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Foreword

The Apocalypse is the most mysterious book in the New Testament and the only prophetic book that speaks of the future. Many generations of believing Christians, philosophers, mystics have tried to unravel the mysteries of the Apocalypse and understand the prophecy that awaits us. The Apocalypse - its symbols, quotes, enigmatic statements, images had a huge impact on the development of the entire world culture. But, unfortunately, the true meaning of symbols and phenomena is available only to those who were able to "tune in to the wave" of the one who wrote this prophetic book - the apostle and evangelist John the Theologian. The holy men penetrated into the mysteries of the Apocalypse and in very accessible words explained what an ordinary person in his daily life rhythm is not able to understand ... Fascinating reading, slightly opening the veil of the future and revealing Divine mysteries, Interpretation of the Apocalypse will introduce the reader to the most mysterious book of the New Testament, will introduce him into the world, which is accessible only to holy ascetics.

We live in a difficult historical time, in such times it is common for people to worry about the future, and humanity is carefully peering into this heavenly book, into this “mystical mirror of human destinies”, trying to unravel the mysteries of their own destinies - in the dramatic periods that our age is so rich in, the apocalyptic sense of life and history is aggravated.

The book presents the most clear, deep and authoritative interpretations that will be of interest to the modern reader:

Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea. Commentary on the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian;

Explanatory Bible, ed. prof. A. Lopukhin. Interpretation on the book of the Apocalypse;

Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov). About the end of the world;

Archbishop Averky Taushev. Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John the Theologian.

Apocalypse and its interpreters 1
From the preface of Iv. Yuvachev to the publication: St. Andrew of Caesarea "Interpretation of the Apocalypse". 1909

Christians of the first centuries expected the fulfillment of everything that was destined from above, just about, not today or tomorrow.

But since then the second thousand years have ended, and we all cannot say at what stage, at what period is the struggle of Christ with the devil, the struggle of bright angels with dark forces.

I

There are as many mysteries in the Apocalypse of John as there are words. But even this would be too little to say about the merit of the book. Any praise will be lower.

Blessed Jerome

On the bright blue waters of the ancient sea, under the azure dome of the southern sky, among the many islands of various sizes, two mountains stand out, connected by a narrow isthmus. Tightened with a light purple cover, from a distance they seem to be emerging from the bowels of the sea. Something airy, fabulous is felt in the vision of these rocky mountains against a transparent background of sky and water.

This sea is called the Aegean, and the island is called Patmos.

Famous place in the world! It was here that before the eyes of John, the writer of the Apocalypse, pictures of the peaceful life of the coming times flashed by. On this island, lying between two parts of the Old World - Europe, Asia and Africa - the Revealed History of the Christian Church was written.

On quiet, cloudless days before John, more than once, a magical view of the southern sky opened up here with a bewitching gentle light of the moon, with stars sparkling like precious stones. In these moments of sublime contemplation, he was carried away in spirit to the heavenly heights, and there, in the host of angels, among the host of heaven, the secrets of the Kingdom of God were revealed to him (Matthew 13:11).

But in the midst of such a captivating setting, what a contrast were the prophetic visions of a continuous series of terrible punishments!

However, the apostle-prophet did not write everything down and told the world: he hid from us what seven thunders spoke to him with their voices (Rev. 10:4) ... And what he entered into the book is an important prophecy about peoples and tribes and about the kings of many (Revelation 10:11).

Here is a book that can at the same time rip out a river of tears from the eyes, fill the heart with mystical horror, and can elevate a person's thought to the throne of God, rapture him to the third heaven. Scary book, but at the same time, and attractive! As they begin to delve deeper into the Divine words of the Apocalypse, the mysterious veil of the world opens slightly, something appears in the distance, beckons to itself, and suddenly such a picture opens up that people fall face down on the ground from fear and lie in a stupor (Dan 10: 7–19).

Where did such a book come from?

From God Himself.

He gave it to Jesus Christ, and Christ sent it through His angel to John to show His servants what was to come shortly.

When did the Lord choose John to write the Apocalypse? Who is he?

All ancient church tradition testifies that it was the most beloved disciple of Jesus Christ, the apostle and evangelist John the Theologian. For example, in the “Dialogue” of St. Justin the Philosopher with Tryphon, there is such a positive testimony: “Someone named John, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, in the Revelation that was to him, predicted that those who believe in our Jesus Christ will live in Jerusalem for 1000 years, and after this will be a general resurrection and judgment.” Saint Irenaeus of Smyrna also calls the writer of the Apocalypse a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is also evidenced by Theophilus of Antioch, Polycrates of Ephesus, Clement of Alexandria, Gregory the Theologian, Cyril of Jerusalem and others. St. Andrew of Caesarea in the preface to his "Interpretation of the Apocalypse" also refers to Papias of Jerusalem (about 160), Methodius and Hippolytus (235) of Rome.

In the History of the Church by Eusebius, some persons are indicated (for example, presbyter Caius and Dionysius of Alexandria) who allowed themselves to doubt the identity of the writer of the Apocalypse and John the Theologian, but their doubt is drowned in a whole series of positive testimonies of the ancient fathers of the Church.

In our time of skepticism and reassessment of all values, voices have been heard among Western theologians denying the tradition of the Church, but it is enough to compare those verses of the Apocalypse and the fourth Gospel, where Jesus Christ is called the Lamb and the Word of God, to make sure that the author of these books is one and the same person. , Holy Apostle John the Theologian.

The Apocalypse is replete with Hebraisms and bears resemblance to the Old Testament prophetic books. So it should be! Because the Apocalypse, like other canonical books, is the creation of one and the same Holy Spirit. The Writer of Revelation can say to all doubters: We are from God: he who knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us... If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual, let him understand that I am writing to you(1 John 4:6; 1 Cor 14:37).

St. John indicates that he received the Revelation on the island of Patmos on Sunday. But what year? This is again a contentious issue for modern theologians. Their main disagreement lies in the fact that some of the writings of the Apocalypse date back to the time before the destruction of Jerusalem, while others prove that the Apocalypse was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. The decisive voice in this matter should again be the most ancient testimony of St. Irenaeus, who writes: "Revelation was not long before our time, but almost in our century, at the end of the reign of Domitian." If so, then the writing of the Apocalypse can be attributed to the end of the 1st century. Some researchers set the date: 95 AD.

II

In this book, which is called the Apocalypse, much is said in secret to give an exercise to the mind of the reader, and there is little in it that, by its clarity, makes it possible to bring the rest to understanding.

Blessed Augustine

Prophecy can only be explained when it is fulfilled.

At present, there are many Orthodox interpreters of the Apocalypse who believe that most of the prophetic pictures have not yet been fulfilled, since they refer to the very end times (Dan 8:17, 26; 12:9). Moreover, in the early days of Christianity it was difficult to say anything definite about the mysterious instructions of Revelation. However, the epoch of persecution and the final triumph of Christianity under Constantine the Great in a small way depict to us the whole further fate of Christianity until the final victory of Christ, until the opening of His great Kingdom. Therefore, some researchers of the Apocalypse date his paintings to the historical events of the first four centuries of Christianity. But even the ancient interpreters (Hippolytus, Irenaeus, Andrew of Caesarea) understood that it was impossible to limit the world book to three or four centuries.

