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John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne,
St. Victorinus
Grace unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come.He is, because He endures continually; He was, because with the Father He made all things, and has at this time taken a beginning from the Virgin; He is to come, because assuredly He will come to judgment.
St. Augustine The number seven signifies the perfection of the universal Church, for which reason the Apostle John writes to the seven churches, showing in that way that he writes to the totality of the one Church. [City of God Book 17 Chapter 4] ____________________________________________________________
Oecumenius
“Peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come” For the Father calls Himself “Who is” when addressing the most wise Moses at the bush, saying, “I Am the One Who Is,(Ex. 3:14)” And the blessed Evangelist said, He was about the Son, saying , “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.(John 1:1)” And by and that is to come he means the Holy Spirit. For not only was the Spirit present on the day of Pentecost, according to the narrative in Acts, but he is always present, too, to the souls worthy of receiving him. And from the seven spirits which are before his throne, The seven spirits are seven angels, but not as being equally honored or coeternal as if there were included with the Holy Trinity. By saying, which are before his throne John gave added testimony to their rank as servants and ministers, and certainly not as having equal dignity.
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St. Caesarius of Arles
Asia means “elevated,” by which the human race is indicated. These 7 churches and the lampstands are to be seriously considered because it is the sevenfold grace which is given by God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to us of the human race who have believed. For he Himself promised to send the Paraclete from Heaven, whom he also sent to the apostles who were seen to be in Asia, that is, in the prideful world, where he also gave the sevenfold grace to the 7 churches, that is to us, through his servant John. (Hom 1)
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St. Andrew of Caesarea
Due to the existence of many churches, he sent letters to only seven, mystically meaning by this number the churches everywhere,5 also corresponding to the present day life, in which the seventh period of days is now taking place. For this reason also he mentions seven angels and seven churches, to whom he says, Grace to you and peace from the Tri-hypostatic Divinity. For by the "who is" the Father is signified, who said to Moses am He who is, and by the "who was" is signified the Logos, who was in the beginning with God, and by the "who is to come" the Paraclete who always enlightens the children of the Church through holy baptism, more completely and more strongly in the future. It is possible to understand the seven spirits as the seven angels who were appointed to govern the churches, not counting them equal to the most divine and royal Trinity, but mentioned as servants, just as the divine Apostle said: I call upon you in the presence of God and the chosen angels. This may be understood differently: the one who is and who was and who is to come meaning the Father, who contains in Himself the beginning, middle and end of ail that exists, and the seven spirits meaning the activities of Life-giving Spirit, following Christ God who became man for our sake. For in many places each divine person is indifferently placed and arranged by the Apostle.
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St. Bede seven. By these seven churches he writes to every church, for universality is wont to be denoted by the number seven, in that all the time of this age is evolved from seven days. Grace. Grace he desires for us, and peace from God, the eternal Father, and from the sevenfold Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, Who gave testimony to the Father in His Incarnation. He names the Son in the third place, as he was to speak further of Him. He names Him also the last in order, as He is the first and the last; for He had already named Him in the Father by saying, "Who was to come." __________________________________________________________
St. Beatus of Liébana
‘Hence, the commencement of his words begins and says, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia.” How can it be that so great and excellent a man was grown hot to spread the mystery of a divine revelation to one province alone, and not to all peoples, so that what was written was intended for so small a number of churches in a single province? Indeed, “from the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise” [Psalm 112:3/113:3] and “and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation.” [Malachi 1:11]. And what is the Asian people itself seen to be, that they alone merit to receive an Apostolic revelation? ‘But there is a mystery in the number, and a sacrament in the province’s names. ‘For the first thing to be discussed by us is the numbers, because both sixes and sevens are always mystical numbers when found written in the Law. For God made the heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh He rested from his works; and to this, He said to the contrary, “Shall they enter into My rest?” [Heb. 4:5, talking about Ps. 94:11/95:11 and Ex. 20:11]. These seven days of the week therefore signify the state of the present age, so that the Apostle has seen not so much seven churches, or they who then were in the world to arrange it; but this is written to send to all ages that will be, until the consummation… ‘Therefore it was assigned a most sacred number, and called “Asia”, which in Latin is interpreted “raised up” or “walking”. Certainly it signifies the heavenly homeland which we call the Catholic Church, raised up by the Lord, and always walking toward things above, which is accomplished through spiritual eagerness by those who ceaselessly desire the celestial. ‘“Grace be unto you and peace from Him that is, and that was, and that is to come.” ‘For as the name of his Scriptures has been declared by its address [titulo], where he says, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia”, thus he has attested most manifestly that it was by John himself in the likeness of his words, “from Him that is, and that was, and that is to come.” ‘For He is always to be, for He also has said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM.” [Ex. 3:14] And this same Apostle John said in his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [John 1:1] ‘He was “in the beginning… with God”. Signifying the Word had been, beyond and before the beginning of all things, because “He was in the beginning”; nor did He have a beginning, because He was “with God”: nor will He receive an end, because “the Word was God”: He will remain always, because He was “in the beginning… with God” and the same is signified by this “is to come”‘. ‘Therefore, He never left.’ ‘And of this, it is said, “….do I not fill heaven and earth?” [Jeremiah 23:24] … Hence is what Wisdom says of Himself: “I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven….” [Sirach 24:8]‘ ‘From that, it is written of His Spirit, “The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the sphere of the earth.” [Wisdom 1:7] … Hence is what the Lord says in another place, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” [Isaiah 56:1] And on the other hand, it is written of Him, He “hath weighed the heavens in His palm, and hath enclosed all the earth in His hand.” [Isaiah 40:12] ‘Of course, He remains within and upon the throne from which He presides. Weighing “the heavens in His palm” and enclosing “the earth in His hand”, it is shown that He also can be on every side beyond the circuit of all things which He has created. For what is enclosed, is shut inside by what encloses it from the outside. Therefore, by the throne on which He presides, He is to be in it and above it. ‘Whoever holds something in his hand is signified as outside and beneath it; because indeed, He remains outside all, and over all, and under all. And He is higher by power and lower by upholding; outside it by size, and inside it through subtlety; ruling from on high, keeping [all] together from below, enveloping on the outside, penetrating on the inside. ‘Nor is one part [of Him] above, another below; or one part outside and another part inside; but all one and the same; and everywhere He has sustained presiding and presided sustaining, penetrated enveloping and enveloped penetrating. From which presiding from above, thus sustaining from below, from which filling from inside; ruling from outside without disturbance, holding up from underneath without labor. Penetrating the inside without diminishment of size, enveloping the outside without stretching out. And so He is below and above without position. He is spacious without width, and subtle without sparseness. ‘Therefore, from where is He said “to come”, Who meanwhile is nowhere by body mass, Who is absent nowhere by boundless substance?’ But of Him it is “to come”, in that He has “accepted a form and emptied Himself.” [Phil. 2:7] ‘To “empty Himself” is to show Himself visibly, Who is invisible in His Divinity.’ ‘Therefore, John says well: “…who is and was and is to come”, because He was and remains; because “with” the Father, He has made all; He did not begin from the Virgin “in the beginning”; and certainly He will “come” at the Judgment.’ ‘“And from the seven spirits which are before his throne.” ‘Behold, here is that Septenary of the Sacrament which is also prescribed everywhere. Here the seven spirits are led in by He Who is the one and the same Spirit — the Holy Spirit, of course, one in name and sevenfold in virtues. Invisible and incorporeal, it is impossible to reveal His beauty. The magnificent one showed Isaiah His virtues, seven in number [Isaiah 11:2-3]. The “spirit of wisdom and of understanding“, so that through understanding and wisdom He may teach us thoroughly to be a maker of all things. The “spirit of counsel and of fortitude”, Who may devise and do things. The “spirit of knowledge and of godliness”, Who by His knowledge kindly keeps under control the things made by His invention, and always would exert Himself mercifully. The “spirit of… fear of the Lord”, Who by His gift has made fear of the Lord available to rational creatures. The same holy quality is this venerated in the Spirit, which contains ineffable worth, and does not bear the appearance of nature.’ _____________________________________________________________
Nicholas of Lyra
John Here he addresses the willing hearers, and it is divided in 2 parts, because first, he makes a proposition; 2nd, he answers an unspoken question, at the place: Look! He is coming (1:7). The 1st, he does because he desires spiritual and eternal blessings for them, saying: John to the 7 churches. This “7” is understood as the Universal Church established in the world. St. Gregory says in Homily 25, “Because in 7 days all time is comprehended; the number 7 is a proper figure for the whole. Grace to you In the present life. And peace In the future, for there the human desire will be totally stilled. From Him who isThat is, from the eternal God. According to Boethius in the Consolation of Philosophy, “Eternity is endless life possessed all at once in its totality and its perfection. Nevertheless, his simplicity is not apprehended by us except by a comparison to time; for we understand in terms of succession and time. For he assists at every time, even infinitely as it were; therefore, this is expressed to us through the distinctions of present, past, and future time. And from the 7 spirits That is, from all the angels who are ministers of our salvation. Who are before His throne, Prepared to follow His will.
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Arator
Scripture truly proclaims the number 7 to refer to the churches in the whole world, in inasmuch as the Spirit is the working force thus present in them and virtue marks their names, although we, however, sing the praises of the one Church in them all. (On Acts 1)
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Cornelius a Lapide
Do you ask who are these seven spirits? We answer in the first place, Arethas, Primasius, Haymo, Bede, Rupertus, Ansbertus, and Thomas Anglicus, understand by them the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, i. e., the Holy Spirit himself who is the author of the seven gifts. For John does not here pray for peace and grace from seven gifts, but from the Holy Spirit. It is thus interpreted by Eucherius in his questions on the New Testament. See the last. 'These seven spirits' says he,' are those enumerated by the prophet Isaiah, chap, 2:2.' The spirit of wisdom and understanding, &c.
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Haydock Bible
John to the seven churches, afterwards named; and by them, to be understood of all churches, bishops, and people in the like dispositions. --- From him, who is, who was, and who is to come. As these words are only applied, and applicable to him, who is truly God and eternal, Alcazar (p. 176) applies them to God the Father. Others think them to be spoken of God, as the word God agrees to all the three divine persons, who are one and the same God. See Ribera. --- And from the seven spirits. Alcazar understands them of seven of God's attributes, or perfections, but, by the common exposition, are meant seven of the chief created spirits, who in a special manner assist at the throne of God, employed to execute God's commands, as Raphael saith, (Tobit. xii. 15.) I am one of the seven who stand before God. (Witham) --- Spirits, &c. Some understand this of the Holy Ghost, on account of his seven gifts; but the most literal interpretation is of the principal Angels, who always surround the throne of God, and are his ministering spirits. (Calmet)
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Aquinas Study Bible
1:4 seven churches: These are the great cities and their regions, on account of the congregations of the faithful who are there. (Bulus al-Bushi) Though John writes to seven churches, nevertheless he speaks to all. (The Muratorian Canon) seven spirits before his throne: That is, from all the angels who are ministers of our salvation. (Nicholas of Lyra) Arethas, Primasius, Haimo, Bede, Rupertus, Autpertus, and Thomas Anglicus, understand by them the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, those enumerated by the prophet Isaiah 2:2. (Cornelius A. Lapide)
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