Revelation 19:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The throne of God is the cherubim, who command both great and small to hymn Him in good works, each according to his strength. I think that infants who have died, small in age and not having reached perfection, will rise as great and will glorify our Creator and God.

That the elders and the living creatures say "amen" signifies their agreement with the doxology offered by the holy angels. From Hebrew into Greek, amen is translated as "let it be so." A voice from the throne says: "Praise our God, small and great." By the small John means those who have advanced further in holy activity, and by the great, the saints in the highest sense.

The voice commanded what was to be done, namely to offer praise, and then mentioned that it had been done. This is a sign that God received the prayer of His elect as pleasing to Himself.

Indeed, He approved the praise offered and indicated that it would be eternal.

The great in the Church are those of whom the Apostle said, "We speak wisdom among the perfect" (1 Cor 2:6). The Lord also said of them, "whoever teaches so shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:19).

The small are those of whom it is said, "As babes in Christ, I fed you with milk, not solid food" (1 Cor 3:1-2).

The Church praises God not with lips only, but with the whole sweetness of reverence.

He says, "Amen! Alleluia!" These words can be translated, since, as I have already said, they concern faith, truth, and praise of the Lord.

Yet out of reverence for the holiness of the language from which they come, they are still used with authority without translation.

Thus the Church continues to sing Alleluia every Sunday and in the period of Quinquagesima, the fiftieth day in the Latin tradition, for the hope of the Resurrection, which in the Lord is the praise to come.

It is said, "small and great," for smallness in natural abilities means nothing if the heart and mouth are full of the praise of the Lord.

According to Saint Andrew, the marriage of the Lamb is the union of all the faithful with Christ. Its beginning was laid in the upper room of Zion.

To the apostles, and through them to the whole Church founded by them, the pledge of the Holy Spirit was given. They were destined one day to be united with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Indeed, such a Church prepared herself for union with her Founder through countless sacrifices. In her poverty, this Church shared her last possessions with those who had nothing at all.

To neglect and contempt toward her she answered with meekness and goodwill. To various slanders brought against her she answered by the unpretentious fulfillment of God's commandments and the keeping of her statutes.

Under persecutions and blasphemies against her she endured, blessed her enemies, and prayed for them. This made such a Church glorious, holy, pure, and a worthy bride of Christ, as the Apostle Paul says (cf. Eph 5:25-27).