This question exceeds the power of human understanding, as it relates to the Divine life, to the way of leading the living God and Creator of the world in heavenly eternity. [39] God, on the one hand, creates the world in its originality and humanity in its freedom, releases them to this freedom of self-creative self-determination, and thereby places it, as it were, outside the prophesied foreknowledge of the future, which is new and unforeseeable, but at the same time He knows it, and to that extent determines it to come into being, for God's foreknowledge is not an abstract knowledge of something, outside of God, but it is at the same time the power of created being, in this knowledge of God it acquires for itself the power of being. And, in this case, the question arises, where is the place for created freedom and originality, for at least that "nothing" from which and in which man was created must remain to its lot? Here the two equally necessary aspects of the antinomy of creation meet and unite: on the one hand, the pre-existence of everything in God, super-temporal and super-historical, and, on the other, being, which arises anew in time and for time.

CHAPTER XI

THE FATE OF THE CHURCH MILITANT

The eleventh law of Revelation again seems to be a deviation from the general plan, unexpected and episodic, in particular from the preceding chapters VI-X about the seven seals and seven trumpets (which remain unfinished and are still broken off at the sixth trumpet). However, in essence, Chapter XI belongs to the general context of Revelation: it is this that is included in the depiction of the world struggle between light and dark forces, which takes place in history. If the symbolism of the preceding chapters refers to the general history of mankind, then Chapter XI is devoted to the fate of the Church, which is in this struggle. These destinies, as in the previous chapters, are set forth in symbolic images, which are especially difficult to understand in detail, although they are perfectly clear in their general meaning. Here some historical events are especially merged and intertwined, expressed in the language of traditional apocalypticism, characteristic of the epoch, with the manifestation of spiritual forces acting in history in almost indistinguishability. This makes the present chapter a subject of special artifices for exegetes, which, however, are incapable of leading to any indisputable and definitive conclusions. Here, as in many other problems of the Apocalypse, it must be remembered that the direct and precise prophetic meaning of these images, which is now insufficient for comprehension, will be revealed only in the future, with the onset of times and seasons.

"And a reed like a rod was given to me, and it was said, Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it" (1). It does not say directly whether it is an angel or Christ Himself, only the divine command of measuring with a "reed," which is the Old Testament (Ezek. XL, 16-19) and the New Testament (Rev. XXI, 15-16) an image to express the significance of an action. What kind of temple and altar are we talking about here? If we are talking about the Jerusalem Chronicle, then it was already destroyed at the time of writing, or at least the last editing of Revelation. Therefore, it is more preferable to understand here the temple and the spiritual altar, i.e. the Church, "those who worship in it." And this spiritual temple is contrasted with "the outer court of the temple, which is not measured, for it is given to the Gentiles, that is, to those who have fallen away from the Church and have not entered it. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months" (2). This period, of course, is also symbolic, and is applied in different ways (cf. Dan. VII, 25; XII, 7; Open. XIII, 5; XI, 3; XII, 6; XII, 14) on different occasions and, of course, it has a mystical, not a chronological meaning. Thus, here we see the opposition of the Church and the anti-Church, the two cities, civitas Dei and civitas diabolica. The first is given two witnesses who will prophesy for 1260 days (i.e., the same 42 months), clothed in sackcloth, "two olive trees and two lamps standing before the God of the earth" (4). They are under the special protection and care of heaven (5) and have the power to "shut up the heavens, that it may not rain at the time of their prophecy, and they have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague whenever they please" (6-7). This is an analogy with Fr. Elijah: 2 Kings. I, 10 ff.; Ip. Sire. XLVIII, 3; See also 1 Kings. XVII, 1. Usually these two witnesses are identified with Moses and Elijah, as well as with Jeremiah. (The first Egyptian plague refers more to Moses; Exod. VII, 14 ff.; 2 Kings. I, 10; 1 Kings. XVII, 1 ff.). (Elijah is depicted as a precursor to the Second Coming in Orthodox worship as well.) Equally acceptable is not only the particular interpretation of these images as definite persons and prophets,[40] but also a more general understanding of them as the bearers of the spiritual power of "prophecy." Both interpretations are mutually incompatible, but it is hardly appropriate to assign these images primarily or exclusively to the two Old Testament prophets. It is also difficult to interpret v. 5 literally: "If anyone wants to offend them, fire will come out of their mouth and devour their enemies; if anyone wants to offend them, he must be killed" (5). If we see here spiritual, prophesied forces, then it is more natural to understand here their spiritual, victorious influence. Signs and wonders can be interpreted as the power of prayer of the Church and her prophets.

