Ticonius — on Rev 8:5 (COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:5)

“The Lord received his body, that is, the church, and filled her with fire from the altar to accomplish the Father's will. This is to say that he filled [the church] with the power of loosing and of binding, which consists in sacrifices and the propitiation of God. Therefore, it is also said, "Who makes the winds his messengers and burning fire his ministers." For in them the church received all power in heaven and on earth, while she perfected the sacrifice of God, first of all the Lord offering up himself and the saints presenting their own bodies as a living and holy sacrifice. And he cast it upon the earth, for through the preaching of the church knowledge of the future judgment comes to the world, as Zechariah says, "I will place the officers of Judah as a flaming fire." … "And there were thunders and voices and lightning and earthquakes." All of these things are spiritual and have to do with the church. The voices are of those who reproach and who threaten, the "broods of vipers" and following. Or, [the voices say], "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The thunder is the proclamation of the Christian faith; the lightning represents the virtues of those have have been made whole; the earthquakes are persecutions that are foretold to come and that are suffered at various times.”