revelations

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how does the Catholic Church interpret the book of revelations?
 
Exactly as it is written.

The way I have come to understand it (I’m a recent convert) is that the first 18 or 19 chapters have already occured and the others are yet to have happened.

Forgive me for not being able to quote exactly where but somewhere in revelations it is totally talking about events that occured at the moment Jesus was being crucified. It makes so much more sense to read revelations the way the Catholic Church does.

The idea of the “RAPTURE” didn’t come about until the late 1800’s or early 1900’s when John Nelson Darby decided that what had been taught for nearly 1900 years was not what he wanted to believe.

As a non-catholic thinking about becoming a Catholic, I did a lot of research on this one. Here is a great link from This website!

Catholic Answers http://www.catholic.com/library/Rapture.asp

Your whole world will change… when you read the truth.

I found many disapointments about my past christian experiences during my study… Like the COG didn’t even form until 1906. How can they even think they are correct when the Catholic Church as bee around since the beginning?
 
First of all, it is The Book of Revelation (singular), *not *plural. Traditionally, it has also been called by Catholics “the Apocalypse.” Like many biblical books that did not have a title, the Church gradually began referring to it by the first words of the book itself:
The **revelation **of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show his servants what must happen soon. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John…(Revelation 1:1)
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Having said that, non-Catholics and Catholics alike are often under the mistaken impression that the Catholic Church has an “official” interpretation for every verse in every book of Scripture. It does not. In fact, there are only about five verses in the whole Bible that the Church has defined must be understood in a certain way.

The closest thing you can get to the Church’s view of certain verses of Scripture is to look in the reference section in the back of the Catechism and find all the CCC sections that are referenced to particular Scripture verses.

If, like most people that ask about the book of Revelation, you want to know how that book relates to the “End Times,” especially taught by modern day prophets of doom (both Protestant and Catholic), there is lots of good literature to let you know how to tell those types of errors from traditional and scholarly Catholic aproaches to this and other apocalyptic literature. (I know it takes some of the heebie-jeebie fun out of trying to tell the future or predict catastrophe in reading apocalyptic literature, but that’s **not **why the Holy Spirit inspired it for). Here are some resources to help you develop a well-balanced Catholic understanding of the Book of Revelation, biblical prophecy, and eschatology. All of these are HIGHLY recommended:

The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Book of Revelation
The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Major Prophets
The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Minor Prophets
amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/102-2381711-9848916?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dblended&keywords=navarre+bible

The End: The Book of Revelation, tape/CD series and Study Guide by Dr. Scott Hahn.
saintjoe.com/more-info.php?product=177&Title=The-End

The Lamb’s Supper, by Dr. Scott Hahn.
amazon.com/gp/product/0385496591/sr=8-1/qid=1148926012/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2381711-9848916?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Rapture: The End Times Fiction that Leaves Truth Behind, by David Curie
amazon.com/Rapture-End-Times-Error-Leaves-Behind/dp/1928832725/ref=sr_1_1/105-8298365-5498833?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188139548&sr=1-1

Revelation Revealed, tapes/CD series by Michael Barber
saintjoe.com/more-info.php?product=245&Title=Revelation-Revealed

Coming Soon, a book on this same topic by Michael Barber
amazon.com/Coming-Soon-Unlocking-Revelation-Applying/dp/193101826X

Introduction To Prophecy, CD set by Steve Wood
familylifecenter.net/cart/product_detail.cfm?Id=613

In addition, you have to learn to recognize erroneous teachings about the End Times popularized by fundamentalists. In other words, toss out the “Left Behind” and “Late, Great Planet Earth” baloney. Here are some resources to help you develop some discernment in these areas:

catholic.com/library/rapture.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0011fea2.asp
catholic.com/library/false_profit.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0211fea3.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0001fea1.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1995/9510ntg.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209fea5.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812chap.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0304bt.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9705chap.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9409fea4.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9410fea2.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0009bite.asp
carl-olson.com/rapture_articles.html

Hope this helps. 🙂
 
Fidelis,

Thank You for taking the time to post those links. I had a Catholic grammar school education, and I wish I was poorly catechized, because I am totally uncatechized. Though reasonably well educated, and reasonably intelligent, I thought different books of the Bible were literally different books, different bibles, not more like chapters of the one Bible. I fell in with a band of wildeyed fundamentalists who taught me the Bible, but not the whole truth. I was fascinated by the “Apocalypse” and looked for signs everywhere.

Back home now, I am looking for the whole truth, not vicarious excitement like trying to understand this book by my own wits. Posters like you do good work, like your last post, helping the struggling see the light. This type of help is sorely needed by folks like me. Thanks again, Dan
 
mpb74 said:
Fidelis,

Thank You for taking the time to post those links…
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You’re welcome, Dan. There’s just so much to learn about our wonderful Catholic Faith. Glad I could share just a small bit. 🙂
 
The Book of the Apocalypse, tells us Christians what is taking place at the “Divine Liturgy.” The word Apocalypse means “unveiling.” Read Scott Hahn’s book “The Lamb’s Supper.” It brings back how the Early Church interpreted the Book of Revelation.
 
Last Friday I attended a day’s retreat for Christian businessmen given by an associate of mine. He invited me, which was a bit strange as I was the only woman and only Catholic with 7 men.

