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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Oecumenius
And it was said to him, "You are given the key to the shaft of the abyss". The shaft of the abyss is called Gehenna. Therefore, "smoke rose from the shaft", like the smoke of a great fire burning in the shaft. Indeed, the "smoke" signifies not only fire but also darkness; "for the voice of the Lord interrupting the flame of fire," (Ps. 29:7) as spoken by the prophet, is interpreted by the saints as the ending of the illuminating fire from the Gehenna's fire, leaving only the burning fire together with darkness within it. …
Western Saints
Bede
And the smoke of the pit arose, like the smoke of a great furnace, etc. Proclaiming the great furnace, that is, the final persecution, the heretical madness rages, not only attempting to obscure the light of the weaker ones, who, like the air, touch the boundaries of the earth and heaven in some way, but also striving to obscure the light of the exalted ones, though not able to extinguish it. For even the elect will be led into error, if possible (Matthew XXIV).
Hippolytus of Rome
'On this Caius objects, that according to this, the unrighteous are consumed by the locusts; whereas Scripture has said that sinners prosper and the righteous are persecuted, in the world' [Ps. lxxiii. 12 ] ; and Paul, that the faithful shall be persecuted and the evil shall flourish, deceiving and being deceived [2 Tim. iii. 12, 13]. …
Translation