However, the power of the witnesses has for itself a limited time, which ends ("when they finish their testimony"). This is a certain period of time, a historical epoch, which is replaced by the opposite. It is "the beast that comes out of the abyss that will fight with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them" (7). Who is this beast? Some see here the appearance of a personal Antichrist, which did not yet exist in the previous images of Revelation. But in such an interpretation, it seems, there is no direct exegetical necessity. The collective Antichrist (referred to in 1 Jn. II, 18: "now there are many antichrists") expresses in general the anti-Christian movement that appears from the beginning in world history. It also took place in early Christianity during the persecutions, but it reaches its maximum development in our days. All this fits into the general meaning of the image: "the beast that comes out of the abyss will fight with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them" (7). "The beast that comes out of the abyss" is a general mythological designation of the dark, demonic forces that we encounter repeatedly in the pages of Revelation. Then, obviously, follows an allegorical description of the victorious triumph of the enemy: "And their corpses will be left in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord is also crucified" (8). The last words speak of Jerusalem as a symbol of militant Judaism. However, let us remember that it was already destroyed when Revelation was written, and let us accept that Jerusalem did not deserve to be called "Sodom and Egypt" at the time of its historical existence. That is why we have to accept this topography allegorically, like historical world centers in general, and first of all, of course, Rome at the time of the writing of Revelation, and in our own day all sorts of centers of population accumulation in general, which, in turn or simultaneously, deserve these names of Sodom and Egypt. However, it is not excluded that in the future fate of Jerusalem there are still hidden such possibilities of an anti-Christian movement that are known to the prophetic gaze of the seer. Verses that speak of the triumph of the sons of the earth at the sight of these "corpses" can have the same allegorical meaning, which is described in detail in concrete terms (vv. 9-10). It seemed to godlessness that faith in God on earth was finally finished, so that this end could be celebrated. How many times in the history of the world, and even now, before our eyes, has such an opinion arisen, which, however, has proved illusory, and the victory of unbelief is only temporary. This temporality is indicated by the apocalyptic period: "three and a half days, when all will look at their corpses," and, obviously, to delight in the spectacle of their decomposition. Three and a half is generally one of the apocalyptic numbers used to determine the duration of mystical accomplishments, times, and seasons (cf. Prophet Daniel: "time, times, and half a time") (Dan. XII, 7). It is also expressed [41] in different periods: 42 months (Rev. XI and XIII, 5; XII, 14), 1260 days (XI, 3; XII, 6). The peculiarity of this context of the eleventh chapter is that while the two witnesses have 1260 days to prophesy, i.e., three and a half years (and the same period of time is given to the Gentiles to trample on the holy city: v. 2), the unburied corpses of the witnesses remain the object of the enemy's triumph for only three and a half days. This silent symbolism of numbers, of course, speaks of the relative inner weakness of the enemies of the faith. At the end of this period, a salvific spiritual reaction occurs: "the spirit of life from God entered into them, and both of them stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who looked at them" (11). This resurrection of the dead, quite unexpected for the enemies of the faith, whether we understand the witnesses as certain God-chosen bearers of the spirit of God or as the force of the Church's life – conciliarity – contains a joyful prophecy about the invincibility of faith on earth and about its victorious triumph in the world, similar to the spiritual resurrection from the dead. In general, this is one of the prophecies of Revelation which, along with the fact that they reveal the most terrible and tragic pages in the history of the struggle between Christianity and anti-Christianity, also contain the most invigorating promises that affirm Christian hope. This rise from dead witnesses is accompanied by a special spiritual sign about the meaning and power of what happened. It is a loud voice from heaven that says to them: "Come up here. And they ascended into heaven on a cloud, and their enemies looked at them" (12-13). Again, this ascent to heaven on a cloud does not require a literal physical understanding at all, because it can simply mean a clear spiritual triumph of witnesses and their testimonies. However, it is not necessary, of course, to exclude the possibility of some actual event, which in the mysterious future will be expressed in a clear sign, obvious to everyone. Such is the property of apocalyptic images in general, which in their polysemantic nature permeate several different planes. We believe that there is no need to invent or invent them.

