Apocalypse through the eyes of a contemporary. Interpretation of the book "Revelation" by the Apostle John the Theologian
Chapter 1
(1.)
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his servants what must soon take place.
And He showed it, sending it through His Angel to His servant John, “ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
”, means that Revelation comes from Jesus and is shown by Jesus, but the words: “
which God gave Him
” testify that Jesus does not teach this Revelation by Himself, but its source is God.
In fact, all future events are known only to God, since He is outside of time. Even Jesus does not know what God knows, for Jesus is a Man. And in this case, as in His earthly life, Jesus, being a Man, is an Angel of God. This is all the more obvious because by His nature, only God can, by His Spirit, give Revelations to people in visions. But, as we know, God in Christ lives and acts in all His natural fullness
His
through Jesus , as if He Himself did it without intermediaries. An ordinary Angel of God, having received Revelation from God, could not have conveyed this Revelation to John as he himself received it, but Jesus could, for God is in Him in all its fullness.
Words: “ to show His servants
“They say that God wanted to show
His servants
, and not His servants, Jesus Christ.
Interpreters say that Jesus showed the Revelation to John through
His Angel. That is, God gives Revelation to Jesus Christ, and Jesus, through His Angel, shows it to John. But this is a misunderstanding of the words of Revelation! Such a stepwise transmission of Revelation: God → Jesus → Angel → John could only be thought of by people who do not know the nature of God, nor the nature of the Angel, nor the nature of Christ, nor the nature of man.
Let us immediately note that in “Revelation” the Apostle John speaks only about one God and Jesus Christ is not called God. In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus Christ speaks about Himself 43 times as the Messenger (Angel) of God the Father, while 17 times the Lord pronounces the word “ sent”
”, and speaks 25 times about the Father
who sent
Him. This means that in all cases Jesus is the Angel of God.
And this verse must be understood to mean that God showed the Revelation to His servants
,
through His Angel
(Jesus Christ)
to His servant John
. Jesus never called either people or His disciples His servants, except on special occasions, as in Rev. 2:20; but let us always remember that in Jesus Christ God the Father became incarnate, and is always present in all his immutable fullness. Therefore, Jesus has every right not only as God to call us His servants, but also as those redeemed by His Blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 Cor. 6:20, 7:22-23).
It is God who shows Revelation through Jesus Christ, as through His Angel, to His servant John. Therefore, when we encounter such testimonies in which the revealing Angel (Jesus Christ) speaks on behalf of God, for example: “ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end
"(Rev. 1:8,10; 22:13) - we must understand that it is through the mouth of Christ the Man that God the Father, incarnate in the Son through His hypostasis, speaks.
But interpreters, brought up on church dogmas, do not want to see a Human Person in Christ and do not call Him a Man in the sense that we are all accustomed to understanding, recognizing Him only as God (born of God), and speaking about His human nature not as a Person , but vaguely: “according to humanity.” So the archbishop. Averky (Taushev) writes: “The expression of the Apocalypse about the revelation of Jesus Christ, that “it was given to Him from God,” must be understood as referring to Christ according to humanity, for He Himself, during His earthly life, spoke of Himself as not omniscient (Mark .13:32) and receiving revelations from the Father (John 5:20).” Yes, and many other “theologians” about all the human properties of Christ, as well as about His suffering, invariably said: “He suffered according to His humanity,” that is, God suffered according to His humanity. Strange God, Suffering
on the cross.
(2)
who testified the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ and what he saw
.
Here ap. John speaks of himself in the third person as a witness of the word of God, that is, he, as a witness, repeated what God said. In the words: " testimony of Jesus Christ"
"- Jesus acts as a Witness.
In fact, both in verse 5 of this chapter and in chapter 3, verse 15, Jesus is called a faithful witness
. From the above verse it is clear that John, before his imprisonment in exile, acted not only as a witness of the word of God, but also as a witness of the Witness (Jesus Christ) and spoke about what he saw while being near Jesus as a disciple, for which was exiled to the island of Patmos.
(3)
Blessed is he who reads and those who listen to the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it; for the time is near
.
By this the apostle asserts that the Revelation he saw was described and not left as oral tradition. Moreover, he calls those who read and listen to what is written blessed, for what is written comes from God Himself. But today's Orthodox priests, especially young ones, dismiss this book of prophecies with both hands. “It is not for us to judge whether we are living in the last times. Ancient St. the fathers were mistaken in believing that the end times had come. Who are we?” they say. They could be understood if it were not for the bitter realization that it was for them, cohabitants and accomplices of the last times and the near end of the world, that this book was written, and they do not feel the spirit of the time, do not feel the proximity of the stinking breath of the Antichrist. Looking at chapters 17-18, I will clearly expose this sad truth of spiritual blindness, which has befallen, in fact, all of humanity, deceived by the great harlot
, which was seen by the ap. John, but may not have been able to comprehend its real essence in its entirety. But, unfortunately, even our contemporaries are unaware that television and the great harlot of Divine Revelation are one and the same entity.
