Глава 12

Rev.12:1. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun; under her feet is the moon, and on her head is a crown of twelve stars. Some by “the woman clothed with the sun” meant the Most Holy Theotokos, who suffered much before Her Son was known. But since our Lord was born long before this revelation, the great Methodius, considering this not to correspond to the birth of the Lord, takes his wife for the Holy Church. It would not be out of place to cite here the words of Methodius himself, who in his conversation speaks on behalf of the virgin Prokla: “The woman clothed with the sun is the Church; Light serves as her clothing, and the best and brightest stars are her gold and precious shining stones. She ascended to the moon. The moisture in nature depends on the moon, and here, allegorically, the moon refers to the faith of those who are purified and freed from corruption by baptism. She is ill, regenerating the spiritual into the spiritual and transforming them in appearance and image in the likeness of Christ.” And further: “It is not appropriate to consider Christ Himself as the newly born one, for the mystery of the incarnation of the Word of God was fulfilled long before the revelation to John. John speaks and prophesies about the present and the future.” Then he continues: “So, the very necessity forces us to admit that the Church that is sick and gives birth to the redeemed is the Church, as in Isaiah the Spirit testifies about it: “Before you have stomach pain, give birth to it, before the labor of stomach pain comes, you will avoid and give birth to the male sex” (Is. 66:7). Who did you run away from? - Of course, from the serpent to give birth to people - the mental “Zion of the male sex.” Further: “So, Christ is born spiritually in each of us, and therefore the Church wraps us in swaddling clothes and is sick until “Christ is born in us” (Gal. 4:19), so that everyone united with Christ may become Christ.” So the Church clothed itself in the Sun of Truth - Christ. “For the light of the night luminary, indicating worldly life, changing like the moon, she has under her feet.” Its “head” wears the crown of apostolic dogmas and virtues. The same Methodius says: “Since humidity depends on the moon, it signifies baptism, which is allegorically called the sea and is saving for those born, but disastrous for demons.” Rev.12:2. She was pregnant, and screamed from the pain and pangs of birth. We affirm that the Church cares for each of those reborn by water and spirit, until, as the Apostle says, “Christ is imagined in them.” And only those who fall away from the true light and receive spiritual death for their unbelief are rejected. Rev.12:3. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. “And another sign appeared in heaven.” By sky, I think here we need to mean air; “the black serpent”, created (Ps. 103:26) so that, as it is written in the book of Job, he would be mocked by the Angels of God (Job 40:14). Although he fell from the Angels, he was black either by his tendency to kill and rejoice in blood, or by the fiery appearance of the angelic being. “Seven heads” mean his seven most crafty powers, opposite to the forces angelic, or seven spirits, about which Christ says that they dwell in a person who has a heart swept away and not occupied with good thoughts and deeds (Luke 11:25, 26), or seven evil thoughts, which, according to Solomon, nest in the heart of the enemy, hypocritically begging those who obey him (Proverbs 26:25). commandments, or the discord of kingdoms, giving him, who rejoices over all disagreements and strife, seven crowns on his heads, for those who overcome the devil receive crowns where they win through their efforts and labors. Blessed Methodius speaks about it this way: “The great, dark, seven-headed serpent who captivated a third of the stars, who stood plotting and watching, with the intention of devouring the sick child, is the devil.” And further: “The third part of the stars are those who sinned against one person of the Most Holy Trinity. The desert, entering which the wife is nourished, is the Church, as free from sin and damage. Thousands denote a perfect and complete number.” After this, he discusses in order about the crowns of the serpent. Having labored in battle with the devil and slain his seven heads, the Church will then receive seven crowns of virtue. Rev.12:4. His tail carried away a third of the stars from the sky and threw them to the ground. We think that this must be understood in a twofold sense: either the first fall of the devil from heaven by the last movement of envy (for the first was exaltation), which carried the angels like-minded with him to earth, or, after the destruction of his head, the movement of the tail, distracting the unstable, who, after enlightenment in holy baptism, are figuratively called stars, from heavenly wisdom and being with the saints. So Daniel prophesied about Antiochus that he would be a prototype of the coming of the Antichrist. This dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he would devour her baby. “And the serpent stood before the woman.” The apostate rebels against the Church, trying