John's Apocalypse: nuclear blast?

[nordskoven]

bartleby.com/108/66/6.html

The sky rolling up like a scroll sounds like a nuclear blast.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, conquer, reign and rule in all hearts; and bring the bishops to consecrate Russia to you as requested at Fatima for your promised conversion and as the “only” way to a “period of peace.” AMEN

“Pray the daily Rosary for peace.” --Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, Portugal

 

[UnworthyApostle]

It could be. However, I have heard an interesting intepretation that it could be the destruction of the sun. It says that the sun will go black in the Apocolypse,and the sun shall do do towards the ensd of its life cycle. Just 2 cents.

 

[patrick457]

bartleby.com/108/66/6.html

The sky rolling up like a scroll sounds like a nuclear blast.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, conquer, reign and rule in all hearts; and bring the bishops to consecrate Russia to you as requested at Fatima for your promised conversion and as the “only” way to a “period of peace.” AMEN

“Pray the daily Rosary for peace.” --Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, Portugal

My two cents.

The rather unique imagery of the sky being rolled up like a scroll - in fact, a good chunk of the passage where John describes the opening of the sixth seal - is one taken from the Old Testament describing the judment upon the nations and upon Edom (Isaiah 34:4).

Draw near, O nations, to hear,
and give attention, O peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it;
the world, and all that comes from it.
For the Lord is enraged against all the nations,
and furious against all their host;
he has devoted them to destruction, (footnote: That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verse 5) has given them over for slaughter.
Their slain shall be cast out,
and the stench of their corpses shall rise;
the mountains shall flow with their blood.
All the host of heaven shall rot away,
and the skies roll up like a scroll.
All their host shall fall,
as leaves fall from the vine,
like leaves falling from the fig tree.

For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens;
behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom,
upon the people I have devoted to destruction.
The Lord has a sword; it is sated with blood;
it is gorged with fat,
with the blood of lambs and goats,
with the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah,
a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
Wild oxen shall fall with them,
and young steers with the mighty bulls.
Their land shall drink its fill of blood,
and their soil shall be gorged with fat.

• Isaiah 34:1-7 (ESV)

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

• Revelation 6:12-14 (ESV)

In ancient thought the firmament is compared to or thought to be a sort of canopy (Isaiah 40:22) or tent (Psalm 104:2), something similar to a thin sheet of beaten metal, that stretched over from horizon to horizon and was spread over the whole earth to form the vault of the sky. The firmament served a purpose: it prevented the ‘waters above’ from crashing down upon the earth below and inundate it. There were small holes in it, however, which allowed water to pass through in the form of rain (Genesis 7:11; Psalm 78:23-24). The sun, moon and stars were fixed into this canopy (Genesis 1:14-18). The imagery is thus rather striking when you keep that in mind: the heavenly canopy is described as receding like an unrolled scroll that, should it break in the middle, would roll back quickly on either side.

 

[patrick457]

The Fathers were divided as to how they would interpret this passage. Some think that these would indeed be signs that would occur when the Antichrist comes, a little before the world ends. Others (also) interpret it in a more symbolic manner, thinking that these represent the chastisements that visited the Roman emperors who persecuted Christians before Constantine, or that this was a description of the supernatural phenomena which happened during the Lord’s Passion, or imagery which expresses the general chaos the world will experience during the final persecution.

Here is an example of the first interpretation, by the medieval Biblical scholar St. Nicholas of Lyra, O.F.M. (c. 1270–October 1349):

And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal: Here he describes the status of the Church under Diocletian, his partner, Maximian. This persecution was more vicious than the earlier ones, such that within thirty days he crowned 17,000 men and women with martyrdom. This is what John describes in the opening of the sixth seal. It is divided into two parts: first, the imminence of the persecution, and the place: of Rev. 7:1 “After this.”

Concerning the first it is said: and behold there was a great earthquake. By order of Diocletian and Maximian, the judges and rulers killed Christians in all parts of the Roman Empire.

And the sun: That is, Christ, who is the sun of Justice, was belittled; that is, His good name and also His Body, that was impugned with the charge that his followers were evildoers and magicians. For they were instructed by Christ through the apostles and the other disciples whom he had taught concerning the things the unbelievers called them. Thus, as he was in them, they belittled the name of Christ.

And the whole moon became: Because then the whole Church was filled with the red blood of the martyrs.

