Apocalypse holy scripture read. Apocalypse-Revelations of John the Theologian (15 photos)

And Jesus says in the Gospel: “It is not your business to know the times and seasons which the Father has appointed in His power.”(Acts 1:7) - but He Himself adds: “Take heed that that day does not come upon you suddenly: for it will come like a snare on all those who live on all the face of the earth” (Luke 21:34, 35) . Jesus' fears are understandable, since the Bible does not allow us to predict the times and timing of the onset of the kingdom of Antichrist. The Revelation of John is given to fill this gap in Christian eschatology. The beloved disciple of Jesus, the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, was imprisoned on the island of Patmos during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Domitian in 96, where he received the Revelation about the destinies of the world and the end of world history.

Revelation begins with the Epistles to the seven churches: “Write therefore in a book what you have seen, and what is, and what will happen after this... 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” (Rev. 1:19, 11). From the interpretation it will become clear that the Epistles to the Seven Churches mean seven periods or eras in the history of the Church from its foundation to "end of the century" and at present the Church is in the last "Laodicean" stage.

Comparison of the words of Jesus Christ about signs "end of the world" in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, with the text of the Apocalypse, suggests that these signs mean two world wars and the persecution of the Church in the USSR during the years of Soviet power. From the interpretation it will become clear that in the vision of the “four horsemen” of the 6th chapter of Revelation, the history of Russia in the 20th century is presented symbolically as six seals Apocalypse, and the revolution in Russia in 1917 should be considered as a “rehearsal for the Apocalypse,” which precedes the coming of the Antichrist to the world. From the interpretation it will become clear that we are currently living under the sign of the fourth seal.

Removing the first six seals in the 6th chapter of Revelation ends with a vision of the Judgment of God and the Second Glorious Coming to Earth of the Lord Jesus Christ: “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?”(Rev. 6:17). Therefore, the opening of the seventh seal in the 8th chapter of Revelation must be seen as a recapitulation or repetition of the contents of the 6th chapter of Revelation, but from a different perspective and angle. Trumpets of the Seven Angels Once again they warn humanity, mired in sins, about the approaching kingdom of the Antichrist.

Revelation talks about two prophets Apocalypse (Rev. Chapter 11). Their role is to warn humanity about the coming of the kingdom of the Antichrist and about the imminent Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sermon two witnesses will fulfill the prediction of the Apostle Paul (Rom. ch. 9-11) about the conversion of Jews to the Christian faith at the end of world history. Sermon two witnesses will end with their death and resurrection “in the streets of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified”(Rev. 11:7-11). Evidence for the whole world of the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Apocalypse will be the destruction of this "great city" which in the 18th chapter of Revelation is allegorically called "Babylon". From the interpretation it will become clear that Moscow was meant here.

The identity of the Antichrist allows us to determine the vision of the “great harlot sitting on the scarlet beast” in the 17th chapter of Revelation, where the kingdom of the Antichrist is depicted as "the beast having seven heads"(Rev. 17:3), and the Antichrist himself is depicted as "eighth king" And "one of the seven kings." This is also stated in the 13th chapter of Revelation: “And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, and all who dwell on the earth will worship him” (Rev. 13: 7-8). The establishment of the kingdom of the Antichrist, as well as the coming unrest: the global economic crisis and the third World War must put an end to modern civilization.

The second woe of the Apocalypse will be the war in the Middle East against Iran. "at great river Euphrates"(Rev. 9:14). This war is predicted in the vision of a "horse army".

Andrey Mazurkevich

Chapter twelve. third vision: the struggle of the Kingdom of God with the hostile forces of the Antichrist. The Church of Christ under the image of the wife in birth illnesses Chapter thirteen. the beast antichrist and his accomplice the false prophet Chapter fourteen. Preparatory events before the general resurrection and the Last Judgment; song of praise of 144,000 righteous people and angels proclaiming the destinies of the world Chapter fifteen. Fourth Vision: Seven Angels Having the Seven Last Plagues Chapter sixteen. Seven angels pouring out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth Chapter seventeen. The judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters Chapter Eighteen. The fall of Babylon - the great harlot Chapter nineteen. The warfare of the word of God with the beast and his army and the destruction of the latter Chapter twenty. General Resurrection and Last Judgment Chapter twenty one. The opening of a new heaven and a new earth - a new Jerusalem Chapter twenty two. Final features of the image of the new Jerusalem. Certification of the truth of everything said, a testament to keep the commandments of God and expect the Second Coming of Christ, which will be soon

THE MAIN SUBJECT AND PURPOSE OF WRITING THE APOCALYPSE

Beginning the Apocalypse, St. John himself points out the main subject and purpose of his writing - “show what should be soon”(). Thus, the main subject of the Apocalypse is a mysterious image of the future fate of the Church of Christ and the whole world. From the very beginning of its existence, the Church of Christ had to enter into a difficult struggle against the errors of Judaism and paganism in order to bring triumph to the Divine Truth brought to earth by the incarnate Son of God, and through this to grant man bliss and eternal life. The purpose of the Apocalypse is to depict this struggle of the Church and Her triumph over all enemies; to clearly show the death of the enemies of the Church and the glorification of Her faithful children. This was especially important and necessary for believers in those times when the terrible bloody persecution of Christians began, in order to give them comfort and encouragement in the sorrows and ordeals that befell them. This visual picture of the battle of the dark kingdom of Satan and the final victory of the Church over the “ancient serpent” () is needed for believers of all times, all with the same purpose of consoling and strengthening them in the struggle for the truth of Christ’s faith, which they constantly have to wage with the servants of the dark hells forces seeking in their blind malice to destroy the Church.

THE CHURCH'S VIEW ON THE CONTENT OF THE APOCALYPSE

All the ancient Fathers of the Church, who interpreted the sacred books of the New Testament, unanimously view the Apocalypse as a prophetic picture of the last times of the world and the events that are about to take place before the Second Coming of Christ to earth and at the opening of the Kingdom of Glory, prepared for all true believers Christians. Despite the darkness under which it is hidden mysterious meaning This book, and as a result of which many unbelievers tried in every possible way to discredit it, the deeply enlightened fathers and godly teachers of the Church have always treated it with great reverence. Yes, St. Dionysius of Alexandria writes: “The darkness of this book does not prevent one from being surprised by it. And if I don’t understand everything about it, it’s only because of my inability. I cannot be a judge of the truths contained in it, and measure them by the poverty of my mind; Guided more by faith than by reason, I find them only beyond my understanding.” Blessed Jerome speaks in the same way about the Apocalypse: “It contains as many sacraments as there are words. But what am I saying? Any praise for this book will be beneath its dignity.” Many believe that Caius, the presbyter of Rome, does not consider the Apocalypse to be the creation of the heretic Cerinthos, as some infer from his words, for Caius is not talking about a book called “Revelation,” but about “revelations.” Eusebius himself, who quotes these words from Caius, does not say a word about Cerinthus being the author of the book of the Apocalypse. Blessed Jerome and other fathers, who knew this place in the work of Kai and recognized the authenticity of the Apocalypse, would not have left it without objection if they considered the words of Kai to relate to the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian. But the Apocalypse was not and is not read during the Divine Service: it must be assumed that in ancient times the reading of the Holy Scriptures during the Divine Service was always accompanied by its interpretation, and the Apocalypse is too difficult to interpret. This also explains its absence in the Syriac translation of Peshito, which was intended specifically for liturgical use. As proven by researchers, the Apocalypse was originally on the Peshito list and was removed from there after the time of Ephraim the Syrian, for St. Ephraim the Syrian cites the Apocalypse in his writings as the canonical book of the New Testament and widely uses it in his inspired teachings.

RULES FOR INTERPRETING THE APOCALYPSE

As the book of God's destinies about the world and the Church, the Apocalypse has always attracted the attention of Christians, and especially at a time when external persecution and internal temptations began to confuse believers with particular force, threatening all sorts of dangers on all sides. During such periods, believers naturally turned to this book for consolation and encouragement and tried to unravel from it the meaning and significance of the events taking place. Meanwhile, the imagery and mystery of this book makes it very difficult to understand, and therefore for careless interpreters there is always the risk of being carried away beyond the boundaries of truth and giving rise to unrealistic hopes and beliefs. So, for example, a literalistic understanding of the images in this book gave rise and now continues to give rise to the false teaching about the so-called “chiliasm” - the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. The horrors of persecution experienced by Christians in the first century and interpreted in the light of the Apocalypse gave reason for some to believe in the onset of the “last times” and the imminent Second Coming of Christ, even then, in the first century. Over the past 19 centuries, many interpretations of the Apocalypse of the most diverse nature have appeared. All these interpreters can be divided into four categories. Some of them attribute all the visions and symbols of the Apocalypse to the “end times” - the end of the world, the appearance of the Antichrist and the Second Coming of Christ, others - give the Apocalypse a purely historical meaning, attributing all the visions to the historical events of the first century - to the times of persecution imposed on the pagan emperors . Still others try to find the fulfillment of apocalyptic predictions in historical events of later times. In their opinion, for example, the Pope is the Antichrist, and all apocalyptic disasters are announced specifically for the Roman Church, etc. Still others, finally, see in the Apocalypse only an allegory, believing that the visions described in it have not so much a prophetic as a moral meaning , the allegory is introduced only to enhance the impression in order to capture the imagination of readers. The more correct interpretation must be that which unites all these directions, and one should not lose sight of the fact that, as the ancient interpreters and Fathers of the Church clearly taught about this, the content of the Apocalypse is ultimately directed towards the final destinies of the world. There can be no doubt, however, that throughout the past Christian history Many of St.’s predictions have already come true. John the Seer about the future destinies of the Church and the world, but great caution is needed in applying apocalyptic content to historical events, and this should not be overused. One interpreter’s remark is fair that the content of the Apocalypse will only gradually become clear as events occur and the prophecies predicted in it are fulfilled. The correct understanding of the Apocalypse, of course, is most hindered by people’s departure from faith and true Christian life, which always leads to dulling, or even complete loss of spiritual vision, necessary for a correct understanding and spiritual assessment of the events taking place in the world. This complete devotion of modern man to sinful passions, depriving him of purity of heart, and therefore of spiritual vision (), is the reason that some modern interpreters of the Apocalypse want to see in it only an allegory and even teach the Second Coming of Christ to be understood allegorically. Historical events and persons of the time we are now experiencing, which, in all fairness, many already call apocalyptic, convince us that to see only an allegory in the book of the Apocalypse truly means to be spiritually blind, so everything that is happening in the world now resembles terrible images and visions Apocalypse.

The Apocalypse contains only twenty-two chapters. According to its content, it can be divided into the following sections:

1) Introductory picture of the Son of Man appearing to John, commanding John to write to the seven churches of Asia Minor - chapter 1 (

John's revelation describes the events that will precede Jesus' second appearance on earth, the appearance of the messiah, and life after the Second Coming. It was the description of the events before the Second Coming, and in particular various cataclysms, that led to the modern use of the word APOCALYPSE to mean the end of the world.

Authorship, time and place of writing of the Apocalypse.

In the text the author calls himself John. There are two versions of authorship. The most popular of them (traditional) attributes the authorship of Revelation to John the Theologian. The following facts support the idea that the author was John the Theologian:

Four times in the text the author calls himself John;
From apostolic history it is known that John the Theologian was imprisoned on the island of Patmos;
The similarity of some characteristic expressions with the Gospel of John.
Patristic research confirms the authorship of John the Theologian.

Many modern researchers, however, dispute the traditional version, citing the following arguments:

The difference between the language and style of the Apocalypse and the language and style of the Gospel written by John the Theologian;
The difference between the problems of the Apocalypse and

The difference in language can be explained by the fact that, although John spoke Greek, but, being in captivity, far from the living spoken Greek language, naturally, being a natural Jew, he wrote under the influence of the Hebrew language.

It should be said that, while refuting the traditional authorship, these researchers do not offer any reasoned alternative opinion. The difficulty is that there were several Johns in the apostolic circle, and which of them the Revelation was written does not yet seem possible. When the author himself mentions in the text the fact that he received a vision on the island of Patmos, the author of the Apocalypse is sometimes called John of Patmos. The Roman presbyter Caius believed that the Revelation was created by the heretic Cerinthos.

As for the date of writing the Revelation of John the Theologian, the fact that Papias of Hierapolis was familiar with the text indicates that the Apocalypse was written no later than the 2nd century. Most modern researchers consider the time of writing to be 81–96. Revelation 11 talks about a certain “dimension” of the temple. This fact leads researchers to an earlier dating - 60 years. However, most believe that these lines are not factual, but symbolic in nature and date the writing to the end of the reign of Domitian (81 - 96). This version is supported by the fact that Revelation came to the author on the island of Patmos, and it was there that Domitian exiled people he disliked. Moreover, the end of Domitian’s reign is characterized as a difficult time of persecution of Christians; most likely, it was in such a situation that the Apocalypse was written. Saint John himself points out the purpose of writing Revelation - “to show what must soon happen.” The author shows and predicts the triumph of the Church and Faith. It was precisely at the moment of sorrow and difficult trials that such a work was needed as support and consolation in the struggle for the truth of the Christian faith.

When and how did the Apocalypse of John the Theologian enter the canon of the New Testament?

As we said earlier, the first mention of the Revelation of John the Theologian occurs in the second century. The Apocalypse is mentioned in the works of Tertullian, Irenaeus, Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria and others. However, the text of Revelation remained uncanonized for a long time. Cyril of Jerusalem and Saint Gregory the Theologian opposed the canonization of the Apocalypse of John. The Apocalypse was not included in the canon of the Bible, approved by the Council of Laodicea in 364. Only at the end of the 4th century, thanks to the authority of the opinion of Athanasius the Great, who insisted on the canonization of the Revelation of John, the Apocalypse entered the New Testament canon by the decision of the Council of Hippo in 383. This decision was confirmed and enshrined at the Council of Carthage in 419.

Ancient manuscripts of the Apocalypse.

Chester Beatty's Third Papyrus

The oldest version of the manuscript of the Revelation of John dates from the mid-third century. This is the so-called third papyrus Chester Beatty or papyrus P47. Third papyrus Chester Beatty contains 10 of the 32 leaves of the Revelation of John.

The text of the Revelation of John the Theologian is also contained in the Codex Sinaiticus. In total, about 300 manuscripts of the Apocalypse are known today. Not all of them contain full version Revelations. The Apocalypse is the least attested book of the Old Testament in manuscripts.

How is the Revelation of John the Evangelist used in worship?

Due to the fact that the Revelation of John was included into the canon relatively late, it was practically not used in the services of the Eastern Church. This is one of the reasons for the small number of manuscripts of the Apocalypse that have reached us, mentioned earlier in the article.

According to the Jerusalem Charter (Typicon), which establishes the order Orthodox divine services, the reading of Revelation is prescribed at the “great readings” at all-night vigils. IN Catholicism The Apocalypse is read during the Easter period at Sunday masses. Songs from revelation are also included in the "Liturgy of the Hours"

However, it should be noted that in real life the Apocalypse almost never not used at worship services.