Perhaps there are no two interpreters who would understand the apocalyptic foreshadowings of the coming events of the world or the Church in exactly the same way, nevertheless, the interpreters may be relatively right. The law of water crystallization is the same always and everywhere, but how diversely it manifests itself on earth! Take a look at a graceful snowflake, a shapeless piece of ice, or amazing patterns on window panes from frost. It would seem, from the outside, what a variety! In fact, we see the manifestation of one and the same law, one and the same "thought of God." In the same way, the prophetic writings are the predestination of God Himself, to which life responds with a series of events of the same nature, only on a different scale. Before two or three witnesses, every word is verified (Mt 18:16). Historical events repeat themselves two or three times, ascending from strength to strength (Ps. 83:8).

However, the opposite phenomenon has also been noticed: the same event is also described in the sacred books two or three times. Therefore, we will not neglect any interpretation, no matter how strange and inapplicable it may seem at first glance. “Without denying the work of predecessors,” writes Qliphoth, “every researcher of the Apocalypse should strive to contribute his own contribution to understanding.”

In Russian, there is an excellent experience of interpreting the Apocalypse by Archpriest Nikolai Orlov, edited by prof. A. Lopukhin. It contains everything essential that theological science has given us, and the inspired interpretations of the ancient fathers of the Church are also indicated. But the most popular is the Commentary on the Apocalypse by St. Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea. But at the time when he wrote it, the world had not yet experienced the crusades, nor the development of the secular power of the popes, nor the Renaissance, nor the time of great discoveries and inventions, nor the Reformation, nor the religious wars, nor the French Revolution, nor modern atheism. , and therefore Saint Andrew had to confine himself in many places in the interpretation of the Apocalypse to edifying and instructive comments or interpretations of real symbols in a spiritual sense 2
Of modern interpretations, it is impossible to ignore the "Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John the Theologian" by Archbishop Averky (Taushev).

Usually the book of Revelation of St. John the Theologian is divided into the introduction (1:1-8), the first part (1:9-3:22), the second part (4-22:5) and the conclusion (22:6-21).

As for the second part (from the fourth to the twenty-second chapter), it is divided differently according to the method of interpretation.

Saint Andrew of Caesarea divides his entire interpretation of the Apocalypse into 24 sections, and each section into 3 articles.

III

The Apocalypse is a wonderful book; it is a treasure given by God.

Lutard

It is noted that the Apocalypse is not included in the circle of liturgical books. Others conclude from this that the clergy are strenuously eliminating this book.

“Accept,” one of our contemporary “God-seekers,” says, “the Apocalypse, and I will immediately go over to the Orthodox Church, but you will never do this, because he convicts you…

And we must admit that the Revelation of John the Theologian is under the protection of some clergymen. Some repeat the ancient saying that we can hardly make out the letters of the apocalyptic alphabet; others are afraid of a misinterpretation of incomprehensible pictures and images of the holy book, others do not allow making determinations of times from the Apocalypse. There are also those who generally do not allow anything mysterious, nothing mystical in the Christian religion. All these cautious views, perhaps appropriate in ancient times, are now gradually dissipating. The common people themselves, while reading the Bible, involuntarily dwell longer on the pages of the Apocalypse. Some priests testify that people quite often turn to them for clarification of incomprehensible places in the Revelation of John the Theologian.

How can one explain such special attention of Christians to the final book of the entire Bible - the Apocalypse? Are we really experiencing the end times appointed by the Almighty? Or do we notice that much of what is indicated in Revelation allegorically, allegorically, has already been fulfilled or is being fulfilled?

Revelation of John the Evangelist 3
Bible. Synodal translation. M., Russian Bible Society, 2013(Apocalypse)

Chapter 1

The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. And He showed it by sending it through His Angel to His servant John,

Who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and what he saw.

Blessed is he who reads and hears the words of this prophecy, and keeps what is written in it; for the time is at hand.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Him who loved us and washed us from our sins with His blood

And to Him who has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, glory and dominion forever and ever! Amen.

Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, even those that pierced him; and all the families of the earth will mourn before him. Hey, amen.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and was and is to come, the Almighty.

I John, your brother and partner in tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

A. Durer. Seven lamps. Vision of St. John

I was in the spirit on Sunday, and heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet, which said: I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last;

Write what you see in a book and send it to the churches in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

And, in the midst of the seven lampstands, like the Son of Man, clothed in a robe and girded around his chest with a golden sash.

His head and hair are white, like a white wave, like snow; and His eyes are like a flame of fire;

And His feet are like chalcoleban, like fiery furnaces, and His voice is like the noise of many waters.

He held in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth came out a sword sharp on both sides; and His face is like the sun shining in its power.

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. And He laid His right hand on me and said to me, Fear not; I am the first and the last

And Alive; and was dead, and behold, alive forever and ever, amen; and I have the keys of hell and death.

So write down what you have seen, and what is, and what will be after this.

This is the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and of the seven golden candlesticks: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Chapter 2

Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: Thus says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:

I know your deeds, and your work, and your patience, and that you cannot bear the perverse, and I tested those who call themselves apostles, but they are not, and found that they are liars.

You endured a lot and have patience, and for My name you labored, and did not faint.

But I have against you that you left your first love.

So remember where you fell from, and repent, and do the former works; but if not, I will quickly come to you, and I will remove your candlestick from its place, unless you repent.

However, it is good in you that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

And write to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna: thus says the First and Last, who was dead, and lo, he is alive:

I know your deeds, and sorrow, and poverty (however, you are rich), and slander from those who say about themselves that they are Jews, but they are not like that, but are a bunch of satanic.

Do not be afraid of anything that you will have to endure. Behold, the devil will cast from among you into prison to tempt you, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear (to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: He who overcomes will not suffer harm from the second death.

And write to the Angel of the Church of Pergamon: thus says the sword sharp on both sides:

I know your deeds, and that you live where the throne of Satan is, and that you keep My name, and did not renounce My faith even in those days in which you, where Satan lives, my faithful witness Antipas was killed.

But I have a little against you, because you have there the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to lead the children of Israel into temptation, so that they eat idolater and commit adultery.

So you have those who adhere to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate.

Repent; but if not, I will quickly come to you and fight with them with the sword of my mouth.

He who has an ear (to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes I will give to eat the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows except the one who receives.

And write to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira: thus says the Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like chalcoleban:

I know your deeds, and love, and service, and faith, and your patience, and that your last deeds are greater than the first.

But I have little against you, because you allow the wife of Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and mislead My servants, to commit adultery and eat things sacrificed to idols.

I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent.

Behold, I am throwing her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

And I will strike her children with death, and all the churches will understand that I am the one who searches hearts and inwards; and I will render to each of you according to your deeds.

But to you and to others who are in Thyatira, who do not keep this teaching and who do not know the so-called depths of Satan, I say that I will not place any other burden on you;

Just keep what you have until I come.

