Revelation 13:13

So that he made fire come down from heaven

[commentary by Gregory the Great in

Moralia in Job 33. 37 ]

translation of Gregory's commentary on

Apocalypse / Revelation to John ch. 13

For at that time every soul is like a boiling pot,

enduring the vehemence of its own thoughts

as if it were the foam of scalding waves,

which both the fire of zeal sets in motion and temporal

oppressiveness itself keeps confined with like a pot.

[refers to Book of Job 41:11]

And so, John, too, when telling of the portents of

this beast, added: So that he made fire come down

from heaven (Apocalypse 13:13). Indeed, for fire

to come down from heaven is for flames of holy

zeal to shoot out from the heavenly regions into

the souls of the elect.