(4)
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne,
Apostle. John conveys to the seven churches grace and peace from God, and from the seven spirits who are before the throne of God. Many interpreters, by seven spirits, mean the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, possessing seven good gifts. A.P. Lopukhin writes: “These are not the powers or virtues of God, not the highest Angels, for Angels themselves are never called the givers of grace and peace, as created beings, even higher ones. Most interpreters [Andrey Kesar., Victorinus, Ebrard, Zhdanov.] understand the Holy Spirit by the seven spirits. The right to such an interpretation is given by the analogies that we find in other places in St. Scriptures (Isa. 11:2-3; Zech. 4:6-10). The One Hypostasis of the Holy Spirit is symbolically depicted as a sevenfold spirit (no more and no less) because the number seven is, as it were, the seal of the spirit and expresses the fullness of the grace-filled gifts distributed from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11).”
But we cannot agree with this opinion for several reasons. Firstly, it is said about seven spirits, and not about one (the Holy Spirit), and the different gifts of the Holy Spirit are not different spirits, as A.P. Lopukhin himself admits, referring to (1 Cor. 12:4- 11), therefore the reference to (Isa. 11:2-3; Zech. 4:6-10) is not correct. Secondly, the Hypostases of God are inseparable, they represent the single Being of God sitting on the throne, therefore the Hypostasis of the Holy Spirit cannot be before the throne of God, especially in the form of seven different spirits. In addition, the reference to Andrew of Caesarea, who allegedly considers these seven spirits to be a single hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, is not entirely legitimate, for Saint Andrew himself expressed this only as one of the possible versions. He also believed that: “Under the seven spirits
one can understand seven Angels (who received control of the churches), not counted with the God-originating and Royal Trinity,” that is, the opposite of A.P. Lopukhin’s statement that spirits cannot be Angels. The last opinion of Andrew of Caesarea seems to me closer to the truth. But I believe that the seven spirits who are before the throne of God are not Angels, but they are the spirits of the collective spirituality of those churches to which Jesus Christ turned through the apostle. John.
Let me explain. The fact is that all spiritual entities have their existence from God, they are all different in their individuality, but they are all in God and before God. Seven Asian churches addressed by St. John, also spiritual beings on earth. Of course, the spirit of any church is heterogeneous, for it consists of many human spirits, but this spirit, the spirit of a particular church, exists before God as something unified, known to God in all details. It is these spirits that the apostle speaks about. John, and it is from these seven spirits of the churches who are before God that the wish for grace and peace is conveyed to the earthly churches, along with grace and peace from God Himself. After all, the spirit of a particular church does not have existence in itself, but God also mysteriously lives and acts in it.
In this case, I do not find any contradictions, as it might seem at first glance, as if the spirit of the church sends a wish for grace and peace to itself (the church). First, the spirit of the church is one, but consists of many spirits of parishioners. Secondly, being in a single church, don’t we wish each other and ourselves peace and spiritual grace? Moreover, as I have already said, God’s spirit also operates in the church, among these many spirits. Therefore, the wish of peace and grace to the seven churches of Asia from God and the spirits of these churches who are before the throne of God is completely legitimate.
Moreover, the number seven
, as interpreters rightly believe, is a symbolic number, denoting perfect fullness, therefore
the seven spirits of God
can mean the fullness of Divine grace in these churches, and not the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, as Apringius believes, for example, for the gifts of God (equal to the gifts of the Holy Spirit) Spirit) cannot be counted. It is impossible to identify these spirits with the highest Angels, as Ekumeny, Theophan the Recluse and Prof. believe. A.V. Ivanov, for we only know about seven, but there are probably more.
(5)
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To Him, who loved us and washed us from our sins with His Blood, the wish of grace and peace. John also conveys from Jesus Christ, calling Him a faithful witness
, for everything that Jesus says comes from God.
John also calls Christ the firstborn from the dead
, wanting to say that He has primacy among all mortals, for He has primacy in everything (Col. 1:18).
And here, as we see, Jesus is not called God. God and Jesus Christ are absolutely clearly distinguished as different Essences, different Persons. Who dares to assert that Jesus, as a Person, is God, equal in everything to God, of whom John speaks in the singular and who gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ, through whom the Revelation of the apostle shows. John? There are no equal Gods, just as there are no different Gods, for there is only one God, and He is in Christ, but not as in God, but as in a Man sent from God.
