8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
The smoke indicates that no one can penetrate the secrets of the judgments of God. Rather, the minds of mortals grow dark and tremble at the thought of the plagues that are inflicted, which he now begins to narrate, and he says that the smoke will remain in the temple until the plagues are completely ended. Rightly, then, there follows, “No one could enter the temple,” that is, that innermost secret, “until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.” Therefore, also the psalm says, “It seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God and I understood their ends.” Another interpretation might be that in the smoke we are to understand confession, as is often the case. As smoke precedes fire, so the confession of sins precedes the flame of faith and of love. And the psalm indicates such things when it says, “Who looks on the earth and makes it to tremble, who touches the mountains and they smoke.” “And the Lord looked at Peter,” and he washed away his confession in tears, because when he denied, he was reduced to a fearful trembling. And so this is the meaning: No one could enter the temple until the seven plagues were ended, that is, no one shall ever be able to say, “I will walk in the innocence of my heart in the midst of your house,” and “the king brought me into his chambers,” except he who shall have taken care to efface by confession all iniquitous behavior that he has previously committed. “The thought of man will confess you,” behold, the smoke, “and the remainder of his thoughts will celebrate solemn feasts for you,” as a certain praise for the righteousness that has been obtained. And so, until all the plagues are ended, the church remains in the lament of confession, both in those who, as we said, pay the fruitful penalty for previous faults and in those who it will become clear are approved by a better worship.
From the smoke we learn of the frightful, terrible and tormenting character of the wrath of God. We are taught that the temple is filled with this wrath, which comes at the time of judgment against those who are worthy of it, and especially against those who obey the antichrist and do the works of apostasy.
And the temple was filled with smoke, etc. The Church, about to preach to the nations, first warms itself with the fire of charity, emitting the smoke of pious confession, giving thanks to God for His indescribable gift.
And no one was able to enter the temple, etc. No one can be incorporated into the members of the Church unless he hears the mysteries of faith from the preachers and learns that Jesus is appointed by God as the judge of the living and the dead. But if you interpret the smoke as the hidden secrets of God's judgments, these remain impenetrable and closed to mortals until, with the plagues of the present age finished, the Lord comes, who will both illuminate what is hidden in darkness (I Cor. IV), and reveal how much benefit or justice the advent of the Antichrist brings either for proving the faith of the Church or for blinding the Jews who did not accept the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
And the temple, he says, was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. The smoke is an emblem of divine wrath. For it is written, "smoke went up in his anger." (Ps. 18:8) The smoke, however, is suggestive of fire, yet also the smoke which the prophet Isaiah saw, where he says, "and the joist shook because of the voice with which the Seraphim cried out 'holy,' and the house was filled with smoke." (Isa. 6:4) He revealed the wrath of God against Jerusalem.
And the phrase smoke from the glory of God and from his power has a certain figurative meaning, as if one would say: "it was filled with smoke from the wrath of God," for God is power and glory itself; and who could endure his wrath?
And no one, he says, could enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled; for who will withstand the wrath of God, or live after being subject to it?
For if no one stood in the place of the Lord, according to what is written (Jer. 23:18), then indeed he would spare not to bring down the wrath of God. And I heard, so he says, a command issuing forth, that the seven bowls of the divine wrath be poured out upon the earth.
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 15:8