THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XIIII
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 XIIII transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 724–726 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. XIIII.
1 Virgins follovv the Lambe vvhitherſoeuer, ſinging a nevv canticle. 6 One Angel Euangelizeth the Goſpel : 8 an other Angel telleth the fall of Babylon : 9 the third declareth their torments that haue adored the beaſt. Moreouer tvvo hauing ſickles, 15 one of them is commaunded to reape dovvne the corne, 18 the other to gather the grapes as in vintage, vvhich are troden in the lake of Gods vvrath.
The Epiſtle vpõ S. Innocents day in Chriſtmas.
1. And I looked, & behold ⸬ a Lãbe ſtoode vpon mount Sion, and vvith him an hundred fourtie foure thouſand hauing his name, and the name of his Father vvritten in their foreheads. ⸬ Chriſt, and the ſame number of elect that were ſigned chap. 7. † 2. And I heard a voice from heauen, as the voice of many vvaters, and as the voice of a great thunder:and the voice vvhich I heard, as of harpers harping on their harpes. † 3. And they ſang as it vvere a nevv ſong before the ſeate and before the ſoure beaſtes, and the ſeniors, and no man could `ſay ’the ſong, but thoſe hundred fourtie foure thouſand, that vvere brought from the earth.`learne μαθᾱν, † 4. Theſe are they vvhich were not defiled vvith vvomen. For they are ⸬ virgins. Theſe folovv the Lambe vvitherſoeuer he ſhal goe. ⸬ One ſtate of life more excellẽt then an other.and virgins for their puritie paſſing the reſt, & alwaies accompanying Chriſt according to the Churches hymne out of this place, Quocunque pergis, virginis ſequuntur &c. Theſe vvere bought from among men, c the firſt fruites to God and the Lambe: c This the Church applieth to the holy Innocents that died firſt for Chriſt. † 5. and in their mouth there vvas found no lie. for they are vvithout ſpot before the throne of God. ⊣
† 6. And I ſavv an other Angel flying through the middes of heauen, hauing the eternal Goſpel, to euãgelize vnto them that ſit vpon the earth, and vpon euery nation, and tribe, & tõge, & people: † 7. ſaying vvith a loud voice, Feare our Lord, and giue him honour, becauſe the houre of his iudgement is come : and adore ye him * that made heauen and earth, the ſea and al things that are in them, and the fountaines of vvaters. Pſ. 145. Act. 14.
† 8. And an other Angel folovved, ſaying * Fallen fallen is that great ⸬ Babylon, vvhich of the vvine of the vvrath of her fornications made al nations to drinke. ⸬ The citie of the diuel, which is the vniuerſal ſociety of the wicked miſbeleuers & il liuers in the vvorld. Eſa. 21. Ier. 51. Apoc. 18.
† 9. And the third Angel folovved them, ſaying vvith a loud voice, If any man adore the beaſt and his image, and receiue the character in his forehead, or in his hand: † 10. ⸬ he alſo ſhal drinke of the vvine of the vvrath of God, vvhich is mingled vvith pure vvine in the cuppe of his vvrath, and ſhal be tormented vvith fire & brimſtone in the ſight of the holy Angels and before the ſight of the Lambe. ⸬ The great damnatiõ that ſhal folovv them that forſake Chriſt & the Church, & worſhip Antichriſt or his image. † 11. and the ſmoke of their tormentes ſhal aſcend for euer & euer:neither haue they reſt day and night, vvhich haue adored the beaſt, and his image, and if any man take the character of his name.
† 12. Here is the patience of ſainctes, vvhich ⸬ keepe the commaundements of God and the faith of I e s v s. ⸬ Faith is not ynough to ſaluatiõ, without fulfilling of Gods cõmaũdements.
† 13. b And I heard a voice from heauen, ſaying to me, Vvrite, Bleſſed are the dead which die in our Lord.″ from hence forth novv,1 ſaith the Spirit, that they reſt from their labours. for their vvorkes folow them. b The Epiſtle in a daily Maſſe for the dead.