Revelation of John the Theologian - interpretation

In the text of the Apocalypse, John the Theologian describes the revelation he received in visions. The visions describe the birth of the Antichrist, the Second Coming of Christ, the end of the world and the Last Judgment. The figurative side of the text is rich and varied. Images of the Apocalypse have become very popular in world culture. In the Revelation of John the Theologian, the number of the beast is mentioned - 666. Many images were borrowed by the author from Old Testament prophecies. Thus, the author emphasizes the continuity of the Old and New Testaments. The apocalypse ends with a prophecy about the victory of God over the Devil.

The Apocalypse of John the Theologian gave rise to a huge number of points of view and attempts at interpretation and explanation. So, for example, there is an attempt to explain Revelation from the point of view of astronomy in the book by N.A. Morozov “Revelation in a Thunderstorm and a Storm.” Attempts to interpret Revelation multiply in terrible times for humanity - in times of upheaval, disasters and wars.

The sequence of visions and their interpretation.

The mysterious nature of the Revelation of John the Theologian, on the one hand, complicates its understanding and interpretation, and, on the other hand, attracts inquisitive minds trying to decipher the mysterious visions.

Vision 1 (Chapter 1). The Son of Man with seven stars in his hands, located in the middle of the seven lamps.

Interpretation. The loud trumpet voice that John heard belonged to the Son of God. He calls himself Alpha and Omega in Greek. This naming emphasizes that the Son, like the Father, contains within himself all that exists. He stood in the middle of seven lamps, which represented the seven churches. The Revelation of John the Theologian is given to the seven churches that at that time constituted the Ephesian Metropolis. The number seven had a special meaning in those days. mystical meaning, meaning completeness. Thus, we can say that Revelation was given to all Churches.

The Son of Man was dressed in a robe and girded with a golden belt. The podir symbolizes high priestly dignity, and the golden belt symbolizes royal dignity. His white hair represents wisdom and old age, thereby indicating his unity with God the Father. The fiery flame in the eyes says that nothing is hidden from His sight. His legs made of chalcolivan show the union of the human and the divine in Him. Halkolivan is an alloy in which halk (presumably copper) signifies the human principle, and livan - the divine.

The Son of Man held seven stars in his hands. The seven stars symbolized the seven bishops of the seven churches that constituted the Metropolis of Ephesus at that time. The vision means that Jesus holds the Church and the shepherds in his hands. Christ appears in the form of a King, and a Priest, and a Judge - this is how he will be at the time of His Second Coming.

The appeared Son of Man commands John to write down everything that appears in visions, as it should be.

The Appearance of the Son of Man to John

Vision 2(Chapters 4 - 5). John's Ascension to the Heavenly Throne. Vision of Him sitting on a throne surrounded by 24 elders and 4 living creatures.

Interpretation. Entering the door of heaven, John sees God the Father on the throne. His appearance is similar precious stones– green (the personification of life), yellow-red (the personification of purity and holiness, as well as God’s wrath towards sinners). The combination of colors indicates that God punishes sinners, but forgives and gives life to those who repent. The combination of these colors predicts the Last Judgment as destruction and renewal.

24 elders in white robes and golden crowns are representatives of humanity who pleased the Lord. These are probably 12 representatives of Old Testament history and 12 of Christ’s apostles. The white color of clothing represents purity and purity. Golden crowns symbolize victory over demons.

Around the throne the “seven candlesticks” burn. These are the seven angels or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sea in front of the throne - quiet and clean - symbolizes the souls of the righteous living by the gifts of God's grace.

The four animals represent the four elements over which the Lord rules - earth, heaven, sea and underworld. According to another version, these are angelic forces.

Vision 3(Chapters 6 - 7). The opening of the seven seals from the sealed book by the Lamb slain.

Interpretation: The Lord, sitting on the throne, held in his hand a Book sealed with seven seals. This book symbolizes God's wisdom and God's providence. The seals represent man's inability to comprehend all the plans of the Lord. According to another understanding, the Book is prophecies that were partially fulfilled in the Gospel, and the rest will be fulfilled in the last days.

One of the Angels calls for someone to open the book, removing the seals. However, there is no one worthy “neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth” who could open the seals. One of the elders said that “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, ... can open this book and open its seven seals.” These lines are about Jesus, who appeared in the form of a lamb with seven horns and eyes. Only he, who sacrificed himself for humanity, was worthy to know the wisdom of God. The seven eyes symbolize the seven spirits of God, as well as the omniscience of God. The Lamb stood next to God, where the son of God should have stood.

When the lamb picked up the book, 24 elders in white robes and 4 animals sang a hitherto unheard song, in which they glorified the coming of the new Kingdom of the Son of God, in which He reigned as the God-man.

Let's talk now about the seven seals and their meaning.

Removing the first seal. The first seal is a white horse with a victorious rider holding a bow in his hands. The white horse symbolizes the activity of the holy apostles, who directed their forces (bow) against demons in the form of Gospel sermons.
Removing the second seal. The second seal is a red horse with a rider who took peace from the earth. This seal represents the revolt of the infidels against the believers.
Removing the third seal. The third seal is a black horse with a rider. This is the personification of unsteady faith and rejection of Christ. According to another version, the black horse symbolizes hunger.
Opening of the fourth seal. The fourth seal is a pale horse with a rider named “death.” The seal personifies the manifestation of the wrath of God, including the prediction of future disasters.

The horsemen who appeared after the opening of the seals

Opening of the fifth seal. Fifth seal - those killed for the Word of God are clothed in white robes. The souls of the injured righteous are under the altar of the Heavenly Temple. The prayer of the righteous sounds as a harbinger of retribution for everyone’s sins. The white robes worn by the righteous symbolize virtue and purity of faith.
Opening of the sixth seal. The Sixth Seal is the day of wrath, natural disasters and horrors before the end of the world.
Opening of the seventh seal. After the seventh seal was opened, complete silence reigned in heaven for half an hour.

Vision 4(Chapters 8 - 11). Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets.

Interpretation. After the opening of the seventh seal, a silence reigned in heaven, which was the calm before the storm. Soon seven angels appeared with seven trumpets. These angels are the punishers of the human race. The angels sounded their trumpets and brought down seven great disasters on humanity.

The first angel - hail with fire falls on the Earth, as a result of which a third of the trees disappear, all the grass burns, including all the grain.
The second angel, a mountain blazing with fire, was thrown into the sea; as a result of this disaster, a third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the ships and a third of the sea creatures perished.
The third angel is a star falling from the sky. A third of the rivers and water sources are poisoned and many will die from drinking this water.
The fourth angel - the third part of the sun, moon and stars went out (eclipsed). The day was shortened by a third, leading to crop failures and famine.
The fifth angel is the fall of a star from the sky and the appearance of locusts. For five months the locusts tormented the people without the seal of God. This locust looks like a person, has woman's hair and lion's teeth. According to many interpretations of the Revelation of John, these locusts symbolize the sinfulness of human passions.
The sixth angel is the appearance of four angels bound at the Euphrates River. Angels destroy a third of people. After which a mounted army appears, the horses of which have the heads of a lion and the tails of snakes. Four Angels are evil demons.
The seventh angel, most likely Christ himself, descends from heaven to earth. A rainbow is above his head, and in his hands is an open book, which was recently sealed with seven seals. The angel stands with one foot on the earth, the other on the sea. The angel speaks of the end of time and the reign of eternity.

And I saw seven angels who stood before God; and seven trumpets were given to them.

Vision 5(Chapter 12). The red serpent pursues the wife clothed in the sun. The war between Michael and the beast in heaven.

Interpretation. By a woman clothed in the sun, some interpreters of the Apocalypse of John the Theologian understand the Most Holy Theotokos, but most see in this image the Church clothed in the radiance of the Word of God.

The moon under the wife's feet is a symbol of constancy. The crown of twelve stars on the wife’s head is a sign that she was originally gathered from the 12 tribes of Israel, and subsequently led by the 12 Apostles. The wife experiences the pangs of birth - that is, those difficulties in confirming God's will.

A great red serpent with seven heads and ten horns appears. It's the devil himself. Seven heads mean great ferocity, ten horns mean anger against the 10 commandments, and red color means bloodthirstiness. The crown on each of the heads indicates that before us is the ruler of a dark kingdom. According to some interpretations of the Apocalypse, the seven crowns symbolize the seven rulers who rebelled against the Church. The tail of the serpent swept away a third of all the stars from the sky - that is, it led sinners to spiritual fall.

The red serpent pursues the wife clothed in the sun.

The serpent wants to steal the child that is about to be born to the wife. A wife gives birth to a son, just as the Church daily gives birth to Christ for believers. The child goes to heaven with God, and the wife runs into the desert. In this prophecy, many see a description of the flight of Christians from Jerusalem, besieged by the Romans, into the Trans-Jordanian desert.

What follows is a description of the battle between Michael and his angels and the serpent. Under the image of this battle, many see the confrontation between Christianity and paganism. The serpent was defeated, but not destroyed. He stayed on the ground and pursued his wife. The wife was given two wings - the Old and New Testaments, with the help of which she is transported to the desert, which probably means the desert of the spirit. The serpent releases a river from his mouth, wanting to drown his wife. But the earth opened up and swallowed the river. The river here symbolizes the temptations that believers must resist. According to another version, these are terrible persecutions against Christian Church, characteristic of the time of writing the Apocalypse of John the Theologian.

The angry serpent brought down his fury on the woman's seeds. This is a symbol of Christianity's endless struggle against sinfulness.

Vision 6(Chapter 13). A beast with seven heads and ten horns emerges from the sea. The appearance of a beast with lamb horns. Number of the beast.

Interpretation. The beast coming out of the sea is the Antichrist coming out of the sea of life. It follows from this that the Antichrist is a product of the human race, he is a man. Therefore, one should not confuse the devil and the Antichrist; these are different concepts. The Antichrist, like the devil, has seven heads. Ten heads with crowns indicate that the Antichrist will have power on earth, which he will receive with the help of the devil. Humanity will try to rebel against the Antichrist, but then he will reign over the world. The power of the Antichrist will last 42 months.

Another beast described in the Revelation of John the Theologian is a beast with lamb horns. This is a symbolic representation of false prophetic activity. This beast emerges from the ground. The beast will show false miracles to humanity, using deception.

The beast with seven heads and ten horns and the beast with lamb horns.

Anyone who worships the Antichrist will have the name of the Antichrist written on their face or right hand. The name of the Antichrist and the “number of his name” give rise to many disputes and interpretations. His number is 666. His name is unknown, but in different eras interpreters attributed his name to various historical figures, trying to connect the name and number of the beast.

Vision 7(Chapter 14). Appearance of the Lamb on Mount Zion. Appearance of angels.

Interpretation. After a vision of the Antichrist's reign on earth, John looks up to heaven and sees a lamb standing on Mount Sinai surrounded by 144,000 of God's chosen ones from all nations. The name of God is written on their face. They are joined by a host of harp players playing a “new song” about redemption and renewal.

Next, John sees three angels soaring in the sky. The first Angel proclaimed to people the “eternal Gospel”, the second - heralds the fall of Babylon (this is a symbol of the kingdom of sin), the third - threatens those who serve the Antichrist with eternal torment.

Looking up at heaven, John sees the Son of God wearing a golden crown and holding a sickle in his hand. Angels announce the beginning of the harvest. The Son of God throws the sickle onto the ground and the harvest begins - it also symbolizes the end of the world. An angel reaps bunches of grapes. By bunches of grapes we mean the most dangerous enemies of the Church. Wine flowed from the grapes and rivers of grapes reached the horse's bridles.

Harvest

Vision 8 ( Chapters 15 - 19). Seven bowls of wrath.

Interpretation. After the harvest, John in his Revelation describes a vision of a sea of glass mixed with fire. The glass sea represents the pure souls of those saved after the harvest. Fire can be understood as the grace of the Life-giving Spirit. John hears the “song of Moses” and the “song of the Lamb.”

After this, the gates of the heavenly temple opened and seven angels in white robes came out and received from 4 animals seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of the Lord. The angels are instructed by God to pour out the seven vials before the final judgment of the living and the dead.

The Seven Bowls of Wrath are reminiscent of the Plagues of Egypt, which were a prototype of the reprisal against the false Christian kingdom.

The first angel poured out the cup - and an epidemic of disgusting plagues began.
The second Angel poured the cup into the sea - and the water became like the blood of a dead man. Every living thing died in the sea.
The third Angel poured the cup into the rivers and springs of water - and all the water turned into blood.
The fourth Angel poured the cup into the sun - and the sun burned the people. By this solar heat, interpreters of the Revelation of John the Theologian understand the heat of temptations and temptations.
The fifth Angel poured the cup onto the throne of the beast - and his kingdom became dark. The followers of the Antichrist bit their tongues from suffering, but did not repent.
The sixth Angel poured the bowl into the Euphrates - and the water in the river dried up. The Euphrates River has always been the natural defense of the Roman Empire from the attacks of the peoples of the East. The drying up of the Euphrates symbolizes the emergence of a path for the soldiers of the Lord.
With the pouring out of the last bowl the kingdom of the beast will be completely defeated. John describes the fall of Babylon - the great Harlot

Angels pour out the seven bowls of the Lord's wrath

Vision 9. The Last Judgment (Chapter 20)

In this chapter, John describes a vision related to the history of the Church. He talks about the general resurrection and the Last Judgment.

Vision 10(Chapters 21-22). New Jerusalem.

John was shown the greatness of the new Jerusalem - the Kingdom of Christ, which will reign after the victory over the devil. There will be no sea in the new kingdom - for the sea is a symbol of impermanence. In the new world there will be no hunger, no disease, no tears.

Only those who win the confrontation with demons will enter the new Kingdom; others will be condemned to eternal torment.

The Church appeared before John in the form beautiful city, descending from the heavens of Jerusalem. There is no visible temple in the city, since the city itself is a temple. The heavenly city does not need consecration also because God lives in it.

and he showed me the great city, holy Jerusalem, which came down from heaven from God.

The Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian is the logical conclusion of the New Testament cycle. From the historical books of the New Testament, believers can gain knowledge about the founding and development of the Church. From the books of the law - a guide for life in Christ. The Apocalypse prophesies about the future of the Church and the world.

The Apocalypse (or translated from Greek - Revelation) of St. John the Theologian is the only prophetic book of the New Testament. She predicts the future destinies of humanity, the end of the world and the beginning eternal life, and is therefore naturally placed at the end of the Holy Scriptures.

The Apocalypse is a mysterious and difficult book to understand, but at the same time, it is the mysterious nature of this book that attracts the attention of both believing Christians and simply inquisitive thinkers trying to unravel the meaning and significance of the visions described in it. There are a huge number of books about the Apocalypse, among which there are many works with all sorts of nonsense, this especially applies to modern sectarian literature.

Despite the difficulty of understanding this book, the spiritually enlightened fathers and teachers of the Church have always treated it with great reverence as a book inspired by God. Thus, Saint Dionysius of Alexandria writes: “The darkness of this book does not prevent me from being amazed at it. And if I do not understand everything in it, it is only due to my inability. I cannot be a judge of the truths contained in it, and measure them by the poverty of my mind; guided by By faith rather than by reason, I find them only beyond my understanding." Blessed Jerome speaks in the same way about the Apocalypse: “There are as many secrets in it as there are words. But what am I saying? Any praise for this book will be beneath its dignity.”

