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1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
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[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:1
Although these things are thought by some to have occurred long ago to the Jews at the hands of the Romans … how much more will these things occur at the coming of the antichrist, and not only partially in the land of the Jews but over the whole world at whose four corners the angels stand fulfilling a service assigned to them by God, but unknown to us. The holding back of the winds reveals clearly the dissolution of the good order of creation and the inevitability of evil. For by means of wind the plants of the earth are nourished and ships sail the sea.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:1
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:1
After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. That is, the four principal kingdoms, namely, those of the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. For just as in the previous seals, after witnessing the manifold conflicts of the Church, he saw the joys of the triumphant souls; so also now, he is about to prove with examples what victory follows the kingdom of the Antichrist, succeeding the preceding kingdoms of the world, which have already yielded to the rule of Christ's Church. For great causes must be confirmed by greater arguments.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:1
Holding the four winds of the earth, etc. By their own power, they, in a way, suffocate everything, allowing no one to breathe freely under their jurisdiction. The diversity of provinces on land, the islands in the sea, and the various qualities and conditions of men in the trees are signified. Alternatively, the four angels are to be understood as the same as the four winds, according to the prophecy of Daniel saying: Behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up from the sea (Dan. 7).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 990] Oecumenius on Revelation 7:1-6
Here all that happened to the Jews in the war against the Romans is clearly shown to the evangelist. These things happened to them because of the cross and their madness against the Lord.

The four angels controlling the four corners of the land of the Jews were on guard lest any of the Jews deserving of death should escape, perhaps by making them too afraid to run away or by putting some difficulties in their way or causing an excessive longing for their country or their wives and those dearest to them. These are indicated figuratively by their control of the four corners of Judaea.

The control of the four winds, that they should not blow on earth or sea or against any tree, indicates that the Jews found no relief in the war, nor any consolation for their disasters, whether they were fighting on foot on land, or fighting on ships at sea—for they fought many naval battles according to Josephus—or indeed whether they were busy with farming and the care of crops. Utter calamity overtook them all: their cities were being destroyed by fire, their land was being ravaged, and their crops were being cut down. All this Josephus related accurately in his account of the destruction of Jerusalem.

And I saw an angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with a seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been charged to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do no harm until the servants of our God have been sealed.” The coming of the divine angel from the rising of the sun, and not from the sunset and the evening, symbolizes the gospel and the promise of good things. The present seal was foreseen by the prophet, too, in the Spirit when he said, “The light of your face, Lord, has been marked upon us.”

He correctly commands that for the time being nobody should be harmed, until those of the Jews worthy of being saved had been sealed, lest the righteous suffer unintentionally with the sinners.

He says that they sealed a hundred and forty-four thousand. The number of Jews who believed in Christ were many more than this, who thereby benefited by their deliverance from the general universal destruction. So those who spoke to Paul when he was in Jerusalem attested, “You see, brother, how many myriads there are of believing Jews.”

It was reasonable that not only the believers should escape, but also those who ignorantly and through deception cooperated in crucifying the Lord, of whom he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even though Cyril in the thirteenth book Against Julian says that this prayer of the Lord is not found in the gospels, at any rate we use it. It was not only these [who should escape], but also those who were not present at that time, or who were not living in Jerusalem, and therefore had no part in the unholy council of the accursed high priests concerned with the crucifixion, or though they were actually present had certainly not acquired any taint of guilt. Even though [the Lord] himself blessed the whole earth under heaven, it turned out contrary to the wishes of those who hated God and of the council of the criminals. It is likely that all these Jews [who escaped] were later sealed in the faith of Christ. For the angel would not otherwise have called them the servants of God.

But though these were saved, the rest were in their wickedness utterly destroyed by flight and desertion to the Romans. “They became a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men,” though in a different sense from that which Paul said about the blessed apostles. Josephus again records that he reckons tens of thousands died by famine.

The equal number of those from each tribe who were sealed and became believers symbolizes the equally valid zeal and the same understanding of the faith [among them all], even if in fact more from one tribe and fewer from another were saved and believed in Christ, who was dishonored by the Jews,

but is worshiped both by us and by all supernatural creation now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.

Source: Commentary on the Apocalypse
[AD 304] Victorinus of Pettau on Revelation 7:2-8
"And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God" He speaks of Elias the prophet, who is the precursor of the times of Antichrist, for the restoration and establishment of the churches from the great and intolerable persecution. We read that these things are predicted in the opening of the Old and New Testament; for He says by Malachi: "Lo, I will send to you Elias the Tishbite, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, according to the time of calling, to recall the Jews to the faith of the people that succeed them." And to that end He shows, as we have said, that the number of those that shall believe, of the Jews and of the nations, is a great multitude which no man was able to number. Moreover, we read in the Gospel that the prayers of the Church are sent from heaven by an angel, and that they are received against wrath, and that the kingdom of Antichrist is cast out and extinguished by holy angels; for He says: "Pray that ye enter not into temptation: for there shall be a great affliction, such as has not been from the beginning of the world; and except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved." Therefore He shall send these seven great archangels to smite the kingdom of Antichrist; for He Himself also thus said: "Then the Son of man shall send His messengers; and they shall gather together His elect from the four corners of the wind, from the one end of heaven even to the other end thereof." For, moreover, He previously says by the prophet: "Then shall there be peace for our land, when there shall arise in it seven shepherds and eight attacks of men; and they shall encircle Assur," that is, Antichrist, "in the trench of Nimrod," that is, in the nation of the devil, by the spirit of the Church. Similarly when the keepers of the house shall be moved. Moreover, the Lord Himself, in the parable to the apostles, when the labourers had come to Him and said, "Lord, did not we sow good seed in Thy field? whence, then, hath it tares? answered them, An enemy hath done this. And they said to Him, Lord, wilt Thou, then, that we go and root them up? And He said, Nay, but let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, that they gather the tares and make bundles of them, and burn them with fire everlasting, but that they gather the wheat into my barns." The Apocalypse here shows, therefore, that these reapers, and shepherds, and labourers, are the angels. And the trumpet is the word of power. And although the same thing recurs in the phials, still it is not said as if it occurred twice, but because what is decreed by the Lord to happen shall be once for all; for this cause it is said twice. What, therefore, He said too little in the trumpets, is here found in the phials. We must not regard the order of what is said, because frequently the Holy Spirit, when He has traversed even to the end of the last times, returns again to the same times, and fills up what He had before failed to say. Nor must we look for order in the Apocalypse; but we must follow the meaning of those things which are prophesied. Therefore in the trumpets and phials is signified either the desolation of the plagues that are sent upon the earth, or the madness of Antichrist himself, or the cutting off of the peoples, or the diversity of the plagues, or the hope in the kingdom of the saints, or the ruin of states, or the great overthrow of Babylon, that is, the Roman state.

