The Book of Seven Seals and the Lamb Who Was Slain

§ 1. What Is This Book Written Within and Without, Sealed with Seven Seals? Chapter 5, Verses 1–4

I. After Saint John had described the majesty, nature, and intrinsic constitution of the Catholic Church, there was opened to him, in his capacity as intimate secretary of the kingdom of Jesus Christ upon earth, the book of the secrets and disposition of God concerning His Church. This book contains everything that must happen until the consummation of the ages. These revelations were made in particular and in order; and they contain an instruction that is profound, salutary, and supremely necessary.

The Wisdom of the heavenly Father left this book to His beloved children, as a prudent monarch is accustomed to do before his death, leaving to his son, besides the secrets of his kingdom, particular counsels on the manner of governing. He warns him, for example, of the wars that may arise, of the enemies who are most to be feared, and finally of what must be done or avoided in the difficult cases that may present themselves. Now it is in this way — and with far greater wisdom still — that, in His fatherly love and solicitude for His elect, God has caused us, in a certain manner, to penetrate into the abyss of His ineffable foreknowledge, by showing Saint John the desolations, consolations, and most notable and essential events that will happen in the Church until the consummation of the ages.

VERSE 1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals. These words announce the depth of the divine secrets contained in this book. Indeed, one finds there a science, a divine disposition, and a particular intention concerning His Church. It is said that everything in it is described in metaphorical form. And just as the important writings of a kingdom are carefully preserved in archives, so the things which God has decreed to do and to permit, in His absolute will, remain fixed and immutable.

One must first admit, on the basis of theology: 1. That God knows, in the most certain and most perfect manner, all possible things, even though they neither existed nor ever will exist. 2. That He sees all existing or contingent things without being limited by any distinction of time, whether past, present, or future. 3. Besides the two kinds of knowledge just mentioned, there is a third which holds the middle place: it concerns things which may happen conditionally.

Now in the description of the seven ages of the Church given in chapters 2 and 3, many things are revealed according to this last science or knowledge of God. This does not, however, prevent the things contained in this book from having been written according to the science of vision; for all these things exist in the operative power of God, and are decreed by His divine will as things to be done or permitted in time.

It is said that Saint John saw this book in the right hand of Him who sat upon the throne. Now the right hand of God metaphorically signifies His operative power. And just as we act with the right hand, so God acts by His will. For He spoke, and all things were made; He commanded, and all things were created. Psalm 32:10–11: "The Lord bringeth to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes. But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations." Psalm 113:11: "Our God is in heaven: he hath done all things whatsoever he would." And again, Psalm 148:5–6: "For he spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created. He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away."

Him that sat upon the throne. Here again there is question of the Lord God — that is, of Jesus Christ invisibly seated upon the Apostolic See, ruling and governing His Church, and adored by all Christians in His Humanity.

By the things written within the book are understood those which are most obscure and abstract for human understanding, and which must be accomplished in the course of the ages of the Church, and particularly in the last times, according to the revelation made of them to Saint John. By the things written outside the book are designated those which are clearer and more visible, and which Saint John himself explained; and also those things which had already been accomplished when the Apocalypse was written, and again those which were to be accomplished shortly afterward.

A seal is placed upon letters to prevent them from being read. It is also placed upon acts, testaments, and books to give them greater authority. Thus kings place their seal upon their edicts, and they also will that their ambassadors should use it to accredit their acts. The seal of God is His divine will, which has hidden, from the origin of the world, and preserves as a secret in His thought, His divine, admirable, or terrible works, and everything which, by His permission, must happen to His Church until the end of time.

Now these secrets of the Apocalypse He revealed to no prophet, no patriarch, and no man; not even to the angels, until the coming of His Son Jesus Christ, to whose humanity He revealed them, showing Him these seven seals and giving Him the power to break them. This is why it is said below that no one was able either in heaven, with regard to the angels; or on earth, with regard to men; or under the earth, with regard to the patriarchs who were in limbo, to open the book, to loose its seven seals, or to look upon it.