Whoever overcomes and keeps my works to the end, to him I will give power over the Gentiles,

And he will rule them with a rod of iron; like earthenware they will be broken, just as I have received authority from my Father.

And I will give him the morning star.

He who has an ear (to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Chapter 3

And write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your deeds; you carry a name like you're alive, but you're dead.

Watch and affirm everything close to death; for I do not find that your works are perfect before my God.

Remember what you received and heard, and keep and repent. But if you do not watch, then I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.

However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and will walk with Me in white garments, for they are worthy.

He who overcomes will be clothed in white robes; and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

And write to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia: thus says the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close; he closes and no one will open:

I know your business; Behold, I have opened a door for you, and no one can close it; you have not much strength, and you have kept my word, and have not denied my name.

Behold, I will make that of the assembly of Satan, of those who say that they are Jews, but are not such, but lie, - behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and know that I have loved you.

And as you have kept the word of my patience, so I will keep you from the hour of temptation, which will come to the whole world to test those who live on earth.

Behold, I am coming soon; keep what you have, lest anyone take your crown.

He who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will not go out any more; and I will write on it the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

And write to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea: thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation:

I know your business; you are neither cold nor hot; oh, if you were cold, or hot!

Chapter thirteen. the beast antichrist and his accomplice the false prophet Chapter fourteen. Preparatory events before the general resurrection and the Last Judgment; a song of praise of 144,000 righteous and angels proclaiming the fate 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. Judgment on the great harlot sitting on many waters Chapter eighteen. The fall of Babylon - the great harlot Chapter nineteen. The battle of the word of God with the beast and his army, and the destruction of the latter Chapter Twenty. General Resurrection and the Last Judgment Chapter twenty one. The opening of the new heaven and the new earth - the new Jerusalem Chapter twenty two. Final features of the image of the new Jerusalem. A testament to the truth of all that has been said, a testament to keep the commandments of God and to look forward to the Second Coming of Christ, which will be soon

THE MAIN OBJECT AND PURPOSE OF WRITING THE APOCALYPSE

Beginning the Apocalypse, St. John himself indicates the main subject and purpose of his writing - "to show what should be soon"(). Thus, the main subject of the Apocalypse is the mysterious image of the future fate of the Church of Christ and the whole world. From the very beginning of its existence, Christ had to enter into a difficult struggle with the delusions of Judaism and paganism in order to bring the triumph of the Divine Truth brought to earth by the incarnated Son of God, and through this to give 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 show visually 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 terrible bloody persecutions began against Christians, in order to give them consolation and encouragement in the sorrows and hard trials that befell them. This graphic picture of the battle of the dark kingdom of Satan with and the final victory of the Church over the "ancient serpent" () is needed for believers of all times, all with the same goal 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 hellish forces seeking to destroy in their blind malice.

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 regard the Apocalypse as a prophetic picture of the last times of the world and the events that will take place before the Second Coming of Christ to earth and at the opening of the Kingdom of Glory, prepared for all true believing Christians. Despite the darkness under which the mysterious meaning of this book is hidden and as a result of which many unbelievers tried in every possible way to defame it, the deeply enlightened fathers and God-wise teachers of the Church always treated it with great reverence. Yes, St. writes: “The darkness of this book does not prevent one from wondering at it. And if I do not understand everything in it, then 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 of the Apocalypse in the same way: “There are as many mysteries in it as there are words. But what am I saying? Any praise of this book will be below its dignity. Many believe that Caius, the presbyter of Rome, does not consider the Apocalypse to be the creation of the heretic Cerinthus, as some deduce from his words, for Caius is not talking about a book called "Revelation", but about "revelations". Eusebius himself, citing these words of Caius, does not say a word about the fact that Cerinthus was the author of the book of the Apocalypse. Blessed Jerome and other fathers, who knew this place in the work of Caius and recognized the authenticity of the Apocalypse, would not have left it without objection if they considered the words of Caius to be related to the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist. But during Divine Liturgy the Apocalypse was not and is not read: presumably because in ancient times the reading of Holy Scripture during Divine Liturgy was always accompanied by an interpretation of it, and the Apocalypse is too difficult to interpret. This also explains the absence of it in Peshito's Syrian translation, which was appointed specifically for liturgical use. As proven by the researchers, the Apocalypse was originally on the Peshito list and was turned off from there after the times, for St. Ephraim the Syrian cites the Apocalypse in his writings as the canonical book of the New Testament and makes extensive use of it in his inspirational teachings.

RULES FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF THE APOCALYPSE

As a book of God's judgments 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 embarrass the believers with particular force, threatening all sorts of dangers from all sides. In such periods, believers naturally turned to this book for consolation and encouragement and tried to unravel the meaning and meaning of the events from it. Meanwhile, the figurativeness 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 an occasion for unrealizable hopes and beliefs. Thus, for example, a literalistic understanding of the images of this book gave rise and still continues to give rise to a false teaching about the so-called "chiliasm" - the thousand-year kingdom 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 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, there have been many interpretations of the Apocalypse of the most diverse nature. 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 significance, referring all the visions to the historical events of the first century - to the times of persecution erected on pagan emperors . Still others are trying to find the realization of apocalyptic predictions in the historical events of later times. According to them, for example, the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist, and all apocalyptic disasters are proclaimed for the Roman Church itself, etc. Fourth, finally, see in the Apocalypse only an allegory, believing that the visions described in it have not so much a prophetic, but a moral meaning. , the allegory is introduced only to enhance the impression in order to capture the imagination of readers. It is necessary to recognize as more correct the interpretation that 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 to the final destinies of the world. There can be no doubt, however, that in the course of the past Christian history, quite a few predictions of St. John the Seer about the future destinies of the Church and the world, but great caution is needed in applying the apocalyptic content to historical events, and this should not be abused too much. The remark of one interpreter 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 hindered most of all by people's departure from faith and truly Christian life, which always leads to dulling, and even complete loss of spiritual vision, which is necessary for a correct understanding and spiritual assessment of events taking place in the world. This total devotion of modern man to sinful passions, which deprives the purity of the heart and, consequently, spiritual vision (), is the reason that some modern interpreters of the Apocalypse want to see in it one allegory, and even the very Second Coming of Christ is taught to be understood allegorically. The historical events and faces of the time we are currently experiencing, which, in all fairness, many already call apocalyptic, convince us that to see one 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) The introductory picture of the Son of Man appearing to John, commanding John to write to the seven churches of Asia Minor - 1st chapter ().

2) Instructions to the seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis. Philadelphia and Laodicea - chapters 2 () and 3 ().

3) The vision of God sitting on the throne and the Lamb - chapters 4 () and 5 ().

4) The opening by the Lamb of the seven seals of the mysterious book - chapters 6 () and 7 ().