Source: Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:2-3
This was revealed long ago to Ezekiel concerning him who was clothed in a fine linen robe and who sealed the foreheads of those who mourned so that the righteous would not be destroyed along with the wicked, since the virtue of the saints is hidden and is unknown even to the angels. This is shown also here to the blessed [John], that a preeminent holy power encourages the avenging holy angels to do nothing until they might recognize the servants of the truth by virtue of their having been sealed. Although this has happened partially long ago when those who believed in Christ fled from the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans into very many destinations, the great James having showed to blessed Paul their great number, then, as has been said, this will especially occur at the coming of the antichrist when the seal of the life-giving cross will separate from the faithless the faithful who bear without shame and with boldness the sign of Christ before the impious. Therefore, the angel says, “Do not harm the earth of the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.” Just as the creation, created for our sakes, shares in the torments with us who are being chastised, so too it will be made clean with the saints who are being glorified. Through these words we learn that the virtuous will require the power of angelic assistance before the arrival of the trials which come because of the seal of the Spirit which is given to us. [We learn further] that this seal will reveal its power to that extent that we add our own work to it, for everything remains without aid which by its own will wills not to be aided.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:2-3
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:2
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, etc. The Lord born in the flesh, who is the angel of great counsel, the messenger of the Father's will, visited us as the rising sun from on high (Luke 1), bringing the banner of the cross to mark the foreheads of His own.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:2
And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels. The great voice of the Lord is the sublime preaching: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 258] Cyprian on Revelation 7:3
And how great, too, are those things which in the meantime are happening in that respect on our behalf! Something is given for an example, that the anger of an avenging God may be known. But the day of judgment is still future which the Holy Scripture denounces, saying, "Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand, and destruction from God shall come; for, lo, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel with wrath and anger, to lay the earth desolate, and to destroy the sinners out of it." And again: "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, burning as an oven; and all the aliens and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord." The Lord prophesies that the aliens shall be burnt up and consumed; that is, aliens from the divine race, and the profane, those who are not spiritually new-born, nor made children of God. For that those only can escape who have been new-born and signed with the sign of Christ, God says in another place, when, sending forth His angels to the destruction of the world and the death of the human race, He threatens more terribly in the last time, saying, "Go ye, and smite, and let not your eye spare. Have no pity upon old or young, and slay the virgins and the little ones and the women, that they may be utterly destroyed. But touch not any man upon whom is written the mark." Moreover, what this mark is, and in what part of the body it is placed, God sets forth in another place, saying, "Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." And that the sign pertains to the passion and blood of Christ, and that whoever is found in this sign is kept safe and unharmed, is also proved by God's testimony, saying, "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses in which ye shall be; and I will see the blood, and will protect you, and the plague of diminution shall not be upon you when I smite the land of Egypt." What previously preceded by a figure in the slain lamb is fulfilled in Christ, the truth which followed afterwards. As, then, when Egypt was smitten, the Jewish people could not escape except by the blood and the sign of the lamb; so also, when the world shall begin to be desolated and smitten, whoever is found in the blood and the sign of Christ alone shall escape.

Source: Treatise V An Address to Demetrianus
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:3
Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees. Since the Lord has suffered, not only has the power of the adversary been crushed, but also the dominion of worldly principalities, as we both see with our eyes and read in the statue that the stone from the mountain shattered.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:3
Until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads? For this reason, the dominion of the nations has been broken, so that the faces of the saints could be freely marked with the sign of faith, to which they had resisted. For the very shape of the cross signifies the Lord's kingdom extended everywhere, as the ancient saying proves: Look at the world divided into four distinct parts, to prove that the kingdom of faith holds all things.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:3
For it was not in vain that the tetragrammaton, the name of the Lord, was written on the forehead of the high priest, because this is the sign on the forehead of the faithful, about which it is sung in the Psalm for the winepresses: O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is Your name in all the earth (Ps. 8), and so forth, until it says: That You may destroy the enemy and the avenger (Ibid.).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 160] Shepherd of Hermas on Revelation 7:4
"Now, sir "I continued, "explain to me, with respect to the mountains, why their forms are various and diverse. ""Listen "he said: "these mountains are the twelve tribes, which inhabit the whole world.
[AD 311] Methodius of Olympus on Revelation 7:4
And I join with their company in the new song of the archangels, showing forth the new grace of the Church; for the Word says that the company of virgins always follow the Lord, and have fellowship with Him wherever He is. And this is what John signifies in the commemoration of the hundred and forty-four thousand.
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:4
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, etc. This finite number signifies the innumerable multitude of the whole Church, which is generated from the patriarchs, either by descent of flesh or by imitation of faith. For if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed (Gal. 3). For the increase of perfection, it pertains that twelve is multiplied twelve times, and to the total is perfected as a thousand, which is a solid squared number, signifying the stable life of the Church. Therefore, it is often figured by the number twelve because it stands firm in the faith of the Holy Trinity in a fourfold world. For thrice four is the perfect number, a double portion. Finally, the apostles, who were chosen to preach the same faith to the world, were twelve, indicating by their number the mystery of their work.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 420] Jerome on Revelation 7:5
Someone may ask, Where does one read that all Israel will be saved? First, of course, there is the apostle: “Until the full number of the Gentiles should enter, and thus all Israel should be saved.” In the second place, John says in his Apocalypse: of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand shall believe, of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand shall believe, and of the remaining tribes, he says the same; and the number of all who believe became 144,000. Then too Psalm 144, which is alphabetical, treats of this number saved. If Israel had believed, our Lord would not have been crucified. If our Lord had not been crucified, the multitude of Gentiles would not have been saved. The Jews are going to believe, but not until the end of the world. It was not the time for them to believe in the cross; for if they had believed, the Lord would not have been crucified. It was not the time to believe. Their infidelity is our faith. By their downfall, we are raised up. It was not their time in order that it might be our time.

