How do Catholics interpret the Book of Revelation?

[levi78]

Sorry, what? No, Christ is God the Second Person - the Word that uttered forth from the Father to create all that is seen and unseen. The Bible is ink on paper - the words of men, written to record their experiences of the Living God, and to pass what they learned to a reading audience.

jmcrae - I just want to ask you, I’m not criticizing here. Isn’t Christ, the Word made Flesh? The Word being, the Word of God. And I understand the Bible to be the Word of God, how God speaks to and teaches us. Right? Or am I missing something?

I’m not saying that what BibleAnswer said is right or wrong, I’m looking for it explained a different way that I can understand.

Back to the interpretation of Revelations. I understand that a major portion (if not all) of Revelations is symbolic, apocolyptic writing, if you will. In regards to the Mark of the Beast, John mentions that if ones has it (the Mark) on (or in) their right hand or forehead, that’s it, song’s over, they’re off to hell.

Is this “right hand & forehead” talk also symbolic?

I’m thinking it may be for the following couple of reasons:

1. we raise our right hands for oaths, thereby swearing an allegiance to “(insert whatever)”. So if allegiance is sworn to the devil, that is like us raising our right hand and committing an oath to him…right?
2. at baptism, annointings, Ash Wednesday and in Revelations, symbols are placed on our foreheads to allow us to be called “God’s Property”, to be recognized as being God’s people. So if one isn’t with God, he is with satan…therefore he would have the same “symbolic” “mark” on his/her forehead, correct?

In essence, one would have the “mark” on BOTH the right hand and forehead when siding with satan…with the mark having it’s own (evil) spiritual significance.

Is my understanding correct? Confusing? lol

Please, let me know.

Thanks,
levi

ps, seriously, jmcrae, I’m just asking, I mean no disrespect.

 

[centurionguard]

I would think the Holy Catholic Church with the Magisterium in her wisdom would use wise caution in making exacting interpretations from the readings in the book of Apocalypse with good reason. Much of what is contained in the Book of the Apocalypse in my humble belief can only be understood from a Mystical standpoint. Of course their are those in the world in their own wisdom who choose to interpret such readings and Chapters word for word.

 

[BibleAnswer]

I am sorry your judgment is incorrect. Here is Scripture to support that WE as children of God, as students of the bible, can indeed KNOW MORE than the generations of church doctrine and men of of old. That indeed there is GOING to be mistakes and altogether wrong interpretations. This is why we have so many different religions.

Is it the Catholic church out of all these, who has the answer, No, it is the bible itself, which contains the answers. Beware of being taught by A tare, A tare cannont discern the bible. You must strive to be a wheat, a child who obeys his LORD.

And very clearly, the LORD is saying that WE CAN KNOW MORE. WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. WE CAN FIND TRUTH WITHOUT HELP FROM ANYBODY, ONLY THE BIBLE.

[Is 28:10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”

(compare scripture with scripture)

[Psalm 119:99-104] I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.

(I can know more than somebody in a church, even a real important somebody, God does not preclude who HE communes with, we are just as capable of understanding as the next guy)

Psalm 119 :117-120] Hold me up, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe Your statutes continually. You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.

(It is a struggle, but be with me LORD as i study your law. I know that you hate and reject those who open any other book to find you, Because you are only in the bible.)

[1 Ptr 2:2] As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

(Be as a baby in innocence and without preconceived ideas, and desire the truth and milk of the word, that you may grow and move to more important precepts and understandings)

[1Tim 4:6-7] If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself rather to godliness

[2Tim 3:7] Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(Most of you, never crack the book open, yet you don’t hesitate to take what a priest or some piece of information not in the bible, for gospel. Yet the only gospel is the bible. and unless you read the bible, how do you know what has been taught is any good. discern for yourself. A wheat, will understand, and come to the only conclusion that God intended. This conclusion will be all together different from any religion, and church ever conceived.)

[2Tim 4:3-4] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

(We know from comparing scripture to scripture, that itchin ears are those who hear, yet dont understand the spiritual meaning. In which case, as the Catholic Chuch has, hundreds of documents upon documents, explaining one thing over the other. These documents are devised by men and there understanding. these documents are incorporated to the completeness that is already the bible. That is not sound, or very smart. For the devices of men, will not lead you to salvation.)

 

[pipper]

Perhaps I might help,

Remember [Mark 4:33] and with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. [Mark 4:34] But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

It is important to remember that The Bible is the Word of God, Christ is the Word of God, and “Christ is the bible”, Also that Christ always spoke in parables. Always. Every verse in the bible is the Word of Christ, of God, of the Holy Spirit.

