at length in the following chapters.
The ark of the testament is the Eucharistic Tabernacle in which Christ dwells with His Church. The lightnings, voices, and earthquake (thunders, in Greek) symbolize the preaching and warnings of the Church; her anathemas and judgments against all heresy and schism, and the divine punishment which these sins bring down upon those guilty of them.
Part II. 1
CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND SATAN
CHAPTER XII
1. And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:
2. And being with child, she cried travailing in birth and was in pain to be delivered.
3. And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his heads seven diadems:
4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son.
5. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God and to his throne.
6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, that there they should feed her a thousand two hundred sixty days.
7. And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.
8. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world: and he was cast unto earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
In the foregoing chapter St. John outlines the his tory of the Church from the coming of Antichrist until the end of the world in order to give a connected account of the two prophets Elias and Henoch, (or Moses) and the result of their labors. In this chapter he shows us the true nature of that conflict. It shall be war unto death between the Church and the powers of darkness in a final effort of Satan to destroy the Church and thus prevent the universal reign of Christ on earth.
Satan will first attempt to destroy the power of the Papacy and bring about the downfall of the Church through heresies, schisms and persecutions that must surely follow. Failing in this he will then attack the Church from without. For this purpose he will raise up Antichrist and his prophet to lead the faithful into error and destroy those who remain steadfast.
1. The Church, the faithful spouse of Jesus Christ, is represented as a woman clothed in the glory of divine grace. In the Canticle of Canticles the Church is likewise described as she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun." [27] The brightness of the sun is a fitting symbol for the enlightening power of the Church's teachings.
The moon was beneath her feet. St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine see in this the dominion of the Church over the whole world, and her contempt for the perishable goods of this life. The moon with its ever changing phases is a figure of the transitory things of earth.
The crown of twelve stars represents the twelve Apostles and through them the whole ministry of the Church. It may also denote the assembly of faithful nations symbolized by the mystic number twelve.
2. The Church is ever in labor to bring forth children to eternal life. In the sad days here predicted the sorrows and pains . of delivery shall be increased many fold. In this passage there is an evident allusion to some particular son of the Church whose power and influence shall be such that Satan will seek his destruction at any cost. This person can be none other than the Pope to be elected in those days. The Papacy will be attacked by all the powers of hell. In consequence the Church will suffer great trials and afflictions in securing a successor upon the throne of Peter.
The words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians may be a reference to the Papacy as the obstacle to the coming of Antichrist: You know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way. And then that wicked one shall be revealed." [28]
3. St. John now sees in heaven a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns; each head bearing a diadem. The dragon is Satan red with the blood of martyrs which he will cause to flow. The meaning of the seven heads and ten horns must be sought in the description of the beast that represents Antichrist where they symbolize kings or worldly powers. [29] Those of the dragon must have a similar meaning, and indicate that Satan's attacks against the Church will be organized and carried out by the governments and ruling powers of those days.
With the beast of Antichrist only the horns have diadems as symbols of royalty or governing power. The heads are branded with names of blasphemy. [30] Hence they symbolize the sins and errors that will afflict the Church. Seven, the number of universality, indicates that in this final struggle to prevent the universal reign of Christ all forms of sin and error will be marshalled against the Church. A prelude to this may be seen in the errors of Modernism which has been rightly designated "a synthesis of all heresies." The number seven is also appropriate since all sins are included in the seven capital sins. In like manner all errors that have afflicted the Church may be summed up in these seven: Judaism, paganism, Arianism, Mohammedanism, Protestantism, rationalism, and atheism.
The dragon is seen in heaven which is here a symbol of the Church, the kingdom of heaven on earth. This indicates that the first troubles of those days will be inaugurated within the Church by apostate bishops, priests, and peoples, the stars dragged down by the tail of the dragon.
4. The tail of the dragon represents the cunning hypocrisy with which he succeeds in deceiving a large number of people and pastors a third part of the stars. Arianism led a way many bishops, priests and peoples. The pretended Reformation of the sixteenth century claimed still larger numbers but these cannot be compared to the numbers seduced by Satan in the days of Antichrist.
The dragon stands before the woman ready to devour the child that is brought forth. Tn other words, the powers of hell seek by all means to destroy the Pope elected in those days.
5. The woman brings forth a son to rule the nations with a rod of iron. These are the identical words of prophecy uttered by the Psalmist concerning our Saviour Jesus Christ. [31] They confirm our application of this vision to the Pope, the vicar of Christ on earth to rule the nations in His stead and by His power.
It is now the hour for the powers of darkness. The new-born Son of the Church is taken to God and to His throne." Scarcely has the newly elected Pope been enthroned when he is snatched away by martyrdom. The "mystery of iniquity" gradually developing through the centuries, cannot be fully consummated while the power of the Papacy endures, but now he that "withholdeth is taken out of the way." During the interregnum "that wicked one shall be revealed" in his fury against the Church.
It is a matter of history that the most disastrous periods for the Church were times when the Papal throne was vacant, or when anti-popes contended with the legitimate head of the Church. Thus also shall it be in those evil days to come.
6. The Church deprived of her chief pastor must seek sanctuary in solitude there to be guided by God Himself during those trying days. This place of refuge prepared for the Church is probably some nation, or nations, that remain faithful to her. [32] In those days the Church shall also find refuge and consolation in faithful souls, especially in the seclusion of the religious life.
