3rd Sunday in Easter (Rev 5:11-14)

3rd Easter Sunday (year C)

(Rev 5:11-14)

Revelation 5:11 During the vision then I heard voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the watchmen. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands

Revelation 5:12 and they said with a loud voice, "The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour, glory and blessing.

Revelation 5:13 And all the creatures of heaven and of earth, under the earth, and in the sea, and all things that are therein, I heard saying, "To him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb be praise, and honour, and glory, and power, for ever and ever.

Revelation 5:14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen." And the watchmen bowed down in adoration.

This passage reveals the greatness of our God. Our God is the Creator of an immense multitude of angels (v. 11). These angels proclaim the greatness, the glory of their God and Lord, witnesses of a work of redemption that does not concern them but humanity. The angels of heaven are appointed for our salvation. They are at the service of the priesthood of every faithful disciple of Jesus. This is their ministry. The angels proclaim Christ's priesthood in heaven, they help to live out our priesthood on earth. These angels, who are God's heavenly army, his hosts, could annihilate the whole universe in a single moment, if only God willed it.

"The Lamb that was slain" (= Jesus Christ crucified and risen) is placed on the same plane as God: "Power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour, glory and blessing" are seven qualities that belong to God. By the angels, Jesus Christ is proclaimed worthy to receive the same titles as God, worthy to be clothed with his same glory, without any difference. The angelic creatures, in their incalculable multitude, proclaim the divinity of the Lamb. The inhabitants of heaven proclaim who Jesus is in heaven: it is the immolated Lamb who is placed next to God, it is the immolated Lamb who is proclaimed God. Christ is our God, that is the truth to be affirmed.

The worship in v. 13 extends to all creatures in heaven and earth. All creation is called to worship, it is cosmic praise. Not only do countless angels proclaim the truth of Christ, but all creatures, from the smallest to the greatest, make the same confession of faith: the Lamb is equal to God. The hymn of glory already sung in honour of God is sung in honour of the Lamb. God and the Lamb are united. If anyone denies this truth, he commits a grave sin.

This truth is confirmed by the four living creatures (v. 14). Their "Amen", their "yes", attests that the whole universe speaks the truth about God and Christ. They are the representatives of the creatures endowed with life. There are four of them; it is universality that says "Amen". The 'watchmen', symbolising the old and the new people of God, prostrating themselves in adoration before the Lamb recognise his divinity. In the watchmen, God's people are silent and contemplate in adoration the living God.

Heaven and earth, old and new covenant, time and eternity, are united in the profession of one faith: Jesus, the immolated Lamb, is God. John in this vision contemplates the immense position and dignity of Christ, obtained through his death and resurrection. Revelation contemplates the profound meaning of all history, tracing it back to two mysteries: that of creation and that of redemption. What is foretold in chapter 4 and appears as realised in chapter 5 is the recapitulation of the whole of creation in Christ, the end and meaning of all history, through the work of redemption accomplished by Himself through His sacrifice.

Through a change of perspective, Revelation operates a transposition: what on earth is realised in signs, in heaven - with God - is realised in reality; in other words, what on earth is contemplated through faith and sacramental signs, in heaven is contemplated through vision, participation, in reality. In particular:

- If on earth the place of celebration is a building, with an altar at its centre, in heaven the place of liturgy is the same heaven, with the throne of God at its centre.

- If on earth the liturgical assembly consists of the (only) faithful, in heaven it consists of every (living) being that exists, whose praise progressively involves the whole universe.

- If on earth the mystery of the Lamb is perceived, celebrated, and communicated through sacramental signs, in heaven it is perceived and celebrated in itself, that is, in the reality of vision and communion. Revelation therefore 'transfers' the earthly liturgy to heaven; this, consequently, does nothing but make present and authenticate the same heavenly liturgy on earth, giving meaning and content to what is celebrated there. On earth, that is, what is celebrated in heaven is fulfilled through liturgical and sacramental signs. At the same time, through the sacramental and liturgical signs, the heavenly liturgy is transmitted and involves the earth.

By celebrating the earthly liturgy, the reader, as well as every believer, contemplates the heavenly liturgy and through this contemplation is able to grasp the meaning and content of the former. According to the perspective of the Apocalypse, therefore, the salvation event, which historically took place on earth and therefore passed, perpetually remains in heaven, reaching and working on earth through sacramental signs and liturgical gestures.