A parable as defined in the bible is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, or a spiritual meaning. We must always remember that there is a spiritual meaning to the bible.

So understanding that, we can begin to understand what He is saying.

Here is a quick summary: The book begins with letters to the seven churches. We can begin to see already as these churches turn apostate and teach their own doctrine. That is the big deal there. They continue to teach their own doctrine and thereby are not the doctrine of the bible. What this means is that Satan rules that church. Any doctrine that is not from the bible is from Satan and meant to pervert the truth. Thus the seven churches were destroyed, and there “candle was extinguished” (metaphoric language) this means God is no longer with them.

The book of revelation begins with the End of the Church age. These seven churches are apostate and are destroyed. And by this time in history, 95 ad, it has been only 62 years sense the death of Christ, and already these churches are beginning to fall away from the truth. The book of Revelations continues with metaphor upon metaphor concerning the rule of Satan on the elect, how he is free to travel between heaven and earth, and how when Christ died on the Cross, Satan suffered a mortal blow and was cast out of heaven forever. Thus, Satan was bound for a 1000 years,(again this is spiritual language, parabolic language, metaphoric language) the 1000 years was the time that Satan was defeated, and finally cast down from heaven forever, as he suffered a death blow.

This is explained in [Rev 13:3] I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

Once the 1000 years is up (again spiritual and metaphoric language) Satan is loosed from the bottomless pit [Rev 9:1] Then the fifth angel sounded: and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. And to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. [Rev 9:2] And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.

The star is Christ, He has the keys, and He opens the pit and lets Satan out. This connects us with the Rev 13:3 verse, where we read that on one of the heads, the mortal wound is healed. The wound is healed because Satan is again free.

We can connect this proof to the fact that, during the time of Christ, when he walked from place to place, very few people were becoming saved. Christ even feed 5000 men not including women and children, and very few were saved. This is because Satan was free. When Christ died, Satan was dealt a mortal blow, and was locked away. This is why on Pentecost, Peter is able to preach the gospel and over 3000 are saved and received Holy Spirit. Now can Peter preach the Word better than Christ himself, No.

I got off a little bit. If you’re interested, I can continue if you like.

Christ is the bible?!?!???

How or where did you get that Bibleanswerman?

And no the bible is not the Word of God, Jesus is the Word of God upper case W.
Ever read the !st chapter of John, that calling Jesus God, not the bible.

The bible is not God, not directly written by God, or dictated by God. When you call the bible God, you are in fact commiting the sin of idolatry.

 

[centurionguard]

I am sorry your judgment is incorrect. Here is Scripture to support that WE as children of God, as students of the bible, can indeed KNOW MORE than the generations of church doctrine and men of of old. That indeed there is GOING to be mistakes and altogether wrong interpretations. This is why we have so many different religions.

Is it the Catholic church out of all these, who has the answer, No, it is the bible itself, which contains the answers. Beware of being taught by A tare, A tare cannont discern the bible. You must strive to be a wheat, a child who obeys his LORD.

And very clearly, the LORD is saying that WE CAN KNOW MORE. WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. WE CAN FIND TRUTH WITHOUT HELP FROM ANYBODY, ONLY THE BIBLE.

[Is 28:10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”

(compare scripture with scripture)

[Psalm 119:99-104] I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.

(I can know more than somebody in a church, even a real important somebody, God does not preclude who HE communes with, we are just as capable of understanding as the next guy)

Psalm 119 :117-120] Hold me up, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe Your statutes continually. You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.

(It is a struggle, but be with me LORD as i study your law. I know that you hate and reject those who open any other book to find you, Because you are only in the bible.)

[1 Ptr 2:2] As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

(Be as a baby in innocence and without preconceived ideas, and desire the truth and milk of the word, that you may grow and move to more important precepts and understandings)

[1Tim 4:6-7] If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself rather to godliness

[2Tim 3:7] Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(Most of you, never crack the book open, yet you don’t hesitate to take what a priest or some piece of information not in the bible, for gospel. Yet the only gospel is the bible. and unless you read the bible, how do you know what has been taught is any good. discern for yourself. A wheat, will understand, and come to the only conclusion that God intended. This conclusion will be all together different from any religion, and church ever conceived.)

[2Tim 4:3-4] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

(We know from comparing scripture to scripture, that itchin ears are those who hear, yet dont understand the spiritual meaning. In which case, as the Catholic Chuch has, hundreds of documents upon documents, explaining one thing over the other. These documents are devised by men and there understanding. these documents are incorporated to the completeness that is already the bible. That is not sound, or very smart. For the devices of men, will not lead you to salvation.)