Although the seal or divine secret is one, considered in itself, it is nevertheless said, with regard to its outward manifestation, that this book of the secrets of God was sealed with seven seals, to signify the diversity of the times and ages of the Church, during which Jesus Christ was to manifest the wonders and prodigies known to God. He was to accomplish this by pouring out the seven gifts of His Spirit according to the diversity of times, men, and ages of His Church, until the consummation of the ages, for the salvation of His elect. And this book is also said to be sealed with seven seals which Jesus Christ was to break, in order to give us a testimony of faith and an assurance of the accomplishment of the divine secrets.

VERSE 2. And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? These words express the difficulty of understanding and executing the decrees of God concerning His Church. This strong angel is the Archangel Gabriel, whose name signifies the power and strength of God. This angel is the special envoy of the Divinity and the legate of Christ; and it was in this capacity that he announced the Incarnation of the Word. Luke 1.

VERSE 3. And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it. No one was able in heaven, with regard to the angels; nor on earth, with regard to men; nor under the earth, with regard to the patriarchs, the prophets, and the ancients who were in limbo, to open the book, nor to look upon it. For no finite power could penetrate, reveal, or realise the secrets of God concerning the Church and the kingdom of Christ. Nothing less than the wisdom and power of the Divinity was required for this.

This is why the Archangel Gabriel says in Luke 1:31–33: "Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever." It is also for this reason that theologians teach, in the treatise on the Incarnation, that the work of the redemption of the human race could not be entrusted to any ordinary man or to any angel.

The reason for this is: 1. No ordinary man, and no angel, could worthily satisfy divine justice. 2. No man, however holy he might be, and no angel, could conform himself to the divine will, or recognise it, amid the horrible tribulations and evils with which the Church was afflicted, when, for example, she had to swim in the blood of her innumerable martyrs for three hundred years. No man and no angel could ever have conceived the numerous heresies over which the Church had so much to groan, nor the still more astonishing trials which she will have to undergo at the end of time, if Jesus Christ had not given us the example in His Passion, and if He had not forewarned and instructed us in the Gospel and in this book of the Apocalypse. 3. The power and cunning of this world were so full of malice that the reign of the Church militant, reduced to human strength, could never have reached its end and fully developed without the all-powerful virtue of the Son of God.

VERSE 4. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it. These tears express the desire and solicitude of Saint John to penetrate into the admirable secret of the ages of the Church — a secret whose knowledge and development were above all human powers, and on which, nevertheless, the salvation of the just depended. This is why he says: And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book — that is, to accomplish its secrets — nor to see it, in order to know the will of God.

§ 2. On the Acclamation Made to Christ Because of the Opening of the Sealed Book. Chapter 5, Verses 5–14

VERSE 5. And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not; behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. These words ought to console us in all tribulations. One of these ancients is Saint Peter, the first among the Apostles, as it is said in Genesis 1:5: "And the evening and morning were one day" — that is, the first day.

Behold the lion of the tribe of Juda... hath prevailed, etc. This lion of the tribe of Juda is Christ, of the race of David according to the flesh, in whom the prophecy of Jacob is fulfilled. Genesis 49:8–12: "Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee. Juda is a lion's whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up. Resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness: who shall rouse him? The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent: and he shall be the expectation of nations. Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, O my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape. His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk."

Behold... the root of David — that is, Christ, of the race of David according to the flesh, of whom Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 11:1: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him," etc. It is by this divine shoot that Saint Peter consoles the whole Church in the person of Saint John, when he says: Behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed, etc. That is to say, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, has conquered the world, the flesh, the devil, death, every power and all the wisdom of the world, and every tyranny, etc.

The root of David, who has prevailed to open the book — that is, to reveal to His holy Church the thought and will of His Father in the evils and persecutions she would have to endure. And to loose the seven seals thereof — to accomplish all things in their time, by the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit proceeding from His mouth, for the salvation of His elect and for the preservation of His Church, until the age should be consummated and the number of His elect complete.

