Original Douay Rheims Bible (1582 & 1610)

The Apocalypse of Saint Iohn the Apostle

The 2 part. First, the booke with 7 seales, secondly, 7 Angels with trompets.
THE 2. VISION.
In which is represented vnto vs the glorie and maiestie of God in heauen, and the incessant honour & praises of al Angels and Saints assisting him. Which is resembled in the daily honour done to him by al orders and sorts of holy men in the Church militant also.
1. A doore being open in heauen he saw one sitting in a throne, 4. and round about him foure and twentie Seniours sitting, 6. and the foure beasts here described, 9. which with the, 24. Seniours continually glorified him that sate in the throne.
1. AFTER these things I looked, & behold a doore open in heauen, and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trompet speaking with me, saying: Come vp hither, and I wil shew thee things which must be done quickly after these. 2. And immediatly I was in spirit: and behold there was a seat set in heauen, and vpon the seat one sitting. 3. And he that sate, was like in sight to the Iasper stone, and the Sardine: and there was a raine-bow round about the seat, like to the sight of an Emeraud. 4. And round about the seat, foure and twentie seats: and vpon the thrones, foure and twentie Seniours sitting, clothed about in white garments, and on their heads crownes of gold. 5. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunders: and seuen lamps burning before the throne, which are the seuen Spirits of God. 6. And in the sight of the seat, as it were a sea of glasse like to chrystal: and in the middes of the seat and round about the seat These foure beasts, and the like described Ezech. 1. by the iudgement of the holy Doctours signifie the 4. Euangelists, and in them al true Preachers. The man Mathew: the Lion, Marke: the Calfe, Luke: the Egle, Iohn. See the causes hereof in the Summe of the 4. Euangelists. Pag. 1. S. Grego. in 1. Ezech. foure beasts ful of eyes before and behind. 7. And the first beast, like to a lion: and the second beast, like to a Calfe, and the third beast, hauing the face as it were of a man: and the fourth beast, like to an Egle flying. 8. And the foure beasts, euery one of them had no rest day and night, saying, * Es. 6,3. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God omnipotent, which was, and which is, and which shal come. 9. And when those beasts gaue glorie and honour and benediction to him that sitteth vpon the throne, that liueth for euer and euer: 10. the foure and twentie Seniours fel downe before him that sitteth in the throne, & adored him that liueth for euer and euer, and cast their crownes before the throne, saying: 11. Thou art worthie O Lord our God to receiue glorie and honour and power: because thou hast created al things, and for thy wil they were and haue been created. ANNOTATIONS. Cʜᴀᴘ. IV. 8. Holy, holy. holy.)
This word is thrise repeated here, and Esa. 6: and to the imitation therof, in the seruice of the holy Church, at Te Deum, and at Masse, specially in the Preface next before the great mysteries, for the honour of the three persons in the B. Trinitie, and that the Church militant may ioyne with the triumphant, and with al the orders of Angels, who also are present at the consecration, and doe seruice there to our common Lord and Maister. as S. Chrysostom writeth li. 6 de Sacerdotie. and ho. 1. de verb. Esa. to. 1. The Greekes call it, the hymne Trisagies, that is, Thrise holy.