The Apocalypse is not read during divine services because in ancient times the reading of Holy Scripture during divine services was always accompanied by an explanation of it, and the Apocalypse is very difficult to explain.

book author

The author of the apocalypse calls himself John (Rev. 1:1, 4 and 9; 22:8). According to the general opinion of the holy fathers of the Church, this was the Apostle John, the beloved disciple of Christ, who received the distinctive name “Theologian” for the height of his teaching about God the Word. His authorship is confirmed both by data in the Apocalypse itself and by many other internal and external signs. The Gospel and three Council Epistles also belong to the inspired pen of the Apostle John the Theologian. The author of the Apocalypse says that he was on the island of Patmos “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). From church history it is known that of the apostles, only Saint John the Theologian was imprisoned on this island.

Proof of the authorship of the Apocalypse. John the Theologian is served by the similarity of this book with his Gospel and epistles, not only in spirit, but also in style, and, especially, in some characteristic expressions. So, for example, the apostolic preaching is called here “testimony” (Rev. 1:2, 9; 20:4; see: John 1:7; 3:11; 21:24; 1 John 5:9-11) . The Lord Jesus Christ is called “the Word” (Rev. 19:13; see: John 1:1, 14 and 1 John 1:1) and “Lamb” (Rev. 5:6 and 17:14; see: John 1:36). The prophetic words of Zechariah: “and they will look on Him whom they have pierced” (12:10) both in the Gospel and in the Apocalypse are given equally according to the Greek translation of the “Seventy Interpreters” (Rev. 1:7 and John 19:37). Some differences between the language of the Apocalypse and other books of the Apostle John are explained both by the difference in content and by the circumstances of the origin of the writings of the holy Apostle. Saint John, a Jew by birth, although he spoke Greek, but, being imprisoned far from the living spoken Greek language, naturally left the stamp of influence of his native language on the Apocalypse. For an unprejudiced reader of the Apocalypse, it is obvious that its entire content bears the stamp of the great spirit of the Apostle of love and contemplation.

All ancient and later patristic testimonies recognize the author of the Apocalypse as Saint John the Theologian. His disciple Saint Papias of Hieropolis calls the writer of the Apocalypse “Elder John,” as the apostle himself calls himself in his epistles (2 John 1:1 and 3 John 1:1). The testimony of Saint Justin the Martyr, who lived in Ephesus even before his conversion to Christianity, where the Apostle John lived for a long time before him, is also important. Many holy fathers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries cite passages from the Apocalypse as from a divinely inspired book written by St. John the Theologian. One of them was Saint Hippolytus, Pope of Rome, who wrote an apology for the Apocalypse, a student of Irenaeus of Lyons. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen also recognize the holy Apostle John as the author of the Apocalypse. The later Church Fathers were equally convinced of this: St. Ephraim the Syrian, Epiphanius, Basil the Great, Hilary, Athanasius the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Didymus, Ambrose of Milan, St. Augustine and St. Jerome. The 33rd rule of the Council of Carthage, attributing the Apocalypse to St. John the Theologian, places it among the other canonical books of Holy Scripture. The testimony of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons regarding the authorship of the Apocalypse to Saint John the Theologian is especially valuable, since Saint Irenaeus was a disciple of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, who in turn was a disciple of Saint John the Theologian, heading the Smyrna Church under his apostolic leadership.

Time, place and purpose of writing the Apocalypse

An ancient legend dates the writing of the Apocalypse to the end of the 1st century. So, for example, Saint Irenaeus writes: “The Apocalypse appeared shortly before this and almost in our time, at the end of the reign of Domitian.” The historian Eusebius (early 4th century) reports that contemporary pagan writers mention the exile of the Apostle John to Patmos for witnessing the Divine Word, attributing this event to the 15th year of the reign of Domitian (reigned 81-96 after the Nativity Christ's).

Thus, the Apocalypse was written at the end of the first century, when each of the seven churches of Asia Minor, to which St. John addresses, already had its own history and one way or another determined direction of religious life. Their Christianity was no longer in the first stage of purity and truth, and false Christianity was already trying to compete with the true one. Obviously, the activity of the Apostle Paul, who preached for a long time in Ephesus, was already a thing of the long past.

Church writers of the first 3 centuries also agree in indicating the place where the Apocalypse was written, which they recognize as the island of Patmos, mentioned by the Apostle himself, as the place where he received revelations (Rev. 1:9). Patmos is located in the Aegean Sea, south of the city of Ephesus and was a place of exile in ancient times.

In the first lines of the Apocalypse, Saint John indicates the purpose of writing the revelation: to predict the fate of the Church of Christ and the whole world. The mission of the Church of Christ was to revive the world with Christian preaching, to plant true faith in God in the souls of people, teach them to live righteously, and show them the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. But not all people accepted Christian preaching favorably. Already in the first days after Pentecost, the Church faced hostility and conscious resistance to Christianity - first from Jewish priests and scribes, then from unbelieving Jews and pagans.

Already in the first year of Christianity, a bloody persecution of preachers of the Gospel began. Gradually, these persecutions began to take an organized and systematic form. The first center of the fight against Christianity was Jerusalem. Starting from the middle of the first century, Rome, led by Emperor Nero (reigned 54-68 after the Nativity of Christ), joined the hostile camp. The persecution began in Rome, where many Christians shed their blood, including the chief apostles Peter and Paul. From the end of the first century, persecution of Christians became more intense. Emperor Domitian orders the systematic persecution of Christians, first in Asia Minor, and then in other parts of the Roman Empire. The Apostle John the Theologian, summoned to Rome and thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil, remained unharmed. Domitian exiles the Apostle John to the island of Patmos, where the apostle receives a revelation about the fate of the Church and the whole world. With short breaks, the bloody persecution of the Church continued until 313, when Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan on freedom of religion.

In view of the beginning of persecution, the Apostle John writes the Apocalypse to Christians to console them, instruct and strengthen them. He reveals the secret intentions of the enemies of the Church, whom he personifies in the beast that came out of the sea (as a representative of a hostile secular power) and in the beast that came out of the earth - a false prophet, as a representative of a hostile pseudo-religious power. He also discovers the main leader of the struggle against the Church - the devil, this ancient dragon who groups the godless forces of humanity and directs them against the Church. But the suffering of believers is not in vain: through fidelity to Christ and patience they receive a well-deserved reward in Heaven. At the time determined by God, forces hostile to the Church will be brought to justice and punished. After the Last Judgment and punishment of the wicked, eternal blissful life will begin.

The purpose of writing the Apocalypse is to depict the upcoming struggle of the Church with the forces of evil; show the methods by which the devil, with the assistance of his servants, fights against good and truth; provide guidance to believers on how to overcome temptation; depict the death of the enemies of the Church and the final victory of Christ over evil.

Content, plan and symbolism of the Apocalypse

The Apocalypse has always attracted the attention of Christians, especially at a time when various disasters and temptations began to agitate public and church life with greater force. Meanwhile, the imagery and mystery of this book makes it very difficult to understand, and therefore for careless interpreters there is always the risk of going beyond the boundaries of truth to unrealistic hopes and beliefs. So, for example, a literal understanding of the images of this book gave rise and now still continues to give rise to the false teaching about the so-called “chiliasm” - the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. The horrors of persecution experienced by Christians in the first century and interpreted in the light of the Apocalypse gave some reason to believe that the “end times” had arrived and the second coming of Christ was near. This opinion arose already in the first century.

Over the past 20 centuries, many interpretations of the Apocalypse of the most diverse nature have appeared. All these interpreters can be divided into four categories. Some of them attribute the visions and symbols of the Apocalypse to the “end times” - the end of the world, the appearance of the Antichrist and the Second Coming of Christ. Others give the Apocalypse a purely historical meaning and limit its vision to the historical events of the first century: the persecution of Christians by pagan emperors. Still others try to find the fulfillment of apocalyptic predictions in the historical events of their time. In their opinion, for example, the Pope is the Antichrist and all apocalyptic disasters are announced, in fact, for the Roman Church, etc. The fourth, finally, see in the Apocalypse only an allegory, believing that the visions described in it have not so much a prophetic as a moral meaning. As we will see below, these points of view on the Apocalypse do not exclude, but complement each other.

The Apocalypse can only be properly understood in the context of the whole of Holy Scripture. A feature of many prophetic visions - both Old Testament and New Testament - is the principle of combining several historical events in one vision. In other words, spiritually related events, separated from one another by many centuries and even millennia, merge into one prophetic picture that combines events from different historical eras.

An example of such a synthesis of events is the prophetic conversation of the Savior about the end of the world. In it, the Lord speaks simultaneously about the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred 35 years after His crucifixion, and about the time before His second coming. (Matt. 24th chapter; Mr. 13th chapter; Luke 21st chapter. The reason for such a combination of events is that the first illustrates and explains the second.

Often, Old Testament predictions speak simultaneously of a beneficial change in human society in New Testament times and of new life in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this case, the first serves as the beginning of the second (Isa. (Isaiah) 4:2-6; Isa. 11:1-10; Is. 26, 60 and 65 chapters; Jer. (Jeremiah) 23:5-6; Jer. 33:6-11; Habakkuk 2:14; Zephaniah 3:9-20). Old Testament prophecies about the destruction of Chaldean Babylon also speak about the destruction of the kingdom of the Antichrist (Isa. 13-14 and 21 ch.; Jer. 50-51 ch.). There are many similar examples of events merging into one prediction. This method of combining events based on their internal unity is used to help a believer understand the essence of events based on what he already knows, leaving aside secondary and non-explanatory historical details.

As we will see below, the Apocalypse consists of a number of multi-layered compositional visions. The Mystery Viewer shows the future from the perspective of the past and present. So, for example, the many-headed beast in chapters 13-19. - this is the Antichrist himself and his predecessors: Antiochus Epiphanes, so vividly described by the prophet Daniel and in the first two books of Maccabees, and the Roman emperors Nero and Domitian, who persecuted the apostles of Christ, as well as subsequent enemies of the Church.

Two witnesses of Christ in chapter 11. - these are the accusers of the Antichrist (Enoch and Elijah), and their prototypes are the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as all preachers of the Gospel who carry out their mission in a world hostile to Christianity. The false prophet in the 13th chapter is the personification of all those who propagate false religions (Gnosticism, heresies, Mohammedanism, materialism, Hinduism, etc.), among which the most prominent representative will be the false prophet of the times of the Antichrist. To understand why the Apostle John combined various events and different people in one way, we must take into account that he wrote the Apocalypse not only for his contemporaries, but for Christians of all times who had to endure similar persecution and sorrow. The Apostle John reveals common methods of deception, and also shows the right way avoid them in order to be faithful to Christ unto death.

Likewise, the judgment of God, which the Apocalypse repeatedly speaks of, is both the Last Judgment of God and all the private judgments of God over individual countries and people. This includes the judgment of all mankind under Noah, and the trial of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah under Abraham, and the trial of Egypt under Moses, and the double trial of Judea (six centuries before the birth of Christ and again in the seventies of our era), and the trial of ancient Nineveh, Babylon, the Roman Empire, Byzantium and, relatively recently, Russia. The reasons that caused God's righteous punishment were always the same: people's unbelief and lawlessness.

A certain timelessness is noticeable in the Apocalypse. It follows from the fact that the Apostle John contemplated the destinies of mankind not from an earthly, but from a heavenly perspective, where the Spirit of God led him. In an ideal world, the flow of time stops at the throne of the Most High and the present, past and future appear before the spiritual gaze at the same time. Obviously, this is why the author of the Apocalypse describes some events of the future as past, and past ones as present. For example, the war of angels in Heaven and the overthrow of the devil from there - events that happened even before the creation of the world, are described by the Apostle John, as if they happened at the dawn of Christianity (Rev. 12). The resurrection of the martyrs and their reign in Heaven, which covers the entire New Testament era, is placed by him after the trial of the Antichrist and the false prophet (Rev. 20). Thus, the seer does not narrate the chronological sequence of events, but reveals the essence of that great war of evil with good, which is going on simultaneously on several fronts and covers both the material and angelic worlds.

There is no doubt that some of the predictions of the Apocalypse have already been fulfilled (for example, regarding the fate of the seven churches of Asia Minor). The fulfilled predictions should help us understand the remaining ones that have yet to be fulfilled. However, when applying visions of the Apocalypse to certain specific events, one must take into account that such visions contain elements of different eras. Only with the completion of the destinies of the world and the punishment of the last enemies of God will all the details of the apocalyptic visions be realized.

The Apocalypse was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. A correct understanding of it is most hindered by people’s departure from faith and true Christian life, which always leads to dulling, or even complete loss of spiritual vision. The complete devotion of modern man to sinful passions is the reason that some modern interpreters of the Apocalypse want to see in it only one allegory, and even the Second Coming of Christ itself is taught to be understood allegorically. Historical events and personalities of our time convince us that to see only an allegory in the Apocalypse means to be spiritually blind, so much of what is happening now resembles the terrible images and visions of the Apocalypse.

The method of presentation of the Apocalypse is shown in the table attached here. As can be seen from it, the apostle simultaneously reveals to the reader several spheres of existence. To the highest sphere belongs the Angelic world, the Church triumphant in Heaven, and the Church persecuted on earth. This sphere of good is headed and guided by the Lord Jesus Christ - the Son of God and the Savior of people. Below is the sphere of evil: the unbelieving world, sinners, false teachers, conscious fighters against God and demons. They are led by a dragon - a fallen angel. Throughout the existence of mankind, these spheres have been at war with each other. The Apostle John in his visions gradually reveals to the reader different sides of the war between good and evil and reveals the process of spiritual self-determination in people, as a result of which some of them become on the side of good, others on the side of evil. During the development of the world conflict, God's Judgment is constantly being carried out on individuals and nations. Before the end of the world, evil will increase excessively, and the earthly Church will be extremely weakened. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will come to earth, all people will be resurrected, and the Last Judgment of God will be carried out over the world. The devil and his supporters will be condemned to eternal torment, but for the righteous, eternal, blissful life in Paradise will begin.

When read sequentially, the Apocalypse can be divided into the following parts.

Introductory picture of the Lord Jesus Christ appearing, commanding John to write down the Revelation to the seven churches of Asia Minor (chapter 1).

Letters to the 7 churches of Asia Minor (chapters 2 and 3), in which, along with instructions to these churches, the destinies of the Church of Christ are outlined - from the apostolic age to the end of the world.

Vision of God seated on the throne, the Lamb and heavenly worship (chapters 4 and 5). This worship is supplemented by visions in subsequent chapters.

From the 6th chapter the revelation of the destinies of humanity begins. Opening of the Seven Seals by the Lamb-Christ mysterious book serves as the beginning of a description of the different phases of the war between good and evil, between the Church and the devil. This war, which begins in the human soul, spreads to all aspects of human life, intensifies and becomes more and more terrible (until the 20th chapter).

The voices of the seven angelic trumpets (chapters 7-10) herald the initial disasters that must befall people for their unbelief and sins. The damage to nature and the appearance of evil forces in the world are described. Before the onset of disasters, believers receive a seal of grace on their forehead (forehead), which preserves them from moral evil and from the fate of the wicked.

