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Chapter 70. On the reliability of what the Apostle saw Rev. 22:8–9. “And I John saw and heard this: and when I heard and saw this, I fell and bowed down at the foot of the Angel who was showing me this. And the verbs were: see, nor: for I am slanderous to your brethren, the Prophets, and to them that keep the words of this book: Worship God.” And this is a property of the Apostolic soul, for, as he did in the Gospel, saying: and he who saw testified, and we know that his testimony is true (John 19:35), so here, having said that he himself heard and saw what was predicted, he thereby confirms what he saw. The Angel who depicted the vision also showed reverence that he did not accept worship from his fellow servant, but wisely took it to the common Lord. Chapter 71. About the fact that it was commanded not to seal, but to proclaim revelation Rev.22:10. “And I said: Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book: for the time is near.” Having previously conveyed the utterances of the angels, he now comes to the face of the Lord Christ, saying: do not seal the words of prophecy. And truly, the book is worthy of reading by the faithful. For both the punishment prepared for sinners and the peace promised to saints guides those who read to true life. Rev. 22:11–12. “He who offends, let him offend again: and the wicked, let him still be defiled, and the righteous, let him still do righteousness, and the holy, let him still be holy. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward everyone according to his deeds.” I said this not as one who approves of untruth and depravity, let that not happen, but as one who preserves ease of mind, as if he had said: let everyone do what he likes, I do not force arbitrariness. Showing that every action is followed by a corresponding end, he said: I am coming to reward everyone according to his deeds. Rev.22:13. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Alpha and Omega show that in the beginning there is nothing older, and there will be no end to the Divine power and kingdom. It has been said many times and above that Christ is Alpha in Divinity, and Omega or last in humanity. Rev.22:14. “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a place upon the tree of the living, and that the gates may enter into the city.” Truly, those who fulfill the commandments of God are worthy of blessing, for they will have the power to rest in unceasing life, on the tree of life - Christ our God, and enjoy the contemplation of Him, when no evil force will interfere with this. And the Apostolic Gates, i.e. through their teaching they will enter the upper city through the true door, without going elsewhere, like hired shepherds not led in by the Gatekeeper of life. Rev. 22:15. “Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and commits lies.” Dogs are not only shameless and unfaithful and generally evil workers, whom the Apostle mourned, but also those who, after baptism, turn to their belly. Why, together with fornicators and murderers and idolaters, will they be alienated from the city on high? Chapter 72. About the fact that the Church and the Spirit in it await the glorious appearance of Christ, and about the oath to which those who damage this book are subjected Rev.22:16. “I Jesus sent my angel to testify to you this in the churches.” And here the dignity of the Master who sends the Angel is shown. And the word: testify (μαρτυρῆσαι) is put instead of testify (καμ αρτυρῆσαι). “I am the root and lineage of David.” The root of David is Christ as God, and his race as being descended from him according to the flesh. “And the bright (morning) star.” The bright morning star - He is the same as the Three-day One who shone for us in the morning; and on the morning of the general resurrection, which is to take place after the night of this life, it will shine for the saints, leading them to the endless day. Rev.22:17. “Both the Spirit and the bride say: come, and hear and say: come.” The Bride is the Church, and in her the Spirit cries out in our hearts: Abba, Father, and calls for the coming of the Only Begotten Son of God, and every believer, hearing what has been taught, prays to God and the Father: Thy kingdom come. “Whoever thirsts, let him come, and whoever wants, let him receive the water of life.” And thirst for it to come. A thirst for the drink of life is needed for the lasting possession of what has been acquired. Especially because the gift is given not to those who, although they work a little, do not represent a gift worthy of the greatness, but to those who bring a good mind and kindled more than gold and silver, as well as bodily labor. Rev. 22:18–19. “For I testify with everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to these, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away part of him from the book of life, and from the Holy City, and from those written in this book.” The oath against those who pervert the Divine Scriptures is terrible, because their recklessness is also daring, capable of separating the daring from the blessings of the next century. And so that we do not tolerate this, he testifies to us who listen, so that they neither add nor subtract, but honor the peculiarities of Scripture more authentically and honestly than Attic syntaxes and dialectical syllogisms. For among them, if anyone finds much that is inconsistent with the truth, he refers to the reliability of the Piites and their writings. And what is the distance between their celebrities and ours is difficult to even imagine. I think this distance is greater than between light and darkness. Rev. 22:20–21. “Testify this verb: I am coming quickly: Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen". And I, he says, testifying to this, say: to You, life, I come, and You Yourself come, Lord. And this can be said differently on behalf of Christ: testify of