(6)
and to Him who has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen
.
Yes, Jesus Christ is a special Being, and, as the Savior of the world, a special Human Person, different from all Adamites (descendants of Adam), but all His distinctive properties do not exclude Jesus Christ from among human persons. God is His Father, but He also has a Mother, for He was born of the Virgin Mary. But the true God has neither Father nor Mother, for He always was, is and will be, and it is not characteristic of Him to either beget (God the Son (pre-eternal)), or be born (from God the Father (before all ages)), for God the Son does not exist.
Jesus did
(by His feat)
us
(all saved)
kings and priests to God and His Father
.
Being the ruler of the kings of the earth
, Jesus will be foremost among all those saved by Him and reigning with Him.
(7)
Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the families of the earth will mourn before Him. Hey, amen
.
This verse is about the second coming of Jesus Christ.
(8)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty
.
This verse is about God. Only He has the right to say: “ I am Alpha and Omega
“, for only He is the beginning of everything and the end of everything, since everything that has existence received existence from Him, and everything that exists, sooner or later, completes its existence and returns to Him. All energies and every essence are formed by Himself, from His energies, from His Essence. And, in the end, everything created by Him returns in His energy, in His Essence, for everything created is not eternal and returns to where it came from. All entities created by God, in essence, are only transformed energies of God Himself. All kinds of energies are the energies of God, only transformed by Him, which is why the law of conservation of energy is unshakable, because God is immortal (cannot be destroyed).
(9)
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ
.
And here Jesus is not called God, since God and Jesus are different Entities. But ap. John says that he was exiled to the island for the word of God, that is, for the word that God spoke, “ and for the testimony of Jesus Christ
“, that is, for the fact that Jesus Christ testified about Himself as the Messiah. In verse 2 I have already shown the meaning of these words. Ap. John was a witness of God's Witness Jesus, who, walking on earth, spoke of the descent to earth of God Himself, abiding in Him (Man).
(10-11)
I was in the spirit on Sunday, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet, which said: I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last; write what you see in a book and send it to the churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea
.
John says: " I was in the spirit
”, - that is, in such a spiritual state that turns off a person’s bodily feelings and perception of the realities of mat. peace. A person, being in such a state, does not feel the reality around him, but contemplates the spiritual world, what God reveals to him.
John, being in the spirit, heard the voice of God. This voice came from Jesus Christ standing behind John, because God, as a Person, is in Christ in all the fullness of His triune nature. We must not forget that God acts in Christ with all his power and authority, especially now, after the glorification of Jesus in heaven. That is why God sent Jesus as His Angel to show the future through Him.
(12-13)
I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me; and turning, he saw seven golden lamps and, in the midst of the seven lamps, one like the Son of Man, clothed in a robe and girded across the chest with a golden belt:
Having turned (John did this, being in the spirit, in reality his body was motionless, for in a state of spiritual admiration all bodily feelings freeze, a certain numbness of the body occurs), John saw one like the Son of Man
.
But in the four Gospels we find evidence that Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man 19 times, and Archdeacon Stephen, being stoned, testified: “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). We know without a doubt that in the Man Jesus God appeared into the world, and appeared as the Son of Man
, for He was born in the flesh of His Son from the Virgin Mary. This is why Jesus' voice and appearance were so exotic.
(14-15)
His head and hair are white, like white wool, like snow; and His eyes are like a flame of fire; and His feet were like chalcolivan, like those burning in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters
.
There is nothing surprising in how the apostle saw Jesus Christ. John, for he saw Christ in heavenly glory. It was God who spoke thunderously, while the appearance of Jesus was more than unusual, not typical of people. But even after His resurrection, as we know, the Lord appeared to the disciples unrecognized, but here He appeared in all His heavenly glory, in the perfect fullness of Divinity.
(16-17)
He held in His right hand seven stars, and from His mouth came a sword sharp on both sides;
and His face is like the sun shining in its power .
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead.
And He laid His right hand on me and said to me: Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, Here it is, the God-human Being of Jesus Christ in all His heavenly power and glory. In this dual Being, Man, deified by all the fullness of God the Father, speaks and acts with the power and authority of God the Father. Here John rather did not see a deified Man, but rather God made man, as he himself said: he saw “ one like the Son of Man.”
" Yes, it was God in the body of His Son who appeared like the Son of Man.