Source: HOMILIES ON MARK 82 (8)
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:5
“From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed.” Judah is interpreted “confession,” through which those are manifested who are being saved through the confession to Christ who came forth as a branch from Judah. “From the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed.” Reuben is interpreted “son of vision,” through which those are shown who possess spiritual sight through purity of heart. “From the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand.” Gad is interpreted “temptation,” through which those are shown who through the endurance of temptations are being crowned, after the example of Job.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:5
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:5
From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed, etc. It is fitting that he begins with Judah, from which tribe our Lord arose; and he omits Dan, from whom it is said the Antichrist is to be born, as it is written: Let Dan be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that its rider falls backward (Gen. 49). For he did not intend to describe the order of earthly generation but to expound the virtues of the Church according to the interpretation of the names, which hasten from confession and praise to the right hand of eternal life. This is the meaning of the names Judah, who is placed first, and Benjamin, who is placed last. Therefore, Judah is first, which is interpreted as confession or praise, because no one attains the summit of good works before the beginning of confession. And unless we renounce evil deeds through confession, we cannot be formed rightly. The second is Reuben, which is interpreted as seeing the son. The Psalmist testifies that works are designated in the sons when he says among the blessings of the blessed man: Your sons will be like olive shoots (Ps. 128). And further: May you see your children's children (Ibid.). For one who fears the Lord is blessed, not only if he has begotten sons and received grandchildren, but because in sons are works, and in sons of sons, the fruits of works, that is, the eternal reward is designated. Therefore, after Judah comes Reuben, that is, after the beginnings of divine confession and praise, the perfection of action follows. But because through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14), after Reuben comes Gad, which is interpreted as temptation or armed. After the beginning of good works, a man must be tested by greater temptations and girded for more serious battles, so that the strength of his faith may be proven. Solomon says: My son, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation (Sirach 2). And the Psalmist likewise: You have girded me with strength for battle (Ps. 18). And because we bless those who have endured suffering, therefore after Gad is placed Asher, that is, blessed, in a very fitting order. Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been tested, he will receive the crown of life (James 1). Because by the faithful promise of this blessedness they are not distressed but, rejoicing in hope, are patient in tribulation, they sing with the Psalmist: You have enlarged me in distress; and again: I ran the way of your commandments, when you enlarged my heart (Ps. 119); and with the mother of blessed Samuel, they exultingly say: My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I have rejoiced in your salvation (1 Sam. 2). Therefore, Naphtali follows, which means enlargement. And Manasseh follows him, which is interpreted as forgetting or necessity. The mystery of this name warns us to forget the things that are behind, taught by the anguish of present temptations, and to stretch forth to the things that are before, according to the Apostle, so that we may make provision for the flesh, not in its desires, but bound only by the necessity of human condition (Phil. 3). For which the Psalmist, sighing for better things, prayed: Deliver me from my necessities (Ps. 25). Simeon, which means heard the sorrow or name of habitation, is placed under this, so that by the quality of this name it is more clearly instilled what is to be held here and what is to be healthily expected. For to those who here mourn fruitfully in penitence, the joy of heavenly habitation will be given. To whom it is also said: Your sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16). Therefore, Levi is added, which means added. In which we understand either those who buy the eternal with the temporal, as Solomon says: The ransom of a man's life is his wealth (Prov. 13), or those who, following the counsel of God, receive a hundredfold in this world with tribulations, and in the world to come, eternal life (Mark 10). What is written also agrees with this: He who increases knowledge increases sorrow (Eccles. 1). For to blessed Job, the bitterness of tribulations was added so that, being proven, the reward of a greater prize would be given. Hence Issachar follows in proper order, which means reward. For as the Apostle teaches, the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom. 8). It is more fruitful to fight where a certain reward is hoped for. This, however, God works and perfects in the habitation of strength, which is called Zebulun, when strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12), so that the body which enemies consider weak, and through whose matter they also try to bring about the soul's destruction, experiences invincibility with God's comfort and happy increase follows. This name Joseph indicates, signifying the addition of gifts of grace. Whether you understand the double repayment of talents as profits of spiritual benefit, or you take it in those things which are returned to the Redeemer God by the faithful in their religious devotion. And to understand that all those whom both the order and the interpretation of the names placed here significantly indicate will be on the right hand of Christ the eternal King in the future judgment, Benjamin, as I previously mentioned, is placed last, meaning son of the right hand; as if he were the end of the order, with the last enemy death destroyed (1 Cor. 15), the happiness of the eternal inheritance will be given to the elect, whether each faithful one is called the son of the right hand, or the whole assembly of the Church, of which it is sung: The queen stands at your right hand in gold of Ophir, adorned with varied colors (Ps. 45). Therefore, twelve thousand are sealed from each tribe, because in whatever virtues individual faithful advance, it is necessary that they are always strengthened and formed by the faith of the ancient fathers. For it is most certain that the number twelve often signifies the form of the teachers or the whole Church because of the sum of the apostles or patriarchs. Whether in confession, they are praiseworthy like Judah, or in Reuben, distinguished by the offspring of works, or in Gad, strong in the exercise of temptations, or in Asher, blessed in the victory of struggles, or in Naphtali, enlarged by the abundant works of mercy, or in Manasseh, forgetful of past things, or in Simeon, still sad in the valley of tears but always rejoicing in the name of habitation, sighing for the heavenly Jerusalem, or in Levi, rejoicing in the promises of present and future life, founded in eternal good with temporal goods added, or in Issachar, firm in the contemplation of future reward, or in Zebulun, who lay down their lives for Christ, or in Joseph, who strive for the increase of spiritual substance, and offer something more over God's commandments, either in virginity or in the quantity of their possessions, or in Benjamin, who with indefatigable vows expect the right hand of eternal happiness, each one in his profession fits the rule of the preceding fathers as if sealed with the number twelve, and from the merits of each individual person, the most perfect beauty of the Church is collected as if in the sum of one hundred and forty-four thousand.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:6
“From the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand.” Asher is interpreted “blessing,” through which are revealed those who are worthy of dominical blessings because of their life and are made worthy of standing at the right hand of Christ43 and are shown to be sons of the light and of the day. “From the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand.” Naphtali is interpreted “prayer,” through which those are characterized who are bound to God through unceasing prayer. “From the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand.” Manasseh is interpreted “forgetfulness,” that is, it refers to those who on account of love for God, have forgotten the things from the past and the homes of their fathers.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:6
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:7
“From the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand.” Simeon is interpreted “obedience,” clearly referring to those who are becoming righteous through obedience to the divine commandments. “From the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand.” Levi is interpreted “having been taken up,” through which are indicated those taken up by Christ through a life proper to the priesthood. Levi is listed eighth, since by the eighth day of the resurrection the true priesthood is made known. “From the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand.” Issachar is interpreted “reward,” that is, it refers to those who for the sake of the rewards from God have lived virtuously.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:7
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:8
“From the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand.” Zebulun is interpreted “abode of power” or “fragrance,” through which are indicated those who by the indwelling of Christ have been made firm against sufferings and have become his sweet smell, as Paul says. “From the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand.” Joseph is interpreted “addition,” that is, those who in addition to the kingdom of heaven receive those things necessary for eternal life, as the Lord says. “From the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand.” Benjamin means “son of sorrow” or “son of day” or “son of my right hand” and refers to those with sorrow in their heart. This refers either to those believers from the Jews who fled the siege of the Romans and equaled this number, or, what is rather more likely, to those from the Jews who are saved at the consummation when, as the apostle puts it, after “the full number of the Gentiles come in, all Israel will be saved.” Either interpretation is acceptable. The exact equality of each tribe seems to me to show the utter fruitfulness of the apostolic seed, since twelve multiplied by twelve and multiplied by the perfect number of a thousand yields the thousands here indicated. For these were the disciples of that seed that out of love for humankind fell upon the earth and brought forth the various fruit of universal salvation.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:8
[AD 258] Cyprian on Revelation 7:9
If, therefore, we also live as dedicated and devoted to God-if we make our way over the ancient and sacred footsteps of the righteous, let us go through the same proofs of sufferings, the same testimonies of passions, considering the glory of our time the greater on this account, that while ancient examples may be numbered, yet that subsequently, when the abundance of virtue and faith was in excess, the Christian martyrs cannot be numbered, as the Apocalypse testifies and says: "After these things I beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, of every nation, and of every tribe, and people, and language, standing in the sight of the throne and of the Lamb; and they were clothed in white robes, and palms were in their hands; and they said with a loud voice, Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb! And one of the elders answered and said unto me, Who are those which are arrayed in white robes, and whence come they? And I said unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple."106 But if the assembly of the Christian martyrs is shown and proved to be so great, let no one think it a hard or a difficult thing to become a martyr, when he sees that the crowd of martyrs cannot be numbered.

