This lecture is about what Revelation is not. It is not an account of a war between America and the Anti-Christ. It is not about Armageddon -- the supposed last battle at the end times, and it is not about hidden secrets or hidden teachings. 

This lecture is important because it sets the tone for what is to come. It equips you with the tools you need to follow along and helps adjust your vision of the book so that you can reap the many blessings promised in this Book.

To do so, we harness much of what we have learned in the Catholic Foundation Library (CFL) and put it to good use. Much of what we have seen in the CFL is repeated here briefly to allow you to follow even if you have no familiarity with the four senses of scripture, the covenant, symbols in scripture, the Temple of Jerusalem, the angelic order, and other topics in the CFL.

The Book of Revelation needs to be understood in the context of the whole of Scripture and this is what this study will do.

In this lecture, we cover verses 1 through 3 of the first chapter. These verses affirm the sacred humanity of our Lord. It helps us answer the critical question of being a witness. What does it mean to be a witness for Christ?

It shows us that morality (how we live) is intimately joined to theology (what we believe). This a predominant theme of the Book of Revelation and is in harmony with the four senses where the moral sense is built upon the literal sense.

Highlights

• Is Revelation about the destruction of Rome?
• What does it mean when we say that Christians are required to bear witness?
• What is morality? It is incarnate theology: theology in the body.
• Do the majority of people go to hell?

Verses 4 - 7 provide us with an interpretative key: Approaching Revelation as a Liturgy yields abundant fruits. An important principle that will be often repeated is that Catholics cannot separate the Liturgy from the rest of their week because the Lord of Heaven and earth does not.

We learn more about faithful and unfaithful witnesses by reflecting on the roles that Adam, Judas, St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist played in the life of Christ.

Highlights

• How does God have mercy on us? Through the Liturgy.
• How does God shower us with grace? Through the Mass.
• Is Jesus the King of Christians only?
• How are we to love our brothers and sisters? Hint: think Liturgy.

In verses 7 through 11 of chapter 1 of Revelation, Jesus tells us "I am coming soon." What did He mean by that? Oftentimes, we inject into ancient language modern notions foreign to the original mean. The more common the words are, the greater is the confusion.

The coming of the Lord is a case in point. Our modern materialistic interpretation bends this verb to mean only a physical manifestation visible to the naked eye but when we look at Revelation through the prism of the Liturgy, the meaning of this word changes to something more substantial and perennial.

Highlights

• What does the coming of the Lord imply? The end of the world?
• As Catholics, we can see the Lord in a very special way. How?
• Is suffering necessary to enter the Kingdom?
• What were trumpets used for in ancient Israel

In verses 12 through 20 of the first chapter of Revelation, Our Lord appears to St. John between the seven lampstands. His appearance defies any alien we have seen in movies. Why? 

The seven lampstands are the seven catholic churches that are part of St John's diocese. We will have more to say about the deep connection between the structure and hierarchy of the Church Christ established and the Book of Revelation. In this lecture, our focus is on Our Lord's appearance and the reason for it.

Highlights

• When St. John saw Jesus, he fell down as though dead. What would be your reaction? Why?
• Why do we have a paschal candle in churches? Why is it placed at the right-hand side of the altar?
• Why is the Gospel read on the right-hand side of the altar?
• What are the powers of a bishop?
• What role do angels play in the physical universe?

This lecture surveys all seven letters and describes their inner structure. Each letter is structured according to the ancient covenantal lawsuit that the strongest party would bring against the weakest party in the covenant.

Two of these seven letters depart from this structure in a remarkable way: they are not lawsuits but letters of praise and prophecy. The remaining five follow the structure precisely.

In these letters, the Lord is reminding each local church of their commitment to the New Covenant and presents to them and us the blessings and curses that flow from the covenant: blessings if we are faithful, curses if we are unfaithful.

The letters showcase the patience of God and his forbearance. Truly the prayer "do not look upon our sins but the faith of your Church" finds one of its greatest confirmation in these letters.

Highlights

• Is it true that anyone who opposes God is a "Satan"?
• Does God put us to the test? If so, why?
• Can we call ourselves Catholics if we compromise the truth?

In this lecture, we study the letters to Ephesus and Smyrna. Ephesus ranked first amongst the seven cities in power and prestige within the Roman Empire. With a population of 250,000, it was known for its sales of idols and charms. The Temple of Diana was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and Ephesus had religious cults dedicated to the worship of four emperors: Julius Caesar, Claudius, Hadrian, and Severus.