Apocalypse(or in Greek - Revelation) of St. John the Theologian is the only prophetic book of the New Testament. It predicts the future fate of mankind, the end of the world and the beginning of eternal life, and therefore, naturally, is placed at the end of Holy Scripture.
Apocalypse- the book is mysterious and difficult to understand, but at the same time, it is the mysterious nature of this book that attracts the eyes of both believing Christians and simply inquisitive thinkers who are trying to unravel the meaning and meaning of the visions described in it. There is an enormous 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, St. Dionysius of Alexandria writes: “The darkness of this book does not prevent one from being surprised at it. And if I do not understand everything in it, then 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 of the Apocalypse in the same way: “There are as many secrets in it as there are words. But what am I saying? Any praise for this book will be below its dignity.

During the service, the Apocalypse is not read because in ancient times the reading of the Holy Scriptures during the service 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 (Ot. 1:1, 4 and 9; 22:8). According to the common 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 the data in the Apocalypse itself and by many other internal and external signs. The inspired pen of the Apostle John the Theologian also includes the Gospel and three Epistles. 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). It is known from church history that of the apostles, only St. John the Theologian was imprisoned on this island.

Proof of the authorship of the Apocalypse ap. 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 "the Lamb" (Rev. 5:6 and 17:14; see: John 1:36). The prophetic words of Zechariah: “and they will look at him whom they pierced” (12:10) both in the Gospel and in the Apocalypse are given in the same way 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. St. John, a Jew by birth, although he knew the Greek language, but being imprisoned far from the living colloquial Greek language, naturally left the stamp of the influence of his native language on the Apocalypse. For an unprejudiced reader of the Apocalypse, it is obvious that all its content bears the seal of the great spirit of the Apostle of love and contemplation.

All ancient and later patristic testimonies recognize St. John the Theologian as the author of the Apocalypse. 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). Also important is the testimony of St. Justin the Martyr, who lived in Ephesus even before his conversion to Christianity, where the Apostle John lived for a long time before him. 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 disciple of Irenaeus of Lyons. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen also recognize the holy Apostle John as the author of the Apocalypse. The later Fathers of the Church are equally convinced of this: St. Ephraim the Syrian, Epiphanius, Basil the Great, Hilary, Athanasius the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Didymos, Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine, and Blessed Jerome. Canon 33 of the Carthaginian Council, by attributing the Apocalypse to St. John the Theologian, places it among other canonical books of Holy Scripture. Especially valuable is the testimony of St. Irenaeus of Lyons regarding the authorship of the Apocalypse to St. John the Theologian, since St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, who in turn was a student of St. John the Theologian, leading the Smyrna Church under his apostolic guidance.

Time, place and purpose of writing the Apocalypse.

An ancient tradition dates the writing of the Apocalypse to the end of the 1st century. Thus, 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 (the beginning of the 4th century reports that contemporary pagan writers mention the exile of the Apostle John to Patmos for witnessing the Divine Word, referring this event to the 15th year of the reign of Domitian. (reigned in 81-96 years after Christmas 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, in one way or another, the direction of religious life. Christianity with them 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 a matter of the distant 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 (Ot. 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, St. John indicates the purpose of writing a 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 instill in the souls of people the true faith in God, to teach them to live righteously, to show them the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. But not all people accepted the Christian preaching favorably. Already in the first days after Pentecost, the Church faced hostility and conscious resistance to Christianity - first from the Jewish priests and scribes, then from unbelieving Jews and pagans.

Already in the first year of Christianity, a bloody persecution of the preachers of the Gospel began. Gradually, these persecutions began to take an organized and systematic form. Jerusalem was the first center of struggle against Christianity. Starting from the middle of the first century, Rome, led by the emperor Nero (reigned in 54-68 years after the birth of Christ), joined the hostile camp. The persecution began in Rome, where many Christians shed their blood, including the supreme apostles Peter and Paul. From the end of the first century, the 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 continues until the year 313, when Emperor Constantine issues the Edict of Milan on freedom of religion.

In view of the beginning persecution, the Apostle John writes the Apocalypse to Christians in order 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 atheistic forces of mankind and directs them against the Church. But the sufferings of believers are not in vain: through faithfulness to Christ and patience, they receive a well-deserved reward in Heaven. At God's appointed time, forces hostile to the Church will be judged and punished. After the Last Judgment and the punishment of the wicked, eternal blessed life will begin.

The purpose of writing the Apocalypse is to portray the coming struggle of the Church with the forces of evil; to show the methods by which the devil, with the assistance of his servants, fights against good and truth; give guidance to believers on how to overcome temptations; 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 excite social and church life with greater force. Meanwhile, the figurativeness and mystery of this book makes it very difficult to understand, and therefore for careless interpreters there is always a risk of going beyond the boundaries of truth to unrealizable hopes and beliefs. Thus, for example, a literal understanding of the images of this book gave rise to and still continues to give rise to a false teaching about the so-called "chiliasm" - the thousand-year kingdom 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 come and the second coming of Christ was near. This view has been around since 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 significance 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 realization of apocalyptic predictions in the historical events of their time. In their opinion, for example, the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist and all apocalyptic disasters are proclaimed, in fact, for the Roman Church, and so on. Fourth, finally, they 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 shall 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 entire Scriptures. 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 each other by many centuries and even millennia, merge into one prophetic picture that combines the events of various 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 took place 35 years after His crucifixion, and about the time before His second coming. (Matt. 24th ch.; Mark. 13th ch.; Luke. 21st ch. The reason for such a combination of events is that the first illustrates and explains the second.

Often, Old Testament predictions speak at the same time of a beneficial change in human society in the New Testament time and of a new life in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this case, the first serves as the beginning of the second (Is. (Isaiah) 4:2-6; Is. 11:1-10; Is. 26, 60 and 65 ch.; Jer. (Jeremiah) 23:5-6; Jer. 33:6-11; Habakkuk 2:14; Zeph. (Zephaniah) 3:9-20). The Old Testament prophecies about the destruction of the Chaldean Babylon speak at the same time about the destruction of the kingdom of Antichrist (Is. 13-14 and 21 ch.; Jer. 50-51 ch.). There are many similar examples of the merging of events in one prediction. This method of combining events on the basis of their internal unity is used to help the believer understand the essence of events on the basis of what he already knows, leaving aside secondary and explaining nothing historical details.

As we shall see below, the Apocalypse consists of a series of multi-layered composite visions. The Seer shows the future in terms of past and present. So, for example, the many-headed beast in 13-19 ch. - this is the Antichrist himself and his predecessors: Antiochus Epiphanes, so vividly described by the prophet Daniel and in the first two Maccabean books - these are 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 the 11th chapter. - these are the accusers of the Antichrist (Enoch and Elijah), and their prototypes are the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as all the preachers of the Gospel, performing their mission in a world hostile to Christianity. The false prophet in the 13th chapter is the personification of all those who plant false religions (gnosticism, heresies, Mohammedanism, materialism, Hinduism, etc.), among which the most prominent representative will be the false prophet of the time of the Antichrist. To understand why the apostle John united various events and different people in one image, one 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 sorrows. The apostle John reveals the common methods of deceit and also shows the sure way to avoid them in order to be faithful to Christ unto death.