Source: Treatise XI. Exhortation to Martyrdom, Addressed to Fortunatus.
[AD 258] Cyprian on Revelation 7:9
Of the benefits of martyrdom. In the Proverbs of Solomon: "The faithful martyr delivers his soul from evils." Also in the same place: "Then shall the righteous stand in great boldness against them who have afflicted them, and who took away their labours. When they see them, they shall be disturbed with a horrible fear; and they shall wonder at the suddenness of their unhoped-for salvation, saying among themselves, repenting and groaning with distress of spirit, These are they whom some time we had in derision, and in the likeness of a proverb; we fools counted their life madness, and their end without honour. How are they reckoned among the children of God, and their lot among the saints! Therefore we have wandered from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness has not shined upon us, and the sun has not risen upon us. We have been wearied in the way of iniquity and of perdition, and we have walked through difficult solitudes; but we have not known the way of the Lord. What hath pride profited us? or what hath the boasting of riches brought to us? All these things have passed away as a shadow." Of this same thing in the cxvth Psalm: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Also in the cxxvth Psalm: "They who sow in tears shall reap in joy. Walking they walked, and wept as they cast their seeds; but coming they shall come in joy, raising up their laps." Of this same thing in the Gospel according to John: "He who loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall find it to life eternal." Also in the same place: "But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought what ye shall speak; for it is not ye who speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." Also in the same place: "The hour shall come, that every one that killeth you shall think he doeth service to God l but they shall do this also because they have not known the Father nor me." Of this same matter, according to Matthew: "Blessed are they which shall suffer persecution for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Also in the same place: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to kill the soul and body in Gehenna." Also in the same place: "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him also will I confess before my Father which is in heaven; but he who shall deny me before men, him also will I deny before my Father which is in heaven. And he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." Of this same thing, according to Luke: "Blessed shall ye be when men shall hate you, and shall separate you (from their company), and shall drive you out, and shall speak evil of your name, as wicked, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and exult; for, lo, your reward is great in heaven." Also in the same place: "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that leaveth house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, and does not receive seven times as much in this present time, but in the world to come life everlasting." Of this same thing in the Apocalypse: "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar of God the souls of them that were slain on account of the word of God and His testimony. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And unto every one of them were given white robes; and it was said to them, that they should rest still for a short time, until the number of their fellow-servants, and of their brethren, should be fulfilled, and they who shall afterwards be slain, after their example." Also in the same place: "After these things I saw a great crowd, which no one among them could number, from every nation, and from every tribe, and from every people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb; and they were clothed with white robes, and palms were in their hands. And they said with a loud voice, Salvation to our God, that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And one of the elders answered and said to me, What are these which are clothed with white robes? who are they, and whence have they come? And I said unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them. They shall neither hunger nor thirst ever; and neither shall the sun fall upon them, nor shall they suffer any heat: for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall protect them, and shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life; and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes." Also in the same place: "He who shall overcome I will give him to eat of the tree of life, which as in the paradise of my God." Also in the same place: "Be thou faithful even unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Also in the same place: "Blessed shall they be who shall watch, and shall keep their garments, lest they walk naked, and they see their shame." Of this same thing, Paul in the second Epistle to Timothy: "I am now offered up, and the time of my assumption is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. There now remains for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me in that day; and not only to me, but to all also who love His appearing." Of this same thing to the Romans: "We are the sons of God: but if sons and heirs of God, we are also joint-heirs with Christ; if we suffer together, that we may also be magnified together." Of this same thing in the cxviiith Psalm: "Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, and walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who search into His testimonies."

