Apocalypse: A Catholic Perspective on the Book of Revelation

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Nearly every time it would turn to the Apocalypse and Steve would try his case with anyone who dared to challenge him. Steve would passionately quote from the Bible, from classical literature, history books, and books by the Church Fathers such as, St. Thomas Aquinas, Tertullian, and others. As a casual Catholic by upbringing, I was astonished at the depth and breadth of the argument. Herman Bernard Kramer, [Tan Books, ], and this book owes much to it.

Steve once said that Rev. Kramer was on the right track but missed some important clues. As time went by, I began to look forward to these oratories. I'd never heard anything like it. How did he gain such knowledge and insight? He picked the toughest unit he could. While serving his country, he was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery and chemotherapy saved his life but required a long convalescence.

Though given a short life expectancy, Steve beat the odds. During this period, Steve read many books. Literary analysis and the use of language became his passion. This infl uence will be evident in the book. In the evenings, he volunteered to teach English to refugees from South Vietnam. He also shoveled snow at the local parish and served as lector.

We didn't see him much over the first dozen years we were married. An occasional barbecue or holiday gathering was about it. Then we got word that his cancer had recurred and he was undergoing chemotherapy. He seemed to be improving but then disaster hit. While I was working as a consultant about three hour's drive from home in , I received a message from my wife. She was shaken and had trouble explaining to me that her brother, Steve, had been brought to the hospital with a ruptured colon and was not expected to survive the day.

Apparently, a thinning of the intestinal walls is one complication from the cancer treatment.

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I jumped in the car for the long three-hour drive home with a deep sense of sadness and remorse. The nagging feeling in the back of my mind was what a waste it would be if the knowledge Steve had of the Apocalypse and his faith would not be passed on, especially to my children. And so I began to pray as my wife and children had been doing ever since Steve had become sick. I asked that if it were possible, for "with Him all things are possible," [cf. Due to my weak faith, I assumed this was folly but there was nothing else to do. I continued my drive and my conversation with the Lord.

When I got home, I expected to be greeted with the news of Steve's passing but instead was informed by my wife that he was hanging on by a thread. The doctors were in a dilemma. He was too weak to operate on and too sick not to. His vital signs were unstable. They decided to operate and by some small miracle, he survived the night. The next few days, I watched the children while my wife and her family went to the hospital.

They arranged for the sacrament of healing from a priest at the hospital. Steve was in a death grip. His face was contorted and pale. During the prayers for the sick, he changed. He took on a pinkish color and his whole body seemed to relax. By one count, he had 14 IV bottles hooked up at once. Although he survived, he was mostly in a coma and so after a week or so I went back to work.

For four weeks, he lay in a coma, heavily sedated and with a tracheotomy tube. When I arrived home for the weekend, I decided to go see Steve with my wife. I felt really strange because it had been awhile since I'd seen him and was afraid he wouldn't recognize me. I was told he was so out of it that he wouldn't know much of anything. When I walked into the room, Steve motioned to me and kept trying to communicate.

I asked if he knew who I was and he smiled and nodded. He would get very frustrated because you can't talk with a tracheotomy tube. Then this pound former Marine began to cry. I grabbed his hand and repeated over and over, "we're going to get through this, God has work for you. Two days after that, he walked out of the hospital and went home. As he recovered, I told him how I had prayed that he would live so that he could write down what he knew about the Apocalypse. At first, I think he thought I was crazy.

Then the letters started coming, typewritten on an old manual typewriter. He still had a rotary phone in No computer, no cell phone. He was still driving a Ford Escort in ]. First, a short letter arrived that explained the symbols in the Book of Daniel and how they will be important in interpreting the Apocalypse.

Then a beautiful letter, a commentary, an Introduction to the Apocalypse followed. As the letters kept coming, they kept getting more detailed, and more beautiful. Because of Steve's medical history, he knew that time was short to complete the task. I kidded with him that he should never complete his commentary because then his mission would be over. His letters also changed during this time.

