Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Latin Commentaries on Revelation on the Ark of Revelation 11 and the Woman of Revelation 12

The following Latin commentaries are from the Ancient Christian Texts series, Latin Commentaries on Revelation, William C. Weinrich trans. 

Victorinus of Petovium (d. 304), Commentary on the Apocalypse (pp. 15-16)

6. That "the temple of God that is in heaven was opened" signifies the appearance of our Lord. For the temple of God is his Son, as he said: "Destroy the temple, and in three days I will raise it up." And when the Jews said, "It was built in forty-six years," the Evangelist said, "He was speaking of the temple of his body." The "ark of the covenant" is the preaching of the gospel and mercy for sins, and everything whatsoever that has come with him. That, he says, appeared.

12.1 "A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, having a crown of twelve stars, and giving birth in her anguish." This is the ancient church of the patriarchs and the prophets and the holy apostles. For they experience the groans and torments of their desire until that which was long since promised was fulfilled out of their own people and according to their own flesh. ...

Apringus of Beja (mid-5th century) jumps from Revelation 5:7 to Revelation 18:6, presumably due to the loss of manuscripts.

Caesarius of Arles (d. 542), Exposition on the Apocalypse, Homily 9 (pp. 84-85)

"Then," it says, "God's temple in heaven was opened." This means that the mysteries of Christ's incarnation were manifested in the church, since we have shown that heaven indicates the church. "And the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple." It is understood that the church is the ark of the covenant. "And there were flashes of lightning and peals of thunder and an earthquake." All of these are the powers of the preaching and of the trembling and of the struggle of the church.

"And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman," it says, "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet." It says that the church has a part, that is, the hypocrites and the evil Christians under her feet. 

...

"The woman cried out in pangs of birth that she might deliver." Every day throughout all time the church is giving birth, whether in time of prosperity or in time of adversity. "And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth." In her misfortunes the church is always bringing forth Christ through her members, and the dragon is always seeking to devour the one who is being born. "And the woman brought forth a male child," that is, Christ. For this reason the church is the body of Christ, because she is always bringing forth members of Christ.

Bede (d. 735), The Exposition of the Apocalypse (pp. 149-150)

11:19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of the covenant was seen in his temple. Formerly the temple of the Lord on the earth contained the ark of the covenant hidden behind the mystical veil. However, since the veil of the ancient temple and the wall of partition have been torn asunder by the sword of the blood of the Lord, now in the church, that is, the temple of the living God and whose citizenship is in heaven, the ark of his incarnation is laid open to all the world. For just as the manna from heaven was in a pure gold container, so is his divinity in his holy body.

... 

12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven. The sign that now appears in the church is that God is born of man.

A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. Clothed with the light of Christ, the church treads on temporal glory. ... Another possible interpretation is this. The church in part will enjoy Christ, the Sun, in heaven and in part sojourn in the body apart from the Lord.