With an estimated population of about 200,000, it was a commercial center and had an important seaport. It had temples for Cybel and Zeus and worshiped the emperor Tiberius as a god.

Highlights

• No matter who the immediate enemy is, Satan remains the ultimate enemy of the Church.
• The Church was not popular in the first century just as she is not popular in the twenty-first century.
• The Church was plagued by attacks from within and without. How did she prosper?

Pergamum was the official center of emperor worship in Asia Minor. It ranked second in importance amongst the seven cities and had a pantheon of deities. Thyatira, on the other hand, is a city of workers where guilds have flourished with the establishment of the Pax Romana (the Roman Peace).

Emperor worship was very active in Pergamum and Christians were faced with serious opposition and downright persecution. Christ tells the Christians of Pergamum that he knows where they dwell: where Satan's throne is. The Church in Pergamum is plagued with internal dissent and downright heretical teachings. Christ warns that unless they repent, He will come quickly and chastise them.

Guild members in Thyatira were required to offer a cult to the Emperor which is against the Christian faith. This left Christian workers in a bind for if they do not offer the Emperor a cult, they will not be able to join a guild and find a job; on the other hand, they cannot offer a cult to the Emperor without offending Christ.

As a result a certain woman, whom Christ calls Jezebel, proposed that it would be right for Christians to compromise, and this provokes the Lord's wrath. He will throw her on a bed of sickness and kill her children. To those who do not follow her, he places no other burden than to remain faithful.

Highlights

• What does it mean to "dwell where Satan's throne is?"
• Who is this woman, Jezebel, and how relevant is she to our own time?
• What is the relationship of all of this to the Council of Jerusalem?

Sardis had a population of 120,000 and Christ declares to this particular church that "they are dead." In this letter, God shows us his patience and his mercy. He does not requite us according to what we deserve but according to his great mercy.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, receives no rebuke but praise. He then reveals to them that an hour of testing is coming on the whole world and that he will keep them from it, that is, he will give them the strength to endure and be victorious.

Highlights

• Simon Peter is Jesus' first-born.
• We talk about apostolic succession.
• What is the key of David?

Laodecia was a city known for its banking and trading. So wealthy it was that when a major earthquake struck it down before 70 A.D. Laodicea rebuilt itself without requesting aid from the Emperor.

The Church of Laodicea receives the worst rebuke: it is neither hot nor cold. Generally, readers of Scripture understand these two words hot and cold as referring to the internal disposition of the faithful: "hot" means alive with faith, and "cold" means turning away from God and being upset with Him, or something equivalent. Lukewarm is interpreted to mean indifferent. This is a typical case of injecting into the Scripture a meaning that is simply not there. The meaning of these words is entirely different.

We complete our study of the letter to Philadelphia and then cover Laodicea.

Highlights

• God wants us to do something for His glory. Always.
• Are we blind to our sins?
• Can we understand God's love outside the covenant?
• Can we enter Heaven without being constantly watchful? If so how can we be constantly watchful without our guardian angel?

In this lecture, we complete our study of the Letter to Laodicea and then we take a step back and start to look at all the letters together in light of what we have learned.

 In particular, we look at various passages of Scripture that carry a similar message to these letters to underscore the fact that despite specific imagery and symbols, the content of the Book of Revelation is not unique in Scripture; it is mainstream.

Highlights

• Will we participate in God's judgment of the world?
• What is Jesus' new name?
• The fundamental meaning of the 7 letters.

After a detailed study of the covenantal structure of the letters and the background of the cities where the churches were housed, it is very easy to lose sight of the overall picture

What is the purpose of these letters and why were they given to John at the beginning of the Book of Revelation? Some theologians propose that the Letters and the rest of the book were two separate and unrelated visions glued together by a rather clumsy editor.

I beg to differ.

The supernatural reality of the Church as a meeting place of heaven and earth is a very fruitful key (strange image, I know... you think about it) for the Book of Revelation. What we discover in these letters is: Christ loves his Church so much he will use the world to constantly purify her and make her holy. We discover that Christ rules the world through his Church and He directs all the events of history to their final appointed end, free will notwithstanding.

These notions may seem sterile at first or boring until you begin to live fully in the mystery of Christ, his bride, his one true love: the Catholic Church. This is a fitting summary for these seven letters.

Come and share the mystery.