The Vision of Seven Signs (Chapters 11-14) shows humanity divided into two opposing and irreconcilable camps - good and evil. Good forces are concentrated in the Church of Christ, represented here in the image of a Woman clothed with the sun (chapter 12), and evil forces are concentrated in the kingdom of the beast-Antichrist. The beast that came out of the sea is a symbol of evil secular power, and the beast that came out of the earth is a symbol of decayed religious power. In this part of the Apocalypse, for the first time, a conscious, extra-worldly evil being is clearly revealed - the dragon-devil, who organizes and leads the war against the Church. The two witnesses of Christ symbolize here the preachers of the Gospel who fight the beast.

The Visions of the Seven Bowls (chapters 15-17) paint a grim picture of worldwide moral decay. The war against the Church becomes extremely intense (Armageddon) (Rev. 16:16), the trials become unbearably difficult. The image of Babylon the harlot depicts humanity that has apostatized from God, concentrated in the capital of the kingdom of the beast-Antichrist. The evil force extends its influence to all areas of the life of sinful humanity, after which God’s judgment begins on the forces of evil (here God’s judgment on Babylon is described in general outline, as an introduction).

The following chapters (18-19) describe the judgment of Babylon in detail. It also shows the death of the perpetrators of evil among people - the Antichrist and the false prophet - representatives of both civil and heretical anti-Christian authorities.

Chapter 20 summarizes spiritual warfare and world history. She speaks of the double defeat of the devil and the reign of martyrs. Having suffered physically, they won spiritually and are already blissful in Heaven. It covers the entire period of the existence of the Church, starting from apostolic times. Gog and Magog personify the totality of all the God-fighting forces, earthly and underworld, which throughout Christian history fought against the Church (Jerusalem). They are destroyed by the second coming of Christ. Finally, the devil, this ancient serpent who laid the foundation for all lawlessness, untruths and suffering in the Universe, is also subject to eternal punishment. The end of chapter 20 tells of the general resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and the punishment of the wicked. This brief description summarizes the Last Judgment of mankind and the fallen angels and sums up the drama of the universal war between good and evil.

The final two chapters (21-22) describe the new Heaven, the new Earth, and the blessed life of the saved. These are the brightest and most joyful chapters in the Bible.

Every new department The apocalypse usually begins with the words: “And I saw...” and ends with a description of God’s judgment. This description marks the end of the previous topic and the beginning of a new one. Between the main sections of the Apocalypse, the viewer sometimes inserts intermediate pictures that serve as a connecting link between them. The table given here clearly shows the plan and sections of the Apocalypse. For compactness, we have combined the intermediate pictures together with the main ones. Walking horizontally along the table above, we see how the following areas are gradually revealed more and more fully: The heavenly world; Church persecuted on earth; sinful and godless world; underworld; the war between them and the judgment of God.

The meaning of symbols and numbers. Symbols and allegories enable the seer to speak about the essence of world events at a high level of generalization, so he uses them widely. So, for example, eyes symbolize knowledge, many eyes - perfect knowledge. Horn is a symbol of power, might. Long clothing signifies priesthood; crown - royal dignity; whiteness - purity, innocence; the city of Jerusalem, the temple and Israel symbolize the Church. Numbers also have a symbolic meaning: three - symbolizes the Trinity, four - a symbol of peace and world order; seven means completeness and perfection; twelve - the people of God, the fullness of the Church (numbers derived from 12, like 24 and 144,000, have the same meaning). One third means some relatively small part. Three and a half years is a time of persecution. The number 666 will be discussed specifically later in this booklet.

New Testament events are often depicted against the background of homogeneous Old Testament events. So, for example, the disasters of the Church are described against the backdrop of the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt, temptation under the prophet Balaam, persecution by Queen Jezebel and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; the salvation of believers from the devil is depicted against the background of the salvation of the Israelites from Pharaoh under the prophet Moses; the atheistic power is represented in the image of Babylon and Egypt; the punishment of the godless forces is depicted in the language of the 10 Egyptian plagues; the devil is identified with the serpent who seduced Adam and Eve; future heavenly bliss is depicted in the image of the Garden of Eden and the tree of life.

The main task of the author of the Apocalypse is to show how evil forces, who organizes and directs them in the fight against the Church; to instruct and strengthen believers in fidelity to Christ; show the complete defeat of the devil and his servants and the beginning of heavenly bliss.

For all the symbolism and mystery of the Apocalypse, religious truths are revealed in it very clearly. So, for example, the Apocalypse points to the devil as the culprit of all temptations and disasters of mankind. The tools with which he tries to destroy people are always the same: unbelief, disobedience to God, pride, sinful desires, lies, fear, doubts, etc. Despite all his cunning and experience, the devil is not able to destroy people who are devoted to God with all their hearts, because God protects them with His grace. The devil enslaves more and more apostates and sinners to himself and pushes them to all sorts of abominations and crimes. He directs them against the Church and with their help produces violence and organizes wars in the world. The Apocalypse clearly shows that in the end the devil and his servants will be defeated and punished, the truth of Christ will triumph, and in renewed world a blissful life will come, which will have no end.

Having thus made a quick overview of the content and symbolism of the Apocalypse, let us now dwell on some of its most important parts.

Letters to the Seven Churches (Ch. 2-3)

Seven churches - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea - were located in the southwestern part of Asia Minor (now Turkey). They were founded by the Apostle Paul in the 40s of the first century. After his martyrdom in Rome around the year 67, the Apostle John the Theologian took charge of these churches, who cared for them for about forty years. Having been imprisoned on the island of Patmos, the Apostle John from there wrote messages to these churches in order to prepare Christians for the upcoming persecution. The letters are addressed to the “angels” of these churches, i.e. bishops.

A careful study of the epistles to the seven churches of Asia Minor suggests that they contain the destinies of the Church of Christ, starting from the apostolic age until the end of the world. At the same time, the upcoming path of the New Testament Church, this “New Israel,” is depicted against the backdrop of the most important events in the life of Old Testament Israel, starting with the Fall in Paradise and ending with the time of the Pharisees and Sadducees under the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle John uses Old Testament events as prototypes of the destinies of the New Testament Church. Thus, three elements are intertwined in the letters to the seven churches:

b) a new, deeper interpretation of Old Testament history; And

c) the future fate of the Church.

The combination of these three elements in the letters to the seven churches is summarized in the table attached here.

Notes: The Ephesian church was the most populous, and had metropolitan status in relation to the neighboring churches of Asia Minor. In 431, the 3rd Ecumenical Council took place in Ephesus. Gradually, the lamp of Christianity in the Ephesian Church died out, as the Apostle John predicted. Pergamum was the political center of western Asia Minor. It was dominated by paganism with a magnificent cult of deified pagan emperors. On a mountain near Pergamum, a pagan monument-altar stood majestically, mentioned in the Apocalypse as the “throne of Satan” (Rev. 2:13). The Nicolaitans are ancient Gnostic heretics. Gnosticism was a dangerous temptation for the Church in the first centuries of Christianity. Favorable soil for the development of Gnostic ideas was the syncretic culture that arose in the empire of Alexander the Great, uniting East and West. The religious worldview of the East, with its belief in the eternal struggle between good and evil, spirit and matter, body and soul, light and darkness, combined with the speculative method of Greek philosophy, gave rise to various Gnostic systems, which were characterized by the idea of the emanation origin of the world from the Absolute and about the many intermediate stages of creation connecting the world with the Absolute. Naturally, with the spread of Christianity in the Hellenistic environment, the danger arose of its presentation in Gnostic terms and the transformation of Christian piety into one of the religious and philosophical Gnostic systems. Jesus Christ was perceived by the Gnostics as one of the mediators (eons) between the Absolute and the world.

One of the first distributors of Gnosticism among Christians was someone named Nicholas - hence the name "Nicolaitans" in the Apocalypse. (It is believed that this was Nicholas, who, along with the other six chosen men, was ordained by the apostles to the diaconate, see: Acts 6:5). By distorting the Christian faith, the Gnostics encouraged moral laxity. Beginning in the mid-first century, several Gnostic sects flourished in Asia Minor. The apostles Peter, Paul and Jude warned Christians not to fall into the snares of these heretical debauchees. Prominent representatives of Gnosticism were the heretics Valentinus, Marcion and Basilides, who were opposed by the apostolic men and early fathers of the Church.

The ancient Gnostic sects disappeared long ago, but Gnosticism as a fusion of heterogeneous philosophical and religious schools exists in our time in theosophy, cabala, Freemasonry, modern Hinduism, yoga and other cults.

Vision of heavenly worship (chap. 4-5)

The Apostle John received a revelation on the “Day of the Lord,” i.e. on Sunday. It should be assumed that, according to apostolic custom, on this day he performed the “breaking of bread,” i.e. Divine Liturgy and received communion, so he “was in the Spirit,” i.e. experienced a special inspired state (Rev. 1:10).

And so, the first thing he is honored to see is, as it were, a continuation of the divine service he performed - the heavenly Liturgy. The Apostle John describes this service in the 4th and 5th chapters of the Apocalypse. An Orthodox person will recognize here the familiar features of the Sunday Liturgy and the most important accessories of the altar: the throne, the seven-branched candlestick, the censer with smoking incense, the golden cup, etc. (These objects, shown to Moses on Mount Sinai, were also used in the Old Testament temple). The slain Lamb seen by the apostle in the middle of the throne reminds a believer of the Communion lying on the throne under the guise of bread; the souls of those killed for the word of God under the heavenly throne - an antimension with particles of the relics of the holy martyrs sewn into it; elders in light robes and with golden crowns on their heads - a host of clergymen performing the Divine Liturgy together. It is noteworthy here that even the exclamations and prayers themselves, heard by the Apostle in Heaven, express the essence of the prayers that the clergy and singers pronounce during the main part of the Liturgy - the Eucharistic Canon. The whitening of the righteous's robes with the "Blood of the Lamb" is reminiscent of the sacrament of Communion, through which believers sanctify their souls.

Thus, the apostle begins the revelation of the destinies of humanity with a description of the heavenly Liturgy, which emphasizes the spiritual significance of this service and the need for the prayers of the saints for us.

Notes The words “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” refer to the Lord Jesus Christ and are reminiscent of the prophecy of Patriarch Jacob about the Messiah (Gen. 49:9-10), “Seven Spirits of God” - the fullness of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit (see: Is. 11:2 and Zechariah 4th chapter). Many eyes symbolize omniscience. The twenty-four elders correspond to the twenty-four priestly orders established by King David for serving in the temple - two intercessors for each tribe of New Israel (1 Chron. 24:1-18). The four mysterious animals surrounding the throne are similar to the animals seen by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5-19). They appear to be the creatures closest to God. These faces - man, lion, calf and eagle - were taken by the Church as emblems of the four Evangelists.

In the further description of the heavenly world we encounter many things that are incomprehensible to us. From the Apocalypse we learn that the angelic world is immensely large. Disembodied spirits - angels, like people, are endowed by the Creator with reason and free will, but their spiritual abilities are many times greater than ours. Angels are completely devoted to God and serve Him through prayer and the fulfillment of His will. So, for example, they lift up the prayers of the saints to the throne of God (Rev. 8:3-4), assist the righteous in achieving salvation (Rev. 7:2-3; 14:6-10; 19:9), sympathize with the suffering and persecuted (Rev. 8:13; 12:12), according to the command of God, sinners are punished (Rev. 8:7; 9:15; 15:1; 16:1). They are clothed with power and have power over nature and its elements (Rev. 10:1; 18:1). They wage war against the devil and his demons (Rev. 12:7-10; 19:17-21; 20:1-3), take part in the judgment of the enemies of God (Rev. 19:4).

The teaching of the Apocalypse about the angelic world radically overthrows the teaching of the ancient Gnostics, who recognized intermediate beings (eons) between the Absolute and the material world, which govern the world completely independently and independently of Him.

Among the saints whom the Apostle John sees in Heaven, two groups, or “faces,” stand out: martyrs and virgins. Historically, martyrdom is the first kind of holiness, and therefore the apostle begins with the martyrs (6:9-11). He sees their souls under the heavenly altar, which symbolizes the redemptive meaning of their suffering and death, with which they participate in the suffering of Christ and, as it were, complement them. The blood of the martyrs is likened to the blood of the Old Testament victims, which flowed under the altar of the Jerusalem Temple. The history of Christianity testifies that the suffering of the ancient martyrs served to morally renew the decrepit pagan world. The ancient writer Tertulian wrote that the blood of martyrs serves as the seed for new Christians. Persecution of believers will either subside or intensify during the continued existence of the Church, and therefore it was revealed to the seer that new martyrs would be added to the number of the first.

Later, the Apostle John sees in Heaven a huge number of people whom no one could count - from all tribes, tribes, peoples, and languages; They stood in white clothes with palm branches in their hands (Rev. 7:9-17). What this innumerable host of righteous people have in common is that “they came out of great tribulation.” For all people there is only one path to Paradise - through sorrow. Christ is the first Sufferer, who took upon Himself as the Lamb of God the sins of the world. Palm branches are a symbol of victory over the devil.

In a special vision, the seer describes virgins, i.e. people who have given up the pleasures of married life for the sake of wholehearted service to Christ. (Voluntary “eunuchs” for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, see about this: Matt. 19:12; Rev. 14:1-5. In the Church, this feat was often accomplished in monasticism). The viewer sees the “name of the Father” written on the foreheads of virgins, which indicates their moral beauty, reflecting the perfection of the Creator. The “new song,” which they sing and which no one can repeat, is an expression of the spiritual heights that they achieved through the feat of fasting, prayer and chastity. This purity is unattainable for people of a worldly lifestyle.

The song of Moses, which the righteous sing in the next vision (Rev. 15:2-8), is reminiscent of the hymn of thanksgiving that the Israelites sang when, having crossed the Red Sea, they were saved from Egyptian slavery (Ex. 15 ch.). Likewise, New Testament Israel is saved from the power and influence of the devil by going into life of grace through the sacrament of baptism. In subsequent visions, the seer describes the saints several more times. The “fine linen” (precious linen) in which they are clothed is a symbol of their righteousness. In the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse, the wedding song of the saved speaks of the approaching “marriage” between the Lamb and the saints, i.e. about the coming of the closest communication between God and the righteous (Rev. 19:1-9; 21:3-4). The book of Revelation ends with a description of the blessed life of the saved nations (Rev. 21:24-27; 22:12-14 and 17). These are the brightest and most joyful pages in the Bible, showing the triumphant Church in the Kingdom of glory.

Thus, as the destinies of the world are revealed in the Apocalypse, the Apostle John gradually directs the spiritual gaze of believers to the Kingdom of Heaven - to the ultimate goal of earthly wandering. He speaks, as if under duress and reluctantly, about the gloomy events in a sinful world.