This whole picture of the confrontation between the Church and militant paganism ends in the same way that we have already met at the end of Chapter VI, after the opening of the sixth seal: with a great earthquake (VI, 12-17). And here, too, we have an earthquake, although it is described in more concise terms. Here it is simply stated that "in the same hour" (i.e., simultaneously with the victorious ascension of both witnesses to heaven) "a great earthquake occurred" (13), for which, however, certain boundaries are defined: "a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand names of men perished in the earthquake" (these numbers, of course, are apocalyptic). The rest, in contrast to their impenitence in IX, 20, after the sixth trumpet, "were seized with fear and gave glory to the God of heaven" (13). Obviously, what is described here is not one and the same thing, but something else, or one of the many historical upheavals and catastrophes that have befallen and are befalling mankind and, despite their destructiveness, turn out to be salvific for it. This, in fact, ends the eleventh chapter (1-13). It is easy to see that in its exposition it is distinguished by special difficulties connected with its concrete, but at the same time allegorical images, which do not lend themselves to literal interpretation. According to the general plan of Revelation, the content of Chapter XI is an episodic digression, which, it would seem, could not have happened, without breaking the general connection between the previous and the following. However, together with the previous chapter, X-oi, it seems to break off the general order of the chapters, so far as it is determined by the count of the seven trumpets. The place of the seventh trumpet (as well as the seventh cup) is moved aside, it is occupied with images piled one on top of the other and as if bursting into the contemplation of the seer, who does not seem to immediately regain his prophetic self-control. Nevertheless, at the end of Chapter XI, as if somewhat unexpectedly, he returns to the interrupted story of the seven trumpets and the three "mountains" that he described above, in Chapters VIII and IX. Parallel to what has been said above (IX, 12): "One sorrow has passed, now two more sorrows follow it," here (XI, 14) it is suddenly said: "The second sorrow has passed, now the third sorrow is coming soon." It's like a new title for the next chapter. And yet here, on the spot, in the immediate continuation of the chapter, we do not find this third grief either, we have to look for it in the further exposition (and it is not even found there directly, so that it has to be established only in connection with the general content of the subsequent twelfth and thirteenth chapters). The exposition is interrupted by the seventh trumpet of the angel and the revelations that follow it. It should be noted that there is a characteristic "synchronicity" in connection with the sequence of revelations of the "three woes": the first grief is preceded by the prayers of all the saints before the altar (VIII, 3); the second, by the voice of the four horns of the altar standing before God (IX, 13); the third is the seventh trumpet and is accompanied by a new aperture of the sky. This again testifies to the basic idea of Revelation, that the earth is not abandoned even in the most difficult trials, which at the same time signify heavenly accomplishments. At the same time as the seventh trumpet, "loud voices were heard in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of peace has become (the kingdom of) our Lord and His Christ, and will reign forever and ever.'" (15) These voices, which are heard in heaven when the third, last and most difficult trial or "woe" is approaching the world, testify that God's enthronement is not accomplished simultaneously, but sequentially, by several accomplishments, and moreover, first in heaven and then only on earth. (Later it is testified to more than once: XIX, 6; XX, 6; XXII, 5). At the same time, it speaks not only of the enthronement of Christ, but also of "our Lord and His Christ." In other words, this already corresponds to the last accession which the Father receives from the Son, according to 1 Cor. XV, 24-28: Christ "must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet," and "then the end, when he has delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father, when he has abolished all rulership and all authority and power." This last accomplishment includes in its content not only the history of the world, but also the Parousia, as well as the enthronement of Christ, which takes place after the Parousia and extends to the whole of creation: "God be all in all." In this way, the mystery of the Divine enthronement in the world, incomprehensible to man in this age, is revealed here, which begins in the heavens before the Parousia of Christ, but in its power is manifested and realized in the world in its further zone, or, more precisely, zones, "centuries of ages." Of course, these heavenly times and dates, this "synchronicity" are only testified to here, but not explained by the seer, who does not even try to explain the inexplicable. But in heaven this accomplished enthronement presents a certain self-evidence for the powers of heaven: not only the "loud voices," obviously angelic, "beasts" testify to this, but also "the twenty-four elders sitting before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, 'We thank Thee, O Lord God Almighty, Who, if there be (and are,[42] that Thou hast received power and reigned)."17 Heavenly and earthly time do not coincide, and what has already been accomplished in the ontology of heaven is still far removed in the earthly chronology of this world. And indeed, in response to the heavenly hymn about the reign of God in the world and over the world, we read: "And the Gentiles were angry, and Thy wrath came, and the time has come to judge the dead, and to give vengeance to Thy servants, to the prophets and saints, and to those who fear Thy name, small and great, and to destroy them that destroy the earth" (18). In this new "synchronicity" of heaven, the time of retribution is indicated, although it has not yet come, the final and decisive clash of good and evil and God's judgment over the world is approaching. And this corresponds to the signs in heaven seen by the seer: "And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple" (19). The symbolic meaning of the ark of the covenant in the heavenly temple should be understood by analogy with the earthly, Old Testament ark, which signifies the union of God with Israel, the center of the holy of holies, the sanctity of the temple. This is the New Testament union of God with the Church, God-manhood, the power of which was accomplished in the Incarnation, is the deification of man. And this accomplishment again, as above (cf. VIII, 5; X, I, 18), is accompanied by a great upheaval in the natural world, and we must also understand the spiritual one: "And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and earthquakes, and hail" (19). This is the usual eschatological gamut of Revelation, which sounds essentially similar in the small Gospel Apocalypse (Matt. XXIV, 29; Mk. XIII, 24; Lux. XXI, 25). This is one of the proleptically repeated pictures in Revelation of the coming wrath of God and the judgment of the world.