It goes without saying that the earthly liturgy that best identifies with the heavenly liturgy is that of the solemn "Vetus Ordo" Mass: the decorum of the priests' robes and deportment, the invasive presence of the scents of incense, the composed silence of the faithful, the plaintive music of the organ, the voices of the cantors intoning the Gregorian chant, men and women kneeling and silent; austerity, queues at the confessionals, etc. etc.

Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books

- Revelation - exegetical commentary

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

The Church and Israel according to St Paul - Romans 9-11

(Buyable on Amazon)

10 Last modified on Tuesday, 29 April 2025 14:56

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Argentino Quintavalle

Argentino Quintavalle è studioso biblico ed esperto in Protestantesimo e Giudaismo. Autore del libro “Apocalisse - commento esegetico” (disponibile su Amazon) e specializzato in catechesi per protestanti che desiderano tornare nella Chiesa Cattolica.

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In recounting the "sign" of bread, the Evangelist emphasizes that Christ, before distributing the food, blessed it with a prayer of thanksgiving (cf. v. 11). The Greek term used is eucharistein and it refers directly to the Last Supper, though, in fact, John refers here not to the institution of the Eucharist but to the washing of the feet. The Eucharist is mentioned here in anticipation of the great symbol of the Bread of Life [Pope Benedict]

Narrando il “segno” dei pani, l’Evangelista sottolinea che Cristo, prima di distribuirli, li benedisse con una preghiera di ringraziamento (cfr v. 11). Il verbo è eucharistein, e rimanda direttamente al racconto dell’Ultima Cena, nel quale, in effetti, Giovanni non riferisce l’istituzione dell’Eucaristia, bensì la lavanda dei piedi. L’Eucaristia è qui come anticipata nel grande segno del pane della vita [Papa Benedetto]

Work is part of God’s loving plan, we are called to cultivate and care for all the goods of creation and in this way share in the work of creation! Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use a metaphor, “anoints” us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts (cf. Jn 5:17); it gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one’s family, to contribute to the growth of one’s own nation [Pope Francis]

Il lavoro fa parte del piano di amore di Dio; noi siamo chiamati a coltivare e custodire tutti i beni della creazione e in questo modo partecipiamo all’opera della creazione! Il lavoro è un elemento fondamentale per la dignità di una persona. Il lavoro, per usare un’immagine, ci “unge” di dignità, ci riempie di dignità; ci rende simili a Dio, che ha lavorato e lavora, agisce sempre (cfr Gv 5,17); dà la capacità di mantenere se stessi, la propria famiglia, di contribuire alla crescita della propria Nazione [Papa Francesco]

God loves the world and will love it to the end. The Heart of the Son of God pierced on the Cross and opened is a profound and definitive witness to God’s love. Saint Bonaventure writes: “It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred wide with a lance… The blood and water which poured out at that moment was the price of our salvation” (John Paul II)

Il mondo è amato da Dio e sarà amato fino alla fine. Il Cuore del Figlio di Dio trafitto sulla croce e aperto, testimonia in modo profondo e definitivo l’amore di Dio. Scriverà San Bonaventura: “Per divina disposizione è stato permesso che un soldato trafiggesse e aprisse quel sacro costato. Ne uscì sangue ed acqua, prezzo della nostra salvezza” (Giovanni Paolo II))

[Nicodemus] felt the fascination of this Rabbi, so different from the others, but could not manage to rid himself of the conditioning of his environment that was hostile to Jesus, and stood irresolute on the threshold of faith (Pope Benedict)

[Nicodemo] avverte il fascino di questo Rabbì così diverso dagli altri, ma non riesce a sottrarsi ai condizionamenti dell’ambiente contrario a Gesù e resta titubante sulla soglia della fede (Papa Benedetto)

Those wounds that, in the beginning were an obstacle for Thomas’s faith, being a sign of Jesus’ apparent failure, those same wounds have become in his encounter with the Risen One, signs of a victorious love. These wounds that Christ has received for love of us help us to understand who God is and to repeat: “My Lord and my God!” Only a God who loves us to the extent of taking upon himself our wounds and our pain, especially innocent suffering, is worthy of faith (Pope Benedict)

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