He began to feel the strong hand of God in his work and began to see it as more than just letters for the family. He wrote, "When I look at what I have written, I am greeted by evidence of the grace of God, for some of the things explained have not been explained in nineteen centuries. When I was young, I never thought I would write something like this. When it is all typed up, I will not even speculate on what God will do with it. I have not the foggiest idea. But it was quite natural that the Seer should have regarded his banishment to Patmos as prearranged by Divine Providence that in the solitude of the island he might hear God's word.

The tradition recorded by Eusebius finds confirmation in the words of the Seer describing himself as "a brother and partaker in tribulation" 1: Irenaeus places the Seer's exile in Patmos at the end of Domitian's reign.

The Emperor Domitian reigned A. In all matters of Joannine tradition Irenaeus deserves exceptional credit. His lifetime bordered upon the Apostolic age and his master, St. Polycarp , had been among the disciples of St. Eusebius , chronicling the statement of Irenaeus without any misgivings, adds as the year of the Seer's exile the fourteenth of Domitian's reign. Jerome also, without reserve or hesitation, follows the same tradition. Against the united testimony of these three witnesses of tradition the statement of Epiphanius placing the Seer's banishment in the reign of Claudius, A.

Contents The seven Churches Title and description of the book 1: The vision of Jesus as the Son of Man 1: The epistles to the seven Churches 2: The Epistles are short exhortations to the Christians to remain steadfast in their faith , to beware of false apostles and to abstain from fornication and from meat offered to idols. The book with the seven seals The vision of God enthroned upon the cherubim chapters 4 and 5 The throne is surrounded by twenty-four elders.

In the right hand of God is a scroll sealed with seven seals. In the midst of the Cherubim and the elders the Seer beholds a lamb , "agnus tamquam occisus", having on its throat the scar of the gash by which it was slain. The Seer weeps because no one either in heaven or on earth can break the seals. He is comforted on hearing that the lamb was worthy to do so because of the redemption it had wrought by its blood. The portrait of the throne is taken from Ezechiel 1.

Compare in both accounts the description of the four beasts. They resemble a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle.

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Their bodies are full of eyes cf. The twenty-four elders were probably suggested by the twenty-four courses of priests ministering in the Temple. The lamb slain for the sins of mankind is from Isaias The seven seals and the numbering of the saints chapters 6 and 7 At the opening of four seals , four horses appear.

Their colour is white, black, red, and sallow, or green chloros , piebald.

Apocalypse: A Catholic Perspective on the Book of Revelation

They signify conquest, slaughter, dearth and death. The vision is taken from Zechariah 6: At the opening of the fifth seal the Seer beholds the martyrs that were slain and hears their prayers for the final triumph. At the opening of the sixth seal the predestined to glory are numbered and marked.

The Seer beholds them divided into two classes. First, , Jews , 12, of every tribe. Then a numberless multitude chosen from all nations and tongues. The seventh seal chapters 8 and 9 After the interval of about half an hour, the seventh seal is broken; seven angels issue forth, each one holding a trumpet.

The sounding of the first four trumpets causes a partial destruction of the elements of nature. One-third of the earth is burned, as also one-third of the trees and all the grass. One-third of the sea becomes blood cf. One-third of the rivers is turned into water of wormwood.

Apocalypse

One-third of the sun, moon, and stars is obscured, causing one-third of the day to be dark cf. At the sounding of the fifth trumpet locusts ascend from the abyss. Their work is to torment men for five months, They are specially charged not to touch the grass. Their shape is that of horses Joel 2: They have the tails of scorpions where with to chastise man. The command over them is held by the Angel of the Abyss , named Abaddon , the destroyer.

At the sound of the sixth trumpet the four angels chained at the Euphrates are let loose. They lead forth an army of horsemen. By the fire which the horses spit out and by their tails which are like serpents, one-third of mankind is killed. After the sixth trumpet there are two digressions.

He swears that at the sound of the seventh trumpet the mystery will be completed. He hands to the Seer a little book. When eaten by him it is found sweet to taste, but bitter when once devoured. Taken from Ezekiel 2: It lasts three and a half years. Taken from Daniel 7: During that time two witnesses are sent to preach in Jerusalem. They are the two olive-trees foretold by Zechariah 4: At the end of their mission they are slain by the beast. The seventh trumpet is now sounded, the nations are judged and the kingdom of Christ is established.

