Glossa Ordinaria Community

1:11 saying: That (a)which you see, (b)write in a book, and send to (c)the seven churches which are in Asia, to (d)Ephesus, and (e)Smyrna, and (f)Pergamus, and (g)Thyatira, and (h)Sardis, and (i)Philadelphia, and (j)Laodicea.
a.   Sc. which you already see or are about to see.
b.   I.e. keep it in your mind, or literally.
c.   By the seven, we can signify all churches, or literally.*
d.   I.e. it translates to "my will", "deep fall" or "advice*".
e.   I.e. "canticle".
f.   I.e. "division of the horns".
g.   I.e. "illuminated".
h.   "The beginning of beauty".
i.   "Preserving" or "saving".
j.   I.e. "lovely tribe".
That which you see, write, etc. A common warning is given to John, which advises him to send it in common to the churches of Asia, and by these, all other churches must be understood. This common warning is done to the angel of Ephesus and to all the others. John saw this vision either at the same time and in one look or through various times; the angel could have bestowed either on him1.

1:12 (a)And I (b)turned, (c)to see the voice that spoke with me. (d)And being turned I saw seven (e)candlesticks of gold:
a.   And therefore, because I heard a voice, I turned, etc.*
b.   I.e. I remembered those who were placed under my authority.
c.   I.e. to understand.
d.   And because I turned.
e.   I.e. churches illumined by the wisdom of the divine word.*
[ST. ANSELM OF LEON, PL 162.1505] Candlesticks. It is the churches that are signified because as candlesticks bear light and give it to others, so does the church bear the true light, i.e. Christ, and shows it to others by preaching his brightness. The church is said to be of gold because it is founded on love and wisdom.1
Of gold. As gold tested by fire and stretched by beatings becomes a candlestick, so does the church stretched by tribulations and by the beatings of temptations get completed.2
If it has the voice in mouth and not in work, it is a candlestick indeed, but not one of gold.3

1:13 and (a)in the middle of the seven candlesticks of gold, (b)one like the Son of man, vested in a priestly garment to the feet, and (c)(d)girded about near to the paps with a (e)girdle of gold.
a.   I.e. in public, because God offers himself to all, i.e. he is ready to come to help all.
b.   An angel in the role of Christ, who is no longer the son of man, but like the son of man, because he no longer dies.
c.   This is a sign given to us that we too should keep the thoughts of our hearts under control.*
d.   The head shows in himself what he requires from his people.
e.   The belt of love.*
Like the son of man because he appeared not with sin, but in a likeness of the flesh of sin.
A priestly garment, i.e. the flesh in which he offered himself, and offers himself every day, presenting himself to God the Father. Or the priestly garment is the church in which God is clothed as in a tunic, which is long to the ankles because it will last until the end of the world.
Girded about near to the paps. Daniel saw the same angel in the role of Christ girded1 around the loins in the Old Testament, because there fleshly works are kept under control; here he is girded near to the paps because in the New Testament the thoughts of the heart are also judged.

1:14 And his (a)head and hairs were white, as (b)white (c)wool, and as (d)(e)snow, and his (f)eyes as the flame of fire,
a.   I.e. Christ in whom is all that is necessary for the management of the Church.
b.   Shining with simplicity and innocence.*
c.   I.e. garment against cold, i.e. vices.
d.   Snow is whiter than any creature; by it the purity of immortality is meant.
e.   Immortality with glory is more glorious than any creature.*
f.   I.e. the spiritual ones* in the church, who** must see on either side.
Hairs. I.e. the saints1 made smaller2 and sticking to the head, or his thoughts.
As white wool. Or as white wool is able to take any colors, so are the saints able to take any tribulations. 3
Eyes. I.e. the gifts of the Holy Spirit which belong to Christ who has them and gives them, and to the church which receives them; eyes that illumine and make one burn. Or the eyes are the very spiritual ones in the church, or the divine commandments4.

