Saturday in the 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, November 23, 2024

Revelation 11, 4-12

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me: Here are my two witnesses: These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which has the symbolic names “Sodom” and “Egypt,” where indeed their Lord was crucified. Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth. But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.” So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.

This Reading is taken from the end of the third of the seven visions in the Book of Revelation, and consists of a description of the Church’s preaching through her history.  At this point in the vision, the Church is sorely persecuted by both heretics and the heathen.  

“Here are my two witnesses.”  The Venerable Bede sees the two witnesses as the Holy Church, which is formed from two peoples: the Jews and the Gentiles.  When the Church suffers persecution in the last years of the world, she will shine with her miracles, which will confound the wicked and rejoice the faithful.  “The two olive trees.”  This image brings to mind Zechariah 4, 3-4, where the Prophet describes a vision in which two olive trees stand over a candelabra of seven lamps.  When Zechariah asks the angel showing him the vision what these mean, the angels answers, “These are the two anointed who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”  St. Jerome comments that the Jews would have understood these as the Law and the Prophets, whereas we can understand them as the Law and the Gospel.  The “oil” — the mercy of God — flows from these olive trees into the seven lamps and enlightens the whole world.

“If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies.”  Almighty God will shield the Church from harm and her enemies will be defeated when they attack.  “They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying, etc.”  That is, the Church possesses the power of binding and loosing sins, as well as of blessing and withholding blessing.  “And to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.”  The withholding of blessing by the Church has a dire effect on the world and will be experienced as an aggressive punishment.

“When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.”  This is the final persecution, concerning which the Lord Jesus said, “Then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved” (Matthew 24, 21-22).  They wicked will think that they have finally destroyed the Church, but God will raise it up again, to the horror of the wicked: “When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.”  “The great city, which has the symbolic names ‘Sodom’ and ‘Egypt,’ where indeed their Lord was crucified.”  Bede calls this city “the devil’s city”: the two witnesses, the Church, witness to Christ in the world, which he taught was ruled by the devil (cf. John 12, 31).

“Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here.’ So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.”  The Holy Church and all the elect within it now depart from this world into heaven: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25, 34).

The devil very cunningly disguises his traps and snares in this world so that they look like pleasures normal for everyone to enjoy, but we must beware, peering beneath the appearances and the soothing words and promises, so that we may serve the Lord God alone.