The Coming of The Lord for Judgment

Concern ran high for the early Christians regarding the end times, as can be seen in St. Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians.  Much apocalyptic literature existed in those early centuries of the Church, both Jewish and Christian.  Victorinus (d. 303), bishop of Pannonia, near the Danube, wrote one of the first expositions on the Book of Revelation, which is also known as the Book of the Apocalypse, which tells of the world's final days.  While much of his work has been lost, enough remains to give us valuable insight and food for thought.  Here is his commentary on Chapter 10 of the Book of the Apocalypse:

" 'I saw another mighty Angel descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet were as columns of fire.  He had in his hand an open book and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land' (Revelation 10, 1-2).  This 'mighty Angel' which John says descended from from heaven and was clothed with a cloud, signifies our Lord.  'His face was as the sun' -- due to the Resurrection.  'A rainbow over his head'.  This indicates the judgment which was made, or would be made, by him.  'An open book' -- the revealing of works in the future judgment.  Or, the Book of Revelation which John received.  'His feet'.  These are the Apostles.  This signifies that all the coastlands and places on the earth would be trod upon by him and be made subject to his 'feet'.  The Lord is called an 'angel', that is, the messenger of the Father, for he is called the 'Angel of great counsel' (cf. Isaiah 9, 6).  John said that he shouted with a great voice.  The voice is 'great' to announce the words of the almighty God of heaven to men, and to call men to witness that after the time for repentance closed, there would be no future hope.  

" 'Seven thunders sounded their voices.'  The 'seven thunders' signify the Holy Spirit of seven-fold power, who proclaimed all future events through the prophets.  John renders testimony to the world by his voice.  He said that he was about to write such things as the thunders had spoken, that is, whatever had been obscure in the prophesies of the Old Testament, but he was forbidden to write them, and to leave them sealed because he was an Apostle, for it was not fitting for the grace of the succeeding era to be laid out in the current era.  'The time is near.'  The Apostles overcame unbelief through powerful works, signs, portents, and mighty words.  After the Apostles, the solace of the interpretation of the prophetic Scriptures is given to the same united churches.  After the Apostles, as I have said, there would be prophets for interpreting the Scriptures.  As the Apostle said: 'Indeed, he set in the Church first, the Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers' (1Corinthians 12, 28).  In another place, he said: 'Let two or three prophets speak, and the others weigh it' (1Corinthians 14, 29).  He also said: 'Every woman who prays and prophesies with her head uncovered, shames her head' (I Corinthians 11, 5).  When he says, 'Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh it', he is not speaking of Catholic prophecy that is unheard of and unknown, but that which is foretold and known.  Let the others weigh whether the interpretation is fitting to the testimonies of the prophetic speech.  It is clear that this was not necessary for John, who was equipped with superior virtue, although the Body of Christ, which is the Church, adorned with her members, ought to respond to it.

" 'I took the book from the hand of the Angel and ate it.'  To take a book and 'eat' it is to commit it to memory, and this was done after it had been shown.  'And in my mouth it was as sweet honey.'  The fruit of speaking is sweetness in the mouth of the one preaching, and very sweet in the ears of one who hears it, but it is most bitter to those who preach and persevere through their suffering in its commandments. 

" 'And he said to me: It is necessary for you to prophesy again to the peoples, to those of different languages, to the nations, and to many kings.  He says this because at the time when John saw these events, he had been condemned by the emperor Domitian to the mines on the island of Patmos, and there he saw the events of the Apocalypse.  And now that he was an old man, he thought that he would receive his end through his suffering, but with the killing of Domitian, all his judgments were overthrown.  John was released from the mines and so handed on the same Apocalypse he had taken from God.  The meaning of the Angel's words is this: It is necessary for you to preach again to the nations, for you see the crowds of the Antichrist rising up, and other crowds are to stand facing them, and they are to slay one another with the sword."