Commentary on the Apocalypse and commentary on the Book of Daniel
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1910
Apocalypse: Angel I, Everlasting Gospel; Angel II, Fall of Babylon; and Angel III, Beast Worshippers (Revelation 14:6-11) -- Three nimbed angels, one flying, holding open scroll inscribed LIBRUM, one holding staff, all in starred arc of heaven; inscription ANGELUM UOLANTEM PER MEDIUM CELUM ABENTEM EUANGELIUM ETERNUM ISTI DEDERUNT GLORIAM DEO CELI; below, eight nimbed saints, two holding rolls, representing nations; below, six corpses and falling city of Babylon.
And I saw another angel, flying through the midst of heaven, holding the eternal Gospel, so as to evangelize those sitting upon the earth and those of every nation and tribe and language and people, saying: "Fear the Lord, and give honor to him, for the hour of his judgment has arrived." And another angel followed, saying: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who inebriated all nations with the wine of her wrath and fornication." And the third angel followed them, saying: "If anyone has worshiped the beast, or his image, or has received his character on his forehead or on his hand, he shall drink also from the wine of the wrath of God, and be tortured with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and before the sight of the Lamb." (Rev. 14:6–10)
All three angels appear at the top. The one with the eternal Gospel points to a scroll inscribed Librum (Book) and to the haloed figures below who obeyed his words. At bottom is the fall of Babylon, where corpses, some with open eyes, fall through the upside-down broken gate to the city.