Highlights

• Chapter 4 is similar to chapters 2 and 3 but with a different perspective.
• Christ is subservient to the Church. Shocking? Read Ephesians 5.
• Christ wishes for the world to be saved... through his Church.

This lecture is an overview of the vision of the throne and the coming of the Lamb. We focus on the overall structure of the text and its meaning without delving too much into specific details.

The purpose here is to understand the reason that led Saint John to go up to Heaven. Did he go "in the Spirit?" What the seemingly strange vision of the throne means and the presence of the Lion of Judah who appears as a "Lamb standing as though slain."?

Highlight

• What is the meaning of the sea of crystal?
• What is the relationship between computers and angels?
• Why do we use incense at Mass and what does incense have to do with our daily lives?
• Are Catholics called to whine or reign; and if to reign, then how?

In this lecture we continue our kite-level survey of chapters 4 and 5, paying particular attention to the scroll that the Lamb takes from the hand of the One Who was, Who is, and Who is to come.

Was the scroll with God the Father from all eternity? Why did St. John see it just now? Why was St. John weeping?

Next, we look at Luke 10, Romans 8, and Ephesians 3 in order to see that what is spoken about in Revelation is not foreign to the rest of Scripture but is part and parcel of the Christian message and should not be ignored.

Highlight

• Is communion the primary reason we go to Mass? Not really. Find out why.
• What is the power of the petition?
• Does the Church teach angels? Yes. Find out why and how.

Comparing Chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation to Exodus 25, Hebrews 8 and 12, Luke 10, and 1 Timothy 3 reinforce the idea that the last book of the bible is not "strange" but that it needs to be understood in the broader context of the Old and the New Testament.

Next, we begin to study the text in detail by completing our study of the throne, and the precious stones used to describe God the Father before moving on to the scroll. We explain what this scroll is and show how it applies to our own time. Lastly, we study the first horseman of the Apocalypse. We take a closer look at chapters 4, 5, and 6.

Highlight

• The way we men treat women is correlated to the way we treat the Church.
• What are precious stones for? Find out.
• What is the meaning of the bow that is given to the first horseman?

Art in cover By Beringarius

Who are the four riders of the Apocalypse and what do they represent? More importantly, why are they sent down to Earth, and for what purpose?

In this lecture, we continue our study of the seven seals by studying these four strange horsemen. We show that these riders have been seen previously in Scripture for an identical purpose, specifically in the book of Zechariah.

If we keep in mind that these horsemen appear during the liturgy of the Eucharist we begin to understand the fundamental purpose of the Liturgy...

Highlights

• What is the purpose of the Catholic Church?
• How will the Universe be redeemed?
• What is a quart and what is a denarius?

The four riders have been sent, and now Christ opens the fifth seal. Souls from under the altar raise their voices in prayer. What are they doing under the altar? What is the meaning of their prayer?

Furthermore, they are told to wait a little while until the number of their brethren is complete. How long? Is this about the end of the world?

Once more, the four senses of scripture and the Covenant come to our aid, and when combined with the prophets and the Liturgy, we can form a sound understanding of this text that applies to us today and enrich our lives and our faith.

Highlight

• What is the meaning of the rainbow that appears behind the throne of God?
• Why are the souls under the altar given white robes?
• Do souls in heaven have a body to cover with a white robe?

The sixth seal is the longest and the most complex. It is comprised of a tryptic consisting of the cosmic decreation; a scene in which God de-creates the world, the sealing of the 144,000, and finally the multitude that could not be numbered.

In this lecture, we focus on the first part, the de-creation of the world described in chapter 6 from verses 12 through 17. The series on symbolism in the Scripture, the end times in the New Covenant, and the prophets help us to understand the language used here and its literal meaning. By reading this text against its Old Testament background we deepen our understanding of God's purpose and his plan of salvation.

Highlights

• Why are the stars falling and the sun becoming black as sackcloth? Why not black as night?
• Why do the kings of the earth and the great men hide in caves? What does it say about us today?
• What is the "wrath of the Lamb?" Can Jesus be wrathful? If so how?

In Chapter 7, verses 1 through 17, we learn of the 144,000 sealed by the hand of an angel. In fact, angelic activity is significant since there are angels holding back the four winds to prevent them from doing harm to earth, sea, and trees, and there is a great angel that ascends from the rising of the sun and another that is sealing the 144,000.

What are the four winds of the earth and what is their relationship to the four horsemen in the first four seals? Who are the 144,000 and why are they sealed? What is the literal meaning of all of this and does it have any application for our lives today, or is it only restricted to the end times?