Opening of the seven seals. Vision of the Four Horsemen (6th chapter)

The vision of the seven seals is introductory to the subsequent revelations of the Apocalypse. The opening of the first four seals reveals four horsemen, who symbolize the four factors that characterize the entire history of mankind. The first two factors are the cause, the second two are the effect. The crowned rider on the white horse "came out to conquer." He personifies those good principles, natural and grace-filled, that the Creator invested in man: the image of God, moral purity and innocence, the desire for goodness and perfection, the ability to believe and love, and the individual “talents” with which a person is born, as well as grace-filled gifts The Holy Spirit, which he receives in the Church. According to the Creator, these good principles were supposed to “win,” i.e. determine a happy future for humanity. But man already in Eden succumbed to the temptation of the tempter. The nature damaged by sin passed on to his descendants; so people are already with early age prone to sin. Repeated sins intensify their bad inclinations even more. Thus, a person, instead of growing and improving spiritually, falls under the destructive influence of his own passions, indulges in various sinful desires, and begins to envy and be at enmity. All crimes in the world (violence, wars and all kinds of disasters) arise from internal discord in a person.

The destructive effect of passions is symbolized by the red horse and rider, who took the world away from people. Giving in to his disorderly sinful desires, a person wastes the talents given to him by God and becomes poor physically and spiritually. In public life, hostility and war lead to the weakening and disintegration of society, to the loss of its spiritual and material resources. This internal and external impoverishment of humanity is symbolized by a black horse with a rider holding a measure (or scales) in his hand. Finally, the complete loss of God's gifts leads to spiritual death, and the final consequence of hostility and wars is the death of people and the collapse of society. This sad fate of people is symbolized by a pale horse.

The Four Apocalyptic Horsemen depicts the history of mankind in very general terms. First - the blissful life in Eden of our first parents, called to “reign” over nature (white horse), then - their fall from grace (red horse), after which the life of their descendants was filled with various disasters and mutual destruction (crow and pale horses). Apocalyptic horses also symbolize the life of individual states with their periods of prosperity and decline. Here is the life path of every person - with its childish purity, naivety, great potential, which are overshadowed by stormy youth, when a person wastes his strength, health and ultimately dies. Here is the history of the Church: the spiritual fervor of Christians in apostolic times and the efforts of the Church to renew human society; the emergence of heresies and schisms in the Church itself, and the persecution of the Church by pagan society. The Church is weakening, going into the catacombs, and some local churches are disappearing altogether.

Thus, the vision of the four horsemen summarizes the factors that characterize the life of sinful humanity. Further chapters of the Apocalypse will develop this theme more deeply. But by opening the fifth seal, the seer also shows the bright side of human misfortunes. Christians, having suffered physically, won spiritually; Now they are in Paradise! (Rev. 6:9-11) Their exploit brings them eternal reward, and they reign with Christ, as described in chapter 20. The transition to a more detailed description of the disasters of the Church and the strengthening of the atheistic forces is marked by the opening of the seventh seal.

Seven pipes. Imprinting the chosen ones. The beginning of disasters and the defeat of nature (Ch. 7-11)

Angelic trumpets foretell disasters for humanity, physical and spiritual. But before the disaster begins, the Apostle John sees an angel placing a seal on the foreheads of the sons of New Israel (Rev. 7:1-8). “Israel” here is the New Testament Church. The seal symbolizes chosenness and grace-filled protection. This vision is reminiscent of the sacrament of Confirmation, during which the “seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” is placed on the forehead of the newly baptized. It also resembles the sign of the cross, by which those protected “resist the enemy.” People who are not protected by the seal of grace suffer harm from the “locusts” that emerged from the abyss, i.e. from the power of the devil (Rev. 9:4). The prophet Ezekiel describes a similar sealing of the righteous citizens of ancient Jerusalem before its capture by the Chaldean hordes. Then, as now, the mysterious seal was placed with the purpose of preserving the righteous from the fate of the wicked (Ezek. 9:4). When listing the 12 tribes of Israel by name, the tribe of Dan was deliberately omitted. Some see this as an indication of the origin of the Antichrist from this tribe. The basis for this opinion are the mysterious words of the patriarch Jacob regarding the future of the descendants of Dan: “a serpent is in the way, an asp in the way” (Gen. 49:17).

Thus, this vision serves as an introduction to the subsequent description of the persecution of the Church. Measuring the temple of God in chapter 11. has the same meaning as the sealing of the sons of Israel: the preservation of the children of the Church from evil. The Temple of God, like the Woman clothed with the sun, and the city of Jerusalem is different symbols Church of Christ. The main idea of these visions is that the Church is holy and dear to God. God allows persecution for the sake of the moral improvement of believers, but protects them from enslavement to evil and from the same fate as those who fight against God.

Before the seventh seal is opened, there is silence “for about half an hour,” (Rev. 8:1). This is the silence before the storm that will rock the world during the Antichrist. ( Modern process Isn't disarmament as a result of the collapse of communism a break that is given to people to turn to God?). Before the onset of disasters, the Apostle John sees saints earnestly praying for mercy for people (Rev. 8:3-5).

Disasters in nature. Following this, the trumpets of each of the seven angels are sounded, after which various disasters begin. First, a third of the vegetation dies, then a third of the fish and other sea creatures, followed by poisoning of rivers and water sources. The fall of hail and fire, a flaming mountain and a luminous star onto the earth seems to allegorically indicate the enormous extent of these disasters. Is this not a prediction of the global pollution and destruction of nature that is observed today? If so then ecological catastrophy foreshadows the coming of the Antichrist. More and more desecrating the image of God within themselves, people cease to appreciate and love His beautiful world. With their waste they pollute lakes, rivers and seas; spilled oil affect vast coastal areas; destroy forests and jungles, exterminate many species of animals, fish and birds. From poisoning of nature, both the perpetrators themselves and innocent victims their cruel greed. The words: “The name of the third star is wormwood... And many of the people died from the waters because they became bitter” are reminiscent of the Chernobyl disaster, because “Chernobyl” means wormwood. But what does it mean that a third of the sun and stars are defeated and eclipsed? (Rev. 8:12). Obviously, here we are talking about air pollution to such a state when sunlight and starlight, reaching the ground, seem less bright. (For example, due to air pollution, the sky in Los Angeles usually looks dirty brown in color, and at night almost no stars are visible above the city, except for the brightest ones.)

The story of the locusts (fifth trumpet, (Rev. 9:1-11)) emerging from the abyss speaks of the strengthening of demonic power among people. It is headed by "Apollyon," which means "destroyer" - the devil. As people lose the grace of God through their unbelief and sins, the spiritual emptiness that forms in them is increasingly filled by demonic power, which torments them with doubts and various passions.

Apocalyptic wars. The trumpet of the sixth angel sets in motion a huge army beyond the Euphrates River, from which a third of the people perish (Rev. 9:13-21). In the biblical view, the Euphrates River marks the boundary beyond which peoples hostile to God are concentrated, threatening Jerusalem with war and extermination. For the Roman Empire, the Euphrates River served as a stronghold against the attacks of eastern peoples. The ninth chapter of the Apocalypse was written against the backdrop of the cruel and bloody Judeo-Roman war of 66-70 AD, still fresh in the memory of the Apostle John. This war had three phases (Rev. 8:13). The first phase of the war, in which Gasius Florus led the Roman forces, lasted five months, from May to September 66 (the five months of the locust, Rev. 9:5 and 10). The second phase of the war soon began, from October to November 66, in which the Syrian governor Cestius led four Roman legions, (four angels at the Euphrates River, Rev. 9:14). This phase of the war was especially devastating for the Jews. The third phase of the war, led by Flavian, lasted three and a half years - from April 67 to September 70, and ended with the destruction of Jerusalem, the burning of the temple and the scattering of captive Jews throughout the Roman Empire. This bloody Roman-Jewish war became a prototype of the terrible wars of recent times, which the Savior pointed out in His conversation on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:7).

The attributes of the hellish locusts and the Euphrates hordes can be recognized modern weapons mass destruction- tanks, guns, bombers and nuclear missiles. Further chapters of the Apocalypse describe the ever-increasing wars of the end times (Rev. 11:7; 16:12-16; 17:14; 19:11-19 and 20:7-8). The words “the river Euphrates was dried up so that the way for kings from the rising of the sun” (Rev. 16:12) may indicate the “yellow peril.” It should be borne in mind that the description of apocalyptic wars has the features of actual wars, but ultimately refers to spiritual war, and proper names and numbers have an allegorical meaning. So the Apostle Paul explains: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). The name Armageddon is made up of two words: “Ar” (in Hebrew - plain) and “Megiddo” (an area in the north of the Holy Land, near Mount Carmel, where in ancient times Barak defeated the army of Sisera, and the prophet Elijah destroyed more than five hundred priests of Baal), ( Rev. 16:16 and 17:14; Judges 4:2-16; 1 Kings 18:40). In the light of these biblical events, Armageddon symbolizes the defeat of the godless forces by Christ. The names Gog and Magog in the 20th chapter. reminiscent of Ezekiel's prophecy about the invasion of Jerusalem by countless hordes led by Gog from the land of Magog (in the south of the Caspian Sea), (Ezek. 38-39; Rev. 20:7-8). Ezekiel dates this prophecy to Messianic times. In the Apocalypse, the siege of the “camp of saints and the beloved city” (i.e., the Church) by the hordes of Gog and Magog and the destruction of these hordes by heavenly fire must be understood in the sense of the complete defeat of the atheistic forces, human and demonic, by the Second Coming of Christ.

As for the physical disasters and punishments of sinners, often mentioned in the Apocalypse, the seer himself explains that God allows them for admonition, in order to lead sinners to repentance (Rev. 9:21). But the apostle notes with sorrow that people do not heed the call of God and continue to sin and serve demons. They, as if “having the bit between their teeth,” are rushing towards their own destruction.

Vision of two witnesses (11:2-12). Chapters 10 and 11 occupy an intermediate place between the visions of the 7 trumpets and the 7 signs. In the two witnesses of God, some holy fathers see the Old Testament righteous Enoch and Elijah (Or Moses and Elijah). It is known that Enoch and Elijah were taken alive to Heaven (Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11), and before the end of the world they will come to earth to expose the deceit of the Antichrist and call people to loyalty to God. The executions that these witnesses will bring on people are reminiscent of the miracles performed by the prophets Moses and Elijah (Exodus 7-12; 3 Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 1:10). For the Apostle John, the prototypes of the two apocalyptic witnesses could be the apostles Peter and Paul, who shortly before suffered in Rome from Nero. Apparently, the two witnesses in the Apocalypse symbolize other witnesses of Christ, spreading the Gospel in a hostile pagan world and often sealing their preaching with martyrdom. The words “Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11:8) point to the city of Jerusalem, in which the Lord Jesus Christ, many prophets and the first Christians suffered. (Some suggest that at the time of the Antichrist, Jerusalem will become the capital of a world state. At the same time, they provide an economic justification for this opinion).

Seven signs (chap. 12-14). The Church and the Kingdom of the Beast

The further, the more clearly the viewer reveals to the readers the division of humanity into two opposing camps - the Church and the kingdom of the beast. In previous chapters, the Apostle John began to introduce readers to the Church, speaking of the sealed ones, the Jerusalem temple and the two witnesses, and in chapter 12 he shows the Church in all its heavenly glory. At the same time, he reveals her main enemy - the devil-dragon. The vision of the Woman clothed with the sun and the dragon makes it clear that the war between good and evil extends beyond the material world and extends to the world of angels. The apostle shows that in the world of disembodied spirits there is a conscious evil being who, with desperate persistence, wages war against angels and people devoted to God. This war of evil with good, permeating the entire existence of mankind, began in the angelic world before the creation of the material world. As we have already said, the seer describes this war in different parts The Apocalypse is not in its chronological sequence, but in different fragments, or phases.

The vision of the Woman reminds the reader of God's promise to Adam and Eve about the Messiah (the Seed of the Woman) who would wipe out the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). One might think that in chapter 12 the Wife refers to the Virgin Mary. However, from the further narrative, which talks about the other descendants of the Wife (Christians), it is clear that here by the Wife we must mean the Church. The Sunshine of the Woman symbolizes the moral perfection of the saints and the grace-filled illumination of the Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The twelve stars symbolize the twelve tribes of the New Israel - i.e. a collection of Christian peoples. The Wife's pangs during childbirth symbolize the exploits, hardships and sufferings of the servants of the Church (prophets, apostles and their successors) suffered by them in spreading the Gospel in the world and in establishing Christian virtues among their spiritual children. (“My children, for whom I am again in birth pangs, until Christ is formed in you,” said the Apostle Paul to the Galatian Christians (Gal. 4:19)).

The Firstborn of the Woman, “who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron,” is the Lord Jesus Christ (Ps. 2:9; Rev. 12:5 and 19:15). He is the New Adam, who became the head of the Church. The “Rapture” of the Child obviously points to the ascension of Christ to Heaven, where He sat “at the right hand of the Father” and has since ruled the destinies of the world.

“The dragon with his tail drew a third of the stars from Heaven and threw them to the earth,” (Rev. 12:4). By these stars, interpreters understand the angels whom the proud Dennitsa-devil rebelled against God, as a result of which a war broke out in Heaven. (This was the first revolution in the universe!). The good angels were led by Archangel Michael. The angels who rebelled against God were defeated and could not stay in Heaven. Having fallen away from God, they became demons from good angels. Their underworld, called the abyss or hell, became a place of darkness and suffering. According to the opinion of the holy fathers, the war described here by the Apostle John took place in the angelic world even before the creation of the material world. It is presented here with the purpose of explaining to the reader that the dragon that will haunt the Church in further visions of the Apocalypse is the fallen Dennitsa - the original enemy of God.

So, having been defeated in Heaven, the dragon takes up arms against the Woman-Church with all his fury. His weapon is the many different temptations that he directs at his Wife like a stormy river. But she saves herself from temptation by fleeing into the desert, that is, by voluntarily renouncing the blessings and comforts of life with which the dragon tries to captivate her. The two wings of the Woman are prayer and fasting, with which Christians are spiritualized and made inaccessible to the dragon crawling on the earth like a serpent (Gen. 3:14; Mark 9:29). (It should be remembered that many zealous Christians, already from the first centuries, moved to the desert in the literal sense, leaving noisy cities full of temptations. In remote caves, hermitages and laurels, they devoted all their time to prayer and contemplation of God and reached such spiritual heights that modern Christians have no idea. Monasticism flourished in the East in the 4th-7th centuries, when many monasteries were formed in the desert places of Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Asia Minor, numbering hundreds and thousands of monks and nuns. From the Middle East, monasticism spread to Athos, and from there - to Russia, where in pre-revolutionary times there were more than a thousand monasteries and hermitages).

Note. The expression “a time, times and half a time” - 1260 days or 42 months (Rev. 12:6-15) - corresponds to three and a half years and symbolically denotes the period of persecution. The public ministry of the Savior continued for three and a half years. The persecution of believers continued for approximately the same amount of time under King Antiochus Epiphanes and the Emperors Nero and Domitian. At the same time, the numbers in the Apocalypse should be understood allegorically (see above).