Source: Treatise XII. Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews.
[AD 304] Victorinus of Pettau on Revelation 7:9
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man was able to number, of every nation, tribe, and people, and tongue, clothed with white robes." What the great multitude out of every tribe implies, is to show the number of the elect out of all believers, who, being cleansed by baptism in the blood of the Lamb, have made their robes white, keeping the grace which they have received.

Source: Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
[AD 542] Caesarius of Arles on Revelation 7:9
He did not say, “After this I saw another people,” but “I saw a people,” that is, the same people that he had seen in the mystery of the 144,000, which he now sees as without number from every tribe and tongue and nation. For by believing, all nations have been engrafted into the root. In the Gospel the Lord showed forth in the [figure of the] twelve tribes the whole church both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. He said, “You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Source: EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9, HOMILY 6
[AD 542] Caesarius of Arles on Revelation 7:9
By the white robes he means the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Source: EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9, HOMILY 6
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:9
By the sign of the sacred number he signifies the multitude of the elect, “whom God foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” For those who come from the nations are made to be Israel and so by right are called sons of Abraham, not by flesh but by faith in that seed which is Christ, the cornerstone, of whom the apostle said, “He is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two, and so make peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross.”

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:9
By the robes he suggests baptism, and by the palms the triumph of the cross. Since they have conquered the world in Christ, it may be that the robes signify the love which is given through the Holy Spirit.… They are said to carry palm branches in their hands. “In their hands” indicates either their perseverance in good works—we read here, “The Lord made strong his arm for a good work,” and “With my hands at night I was before him, and I was not deceived”13—or it indicates that power which they received so that they might become sons of God, as is said of Joseph, “And the Lord had placed all things in his hand,” that is, into his power.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:9
These are the ones of whom David spoke: “I shall number them, and they will be more than the sand.” Namely, these are those who long ago struggled as martyrs for the sake of Christ and those from every tribe and tongue who will fight valiantly at the end of time.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9-10
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:9
By the outpouring of their own blood for the sake of Christ, some have made white and others will make white the robes of their deeds. And they have in their hands palm branches, which are symbolic of victory and which are good, straight and white as are their hearts. And they form a chorus around the divine throne of the godly rest, as grateful family members ascribing the victory over the demons to him who provides it.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:9-10
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:9
Let us think attentively about the eternal feast of the martyrs, which is in heaven, and by following in their footsteps insofar as we can, let us also take care to become ourselves participants in this heavenly feast, for as the apostle bears witness, if we have been companions of his passion, we will at the same time be companions of his consolation. Nor should we mourn their death as much as we should rejoice about their attaining the palm of righteousness. Rachel must groan over each of them when, through torments, they are driven away from this life—that is, the church which begot [them] exhorts them with mourning and tears, but when they have been driven out, the heavenly Jerusalem, who is the mother of us all, soon receives them into another life by ministers of gladness who are ready at hand and introduces them into the joy of the Lord to be crowned as his forever. Hence, says John, they were standing before the throne “in the sight of the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and palms were in their hands.” For they now stand before God’s throne, crowned, who once lay, worn down by pain, before the thrones of earthly judges. They stand in the sight of the Lamb, and for no cause can they be separated from contemplating his glory there, since here they could not be separated from his love through punishments. They shine in white robes and have palms in their hands, who possess the rewards for their works; while they get back their bodies, glorified through resurrection, which for the Lord’s sake they suffered to be scorched by flames, torn to pieces by beasts, worn out by scourges, broken by falls from high places, scraped by hoofs and completely destroyed by every kind of punishment.

