The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

I. Andreas of Caesarea-Strongly Historical

Among the Greek fathers of the church, interest in the book of Revelation was less pronounced. Therefore we find fewer commentaries on the Apocalypse written by them than by the fathers of the Western church. One rather outstanding exposition, however, is that of seventh-century andreas (or Andrew), archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and another is that of Aretas, likewise a later bishop of the same city. The exact date of the life of Andreas is difficult to establish. It is variously given as between the fifth and ninth centuries. It is clear, however, that he must have lived after the Persian persecutions, and the strife between the Arians and the orthodox court. On the other hand, there is no mention by him of Islam or the Saracens, so that his commentary was, in all probability, written before A.D. 632. PFF1 569.2

1. SEEKS A CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY

Andreas’ exposition, although emphasizing the spiritual and symbolical values of the pictures and symbols of the Apocalypse, nevertheless does not lose sight of their historical significance. Andreas seriously attempts to arrive at a Christian interpretation of history—a clear indication that he was not controlled by the Tichonian school of the West. We can see this tendency in his singular explanation of the seals, where he sees in the first the victory of the apostolic church over demons and the fiery dragon; in the second, the struggle and warfare caused by the church, as Christ did not come to bring peace but the sword; in the third, grief over the backsliding of many from the true faith, because of their unstableness and slipperiness of mind. PFF1 569.3

In the fourth seal he sees a literal fulfillment in the horrible plague which swept the empire at the time of Maximian, of which Eusebius speaks; during the fifth seal the martyrs cry for vengeance, waiting in Abraham’s bosom until their number is completed; the sixth seal brings us to the time of exceedingly great trouble, when God permits Antichrist to do his destructive work, when, however, the heavens are rolled back, unfolding the good things which are deposited there for the blessed. ¹ PFF1 570.1

2. ANTICHRIST IS THE LEOPARD BEAST

On Antichrist, Andreas is quite specific. He believes that by the dragon is meant Satan; and the first beast rising from the sea is Antichrist; the second, the false prophet. ² Among the many names for Antichrist, according to the demands of the number 666, he has also added dnv6g fi6ixos, or the “iniquitous lamb.” ³ He believes that Antichrist will come from the region of the Euphrates, ⁴ will slay the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem,. ⁵ and will fight the church. PFF1 570.2

3. THE FOUR KINGDOMS SYMBOLIZED IN THE BEAST

On verse 2 of chapter 13 Andreas says that the leopard refers to Greece, the bear to Persia, and the lion to Babylon, but that the Antichrist will take hold of them all and ornament himself with the title of king of the Romans, especially as he will overthrow the clay kingdoms, which are weakened by internecine strife, in order to unite them again into one. ⁶ He also sees Antichrist in the beast that was, and is, and is not, of Revelation 17:11. ⁷ The woman of Revelation 17 he assigns to the old Rome which was built on seven hills, the seven heads pointing to seven Caesars—beginning with Domitian and ending with Diocletian—who have persecuted the church in a most atrocious way. ⁸ In connection with Revelation 17:9, Andreas speaks of the seven heads, which are seven mountains, as kingdoms: PFF1 570.3

“First, by way of example, may be the kingdom of the Assyrians, which had its beginning in Nineveh; second, that of the Medes, in Ecbatana under the rule of Arbaces.... This kingdom having been extinguished by Alexander the Great, the kingdom of the Macedonians followed. Moreover, after these the power of the Romans broke forth in ancient Rome, which gradually increased even in the same way, until under Augustus Caesar, after its first kings and consuls, it obtained the absolute rule; which having been held constantly under wicked rulers at length came to Constantine the great. He moreover, after all these tyrants had been destroyed, transferred the ornaments of the Christian kingdom to new Rome.” ⁹ PFF1 571.1

Then, however, he summarizes by saying they have to be understood as the Assyrians, the Medes under Arbaces, the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, the Persians under Cyrus, the Macedonians and Greeks under Alexander, the Romans under Augustus Caesar, and New Rome, or Constantinople, under Constantine. ¹⁰ PFF1 571.2

But the mystical character of many of his secondary applications must also be noted. The seven heads of the dragon are given as the seven vices opposed to spiritual powers and operations. The ten horns of the dragon denote ten sins contrary to the Decalogue. And the Beast of Revelation 17 is Satan. ¹¹ PFF1 571.3

4. UNCERTAIN ON THE MILLENNIUM

On the subject of the thousand years he recites various opinions, for example, that it comprises the whole time of preaching the gospel from the resurrection of Christ till the coming of Antichrist, though not necessarily precisely one thousand years, but any approximate length of time. Then he adds that what the period really means only God knows. ¹² This commentary of Andreas is remarkable, because it shows clearly that the Eastern church followed its own line of interpretation; on the other hand, the many points of similarity—or even exact likeness—prove that in general the teaching and aim of the Apocalypse were well understood. PFF1 571.4