Also, how does this relate to the Liturgy?

Highlights

• God would be unjust if sin was unpunished.
• Are the saints naked in heaven?
• Our guardian angel illuminates our soul.

In this final section of the sixth seal we witness a great multitude that cannot be numbered who come in praise of the One who sits on the throne and the Lamb.

Is this multitude the Church Triumphant of the saints in heaven? Is this a scene from the end times? If this is so, then it includes St. John. Does he see himself walking amongst this great multitude? Could it be that the literal meaning here is about something different, something more familiar that involves us all? Something we, as Catholics, take part in Sunday after Sunday?

What is the true power of the Liturgy? Do you know what you are doing when you go to Mass?

Highlights

• Are the 144,000 and the great multitude one and the same?
• Why do they carry palm branches? Why do we carry palm branches on Palm Sunday?
• How is this related to the Feast of Dedication (Hannukah) and the Feast of Tabernacles in the Temple of Jerusalem?

The Seventh Seal is about silence. St. John tells us that when the Lord opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about 1/2 hour.

In this lecture, we wrap up our study of the seventh seal by clarifying the meaning of this silence. To do so we look at Psalm 76, Wisdom 8, Jeremiah 23, Isaiah 41 and 42, Lamentations 3, and Ezekiel 16, amongst many texts to understand the meaning of silence in Scripture and see how it applies here at the closure of the seals and the opening of the trumpets.

Highlights

• What is the purpose of silence in your own life? Do you love silence?
• How does silence affect me when I act contrary to the law of God?
• Should we always sing during the Liturgy or should we have silent moments?

The Seven Trumpets are governed by four intrinsic movements from earth to heaven and back. Why and what do these continual movements mean?

First, St. John witnesses the first four trumpets blown from heaven and their effect on the natural environment of wicked men. Next, the events move from heaven to Earth where we see a mighty angel proclaiming that there shall be no more delay and he sends his witnesses to witness against the city where the Lord has been crucified.

Next, we move back up to heaven and see the Woman clothed with the sun and the dragon. A cosmic battle ensues between the dragon and St. Michael the Archangel and once more the events are brought back down to Earth where the dragon is in hot pursuit after the offspring of the woman.

Finally, we move back up to heaven and see the Lord and the 144,000 accompanying him immediately before the close of the section of the Trumpets.

These movements help to explain how the Liturgy works: the entire process is liturgical and shows that the liturgy (heaven) is inherently involved in the history of the world and that in more ways than one the liturgy shapes the history of mankind.

We also are given to understand that the devil wants to disrupt the Liturgy more than anything else because he knows where the true power lies.

Art in the cover courtesy of Wikimedia

The first four trumpets bring about a partial punishment by inflicting pain on man through nature.

They afflict nature in all its form but do not destroy it. These trumpets are an act of decreation since the grass, trees, earth, sea, stars, sun, and moon are all affected by these trumpets. These trumpets are also similar in content to the plagues of Egypt and we get to understand why.

Highlights

• How were trumpets used in the Old Testament and how does this shed light on their use in the Apocalypse?
• What do we learn from the feast of trumpets?
• Where is the blood coming from?

The first trumpet burns 1/3 of the earth, 1/3 of the trees, and all green grass. The second trumpet causes 1/3 of the sea to become blood, 1/3 of the living creatures in the sea to die and 1/3 of the ships to be destroyed and the third trumpet causes 1/3 of the waters to become bitter so that many men died of the water that was made bitter.

These three trumpets affect the natural context in which man lives. This effect is partial (1/3) and indirect since these plagues do not target man directly. This is left for later.

Beyond the obvious meaning of these woes there lies the plagues of Egypt. Numerous scriptural passages are implicitly called upon here and this talk will explore these trumpets in the context of the Old Testament to help us better understand their meaning and their impact on our daily lives.

Highlights

• Why does Revelation replace the hail of the Egyptian plague with blood?
• What does the fact that God commanded Ezekiel to cut his hair and divide it into thirds have to do with these trumpets?
• Which mountain is intended here? How can we tell?
• Does the falling star have anything to do with the judgment on Babylon in Isaiah 14?

Now the sun, moon, and stars are under attack: they are all dimmed so that their light is less than what it should be.

Is this reality physically felt as in stars turning into black holes or imploding? To understand this we need to keep in mind the prophetic context of Revelation and turn to the prophetic books that give us the proper interpretative key to understand these two trumpets properly.

