THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER V
Nota Bene: Before proceeding, the reader is advised to review our post titled, PREFATORY TO THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN THE APOSTLE as well as our post titled, THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN. The reader is also advised that the source text of THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER V transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 708–709 of the original Rheims New Testament through the following link: THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.
Chap. V.
4 S. Iohn vveeping, becauſe no man could open the booke ſealed vvith ſeuen ſeales : 6 the Lambe that vvas ſlaine, opened it : vvhich being done, 8 the foure beaſtes and foure and tvventie ſeniors, vvith an innumerable multitude of Angels & al creatures, did glorifie him excedingly.
The 3 vision.
1. And I ſavv in the right hand of him that ſate vpon the throne, a ⸬ booke vvritten vvithin and vvithout, ſealed vvith ſeuen ſeales. ⸬ S. Gregorie taketh it to be the booke of holy Scripture. li. 4. Dialog. c. 42. † 2. And I ſavv a ſtrong Angel, preaching vvith a loud voice, Vvho is vvorthie to opẽ the booke, & to looſe the ſeales thereof? † 3. And no man vvas able neither in heauen nor in earth, nor ⸬ under the earth, to open the booke, nor looke on it. ⸬ He fpeaketh not of the damned in Hel. of vvhom there could be no queſtion:but of the faithful in Abrahams bofome, & in Purgatorie. † 4. And I vvept much becauſe no man vvas found vvorthie to open the booke, nor to ſee it. † 5. And one of the ſeniors ſaid to me, Vveepe not : behold c the * lion of the tribe of Iuda c So did Jacob (Gen. 49) call Christ, for his kingly fortitude in ſubduing the vvorld vnto him., the roote of Dauid, hath vvonne, to open the booke, and to loofe the ſeuen ſeales thereof. Gen.49,9.
† b b The Epiſtle vpon al-Hallovves eue. 6. And I ſavv, and behold in the middes of the throne and of the foure beaſtes and in the middes of the ſeniors, ⸬ a Lambe ſtanding as it were ſlaine, ⸬ So Chriſt is called for that he is the immaculate hoſt or ſacrifice for our ſinnes. hauing ſeuen hornes & ſeuen eies : vvhich are the ſeuen ſpirites of God, ſent into al the earth. † 7. And he came, and receiued the booke out of the right hand of him that ſate in the throne. † 8. And vvhen he had opened the booke, the foure beaſtes and the foure and tvventie ſeniors fel before the Lambe, hauing every one harpes, and golden vials ful of odours, which are ″ the praiers of ſainctes :1 † 9. and they ſang a nevv canticle, ſaying, Thou art vvorthie o Lord to take the booke, and to open the ſeales thereof: ⸬ becauſe thou vvaſt ſlaine, and haſt redeemed vs to God in thy bloud out of euery tribe and tonge and people and nation, ⸬ This maketh againſt the Caluiniſtes vvho are not cõtent to ſay that vve merite not, but that Chriſt merited not for him ſelf. Calu. Philip. 2 v. 9. † 10. and * haſt made vs to our God ″ a ` kingdom’ and prieſtes,2 and vve ſhal reigne vpon the earth. 1 Pet. 2.` kinges
† The Epiſtle in a votiue Maſſe of the holy Angels. 11. And I looked, and heard the voice of many Angels round about the throne, and of the beaſtes & of the ſeniors: and the number of them vvas * thouſandes of thouſandes, Dan. 7,10. † 12. ſaying vvith a loud voice, The Lambe that vvas ſlaine, is vvorthie to receiue povver, and ` diuinitie’ `riches, and vviſedom, & ſtrength, and honour, and glorie, and benediction. ⊣ † 13. And ″ euery creature3 that is in heauen, and vpon the earth, and vnder the earth, and that are in the sea, and that are therein : al did I heare ſaying,* To him that ſitteth in the throne, & ⸬ to the Lambe, benediction and honour and glorie and povver Apoc. 4,11. for euer and euer. ⸬ Al the ſaid creatures are bound to giue honour, not onely to God, but to Chriſt as man, and our redeemer: & ſo they here doe. † 14. And the foure beaſtes ſaid, Amen. And the foure and tvventie ſeniors fel on their faces : and adored him that liueth for euer and euer. ⊣
⊣ As stated at source in relation to the following mark, (⊣): “This marke ſignifieth the ending of Goſpels and Epiſtles.” See source page titled, The signification or meaning of the Nvmbers and Markes vſed in this Nevv Teſtament., said page following the preface titled, the preface to the reader treating of these three points: of the translation of holy scriptvres into the vulgar tongues, and namely into Engliſh: of the cauſes vvhy this nevv Teſtament is tranſlated accoring to the auncient vulgar Latin text: & of the maner of tranſlating the ſame.↩️
ANNOTATIONS
Chap. V.
Chap. V.
8. The praiers of Saincts.] The Saincts in heauen offer our praiers to God. Hereby it is plaine that the Saincts in heauen offer vp praiers of faithful and holy perſons in earth (called here ſaincts, and in Scripture often) vnto Chriſt. And among ſo many diuine & vnſearchable myſteries ſet dovvne vvithout expoſition, it pleaſed God yet, that the Apoſtle him ſelf ſhould open this one point vnto vs, that theſe odours be the laudes and praiers of the faithful, aſcending and offered vp to God as incenſe, by the Saincts in heauen. that ſo the Proteſtants may haue no excuſe of their errour, That the Saincts haue no knovvledge of our affaires or deſires.↩️
10. A kingdom and prieſts.] Spiritual kings and Prieſts. To ſerue God and ſubdue vices and ſinnes, is to reigne or to be a king ſpiritually. likevviſe to offer vnto him the ſacrifices of good vvorkes, is to be a prieſt after a ſort : though neither the one nor the other in proper ſpeache. See the Annotation before Chap. 1 v. 6.↩️
13. Euery creature.] Limbus Patrum and Purgatorie. He meaneth the creatures in heauen, as Angels and Saincts. the holy perſons in earth, and thoſe that vvere in Limbo, or be in Purgatorie (for the damned in hel he can not ſpeake in this caſe:) laſtly, of the peoples in Ilands (here called the sea) vvhich the Prophets vſe often to name ſeuerally, vvhen they foretel the ſpreading of Chriſts glorie through the vvorld, as Eſa. c. 49. Heare ye Ilandes and you people a far of. &c.↩️