II. VERSE 6. And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes: which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. This Lamb is Christ Our Lord.

It is said that He is in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, because the universal Church belongs to Him as though she were His throne. He has fed her as one feeds living creatures, inasmuch as He is her shepherd. The Church is honoured as the ancients are honoured, established to judge upon the seat of piety. This Church, being built upon Christ, is exalted by the seven horns of His power and enlightened by the seven eyes — that is, by His miracles and by His virtues. For Christ is continually in the midst of His Church, as is said in Saint Matthew 28:20: "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."

Just as Christ was called a lion because of His Resurrection, so He is here given the name Lamb because He was immolated. He is represented standing, as being risen to eternal life. Romans 6:9: "Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more." This Lamb is also represented standing because He fights with His saints upon the earth and watches over His Church. Thus, in his martyrdom, Saint Stephen saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of the power of God.

Then follow these words: Having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. These Spirits are those described in Isaiah 11. These Spirits rest upon Christ, and are metaphorically designated by horns and by eyes: by horns because of divine power, and by eyes because of the splendour of the truth with which these eyes shine. Christ fights with these horns against His enemies, and it is also with these eyes that He enlightens His servants. These horns and these eyes are seven in number, to designate all the virtue and all the power which Christ displays in the different ages, until the consummation of the ages, in favour of His Church.

The Lamb is represented as it were slain: 1. Because He is immolated each day when the host of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is offered to God the Father in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, in memory of His immolation according to the flesh. This is why it is not said simply "slain," but as it were slain. 2. He is represented as it were slain because of the patience and longanimity with which He permits His enemies and all the impious to dominate and afflict His Church upon the earth. This patience and longanimity of Christ are carried to such a point that the wicked, and even the weak who do not properly understand this way of proceeding in divine providence, take scandal against the faith from it. They are tempted to believe that Jesus Christ does not exist, or that He does not concern Himself at all with His Church, when He does not manifest His power by outward acts of protection.

VERSE 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. One must not understand by these words that Jesus Christ received knowledge of the destinies of the Church. For Christ, from the instant of His conception — in which the Divinity was united in an admirable manner to the humanity in the unity of His Person — had perfect knowledge of all the things which God Himself knows by the science of vision. Now among the things known in this way are also contained the destinies of the Church, as is seen from what was said above.

Therefore, by the fact that Saint John saw Jesus Christ open the book, one must understand: 1. That the knowledge already infused into the soul of Jesus Christ from the beginning of His creation was to be communicated to Saint John and, in his person, to the whole Church. 2. By the reception of the book from the right hand of Him who sat upon the throne, one understands the execution and effective realisation of the divine secrets concerning the Church, manifested outwardly. And because the knowledge and execution of these things surpass all natural powers, Saint John wept until it was shown to him that Christ, as a terrible lion and as a most gentle lamb, would resolve and execute all things by His meekness and by His power.

VERSE 8. And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. These words contain the applause, glory, jubilation, honour, and adoration of the Church militant and triumphant toward her Head, Jesus Christ. These words further show us what homage of love and gratitude the Catholic Church must render to Christ.

And when he had opened it — to reveal and realise in their time the destinies of the Church — the four living creatures, that is, all the preachers in the four parts of the world, and the four and twenty ancients, who are the patriarchs, primates, archbishops, bishops, prelates, priests, etc., fell down before the Lamb, that is, they adored the Lamb, their true God and the Lord of all things.