You have your own convictions and beliefs. And I respect that. However; you should take into serious account that it was your Church predecessors who broke away in Schism from the One True and Holy Catholic Church 500 years ago. That in itself speaks enough for me friend. That being said there is gladly many things in scripture and moral teachings we can happily agree to.

 

[pipper]

One thing for all to bee aware of is that the book of Revelation is Apochalyptic literature. It was not written literally nor is it intended to be interpretted litteraly.

This book was written in a code language and we do not have the code. It was written in a time of terrible Roman persecution in a way that the Romans would not understand if they got ahold of it.

And it certianly was not intended to be read as future predicting “prophecy”.

St John the revelator was no early day Jean Dixon.

 

[andrewagill]

This book was written in a code language and we do not have the code. It was written in a time of terrible Roman persecution in a way that the Romans would not understand if they got ahold of it.

I’m sorry, but I have to disagree.

This work is symbolic, not coded. There is no code to unlocking the book. There may be some symbolism or references whose antecedents have since disappeared, but in large part, the symbolism has been examined and understood.

As for it being covert messages that Romans wouldn’t understand, that sort of failed when John put the Whore of Babylon on the seven hills of Rome.

 

[centurionguard]

I like these posts. forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=201649

At least they seem more productive than some views here.

 

[andrewagill]

I like these posts. forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=201649

At least they seem more productive than some views here.

Hey! Some of those unproductive views are mine!

(Naw, you’re right. I haven’t had much productive to say here)

 

[PJM]

What is the Catholic position on the Book of Revelation? I know that the Book is highly symbolic, but is the book about the “end times”? Will there be a literal Antichrist that will rule for seven years at the end (The Tribulation) (Rev 13) I want to the know the Catholic View on the End times in light of Scriptures and Tradition.

What does the Catholic Church teach about the Antichrist? Will there be a literal war with Satan and God at the end of time (Rev 20:7-9, )?

I recently read Scott Hann’s “Supper of the lamb” in which he makes a very strong case for the book of Revelations to be a coded text of the Sacred Liturgy; The Mass. His basis is the references to “The Lamb” [John 1: 29-36] an amazing 28 times in 22 chapters. Tie this in with the time it was written being a time of SEVERE persecuation of the Church, and the fact that Christanity and certainly Catholism rest solidly on the foundation of Christ remaing physically in our midst, to be our mana for Spiritual Life, and one can see the points he was making.

As for “the war?” NOPE!

Mt. 25: 31 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Love and prayers,

 

[Genesius]

jmcrae
Is this “right hand & forehead” talk also symbolic?

I’m thinking it may be for the following couple of reasons:

1. we raise our right hands for oaths, thereby swearing an allegiance to “(insert whatever)”. So if allegiance is sworn to the devil, that is like us raising our right hand and committing an oath to him…right?
2. at baptism, annointings, Ash Wednesday and in Revelations, symbols are placed on our foreheads to allow us to be called “God’s Property”, to be recognized as being God’s people. So if one isn’t with God, he is with satan…therefore he would have the same “symbolic” “mark” on his/her forehead, correct?

In essence, one would have the “mark” on BOTH the right hand and forehead when siding with satan…with the mark having it’s own (evil) spiritual significance.

Is my understanding correct? Confusing? lol

Please, let me know.

Thanks,
levi

ps, seriously, jmcrae, I’m just asking, I mean no disrespect.

Very interesting way of interpreting it, Levi. However, I believe…and I am speaking humbly, as having been a bible college graduate, and also picking up on knowledge obtained from a Catholic apologist friend of mine, who has written books on this subject…anyway, I believe that you are kind of on the right track. However, I believe that the ancient Hebrew (which is the same literary style of Revelation) would have interpreted the mark on the forehead to be symbolic of information/loyalties from an intellectual standpoint, or having a knowledge of something, whereas the mark on the hand would symbolize actions. In other words, believing (forehead) and following by action (hand) either God or Satan.

I think of the Schema (meaning “hear”) in particular (Deut. 6:4-9). This was at the heart of the Hebrew philosophy of education. In this passage we note a few familiar symbolic images; 3 in particular which concerns the Gospel reading during mass: “bind them on your foreheads” (vs. 8); “Talk about them…” (vs. 7); and “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” (vs. 6)

Sound familiar? It struck me as very familiar the more I was exposed to Catholic mass. Just out of curiosity I asked a Benedictine priest/monk if my hunch was correct, that when we cross ourselves on the forehead, lips, and heart directly prior to the Gospel reading, if that practice had it’s roots in the Schema. He, in fact, verified my hunch exactly. I shared with him how I felt Bible College had prepared me to have a much greater appreciation for the mass even before I had converted and come home to Rome.