Highlights

• Is there a relationship between the sun, the moon, and idolaters?
• Are these stars real stars? Are we speaking of angels here?
• Is there a relationship between these cosmic events and the Temple?

If the first four trumpets dealt a blow to the natural surroundings of man, the fifth and sixth trumpets are far deadlier since they involve demonic intervention.

Unlike the common portrayals of demons attacking a man in his flesh, however, in these plagues, the demonic attack consists primarily in deceiving those who have rejected the Lamb. The seal of protection that God gave believers earlier does not protect them from physical harm -- many are martyred; rather it protects their intellect from the deception that has now come.

This talk builds on our understanding of the Covenant to properly explain how the demonic attacks fit within God's redemptive plan. This is a great source of consolation for the oppressed to know that God watches over his Church and that all the events of history are his instrument of salvation that He allows for His greater glory. Finally, the Liturgy is his heavenly court where He hears our petitions, nourishes us, and responds to our needs by effecting changes in the history of mankind.

Liturgy makes history.

Highlights

• What is the pit opened by the mighty angel?
• What are the demonic locusts?
• Why is the emphasis on the horses? Why do they have tails like serpents and a face that defies imagination?

In the midst of the sixth trumpet, St. John finds himself back on Earth next to an angel of extraordinary appearance who stands, one foot on water and one foot on land indicating that God's kingdom covers Israel and the Gentiles.

The angel raises his hands to heaven and swears an oath that the mystery that was hidden before all the ages will now be revealed without any longer delay.

This is the preparatory step for what is to come when the seventh trumpet is blown. After the first six plagues, God now initiates his plan, his revealing of that mystery which forms the crux of the Book of Revelation and which constitutes, perhaps, the most original contribution of the Book of Revelation to the body of revealed Truth.

In this talk, we study the countenance of the angel and his message and we explain how his part fits in the rest of the cosmic tragedy being played before our eyes. In particular, we explain why this angel need not be Christ while having many Christ-like features and, as usual, the interpretive key is the liturgy.

Liturgy makes history.

Highlights

• Why is this angel given attributes that apply only to God?
• What is the mystery that will be fulfilled imminently?
• What is the little scroll that St. John is asked to eat?

The angel gives St. John a measuring rod and he is instructed to measure the Holy of the Temple and to leave the rest out, but then the narrative takes a seemingly unexpected turn and we are introduced to two witnesses who will prophesy for three and a half years, shutting the sky and having the power to turn water into blood. And yet these witnesses will be defeated by the ascending beast from the abyss ...

This talk provides a detailed explanation of these difficult passages and shows how they fall naturally in-line with what came before them and what comes after. It explains why witnessing is important before the seventh trumpet sounds and the role it plays in advancing God's plan of salvation.

Highlights

• Why is St. John asked to measure the Holy and to leave the rest of the Temple out?
• Who are the two witnesses? What are they witnessing?
• Why is the power given to the beast to defeat them?

If the book of Revelation was a cathedral, the seventh trumpet would be the apex of its central dome. Here, the drama reaches its highest point since the mystery hidden from all ages is about to be revealed -- the subject proper of this book.

In this chapter, we look at the overall structure of the 4 chapters that are the subject of the seventh trumpet and gain insight into the flow of these hard-to-interpret events. We do this in preparation for a more detailed study to follow, primarily because we do not want to lose track of the overall meaning of the Book of Revelation, for if it is hard to understand the details of this great book it is still harder to grasp the overall significance and the primary message conveyed to us.

Verses 11:15 through 12:2 are an antiphonal hymn that the congregation and the 24 elders sing: "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of God." In this talk we examine these verses in detail, paying special attention to the following question: "Has the Kingdom of God been realized in the world?"

A purely eschatological reading of this text would suggest that the Kingdom of the world will become the Kingdom of God at the end times. While this may seem a mere theological discussion, the implications are formidable. If it is true that the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of God at the end times only, then the only logical thing to do for Christians is to hold fast to what they were given and to pray for the end of the world.

If on the other hand, the kingdom of the world became the Kingdom of God during the life-time of St. John, then the only logical thing to do for a Christian is to evangelize the world and make that kingdom know.

In the former case, we are led to a form of quietism that says, the world will go from bad to worse and then the end will come. In the latter, we say, to the extent that the world is faithful to Christ, the world will be blessed, and, to the extent that it is faithless, it will be cursed. There will be plenty of ups and downs but since the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of God, there will be more ups than downs and we must engage the world fully at every age.

