“And I saw, and I heard the voice of, many angels around the Throne, and around the living creatures, and around the elders.” [Rev. 5:11, Vetus Latina]
‘He shows what “the Throne”, “the living creatures, and the elders” may be, in the midst of which he heard the “voice.”‘ (1) These “angels” are understood to be the saints. ‘For if they’ are called ‘”children of God,”‘ (1) (2) why not call them angels too? (3)
“And the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.” [Rev. 5:11, Vetus Latina]
They are called “myriads” in Greek — that is, ‘“thousands of thousands”, and so, innumerable.’ (1)
“Saying with a great voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that are in them.” [Rev. 5:12-5:13, Vetus Latina]
Did they say of the Lord, “Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom”, when He would be the Wisdom of God and the “treasure” of everyone? [cf. Wis. 7:14] (2) [This is a numquid question, expecting a no.]
[No.] But one speaks of this power concerning ‘His Body’ — that is, ‘for the Church.’ (2)
And because the Church is [His] members, it crosses over to ‘the Head, saying, “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth.”‘ (4) Although this may not be hard ‘to have received, the Church’ surely received it ‘with Him by Whom she rose again. So if it is not hard for body parts to have what the Head has, neither can it be seen’ (4) that it was boasting ‘when the Church calls herself worthy, by every creature. Because even if, out of humility, each devout member judges himself unworthy’ in this world, still we say the whole Body to be’ a sharer ‘of its Head.’ (5) As it is written, “With Him, He has given us all things.” [Rom. 8:32]’ (6)
“I heard,” it says, “all saying, ‘To Him Who sits on the Throne,'” — that is, ‘To the Father and to the Son’ — “‘and to the Lamb,'” — that is, ‘To the Church,’ “‘benediction, and honor, and renown, and power, for ever and ever.’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen.’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and adored.”
And in the end, the Church says, “Amen.” These same living creatures are the elders who, after they should have given testimony, adore, saying “Amen.”
He describes ‘the Church written of,’ [descripta ecclesia] ‘both her duties’, and her performance ‘from the beginning until the end.’ (5)
‘As we said, the unsealing of the seals.’ (7)
———————–
- (1) cf. Primasius, Commentaria in Apocalypsim. (PL 68: 833, 47 – 834, 6.)
- (2) St. Caesarius of Arles, Expositio in Apocalypsim B. Joannis, hom. 4. (PL 35, 2424, 33-41.)
- (3) St. Bede the Venerable, Explanatio Apocalypsis, c. 5, 13.
- (4) cf. Primasius, Commentaria in Apocalypsim. (PL 68: 834, 12-23.)
- (5) cf. Primasius, Commentaria in Apocalypsim. (PL 68: 834, 41-55.)
- (6) St. Caesarius of Arles, Expositio in Apocalypsim B. Joannis, hom. 4. (PL 35, 2424, 41-55.)
- (7) St. Victorinus of Pettau, Commentarius in Apocalypsin, c. 6, 1.
Beatus of Liebana's Bloggentary: Commentary on the Apocalypse 
Explanatio: Rev. 5:11 – 5:14
“And I saw, and I heard the voice of, many angels around the Throne, and around the living creatures, and around the elders.” [Rev. 5:11, Vetus Latina]
‘He shows what “the Throne”, “the living creatures, and the elders” may be, in the midst of which he heard the “voice.”‘ (1) These “angels” are understood to be the saints. ‘For if they’ are called ‘”children of God,”‘ (1) (2) why not call them angels too? (3)
“And the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.” [Rev. 5:11, Vetus Latina]
They are called “myriads” in Greek — that is, ‘“thousands of thousands”, and so, innumerable.’ (1)
“Saying with a great voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that are in them.” [Rev. 5:12-5:13, Vetus Latina]
Did they say of the Lord, “Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom”, when He would be the Wisdom of God and the “treasure” of everyone? [cf. Wis. 7:14] (2) [This is a numquid question, expecting a no.]
[No.] But one speaks of this power concerning ‘His Body’ — that is, ‘for the Church.’ (2)
And because the Church is [His] members, it crosses over to ‘the Head, saying, “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth.”‘ (4) Although this may not be hard ‘to have received, the Church’ surely received it ‘with Him by Whom she rose again. So if it is not hard for body parts to have what the Head has, neither can it be seen’ (4) that it was boasting ‘when the Church calls herself worthy, by every creature. Because even if, out of humility, each devout member judges himself unworthy’ in this world, still we say the whole Body to be’ a sharer ‘of its Head.’ (5) As it is written, “With Him, He has given us all things.” [Rom. 8:32]’ (6)
“I heard,” it says, “all saying, ‘To Him Who sits on the Throne,'” — that is, ‘To the Father and to the Son’ — “‘and to the Lamb,'” — that is, ‘To the Church,’ “‘benediction, and honor, and renown, and power, for ever and ever.’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen.’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and adored.”
And in the end, the Church says, “Amen.” These same living creatures are the elders who, after they should have given testimony, adore, saying “Amen.”
He describes ‘the Church written of,’ [descripta ecclesia] ‘both her duties’, and her performance ‘from the beginning until the end.’ (5)
‘As we said, the unsealing of the seals.’ (7)
———————–
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