Of course our whole Catholic faith and mass is based upon the Jewish tradition, which is why we have a lot of symbolic images and practices as you mentioned (ash Wednesday, annointings, etc.)

Anyway, I digress…but I hope that helps.

 

[levi78]

Genesius,
Thank you very much. I appreciate your explanation and checking into it. That makes symbolic sense…which is what it is written in.

Excellent.

Thanks again.
levi

 

[andrewagill]

I recently read Scott Hann’s “Supper of the lamb” in which he makes a very strong case for the book of Revelations to be a coded text of the Sacred Liturgy; The Mass. His basis is the references to “The Lamb” [John 1: 29-36] an amazing 28 times in 22 chapters. Tie this in with the time it was written being a time of SEVERE persecuation of the Church, and the fact that Christanity and certainly Catholism rest solidly on the foundation of Christ remaing physically in our midst, to be our mana for Spiritual Life, and one can see the points he was making.

Interesting. It sounds like he’s implying that Revelation was a coded version of the early Order of Mass?

Without having read the book, I can’t agree, but I don’t think this is necessarily wrong (unlike the other message which suggested that it was a veiled attack on the Roman Empire–there was nothing veiled about it), either.

 

[jmcrae]

jmcrae - I just want to ask you, I’m not criticizing here. Isn’t Christ, the Word made Flesh? The Word being, the Word of God. And I understand the Bible to be the Word of God, how God speaks to and teaches us. Right? Or am I missing something?

I’m not saying that what BibleAnswer said is right or wrong, I’m looking for it explained a different way that I can understand.

In reference to the Bible, we use “word of God” in an entirely different sense than when we are speaking about Jesus. Jesus is what uttered forth from the Father at the moment of the Creation - the Word that created all that is seen and unseen. This Word - Jesus - became human flesh at the moment of the Annunciation, which we see recorded in Luke 1:26-38. At the moment of Mary’s affirmative response, Jesus began to knit Himself a fully human body and soul within her womb, thus becoming both fully human, and fully divine. This divine Mystery is called the “Hypostatic Union.”

How the Bible came together is somewhat different. First, the Bible did not utter forth from the mouth of God the Father - rather, it was written with pen and ink on parchments and clay tablets, by very holy men (including Moses, David, Isaiah, and several of the Apostles) who had had very powerful experiences of God. They recorded their stories, and the stories of others who had also known God in a very powerful way. Many such books were written, but very few of them were found to have been without doctrinal and moral error (even though they may contain scientific and historical errors - the subject of the Bible is neither science nor history, however, but rather, the human Covenant with God).

These few books were brought together into a single Codex during the period of the late 300s AD, ending in 405 AD, with the final Papal proclamation of the “canon,” or list, of the books of the New Testament, together with the 46 books of the Old Testament. They, and they alone, were declared to be suitable to be read out at Mass, and to be used in the prayers of the Divine Office (also called the Breviary, or the Hours).

So, although we refer to both Jesus and to the Bible as “the word of God” you can see clearly how it is that we mean entirely different things, even though we are using the same phrase.

If you want to see how silly it is to think that the Bible is being self-referential when it uses that phrase, simply substitute the word “Bible” every time you see the phrase “Word of God” and you will see clearly that it doesn’t make sense to equate the Bible with God Himself in the Second Person. Could the little book that sits on your bedstand have created the whole world out of nothing? Not likely.

Back to the interpretation of Revelations. I understand that a major portion (if not all) of Revelations is symbolic, apocolyptic writing, if you will. In regards to the Mark of the Beast, John mentions that if ones has it (the Mark) on (or in) their right hand or forehead, that’s it, song’s over, they’re off to hell.

Is this “right hand & forehead” talk also symbolic?

I’m thinking it may be for the following couple of reasons:

1. we raise our right hands for oaths, thereby swearing an allegiance to “(insert whatever)”. So if allegiance is sworn to the devil, that is like us raising our right hand and committing an oath to him…right?

That makes sense to me.

1. at baptism, annointings, Ash Wednesday and in Revelations, symbols are placed on our foreheads to allow us to be called “God’s Property”, to be recognized as being God’s people. So if one isn’t with God, he is with satan…therefore he would have the same “symbolic” “mark” on his/her forehead, correct?

Perhaps “the mark of Satan” is simply the absence of God’s marks on our foreheads.

I hope this helps you in some way.

 

[jmcrae]

Interesting. It sounds like he’s implying that Revelation was a coded version of the early Order of Mass?

