Revelation 14:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We think that, after the twenty-four elders named, these have precedence over others. Through virginity and the guilelessness of tongue and deeds, they acquired the brightness of virtues, for which they were taught the new song.

This song will remain unknown to many in the present and future life. Although then, when the imperfect is abolished, perfect knowledge will come according to the apostle (1 Cor 13:10), the revelation of God's mysteries will even then correspond to the present life.

For "many are the mansions in My Father's house" (Jn 14:2), and "star differs from star in glory" (1 Cor 15:41), just as there will also be many differences in torments.

Indeed, beloved brethren, what benefit is there for a virgin or a wife, a cleric or a monk, or a holy woman, if virginity is guarded in the body while the purity of the heart is defiled by evil desires?

What benefit is there in preserving chastity in one member while having a defect in the rest? For those virgins who follow the Lamb, if you look carefully, do not follow the Lamb because they preserved bodily virginity alone.

Finally, when he said: "These are those who were not defiled with women," he immediately added: "and in their mouth there is no deceit. They are without blemish before the throne of God."

Therefore pay close attention to anyone who boasts of bodily virginity alone. If he loves deceit, he will not be able to follow Christ with those holy virgins.

The language of the vision testifies that those who abide in Christ surpass nature and stand beyond what is human.

Virgins are bound to following God not only by the merit of chastity, but also because they lived a life unstained by communion with any kind of sin.

Tyconius thinks this vision refers not only to virgins, but to the whole Church, whom the apostle betrothed to one husband, to present as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Cor 11:2). He concludes thus: he did not say, "there is no deceit in their mouth," but "there was not found."

As the apostle also said: "Such were some of you, but you were washed" (1 Cor 6:11). And the lawless man shall not fall by his lawlessness on the day when he turns from his lawlessness (Ezek 33:12).

He will be able to become a virgin, and deceit will not be found in his mouth. For John calls the chaste and pure virgins.

These are people who were not enticed, either bodily or mentally, by feminine beauty or by the beauties of this world. They are the righteous, who were not joined to this world in mind, soul, or body. Purity is one of the highest human virtues and one of those most beloved by the Lord. In the Old Testament, celibacy was rare. Therefore the singing of the New Testament virgins is called a new song, such as could not exist in the Old Testament.

Can these words of the Apocalypse be understood to mean that virgins in the literal sense, that is, unmarried people, stand nearer than all the saints to the throne of the Lamb of God?

That this is not the thought of the seer of mysteries is already clear from the fact that he characterizes these virgins by traits that have no relation to virginity, but are common to all saints.

Thus he says of them: "These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes." That is, he displays their unquestioning and obedient faith, by which all true servants of Christ are distinguished (Jn 12:26).

He also says: "In their mouth there is no deceit. They are without blemish before the throne of God." This trait is also common to all the saints, and not only to virgins.