Source: Homilies on the Gospels 1.10
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:9
After these things, I saw a great multitude, which no one could number. Having finished the recapitulation, which he had interposed for the sake of example, he returns to the order, proclaiming the glory of those who will overcome the wickedness of the final persecution. And what follows: From all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, etc., it can also be understood thus, that, having enumerated the tribes of Israel, to whom the Gospel was first preached, he also wishes to commemorate the salvation of the Gentiles.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:9
Clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands. By robes he hints at baptism, by palms, the triumph of the cross, and that they have overcome the world in Christ. Although the clarity which is given through the Holy Spirit is also signified by the robes.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 990] Oecumenius on Revelation 7:9-17
The innumerable myriads of the nations who received the faith of Christ and who had gained their share in blessedness were allotted the honored place of standing before the Lord and his Father’s throne, as was said earlier.

Being clothed in white robes is a description of their purity during their life. The palm branches, which are a symbol of victory, indicate that they are promised the victory of Christ over their spiritual and earthly enemies.

And they cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb!” confessing that salvation is with them, because they had preserved the servants of God who had been sealed from the total destruction of the world.

At the end of this act of thanksgiving, the ranks of worshipers in heaven, together with the elders, answered Amen, giving their approval to what was said.

Then the divine angels, too, offer their own praise to God, honoring him seven times with their worship, which, as has been mentioned earlier, symbolizes the ceaseless nature of the adoration of the angels; for seven is a perfect number.

When one of the elders asked the evangelist who these were from the nations who were clothed in white robes, he did not ask out of ignorance but as a challenge to find out about them. So he goes on to say, These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation. For it was not a slight contest but a truly great one which the righteous had in overcoming the Antichrist.

He says, And they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Yet it should follow that robes dipped in blood would turn out to be scarlet rather than white. So how did they become white? Because baptism enacted into the death of the Lord, as Paul in his great wisdom said, purges all filth resulting from sin and renders those who are baptized in it white and pure. But participation in the life-giving blood of Christ also bestows this favor. For the Lord says concerning his own blood that it is being poured out “for many” and “on behalf of many, for the forgiveness of sins.”

Thus these serve God for ever, and God dwells among them. Indeed, the dwelling-place of God, said one of God’s saints, is where the souls of his saints continually remember him; therefore God naturally dwells with those who serve him day and night.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more: formerly those from the nations went through every trial; but now they will be sated with innumerable good things.

He says, Nor shall the sun strike them: in some places of the divine Scripture the sun metaphorically stands for temptation, as when the prophet says, “The sun shall not burn you by day, neither the moon by night,” or as when the evangelist writes that the sun shone and scorched the seeds which had sprung up on stony ground, interpreting the sun as temptation. Therefore he now says that temptation would in future never harm them, for they had been found worthy to be shepherded by Christ and nourished at the waters of life.

And God, he says, will wipe away every tear from their eyes. So those who have lived and struggled with unprofitable cares have no need of a tear, nor of “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” but deserve everything good and wonderful.

Source: Commentary on the Apocalypse
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:10-12
They were confessing with a “loud voice,” that is, with a deep devotion and unceasing praise. “Upon the throne,” that is, the Father and the Son reign in the Church, with the Holy Spirit ruling equally with them. There is here such an order to the words, “To our God and to the Lamb who sits upon the throne belongs salvation.” We find a similar manner of speaking in the Gospel, “That they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” This is as though he said, “That they might know you and Jesus Christ whom you have sent, the one true God.” In the one throne is indicated the power of one nature. However, in the name of the Lamb the personal character of the Father and the Son is designated, just as when the Holy Spirit is alone named, the Father and the Son are there also to be understood. For we read in the Acts of the Apostles, “Take heed to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,” and it immediately adds, “to rule the church of God which he obtained by his own blood.” Now, we know that no one has poured out their blood for us except the person of Christ. And so it is sufficiently clear that whenever one alone is named, the entire Trinity is to be understood.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:10
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:10-12
Whatever this multitude might be, by expressing these names he indicates the universal church.… Through the naming of these seven virtues, we are exhorted to inquire after the reason why he named those things here in which God desires his church to participate. It is for this reason, that when these [virtues] are given to God in praise, they might confess that they have received each of them from him. For we ought not consider that God alone is capable of the [virtues] named here, but that he has found them worthy also to give to the faithful. We rejoice that the church of Christ is allowed to participate in all of these good things: blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and might. It does not mention omnipotence or majesty or eternity, for God alone always rightly possesses these things. But in these seven we recognize all those virtues that could be granted to the faithful from him who gave them power to become sons of God. And so, if we have acquired any of these good things, we shall know with certainly that we have them by the generosity of God.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:11-12
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:10-12
With a loud voice [the martyrs] sing of salvation from God, since they recall with great thanksgiving that they have triumphed, not by their own virtue but by his help, in the struggle with the tribulations assailing them.