I wouldn’t say “coded” - my personal experience was that reading the Book of Revelation all the way through, and then going to Mass, totally blew my mind - and it wasn’t even all that good of a Mass - they had guitars, and the homily had something to do with something that happened in a bar. But the prayers of the Mass occur in such and order and such a way that you really feel like the Book of Revelation is coming alive right in front of you at Mass.

But instead of trying to describe the experience, I invite you to make the experiment for yourself.

 

[levi78]

thank you jmcrae!

 

[EdOsiecki]

“The Mark Of The Beast” Is it literal or symbolic? According to my Catholic Catechism #85, the Magisterium of the Church has sole authority to interpret Scripture. So where is their answer? In a prior post I was told they have none. The book of Revelation warns of the coming world calamities, like Noah preached for 120 years to warn the people, and as did Jonah. For this reason, I take the book of Revelation very seriously.

This is what I read thus far in prior posts: The mark, “At baptism, anointing, Ash Wednesday and in Revelations, symbols are placed on our foreheads to allow us to be called “God’s Property”----- it’s like, “ we raise our right hands for oaths, thereby swearing an allegiance to etc.” ALL NONSENSE! NONSENSE! NONSENSE!

BEAST = Belgian Electronic Accounting Surveillance Terminal. A computer system that as of May 15, 2005, could process 250 trillion transactions per second. (probably much more by now) An April 27, 1998, Time magazine article explains how the world will become a cashless society. It mentions chip implants being placed under the skin.

That will be the system the antichrist will introduce. Every place of business will be connected to the BEAST’S computer. A chip implant on the hand or forehead will contain information about that person. Employers will transmit earnings into the computer.Every business place will have a receiver for a person to put his/her hand into, in order to be able to buy or sell. Pretty much like we use credit cards today. The chip will be required exactly like Rev. 13:16 states. Those who accept the chip and worship the antichrist, will later be cast into hell Rev.14:9-10. Those who refuse the implant will be beheaded Rev.20:4 but will rise again and be with Christ during His thousand year reign.

President Obama wants all of our medical records computerized in his proposed health program. Islam’s method of execution is beheading, as Rev.20:4 states. Is The Mark Of The Beast literal or symbolic? How much more clear can it be? It’s happening right before our eyes today!

 

[pipper]

“The Mark Of The Beast” Is it literal or symbolic? According to my Catholic Catechism #85, the Magisterium of the Church has sole authority to interpret Scripture. So where is their answer? In a prior post I was told they have none. The book of Revelation warns of the coming world calamities, like Noah preached for 120 years to warn the people, and as did Jonah. For this reason, I take the book of Revelation very seriously.

This is what I read thus far in prior posts: The mark, “At baptism, anointing, Ash Wednesday and in Revelations, symbols are placed on our foreheads to allow us to be called “God’s Property”----- it’s like, “ we raise our right hands for oaths, thereby swearing an allegiance to etc.” ALL NONSENSE! NONSENSE! NONSENSE!

BEAST = Belgian Electronic Accounting Surveillance Terminal. A computer system that as of May 15, 2005, could process 250 trillion transactions per second. (probably much more by now) An April 27, 1998, Time magazine article explains how the world will become a cashless society. It mentions chip implants being placed under the skin.

That will be the system the antichrist will introduce. Every place of business will be connected to the BEAST’S computer. A chip implant on the hand or forehead will contain information about that person. Employers will transmit earnings into the computer.Every business place will have a receiver for a person to put his/her hand into, in order to be able to buy or sell. Pretty much like we use credit cards today. The chip will be required exactly like Rev. 13:16 states. Those who accept the chip and worship the antichrist, will later be cast into hell Rev.14:9-10. Those who refuse the implant will be beheaded Rev.20:4 but will rise again and be with Christ during His thousand year reign.

President Obama wants all of our medical records computerized in his proposed health program. Islam’s method of execution is beheading, as Rev.20:4 states. Is The Mark Of The Beast literal or symbolic? How much more clear can it be? It’s happening right before our eyes today!

Ed nuthing personal, but I think you are being kind of silly and a little paranoid.

The book of /Revelation (no “s”) was not written literally and since it was not written literally it was never intended to be interpreted literally either.

This book and Daniel are both Apochalyptic literature, not fortune predicting, that’s not the true meaning of prophecy, at least not the primary or only meaning.

Please relax a little.

 

[andrewagill]

Ed nuthing personal, but I think you are being kind of silly and a little paranoid.

He obviously wasn’t being serious. As to whether this was playful or mocking, I’m not sure.

 

[pipper]

He obviously wasn’t being serious. As to whether this was playful or mocking, I’m not sure.

I hope you are correct, but their are lot of crazies like him around. I should know, I am a convert from a Evangelical/Fundamental church where things like that were taken very seriously.