From: Revelation 4:1-11
God in Majesty
[1] After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the
first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said,
"Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this."
[2] At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with
one seated on the throne! [3] And he who sat there appeared like
jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked
like an emerald. [4] Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and
seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clad in white garments,
with golden crowns upon their heads. [5] From the throne issue flashes
of lighting, and voices and peals of thunders and before the throne
burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God; [6] and
before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living
creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: [7] the first living
creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third
living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature
like a flying eagle. [8] And the four living creatures, each of them
with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and
night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God
Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
[9] And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,
[10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the
throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their
crowns before the throne, singing, [11] "Worthy art thou, our Lord and
God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all
things, and by thy will they existed and were created."
Commentary:
1. The second part of the Apocalypse begins at this point and extends
to the start of the Epilogue. The author describes visions concerning
the future of mankind, particularly the ultimate outcome of history
when our Lord Jesus Christ will obtain the final victory, at his second
coming. It begins with a formal introduction (chaps. 4-5); this is
followed by a first section as it were (6:11-11:14) covering the
visions of the seven seals and the first six trumpets, which describes
the event prior to the final battle. The war begins with the sound of
the seventh trumpet and it goes on (this is the second section
11:15-22:5) until the beast is completely routed and the Kingdom of God
is definitively established in the heavenly Jerusalem.
This introductory vision (chaps 4-5) begins with God in heaven in all
his glory being worshipped and celebrated by all creation (chap. 4).
He alone controls the destiny of the world and the Church.
Only Jesus knows God's salvific plans, and he, through his death and
resurrection, reveals them to us. All this is expressed in chapter 4
by the image of the Lamb who is able to open the scroll and its seven
seals.
1-3. The risen and glorified Christ, who spoke to St John previously
(cf. 1:10-13), now invites him, in a new vision, to go up into heaven
to be told God's plan for the world. "I looked," "I was in the
Spirit," "I went up to heaven" all describe the same phenomenon--God
revealing something to the writer. Because the things he is being
told are things man could not possibly discover for himself, the
writer speaks about going up to heaven: this enables him to contemplate
heavenly things, that is, God. Going up to heaven is the same as being
in ecstacy, "being in the Spirit", being taken over by the Holy Spirit
so as to be able to understand what God wants to reveal to him (cf.
note on 1:10).
He is going to be shown "what must take place after this"; it is
something which has already begun to happen in the writer's own time
but it will not reach its climax until the end of the world. The
revelation he is given shows him the ultimate meaning of contemporary
events, the outcome of which is guaranteed by the authority of the
revealer, Jesus Christ.
The description given here of heaven stresses the majesty and power of
God. Heaven is depicted with a throne at its center, an image taken
from Isaiah (cf. Is 6:1) and Ezekiel (cf. Ezek 1:26-28; 10:1). God's
appearance is described in terms of the vivid coloring of precious
stones; this avoids the danger of defining God in human terms (an
inversion of values). The rainbow round the throne further emphasizes
the sublimity of God and is also a reminder (cf. Gen 9:12-17) of God's
merciful promise never to destroy mankind.
4. God's sovereignty over the world--as symbolized by the throne--is
shared in by others whom the vision also portrays as seated on thrones.
They are symbolically described as twenty-four elders who act as a kind
of heavenly council or senate. These elders appear frequently in the
course of the book, always positioned beside God, rendering him tribute
of glory and worship (cf. 4:10; 5:9; 19:4), offering him the prayers of
the faithful (cf. 5:8) or explaining events to the seer (cf. 5:5; 7:13).
It is not clear whether they stand for angels or saints; the Fathers and
recent commentators offer both interpretations.
The symbolic number (twenty-four) and the way they are described suggest
that they stand for saints in the glory of heaven. They are twenty-four
--twelve plus twelve, that is, the number of the tribes of Israel plus
that of the Apostles. Our Lord in fact promised the latter that they
would sit on thrones (cf. Mt 19:28). The twenty-four elders, then,
would represent the heavenly Church, which includes the old and the new
Israel and which, in heaven, renders God the tribute of perfect praise
and intercedes for the Church on earth. The number twenty-four has also
been seen as reflecting the twenty-four priestly classes of Judaism,
thereby emphasizing the liturgical dimension of heaven (cf. 1 Chron 24:
7-18; 25:1, 9-13). Whichever is the case, the white garments indicate
that they have achieved everlasting salvation (cf. 3:5); and the golden
crowns stand for the reward they have earned (cf. 2:10), or the
prominence among Christians, who have been promised that, if they come
out victorious, they will sit on Christ's throne (cf. 3:21).
