Commentary on the Gospel of John, Books 1-10

Book 1

BOOK 1 UST AS THE PEOPLE of old, who were called the people of God,l were divided into twelve tribes plus the Levitical order, and this order itself, which engaged in service of the Divine, was divided into additional priestly and Levitical orders, so, I think, all the people of Christ according to "the hidden man of the heart,"2 who bear the name "Jew inwardly" and who have been circumcised "in spirit,"3 possess the characteristics of the tribes in a more mystical manner. This can be learned most clearly from John in the Apocalypse , although the other prophets are not silent for those who know how to understand such matters. (2) John speaks as follows: "And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, 'Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.' And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 were sealed of every tribe of the children of Israel; 12,000 were sealed from the tribe of Juda; and 12,000 from the tribe of Ruben."4 (3) And after enumerating the remaining tribes consecutively , except for Dan, he adds further on, "And I saw, and behold the lamb stood upon Mount Sion and with him 144,000, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the noise of many waters, and as the sound of loud thunder; and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpists playing 1. Cf. Nm 27.17. 3. Rom 2.29· 31 2. 1 Pt 3044 · Rv 7.2-5. 32 ORIGEN on their harps. And they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who were purchased from the earth. These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were purchased from men, the firstfruits for God and for the Lamb, and no lie was found in their mouth, for they are blameless."5 (4) Now the following words point to the conclusion that John says these things of those who have believed in Christ and who themselves are from the tribes, even though their physical race does not appear to go back to the seed of the patriarchs. "Hurt not," the angel says, "the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 sealed of every tribe of the children of Israel ."6 (5) Those, therefore, from every tribe of the children of Israel who are sealed on their foreheads are 144,000 in number . These 144,000 are later said by John to have the name of the Lamb and of his Father written on their foreheads, being virgins and not defiled with women. (6) What else, then, would the seal on the foreheads be than the name of the Lam\> and of his Father? In both passages the foreheads are said to have, in one place, the seal, and in the other, the letters containing the name of the Lamb and the name of his Father. (7) But also, if those "from the tribes" are the same as the virgins, as we showed previously, and a believer from Israel according to the flesh is rare, so that one might perhaps dare to say that the number of the 144,000 is not filled up with believers from Israel according to the flesh,' it is clear that the 144,000 is composed of those gentiles who come to the divine Word, who are not defiled with women. Consequently, he who declares that the virgins of each tribe are its firstfruits would not be wrong. 5. Cf. Rv 14.1-5. 7. Cf. 1 Cor 10.18. 6. Rv 7.3-4. COMMENTARY ON JOHN, BOOK 1 33 (8) For he also adds, "These were purchased from men, the firstfruits for God and...