Search
Revelation: Projecting the Past & Present into the Future
-
First Readings for Daily Masses in Weeks 33 - 34 of Ordinary Time, Year II
-
Filled with vivid images and symbols, the Book of Revelation has captured the imaginations of Christians for centuries. Imprisoned on the island of Patmos in Asia Minor, the author – named John, but probably not the Apostle John – tells us of a series of visions he has experienced. While seeming to be a literal foretelling of the future, the visions of Revelation are best understood as being apocalyptic descriptions of the recent past and the present, which are entirely consistent with the Jewish apocalyptic literature of this period.
-
-
Apocalyptic is a genre of prophecy developed in Judaism after the Babylonian exile. Apocalyptic literature “unveils” things that it implies were not possible to know before the current moment. In the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), apocalyptic is found in portions of Isaiah 24-35, Jeremiah 33, Ezekiel 38-39, Joel 3, and Zechariah 12-14, but it is most fully developed in Daniel 7-12. In the New Testament, it is found in portions of Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, 2 Thessalonians 2, 1 Timothy 4, 2 Peter 3, and Jude, but it is most fully developed in the Book of Revelation.
-
-
-
John is writing to Christian communities in Asia Minor who have suffered bitter persecution from the Roman Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD). By depicting the recent tragedies as part of a cosmic fight between good and evil, John exhorts the communities to remain steadfast in faith. While we do not know enough about the specific trials that the Christian communities suffered in the late first century to definitively correlate them with specific symbols in Revelation, we can make a few educated guesses. For example, biblical scholars feel confident that the red dragon in 12:1-6 with seven heads and ten horns represents the Roman Empire. The woman in this same passage is probably not only a representation of Mary giving birth to Christ, but also a symbol of the Church as a whole. One possible way to understand the overall structure of Revelation is the Mass. The first half – with the Lamb breaking open the seals on the Book of Life – corresponds to the Liturgy of the Word. The second half – with the countless multitudes worshiping the Lamb – corresponds to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
-
-
-
-
-
The response to the first reading during these weeks is always from the Book of Psalms. The gospel readings are taken from the Gospel of Luke, chapters 18 - 21.
This concludes page 39 of 40 in our Lectionary Guide. For a comprehensive reading of the entire guide, we suggest going on to the final page, Solemnities, Feasts, & Memorials (page still under construction).
-