Through these visions laden with symbolism the Apocalypse shows the
solidarity that exists between the Church triumphant and the Church
militant--specifically, the connection between the praise that is
rendered God in heaven and that which we offer him on earth, in the
liturgy. The Second Vatican Council refers to this: "In the earthly
liturgy we take part in the foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is
celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as
pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God [...]. With
all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the
Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and
fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus
Christ, until he our life shall appear and we too will appear with him
in glory" ("Sancrosanctum Concilium", 8).
5. This vision is similar to the Old Testament theophanies,
especially that of Sinai. There too the Lord's presence was revealed
with thunder and lightning (cf. Ex 19:16). Storms are frequently used
to symbolize the salvific power and majesty of God at the moment of
revelation (cf. Ps 18:14; 50:3; etc.). Further on, the author will
again describe, in more detail, the signs accompanying God's
self-revealing; this gives the book a sense of on-going revelation with
an increasing tempo (cf. Rev 8:5; 11:19; 16:18; etc.). It is generally
accepted Church tradition to interpret fire as a manifestation of the
Spirit of God. On the seven spirits, see the note on 1:4.
6-7. To describe the majesty of God, St John uses symbols which are
sometimes quite difficult to interpret. This is the case with the sea
as transparent as glass, and the four living creatures round the throne
and on each side of it. The scene may be a kind of heavenly replica of
the arrangements in Solomon's temple where there stood in front of the
Holy of Holies a huge water container called the "molten sea" supported
by figures of oxen, twelve in number (cf. 1 Kings 7:23-26; 2 Chron 4:
2-5). This similarity between heaven and the temple would be a way of
expressing the connection between liturgy on earth and worship of God
in heaven.
The crystal sea may also be an allusion to God's absolute dominion over
all forms of authority on earth. In biblical tradition the sea is often
used as a symbol for the powers of darkness (cf. Rev 13:1; 21:1). To
God, however, the sea is crystal-clear, that is, he is its master; cf.
the way the spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters in
Genesis 1:2.
Elsewhere in the Apocalypse (15:2) it speaks of the sea of glass
supporting the blessed while they praise God: just as the Israelites
passed through the Red Sea, so those who have conquered the beast will
cross this solid sea to make their way to God.
The author of the Book of Revelation avails of images used by the
prophets to describe the glory of Yahweh. The four living creatures are
very like those in the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the chariot of the
Lord drawn by four angels representing intelligence, nobility, strength
and agility (cf. Ezek 1:10; 10:12; Is 6:2).
Christian tradition going back as far as St Irenaeus has interpreted
these four creatures as standing for the four evangelists because they
"carry" Jesus Christ to men. The one with the face of a man is St
Matthew, who starts his book with the human genealogy of Christ; the
lion stands for St Mark: his Gospel begins with the voice crying in the
wilderness (which is where the lion's roar can be heard); the ox is a
reference to the sacrifices in the temple of Jerusalem, which is where
St Luke begins his account of Christ's life, and the eagle represents
St John, who soars to the heights to contemplate the divinity of the
Word.
8-11. The chant of the four living creatures is virtually the same as
that which the prophet Isaiah heard the six-winged seraphim sing in his
vision of God in the temple of Jerusalem (cf. Is 6: 1-3). St John
changes the ending by bringing in the new name of God which is an
elaboration of the name "Yahweh" (cf. note on Rev 1:4). The four
creatures (who, because there are four of them stand for government of
the entire universe) take the lead in worshipping and praising God; but
they are joined by all the people of God, as represented by the
twenty-four elders, that is, the Church victorious in heaven. They
throw down their crowns to show that they realize their victory is due
to God, and that all power belongs to him. Essentially what they are
praising here is God as creator. By reporting this vision the author of
the Apocalypse is inviting the pilgrim Church on earth to associate
with the worship and praise offered God the creator in heaven.