Similarly, 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 on all mankind under Noah, and the judgment on the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah under Abraham, and the judgment on Egypt under Moses, and the double judgment on Judea (six centuries before Christ and again in the seventies of our era), and judgment over ancient Nineveh, Babylon, over the Roman Empire, over Byzantium and, more recently, over Russia. The reasons that caused the righteous punishment of God were always the same: the unbelief of people and lawlessness.

A certain timelessness is noticeable in the Apocalypse. It follows from the fact that the apostle John contemplated the fate of mankind not from the earthly, but from the 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, therefore, the author of the Apocalypse describes some events of the future as past, and the past 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 ch.). The resurrection of the martyrs and their reign in Heaven, which covers the entire New Testament era, is placed by them after the trial of the Antichrist and the false prophet (Ot. 20 ch.). Thus, the seer does not narrate the chronological sequence of events, but reveals the essence of that great war between evil and good, which is going on simultaneously on several fronts and covers both the material and angelic worlds.

There is no doubt that some predictions of the Apocalypse have already been fulfilled (for example, regarding the fate of the seven churches of Asia Minor). Fulfilled predictions should help us understand the remaining ones that have yet to be fulfilled. However, when applying the 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 fate 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 hindered most of all by the departure of people from the faith and the true Christian life, which always leads to dullness, and even complete loss of spiritual vision. The total devotion of modern man to sinful passions is the reason why some modern interpreters of the Apocalypse want to see in it only one allegory, and even the Second Coming of Christ is taught to be understood allegorically. Historical events and faces of our time convince us that to see only an allegory in the Apocalypse means to be spiritually blind, so much that 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 being. To the highest sphere belongs the Angelic world, the Church triumphant in Heaven, and the Church persecuted on earth. This sphere of goodness is headed and directed 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 theomachists and demons. They are led by a dragon - a fallen angel. Throughout the existence of mankind, these spheres are 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 take the side of good, others - on the side of evil. During the development of the world conflict, God's Judgment is constantly being performed on individuals and nations. Before the end of the world, evil will increase excessively, and the earthly Church will become extremely weakened. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will come to earth, all people will be resurrected, and God's Terrible Judgment will be carried out over the world. The devil and his supporters will be condemned to eternal torment, while for the righteous, eternal, blissful life in Paradise will begin.

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

1. An introductory picture of the Lord Jesus Christ appearing, commanding John to write down the Revelation to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Chapter 1).
2. 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.
3. A vision of God seated on the throne, the Lamb and the heavenly worship (chapters 4 and 5). This service is supplemented by visions in later chapters.
4. From the 6th chapter, the disclosure of the fate of mankind begins. The opening by the Lamb-Christ of the seven seals of the mysterious book serves as the beginning of the description of the various 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).
5. The voices of the seven angelic trumpets (chapters 7-10) herald the initial disasters that must befall people for their unbelief and sins. Describes the damage to nature and the appearance of evil forces in the world. Before the onset of disasters, believers receive a grace-filled seal on their foreheads (foreheads), which preserves them from moral evil and from the fate of the wicked.
6. The vision of the seven signs (chapters 11-14) shows humanity divided into two opposite and irreconcilable camps - good and evil. Good forces are concentrated in the Church of Christ, represented here in the image of a Woman clothed in the sun (Chapter 12), while 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 corrupted religious power. In this part of the Apocalypse, for the first time, a conscious extramundane evil being is clearly revealed - the dragon-devil, who organizes and directs the war against the Church. The two witnesses of Christ symbolize here the preachers of the Gospel who fight the beast.
7. The visions of the seven bowls (chapters 15-17) paint a grim picture of worldwide moral decay. The war against the Church becomes extremely tense (Armageddon) (Rev. 16:16), the trials become unbearably difficult. In the image of Babylon the harlot, mankind apostatized from God, concentrated in the capital of the kingdom of the beast-antichrist, is depicted. The evil force extends its influence to all areas of the life of sinful mankind, 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).
8. In the following chapters (18-19) the judgment of Babylon is described 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.
9. Chapter 20 sums up spiritual warfare and world history. She speaks of the double defeat of the devil and the reign of the martyrs. Having suffered physically, they won spiritually and are already blissful in Heaven. It covers the entire period of the existence of the Church, beginning with apostolic times. Gog and Magog personify the totality of all the god-fighting forces, earthly and underworld, who 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 iniquity, falsehood and suffering in the universe, is also subjected to eternal punishment. The end of the 20th chapter tells about the general resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and the punishment of the wicked. This short description summarizes the Last Judgment on humanity and the fallen angels and sums up the drama of the universal war between good and evil.
10. 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 the judgment of God. This description marks the end of the previous topic and the beginning of a new one. Between the main sections of the Apocalypse, the seer sometimes inserts intermediate pictures that serve as a link between them. The table given here clearly shows the plan and sections of the Apocalypse. For compactness, we have connected the intermediate pictures together with the main ones. Moving horizontally along the above table, we see how the following areas are gradually revealed with greater fullness: the Heavenly world; Church persecuted on earth; a sinful and theomachy world; underworld; war between them and the judgment of God.

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 makes extensive use of them. So, for example, eyes symbolize knowledge, many eyes - perfect knowledge. The horn is a symbol of power, might. Long clothes signify priesthood; crown - royal dignity; whiteness - purity, purity; 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 is the people of God, the fullness of the Church (numbers derived from 12 have the same meaning, like 24 and 144,000). One third means some comparatively small part. Three and a half years is the time of persecution. The number 666 will be dealt with specifically later in this pamphlet.

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

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

With all the symbolism and mystery of the Apocalypse, religious truths are revealed in it with the utmost clarity. Thus, for example, the Apocalypse points to the devil as the culprit of all the temptations and calamities 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 more and more enslaves 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 the renewed world there will come a blessed life that will never end.

Having thus made a cursory survey 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 martyr's death in Rome around the year 67, the apostle John the Theologian took care of these churches, who provided care for them for about forty years. After being imprisoned on the island of Patmos, the apostle John wrote letters from there to these churches in order to prepare Christians for the coming 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 leads one to believe that the destinies of the Church of Christ are inscribed in them, starting from the apostolic age and until the time of the end of the world. At the same time, the upcoming path of the New Testament Church, this "New Israel," is depicted against the background of the most important events in the life of the 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 the events of the Old Testament as prototypes of the fate of the New Testament Church. Thus, three elements are intertwined in the letters to the seven churches:

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

c) the future destiny 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 the status of a metropolia in relation to neighboring churches in Asia Minor. In the year 431, the 3rd Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus. Gradually, the lamp of Christianity in the Ephesian church went out, just as the apostle John had predicted. Pergamum was the political center of the western part of Asia Minor. It was dominated by paganism with a magnificent cult of deified pagan emperors. On a mountain near Pergamon, a pagan monument-altar towered majestically - referred to in the Apocalypse as "Satan's throne" (Rev. 2:13). The Nicolaitans are ancient Gnostic heretics. Gnosticism was a dangerous temptation for the Church of the first centuries of Christianity. A fertile ground 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 outlook of the East, with its belief in the eternal struggle between good and evil, spirit and matter, body and soul, light and darkness, in combination 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 mediating steps of creation, connecting the world with the Absolute. Naturally, with the spread of Christianity in the Hellenistic environment, there was a danger 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 earliest spreaders of Gnosticism among Christians was someone named Nicholas—hence the name "Nicolaitans" in the Apocalypse. (It is assumed that this was Nicholas, who, among the other six chosen men, was ordained to the diaconate by the apostles, see: Acts 6:5). By distorting the Christian faith, the Gnostics encouraged moral licentiousness. Beginning in the middle of the first century, several Gnostic sects flourished in Asia Minor. The apostles Peter, Paul and Jude warned Christians not to fall into the net of these heretic debauchees. Prominent representatives of Gnosticism were the heretics Valentinus, Marcion and Basilides, who were opposed by the apostolic men and the early Church Fathers.