CHAPTER XII

THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN AND THE WAR IN THE SKY

This chapter is one of the most central in Revelation in terms of the significance of its content. In relation to the preceding and subsequent chapters, it is a certain independent part, although, of course, included in its general context. It contains a number of essential images relating to the fate of the world and, moreover, distinguished by a special character, prompting religious-historical exegetes to seek for them primary sources, according to custom, outside the boundaries of revealed religion, in remote pagan antiquity. Several different pictures are combined here, and at the same time, in the same chapter, in connection with the following one, one can also see the revelation of the third "grief", which in itself does not have a direct designation.

Chapter XII opens with the appearance of a "great sign." [43]

In heaven it is "A woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." These astronomical and astrological features of the sign make it necessary to look for their origin in Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Egyptian myths, outside the boundaries of Jewish apocryphal writing. Of course, any such application of one or another mythology raises new and difficult to solve problems as to how these images got into the text of Revelation. But whatever may be the original origin of these images, there is no doubt that since they occur in the Christian Apocalypse, "they must be interpreted in the Christian sense." [44] Obviously, at the time of the writing of Revelation, there was a presence of used images in the literary language of a certain kind of writing, a kind of apocalyptic lexicon. However, this in itself does not in the least detract from either their religious-mystical content or divinely inspired significance. And if we do not limit our task to "religious-historical" exegesis (although it can also be taken into account), but seek a dogmatic interpretation, then our attention is concentrated, first of all, on the religious-dogmatic understanding of these images. What then is the sign of the woman, clothed in the glory of the sun, moon, and stars, of all the celestial starry world? To this is added the trait that "she was with child, and cried out in the pangs of childbirth" (2). The image of the woman, according to the usual language of comparisons between the Old and New Testaments, as well as the apocrypha, makes us see here, first of all, a certain human society, the people of God, in other words. The Church ("wife and bride" of Christ). A further question may also be how far this personification of the Church can be carried out, according to this image? In particular, what does this possession in the womb and the wife's labor pains mean here? If we see here the Church, spiritually giving birth, but at the same time persecuted, persecuted and even martyred, then this image is quite natural. The details of this image: the sun and moon, the twelve stars, the signs of the zodiac – these attributes of the pagan goddess – are translated, of course, into the Christian language, receive a Christian interpretation, signify the duodecimal of the old or new Israel, the patriarchs or apostles. A further question arises: is it possible to see in a woman clothed with the sun not only a Christian community – the Church, but also a Person, namely the Mother of God? In themselves, both interpretations are quite compatible with each other and correspond to the general principles of ecclesiology. However, they also encounter some difficulties, as it becomes clear from further analysis of the text. The wife is opposed by another mythological image: a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads; seven diadems. This image is clearly demonic in nature, which is repeatedly repeated in various forms in Old Testament writing. [45] The opposition to the dragon's wife, of course, expresses the general idea that the Church is in a direct and bitter struggle with the dragon and the "ancient serpent," Satan himself, who is fully armed and together with earthly or seduced powers. This fullness of anti-Christianity is denoted in the same way as the opposite divine fullness, by the septenary number: the dragon has seven heads, i.e., the seven kingdoms subject to it, in whatever order, simultaneously or sequentially, we calculate this septenary (we leave the most accurate solution to this political cipher, at least approximate and arbitrary). The seven heads of Satan are crowned with ten horns (a new sign of the fullness of evil is the tenfold), and on the heads of these there are seven diadems. All these are signs of the royalty of the one who wishes to become the prince of this world, and for this he must abolish the opposing power of the woman clothed with the sun, and eliminate all rivalry. What he applied to the first-born of man Eve and then succeeded, is also applied, although in a different way, to the new Eve, the Church of Christ. But, as we have already said, the image of the woman here – although not entirely – coincides with the image of the Mother of God as the personal head of the Church, and the temptation of Satan stops powerlessly before the holiness of the Most Holy Theotokos. We do not know at all from the Gospel about such a temptation of Her (although it is invented, for