The Church uses these words of praise in its eucharistic liturgy: at
the end of the Preface, it chants the angelic Sanctus in preparation
for the Canon. This angelic chant, performed as it is in heaven and on
earth, reminds us of the sublimity of the Mass, where the worship of
God crosses the frontiers of time and space and has a positive
influence on the entire world, for, "through the communion of the
saints, all Christians receive grace from every Mass that is
celebrated, regardless of whether there is an attendance of thousands
or whether it is only a boy with his mind on other things who is there
to serve. In either case, heaven and earth join with the angels of the
Lord to sing: "Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus ..." ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is
Passing By", 88). The saintly Cure of Ars refers to this intercommunion
of praise and thanksgiving, of grace and forgiveness: "The Holy Mass is
a source of joy to all the heavenly court; it alleviates the poor souls
in purgatory; it draws down to earth all kinds of blessings; and it
gives more glory to God than all the sufferings of all the martyrs
taken together, than all the penances of all the hermits, than all the
tears shed for them [the holy souls] since time began and all that will
be shed from now till the end of time" ("Selected Sermons", second
Sunday after Pentecost).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
From: Luke 19:11-28
Parable of the Pounds
[11] As they heard these things, He (Jesus) proceeded to tell a
parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed
that the Kingdom of God was to appear immediately. [12] He said
therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive kingly power
and then return. [13] Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten
pounds, and said to them, `Trade with these till I come.' [14] But his
citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him saying, `We do not
want this man to reign over us.' [15] When he returned, having
received the kingly power, he commanded these servants, to whom he had
given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had
gained by trading. [16] The first came before him, saying, `Lord, your
pound has made ten pounds more.' [17] And he said to him, `Well done,
good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you
shall have authority over ten cities.' [18] And the second came,
saying, `Lord, your pound has made five pounds.' [19] And he said to
him, `And you are to be over five cities.' [20] Then another came,
saying, `Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin;
[21] for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up
what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.' [22] He
said to him, `I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked
servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not
lay down and reaping what I did not sow? [23] Why then did you not put
my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it
with interest?' [24] And he said to those who stood by, `Take the
pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.' [25] (And
they said to him, `Lord, he has ten pounds!') [26] `I tell you, that
to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even
what he has will be taken away. [27] But as for these enemies of mine,
who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them
before me.'"
The Messiah Enters the Holy City
[28] And when He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to
Jerusalem.
Commentary:
11. The disciples had a wrong concept of the Kingdom of Heaven: they
thought it was about to happen and they saw it in earthly terms: they
envisaged Jesus conquering the Roman tyrant and immediately
establishing the Kingdom in the holy city of Jerusalem, and that when
that happened they would hold privileged positions in the Kingdom.
There is always a danger of Christians failing to grasp the
transcendent, supernatural character of the Kingdom of God in this
world, that is, the Church, which "has but one sole purpose--that the
Kingdom of God may come and the salvation of the human race may be
accomplished." (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 45).
Through this parable our Lord teaches us that, although His reign has
begun, it will only be fully manifested later on. In the time left to
us we should use all the resources and graces God gives us, in order to
merit the reward.
13. The "mina", here translated as "pound", was worth about 35 grammes
of gold. This parable is very like the parable of the talents reported
in St. Matthew (cf. 25:14-30).
14. The last part of this verse, although it has a very specific
context, reflects the attitude of many people who do not want to bear
the sweet yoke of our Lord and who reject Him as king. "There are
millions of people in the world who reject Jesus Christ in this way; or
rather they reject His shadow, for they do not know Christ. They have
not seen the beauty of His face; they do not realize how wonderful His
teaching is. This sad state of affairs makes me want to atone to our
Lord. When I hear that endless clamor--expressed more in ignoble
actions than in words--I feel the need to cry out, `He must reign!' (1
Corinthians 15:25)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 179).
17. God counts on our fidelity in little things, and the greater our
effort in this regard the greater the reward we will receive: "Because
you have been `in pauca fidelis', faithful in small things, come and
join in your Master's happiness. The words are Christ's. `In pauca
fidelis!... Now will you neglect little things, if Heaven itself is
promised to those who mind them?" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 819).
24-26. God expects us to strive to put to good use the gifts we have
received--and He lavishly rewards those who respond to His grace. The
king in the parable is shown to be very generous towards his
servants--and generous in rewarding those who managed to increase the
money they were given. But he is very severe towards the lazy servant
who was also the recipient of a gift from his Lord, who did not let it
erode but guarded it carefully--and for this his king criticizes him:
he failed to fulfill the just command the king gave him when he gave
him the money: "Trade till I come." If we appreciate the treasures the
Lord has given us--life, the gift of faith, grace--we will make a
special effort to make them bear fruit--by fulfilling our duties,
working hard and doing apostolate. "Don't let your life be barren. Be
useful. Make yourself felt. Shine forth with the torch of your faith
and your love. With your apostolic life, wipe out the trail of filth
and slime left by the corrupt sowers of hatred. And set aflame all the
ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you bear in your heart"
([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 1).
28. Normally in the Gospels when there is mention of going to the Holy
City it is in terms of "going up" to Jerusalem (cf. Matthew 20:18; John
7:8), probably because geographically the city is located on Mount
Zion. Besides, since the temple was the religious and political
center, going up to Jerusalem had also a sacred meaning of ascending to
the holy place, where sacrifices were offered to God.
Particularly in the Gospel of St. Luke, our Lord's whole life is seen
in terms of a continuous ascent towards Jerusalem, where His
self-surrender reaches its high point in the redemptive sacrifice of the
Cross. Here Jesus is on the point of entering the city, conscious of
the fact that His passion and death are imminent.
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