This is why the Book of Revelation is highly relevant to our own time: it tells us that the kingdom of God -- that is the Catholic Church -- will engage the world at every age and will bring souls to Christ for the greater glory of God.

What is the significance of the heavenly battle between Michael the Archangel and the devil and his followers?

Does this scene depict the primordial battle between the angels who stood the test that God gave them and those who rebelled or is it a much more recent battle that draws its strength from the Cross of Christ? And if it is the latter, then how could it be said that the dragon was in heaven?

In this talk, we explore these themes and discover a surprising fact, namely that this battle between St. Michael and the Devil is an essential element for the expansion of the Church and for the participation of many in the Liturgy.

What is the significance of the war in the heavens, opposing Michael the Archangel and the devil and his followers?

Does this scene depict the primordial battle between the angels who stood the test that God gave them and those who rebelled, or is it a much more recent battle that draws its strength from the Cross of Christ? And if it is the latter, then how could it be said that the dragon was in heaven?

In this talk, we explore these themes and discover a surprising fact, namely that this battle between St. Michael and the Devil is an essential element for the expansion of the Church and for the participation of many in the Liturgy.

Highlights

• Why is the devil depicted as a red dragon with seven heads and ten diadems?
• Who is the woman the dragon is pursuing?
• What does it mean that the woman fled on the wings of the great eagle? Is there a historical significance to these events?

Icon in the covert art: St Michael Archangel Of The Apocalypse, Ruzhnikov Art.

The dragon has been hurled to the earth, depriving him of his position as the Accuser of the brethren but it does not mean that he is defeated. In this talk, we learn about the two beasts that the dragon summons. The first beast emerges from the sea while the second comes from the land.

With these two beasts, the dragon mounts a two-pronged attack against the Church and the believers. It may seem unsettling, at first, that the defeat of the dragon is followed by greater persecution of the Church, but this pattern sheds light on the history of the Church and the persecution Catholics suffered throughout the ages.

Highlights

• What is the significance of the beast rising from the sea?
• What is the significance of the beast from the land?
• How could the beast from the land work great signs?
• Why is God allowing the beast from the land to deceive those who inhabit the earth?

Art in cover by medieval - crop

This chapter marks the end of the seventh trumpet and its seven signs. The sign of triumph appears towards the end of the section. He who perseveres will be saved.

These seven signs are

1. The woman
2. The Dragon
3. The beast from the sea
4. The beast from the land
5. The Lamb and the 144,000
6. The Proclamation of the Gospel
7. The harvest of the Earth
8. The Triumph of the Saint.

Salvation, therefore, is not guaranteed and God, who loves us, will not procure us final perseverance unless we ask for it daily.

This talk will explain the significance of Christ on Mount Zion and its relationship to the Liturgy. In fact, without the Liturgy, this passage becomes difficult to understand in a manner that is meaningful to all the Christians who have lived during these twenty-one centuries. As you listen to this talk, it will become progressively clearer that purely end-of-time or purely pre-70 A.D. interpretations are untenable, and that the Book of Revelation calls for an interpretation grounded in the Sacred Liturgy of the Catholic Church.

Highlights

• Why is Christ standing with the 144,000 on Mount Zion? What does it mean for us today?
• Why are the 144,000 called "first fruits"?
• What is the significance of the "new song" and why is it the "song of Moses"? Also, who is singing this song?
• Who is this mysterious figure sitting on a cloud?

In this talk, we present an overview of the Bowls of Wrath then delve into Chapter 15. In this chapter, we see seven angels in pure white linen, their breasts girded with golden girdles. Earlier, these seven angels appear with the seven plagues which St. John calls "a wonderful portent" and this causes rejoicing amongst the saints who then sing a new song, the "song of Moses and of Jesus Christ."

Heaven rejoices over God's wrath about to be poured out onto the world. This is a hard concept for many of us who have forgotten that God is holy, not because He is merciful but because He is just... this according to Scripture.

Being able to rejoice in God's justice is the hallmark of a true Christian. In heaven, we shall see all things according to his justice and his mercy. If we could not rejoice in his justice in heaven, how could we be happy to a supreme degree knowing that a spouse, a daughter, a son, or any other person we once loved is in hell?

God's justice is the foundation for peace and joy and his mercy is the crowning of this peace and joy.