these, i.e. I, the witness, will come soon. And what follows is from the person of the Apostles: Come, Lord Jesus Christ. For the coming of Christ is desired for the saints, as it has to give them a manifold reward. Why is this book holy and inspired by God, as leading those who read it to a blessed fate. And let us outline its goal, useful for everyone in a few words: from what has been said about the seven churches, we learn patience in temptations and zeal in doing good, and other types of virtues. From this we can conclude that the highest thing on earth is to contemplate with the pure eye of the soul the Divine glory in heaven, not the Divine essence itself, but the Divine phenomenon, depicted either by a variety of precious stones, or by the appearance of a multi-colored rainbow, or by any other images of the Divine dispensations. We also learn about the disembodied forces surrounding God and those who pleased the Lord in the flesh, about thunder and lightning that precede the Divine Coming. And that it is impossible to comprehend the book of Divine destinies, sealed with the seven seals of the Spirit, and which received through the Lamb of God the revelation of what happened from His coming to the end; We will learn about the valor of the martyrs, and about the double punishment of the infidels, and about the fruitfulness of the Gospel seed, and about the falling away of the cowardly and uncourageous, and about how the saints desire the second coming of Christ, and about the sending of disasters before the Antichrist, and about what he will attempt against Christians. In addition, we can learn from here how honest the saints are to God, so that the punishment of the wicked is postponed until they become known through the seal to the punishing Angels. From here we learn that in the last times seven plagues will be sent to the earth, so that, due to their multitude, we will pay attention to our appeal and prayer to God, so that we will not be tempted by them. And the love for mankind of the Angels who hold the Gospel and preach it to those on earth is shown, as well as the firm and courageous state of the soul of those saints who at the end will come to expose the false Christ. The destruction of Jerusalem and the extermination of the pagan nations are also shown, and thanksgiving to the powers above for this, and the persecution of the Church, and the trampling of the devil, and the coming of the Antichrist and the deception of the false prophet, and the multitude of those being saved is visible here, and the fall of Babylon, and the world harvest, and the pruning of the grapes of bitterness, and the purest state of the saints, like a glass sea, from the seven vial is the outpouring of the wrath of God on the earth, and the sea, and rivers, and other elements, causing troubles for the evil of people, and darkening the throne of the beast, and leading those around the devil to cross the Euphrates and exposing their impotence, and bringing to the world a general oscillation of the change of the present; when the city, prodigal and beast-like, and resting on the devil, receives its due defeat. After this, the powers of the world sing praises to God, but the Church, the highest Jerusalem, is united with Christ in the closest unity and the winepress of wrath is trampled. Angels and equal-angelic men partake of the spiritual supper after impoverishment, when the Antichrist and his accomplice are delivered to Gehenna. From here you can learn about the binding of the devil and his destruction for a while, and sending him to destruction, and about the bliss of the holy martyrs reigning with Christ before the coming of the Antichrist, after which the devil, having been released for a short time, and having disturbed Gog and Magog, will be punished along with them, when the books of what each has done and the books of life are opened, and some will receive the second death, others will be rewarded with the highest. Jerusalem and the disgrace of Christ. From this Divine book from the Angel, as far as possible, about the size of the highest city with walls, and gates, and foundations, and about the Divine River of the Spirit flowing there, because we cannot depict the splendor of the highest or the endless glory. Turning us to this, the Divine Theologian commands us to say: come, i.e. who gives what he has prepared for the saints. For us who desire this, who, through contemplation and enjoyment, ignite in ourselves the desire to keep the commandments of God, may it be possible to acquire this through long-suffering, meekness, humility and purity of heart, from which constant and undisturbed prayer is born, presenting to the leader of the secret - to God a mind purified from all earthly thoughts and uncorrupted by the devil’s flattery and attack. For the deceiving enemy, when the heart lifts up to God, wants to adulterously mix with it, sowing corrupting seeds that tear it away from Divine unity, so that in its teaching the fire that burns its temptations does not flare up. For our God is a consuming fire, and the soul that converses purely and serenely with Him, even if it has become cold from sins, makes it warm and receptive to scorching fire, just as the sun, which strongly illuminates a glass vessel filled with water, introduces fire there by heating and refracting its rays. And let us show ourselves to the Sun of Truth, pure as glass, a church of the Spirit, and not clay or meager, unable to receive the Divine ray. God, who wants to save everyone and come into the mind of truth, shines with the unrestrained grace of His light to everyone, and communicates to everyone according to the purity of their spiritual eyes. May the All-Merciful One, Christ our God, who suffered in the flesh for us, grant us to sincerely accept Him, to Whom all praise, honor and worship is due, together with the Father and the Life-Giving and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.