Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John

⁶ “And I saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven.” The angel flying through the midst of heaven, whom he says that he saw, we have already treated of above, as being the same Elias who anticipates the kingdom of Antichrist in his prophecy.

8. “And another angel following him.” The other angel following, he speaks of as the same prophet who is the associate of his prophesying. But that he says—

15. “Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather in the grapes of the vine,” he signifies it of the nations that should perish on the advent of the Lord. And indeed in many forms he shows this same thing, as if to the dry harvest, and the seed for the coming of the Lord, and the consummation of the world, and the kingdom of Christ, and the future appearance of the kingdom of the blessed.

19, 20. “And the angel thrust in the sickle, and reaped the vine of the earth, and cast it into the wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press of His fury was trodden down without the city.” In that he says that it was cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God, and trodden down without the city, the treading of the wine-press is the retribution on the sinner.

“And blood went out from the wine-press, even unto the horse-bridles.” The vengeance of shed blood as was before predicted, “In blood you have sinned, and blood shall follow you.”

“For a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” That is, through all the four parts of the world: for there is a quadrate put together by fours, as in four faces and four appearances, and wheels by fours; for forty times four is one thousand six hundred. Repeating the same persecution, the Apocalypse says:—