In
the foregoing chapter St. John outlines the history of the Church from the
coming of Antichrist until the end of the world in order to give a connected
account of the two prophets Elias and Henoch, (or Moses) and the result of
their labors. In this chapter he shows us the true nature of that conflict. It
shall be war unto death between the Church and the powers of darkness in a final
effort of Satan to destroy the Church and thus prevent the universal reign of
Christ on earth.
Satan
will first attempt to destroy the power of the Papacy and bring about the
downfall of the Church through heresies, schisms and persecutions that must surely
follow. Failing in this he will then attack the Church from without. For this
purpose he will raise up Antichrist and his prophet to lead the faithful into
error and destroy those who remain steadfast.
1.
The Church, the faithful spouse of Jesus Christ, is represented as a woman
clothed in the glory of divine grace. In the Canticle of Canticles the Church
is likewise described as "she that cometh forth as the morning rising,
fair as the moon, bright as the sun." (Canticle of Canticles vi, 3) The
brightness of the sun is a fitting symbol for the enlightening power of the
Church's teachings.
The
moon was beneath her feet. St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine see in this
the dominion of the Church over the whole world, and her contempt for the perishable
goods of this life. The moon with its ever changing phases is a figure of the
transitory things of earth.
The
crown of twelve stars represents the twelve Apostles and through them the whole
ministry of the Church. It may also denote the assembly of faithful nations
symbolized by the mystic number twelve.
2.
The Church is ever in labor to bring forth children to eternal life. In the sad
days here predicted the sorrows and pains of delivery shall be increased many
fold. In this passage there is, an evident allusion to some particular son of
the Church whose power and influence shall be such that Satan will seek his
destruction at any cost. This person can be none other than the Pope to be
elected in those days. The Papacy will be attacked by all the powers of hell.
In consequence the Church will suffer great trials and afflictions in securing
a successor upon the throne of Peter.
The
words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians may a reference to the Papacy as the
obstacle to the coming of Antichrist: "You know what withholdeth, that he
may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only
that he who now holdeth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way. And then
that wicked one shall be revealed." (II Thessalonians ii, 6, 7)
3.
St. John now sees in heaven a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns; each
head bearing a diadem. The dragon is Satan red with the blood of martyrs which
he will cause to flow. The meaning of the seven heads and ten horns must be
sought in the description of the beast that represents Antichrist where they
symbolize kings or worldly powers. (Apocalypse xvii, 9-12) Those of the dragon
must have a similar meaning, and indicate that Satan's attacks against the
Church will be organized and carried out by the governments and ruling powers
of those days.
With
the beast of Antichrist only the horns have diadems as symbols of royalty or
governing power. The heads are branded with names of blasphemy. (Apocalypse
xviii, 1) Hence they symbolize the sins and errors that will afflict the
Church. Seven, the number of universality, indicates that in this final
struggle to prevent the universal reign of Christ all forms of sin and error
will be marshalled against the Church. A prelude to this may be seen in the
errors of Modernism which has been rightly designated "a synthesis of all
heresies." The number seven is also appropriate since all sins are
included in the seven capital sins. In like manner all errors that have
afflicted the Church may be summed up in these seven: Judaism, paganism,
Arianism, Mohammedanism, Protestantism, rationalism, and atheism.
The
dragon is seen in heaven which is here a symbol of the Church, the kingdom of
heaven on earth. This indicates that the first troubles of those days will be
inaugurated within the Church by apostate bishops, priests, and peoples, — the
stars dragged down by the tail of the dragon.
4.
The tail of the dragon represents the cunning hypocrisy with which he succeeds
in deceiving a large number of people and pastors — a third part of the stars.
Arianism led away many bishops, priests and peoples. The pretended Reformation
of the sixteenth century claimed still larger numbers but these cannot be
compared to the numbers seduced by Satan in the days of Antichrist.
The
dragon stands before the woman ready to devour the child that is brought forth.
Tn other words, the powers of hell seek by all means to destroy the Pope
elected in those days.
5.
The woman brings forth a son to rule the nations with a rod of iron. These are
the identical words of prophecy uttered by the Psalmist concerning our Saviour
Jesus Christ. (Psalm ii, 9) They confirm our application of this vision to the
Pope, the vicar of Christ on earth to rule the nations in His stead and by His
power.