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

Vision of Heavenly Worship (4-5 ch.).

The Apostle John received the revelation on the "Day of the Lord," i.e. on Sunday. It must be assumed that, according to the apostolic custom, on this day he performed the "breaking of bread," i.e. the Divine Liturgy and took communion, therefore 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. This divine service is described by the Apostle John in the 4th and 5th chapters of the Apocalypse. An Orthodox person recognizes here the familiar features of the Sunday Liturgy and the most important accessories of the altar: the throne, the menorah, the censer with smoking incense, the golden cup, etc. (These items, 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 the believer of Communion, under the guise of bread lying on the throne; 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 bright robes and with golden crowns on their heads - a host of clergy who conciliarly celebrate the Divine Liturgy. 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 chanters say during the main part of the Liturgy - the Eucharistic Canon. The whitening of their garments by the righteous with the "Blood of the Lamb" recalls the sacrament of Communion, through which believers sanctify their souls.

Thus, the apostle begins the disclosure of the fate of mankind with a description of the heavenly Liturgy, thereby emphasizing the spiritual significance of this Divine 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 recall 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 Zech. 4th ch.). Many eyes - symbolize omniscience. The twenty-four elders correspond to the twenty-four priestly orders established by King David to serve in the temple—two intercessors for each tribe of New Israel (1 Chron. 24:1-18). The four mysterious animals surrounding the throne are like the animals seen by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5-19). They appear to be the closest beings to God. These faces - a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle - are taken by the Church as emblems of the four Evangelists.

In the further description of the mountain world, there is much that is incomprehensible to us. From the Apocalypse we learn that the angelic world is immensely large. Incorporeal spirits - angels, like people, are endowed by the Creator with reason and free will, but their spiritual abilities are many times superior to ours. Angels are completely devoted to God and serve Him by 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 with the devil and his demons (Rev. 12:7-10; 19:17-21; 20:1-3), take part in the judgment of God's enemies (Rev. 19:4).

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

Among the saints whom the apostle John sees in Heaven, two groups stand out, or “faces”: these are 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 sufferings of Christ and, as it were, supplement them. The blood of the martyrs is likened to the blood of the Old Testament sacrifices, which flowed under the altar of the Jerusalem temple. The history of Christianity testifies that the sufferings of the ancient martyrs served for the moral renewal of the decrepit pagan world. The ancient writer Tertullian wrote that the blood of martyrs is the seed for new Christians. The persecution of believers will either subside or intensify during the further existence of the Church, and therefore it was revealed to the mystic that new martyrs will have to supplement 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, and tribes, and peoples, and languages; they stood in white robes with palm branches in their hands, (Rev. 7:9-17). What this innumerable host of the righteous has in common is that "they came out of the great tribulation." There is only one way to Paradise for all people - through sorrows. 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 total service to Christ. (Voluntary "eunuchs" for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, see about this: Mt. 19:12; Rev. 14:1-5. In the Church, this feat was often carried out in monasticism). The seer sees on the foreheads (foreheads) of the virgins the “name of the Father,” 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 height that they have reached through the feat of fasting, prayer and chastity. This purity is beyond the reach of people of a worldly way of life.

The song of Moses sung by the righteous in the next vision (Rev. 15:2-8) is reminiscent of the hymn of thanksgiving that the Israelites sang when they escaped Egyptian slavery by crossing the Red Sea (Ex. 15 ch.). Similarly, New Testament Israel is saved from the power and influence of the devil, passing 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 garment) 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 approach of the closest fellowship 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 peoples (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 fate of the world is 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, as if under compulsion and reluctantly, speaks of the gloomy events in the sinful world.

Removal of the seven seals.

Vision of the four horsemen (6th ch.).

Who are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

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, which symbolize the four factors that characterize the entire history of mankind. The first two factors are the cause, the second two are the effect. A crowned rider on a white horse "came out to win." He personifies those good beginnings, natural and gracious, which the Creator has invested in man: the image of God, moral purity and innocence, the desire for goodness and perfection, the ability to believe and love, and individual "talents" with which a person is born, as well as grace-filled gifts. the Holy Spirit that he receives in the Church. According to the Creator, these good principles were supposed to “win,” i.e. determine the happy future of mankind. But man already in Eden succumbed to the temptation of the tempter. The nature corrupted by sin passed on to his descendants; therefore people from an early age tend to sin. From repeated sins, bad inclinations are even more intensified in them. So a person, instead of spiritually growing and improving, falls under the destructive effect of his own passions, indulges in various sinful desires, begins to envy and enmity. All crimes in the world (violence, wars and all kinds of disasters) arise from internal discord in a person.

The destructive action of passions is symbolized by a red horse and a rider who took the world away from people. Giving in to his disorderly sinful desires, a person squanders the talents given to him by God, becomes poor physically and spiritually. In public life, hostility and wars lead to the weakening and disintegration of society, to the loss of its spiritual and material resources. This internal and external impoverishment of mankind 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 enmity and wars is people and the disintegration of society. This sad fate of people is symbolized by a pale horse.

In the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the history of mankind is depicted in the most general terms. First - the blissful life in Eden of our forefathers, called to "reign" over nature (white horse), then - their fall (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 potentialities, which are overshadowed by stormy youth, when a person wastes his strength, health and eventually dies. Here is also the history of the Church: the spiritual burning 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 weakens, goes into the catacombs, and some local churches disappear altogether.

Thus, the vision of the four horsemen summarizes the factors that characterize the life of sinful mankind. 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 calamities. Christians, having suffered physically, won spiritually; now they are in Paradise! (Rev. 6:9-11) Their feat brings them eternal reward, and they reign with Christ, as described in ch. The transition to a more detailed description of the disasters of the Church and the strengthening of the theomachic forces is marked by the opening of the seventh seal.

Seven Trumpets.

The seal of the chosen.

