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Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
Victorinus of Pettau
Chapter From the sixth chapter About this work The earliest surviving Latin commentary on Revelation, interpreting its visions through Scripture, church history, persecution, eschatological expectation, and recurring patterns within the book as a coherent whole.
Author Victorinus of Pettau
Date Late 3rd century
Origin Pettau, Pannonia
Genre Commentary The text survives in forms affected by later editorial revision.
from the sixth chapter. 1 , 2 . “ And when the Lamb
‹ Chapter From the fifth chapter Chapter From the seventh chapter ›
had
opened
one
of
the
seven
seals
,
I
saw
,
and
heard
one
of
the
four
living
creatures
saying
,
Come
and
see
.
And
,
lo
,
a
white
horse
,
and
He
who
sat
upon
him
had
a
bow
.
”
]
The
first
seal
being
opened
,
he
says
that
he
saw
a
white
horse
,
and
a
crowned
horseman
having
a
bow
.
For
this
was
at
first
done
by
Himself
.
For
after
the
Lord
ascended
into
heaven
and
opened
all
things
,
He
sent
the
Holy
Spirit
,
whose
words
the
preachers
sent
forth
as
arrows
reaching
to
the
human
heart
,
that
they
might
overcome
unbelief
.
And
the
crown
on
the
head
is
promised
to
the
preachers
by
the
Holy
Spirit
.
The
other
three
horses
very
plainly
signify
the
wars
,
famines
,
and
pestilences
announced
by
our
Lord
in
the
Gospel
.
And
thus
he
says
that
one
of
the
four
living
creatures
said
(
because
all
four
are
one
)
,
“
Come
and
see
.
”
“
Come
”
is
said
to
him
that
is
invited
to
faith
;
“
see
”
is
said
to
him
who
saw
not
.
Therefore
the
white
horse
is
the
word
of
preaching
with
the
Holy
Spirit
sent
into
the
world
.
For
the
Lord
says
,
“
This
Gospel
shall
be
preached
throughout
the
whole
world
for
a
testimony
to
all
nations
,
and
then
shall
come
the
end
.
”
3 , 4 . “ And when He had opened the second seal , I heard the second living creature saying , Come and see . And there went out another horse that was red , and to him that sat upon him was given a great sword . ” ] The red horse , and he that sat upon him , having a sword , signify the coming wars , as we read in the Gospel : “ For nation shall rise against nation , and kingdom against kingdom ; and there shall be great earthquakes in divers places . ” This is the ruddy horse .
Section 5 5 . “ And when He had opened the third seal , I heard the third living creature saying , Come and see . And , lo , a black horse ; and he who sat upon it had a balance in his hand . ” ] The black horse signifies famine , for the Lord says , “ There shall be famines in divers places ; ” but the word is specially extended to the times of Antichrist , when there shall be a great famine , and when all shall be injured . Moreover , the balance in the hand is the examining scales , wherein He might show forth the merits of every individual . He then says : —
Section 6 6 . “ Hurt not the wine and the oil . ” ] That is , strike not the spiritual man with thy inflictions . This is the black horse .
7 , 8 . “ And when He had opened the fourth seal , I heard the fourth living creature saying , Come and see . And , lo , a pale horse ; and he who sat upon him was named Death . ” ] For the pale horse and he who sat upon him bore the name of Death . These same things also the Lord had promised among the rest of the coming destructions — great pestilences and deaths ; since , moreover , he says : —
“ And hell followed him . ” ] That is , it was waiting for the devouring of many unrighteous souls . This is the pale horse .
Section 9 9 . “ And when He had opened the fifth seal , I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain . ” ] He relates that he saw under the altar of God , that is , under the earth , the souls of them that were slain . For both heaven and earth are called God’s altar , as saith the law , commanding in the symbolical form of the truth two altars to be made , — a golden one within , and a brazen one without . But we perceive that the golden altar is thus called heaven , by the testimony that our Lord bears to it ; for He says , “ When thou bringest thy gift to the altar ” ( assuredly our gifts are the prayers which we offer ) , “ and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee , leave there thy gift before the altar . ” Assuredly prayers ascend to heaven . Therefore heaven is understood to be the golden altar which was within ; for the priests also were accustomed to enter once in the year — as they who had the anointing — to the golden altar , the Holy Spirit signifying that Christ should do this once for all . As the golden altar is acknowledged to be heaven , so also by the brazen altar is understood the earth , under which is the Hades , — a region withdrawn from punishments and fires , and a place of repose for the saints , wherein indeed the righteous are seen and heard by the wicked , but they cannot be carried across to them . He who sees all things would have us to know that these saints , therefore — that is , the souls of the slain — are asking for vengeance for their blood , that is , of their body , from those that dwell upon the earth ; but because in the last time , moreover , the reward of the saints will be perpetual , and the condemnation of the wicked shall come , it was told them to wait . And for a solace to their body , there were given unto each of them white robes . They received , says he , white robes , that is , the gift of the Holy Spirit .
Section 12 12 . “ And I saw , when he had opened the sixth seal , there was a great earthquake . ” ] In the sixth seal , then , was a great earthquake : this is that very last persecution .
“ And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair . ” ] The sun becomes as sackcloth ; that is , the brightness of doctrine will be obscured by unbelievers .
“ And the entire moon became as blood . ” ] By the moon of blood is set forth the Church of the saints as pouring out her blood for Christ .
Section 13 13 . “ And the stars fell to the earth . ” ] The falling of the stars are the faithful who are troubled for Christ’s sake .
“ Even as a fig - tree casteth her untimely figs . ” ] The fig - tree , when shaken , loses its untimely figs — when men are separated from the Church by persecution .
Section 14 14 . “ And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up . ” ] For the heaven to be rolled away , that is , that the Church shall be taken away .
“ And every mountain and the islands were moved from their places . ” ] Mountains and islands removed from their places intimate that in the last persecution all men departed from their places ; that is , that the good will be removed , seeking to avoid the persecution .