1:15 (a)and his feet like to latten, (b)as in a burning furnace. And (c)his voice as of many waters.
a.   In another translation there is "latten of Lebanon", by which it is shown that that tribulation will have the most force* in that region where the Lord was crucified.
b.   Not any latten, but...*
c.   I.e. his preaching possesses the force of water because it cleanses. Or the voice which has already been received by many people, which are compared to water because of their abundance. You ought to stand firm all the more. Or the voice giver of many waters, i.e. graces, whence the voice follows.
[ST. ANSELM OF LEON, PL 162.1505]The feet are the last faithful who are to come in the last times, similar to heated latten because as latten is changed into the color of gold by heating, so will those faithful too by the excessive tribulation in the time of Antichrist be changed for the better. Or otherwise: feet, i.e. the last faithful who with many shocks will not retain their first nature, as latten that is often heated and takes a better color.1
Latten is a kind of metal that becomes the more precious the more it is heated, and is said to be seven times as precious as gold. Some, however, say that it is amber.2

1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars. And (a)(b)(c)from his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and (d)his face, as the sun shines in his virtue.
a.   Through the preachers or the Scriptures.*
b.   I.e. from his teaching proceeds preaching, which cuts both fleshly works in the Old Testament and concupiscences in the New.
c.   Whence "it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you" (Matt. 10:20).*
d.   I.e. Those* who are like him will shine, i.e. they will become like him.
Stars. I.e. bishops, who ought to shine upon others by word and by example; who are called stars even if they have sinned, given that they have been ordained; whom he has in his right hand, i.e. in the greater and better gifts, which are signified by the right hand.
As the sun shines in his virtue. I.e. at midday1, or when it shall be fixed forever. Or as Christ himself in his resurrection, who is interpreted as the sun2.

1:17 And (a)when I had seen him, I (b)fell (c)at his feet as (d)dead. And he put (e)his right hand (f)upon me, (g)saying, (h) (i)Fear not. (j)I am the First and the Last,
a.   Because.*
b.   I.e. I threw away the care for humanity.
c.   I.e. to* the likeness of the last faithful.**
d.   Sc. to the world; alive to God. Desiring nothing belonging to the earth.
e.   I.e. his help, the comforting Spirit.
f.   I.e. upon* the strength of humanity**.
g.   Through the preachers or the Scriptures.*
h.   For this reason.*
i.   Sc. to suffer tribulations and even death, because I did not need death for myself since I am the First and the Last.*
j.   Sc. because I am... *
[ST. ANSELM OF LEON, PL 162.1506] At his feet. So that I was ready to suffer as much as the last faithful shall suffer, or ready to imitate his footsteps.1
And when I had seen. Behold, John who seemed to stand while seeing the Lord fell as dead, because the higher every holy man lifts himself to contemplate the divinity, the lower he falls within himself, because, compared to God, his greatness that he has attained is easily disdained. It is because of this that Abraham recognized that he was dust and ashes when he saw the Lord. Similarly Job "With the hearing of the ear, I have heard you, etc." (Job 42:5).2

1:18 and (a)alive, and was (b)(c)dead, (d)and behold I am (e)living forever and ever, (f)and have the keys of death and of hell.
a.   Sc. eternally.
b.   According to the flesh.*
c.   Sc. for you.*
d.   But do not be frightened, because I have manifestly risen, and I shall not die any more.
e.   Sc. eternally alive.*
f.   And I will not let you be tempted above what you can sustain, because I have power over the devil and over his members. The devil is death, because he is the cause of death*; his ministers are hell, in whom he has his place.
He who has the key of a house lets anyone he wishes in and keeps anyone he wishes from entering the house. Therefore he possesses the keys of death and of hell because he frees those he wishes from the damnation of eternal death, and on the other hand he justly lets those he wishes stay in the same danger of damnation.1

1:19 Write therefore the things (a)which you have seen, and (b)that are, and (c)that must be done (d)after these.
a.   Like in the passion and in the resurrection.*
b.   The present tribulations and the present help.
c.   Among the last faithful, by whose example the present faithful should be much encouraged.
d.   Sc. write.*

1:20 (a)The (b)(c)sacrament of the seven stars, which you have seen in my right hand, and the seven candlesticks of gold: (d)the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.
a.   You understand "I shall teach you".*
b.   Or "mystery".*
c.   Where one thing is seen and another is understood.
d.   The angel explains and partly reveals the allegory in order to inform us that an explanation must be sought everywhere.

As John plays here the role of the learner, so should we too play the role of John, so that we may learn from him as he learnt from the angel.1