The divine drama First act chapters The lamb, the woman, and her seed; and opposed to them, the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the land. The main idea is taken from Genesis 3: The woman is arrayed in heavenly splendour; a crown of twelve stars on her head and the sun and the moon under her feet cf.

She is in travail. Her first-born is destined to rule all the nation Psalm 2: She herself, and her other seed, are persecuted for three and a half years by the great dragon who tries to kill them. The great dragon is Satan Genesis 3: He is cast out of heaven. With his tail he drags after him one-third of the stars. Taken from Daniel 8: The fallen stars are the fallen angels. The beast from the sea is in great part taken from Daniel's description of the four beasts. It arises from the sea Daniel 7: It had also ten horns, like the fourth beast of Daniel 7: The great dragon gives full power unto the beast, whereupon all the world worship it viz.

The followers of the beast have its mark on their head and hand. The beast from the land has two horns like a ram. Its power lies in its art of deceiving by means of tokens and miracles. Throughout the remainder of the book it is called the false prophet. Its office is to assist the beast from the sea, and to induce men to adore its image.

The first act of the drama concludes with a promise of victory over the beast by the lamb of God. Second act chapters The seven vials. They are the seven plagues preceding the destruction of the great city, Babylon. They were for the greater part suggested by the Egyptian plagues.

The first vial is poured out on the earth. Men and beasts are smitten with ulcers Exodus 9: The second and third vial upon the seas and rivers. They become blood Exodus 7: The fourth vial upon the sun. It burns men to death.

Apocalypse: A Catholic Perspective on the Book of Revelation - By Br. Benet S. Exton

The fifth vial upon the throne of the beast. It causes great darkness Exodus The sixth vial upon the Euphrates. Its waters are dried up and form a passage for the kings of the East Exodus The seventh upon the air. Storm and earthquake destroy Babylon. Third act chapters The great harlot. She is seated upon the scarlet beast with the seven heads and ten horns. She is robed in scarlet and decked with gold. On her head is written: Mystery, Babylon the great. The kings of the earth commit fornication with her.

But the day of her visitation has come. She is made a desolate place, the habitation of unclean animals Leviticus Her fall is lamented by the rulers and merchants of the earth. Fourth act chapters The victory over the beast and the great dragon. A knight appears mounted on a white horse. His name is "The word of God". He defeats the beast and the false prophet. They are cast alive in the pool of fire. Their defeat is followed by the first resurrection and the reign of Christ for a thousand years.

The martyrs rise to life and partake with Christ in glory and happiness. During these thousand years the great dragon is held in chains. At their completion he is once more set at large to torment the earth. He deceives the nations Gog and Magog. These two names are taken from Ezekiel 28 and 39 , where however Gog is the king of Magog. At last he also is cast for all eternity in the pool of fire. Hereupon the general judgement and the resurrection take place. Fifth act chapters The new Jerusalem cf.

Though the perspective is eschatological—ultimate salvation and victory are said to take place at the end of the present age when Christ will come in glory at the parousia—the book presents the decisive struggle of Christ and his followers against Satan and his cohorts as already over. Even the forces of evil unwittingly carry out the divine plan Rev The Book of Revelation had its origin in a time of crisis, but it remains valid and meaningful for Christians of all time. Those who remain steadfast in their faith and confidence in the risen Lord need have no fear.

Suffering, persecution, even death by martyrdom, though remaining impenetrable mysteries of evil, do not comprise an absurd dead end. No matter what adversity or sacrifice Christians may endure, they will in the end triumph over Satan and his forces because of their fidelity to Christ the victor. This is the enduring message of the book; it is a message of hope and consolation and challenge for all who dare to believe. The author of the book calls himself John Rev 1: Although he never claims to be John the apostle, whose name is attached to the fourth gospel, he was so identified by several of the early church Fathers, including Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Hippolytus.

Indeed, vocabulary, grammar, and style make it doubtful that the book could have been put into its present form by the same person s responsible for the fourth gospel. Nevertheless, there are definite linguistic and theological affinities between the two books. The tone of the letters to the seven churches Rev 1:

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