The sword coming out of the mouth of Christ is a symbol of the striking word. The face of Jesus shining like the sun is a consequence of the action of Divine grace and glory in Christ. But it is impossible in Christ to separate God from Man, or Man from God, for They are one. Jesus Christ is a dual Being, in whom God and Man are united: unfused, inseparable, inseparable, unchangeable, therefore in Him God became man, and Man became deified. But at the same time, God the Father
did not become a Man
, that is, he did not turn into a Man, and
the Man Jesus did not become God
, that is, he did not turn into God.
(18)
and alive; and he was dead, and behold, he is alive forever and ever, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and death
.
It was, of course, not God who died on the cross; it was Man who died, and with Him the entire Divine-Human Being. After all, as a dual Being, the Man Jesus is inseparable and inseparable from His Father God from His very conception and appearance in the world. Therefore, God in Christ could rightfully say: “I am immortal, but, being the Son of Man in Jesus, I died on the cross, but not as God (for I am immortal), and not as Man (for I am not a man), but as a Divine-Human Being, for I and My Son are one Being.” The Divine-Human Being died on the cross, Man did not become, God did not become in Him, God, as it were,
died with the person.
We must correctly understand the basic essence of human nature. Man was created by God so that God might dwell in him. We live in this world, and God lives in us, which means that God, living in us, lives in this world, lives our life, since He is part of human nature. A person’s body dies, a person dies, and God dies with him in this world (as a part of human nature).
After His resurrection, Jesus, as a Divine-Human Being, as a Person of Man, became immortal forever and ever.
.
And since God gave Him all power both in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), He received the keys of hell and death
, that is, He received power over death and the right to free (or not free) sinners from eternal torment.
(19)
So write what you saw, and what is, and what will happen after this.
.
This is a very significant verse, stating that this book does not contain anything about the past times that were before Christ, which means that it does not talk about dead kings and disappeared kingdoms, but it will only write what was seen
ap.
John, what is and what will happen after this
(command or vision).
(20)
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lamps, is this
:
the seven stars are the Angels of the seven churches;
and the seven lampstands which you saw are seven churches. The stars (Angels of the churches) in the hand of Jesus Christ are the abbots of the churches, responsible before God for all events occurring in the churches entrusted to them.
Church leaders are always in the hand of the Lord. The churches themselves (collections of people) are like lamps, burning before God with the spiritual life of all its members. Each member of the church, of course, has his own spirituality, so the spirit of the church as a whole is determined by the combined spirituality of all parishioners.
What is included in the Bible?
As you know, the Bible is divided into two large parts - the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each of these parts, in turn, is a complex structure. There are some discrepancies between different editions and translations regarding the number of books included and the order in which they should be read.
The Bible is divided into legislative, historical, educational, and poetic books.
And only one is prophetic, namely the book of the Apocalypse, written by the holy apostle in captivity on the island of Patmos.
God the Father on the Heavenly throne, surrounded by 24 elders and 4 animals. Heavenly Liturgy.
It is the only thing that talks about the future future, and not about the events of the past. And although disputes about who the author of the Apocalypse does not subside to this day, it is believed that five books in the New Testament belong to the pen of John the Theologian, including “The Revelations of John the Theologian” (Apocalypse).
Final chapters
After the author’s description of the general resurrection and the Last Judgment, there are pictures of the greatness of the New Jerusalem - a wondrous city that personifies the Kingdom of God on Earth. In the new wonderful world that appeared after the victory over the devil there will be no illnesses, no grief, no tears.
The church appears as a magnificent city descended from heaven. There are no temples in it, for the city itself is a temple. It does not need to be sanctified, for the Lord God himself lives there. Only those who believed in the Lord and won the battle with demons will be allowed into the new world; non-believers are doomed to unbearable torment.
The final chapters of the prophecy of John the Theologian are the brightest and most joyful, they describe a new life, blissful and happy.
This is the summary of the apocalypse. Let us repeat once again that this book is not easy to read and understand. Each person tries in his own way to understand the meaning of the visions of the holy apostle.
By leaving a comment, you accept the user agreement
Sixth part. Armageddon
The author of the Apocalypse talks about a beast that will come out of the sea. Researchers are inclined to believe that in his image the evil secular power appears, while in the image of the Beast that will come out of the earth is religious power, disintegrated and degraded. The war against the church is led by the devil-dragon.
The following chapters of the apocalypse tell of worldwide moral decay. The war against the church is reaching its peak. According to the revelation, the final battle will take place in a place called Armageddon.
It is believed that this word comes from the ancient name of the mountainous area in Hebrew. Literally Har Megiddo, or "highlands of Megiddo". Today we can see Armageddon with our own eyes in a photo of a map or excavations in this area.