with all his might to make the regenerated his food and raising through the Church persecution against Christ Himself, as its head, as if appropriating to Himself what belongs to the faithful. That’s why the Lord says: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). Rev.12:5. And she gave birth to a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; “And give birth to a son, a man.” The Church continually gives birth to Christ in the person of those who are baptized, who is depicted in them, according to the Apostle, even until “the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). A male son is a child of the Church, not weakened by lusts; Christ God through them shepherds the people with the hands of the strong Romans, strong as iron. And after the resurrection of the dead, He will shepherd them, appointing those strong in faith as judges over the weak and infirm vessels - the pagans, who, due to their unbelief, did not accept the new mysterious wine. and her child was caught up to God and His throne. And now the saints are taken away from temptations, so that they do not find themselves overcome by what is beyond their strength; They will then be caught up in the clouds into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and will remain with God and His throne, that is, with the highest angelic powers. Rev.12:6. And the wife fled into the desert, where a place had been prepared for her by God, so that they would feed her there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. “And the wife ran into the desert.” When the devil in the person of the Antichrist arms himself against the Church, then the chosen and most worthy, despising civil honors, vanity and pleasures, will flee, as Methodius says, into the desert, alien to wickedness and fruitful for those who love goodness, and there they will avoid the attacks of demonic and evil people. It is plausible that the sensual desert will save those fleeing from the slander of the apostate and the Antichrist in the mountains, caves and abysses of the earth, as it previously saved the martyrs. Three and a half years is the period during which retreat will prevail. May we be delivered from him by the goodness of the great Commander, who does not allow ourselves to be tempted beyond our strength (1 Cor. 10:13), and may we receive from Him a strong thought, unrelenting and insurmountable by the snares of the enemy, so that, legally opposing the principalities and powers of darkness, we may be adorned with crowns of righteousness and receive honors and rewards for victory. For to Him, who puts to flight the mighty princes of the air through the weak, befits victory and the Kingdom with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Article thirty-four About the War of Angels and Demons and the Fall of Satan Rev.12:7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, Rev.12:8. but they did not resist, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven. This can be attributed to the first overthrow of the devil from the rank of angels for pride and envy, and to his defeat by the Cross of Christ, when, according to the word of the Lord, “the prince of this world” was condemned and deprived of his former dominion (John 12:31). Archangel Michael and the Angels, not tolerating his pride and vanity, first of all rightly expelled him from their society, as Ezekiel confirms: he was cast out by the Cherubim from “the midst of the fiery stones” (Ezek. 28:16), that is, I think, from among the ranks of the angels, for iniquities and untruths. At the coming of Christ, the Angels subordinate to him, after the temptation of Christ, again abhorred him, like a dishonored slave. But let it be known that after the creation of the sensory world, as the holy fathers think, he was overthrown for envy and pride, but in such a way that, as the apostle says, the former rulership of the air was entrusted to him (Eph. 6:12). Thus, Pappius says: “Some of them, that is, from the former angels, are allowed to rule and govern the structure of the earth and are entrusted with leading well,” but, he says further, “it happened that they turned their rank into nothing.” Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. “And the great serpent was cast... onto the earth.” And rightly so! For heaven did not tolerate earthly wisdom, since light has nothing in common with darkness. Although the word “Satan” comes with a member (in Greek), as if in contrast to the devil, both of these words – “devil” (slanderer - Ed.) and “Satan” (adversary - Ed.) - are names of the same thing. He is called the devil because he slanderes and lies to people who love virtue and to God Himself, when, for example, Adam portrayed God as envious (Gen. 3:4, 5). The fall of the devil from the Cross of Christ was not the same as the first fall of our ancestors due to weakness, because he himself told the great Anthony that after him “the enemy had no weapons at all” (Ps. 9:7). Therefore, his fall consists in the destruction of his evil plans and undertakings and the deprivation of his former dominion by being cast out of heaven. Blessed Justin, martyr and philosopher, says that the