The beast that came out of the sea and the beast that came out of the earth. From. Chapters 13-14

Most of the holy fathers understand the Antichrist by the “beast from the sea”, and the false prophet by the “beast from the earth”. The sea symbolizes the unbelieving human mass, eternally worried and overwhelmed by passions. From the further narrative about the beast and from the parallel narrative of the prophet Daniel (Dan. 7-8 chapters). it should be concluded that the “beast” is the entire godless empire of the Antichrist. In appearance, the dragon-devil and the beast that came out of the sea, to which the dragon transferred its power, are similar to each other. Their external attributes speak of their dexterity, cruelty and moral ugliness. The heads and horns of the beast symbolize the godless states that make up the anti-Christian empire, as well as their rulers (“kings”). The report of a fatal wound to one of the beast's heads and its healing is mysterious. In due time, events themselves will shed light on the meaning of these words. The historical basis for this allegory could be the belief of many of the contemporaries of the Apostle John that the murdered Nero came to life and that he would soon return with the Parthian troops (located across the Euphrates River (Rev. 9:14 and 16:12)) to take revenge on his enemies. There may be an indication here of the partial defeat of atheistic paganism by the Christian faith and the revival of paganism during the period of general apostasy from Christianity. Others see here an indication of the defeat of God-fighting Judaism in the 70s AD. “They are not Jews, but the synagogue of Satan,” the Lord said to John (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). (See more about this in our brochure "Christian Doctrine of the End of the World").

Note. There are common features between the beast of the Apocalypse and the four beasts of the prophet Daniel, who personified the four ancient pagan empires (Dan. 7th chapter). The fourth beast referred to the Roman Empire, and the tenth horn of the last beast meant the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes - a prototype of the coming Antichrist, whom the Archangel Gabriel called “despicable,” (Dan. 11:21). The characteristics and actions of the apocalyptic beast also have much in common with the tenth horn of the prophet Daniel (Dan. 7:8-12; 20-25; 8:10-26; 11:21-45). The first two books of Maccabees provide a vivid illustration of the times before the end of the world.

The seer then describes a beast that came out of the earth, which he later refers to as a false prophet. The earth here symbolizes the complete lack of spirituality in the teachings of the false prophet: it is all saturated with materialism and pleasing the sin-loving flesh. The false prophet deceives people with false miracles and makes them worship the first beast. “He had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon” (Rev. 13:11) - i.e. he looked meek and peace-loving, but his speeches were full of flattery and lies.

Just as in the 11th chapter the two witnesses symbolize all the servants of Christ, so, obviously, the two beasts of the 13th chapter. symbolize the totality of all haters of Christianity. The beast from the sea is a symbol of civil atheistic power, and the beast from the earth is a combination of false teachers and all perverted church authorities. (In other words, the Antichrist will come from the civil environment, under the guise of a civil leader, preached and praised by those who betrayed religious beliefs by a false prophet or false prophets).

Just as during the earthly life of the Savior both of these authorities, civil and religious, in the person of Pilate and the Jewish high priests, united in condemning Christ to be crucified, so throughout the history of mankind these two authorities often unite in the fight against faith and to persecute believers. As has already been said, the Apocalypse describes not only the distant future, but also a constantly recurring one - for different peoples in their time. And the Antichrist is also his own for everyone, appearing in times of anarchy, when “he who holds back is taken.” Examples: the prophet Balaam and the Moabite king; Queen Jezebel and her priests; false prophets and princes before the destruction of Israel and later the Jews, “apostates from the holy covenant” and King Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 8:23; 1 Macc. and 2 Macc. 9), adherents of the Mosaic law and Roman rulers in apostolic times. In New Testament times, heretical false teachers weakened the Church with their schisms and thereby contributed to the conquering successes of the Arabs and Turks, who flooded and ruined the Orthodox East; Russian freethinkers and populists prepared the ground for the revolution; modern false teachers are seducing unstable Christians into various sects and cults. All of them are false prophets who contribute to the success of the atheistic forces. Apocalypse clearly reveals the mutual support between the dragon-devil and both beasts. Here, each of them has his own selfish calculations: the devil craves self-worship, the Antichrist seeks power, and the false prophet seeks his own material gain. The Church, calling people to faith in God and to strengthening virtues, serves as a hindrance to them, and they jointly fight against it.

Mark of the Beast

(Rev. 13:16-17; 14:9-11; 15:2; 19:20; 20:4). In the language of the Holy Scriptures, wearing a seal (or mark) means belonging to or subordinating to someone. We have already said that the seal (or the name of God) on the forehead of believers means their chosenness by God and, therefore, God’s protection over them (Rev. 3:12; 7:2-3; 9:4; 14:1; 22: 4). The activities of the false prophet, described in the 13th chapter of the Apocalypse, convince us that the kingdom of the beast will be of a religious and political nature. By creating a union of different states, it will simultaneously impose new religion instead of the Christian faith. Therefore, submit to the Antichrist (allegorically - take it on your forehead or on right hand mark of the beast) will be tantamount to renunciation of Christ, which will entail the deprivation of the Kingdom of Heaven. (The symbolism of the seal is drawn from the custom of antiquity, when warriors burned the names of their leaders on their hands or foreheads, and slaves - voluntarily or forcibly - accepted the seal of the name of their master. Pagans devoted to some deity often wore a tattoo of this deity on themselves) .

It is possible that during the time of the Antichrist, an improved computer registration similar to modern ones will be introduced. bank cards. The improvement will consist in the fact that the computer code, invisible to the eye, will be printed not on a plastic card, as it is now, but directly on the human body. This code, read by an electronic or magnetic "eye," will be transmitted to a central computer in which all information about that person, personal and financial, will be stored. Thus, establishing personal codes directly in public will replace the need for money, passports, visas, tickets, checks, credit cards and other personal documents. Thanks to individual coding, everything monetary transactions- receiving salaries and paying debts can be done directly on the computer. If there is no money, the robber will have nothing to take from the person. The state, in principle, will be able to control crime more easily, since the movements of people will be known to it thanks to central computer. It seems that this personal coding system will be proposed in such a positive aspect. In practice, it will also be used for religious and political control over people, when “no one will be allowed to buy or sell except the one who has this mark” (Rev. 13:17).

Of course, the idea expressed here about stamping codes on people is an assumption. The point is not in electromagnetic signs, but in fidelity or betrayal of Christ! Throughout the history of Christianity, pressure on believers from anti-Christian authorities took a variety of forms: making a formal sacrifice to an idol, accepting Mohammedanism, joining a godless or anti-Christian organization. In the language of the Apocalypse, this is the acceptance of the “mark of the beast:” the acquisition of temporary advantages at the cost of renouncing Christ.

Number of the beast - 666

(Rev. 13:18). The meaning of this number still remains a mystery. Obviously, it can be deciphered when the circumstances themselves contribute to this. Some interpreters see the number 666 as a decrease in the number 777, which in turn means threefold perfection, completeness. With this understanding of the symbolism of this number, the Antichrist, who strives to show his superiority over Christ in everything, will in fact turn out to be imperfect in everything. In ancient times, name calculation was based on the fact that the letters of the alphabets had a numerical value. For example, in Greek (and Church Slavonic) “A” equaled 1, B = 2, G = 3, etc. A similar numerical value of letters exists in Latin and Hebrew. Each name could be arithmetically counted by addition digital value letters For example, the name Jesus written in Greek is 888 (possibly denoting supreme perfection). There are a huge number of proper names, which the sum of their letters translated into numbers gives 666. For example, the name Nero Caesar, written in Hebrew letters. In this case, if the Antichrist’s own name were known, then calculating its numerical value would not require special wisdom. Maybe here we need to look for a solution to the riddle in principle, but it is not clear in which direction. The Beast of the Apocalypse is both the Antichrist and his state. Perhaps at the time of the Antichrist, initials will be introduced to denote a new worldwide movement? By the will of God, the personal name of the Antichrist is hidden from idle curiosity for the time being. When the time comes, those who should decipher it will decipher it.

Talking image of the beast

It is difficult to understand the meaning of the words about the false prophet: “And it was given to him to put breath into the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak and act, so that everyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed” (Rev. 13:15). The reason for this allegory could have been the demand of Antiochus Epiphanes that the Jews bow to the statue of Jupiter, which he erected in the Temple of Jerusalem. Later, Emperor Domitian demanded that all inhabitants of the Roman Empire bow to his image. Domitian was the first emperor to demand divine veneration during his lifetime and to be called “our lord and god.” Sometimes, for a greater impression, priests were hidden behind the statues of the emperor, who spoke from there on his behalf. Christians who did not bow to the image of Domitian were ordered to be executed, and those who bowed to be given gifts. Maybe in the prophecy of the Apocalypse we're talking about about some kind of device like a television that will transmit the image of the Antichrist and at the same time monitor how people react to it. In any case, in our time, movies and television are widely used to instill anti-Christian ideas, to accustom people to cruelty and vulgarity. Daily indiscriminate watching of TV kills the good and holy in a person. Isn't television the forerunner of the talking image of the beast?

Seven bowls. Strengthening the atheistic power. Judgment of sinners 15-17 ch.

In this part of the Apocalypse, the seer describes the kingdom of the beast, which has reached its apogee of power and control over people's lives. Apostasy from the true faith covers almost all of humanity, and the Church reaches extreme exhaustion: “And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev. 13:7). To encourage the believers who remained faithful to Christ, the Apostle John raises their gaze to the heavenly world and shows a great host of righteous people who, like the Israelites who escaped from Pharaoh under Moses, sing a song of victory (Exodus 14-15 ch.).

But just as the power of the pharaohs came to an end, the days of anti-Christian power are numbered. Next chapters (16-20 chapters). in bright strokes they depict God's judgment over those who fight against God. The defeat of nature in the 16th chapter. similar to the description in the 8th chapter, but here it reaches worldwide proportions and makes a terrifying impression. (As before, obviously, the destruction of nature is carried out by people themselves - wars and industrial waste). The increased heat from the sun that people are suffering from may be due to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to the prediction of the Savior in Last year before the end of the world, living conditions will become so unbearable that “if God had not shortened those days, no flesh would have been saved” (Matt. 24:22).

The description of judgment and punishment in chapters 16-20 of the Apocalypse follows the order of increasing guilt of the enemies of God: first, people who received the mark of the beast are punished, and the capital of the anti-Christian empire is “Babylon,” then the Antichrist and the false prophet, and finally the devil.

The story of the defeat of Babylon is given twice: first in general terms at the end of the 16th chapter, and in more detail in chapters 18-19. Babylon is depicted as a harlot sitting on a beast. The name Babylon is reminiscent of Chaldean Babylon, in which the atheistic power was concentrated in Old Testament times. (Chaldean troops destroyed ancient Jerusalem in 586 BC). Describing the luxury of a “harlot,” the Apostle John had in mind rich Rome with its port city. But many features of apocalyptic Babylon do not apply to ancient Rome and, obviously, refer to the capital of the Antichrist.

Equally mysterious is the angel's explanation at the end of chapter 17 about the "mystery of Babylon" in detail relating to the Antichrist and his kingdom. These details will probably be understood in the future when the time comes. Some allegories are taken from the description of Rome, which stood on seven hills, and its godless emperors. “Five kings (the heads of the beast) fell” - these are the first five Roman emperors - from Julius Caesar to Claudius. The sixth head is Nero, the seventh is Vespasian. “And the beast that was and is not, is the eighth, and (he is) from among the seven” - this is Domitian, the revived Nero in the popular imagination. He is the Antichrist of the first century. But, probably, the symbolism of the 17th chapter will receive a new explanation during the time of the last Antichrist.

The trial of Babylon, the Antichrist and the false prophet (chap. 18-19)

The Seer of Secrets paints in vivid and vivid colors a picture of the fall of the capital of the atheistic state, which he calls Babylon. This description is similar to the predictions of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah about the death of Chaldean Babylon in the 539th year BC (Isa. 13-14 ch.; Is. 21:9; Jer. 50-51 ch.). There are many similarities between the past and future centers of world evil. The punishment of the Antichrist (the beast) and the false prophet is especially described. As we have already said, the “beast” is both a specific personality of the last god-fighter and, at the same time, the personification of any god-fighting power in general. The false prophet is the last false prophet (assistant of the Antichrist), as well as the personification of any pseudo-religious and perverted church authority.

It is important to understand that in the story about the punishment of Babylon, the Antichrist, the false prophet (in chapters 17-19). and the devil (in chapter 20), the Apostle John follows not a chronological, but a principled method of presentation, which we will now explain.

Taken together, the Holy Scriptures teach that the atheistic kingdom will end its existence at the Second Coming of Christ, and then the Antichrist and the false prophet will perish. God's Last Judgment on the world will occur in order of increasing guilt of the defendants. (“The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. But if it begins first with us, what will be the end of those who disobey the word of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17; Matt. 25:31-46). Believers will be judged first, then unbelievers and sinners, then conscious enemies of God, and, finally, the main culprits of all lawlessness in the world - demons and the devil). In this order, the Apostle John tells about the judgment of the enemies of God in chapters 17-20. Moreover, the apostle prefaces the trial of each category of guilty (apostates, Antichrist, false prophet and, finally, the devil) with a description of their guilt. Therefore, the impression arises that Babylon will be destroyed first, some time later the Antichrist and the false prophet will be punished, after which the kingdom of saints will come on earth, and after a very long time the devil will come out to deceive the nations and then he will be punished by God. In reality, the Apocalypse is about parallel events. This method of presentation by the Apostle John should be taken into account for the correct interpretation of the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse. (See: "The Failure of Chiliasm" in the brochure on the end of the world).

1000-year Kingdom of Saints. The Devil's Trial (chap. 20). Resurrection of the Dead and Last Judgment

The twentieth chapter, telling of the kingdom of saints and the double defeat of the devil, covers the entire period of the existence of Christianity. It sums up the drama of chapter 12 about the dragon's persecution of the Church Woman. The first time the devil was struck by the Savior's death on the cross. Then he was deprived of power over the world, “chained” and “imprisoned in the abyss” for 1000 years (ie for a very long time, Rev. 20:3). “Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out,” said the Lord before His suffering (John 12:31). As we know from the 12th chapter. The Apocalypse and from other places of Holy Scripture, the devil, even after the death of the Savior on the cross, had the opportunity to tempt believers and create intrigues for them, but he no longer had power over them. The Lord said to His disciples: “Behold, I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).

Only before the very end of the world, when, as a result of the mass apostasy of people from the faith, “he who restrains” will be taken out of the midst (2 Thess. 2:7), the devil will again prevail over sinful humanity, but a short time. Then he will lead the last desperate struggle against the Church (Jerusalem), sending the hordes of “Gog and Magog” against it, but will be defeated by Christ a second time and finally (“I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The hordes of Gog and Magog symbolize the totality of all the atheistic forces, human and underworld, which the devil will unite in his insane war against Christ. Thus, the increasingly intensifying struggle with the Church throughout history ends in the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse with the complete defeat of the devil and his servants. 20 Chapter 1 summarizes the spiritual side of this struggle and shows its end.

The bright side of the persecution of believers is that, although they suffered physically, they spiritually defeated the devil because they remained faithful to Christ. From the moment of their martyrdom, they reign with Christ and “judge” the world, taking part in the destinies of the Church and all humanity. (That's why we turn to them for help, and from here it follows Orthodox veneration saints (Rev. 20:4). The Lord predicted about the glorious fate of those who suffered for their faith: “He who believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25).

The “First Resurrection” in the Apocalypse is a spiritual rebirth, which begins from the moment of baptism of a believer, is strengthened by his Christian deeds and reaches its highest state at the moment of martyrdom for the sake of Christ. The promise applies to those who are spiritually regenerated: “The time is coming, and has already come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and having heard it, they will live.” The words of the 10th verse of the 20th chapter are final: the devil, who deceived people, was “cast into the lake of fire.” Thus ends the story of the condemnation of the apostates, the false prophet, the Antichrist and the devil.

Chapter 20 ends with a description of the Last Judgment. Before it, there must be a general resurrection of the dead - a physical one, which the apostle calls the “second” resurrection. All people will be physically resurrected - both righteous and sinners. After the general resurrection, "the books were opened... and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books." Obviously, then, before the throne of the Judge, the spiritual state of each person will be revealed. All the dark deeds evil words, secret thoughts and desires - everything carefully hidden and even forgotten - will suddenly surface and become obvious to everyone. It will be a terrible sight!

Just as there are two resurrections, so there are two deaths. “The first death” is the state of unbelief and sin in which people who did not accept the Gospel lived. “The second death” is doom to eternal alienation from God. This description is very condensed, since the apostle had already spoken about the Judgment several times before (see: Rev. 6:12-17; 10:7; 11:15; 14:14-20; 16:17-21; 19:19 -21 and 20:11-15). Here the apostle sums it up Last Judgment(The prophet Daniel talks about this briefly at the beginning of the 12th chapter). This brief description The Apostle John completes the description of the history of mankind and moves on to the description of the eternal life of the righteous.

New Heaven and new Earth. Eternal Bliss (Ch. 21-22)

The last two chapters of the book of the Apocalypse are the brightest and most joyful pages of the Bible. They describe the bliss of the righteous on a renewed Earth, where God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of the sufferers, where there will be no more death, no crying, no crying, no sickness. Life will begin, which will never end.

So, the book of the Apocalypse was written during the intensified persecution of the Church. Its purpose is to strengthen and comfort believers in view of the upcoming trials. It reveals the ways and tricks by which the devil and his servants try to destroy believers; she teaches how to overcome temptations. The book of the Apocalypse calls on believers to be attentive to their state of mind and not to be afraid of suffering and death for the sake of Christ. It shows the joyful life of the saints in heaven and invites us to unite with them. Believers, although sometimes they have many enemies, have even more defenders in the person of angels, saints and, especially, Christ the Victorious.

The book of the Apocalypse, brighter and more clearly than other books of Holy Scripture, reveals the drama of the struggle between evil and good in the history of mankind and shows more fully the triumph of Good and Life.

The Apocalypse (or translated from Greek - Revelation) of St. John the Theologian is the only prophetic book of the New Testament. It predicts the future destinies of mankind, the end of the world and the beginning of eternal life, and therefore, naturally, is placed at the end of the Holy Scriptures.

Despite the difficulty of understanding this book, the spiritually enlightened fathers and teachers of the Church have always treated it with great reverence as a book inspired by God. Thus, Saint Dionysius of Alexandria writes: “The darkness of this book does not prevent one from being surprised by it. And if I don’t understand everything about it, it’s only because of my inability. I cannot be a judge of the truths contained in it, and measure them by the poverty of my mind; Guided more by faith than by reason, I find them only beyond my understanding.” Blessed Jerome speaks in the same way about the Apocalypse: “It contains as many secrets as words. But what am I saying? Any praise for this book would be beneath its dignity.”

The author of the apocalypse calls himself John (Rev. 1:1, 4 and 9; 22:8). According to the general opinion of the holy fathers of the Church, this was the Apostle John, the beloved disciple of Christ, who received the distinctive name “Theologian” for the height of his teaching about God the Word. » His authorship is confirmed both by data in the Apocalypse itself and by many other internal and external signs. The Gospel and three Council Epistles also belong to the inspired pen of the Apostle John the Theologian. The author of the Apocalypse says that he was on the island of Patmos “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). From church history it is known that of the apostles, only Saint John the Theologian was imprisoned on this island.

Two witnesses of Christ in chapter 11. - these are the accusers of the Antichrist (Enoch and Elijah), and their prototypes are the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as all preachers of the Gospel who carry out their mission in a world hostile to Christianity. The false prophet in the 13th chapter is the personification of all those who propagate false religions (Gnosticism, heresies, Mohammedanism, materialism, Hinduism, etc.), among which the most prominent representative will be the false prophet of the times of the Antichrist. To understand why the Apostle John united various events and different people in one image, we must take into account that he wrote the Apocalypse not only for his contemporaries, but for Christians of all times who had to endure similar persecutions and tribulations. The Apostle John reveals common methods of deception, and also shows the sure way to avoid them in order to be faithful to Christ until death.

When read sequentially, the Apocalypse can be divided into the following parts.

Introductory picture of the Lord Jesus Christ appearing, commanding John to write down the Revelation to the seven churches of Asia Minor (chapter 1).

Vision of God seated on the throne, the Lamb and heavenly worship (chapters 4 and 5). This worship is supplemented by visions in subsequent chapters.

From the 6th chapter the revelation of the destinies of humanity begins. The opening of the seven seals of the mysterious book by the Lamb-Christ serves as the beginning of a description of the different phases of the war between good and evil, between the Church and the devil. This war, which begins in the human soul, spreads to all aspects of human life, intensifies and becomes more and more terrible (until the 20th chapter).

The Visions of the Seven Bowls (chapters 15-17) paint a grim picture of worldwide moral decay. The war against the Church becomes extremely intense (Armageddon) (Rev. 16:16), the trials become unbearably difficult. The image of Babylon the harlot depicts humanity that has apostatized from God, concentrated in the capital of the kingdom of the beast-Antichrist. The evil force extends its influence to all areas of the life of sinful humanity, after which God’s judgment on the forces of evil begins (here God’s judgment on Babylon is described in general terms, as an introduction).

The final two chapters (21-22) describe the new Heaven, the new Earth, and the blessed life of the saved. These are the brightest and most joyful chapters in the Bible.

Each new section of the Apocalypse usually begins with the words: “And I saw...” - and ends with a description of God’s judgment. This description marks the end of the previous topic and the beginning of a new one. Between the main sections of the Apocalypse, the viewer sometimes inserts intermediate pictures that serve as a connecting link between them. The table given here clearly shows the plan and sections of the Apocalypse. For compactness, we have combined the intermediate pictures together with the main ones. Walking horizontally along the table above, we see how the following areas are gradually revealed more and more fully: The heavenly world; Church persecuted on earth; sinful and godless world; underworld; the war between them and the judgment of God.

The main task of the author of the Apocalypse is to show how evil forces operate, who organizes and directs them in the fight against the Church; to instruct and strengthen believers in fidelity to Christ; show the complete defeat of the devil and his servants and the beginning of heavenly bliss.

For all the symbolism and mystery of the Apocalypse, religious truths are revealed in it very clearly. So, for example, the Apocalypse points to the devil as the culprit of all temptations and disasters of mankind. The tools with which he tries to destroy people are always the same: unbelief, disobedience to God, pride, sinful desires, lies, fear, doubts, etc. Despite all his cunning and experience, the devil is not able to destroy people who are devoted to God with all their hearts, because God protects them with His grace. The devil enslaves more and more apostates and sinners to himself and pushes them to all sorts of abominations and crimes. He directs them against the Church and with their help produces violence and organizes wars in the world. The Apocalypse clearly shows that in the end the devil and his servants will be defeated and punished, the truth of Christ will triumph, and a blessed life will come in the renewed world, which will have no end.

Having thus made a quick overview of the content and symbolism of the Apocalypse, let us now dwell on some of its most important parts.

Letters to the Seven Churches (chap. 2-3).

B) a new, deeper interpretation of Old Testament history; And

C) the future fate of the Church.

The combination of these three elements in the letters to the seven churches is summarized in the table attached here.

One of the first distributors of Gnosticism among Christians was someone named Nicholas - hence the name “Nicolaitans” in the Apocalypse. (It is believed that this was Nicholas, who, along with the other six chosen men, was ordained by the apostles to the diaconate, see: Acts 6:5). By distorting the Christian faith, the Gnostics encouraged moral laxity. Beginning in the mid-first century, several Gnostic sects flourished in Asia Minor. The apostles Peter, Paul and Jude warned Christians not to fall into the snares of these heretical debauchees. Prominent representatives of Gnosticism were the heretics Valentinus, Marcion and Basilides, who were opposed by the apostolic men and early fathers of the Church.

Vision of heavenly worship (4-5 chapters).

And so, the first thing he is honored to see is, as it were, a continuation of the divine service he performed - the heavenly Liturgy. The Apostle John describes this service in the 4th and 5th chapters of the Apocalypse. An Orthodox person will recognize here the familiar features of the Sunday Liturgy and the most important accessories of the altar: the throne, the seven-branched candlestick, the censer with smoking incense, the golden cup, etc. (These objects, shown to Moses on Mount Sinai, were also used in the Old Testament temple). The slain Lamb seen by the apostle in the middle of the throne reminds a believer of the Communion lying on the throne under the guise of bread; the souls of those killed for the word of God under the heavenly throne - an antimension with particles of the relics of the holy martyrs sewn into it; elders in light robes and with golden crowns on their heads - a host of clergymen performing the Divine Liturgy together. It is noteworthy here that even the exclamations and prayers themselves, heard by the Apostle in Heaven, express the essence of the prayers that the clergy and singers pronounce during the main part of the Liturgy - the Eucharistic Canon. The whitening of the robes of the righteous with the “Blood of the Lamb” is reminiscent of the sacrament of Communion, through which believers sanctify their souls.

The song of Moses, which the righteous sing in the next vision (Rev. 15:2-8), is reminiscent of the hymn of thanksgiving that the Israelites sang when, having crossed the Red Sea, they were saved from Egyptian slavery (Ex. 15 ch.). In a similar way, New Testament Israel is saved from the power and influence of the devil by moving into a life of grace through the sacrament of baptism. In subsequent visions, the seer describes the saints several more times. The “fine linen” (precious linen) in which they are clothed is a symbol of their righteousness. In the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse, the wedding song of the saved speaks of the approaching “marriage” between the Lamb and the saints, i.e. about the coming of the closest communication between God and the righteous (Rev. 19:1-9; 21:3-4). The book of Revelation ends with a description of the blessed life of the saved nations (Rev. 21:24-27; 22:12-14 and 17). These are the brightest and most joyful pages in the Bible, showing the triumphant Church in the Kingdom of glory.

Opening of the seven seals.

Vision of the Four Horsemen (6th chapter).

The vision of the seven seals is introductory to the subsequent revelations of the Apocalypse. The opening of the first four seals reveals four horsemen, who symbolize the four factors that characterize the entire history of mankind. The first two factors are the cause, the second two are the effect. The crowned rider on the white horse "came out to conquer." He personifies those good principles, natural and grace-filled, that the Creator invested in man: the image of God, moral purity and innocence, the desire for goodness and perfection, the ability to believe and love, and the individual “talents” with which a person is born, as well as grace-filled gifts The Holy Spirit, which he receives in the Church. According to the Creator, these good principles were supposed to “win,” i.e. determine a happy future for humanity. But man already in Eden succumbed to the temptation of the tempter. The nature damaged by sin passed on to his descendants; Therefore, people are prone to sin from an early age. Repeated sins intensify their bad inclinations even more. Thus, a person, instead of growing and improving spiritually, falls under the destructive influence of his own passions, indulges in various sinful desires, and begins to envy and be at enmity. All crimes in the world (violence, wars and all kinds of disasters) arise from internal discord in a person.

Seven pipes.

Imprinting the chosen ones.

The beginning of disasters and the defeat of nature (chap. 7-11).

Thus, this vision serves as an introduction to the subsequent description of the persecution of the Church. Measuring the temple of God in chapter 11. has the same meaning as the sealing of the sons of Israel: the preservation of the children of the Church from evil. The Temple of God, like the Woman clothed in the sun, and the city of Jerusalem are different symbols of the Church of Christ. The main idea of these visions is that the Church is holy and dear to God. God allows persecution for the sake of the moral improvement of believers, but protects them from enslavement to evil and from the same fate as those who fight against God.

Before the seventh seal is opened, there is silence “for about half an hour,” (Rev. 8:1). This is the silence before the storm that will rock the world during the Antichrist. (Isn’t the current process of disarmament as a result of the collapse of communism a break that is given to people to turn to God?). Before the onset of disasters, the Apostle John sees saints earnestly praying for mercy for people (Rev. 8:3-5).

Disasters in nature. Following this, the trumpets of each of the seven angels are sounded, after which various disasters begin. First, a third of the vegetation dies, then a third of the fish and other sea creatures, followed by poisoning of rivers and water sources. The fall of hail and fire, a flaming mountain and a luminous star onto the earth seems to allegorically indicate the enormous extent of these disasters. Is this not a prediction of the global pollution and destruction of nature that is observed today? If so, then environmental catastrophe foreshadows the coming of the Antichrist. More and more desecrating the image of God within themselves, people cease to appreciate and love His beautiful world. With their waste they pollute lakes, rivers and seas; spilled oil affects vast coastal areas; destroy forests and jungles, exterminate many species of animals, fish and birds. Both the guilty and the innocent victims of their cruel greed get sick and die from the poisoning of nature. The words: “The name of the third star is wormwood... And many of the people died from the waters because they became bitter” are reminiscent of the Chernobyl disaster, because “Chernobyl” means wormwood. But what does it mean that a third of the sun and stars are defeated and eclipsed? (Rev. 8:12). Obviously, here we are talking about air pollution to such a state when sunlight and starlight, reaching the ground, seem less bright. (For example, due to air pollution, the sky in Los Angeles usually looks dirty brown in color, and at night almost no stars are visible above the city, except for the brightest ones.)

The story of the locusts (fifth trumpet, (Rev. 9:1-11)) emerging from the abyss speaks of the strengthening of demonic power among people. It is headed by “Apollyon,” which means “destroyer” - the devil. As people lose the grace of God through their unbelief and sins, the spiritual emptiness that forms in them is increasingly filled by demonic power, which torments them with doubts and various passions.

In the attributes of the hellish locusts and the Euphrates horde one can recognize modern weapons of mass destruction - tanks, guns, bombers and nuclear missiles. Further chapters of the Apocalypse describe the ever-increasing wars of the end times (Rev. 11:7; 16:12-16; 17:14; 19:11-19 and 20:7-8). The words “the river Euphrates was dried up so that the way for kings from the rising of the sun” (Rev. 16:12) may indicate the “yellow peril.” It should be borne in mind that the description of apocalyptic wars has the features of actual wars, but ultimately refers to spiritual war, and proper names and numbers have an allegorical meaning. So the Apostle Paul explains: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). The name Armageddon is made up of two words: “Ar” (in Hebrew - plain) and “Megiddo” (an area in the north of the Holy Land, near Mount Carmel, where in ancient times Barak defeated the army of Sisera, and the prophet Elijah destroyed more than five hundred priests of Baal), ( Rev. 16:16 and 17:14; Judges 4:2-16; 1 Kings 18:40). In the light of these biblical events, Armageddon symbolizes the defeat of the godless forces by Christ. The names Gog and Magog in the 20th chapter. reminiscent of Ezekiel's prophecy about the invasion of Jerusalem by countless hordes led by Gog from the land of Magog (in the south of the Caspian Sea), (Ezek. 38-39; Rev. 20:7-8). Ezekiel dates this prophecy to Messianic times. In the Apocalypse, the siege of the “camp of saints and the beloved city” (i.e., the Church) by the hordes of Gog and Magog and the destruction of these hordes by heavenly fire must be understood in the sense of the complete defeat of the atheistic forces, human and demonic, by the Second Coming of Christ.

