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THE
ROLL WITH SEVEN SEALS
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book.
This vision represents the mysteries of holy Scripture, as laid open
to us through the Incarnation of the Lord. And its concordant unity
contains, so to say, the Old Testament without, and the New within.
seals.
That is, it was either covered by all the fulness of the hidden mysteries,
or written as a roll by the direction of the sevenfold Spirit.
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angel.
He indicates the promulgation of the Law. For "many"
prophets and wise men "desired to see the things which the Apostles
saw;" and, "of this salvation," as Peter says,"the
prophets inquired diligently, and searched." This is the book which
is closed both to the learned and unlearned in Isaiah,
but of which even there the opening is thus announced, "In that
day the deaf shall hear the words of the book."
And of this Ezekiel also says,
"And I saw, and behold a hand was sent unto me, in which was the
roll of a book, and He opened it before me, and it was written within
and without;" when he also added that which John concealed, namely,
that which was written in the book, saying, "And there was written
therein lamentations, and a dirge, and woe." For the whole course
of the Old and New Testament forewarns, that sins are to be repented
of, the kingdom of heaven to be sought, and the wailings of hell to
be escaped.
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able.
Neither an angel, nor any one of the just, although delivered from the
bond of the flesh, was able to reveal, nor to search into the mysteries
of the divine law, nor to look into the book, that is to contemplate
the brightness of the grace of the New Testament, even as the children
of Israel could not look upon the face of the lawgiver of the Old Testament,
which contains the New.
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wept.
He was grieved, as recognising the common misery of the human race.
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Weep
not. He is forbidden to weep, because even then
had been fulfilled in the Passion of Christ the mystery which long lay
hidden, when, as He yielded up His spirit, the veil of the temple was
rent. For to Him it is said,
"Judah is a lion's whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
resting, thou couchedst as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall raise
him up?" He proceeds to describe how, and when, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah prevailed.
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a
Lamb. The same Lord, Who is a Lamb in dying
innocently, became also a Lion in boldly conquering death. Tichonius
says that the Lamb is the Church, which has received all power in
Christ.
seven.
The sevenfold Spirit in Christ is compared with horns, because of
the excellency of power; and with eyes, because of the illumination
of grace.
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took.
The Son of Man is said to have taken the book from the right hand of
God, namely, the economy of the Incarnation, appointed by the Father
and by Himself, in that He is God; because both dwell with the Holy
Spirit upon the throne. For Christ, Who in His humanity is a Lamb, is
also in His deity the right hand of the Father.
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opened.
For that the Lord, by His Passion, proved that the announcements of
both Testaments were fulfilled in Himself, the Church gives thanks,
and offers herself to suffering, that, as the Apostle says,
"She may fill up that which is wanting of the sufferings of Christ
in her flesh." For by "harps," in which strings are stretched
on wood, are represented bodies prepared to die, and by "bowls"
hearts expanded in breadth of love.
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sang.
They laud the sacraments of the New Testament, which are complete
in Christ, while they extol with praise that same dispensation of
it which they confess to belong to Christ alone.
redeemed.
Here is further declared, that the living creatures and the elders
are the Church, which is redeemed by the blood of Christ, and gathered
out of the nations. For he shews in what heaven they are by saying,
"And they shall reign upon the earth."
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voice.
Countless thousands of the peoples flow together unto the Church, and
praise God.
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in
heaven. If the just are called "the sons
of God," why not also the angels? But again, the heavenly host
may also unite in singing that song, by rejoicing with us upon our redemption,
as the holy Pope Gregory
also has expounded it, saying, "For the voice of angels in praise
of the Creator is the very admiration itself of inmost contemplation."
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Amen.
When the people within the Church make the praise of the Lord resound,
the teachers confirm the same, and for example's sake, together with
them adore the Lord.
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