I hadn’t realised how much time non-Catholic Christians are giving to the Book of Revelation. Two separate presentations focused on the End Times (mine was on God’s Providence) and the Anti-christ. It blew me away. On Saturday I decided I had to re-read The Lamb’s Supper and it is really great.

Theology of the Apocalypse

  1. *]The certainty of Divine Judgment for both the wicked and the just.
    *]Christ’s Oneness with the Church.
    *]Eschatological Glory, to console and comfort the persecuted Christian with scenes of heaven’s glory and the magnificance of the New Jerusalem.
    *]God’s Absolute Transcendence
    *]The Universe as well as human affaris are under the full control of Divine Providence.
    *]The activity of a chained Satan.
    *]The virtues of the just will not remain unrewarded in after-life.
    *]Hell exists as the punishment not only for evil spirits but for evildoers among men.
    *]The equality of Christ with Yahweh.
    *]The existence of good spirits or angels.
    *]The continuity of salvation-history.
    *]The incomplete character of the work of redemption. We have a participation in that work.
    *]The Christian suffers in hope.
 
Get rev.from Rev. alone Rev. 22/18 said, do not add, or take any thing away, from the book.That means it is a stand alone book.get your info from REVELATIONS ONLY and if the person refers to any other book he brakes the rule of 22/18 ,walt2000
 
Eileen_T said:
I hadn’t realised how much time non-Catholic Christians are giving to the Book of Revelation.
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Sorry you feel that way, but get over it. Many don’t view Revelation like it is just a “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book.

**Rev 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Rev 22:10
Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.**

I don’t know how anyone can say most of the prophecy in Revelation has already happened.
 
victus said:
The Book of the Apocalypse, tells us Christians what is taking place at the “Divine Liturgy.” The word Apocalypse means “unveiling.” Read Scott Hahn’s book “The Lamb’s Supper.” It brings back how the Early Church interpreted the Book of Revelation.
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Help me out here. Lets say the mass has been said in churches for at least 30 years before the book, or scroll of Revelation is written and given to the Church. Jesus calls the words in Revelation “prophecy”. We can both agree that prophecy simply means a prediction of something to come.

Revelation 4 verse 1 reads-
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

So how can anyone say that everything after this verse is explaining what is happening right now in the “Divine Liturgy” and still claim it is prophecy when it has already been going on for at least 30 years?

How is that prophecy?

Thanks
 
Lev23 said:
Help me out here. Lets say the mass has been said in churches for at least 30 years before the book, or scroll of Revelation is written and given to the Church. Jesus calls the words in Revelation “prophecy”. We can both agree that prophecy simply means a prediction of something to come.

Revelation 4 verse 1 reads-
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

So how can anyone say that everything after this verse is explaining what is happening right now in the “Divine Liturgy” and still claim it is prophecy when it has already been going on for at least 30 years?

How is that prophecy?

Thanks
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It is my understanding the in its most general sense, “prophecy” is truth telling, not foretelling. In this sense, it does not matter whether the truth is about the past , present, future or all three at once.
 
victus said:
The Book of the Apocalypse, tells us Christians what is taking place at the “Divine Liturgy.” The word Apocalypse means “unveiling.” Read Scott Hahn’s book “The Lamb’s Supper.” It brings back how the Early Church interpreted the Book of Revelation.
Click to expand...
You are quite correct. Perhaps the confusion comes because we have forgotten what worship means. The amnesia is understandable given the years of nonsens pumped out by Protestant dispensationalists against its clear teachings. When all events of importance are pushed to the future and not taken seriously as ever present it’s no wonder that unwitting Catholics get confused. After all Protestants owe their existence to protesting against all things true.

CDL
 
Revelation has many layers to it. It is about events in the 1st century, it is relevent to our own times, it is about the end-times, and most importantly it is liturgical.
When reading scripture remember what the CCC says:
**113 **Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church.” According to a saying of the Fathers, Sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records, for the Church carries in her Tradition the living
memorial of God’s Word, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives her the spiritual interpretation of the Scripture (“according to the spiritual meaning which the Spirit grants to the Church”).
114 Be attentive to the analogy of faith. By “analogy of faith” we mean the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation.
The senses of Scripture
115 According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.
116 The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”
117 The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.
  1. The allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ’s victory and also of Christian Baptism.
  2. The moral sense. The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written “for our instruction.”
  3. ***The anagogical sense ***(Greek: anagoge, “leading”). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.
AND be sure to read scripture as a 1st century Christian. Using the thought process of a 21st century American will not enable you to interpret what is written properly. That is why we Catholics rely on the Magisterium, and Apostolic Tradition to help us understand the true meaning of scripture, because it can so easily be misunderstood.

There are many good Catholic books on the end-times

The Lamb’s Supper
The Rapture trap
Will Catholic Be Left Behind

to mention just a few.

Stillkickin 👍
 
Revelations is told to john, in three sections.
  1. Things thou seen.
Then A door opens in rev.3/8 and shows John No.3
things which shall be hereafter.

2.Things which are(Seven thunders)the little scroll.
Rev 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.This is the little scroll ,sweet in the mouth ,and sour in the stomach.

Rev 22:10
Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.read 22/18 final warning.

3.Things which shall be hereafter,The little door john go’s to the Hereafter in spirit (Hereafter the seven thunders,the seven thunders that john was told not to write).Rev. 10/4.Walt2000
 
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