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

Angelic trumpets foretell disasters, physical and spiritual, for humanity. But before the start of the tribulations, the apostle John sees an angel sealing the foreheads of the sons of the New Israel (Rev. 7:1-8). "Israel" here is the New Testament Church. The seal symbolizes the chosen and grace-filled patronage. 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 reminds of the sign of the cross, protected by which "they resist the enemy." People who are not protected by the grace-filled seal suffer harm from the "locust" that came out of the abyss, i.e. from the power of the devil, (Rev. 9:4). The prophet Ezekiel describes a similar seal of the righteous citizens of ancient Jerusalem before its capture by the Chaldean hordes. Then, as now, the mysterious seal was placed to keep the righteous from the lot of the wicked (Ezek. 9:4). When listing the 12 tribes (tribes) of Israel by name, the tribe of Dan is deliberately omitted. Some see this as an indication of the origin of the Antichrist from this tribe. The basis for this opinion is the enigmatic words of Patriarch Jacob regarding the future descendants of Dan: “a serpent on the road, an asp on the way” (Genesis 49:17).

Thus, this vision serves as an introduction to the subsequent description of the persecution of the Church. Measurement of the temple of God in the 11th chapter. has the same meaning as the sealing of the children 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 the theomachists.

Before the opening of the seventh seal, there is silence “as if for half an hour” (Rev. 8:1). This is the silence before the storm that will shake the world in the time of the Antichrist. (The modern process of disarmament as a result of the collapse of communism is not a break that is given to people to turn to God?). Before the onset of disasters, the apostle John sees the saints earnestly praying for mercy on people (Rev. 8:3-5).

disasters in nature. Following this, the trumpet sounds of each of the seven angels are heard, after which various disasters begin. First, a third of the vegetation dies, then a third of the fish and other sea creatures, then the poisoning of rivers and water sources follows. The fall to earth of hail and fire, of a flaming mountain and a luminous star, seems to allegorically indicate the vast extent of these disasters. Is this not a prediction of the global pollution and destruction of nature that is observed today? If so, the ecological catastrophe heralds the coming of the Antichrist. More and more defiling the image of God in themselves, people stop appreciating and loving His wonderful world. With their waste they pollute lakes, rivers and seas; spilled oil affects huge coastal areas; destroy forests and jungles, exterminate many species of animals, fish and birds. From the poisoning of nature, both the guilty themselves and the innocent victims of their cruel greed get sick and die. 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 the defeat of the third part of the sun and stars and their eclipse mean? (Rev. 8:12). Obviously, this is about air pollution to the point where sunlight and starlight, reaching the earth, seems less bright. (For example, due to air pollution, the sky in Los Angeles usually looks dirty brown in color, and at night the stars are almost invisible over the city, except for the brightest).

The story of the locust (fifth trumpet, (Ot. 9:1-11)), which came out of 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 with 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 hostile to God nations are concentrated, threatening Jerusalem with war and extermination. For the Roman Empire, the Euphrates river served as a stronghold against the attacks of the 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 armies, lasted five months, from May to September 66 (five locust months, Rev. 9:5 and 10). Soon the second phase of the war began, from October to November 66, in which the Syrian governor Cestius led four Roman legions (four angels by the river Euphrates, 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 the last times, which the Savior pointed out in His conversation on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:7).

In the attributes of the hellish locust and the Euphrates hordes, one can recognize modern weapons of mass destruction - tanks, cannons, bombers and nuclear missiles. Further chapters of the Apocalypse describe all the intensifying end-time wars, (Rev. 11:7; 16:12-16; 17:14; 19:11-19 and 20:7-8). The words "the river Euphrates dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the rising of the sun" (Rev. 16:12) may refer to the "yellow peril." At the same time, it should be taken into account that the description of apocalyptic wars has the features of real wars, but ultimately refers to spiritual warfare, and proper names and numbers have an allegorical meaning. Thus the apostle Paul explains: “Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). The name Armageddon is composed of two words: "Ar" (in Hebrew - the plain) and "Megiddo" (the 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 exterminated more than five hundred priests of Baal), ( 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 God-fighting forces by Christ. The names Gog and Magog in the 20th ch. reminiscent of the prophecy of Ezekiel 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 ch.; Rev. 20: 7-8). Ezekiel refers this prophecy to messianic times. In the Apocalypse, the siege by the hordes of Gog and Magog "the camp of the saints and the beloved city" (i.e. the Church) and the destruction of these hordes by heavenly fire must be understood in the sense of the complete defeat of the god-fighting 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 admonishment, in order to bring sinners to repentance (Rev. 9:21). But the apostle notes with sorrow that people do not heed the call of God, continue to sin and serve demons. They, as if "biting the bit," rush to their own death.

Vision of two witnesses (11:2-12). Chapters 10 and 11 are intermediate 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 deceitfulness of the Antichrist and call people to fidelity to God. The executions that these witnesses will inflict on people are reminiscent of the miracles performed by the prophets Moses and Elijah (Ex. 7-12; 1 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 had recently suffered in Rome from Nero. Apparently, the two witnesses in the Apocalypse also symbolize other witnesses of Christ, who spread the Gospel in a hostile pagan world and often seal 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 in the time of the Antichrist, Jerusalem will become the capital of a world state. At the same time, they provide an economic justification for such an opinion.)

Seven signs (12-14 ch.).

The Church and the Kingdom of the Beast.

The further, the more clearly the seer reveals before the readers the division of mankind into two opposite camps - the Church and the kingdom of the beast. In previous chapters, the apostle John began to introduce the readers to the Church, speaking of the sealed ones, the temple in Jerusalem, and the two witnesses, and in chapter 12 he shows the Church in all her heavenly glory. At the same time, he reveals her main enemy - the devil-dragon. The vision of the Woman clothed in the sun and the dragon makes it clear that the war between good and evil goes beyond the material world and extends into 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 of the Messiah (of the Seed of the Woman) Who will wipe off the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). One would think that in the 12th chapter, the Wife refers to the Virgin Mary. However, from the further narration, which speaks of other descendants of the Woman (Christians), it is clear that here the Church must be understood by the Woman. The sunshine of the Wife symbolizes the moral perfection of the saints and the blessed illumination of the Church by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The twelve stars symbolize the twelve tribes of the New Israel—i.e. group of Christian peoples. The pains of the Wife during childbirth symbolize the deeds, 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 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 has become the head of the Church. The “rapture” of the Infant obviously points to the ascension of Christ to Heaven, where He sat down “at the right hand of the Father” and since then has ruled over the destinies of the world.

“The dragon with his tail carried away a third of the stars from Heaven and cast them to the earth” (Rev. 12:4). Interpreters understand these stars as angels, whom the proud Dennitsa-devil rebelled against God, as a result of which a war broke out in Heaven. (It was the first revolution in the universe!). Archangel Michael led the good angels. The angels who rebelled against God were defeated and could not stay in Heaven. Having fallen away from God, they turned from good angels into demons. Their underworld realm, called the abyss or hell, became a place of darkness and suffering. According to 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 in order to explain to the reader that the dragon, which will pursue the Church in further visions of the Apocalypse, is the fallen Dennitsa, the primordial enemy of God.

So, having been defeated in Heaven, the dragon with all its fury takes up arms against the Church-Woman. His weapons are the manifold temptations which he throws at the Woman like a stormy river. But she is saved from temptations by fleeing into the desert, that is, by voluntarily renouncing the blessings and comforts of life with which the dragon is trying to captivate her. The two wings of the Woman are prayer and fasting, by which Christians are spiritualized and made inaccessible to the dragon crawling on the ground like a serpent (Genesis 3:14; Mark 9:29). (It should be remembered that from the very first centuries many zealous Christians moved to the desert in the literal sense, leaving noisy cities full of temptations. 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 sketes).