Having every one of them harps — that is, the mortification of vices and concupiscence. For in the harp there is wood and strings. The wood designates the Cross of Christ, and the strings signify the crucified and mortified flesh of the saints. Now these strings, stretched upon so noble a wood and set in vibration by the very varied torments which the Church militant must endure, produce a sweet accord and a pleasant harmony for the ears of Jesus Christ. And golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

They sang a new canticle. In the Old Testament, several canticles were composed in honour and glory of those who brought about the salvation of Israel, or to the praise of Almighty God, who so often did admirable things in favour of His people. But here there is question of a new canticle, by which man adores and glorifies God, who has not only procured for us salvation and redemption in time, but also in eternity, by redeeming us from captivity, servitude, and the tyranny of the devil. Thus the Lord God has never done, since the origin of the world, things so admirable and so great in His love as those of sending His only Son made man upon the earth, who was to redeem us by His Passion and by His death, and to send us the Holy Spirit after His Resurrection.

VERSE 9. And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof. That is to say: it is just and fitting, Lord, that Thou shouldst receive from God the Father universal and eternal power over Thy Church, because Thou art her founder and protector. It is thus that the children of Israel said to Gideon in Judges 8:22: "Rule thou over us, and thy son, and thy son's son also: because thou hast delivered us from the hand of Madian." Now it is with far greater reason that the Church applauds Jesus Christ and says to Him: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, because thou wast slain and hast redeemed us — reconciling us with God infinitely offended — and hast redeemed us by thy blood of infinite price out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. For the Church is the assembly of all nations and of all tribes. A tribe is composed of three orders, in each of which there are seventy-two languages. In these languages are found many peoples, and in these peoples many nations.

VERSE 10. And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And thou hast made us kings and priests for our God — by gathering us together from all nations, and by subjecting us to the service and will of the Father through the evangelical law: we who were under the empire of demons through infidelity and idolatry, and under the yoke of the Law of Moses. And thou hast made us... priests — not like those of the Old Testament, who offered the flesh and blood of animals, or like those of paganism, who sacrificed to demons through their idols; but Thou hast made us priests according to the order of Melchizedek, to offer each day, in the sacrifice of the Mass, Thy Body and Thy Precious Blood: a sacrifice which Thou, Lord and High Priest, Thyself first offered upon the tree of the Cross. And we shall reign on the earth — in Thy militant kingdom, over every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every nation. And we shall be seated upon twenty-four seats — that is, upon the patriarchal, archiepiscopal, episcopal seats, and so forth.

VERSE 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the ancients; and the number of them was thousands of thousands. Here there is question of all the tutelary angels of the churches, of the provinces, and of the whole Christian universe, whose number, without doubt, extends to thousands of thousands. All have received a mission and an order from God to watch over our salvation and over that of the whole Church. It is for this reason that they are said to be around the throne, and the living creatures, and the ancients, because of the particular assistance which they give to the churches, to preachers, and to bishops.

VERSE 12. The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction. This acclamation is addressed to the humanity of Christ, because of His divine hypostasis, by the angels, who proclaim Him worthy — Him whom Lucifer, with his apostates, judged unworthy from the beginning of creation. From this one sees that what belongs only to the three divine Persons is attributed to the humanity of Jesus Christ.

VERSE 13. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea: and all that are in them, I heard all saying. These words announce the power of Christ over the Church triumphant; over the earth, that is, also His power over the Church militant; under the earth, over the bodies of the martyrs and the dead, in the domain of death; and over those who are upon the sea, that is, over sailors; and in the sea, that is, His power over the bodies of the holy martyrs who were cast into it. This acclamation may also be understood of all creatures, even of those which are deprived of reason and understanding.

I heard them all saying, to him that sitteth on the throne — to God, one in three Persons — and to the Lamb, that is, to the humanity of Jesus Christ, which is the light in which God, one in three Persons, now shines as in a mirror, and in which He will shine for eternity, when the saints shall see Him and contemplate Him face to face.

VERSE 14. Benediction, and honour, and glory, and power, for ever and ever. And the four living creatures said: Amen. This is an acclamation of truth which suits and belongs to the four Evangelists and to preachers. And the four and twenty ancients fell down on their faces, humbling themselves concerning the power and authority which had been granted to them upon the earth, and they adored him that liveth for ever and ever.