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Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John

Victorinus of Pettau

Chapter From the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters

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 twenty-first and twenty-second chapters.

Section 16

16. “And the city is placed

‹ Chapter From the twentieth chapter

in

a

square

.

”

]

The

city

which

he

says

is

squared

,

he

says

also

is

resplendent

with

gold

and

precious

stones

,

and

has

a

sacred

street

,

and

a

river

through

the

midst

of

it

,

and

the

tree

of

life

on

either

side

,

bearing

twelve

manner

of

fruits

throughout

the

twelve

months

;

and

that

the

light

of

the

sun

is

not

there

,

because

the

Lamb

is

the

light

of

it

;

and

that

its

gates

were

of

single

pearls

;

and

that

there

were

three

gates

on

each

of

the

four

sides

,

and

that

they

could

not

be

shut

.

I

say

,

in

respect

of

the

square

city

,

he

shows

forth

the

united

multitude

of

the

saints

,

in

whom

the

faith

could

by

no

means

waver

.

As

Noah

is

commanded

to

make

the

ark

of

squared

beams

,

that

it

might

resist

the

force

of

the

deluge

,

by

the

precious

stones

he

sets

forth

the

holy

men

who

cannot

waver

in

persecution

,

who

could

not

be

moved

either

by

the

tempest

of

persecutors

,

or

be

dissolved

from

the

true

faith

by

the

force

of

the

rain

,

because

they

are

associated

of

pure

gold

,

of

whom

the

city

of

the

great

King

is

adorned

.

Moreover

,

the

streets

set

forth

their

hearts

purified

from

all

uncleanness

,

transparent

with

glowing

light

,

that

the

Lord

may

justly

walk

up

and

down

in

them

.

The

river

of

life

sets

forth

that

the

grace

of

spiritual

doctrine

flowed

through

the

minds

of

the

faithful

,

and

that

manifold

flourishing

forms

of

odours

germinated

therein

.

The

tree

of

life

on

either

bank

sets

forth

the

Advent

of

Christ

,

according

to

the

flesh

,

who

satisfied

the

peoples

wasted

with

famine

,

that

received

life

from

One

by

the

wood

of

the

Cross

,

with

the

announcement

of

God’s

word

.

And

in

that

he

says

that

the

sun

is

not

necessary

in

the

city

,

he

shows

,

evidently

,

that

the

Creator

as

the

immaculate

light

shines

in

the

midst

of

it

,

whose

brightness

no

mind

has

been

able

to

conceive

,

nor

tongue

to

tell

.

In that he says there are three gates placed on each of the four sides, of single pearls, I think that these are the four virtues, to wit, prudence, fortitude, justice, temperance, which are associated with one another. And, being involved together, they make the number twelve. But the twelve gates we believe to be the number of the apostles, who, shining in the four virtues as precious stones, manifesting the light of their doctrine among the saints, cause it to enter the celestial city, that by intercourse with them the choir of angels may be gladdened. And that the gates cannot be shut, it is evidently shown that the doctrine of the apostles can be separated from rectitude by no tempest of contradiction. Even though the floods of the nations and the vain superstitions of heretics should revolt against their true faith, they are overcome, and shall be dissolved as the foam, because Christ is the Rock by which, and on which, the Church is founded. And thus it is overcome by no traces of maddened men. Therefore they are not to be heard who assure themselves that there is to be an earthly reign of a thousand years; who think, that is to say, with the heretic Cerinthus. For the kingdom of Christ is now eternal in the saints, although the glory of the saints shall be manifested after the resurrection.

Notes

1
Gen. vi. 14, LXX.
2
[Called the philosophical virtues. Vol. ii. note 7, p. 502.]
3
[From a Western theologian of the date of our author. This is emphatic.]
4
[Compare vol. v. p. 561, Elucidation VII.]
5
[Here is evidence that Cerinthus (see vol. i. 351, 352) and other heretics had disgusted the Church even with the less carnal views of the Millenium entertained by the better “Chiliasts,” such as Commodian. See vol. iv. pp. 212 and 218.]