And the stars from heaven fell upon the earth: That is, many leaders in the Church in fear of death apostized-Pope Marcellinus in fear of death sacrificed to the idols, and because of this one can conclude that many others did the same. Nevertheless, St. Marcellinus repented and became a martyr of Christ; the see of Rome ceased for seven-and-a-half years because of this threatening persecution.

And the heaven departed as a book folded up: Here the sky represents the Church of the present time as in Matt. 13:44, “The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” As Gregory explains in Homily 37, Christians were hiding themselves insofar as they were able, except a few who out of fervor offered themselves for martyrdom.

And every mountain: The Christians were sought out and killed on remote mountains and cliffs and the islands of the sea where they were hidden. These places are said to move because the inhabitants moved, just as it is said of Paris that it does or experiences what its people do or experience.

Here is an example of the second, by Oecumenius (late 6th-early 7th century?):

(verse 12) The breaking of the sixth seal accomplished our complete salvation: it destroyed death; it restored life, it robbed the conqueror of human beings of his crown, openly triumphing over him. What is the breaking of the sixth seal? The cross of the Lord and His death, which were followed by the resurrection and ascension in response to the prayers of all spiritual and sensible creation, opening for us a new living way.

The vision clearly describes for us the miracles that took place at the Cross- the earthquake and the turbulence of the earth, the darkness of the sun, and the changing of the full moon into blood. Quite accurately, he added the word full to the moon; for the moon on the day of the Crucifixion, and in its fullness it beheld the Passion. This is what usually happens in the illuminated part during lunar Eclipses.

The prophet Joel, too, predicted that this would happen, saying, “The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and wonderful day of the Lord (Joel 2:31).”

(verse 13) The falling of the stars perhaps actually took place, but if not, the account of symbolically means that the heavenly light ceased, and that it became completely dark.

(verse 14) By the heaven he means the heavenly powers of the Angels, who themselves, too, were shaken, since they were unable to bear the insult done to their Master, in Heaven as here on earth. They rushed like a scroll rolled up and shaken.

And every mountain, and the islands were moved out of their places: He calls the regiments of the haughty demons mountains and islands, according to what Scripture says of them: “the mountains were being moved in the heart of the seas (Ps. 45:3).” Again he says of the islands that they are lifted high and raised up (Is. 23:2-6) by the vain folly of their attitude in the unstable and bitter distractions of this life.

 

[patrick457]

And finally, here is an example of the third, by St. Bede the Venerable (672/673-735):

sixth. By the opening of the sixth seal the last persecution is announced, and that the world is shaken with darkness and fear, as when the Lord was crucified on the sixth day of the week.

sun. This is, as if the power of Christ were hidden, or His doctrine temporarily obscured, or covered by a veil, when the servants of Antichrist are brought to attack the servants of Christ.

moon. The Church, more than is wont, will shed her blood for Christ. And he said “the whole,” because the last earthquake will be in the whole world. But before that, as it is written, “there will be earthquakes through divers places.”

stars. They who shine as heavenly ones in the Church, and that in appearance alone, when they are driven by the wind of the last persecution, will be proved to have been of earth. And their works are fitly compared to green figs, that is to the untimely, and useless, and falling fruit of the fig-tree.

heaven. As a scroll rolled up contains indeed mysteries within, so will it be with the Church. At that time, known only to her own, she will prudently avoid persecution in retirement, that by such concealment she may remain unperceived by those without.

mountain. He speaks of the members of the Church, as differing according to the character of their offices or powers, and foretells, that no one will be without his share in this whirlwind. But the movement caused by it will be dissimilar, for in the good it will be one of precaution by flight, but in the bad, of giving way by compliance.

 

[Benadam]

The sky rolling up like a scroll is a symbolic diescription of the final judgement. Scrolls represent a revelation and books being opened represent judgements. At the end of time when the resurrection of the dead occurs every human soul God created will recieve their bodies. Their bodies will make visible the state of their souls and the effect of their sins as history unfolded will be revealed. The fullness of God’s wisdom and saving plan will be known. The former creation has passed away.

 

[cranster]

There’s a gama ray burster with it’s barrel pointed right at us. It’s gonna blow, but the question is when. It’s possible that bad boy could wipe out the entire solar system. A gamma ray burster that super nova’s with a concentrated beam of energy could send the amount of energy the sun has produced in it’s entire life span in a millisecond to a minute in duration. that would make nukes seem like child’s play. It’s 8,000 light years away so as far as we know it could have already blown.