It
is now the hour for the powers of darkness. The newborn Son of the Church is
taken "to God and to His throne." Scarcely has the newly elected Pope
been enthroned when he is snatched away by martyrdom. The "mystery of
iniquity" gradually developing through the centuries, cannot be fully
consummated while the power of the Papacy endures, but now he that withholdeth
is taken out of the way." During the interregnum "that wicked one
shall be revealed" in his fury against the Church.
It
is a matter of history that the most disastrous periods for the Church were
times when the Papal throne was vacant, or when anti-popes contended with the
legitimate head of the Church. Thus also shall it be in those evil days to
come.
6.
The Church deprived of her chief pastor must seek sanctuary in solitude there
to be guided by God Himself during those trying days. This place of refuge prepared
for the Church is probably some nation, or nations, that remain faithful to
her. In those days the Church shall also find refuge and consolation in
faithful souls, especially in the seclusion of the religious life.
7.
St. Michael, the guardian angel of the Church, shall come with his hosts to
defend her against the onslaughts of Satan and his minions. The followers of
St. Michael are the angelic hosts of heaven and all faithful bishops and
priests of the Church. The minions of Satan are the fallen angels with the
leaders of heresy, schism, and persecution.
8,
9. The battle is waged in the Church, the kingdom of heaven, from which the
dragon and his angels are cast out and hurled down to earth. The earth
symbolizes the nations hostile to the Church, — the world over which Satan
rules. By the aid of St. Michael the Church shall purge herself of all
heretics, schismatics and apostates. A similar work was accomplished by the
Council of Trent in the sixteenth century.
.
. .
10,
11. St. Michael and his angels give glory to God for the victory of the Church
which is achieved by the power of the Precious Blood shed for man's redemption.
Satan is overcome according to Christ's testimony that "The gates of hell
shall never prevail" against His Church. (St. Matthew xvi, 18) Victory was
also made possible by the invincible courage of the faithful who hesitated not
to give their life in defense of the Church. Those shall be days of great
persecution in which the Church will suffer all the horrors of the early ages,
but she will likewise be crowned with the glory of innumerable martyrs.
12,
13. The Church is called upon to rejoice over the defeat of the dragon and the glorious
martyrdom of her children; but woe to the earth and the sea, — all mankind.
Realizing that the time of his power is short, Satan will now loose upon earth
all his rage and fury in a last effort against the Church. His attempt to
destroy her from within having failed, he will now seek
to
crush her by hatred and persecution from without.
14.
In this new danger the Church shall receive the wings of an eagle to defend her
and carry her to the place of refuge which God has prepared. The wings are
probably two armies sent in defense of the Church by some nation that remains
faithful. This interpretation seems justified by verse 16.
In
a spiritual sense the two wings are faith and prayer. In the faith and prayer
of her children, and especially in the contemplative life of religious orders
the Church shall find a refuse of consolation which Satan cannot violate. The
desolation of those three and one-half years may be compared to that of the
three days following our Lord's death on the Cross. The faith and prayers of
Mary, of the holy women, and of the Apostles afforded the only consolation in
those days of anguish.
This
chapter indicates that the Church shall find refuge for three and one-half
years on two different occasions; the one during the internal warfare against
the Church and the other after the dragon has been east out. It is possible
that the two-fold attack against the Church will be carried on simultaneously,
making the refuge mentioned in verse 6 coincide with the one mentioned here.
However, the whole context seems to be against such an interpretation.
15,
16. The dragon now seeks to overwhelm the Church with a veritable flood of
tribulations, but some faithful nation, or nations, (the earth) comes to her
rescue. This verse proves that the great revolt of nations mentioned by St.
Paul (II Thessalonians ii, 3) will not be universal. God will preserve at least
one nation to defend the Church in that hour when, humanly speaking, everything
seems hopeless.
17,
18. Satan now realizes that victory will be difficult. His first attempt failed
miserably. In this second conflict new tactics must be employed. He will now
seek to lead the faithful astray by a false Messias whom he will raise up in
the person of Antichrist. This new adversary is to spring from the sea,-— the
nations already hostile to the Church, — hence Satan takes his stand by
the shore to call forth the man of sin, the son of perdition. (II Thessalonians ii, 3) It is a solemn moment of "fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world." (St. Luke xxi, 26) (E. Sylvester Berry, The Apocalypse of St. John [Columbus, Ohio: The Catholic Church Supply House, 1921], 120-25, 126-28; cf. E. Sylvester Berry (Catholic Theologian): Revelation 12 and the Establishment of a Counterfeit Church)
