Fathers

Loading…

What the Fathers say

Revelation 10:3

Eastern Fathers

Oecumenius

And he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And it is said that the holy angel of wrath was symbolically represented as having roared like a lion, signifying the judgment against the impious. And when he said, "he cried out," the seven thunders uttered their voices. The seven thunders refer to the seven ministering spirits whose memory has been mentioned earlier; therefore, it is placed after the article. He says, "the seven thunders," referring to those seven spirits to which the reference pertains. …

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Western Saints

Bede

And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their voices. When the Lord preaches mightily, the Church, also full of sevenfold grace, raises its voices to preach. For the lion roars, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who will not prophesy (Amos III)? For the seven thunders are the same as the seven trumpets of which he speaks.

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Alcuin of York

And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth. Just as the lion's cry inspires beasts with fear, so does Christ inspire beastlike men with fear by threatening through the holy preachers, according to this: The lion roareth, who will not fear? [Variant of Amos 3:8] And when he had cried, the seven thunders spoke their voices. The seven thunders signify the same thing as the lion's voice, namely the preaching of the Word, as in The voice of thy thunder in a wheel. [Ps. …

Commentary On Revelation ↗

Victorinus of Pettau

"Seven thunders uttered their voices." The seven thunders uttering their voices signify, the Holy Spirit of sevenfold power, who through the prophets announced all things to come, and by His voice John gave his testimony in the world; but because he says that he was about to write the things which the thunders had uttered, that is, whatever things had been obscure in the announcements of the Old Testament; he is forbidden to write them, but he was charged to leave them sealed, because he is an apostle, nor was it fitting that the …

Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John ↗