Fourth part. Opening the seals
The prophecy of John the Theologian says that after the first seal is opened, a rider on a white horse will appear - Plague, after the second seal is opened - a red horse and the rider on it - War, Famine on a black horse and Death on a pale horse will appear after the third is opened and fourth seals. They are endowed with the power to wreak havoc and destruction.
When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, the Apostle John saw the souls of the righteous who asked to avenge them and judge their offenders.
“And white robes were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest still for a little while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would be killed like them, would complete the number.”
(Rev. 6:11)
True believers will receive a seal of grace on their foreheads, protecting them from the fate of the wicked.
Seven Angels of the Apocalypse
After the next, sixth, seal is opened, an unprecedented earthquake will occur, the sun will darken, and the moon will become like blood.
It is believed that after the seventh and final seal is broken, the end of the world will occur. At this moment, all conflicts between good and evil will be settled, the second coming of Christ will take place and the hour of the Last Judgment will begin.
Seventh part
Week of the Last Judgment
Humanity, having forgotten God, is depicted in the image of Babylon the harlot. The forces of Evil are concentrated here and have influence on all sinners. God's judgment begins on them.
Before the start of the judgment, the viewer sees angels in white robes; they receive from the four animals the seven bowls of the wrath of the Lord and pour them out before the judgment of the living and the dead.
The pouring out of the first cup provokes an epidemic of disgusting plagues .
The second cup is poured into the sea and all living things die there.
Another angel threw out what was in his cup into rivers and springs - and all the water became blood.
The fourth cup was poured into the sun, and it began to burn people.
The fifth cup was poured out on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became dark. His followers bit their tongues in agony, but did not repent.
Another angel will pour the cup into the Euphrates, and it will dry up.
The pouring out of the seventh bowl led to the fall of Babylon.
The judgment of Babylon is described in detail in chapters 18-19 of the revelation of John the Theologian. The same is said about the death of the false prophet and the Antichrist.
The next chapter sums up the terrible war. The devil suffered a double defeat and the kingdom of martyrs began. The suffering they endured on Earth is over, and they are blissful in Heaven.
New Jerusalem
Fifth part. Signs of the Apocalypse
Numerous disasters befall people because of their sins and unbelief. This is announced by the trumpets of angels, seven in number. The horrors and disasters that befell humanity are described.
This is what the end of the world might look like
The first angel sounded the trumpet - and bloody hail with fire fell to the ground, green grass and a third of the trees died.
The second angel sounded his trumpet , and a large fiery mountain fell into the sea, bringing death to many sea animals and a third of the ships. the water turned the color of blood.
After the sound of the third angelic trumpet, an unprecedentedly large star named “wormwood” fell from the sky, poisoned the water and killed many people who drank it.
The fourth angel sounded the trumpet - and a solar eclipse will occur, the third part of it, the stars and the moon will go out. And the day became shorter by a third.
“And I saw and heard one angel flying in the middle of heaven and saying with a loud voice: Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the rest of the trumpet voices of the three angels that will sound!”
(Rev.8:13)
The voice of the fifth angel's trumpet announced the fall of a star from heaven. She was given the power to open the “deep pit,” from which smoke came out, and from the smoke appeared terrible locusts.
The monstrous insects have a human face, female hair and sharp teeth. They will not harm either the grass or the trees, but for five months they will torment those who do not have a seal on their forehead - sinners.
“In those days people will seek death, but will not find it; They will wish to die, but death will flee from them.”
(Rev.9:6)
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet and the seer saw an innumerable cavalry army; fire, smoke and brimstone burst out of the horses’ mouths and destroyed a third of the people.
After the sound of the seventh angel's trumpet, an earthquake will occur and seven thousand people will die.
“...in those days when the seventh angel proclaims, when he blows his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as He preached to His servants the prophets.”
(Rev. 10:7)
Great dragon, ancient serpent
The Apostle John received a book from an Angel and was endowed with the power to prophesy. The text of the Apocalypse of John the Theologian says that after these seven signs all people will be divided into two warring camps - Good and Evil. The forces of Good will be concentrated in the Church of Christ, and the forces of Evil - in the kingdom of the Beast-Antichrist.
The third part
The third part describes God sitting on the throne, the Lamb, and heavenly worship. Secretly, the viewer sees an extraordinary book. There are seals placed on it, numbering seven. It takes a while for someone worthy to be found who can remove these seals.
“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
(Rev.5:6)
Jesus Christ is described in the image of the Lamb. He is found worthy to break the seals and open the book.
Horsemen of the Apocalypse