Highlights

• What is the significance of the "new song" and why is it the "song of Moses"? Also, who is singing this song?
• Why is no one is able to enter the Temple until the wrath of God has ended?

The first five bowls complete what the first five trumpets began. The trumpets were a partial punishment whereas the bowls are a complete punishment.

They affect all aspects of nature with the intent of disrupting man's economic means of subsistence. Most of us will find it hard that God's punishments are so harsh because most of us do not spend adequate time reflecting on the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell.

These days it is difficult to go to any funeral without hearing the dead being canonized there and then in heaven. It would seem that it is easier to go to heaven than it is to go to Harvard and this laxity in our faith undermines the reverence that is due to God's awesome holiness... so much so that God has become a benign, gentle being that will accept anyone and everyone in heaven.

This chapter is a wake-up call especially when we hear the angels and the altar glorify God for the pain and affliction the bowls are causing amongst those who dwell on the earth. It is a wake-up call to examine ourselves and consider carefully the words of the Lord: wide and easy is the road that leads to perdition and many find it, and narrow and difficult is the path that leads to eternal life and few find it.

God wants us in heaven but we must understand that without the liturgy, without the Church, and without a life of penance we are on the wide and easy path regardless of what we think of ourselves or of God.

The sixth bowl is poured over the river Euphrates to prepare the ways for the kings of the East. As if on cue, the dragon and its two consorts the beast from the sea and the false prophet bring forth three frogs which are demonic spirits to go abroad the entire Earth and assemble the kings for the great battle then the narrative is interrupted with an exhortation from the Lord: I am coming like a thief!

The narrative continues: the Kings are assembled in a place called in Hebrew Armageddon and at the pouring of the seventh trumpet a great voice in heaven declares that "it is done." Meanwhile, on Earth, it is far from being done for an earthquake splits the Great City three ways and every island and mountains fled and they were not be found again right before the plague of hails hit the city.

After reading verses 12 through 21 of chapter 16 we are left to wonder how to make sense of it and yet a proper reading founded in the Old Testament and the liturgy reveals a logical progression of God's wrath: after disrupting the economic means of the Great City He uses the sword to effect the destruction of the city that is now opposing the Covenant and as we rely on the Old Covenant the various symbolic names used, Babylon, Euphrates, Armageddon become clear.

Highlights

• Does the river Euphrates here refer to the actual river Euphrates?
• Why do we see demonic spirits under the guise of frogs?
• Is the exhortation in verse 15 a late insertion? If not how does it fit in the rest of the text?
• Armageddon means -- literally -- Har Megiddo -- that is the Mountain of Megiddo or Mount Megiddo. The trouble is there is no such thing as Mount Megiddo. It does not exist so what do we make of it?

Art in cover: Medieval Spanish, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the preceding chapter, we saw the seven bowls poured out on the world economy leading to the preparation of war. In this chapter, we see the next logical step: the destruction of the center of opposition.

The judgment on the woman who is later associated with Babylon the Great is taken from Jeremiah 51:13 where the prophet predicts absolute judgment on historical Babylon.

John is carried away to the wilderness and he beholds Babylon. Jesus in the wilderness is carried away to the top of the Temple and there the devil tells him "all nations have been given to me." Why carry Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple to make such a declaration?

The woman sitting on the beast indicates power, control, sovereignty

Harlotry has been attributed to Tyre by Isa. 23:15-18, to Nineveh in Nahum 3:4 and Israel has been called a harlot 62 times: Jeremiah (6) times (see Revelation chapter 2), Ezekiel 33 times (16, 23, 43), Hosea (20) times, Joel 4:3, Amos 7:17, Micah 1:7 (2).

Why were Tyre and Nineveh called harlots? Because both Tyre and Nineveh had entered into a covenant with the Lord and had subsequently become faithless to it by returning to idolatry (1 Kgs 5:12, Amos 1:9, Jonah 3:5-10).

Question: When did Rome enter into a covenant for Rome to be called a harlot?

Highlights

• What is the relationship between the harlot and the beast from the land?
• What is the relationship between the harlot and the woman clothed with the sun?
• How is this text applicable today? How are we to understand modern events in light of this text?

The promise of the angel in Chapter 17 to show St. John the "judgment of the great whore sitting on many waters" is being accomplished here. In Chapter 17 we see the cause leading the judgment on the woman.