† 14. And I ſavv, and behold a vvhite cloude: and vpon the cloude one ſitting like to the Sonne of man, hauing on his head a crovvne of gold, and in his hand a ſharpe ſickle.
† 15. And an other Angel came forth from the temple, crying vvith a loud voice to him that ſate vpon the cloude,* Thruſt in thy ſickle, and reape, becauſe the houre is come to reape, for the harueſt of the earth is drie. Ioel. 3. Mat. 13.† 16. And he that ſate vpon the cloude, thruſt his ſickle into the earth, and the earth vvas reaped. † 17. And an other Angel came forth from the temple vvhich is in heauẽ, him ſelf alſo hauing a ſharpe ſickle. † 18. And an other Angel came forth from the altar, vvhich had povver ouer the fire: and he cried vvith a loud voice to him that had the ſharpe ſickle, ſaying, Thruſt in thy ſharpe ſickle, and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth: becauſe the grapes thereof be ripe. † 19. And the Angel thruſt his ſharpe ſickle into the earth, and gathered the vineyard of the earth, & caſt into the great c preſſe of the vvrath of God: † 20. and the preſſe vvas troden vvithout the citie, and bloud came forth out of the preſſe, vp to the horſe bridles, for a thouſand ſixe hundred furlongs. c λὶμὲν [?] lacũ. fat, trough, lake.
⊣ 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. XIIII.
Chap. XIIII.
13. From hence forth novv.] Praying for the dead, and vnto Saincts, at the altar. This being ſpecially ſpoken of Martyrs (as not onely S. Auguſtine seemeth to take it, but the Caluiniſts them ſelues, tranſlating, in domino, for our Lords cauſe) Beza. the Proteſtants haue no reaſon to vſe the place againſt Purgatorie or praier for the departed. ſeeing the Catholike Church and al her children confeſſe, that al Martyrs are ſtraight after their death, in bliſſe, and need no prayers. Vvhereof this is S. Auguſtines knovven ſentence, He doeth iniurie to the Martyr, that praieth for the Martyr. Ser. 17 de verb. Apoſt. c. 1. and againe to this purpoſe he vvriteth thus moſt excellently tract. 84 in Ioan. We keepe not a memorie of Martyrs at our Lords table, as vve doe of other that reſt in peace, that is, for the intent to pray for them, but rather that they may pray for vs & c.
The place abuſed againſt Purgatorie, anſvvered. But if vve take the vvordes generally for al deceaſed in ſtate of grace, as it may be alſo, then vve ſay that even ſuch, though they be in Purgatorie and Gods chaſtiſement in the next life, and neede our praiers, yet (according to the foreſaid vvordes of S. Auguſtine) do reſt in peace. being diſcharged from the labours, afflictions, and perſecutions of this vvorld, and (vvhich is more) from the daily dangers of ſinne and damnation, and put into in infallible ſecuritie of eternal ioy vvith vnſpeakable comfort of conſcience. and ſuch in deede are more happie and bleſſed then any liuing, vvho yet are vſually in the Scriptures called bleſſed, euen in the middes of the tribulations of this life. Vvhereby vve ſee that theſe vvordes, from hence forth they ſhal reſt from their labours, may truely agree to them alſo that are in Purgatorie, and ſo here is nothing proued againſt Purgatorie. á modo ’απάρτι Photius in Lexico Laſtly, this aduerbe, á modo, in Latin, as in the Greeke ’απάρτι, doth not properly ſignifie, from this preſent time forvvard, as though the Apoſtle had ſaid, that after their death and ſo forvvard they are happie : but it noteth and ioyneth the time paſt vvith the time preſent, in this ſenſe, that ſuch as haue died ſince Chriſts Aſcenſion, vvhen he firſt entring into heauen opened it for others, goe not to Limbus Patrum, as they vvere vvont before Chriſts time, but are in caſe to goe ſtraight to bliſſe, except the impediment be in them ſelues. Therefore they are here called bleſſed, that die novv in this ſtate of grace & of the nevv Teſtament, in compariſon of the old faithful and good perſons.↩️