devil, after the coming of Christ and his condemnation to Gehenna, became an even greater blasphemer; Before, he also blasphemed God, but not so shamelessly. Therefore, it is truly said about him that “his heart was hardened like a stone by stubbornness in evil” (Job 41:15). If only the expectation of punishment prompted him to immeasurable wickedness, then how is he himself or his workers, enduring torment, able to be cleansed from the defilements of sin through a fiery trial? Without this, how can they expect an end to their torment, as the superstitious heretics think about it? Rev.12:10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven: Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ have come, because the slanderer of our brethren, who slandered them before our God day and night, has been cast down. “For the slanderer of our brethren was quickly brought down.” The lies of the devil and his slander against people are, as it is said, the reason for his name. The Angels rejoice at his overthrow, for “what part will I return with the infidel?” (2 Cor. 6:15). Rev.12:11. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and did not love their souls even to death. Rev.12:12. So rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! Woe to those who live on land and sea! because the devil has come down to you in great rage, knowing that he has little time left. “And you will defeat him with the Blood of the Lamb.” The saints, like Job, accused by the devil and slandered by him before people who believe and submit to him, defeated him with their suffering for Christ. The higher powers rejoice over his fall and mourn over his plans for those attached to earthly things, and this is absolutely true, for they imitate God. “Woe to those who live on earth and on the sea,” that is, to those who live on earth and not in heaven. Since many of those living on earth conquer and will defeat the enemy, especially the one who is wrathful against believers now, in view of the imminence of punishment, it is necessary to regret and mourn those who think about earthly things and are caught in storms on the sea of ​​life. About the fact that the serpent never ceases to persecute the Church Rev.12:13. When the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the ground, he began to pursue the wife, who gave birth to a male child. Rev.12:14. And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she would fly into the desert to her place from the face of the serpent and there be fed for a time, times and half a time. When the devil, who fought with Christ, was defeated after baptism and, having then armed himself with the holy apostles, was put to shame when he saw that through death they had achieved eternal life, and when after this he was condemned to live on earth, to crawl on it like a snake and feed on it, that is, on earthly thoughts and wisdom, then he again began to persecute the Church, which gave birth to the male sex - the people of God, and was not weakened earthly goods. But from the first times she was given love for God and neighbor, a protecting and promoting providence for the sake of the Crucified One, and two Testaments, or two wings of an eagle, so that, carried on them into the desert to a height, she would grow in a life alien to all pleasures. This will happen with special force at the coming of the Antichrist, who will reign for a certain time, as has been said repeatedly before, three and a half years. Then, perhaps, those who have taken refuge in the sensual desert - mountains, caves and abysses - will avoid his reproaches (threats - Ed.). Rev.12:15. And the serpent sent water like a river out of his mouth after his wife, in order to carry her away with the river. Rev.12:16. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had let out of his mouth. “And let the serpent send forth water like a river from his mouth after his wife.” When the Church runs into waterless places inaccessible to the seducer, he will follow in her footsteps like a river in order to defeat her; otherwise, many evil demons or temptations will follow her. But the earth, as it is said, helped her, delaying the plans and aspirations of the demons either by the long distances, or by drought and lack of rain, or by the meekness and humility of the saints, who with their heartfelt confession: “I am earth and ashes” (Gen. 18:27) destroy all the machinations of the devil, for nothing crushes and destroys the powers of demons as much as humility, as about this was revealed by an Angel to the divine Anthony. Rev.12:17. And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. “And go and make war on those who remain.” When the best and chosen teachers of the Church and those who despise earthly things move away from disasters into the desert, the Antichrist, having been deceived in his calculations for them, will rise to battle with the soldiers of Christ in the world in order to triumph over them, expecting to easily catch them, as if sprinkled with the dust of the earth and carried away by the things of life. But many of them will turn out to be winners, because they sincerely loved Christ. You might be interested in: