I’ve been deep in scripture for the past few months now getting a better and more thorough grasp on God’s word. Before I start on the book of Revelation, is there anything I should know about beforehand from a Catholic perspective?
I recommend the New American Bible St. Joseph Edition (Catholic). Read the intro to the book before just launching into this book (an example of apocalyptic literature which can impossibly confuse people who take its symbolic language literally in all cases). As you go along, stop from chapter to chapter (or paragraph to paragraph) and review the footnotes and referential readings called out at the bottom of the pages in the NAB.
You will find the book is written in “code” and is a treasure trove of Old Testament references within its transmission. The “code” might look like nonsense to a Roman soldier arresting a Christian with a copy of the scroll - or part of the message - in his possession at the time of his arrest. But devout Jewish converts to Christianity (especially) would be able to decipher this document of “encouragement through a trial”. The trial at the time was a persecution by Pagan Rome (John, the author was banished to the island of Patmos as he wrote it).
In the front of the NAB is a recommendation by Vatican II to pray before we read scripture.
Recommended is a prayer to the Holy Spirit - which comes with the gift of an indulgence!
And a PLENARY indulgence if the study of the Bible is actually worship and lasts one half hour!
In the NAB the prayer is listed partially as:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. *
dominicanidaho.org/indulg.html#n50 - also see this -
Under “other indulgences”
***50. Reading of Sacred Scripture (Sacrae Scripturae lectio)
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who with the veneration due the divine word make a spiritual reading from Sacred Scripture*.
A plenary indulgence is granted, if this reading is continued for at least one half an hour.**
*** (The traditional prayer, often prayed in community in call-and-response manner, continues):**
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
The book of Revelation contains a blessing to those who read it.
Revelation does relate some dire things. Mostly what it emphasizes are things we already know.
- We are all going to DIE and be JUDGED. But God wants us to join Him, and his bride (the Church) in the Spirit in heaven. Which can be our eternal home in the end if we persevere.
- There is justice as well as mercy. Mercy as well as justice. Injustices will be remedied. Mercy shall be rewarded and can be granted.
- There is a war between good and evil constantly going on. Evil wins some battles. Good conquers in the end. Some die as martyrs but will be honored and crowned.
- The “churches” still in this world have problems and sins they must overcome. God also sees their good works and inspires them to ever greater deeds, always in love. Churches who abandon God can be cast aside, as can people who freely sin instead of strive for holiness.
- Even some of the most dire tragedies depicted in the Bible are actually God’s way of trying to convince sinners to repent and believe.
- The merciless and evil will be defeated and receive about as much mercy as they gave. In some cases this is none. They get justice without mercy because that is what they always gave when THEY judged or ruled.
- Saints are seen in heaven interceding for the suffering Church on Earth.
- The enmity between the snake in the Garden of Paradise (the devil, now grown to a Dragon whose tail takes in 1/3 of the stars of heaven) and “the woman” (whose son will rule the nations but was pursued by the Dragon at birth - reminicent of Jesus pursued by Herod) is recalled.
The crowned woman with the moon and stars beneath her feet recalls Mary (who said YES to God and told others to " … do what He (Jesus) tells you …") and the Church triumphant in the future. The woman laboring to give birth and forced to flee to the desert (also reminiscent of young Mary) is symbolic of the persecuted church (us - but especially the first century church pursued by Caesar and Satan).
There’s more, like the symbolism of numbers and colors throughout the book.
Enjoy. Always remembering that: God is love. WE are to love GOD and our Neighbor as completely as we can. 1 Corinthians Chapter 13:1-5 is a great “checklist” definition of love. :dancing::clapping::extrahappy:
There are aspects of “the rapture” that are true of course (life after life on earth with God, a division of the good from the evil, the importance of remaining “awake” as Jesus recommended) that are totally Catholic and found in our Bible many years before the founding of any Protestant Churches.