Source: Homilies on the Gospels 1.10
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:10
And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. With a loud voice, that is, with great devotion and unceasing praise, they profess that the Father and the Son reign on the throne, that is, in the Church, with the Holy Spirit likewise reigning together. For it is said: To the One sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb (Apocalypse V), as it is said in the Gospel: That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John XVII). It is understood: That they may know the one true God.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:11
And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the living creatures. In all the angels he showed the persons of the great multitude worshipping the Lord. He says, All who are around him shall offer gifts (Psalm LXXV).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:11
And they fell before the throne on their faces, etc. Neither the multitude, nor the living creatures, nor the elders are mentioned in this place as worshipping, but only the angels. For they are the multitude, they are the living creatures and the elders. Although it can also be understood of those angelic spirits, of whom it is said, rejoicing in the salvation of the Gentiles: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people, and let all the angels of God worship him (Romans XV).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:12
Blessing and glory and wisdom, etc. The Church offers to the Lord a sevenfold praise of virtues, which it confesses to have received from him in each of its members.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:13
This one elder represents either the body of the prophets or the church. It depicts the leaders teaching the other members of the future reward for which the laborers might hope, just as the apostle spoke of the gospel, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,” that is, from the faith of those who preach, for the faith of those who hear.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:13-14
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:13
And one of the elders said to me: Who are these who are clothed in white robes, and where did they come from? etc. He asks this to teach.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 220] Tertullian on Revelation 7:14
Then to every conqueror the Spirit promises now the tree of life and exemption from the second death; now the hidden manna, with the stone of glistening whiteness, and the name unknown (to every man except those who receive it); now power to rule with a rod of iron and the brightness of the morning star; now the being clothed in white raiment, and not having the name blotted out of the book of life, and being made in the temple of God a pillar with the inscription on it of the name of God and of the Lord, and of the heavenly Jerusalem; now a sitting with the Lord on his throne, which once was persistently refused to the sons of Zebedee. Who, pray, are these so blessed conquerors, but martyrs in the strict sense of the word? For indeed theirs are the victories whose also are the fights; theirs, however, are the fights whose also is the blood. But the souls of the martyrs both peacefully rest in the meantime under the altar and support their patience by the assured hope of revenge; and, clothed in their robes, wear the dazzling halo of brightness, until others also may fully share in their glory. For yet again a countless throng are revealed, clothed in white and distinguished by palms of victory, celebrating their triumph doubtless over antichrist, since one of the elders says, “These are they who come out of that great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” For the flesh is the clothing of the soul. The uncleanness, indeed, is washed away by baptism, but the stains are changed into dazzling whiteness by martyrdom.

Source: SCORPIACE 12
[AD 220] Tertullian on Revelation 7:14
For yet again a countless throng are revealed, clothed in white and distinguished by palms of victory, celebrating their triumph doubtless over Antichrist, since one of the elders says, "These are they who come out of that great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." For the flesh is the clothing of the soul.

Source: Scorpiace
[AD 258] Cyprian on Revelation 7:14
And that I might not extend my discourse, beloved brother, to too great a length, and fatigue my hearer or reader by the abundance of a too diffuse style, I have made a compendium; so that the titles being placed first, which every one ought both to know and to have in mind, I might subjoin sections of the Lord's word, and establish what I had proposed by the authority of the divine teaching, in such wise as that I might not appear to have sent you my own treatise so much, as to have suggested material for others to discourse on; a proceeding which will be of advantage to individuals with increased benefit. For if I were to give a man a garment finished and ready, it would be my garment that another was making use of, and probably the thing made for another would be found little fitting for his figure of stature and body. But now I have sent you the very wool and the purple from the Lamb, by whom we were redeemed and quickened; which, when you have received, you will make into a coat for yourself according to your own will, and the rather that you will rejoice in it as your own private and special garment. And you will exhibit to others also what we have sent, that they themselves may be able to finish it according to their will; so that that old nakedness being covered, they may all bear the garments of Christ robed in the sanctification of heavenly grace.

Source: Treatise XI Exhortation to Martyrdom Addressed to Fortunatus
[AD 542] Caesarius of Arles on Revelation 7:14
These are not, as some think, only martyrs, but rather the whole people in the church. For it does not say that they washed their robes in their own blood but in the blood of the Lamb, that is, in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. As it is written, “And the blood of his Son has cleansed us.”

Source: EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:14, HOMILY 6
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:14
When it says that a number of the faithful had come out of the great tribulation, what else is indicated except what we read elsewhere, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Therefore, the apostle also said, “Brothers, let us not grow weary, for in due time we shall reap.” It is through the endurance of struggles that the number of the faithful are sifted out, just as by the weight of the press oil is prepared with diligent care and grain that is to be stored in a barn is collected through the threshing machine. That they wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb reveals their reward, so that the labor of the aforementioned struggle might be endured with equinimity. And he rightly adds that they made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. It is as though he said that the robes that some had befouled after the grace of baptism through neglect, ignorance or contempt, these had made white in the blood of the Lamb, that is, in the grace of Christ, or even in undergoing martyrdom. This reward is to be assigned especially to those in the church who have spilled their blood for Christ and have returned the robe of baptism with a greater brilliance by a better service of blood. But if this grace is to refer to all the faithful generally, we must finally conclude that if anyone is cleansed by the font of his Lord, is fed by his flesh and is enflamed by the call of the Spirit, he is in this manner made white as snow. For there are those who are proven to be martyrs before God by their inner character, even though they are not martyrs by way of a public act.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:13-14
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:14
Martyrs wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, while as for their members, which “seem to the eyes of the ignorant” [to be] defiled by the squalor of their pains, they instead have made [these members] clean of all contagion by their blood which is poured forth for Christ. In addition, they have rendered [their members] worthy of the blessed light of immortality, which is [the meaning of] their having made their washed robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

Source: Homilies on the Gospels 1.10
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:14
And he said to me: These are those who have come out of great tribulation. Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts XIV). But who does not know that the tribulation of the Antichrist will be greater than the others?

