The Apocalypse, the Book of the Revelation: The Book of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist of the Revelation Given Him by the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.
The
Revelation of The Lord God Jesus Christ
Revelation of The Lord God Jesus Christ
The Book of
John
Revelation Given Him by the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.
THE APOCALYPSE OF
ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
{WHO IS THE LAST PROPHET OF THE
BIBLE UNTIL SAINT ENOCH AND SAINT ELIJAH RETURN AT THE CONSUMMATION OF
DAYS}
The Apocalypse is a revelation of things that
were, are and will be. We are actually witnessing some of the events
foretold in this book, but many still lie in the future. It is Christ
who commands John to write to the seven churches, opens the seven seals,
reveals the sufferings of the saints, opens the little book, overcomes
the beast, reigns during the period of the first resurrection, judges
the dead, both great and small, according to their works at His Second
Coming, rules over all things from the beginning, presides over all the
changing scenes of earth’s history, and is the King of kings and Lord of
lords.
were, are and will be. We are actually witnessing some of the events
foretold in this book, but many still lie in the future. It is Christ
who commands John to write to the seven churches, opens the seven seals,
reveals the sufferings of the saints, opens the little book, overcomes
the beast, reigns during the period of the first resurrection, judges
the dead, both great and small, according to their works at His Second
Coming, rules over all things from the beginning, presides over all the
changing scenes of earth’s history, and is the King of kings and Lord of
lords.
The book presents
Christ as the Coming One; it reveals the dealings of Him who came, and
who is to come. It opens with the solemn hope that the Coming One will
come soon, and closes with the impressive prediction that the Coming One
will come quickly.
The book is one of
hope, but also one of warning; its aim is to assure the Church of the
advent of her Lord in victory. The precise time of this victory lies
hidden with God, but it is certain, although the crown will not be won
without a struggle. Heaven will be stormed and carried away through
suffering and conflict. And all who keep the words of this book will
take part in the conflict and share in the victory.The conflict is
presented under the form of symbols. It is not easy to give a full
interpretation of all the types, but the general symbols are not
difficult to understand.
stands as the type of the good cause, and this is the
of
the type of the evil cause, and this is the world power. The heavenly
has the assistance of divine power. The earthly
has the help of evil powers, the dragon, the beast and the false
prophet. The scenes in the great conflict arrange themselves around
these types of good and of evil. The numbers, the seals, the trumpets
and the bowls are phases in the development and consummation of the
conflict.
John has arranged
the scenes in a sevenfold structure; even in the subordinate visions he
keeps to this arrangement. Commentators, however, are not agreed in
marking off the limits of each structure.
The book was
written in Greek by
the Evangelist, on the
the year. 96 A.D.
Note on parallel
passages and commentary. The parallel passages are based on the full
concordance thereof relating to, from the Council of Trent; the
commentary is late 1940’s Catholic from the full consensus of the Church
Fathers on the seven within seven structure of the book.
Also note that the
book at the same time “opens from the middle” so to speak. Just like a
megilloth (Hebrew for scroll). The first eleven chapters (1 – 11) which
culminate in the general judgement – Rev. 11:18 – 19
And the nations
were angry: and thy wrath is come. And the time of the dead, that they
should be judged and that thou shouldest render reward to thy servants
the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and
great: and shouldest destroy them who have corrupted the earth.
And
the
in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple. And
there were lightnings and voices and an earthquake and great hail. (DRV)
And
the second eleven chapters (12 – 22) which culminate in the general
judgement (Rev. 20:11 – 14) and the New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21,
22)
Both the first and
second eleven chapters begin from the time of Christ’s Incarnation but
include the fact that He is Immortal and the Creator of Heaven and
Earth. See: Rev. 1:4 – 6 John to the seven churches which are in
peace, from him that is and that was and that is to come: and from the
seven spirits which are before his throne:
And from Jesus Christ, who
is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince
of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins
in his own blood (when He became Incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the
blessed virgin Mary and went to the Cross for our salvation)
And hath
made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father. To him be glory
and empire for ever and ever. Amen.(DRV)
And see: Rev. 12:1,
2, 5
And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the
sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve
stars. And being with child, she cried travailing in birth: and was in
pain to be delivered.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to
rule all nations with an iron rod (Christ’s Incarnation). And her son
was taken up to God and to his throne (Christ’s Resurrection and
Ascension). (DRV)
And see: Rev.:21:6:
6
And he said to me: It is done. I am Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and
the End. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water
of life, freely. (DRV)
These two phrases
that is and that was and that is to come (Greek “‘o oon kai ‘o en kai ‘o
erchoumenos”) and I am Alpha and Omega (Greek: “egoo eimi to Alpha kai
to Omega”) are emphatic declarations of Christ’s Divinity and
Immortality for it is the Thrice Holy Trinity – Rv:4:8 And the four
living creatures had each of them six wings: and round about and within
they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
(Greek “‘agious ‘agious ‘agious kurios ‘o theos ‘o pantocrator”) – alone
Who possesses Aseity (self existence and Who is therefore alone
uncreated) and Who is Immortal of the same Essence/Substance – Nature.
In the above: the “who
[that] is”, in Greek “‘o oon”, is the declaration of Aseity. The “who
[that] was” and the “who [that] is to come” with the “‘o oon”, self
existence, is the declaration of Immortality (having no beginning and no
end – always existing). The phrase I am Alpha and Omega has exactly the
same meaning. “I am” – “egoo eimi” is the equivalent of Yahweh (God’s
proper name) in Hebrew meaning “I am” in the same sense as the above “‘o
oon”. Alpha and Omega has the same meaning as Immortality in the above.
Pantocrator (translated as Almighty) is the declaration of the Thrice
Holy Lord God’s All ruling absolute Sovereignty and includes
emphatically the meaning that He is alone uncreated and Creator, ex
nihilo, of all of creation. This relates directly to the beginning of
the Gospel of St. John and the beginning of the first book of the Torah
(the Pentateuch) which is Genesis. See: Genesis 1:1 through 2:4 and
John’s
and the exact seventy human generations recounted in St. Luke’s Gospel
3:1 – 38 from Adam to Christ (see also the parallel in St. Matthew’s
Gospel 1:1 – 25 from Abraham to Christ) and the testimony of the Church
Fathers does not allow any pagan evolutionary gods nor even sophist
pantheistic idolatrous creationism but only creation by the Creator as
He said He did it, and only Redemption in God and His Christ (the
Messiah, al-Maseeh) as He said that it is; the false gods or pagan
idolatrous religions that willfully reject God and Jesus Christ (those
who do not willfully reject Him but seek God in their hearts are judged
by God alone) are without grace and they and their followers will be
damned forever, who do not repent in this life from those false gods and
religions and come to God and His Christ and make confession in Him and
be baptized by God’s Spirit {believers in monotheistic Islam who
confess the Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ as the Son of God and all men
of good will who worship only this God (in the full consensus of the
Church Fathers) are included as true believers in the true God and
therefore saved by their confession of belief in and fulfilling the will
of God, Allah (SWT)}. Allah is from biblical Hebrew 'Eloah' and means
the true God, All middle Eastern Christians, including Catholics, who
are Arabic speakers call on Allah as the name of the true God. Amen.
The
Final Trial: Traditional Catholic Prayers: Baptism
Note on parallel
passage notation – the ! after a scriptural reference means that is the
emphasis or central point for explanation of the passage.
By Chapter:
Appendices
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