1 After these things I looked, and behold a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, as it were, of a trumpet speaking with me, said: Come up hither, and I will shew thee the things which must be done hereafter.
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VERS. 1.-- *After these things I saw.* In this second vision he treats of him that sits upon the throne, and of his adornment, and of the lamb that opens the book, that is, the divine dispensation concerning the repair of the human race, and of him that looses the seven seals, that is, the obscurities, so that, when we have seen that God has bestowed so great an understanding of the Scriptures upon men, we may be thankful to him, nor dread to suffer for him. *In heaven.* That is, in the Scripture, which is the way unto life, or Christ is the door, whose mysteries, before shut, are now opened to those who by faith and by work are heaven. *As of a trumpet speaking with me.* Not dissenting from my rationality, in giving these reasons. *I will show thee.* Those things being said which have now passed, he says also those things which must yet come to pass, as things about to remain in the same state in which they began. Or, after the correction it behoves to see the secret things by which they may be enheartened for the battles. Or, *which must be done quickly after these things,* that is, in the last faithful. Or, *after these things I was in the spirit.*
2 And immediately I was in the spirit. And behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne one sitting.
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VERS. 2.-- *Immediately I was.* I resisted not, but cast away the care of all earthliness. *And behold a throne.* In which God sits and judges, and judges also those beneath him, of whom certain are so fitted that God may fittingly sit and rest in them. *One sitting.* Christ was above said to be walking among the candlesticks, now sitting, that is, judging the merits of each one, of whom he here worthily makes mention, whom he has exhorted to the fight.
3 And he that sat was to the sight like the jasper and the sardine stone. And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
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VERS. 3.-- *He that sat.* Where there are only good men, there is no need to judge, that is, to discern; where there are good and evil, there is need of discernment. *He was like in sight.* Before unknown, he appeared to the world through flesh, shattering his enemies, granting strength to his own. *Of the jasper and sardine stone.* By the colour of the two stones he marks God and man. *Of an emerald.* By the green colour of the emerald, which colour is watery, baptism is understood. By the redness of the same, the gifts of the Holy Spirit received in baptism, whereby sins are burned up.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats, four and twenty ancients sitting, clothed in white garments. And on their heads were crowns of gold.
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VERS. 4.-- *Four and twenty ancients.* Twelve prophets, twelve apostles, although there are more of either order. *Clothed about with white robes.* The sins of the just are covered, and they themselves are white with virtues. *Crowns.* That is, victory through wisdom and charity even toward enemies.
5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
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VERS. 5.-- *From the throne.* That is, the Church, that is, the water rains down lightnings, that is, miracles which terrify and enlighten. *Seven spirits.* The lamps are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which kindle and enlighten, prepared for all those who are the seat of God.
6 And in the sight of the throne was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind.
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VERS. 6.-- *In the sight.* Because they understand the sacrament and the thing of the sacrament, nor do they receive any save those whom they have seen and known to be fit. *A sea of glass.* Baptism, lucid with the sincerity of faith, after which by the fire of tribulation the elect are led to the firmness of good works, as crystal hardens out of water. *In the midst.* He describes that a certain level place appeared, after the likeness of a great judge, who has a broad and spacious open place, where he sits and judges judgments. *Of the throne.* By the name of the throne is understood Jerusalem, or the sustainers, as a man, as a calf, as a lion, as an eagle. *Four.* Because of the office of the fourfold preaching. *Living creatures.* These well represent Christ, who was born, suffered, rising again, ascending. The faithful too are rational and gentle, as a man. Treading down adversities without terror; as a lion; mortifying themselves, as a calf; seeking heavenly things, as an eagle. *Full of eyes.* Mindful of past sins, and taking heed to themselves for the time to come, or having knowledge of those things which God has done or is to do at the end of the world, or they please God and men.
7 And the first living creature was like a lion: and the second living creature like a calf: and the third living creature, having the face, as it were, of a man: and the fourth living creature was like an eagle flying.
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VERS. 7.-- *To a lion.* The lion is born dead, on the third day it is quickened by the voice of the Father. So also Christ rose again on the third day, and it behoved him to rise again, because he had died, and it behoved him to die, because he was man, and, being dead, he willed and was able to rise again, because he is an eagle, that is, God.
8 And the four living creatures had each of them six wings: and round about and within they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
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VERS. 8.-- *And the four living creatures, every one of them had six wings,* to this end, that they might preach those things concerning Christ in which they had been well instructed. *Six wings.* The first wing, the natural law; the second, the law of Moses; the third, the prophets; the fourth, the Gospel; the fifth, the institutions of the apostles; the sixth, the decrees of whomsoever, as of Augustus, of Gregory, of Ambrose, by whom the Church seeks the heights: and from whom preachers receive the foundation of all preaching. Or the six wings are the knowledge of the works of God made in six days, the knowledge whereof those raise on high who work well in them. *Round about and within.* By the letter, the simple; by allegory, those living creatures instruct the more perfect, and they enlighten both in the midst and in the ends of the earth. *They are full of eyes.* Because they keep themselves clean and form others by example. Or, *they are full of eyes within,* that is, with a clean conscience: *and round about,* that is, blameless in the sight of men. *Who is to come.* The Son will appear bodily, the whole Godhead will manifest itself to the faithful in its own manner.
9 And when those living creatures gave glory and honour and benediction to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever:
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VERS. 9.-- *And benediction,* of the heavenly reward, or in exaltation, *that to him every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth*.
10 The four and twenty ancients fell down before him that sitteth on the throne and adored him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
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VERS. 10.-- *And they adored.* What they had not of themselves, they sought from him by voice and by work. *Saying.* In the secret of the heart attributing to God the victory over vices and over tribulations.
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power. Because thou hast created all things: and for thy will they were and have been created.
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VERS. 11.-- *Thou hast created all things.* Therefore all things are to be referred to thee, because all things have their beginning from thee. The invisible things also, or the angels and souls, he says to be spiritual, when out of the ungodly he makes the godly spiritually created. *By thy will.* And not on a sudden. *And that which was made, in him was life*. *They were.* In the mind, before they were formed in work. *They were created.* By visibly existing. All things therefore were from eternity according to that whereby they were in the divine mind, but they began to be in time through creation.