Seven signs (chap. 12-14).

The Church and the Kingdom of the Beast.

The further, the more clearly the viewer reveals to the readers the division of humanity into two opposing camps - the Church and the kingdom of the beast. In previous chapters, the Apostle John began to introduce readers to the Church, speaking of the sealed ones, the Jerusalem temple and the two witnesses, and in chapter 12 he shows the Church in all its heavenly glory. At the same time, he reveals her main enemy - the devil-dragon. The vision of the Woman clothed with the sun and the dragon makes it clear that the war between good and evil extends beyond the material world and extends to the world of angels. The apostle shows that in the world of disembodied spirits there is a conscious evil being who, with desperate persistence, wages war against angels and people devoted to God. This war of evil with good, permeating the entire existence of mankind, began in the angelic world before the creation of the material world. As we have already said, the seer describes this war in different parts of the Apocalypse not in its chronological sequence, but in different fragments, or phases.

The vision of the Woman reminds the reader of God's promise to Adam and Eve about the Messiah (the Seed of the Woman) who would wipe out the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). One might think that in chapter 12 the Wife refers to the Virgin Mary. However, from the further narrative, which talks about the other descendants of the Wife (Christians), it is clear that here by the Wife we must mean the Church. The Sunshine of the Woman symbolizes the moral perfection of the saints and the grace-filled illumination of the Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The twelve stars symbolize the twelve tribes of the New Israel - i.e. a collection of Christian peoples. The Wife's pangs during childbirth symbolize the exploits, hardships and sufferings of the servants of the Church (prophets, apostles and their successors) suffered by them in spreading the Gospel in the world and in establishing Christian virtues among their spiritual children. (“My children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is formed in you,” said the Apostle Paul to the Galatian Christians (Gal. 4:19)).

“The dragon with his tail drew a third of the stars from Heaven and threw them to the earth” (Rev. 12:4). By these stars, interpreters understand the angels whom the proud Dennitsa-devil rebelled against God, as a result of which a war broke out in Heaven. (This was the first revolution in the universe!). The good angels were led by Archangel Michael. The angels who rebelled against God were defeated and could not stay in Heaven. Having fallen away from God, they became demons from good angels. Their underworld, called the abyss or hell, became a place of darkness and suffering. According to the opinion of the holy fathers, the war described here by the Apostle John took place in the angelic world even before the creation of the material world. It is presented here with the purpose of explaining to the reader that the dragon that will haunt the Church in further visions of the Apocalypse is the fallen Dennitsa - the original enemy of God.

The beast that came out of the sea and the beast that came out of the earth.

(From. 13-14 chapters).

Note. There are common features between the beast of the Apocalypse and the four beasts of the prophet Daniel, who personified the four ancient pagan empires (Dan. 7th chapter). The fourth beast referred to the Roman Empire, and the tenth horn of the last beast meant the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes - a prototype of the coming Antichrist, whom the Archangel Gabriel called “despicable” (Dan. 11:21). The characteristics and actions of the apocalyptic beast also have much in common with the tenth horn of the prophet Daniel (Dan. 7:8-12; 20-25; 8:10-26; 11:21-45). The first two books of Maccabees provide a vivid illustration of the times before the end of the world.

Just as during the earthly life of the Savior both of these authorities, civil and religious, in the person of Pilate and the Jewish high priests, united in condemning Christ to be crucified, so throughout the history of mankind these two authorities often unite in the fight against faith and to persecute believers. As has already been said, the Apocalypse describes not only the distant future, but also a constantly recurring one - for different peoples in their time. And the Antichrist is also his own for everyone, appearing in times of anarchy, when “he who holds back is taken.” Examples: the prophet Balaam and the Moabite king; Queen Jezebel and her priests; false prophets and princes before the destruction of Israel and later Judah, “apostates from the holy covenant” and King Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 8:23; 1 Macc. and 2 Macc. 9), adherents of the Mosaic law and Roman rulers in apostolic times. In New Testament times, heretical false teachers weakened the Church with their schisms and thereby contributed to the conquering successes of the Arabs and Turks, who flooded and ruined the Orthodox East; Russian freethinkers and populists prepared the ground for the revolution; modern false teachers are seducing unstable Christians into various sects and cults. All of them are false prophets who contribute to the success of the atheistic forces. Apocalypse clearly reveals the mutual support between the dragon-devil and both beasts. Here, each of them has his own selfish calculations: the devil craves self-worship, the Antichrist seeks power, and the false prophet seeks his own material gain. The Church, calling people to faith in God and to strengthening virtues, serves as a hindrance to them, and they jointly fight against it.

Mark of the Beast.

(Rev. 13:16-17; 14:9-11; 15:2; 19:20; 20:4). In the language of the Holy Scriptures, wearing a seal (or mark) means belonging to or subordinating to someone. We have already said that the seal (or the name of God) on the forehead of believers means their chosenness by God and, therefore, God’s protection over them (Rev. 3:12; 7:2-3; 9:4; 14:1; 22: 4). The activities of the false prophet, described in the 13th chapter of the Apocalypse, convince us that the kingdom of the beast will be of a religious and political nature. By creating a union of different states, it will simultaneously implant a new religion instead of the Christian faith. Therefore, submitting to the Antichrist (allegorically - taking the mark of the beast on your forehead or right hand) will be tantamount to renouncing Christ, which will entail the deprivation of the Kingdom of Heaven. (The symbolism of the seal is drawn from the custom of antiquity, when warriors burned the names of their leaders on their hands or foreheads, and slaves - voluntarily or forcibly - accepted the seal of the name of their master. Pagans devoted to some deity often wore a tattoo of this deity on themselves) .

It is possible that during the time of the Antichrist, advanced computer registration will be introduced, similar to modern bank cards. The improvement will consist in the fact that the computer code, invisible to the eye, will be printed not on a plastic card, as it is now, but directly on the human body. This code, read by an electronic or magnetic "eye," will be transmitted to a central computer in which all information about that person, personal and financial, will be stored. Thus, establishing personal codes directly in public will replace the need for money, passports, visas, tickets, checks, credit cards and other personal documents. Thanks to individual coding, all monetary transactions - receiving salaries and paying debts - can be carried out directly on the computer. If there is no money, the robber will have nothing to take from the person. The state, in principle, will be able to control crime more easily, since the movements of people will be known to it thanks to a central computer. It seems that this personal coding system will be proposed in such a positive aspect. In practice, it will also be used for religious and political control over people, when “no one will be allowed to buy or sell except the one who has this mark” (Rev. 13:17).

The number of the beast is 666.

(Rev. 13:18). The meaning of this number still remains a mystery. Obviously, it can be deciphered when the circumstances themselves contribute to this. Some interpreters see the number 666 as a decrease in the number 777, which in turn means threefold perfection, completeness. With this understanding of the symbolism of this number, the Antichrist, who strives to show his superiority over Christ in everything, will in fact turn out to be imperfect in everything. In ancient times, name calculation was based on the fact that the letters of the alphabets had a numerical value. For example, in Greek (and Church Slavonic) “A” equaled 1, B = 2, G = 3, etc. A similar numerical value of letters exists in Latin and Hebrew. Each name could be arithmetically calculated by adding up the numerical value of the letters. For example, the name Jesus written in Greek is 888 (possibly denoting supreme perfection). There are a huge number of proper names, which the sum of their letters translated into numbers gives 666. For example, the name Nero Caesar, written in Hebrew letters. In this case, if the Antichrist’s own name were known, then calculating its numerical value would not require special wisdom. Maybe here we need to look for a solution to the riddle in principle, but it is not clear in which direction. The Beast of the Apocalypse is both the Antichrist and his state. Perhaps at the time of the Antichrist, initials will be introduced to denote a new worldwide movement? By the will of God, the personal name of the Antichrist is hidden from idle curiosity for the time being. When the time comes, those who should decipher it will decipher it.

The talking image of the beast.

It is difficult to understand the meaning of the words about the false prophet: “And it was given to him to put breath into the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak and act, so that everyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed” (Rev. 13:15). The reason for this allegory could have been the demand of Antiochus Epiphanes that the Jews bow to the statue of Jupiter, which he erected in the Temple of Jerusalem. Later, Emperor Domitian demanded that all inhabitants of the Roman Empire bow to his image. Domitian was the first emperor to demand divine veneration during his lifetime and to be called “our lord and god.” Sometimes, for a greater impression, priests were hidden behind the statues of the emperor, who spoke from there on his behalf. Christians who did not bow to the image of Domitian were ordered to be executed, and those who bowed to be given gifts. Maybe in the prophecy of the Apocalypse we are talking about some kind of device like a television that will transmit the image of the Antichrist and at the same time monitor how people react to it. In any case, in our time, movies and television are widely used to instill anti-Christian ideas, to accustom people to cruelty and vulgarity. Daily indiscriminate watching of TV kills the good and holy in a person. Isn't television the forerunner of the talking image of the beast?

Seven bowls.

Strengthening the atheistic power.

Judgment of sinners (chap. 15-17).

But just as the power of the pharaohs came to an end, the days of anti-Christian power are numbered. Next chapters (16-20 chapters). in bright strokes they depict God's judgment over those who fight against God. The defeat of nature in the 16th chapter. similar to the description in the 8th chapter, but here it reaches worldwide proportions and makes a terrifying impression. (As before, obviously, the destruction of nature is carried out by people themselves - wars and industrial waste). The increased heat from the sun that people are suffering from may be due to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to the Savior’s prediction, in the last year before the end of the world, living conditions would become so unbearable that “if God had not shortened those days, no flesh would have been saved” (Matt. 24:22).

The description of judgment and punishment in chapters 16-20 of the Apocalypse follows the order of increasing guilt of the enemies of God: first, people who received the mark of the beast, and the capital of the anti-Christian empire - “Babylon,” are punished, then - the Antichrist and the false prophet, and finally - the devil.

Judgment of Babylon

Antichrist and false prophet (chap. 18-19).

Taken together, the Holy Scriptures teach that the atheistic kingdom will end its existence at the Second Coming of Christ, and then the Antichrist and the false prophet will perish. God's Last Judgment on the world will occur in order of increasing guilt of the defendants. (“The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. But if it begins first with us, what will be the end of those who disobey the word of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17; Matt. 25:31-46). Believers will be judged first, then unbelievers and sinners, then conscious enemies of God, and, finally, the main culprits of all lawlessness in the world - demons and the devil). In this order, the Apostle John tells about the judgment of the enemies of God in chapters 17-20. Moreover, the apostle prefaces the trial of each category of guilty (apostates, Antichrist, false prophet and, finally, the devil) with a description of their guilt. Therefore, the impression arises that Babylon will be destroyed first, some time later the Antichrist and the false prophet will be punished, after which the kingdom of saints will come on earth, and after a very long time the devil will come out to deceive the nations and then he will be punished by God. In reality, the Apocalypse is about parallel events. This method of presentation by the Apostle John should be taken into account for the correct interpretation of the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse. (See: “The Failure of Chiliasm” in the brochure on the end of the world).

1000-year Kingdom of Saints.

The Devil's Trial (chap. 20).

Resurrection of the Dead and the Last Judgment.

The twentieth chapter, telling of the kingdom of saints and the double defeat of the devil, covers the entire period of the existence of Christianity. It sums up the drama of chapter 12 about the dragon's persecution of the Church Woman. The first time the devil was struck by the Savior's death on the cross. Then he was deprived of power over the world, “chained” and “imprisoned in the abyss” for 1000 years (i.e. for a very long time, Rev. 20:3). “Now is the judgment of this world. “Now the prince of this world will be cast out,” said the Lord before His suffering (John 12:31). As we know from the 12th chapter. The Apocalypse and from other places of Holy Scripture, the devil, even after the death of the Savior on the cross, had the opportunity to tempt believers and create intrigues for them, but he no longer had power over them. The Lord said to His disciples: “Behold, I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).

Only before the very end of the world, when, due to the massive apostasy of people from the faith, “he who restrains” will be taken out of the environment (2 Thess. 2:7), the devil will again prevail over sinful humanity, but for a short time. Then he will lead the last desperate struggle against the Church (Jerusalem), sending the hordes of “Gog and Magog” against it, but will be defeated by Christ a second time and finally (“I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The hordes of Gog and Magog symbolize the totality of all the atheistic forces, human and underworld, which the devil will unite in his insane war against Christ. Thus, the increasingly intensifying struggle with the Church throughout history ends in the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse with the complete defeat of the devil and his servants. 20 Chapter 1 summarizes the spiritual side of this struggle and shows its end.

The bright side of the persecution of believers is that, although they suffered physically, they spiritually defeated the devil because they remained faithful to Christ. From the moment of their martyrdom, they reign with Christ and “judge” the world, taking part in the destinies of the Church and all humanity. (Therefore, we turn to them for help, and from here follows the Orthodox veneration of the saints (Rev. 20:4). The Lord predicted about the glorious fate of those who suffered for the faith: “He who believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25) .

The “First Resurrection” in the Apocalypse is a spiritual rebirth, which begins from the moment of baptism of a believer, is strengthened by his Christian deeds and reaches its highest state at the moment of martyrdom for the sake of Christ. The promise applies to those who are spiritually regenerated: “The time is coming, and has already come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and having heard them they will live.” The words of the 10th verse of the 20th chapter are final: the devil, who deceived people, was “cast into the lake of fire.” Thus ends the story of the condemnation of the apostates, the false prophet, the Antichrist and the devil.

Chapter 20 ends with a description of the Last Judgment. Before it, there must be a general resurrection of the dead - a physical one, which the apostle calls the “second” resurrection. All people will be physically resurrected - both righteous and sinners. After the general resurrection, “the books were opened... and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books.” Obviously, then, before the throne of the Judge, the spiritual state of each person will be revealed. All dark deeds, evil words, secret thoughts and desires - everything carefully hidden and even forgotten - will suddenly surface and become obvious to everyone. It will be a terrible sight!

Just as there are two resurrections, so there are two deaths. “The first death” is the state of unbelief and sin in which people who did not accept the Gospel lived. “The second death” is doom to eternal alienation from God. This description is very condensed, since the apostle had already spoken about the Judgment several times before (see: Rev. 6:12-17; 10:7; 11:15; 14:14-20; 16:17-21; 19:19 -21 and 20:11-15). Here the apostle sums up the Last Judgment (the prophet Daniel briefly talks about this at the beginning of the 12th chapter). With this brief description, the Apostle John completes the description of the history of mankind and moves on to the description of the eternal life of the righteous.

New Heaven and new Earth.

Eternal bliss (chap. 21-22).

Conclusion.

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