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:14
And they washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. He does not speak only of the martyrs. For they are washed in their own blood. But the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, cleanses the whole Church from all sin (II Corinthians VII), therefore they are before the throne of God. For they are deemed worthy to stand in the service of God there, who here amid adversities are faithful confessors of his name.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 560] Primasius of Hadrumetum on Revelation 7:15
Before the throne of God is the church, in whose “heart he has placed ways to go up in the valley of tears to a place which he has established.” They serve him day and night, that is, in times of prosperity and in times of adversity. They are regarded as a “temple” who are said to serve in the temple, just as [they are regarded as] a throne. Therefore, it continues, “And he who sits upon the throne will dwell among them.” The soul of the righteous is the seat of wisdom. However, wisdom is Christ, and Christ is truly God.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:15
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:15
Blessed are those who through temporary sufferings receive the fruit of eternal rest, and by suffering with Christ also reign with him and serve him continuously. In this passage, the words “day and night” indicate the absence of cessation or end, for then there will be no night. Rather, there will be one day which is illumined by the Sun of righteousness, not by the sun that we see with our eyes. In like manner, night refers to the hidden and deep mysteries of knowledge, while day refers to the mysteries that are open and easily obtained. “His temple” is the entire creation, which is being renewed through the Spirit, but especially those who have preserved the living and unquenchable gift of the Spirit, for among them he has promised to dwell and to walk.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:14-15
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:15
To be continuously present at the praises of God is not a laborious servitude but a servitude that is pleasant and desirable. “Day and night,” indeed, do not exclusively signify the vicissitude of time, but typologically [they signify] its perpetuity.

Source: Homilies on the Gospels 1.10
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:15
And they serve him day and night in his temple. Speaking in our manner, he signifies eternity.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:15
And he who sits on the throne will dwell over them. The throne of God is the saints, upon whom and in whom God dwells forever.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 390] Ticonius on Revelation 7:16
They will not hunger because they are fed by the living Bread. He said, “I am the living Bread who comes came down from heaven.” Nor will they thirst, for they will drink from a cup so excellent that it will be for them what the Truth said, “Whoever believes in me shall never thirst,” and again, “Whoever drinks from the water that I shall give him, it will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Nor will the sun strike them, nor will they be burned by the deadly heat of its fire. God promised something similar to his church through Isaiah, “A shelter from the storm, shade from the heat.” He proclaims that the strength of his sacraments will be strong in those who belong to him and that they will not be vexed by the heat of temptation.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:16
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:16
They will neither hunger nor thirst anymore. This is what the Lord himself promised: "I am," he says, "the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John VI). For blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew V).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:16
Neither shall the sun strike them, nor any scorching heat. "We have passed," he says, "through fire and water, and you have brought us to a place of refreshment" (Psalm LXV).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 220] Tertullian on Revelation 7:17
“Everlasting joy,” says Isaiah, “shall be upon their heads.” Well, there is nothing eternal until after the resurrection. “And sorrow and sighing,” he continues, “shall flee away.” The angel echoes the same to John: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”; from the same eyes indeed that had formerly wept and that might weep again, if the lovingkindness of God did not dry up every fountain of tears. And again: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,” and therefore no more corruption, it being chased away by incorruption, even as death is by immortality. If sorrow, and mourning, and sighing, and death itself assail us from the afflictions both of soul and body, how shall they be removed, except by the cessation of their causes, that is to say, the afflictions of flesh and soul? Where will you find adversities in the presence of God? Where, incursions of an enemy in the bosom of Christ? Where attacks of the devil in the face of the Holy Spirit, now that the devil himself and his angels are “cast into the lake of fire.”

Source: ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH 58
[AD 220] Tertullian on Revelation 7:17
The angel echoes the same to John: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; " from the same eyes indeed which had formerly wept, and which might weep again, if the loving-kindness of God did not dry up every fountain of tears.

Source: On the Resurrection of the Flesh
[AD 390] Ticonius on Revelation 7:17
Earlier he had said that the Lamb seated on the throne received the book. Now he says that the Lamb in the midst of the throne rules them. In this way he teaches that there is one throne for the Father and the Son, since the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, that is, in the midst of the church, in which the one God, the entire Trinity, dwells through faith.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:17
[AD 390] Ticonius on Revelation 7:17
All of these things will happen to us spiritually when sins have been forgiven and we rise to life, that is, when the “old man has been stripped off and we have put on Christ” and are filled “with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” For this is the life that the Lord promised to his church when he said, “Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem, and be glad in my people; no more will be heard in it the sound of weeping or the cry of distress.”

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:17
[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on Revelation 7:17
They will be led to the pure and clear fountains of divine thoughts, for the image of water already indicates the abundant stream of the divine Spirit. For concerning the one who believes in him in a pure way the Lord said, “Rivers of living water will flow from his belly.” From this fount the saints will at that time drink abundantly, and they will be in infinite joy and gladness, possessing perfect knowledge after being rid of partial knowledge, and having become rid of the change which comes with corruption.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7:17
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them. He says that the Lamb is in the midst of the throne, who had previously said that the Lamb received the book from the one seated on the throne, teaching that the Church has one throne with the Father and the Son, in which through faith one dwells, the whole Trinity, God.

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:17
And he will lead them to the fountains of living waters. Surely to the fellowship of the saints, who are the fountains of heavenly doctrine. It can also signify the vision of God himself, in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. As David says: "As the deer longs for the fountains of water, so my soul longs for you, O God" (Psalm XLI).

Source: Commentary on Revelation
[AD 735] Bede on Revelation 7:17
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Having attained the fullness of immortal joys, all sorrow will be entirely consigned to oblivion. For blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. But the vision of this robed multitude can also be understood of the present time, where we are saved by hope, and what we do not see we wait for with patience.

Source: Commentary on Revelation