7. St. Michael, the guardian angel of the Church, shall come with his hosts to defend her against the onslaughts of Satan and his minions. The followers of St. Michael are the angelic hosts of heaven and all faithful bishops and priests of the Church. The minions of Satan are the fallen angels with the leaders of heresy, schism, and persecution.
8, 9. The battle is waged in the Church, the kingdom of heaven, from which the dragon arid his angels are cast out and hurled down to earth. The earth symbolizes the nations hostile to the Church, the world over which Satan rules. By the aid of St. Michael the Church shall purge herself of all heretics, schismatics and apostates. A similar work was accomplished by the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century.
CHAPTER XII
10. And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.
11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.
12. Therefore rejoice, O heaven, and you that dwell therein. Woe to the earth, and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man child:
14. And there was given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman, water as it were a river; that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.
16. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17. And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
18. And he stood upon the sands of the sea.
10, 11. St. Michael and his angels give glory to God for the victory of the Church which is achieved by the power of the Precious Blood shed for man's redemption. Satan is overcome according to Christ's testimony that "the gates of hell shall never prevail" against His Church. [33] Victory was also made possible by the invincible courage of the faithful who hesitated not to give their life in defense of the Church. Those shall be days of great persecution in which the Church will suffer all the horrors of the early ages, but she will likewise be crowned with the glory of innumerable martyrs.
12, 13. The Church is called upon to rejoice over the defeat of the dragon and the glorious martyrdom of her children; but woe to the earth and the sea, all man kind. Realizing that the time of his power is short, Satan will now loose upon earth all his rage and fury in a last effort against the Church. His attempt to destroy her from within having failed, he will now seek to crush her by hatred and persecution from without.
14. In this new danger the Church shall receive the wings of an eagle to defend her and carry her to the place of refuge which God has prepared. [34] The wings are probably two armies sent in defense of the Church by some nation that remains faithful. This interpretation seems justified by verse 16.
In a spiritual sense the two wings are faith and prayer. In the faith and prayer of her children, and especially in the contemplative life of religious orders the Church shall find a refuge of consolation which Satan cannot violate. The desolation of those three and one-half years may be compared to that of the three days following our Lord's death on the Cross. The faith and prayers of Mary, of the holy women, and of the Apostles afforded the only consolation in those days of anguish.
This chapter indicates that the Church shall find refuge for three and one-half years on two different occasions; the one during the internal warfare against the Church and the other after the dragon has been cast out. It is possible that the two-fold attack against the Church will be carried on simultaneously, making the refuge mentioned in verse 6 coincide with the one mentioned here. However, the whole context seems to be against such an interpretation.
15, 16. The dragon now seeks to overwhelm the Church with a veritable flood of tribulations, but some faithful nation, or nations, (the earth) comes to her rescue. This verse proves that the great revolt of nations mentioned by St. Paul [35] will not be universal. God will preserve at least one nation to defend the Church in that hour when, humanly" speaking, everything seems hopeless.
17, 18. Satan now realizes that victory will be difficult. His first attempt failed miserably. In this second conflict new tactics must be employed. He will now seek to lead the faithful astray by a false Messias whom he will raise up in the person of Antichrist. This new adversary is to spring from the sea, the nations already hostile to the Church, hence Satan takes his stand by the shore to call forth the man of sin, the son of perdition. [36] It is a solemn moment of "fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world." [37]
- ↑ See below, verse 19.
- ↑ Tertullian, "Apology" c. 50
- ↑ St. John xix, 11.
- ↑ See above, vii, 1.
- ↑ See above, page 58.
- ↑ Exodus xiii, 21.
- ↑ Daniel xii, 4.
- ↑ II Corinthians xii, 4.
- ↑ See below, "Universal Reign of Christ.
- ↑ Malachias iv, 5.
- ↑ St. Matthew xvii, 11.
- ↑ IV Kings ii, 3; Epistle to Hebrews xi, 5.
- ↑ St. Matthew xvii, 3.
- ↑ Zacharias iv, 3.
- ↑ Genesis viii, 11.
- ↑ IV Kings i, 10-14.
- ↑ III Kings xvii, 1.
- ↑ Exodus vii, 20 ss.
- ↑ See below, xiii, 1.
- ↑ Genesis v, 22; Eccli xlvii, 9, 10; IV Kings ii, 11; Hebrews xi, 5.
- ↑ Isaias xi, 4.
- ↑ II Thessalonians ii, 8.
- ↑ III Kings xvii, 38-40; IV Kings i, 10-14; cf. below, xiv, 18.
- ↑ Apocalypse viii, 13.
- ↑ Apocalypse xviii.
- ↑ Apocalypse xx.
- ↑ Canticle of Canticles vi, 9.
- ↑ II Thessalonians ii, 6, 7.
- ↑ Apocalypse xvii, 9-12.
- ↑ Apocalypse xiii, 1.
- ↑ Psalm ii, 9.
- ↑ See below, v. 14.
- ↑ St. Matthew xvi, 18.
- ↑ See above, v. 6.
- ↑ II Thessalonians ii, 3.
- ↑ II Thessalonians ii, 3.
- ↑ St. Luke xxi, 26