Слово 14

Chapter 40. About the Angel foretelling the nearness of the future judgment Rev. 14:6–7. “And I saw another angel hovering in the midst of heaven, having the gospel forever to preach to those who dwell on the earth and to every nation and tongue and tribe and people, saying with a great voice: Fear God, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of water.” The middle of heaven miraculously shows the height of the Angel, and the fact that the Angel who appeared is a heavenly one, sent from above to, through his mediation, God-imitatingly raise earthly people to heaven, so that the body of the Church is united with Christ, our head. The everlasting Gospel means that from all eternity this was predestined by God. He says that they should fear God, but not be afraid of the Antichrist, who cannot kill souls with the body, but that he, as having received power for a short time, would be complacently opposed because of the proximity of judgment and reward for those who have lived. Chapter 41. About the Angel Heralding the Fall of Babylon Rev.14:8. “And another angel followed, saying: fallen, fallen Babylon the great city: because of the wine of the wrath of her fornication all tongues were drunk.” Babylon, according to the meaning of the name, refers to the confusion of this world and the confusion of everyday life, about which it says that it will soon fall or be destroyed. The wine of the rage of fornication is called not only the frenzy and frenzy of thoughts from idolatry, but also intoxication and madness from all sin, for which all who commit adultery will be destroyed by God, according to the expression of Psalm (Psalm 72:27). This Babylon will fall completely, at the revelation of Jerusalem on high, and will be uprooted when the workers of iniquity are sent into eternal fire. Chapter 42. About another Angel warning the faithful not to accept the Antichrist Rev. 14:9–10. “And the third Angel followed him, saying with a great voice: If anyone worships the beast and his icon, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he too shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, the wine not dissolved in the cup of wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and a bogey before the holy angels and before the Lamb.” If anyone submits to the beast-like Antichrist and participates in the lawless life that depicts him, and in word or deed proclaims him God (for this can mean a mark made on the forehead and hand), he will participate with him in drinking the cup of punishment, undiluted and undiluted with bounties, according to the justice of the court; dissolved by various punishments, due to the diversity and diversity of spontaneous evil. Well, punishment is called the wine of rage, being the consequence of the wine of wickedness, which intoxicates those who drink, because with what someone sins, he is punished. Rev.14:11. “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.” By the smoke of torment we must understand either the breathing along with groans, rising from below from those who are being punished, or the smoke coming out of the fire, with which those who have fallen away are punished. It is said that he ascends forever and ever, so that we may know that the torment of sinners is endless, just as the bliss of the righteous is eternal. “And they that worship the beast and his image, and those that receive the mark of his name, have no rest day and night.” And they have no rest day and night. He speaks of day and night not because the sun measures the course of the future century, in which, as he foretells, the wicked will have no rest, but either according to the present custom of counting time as days and nights, or by day he means the life of the saints, and by night the punishment of the wicked, which will be subjected to those who, through the works of the devil and blasphemy against Christ, have committed, portrayed in themselves the image of the apostate beast and his dishonored name, as venerable, imprinted on their hearts. Rev.14:12. “Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Here is the patience of saints. The wicked, they say, will incessantly suffer in the next century, but the saints show the firmness of patience here, in the fleeting century, keeping the Divine commandments and unshakable faith in Christ. Rev.14:13. “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying: Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors: for their works go after them.” The voice from heaven does not please all the dead, but only those who die in the Lord, who died to the world and bear the deadness of Jesus in their body, and who are compassionate with Christ. For for them, the departure from the body is truly rest from labor, and the consequence of works is the cause of unfading crowns and rewards of glory. In great measure, these rewards surpass the exploits with which the ascetics of Christ our God fought against invisible forces. For the passions of this present age are unworthy of those who desire glory to appear in those who please God, as the Apostle says (Rom. 8:18). And we, wanting to receive it, must constantly pray to God, saying: Lord, bow our hearts to your testimonies (Psalm 119:36), and turn away our eyes from all vanity. And do not enter into judgment with Your servants, for every living person will not be justified before You (Psalm 143:2), but look upon us with Your rich mercies, for Yours is the mercy and the power, and the kingdom, and the power, and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.