example, even by such an authoritative church writer as Chrysostom). It is difficult not to admit that the temptation from Satan, which befell even Christ Himself, in its own way did not extend to the Most Holy Mother of God, in Her standing at the cross and spiritual co-crucifixion with Her Son. But this time only one of Her words sounded in Her soul: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord," as well as the word of Her Son: "Thy will be done." The dragon with the diadems of the state power, which nailed Christ to the cross, could still stand before Her, although it powerlessly tempted Her. But after this temptation, after the resurrection of Christ, new personal temptations became completely powerless for the Most Holy Theotokos, even if they did exist (of which we are not told), and after Her Dormition She remains "more honorable than the cherubim." The Spirit-bearer was inaccessible to temptation either from intimidation or from deception, and the "new Eve" revealed Herself to be different from the first, who was tempted herself and drew the entire human race into temptation along with herself. As to how this happened in the spiritual world, we also have no direct information in the Word of God, which deals with the already accomplished fact of the presence of fallen evil spirits, demons, as is especially evident in the New Testament, more than in the Old. And the only direct evidence of this we find in the chapter of Revelation under consideration. It is here that this is said about the dragon, i.e. Satan: "His tail took away a third part of the stars from heaven and threw them to the earth" (3). The "tail" is, obviously, the power of the tempting influence of the fallen first angel Lucifer (whose own fall and temptation is allegorically described in the images of the kings of Babylon and Tyre in Isaiah XIV, 12-16 and Ezekiel XXVIII, 12-17). But even there it speaks only of the personal pride and fall of the kings of Babylon and Tyre, but nothing is said about the fall of the "third of the stars" that followed them and with them (the number, of course, is allegorical, to denote a large number of the fallen). The casting down of a third of the angels to earth is apparently reported in connection with the fact that together with the dragon himself, they also participate in the temptation of the woman, "an unfaithful and perverse generation," of which the long-suffering Lord Himself says: "How long will I be with you? How long will I endure you?" (Matt. XVII, 17). "This dragon stood before the woman who was to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he might devour her child." The dragon's desire to destroy the infant is explained, of course, by the desire for the final mastery of the world. "Infant" in general means spiritual birth in the Church, the singular is taken here clearly allegorically. To see Christ in the infant here and to time the event to the Nativity of Christ is hardly appropriate, although with all the ambiguity of this allegory even this meaning is permissible, but in this case the image of the woman must be interpreted not in the collective sense of church society, but in the personal sense of the Mother of God. Although the Gospels do not directly mention the participation of the dragon in the persecution of the Divine Infant born in Bethlehem, it obviously existed, and King Herod was the instrument of his inspiration. However, this assumption does not abolish the entire general ecclesiological significance of this image. The rest is depicted as follows: "And she gave birth to a male child, who is to shepherd the nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and His throne" (5). Who can this Child be if not Christ, the King of kings, "who shepherds the nations with a rod of iron" (Rev. 2:10). II, 27; cf. Isa. II, 9; 1 Cor. XV, 25), who leaves the world in the Ascension and sits at the right hand of the Father? The Church can be viewed in the person of the Most Holy Theotokos: as Her personal incarnation, as His Mother. The event of the Ascension is depicted here in a different way than in the Gospel, from a different point of view, in the aspect of the struggle with the prince of this world, which is also a general aspect of the Christology of Revelation, as we will see more than once throughout it. That which in the whole New Testament is the glorification of Christ and the completion of His salvific work, in Revelation is a withdrawal from the world as an "rapture to God and His throne" from the malicious and power-hungry claims and attempts of the prince of this world. Although Christ leaves the world with the words: "All power in heaven and on earth is given to Me," this authority given to Him, i.e. acquired by Him through His saving ministry, still has to be exercised throughout the long time of the earthly existence of the Church (as it is said in the Apostle Paul: "He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet... He will deliver up the kingdom to God and the Father, when he has abolished all authority and all authority and power... all things are subject to Him" (1 Cor. XV, 25, 24, 27). It is Revelation, and it alone, or at least it predominantly, that is characteristic of this aspect of Christology, which can be defined as the teaching of Christ's enthronement in the world, which takes place on the basis of His accomplished salvation.