(7:1) And an angel
descending from the rising of the sun: he speaks of the Prophet Elijah who
is coming before the time of Antichrist, for the restoring and strengthening of
the churches against the overwhelming persecution. We read of this in the opening
of the books of the Old Testament and the new prophecy, for the Lord says
through Malachi: Behold, I am sending to you Elijah the Tishbite, to turn
back the heart of the father to the son, and the heart of a man to his neighbor,
that is, to Christ through repentance, to turn back the heart of the father
to the son: the time of a second calling, to recall the Jews to the faith
of the following People. And therefore he also shows the number of the Jews,
and the great multitude of the gentiles, who will believe. (Commentary on
Revelation by St. Victorinus, ed. John Litteral [trans. Kevin P. Edgecomb;
Ancient Bible Commentaries in English, n.d.], 31)
(12:6) Then he says: There
was war in heaven: Michael and his messengers fought with the dragon: and the
dragon fought, and his messengers; and there was not found for him a place in
heaven. And the great dragon was thrown out, the ancient serpent fell to earth.
This is the beginning of the coming of Antichrist. Yet before Elijah must
preach and there must be a time of peace, and thus after the end of three
years and six months of preaching of the preaching of Elijah, he is to be thrown
out of heaven, where he had the power of ascending to until this time, and
all the fugitive angels. Thus Antichrist is to be raised up from hell; the
Apostle Paul also says this: Except first will come the man of sin, the son
of perdition, the adversary, who will raise himself above all that is called God
or is worshipped. (Ibid., 42)
(14:1) And an angel
flying in the midst of heaven which he says he saw, we have also
treated above: the same is to be Elijah, who acts before the reign of
Antichrist. And another angel following signifies the same prophet, the
associate of his preaching. But because, as we have said, his leaders, by
making a treaty, will attack this city, great Babylon, its ruin is borne
witness to. (Ibid., 46)
(20:1) And the scarlet
devil is imprisoned and all his fugitive angels in the Tartarus of
Gehenna at the coming of the Lord; no one is ignorant of this. And after
the thousand years he is released, because of the nations which will have
served Antichrist: so that they alone might perish, as they deserved. Then is
the general judgment. Therefore he says: And they lived, he says, the
dead who were written in the book of life, and they reigned with Christ
a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who
has a part in the first resurrection: toward this one is the second death has
no power. Of this resurrection, he says: And I saw the Lamb standing,
and with him 144 thousands, that is, standing with Christ, namely those of
the Jews in the last time who become believers through the preaching of Elijah,
those who, the Spirit bears witness, are virgins not only in body, but also in
language. Therefore, as he reminds above, the 24 elder-aged said: Grace we
bring to You, O Lord God, who has reigned; and the nations are angry. (Ibid.,
49)