We can distinguish four parts:

1. The fall of Babylon is depicted (vv 1-3)
2. God's people are exhorted to separate from Babylon before her judgment lest they suffer with her (vv 4-8).
3. Those cooperating with Babylon will lament after her judgment (vv 9-19), and,
4. The faithful will rejoice over her judgment once it is accomplished (vv 20-24)

Seen differently, the faithful are exhorted to leave Babylon before her judgment in five successive and different ways:

1. They are told of the coming judgment and of the need to leave Babylon (vv 18:1-8)
2. They are told that the kings of the Earth will lament her fall (18:9-10)
3. They are told that the merchants will lament her fall (18:11-17a)
4. They are told that the mariners will lament her fall (18:17b-19b)
5. Finally, they are told they will rejoice over her fall and will give glory to God (18:20-19:6)

Highlights

• Why does the angel proclaim Babylon "fallen" (past tense) when the text indicates that it has not yet fallen?
• What is the relationship between liturgy and history?
• How is this text applicable today? How are we to understand modern events in light of this text?

After the fall of Babylon, the heavenly hosts rejoice greatly in the judgment of God; something we Christians need to re-learn and understand for it has a profound impact on our relationship -- personal and communal -- with the Living God.

The rejoicing is not what we might expect or we may be used to: a party. It is in fact liturgical and this is key to the meaning of the liturgy: The celebration and rejoicing in God's glory, justice, and mercy.

This rejoicing is central to the understanding of the Book of Revelation as a whole: a celebration by the Church in the salvific work effected by Jesus Christ: God walks in the midst of His people as He did it in the Garden and it is He that directs history towards its ultimate fulfillment: a hallelujah of exaltation in the marvelous work of the Lord.

Few ideas inflame the imagination as that of the Millennium -- the tantalizing possibility of a 1,000 year of peace on Earth under the visible and perfect Kingship of Jesus Christ.

While Catholics for the most part have been blissfully ignorant of the passionate debate the Millennium engenders in Protestant circles, they are also for the most part unaware of its profound impact on the practice of their faith and the importance of the Mass they participate in.

Highlight

1. What do the words "pit", "chain" and "key" have in common?
2. How did the Jewish and early Christians, contemporaries of St John understand these words?
3. How are we to understand the numeral "1000"?

This last major vision reveals the bride as seen from Heaven. Because the Catholic understanding of Scripture is rooted in the Church and because the Mystical Body of Christ is already glorious, we understand this vision to be a heavenly perspective on the one-and-only Church of Jesus Christ: the Catholic Church.

The Mystical Body of Christ is one, holy, catholic and apostolic on Earth as it is in Heaven. Thus, this bond of unity and love extends throughout the ages and what St. John saw some 2,000 years ago is as relevant and true today as it will be at the end of time.

The uniting bond of love that joins the first vision, that of Christ walking within the particular churches of Chapter 2 and 3 and the heavenly Jerusalem is the Eucharist through which one is transformed into the other -- earthly into heavenly, human into the divine and this process is guided by Providence, the hidden rule of Christ. Thus the book of Revelation witnesses this act of transformation that is on-going throughout history and that can be only comprehended when one realizes the centrality of the Church in the plan of salvation that Christ inaugurated in his incarnation, life, death, and resurrection.

The epilogue hearkens back to the prologue. St. John is presented as the recipient of a prophecy to the Church and the Lord reminds us all that he is to come and he is coming. In fact, the Greek variation on these two words "ecromai" is repeated seven times in chapter 22.

But what does "the coming of the Lord" means? Does it mean the final and glorious coming of Jesus when He will judge the living and the dead? Yes, it does, but does it mean only that?

In Catholic theology, the "coming" of the Lord is a daily happening. It is not merely symbolic or equivalent to God's omnipresence; rather it is substantial, real, material, and tangible: the Eucharistic meal that recapitulates and proclaims the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

This does not mean however that Catholicism merely "reduces" the Book of Revelation to the Mass; it means instead that the Book of Revelation reveals to us the unfathomable riches hidden in the Liturgy and teaches us the proper way in which God ought to be worshiped.

In the final analysis, the Mass is this song of Love reminiscent of the Song of Songs where the Heavenly court of the Divine King is open and where his children come to glorify God, make their petitions known, and partake at the Heavenly banquet. In return, God makes his decree known and Christ continues to rule over the world (the intent behind his coming) for the greater good of His Church.

The Book of Revelation is as much the Revelation of Jesus Christ as it is His Church.