Note. The expression "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 a period of persecution. The public ministry of the Savior continued for three and a half years. Approximately the same time, the persecution of believers continued under Tsar Antiochus Epiphanes, 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 (Rev. 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 mass of people, forever agitated and overwhelmed by passions. From the further story about the beast and from the parallel story of the prophet Daniel (Dan. 7-8 ch.). it must be concluded that the “beast” is the entire atheistic empire of Antichrist. In appearance, the dragon-devil and the beast that emerged from 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 mortal wound to one of the heads of the beast and its healing is mysterious. In due course, events themselves will shed light on the meaning of these words. The historical basis for this allegory could be the conviction of many contemporaries of the apostle John that the murdered Nero came to life and that he would soon return with the Parthian troops (who were located across the Euphrates River (Rev. 9:14 and 16:12)) to take revenge on their enemies. Perhaps here is an indication of the partial defeat of the theomachic paganism by the Christian faith and the revival of paganism during the period of general apostasy from Christianity. Others see this as an indication of the defeat of anti-God Judaism in the 70s of our era. “They are not Jews, but the assembly of Satan,” the Lord said to John (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). (See more about this in our pamphlet, Christian Doctrine of the End of the World.)

Note. There are similarities between the beast of the Apocalypse and the four beasts of the prophet Daniel, personifying the four ancient pagan empires (Dan. 7th ch.). The fourth beast belonged to the Roman Empire, and the tenth horn of the last beast meant the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, a type of the coming Antichrist, whom the archangel Gabriel called "contemptible" (Dan. 11:21). The characteristics and deeds 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 Maccabees serve as a vivid illustration of the times before the end of the world.

The seer then describes the beast that came out of the earth, which he later calls the false prophet. The earth here symbolizes the complete absence of spirituality in the teachings of the false prophet: all of it is saturated with materialism and pleasing sin-loving flesh. The false prophet deceives the 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 peaceful, but his speeches were full of flattery and lies.

As in the 11th chapter the two witnesses symbolize all the ministers of Christ, so, obviously, the two beasts of the 13th chapter. symbolize the totality of all the haters of Christianity. The beast from the sea is a symbol of civil godless 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 a civilian environment, under the guise of a civil leader, preached and praised by a false prophet or false prophets who betrayed religious beliefs).

As during the time of the Savior's earthly life, both 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 struggle against faith and for the persecution of believers. As already mentioned, the Apocalypse describes not only the distant future, but also constantly repeating - for different peoples in its time. And the Antichrist is also his own for everyone, appearing at a time of anarchy, when “the one who restrains 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 Judea, “apostates from the holy covenant” and king Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 8:23; 1 Macc. and 2 Macc. 9 ch.), adherents of the Mosaic law and Roman rulers in apostolic times. In the time of the New Testament, the heretics-false teachers weakened the Church by 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 seduce unstable Christians into various sects and cults. All of them are false prophets, contributing to the success of the God-fighting forces. Apocalypse vividly reveals the mutual support between the dragon-devil and both beasts. Here, each of them has his own selfish calculations: the devil craves worship for himself, the Antichrist seeks power, and the false prophet seeks his material gain. The Church, calling people to faith in God and to strengthen the virtues, serves as a hindrance to them, and they fight together against it.

The mark of the beast.

(Rev. 13:16-17; 14:9-11; 15:2; 19:20; 20:4). In the language of the Holy Scriptures, to bear a seal (or mark) on oneself 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 God's chosenness and, therefore, God's protection over them, (Rev. 3:12; 7:2-3; 9:4; 14:1; 22: 4). The activity of the false prophet, described in the 13th chapter of the Apocalypse, convinces that the kingdom of the beast will have a religious and political character. By creating a union of different states, it will simultaneously plant a new religion instead of the Christian faith. Therefore, to submit to the Antichrist (allegorically - to take the seal of the beast on one's forehead or on the right hand) 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 on their 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) .

It is possible that in the time of the Antichrist an improved 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 that will store all information about the person, personal and financial. Thus, the establishment of personal codes directly on people 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. In the absence of money, the robber will have nothing to take from a 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 the central computer. It seems that this system of personal coding 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 able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark" (Rev. 13:17).

Of course, the thought expressed here about stamping codes on humans is speculation. The essence is not in electromagnetic signs, but in fidelity or betrayal of Christ! Throughout the history of Christianity, pressure on believers by the anti-Christian authorities has taken 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.

The number of the beast is 666.

(Rev. 13:18). The meaning of this number is still a mystery. Obviously, it can be deciphered when the circumstances themselves will contribute to this. Some interpreters in the number 666 see a decrease in the number 777, which in turn means threefold perfection, completeness. With such an 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, the calculation of the name was based on the fact that the letters of the alphabets had a numerical value. For example, in Greek (and in Church Slavonic) A was 1, B = 2, G = 3, and so on. A similar numerical value of letters exists in Latin and in Hebrew. Each name could be arithmetically calculated by adding the numerical value of the letters. For example, the name Jesus, written in Greek, is 888 (perhaps denoting the highest perfection). There are a huge number of proper names, which, by the sum of their letters translated into numbers, give 666. For example, the name Nero Caesar, written in Hebrew letters. In this case, if the proper name of the Antichrist were known, then calculating its numerical value would not require special wisdom. Maybe here it is necessary to look for a solution to the riddle in a fundamental plane, but it is not clear in what direction. The Beast of the Apocalypse is both the Antichrist and his state. Maybe in the time of the Antichrist, initials will be introduced denoting a new worldwide movement? By the will of God, the personal name of Antichrist is hidden for the time being from idle curiosity. When the time comes, those who follow 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 spirit into the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak and act in such a way that everyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed” (Rev. 13:15). The reason for this allegory could be the demand of Antiochus Epiphanes that the Jews bow to the statue of Jupiter, erected by him in the Jerusalem temple. Later, Emperor Domitian demanded that all the 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 hid 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, but to give presents to those who bowed. Maybe in the prophecy of the Apocalypse we are talking about some kind of apparatus like a TV 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 the television a forerunner of the speaking image of the beast?

Seven bowls.

Strengthening the godless power.

Judgment on sinners (ch. 15-17).

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

But just as the power of the pharaohs came to an end, so the days of anti-Christian power were numbered. The next chapters (16-20 ch.). in bright strokes they draw God's judgment on the theomachists. The defeat of nature in the 16th chapter. like the description in chapter 8, but here it reaches universal proportions and makes a terrifying impression. (As before, obviously, the destruction of nature is carried out by people themselves - by wars and industrial waste). The increased solar heat that people are suffering from may be due to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and the 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 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 the increasing guilt of the enemies of God: first, people who have taken 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 recalls the Chaldean Babylon, in which in the Old Testament time the theomachic power was concentrated. (Chaldean troops destroyed ancient Jerusalem in 586 BC). Describing the luxury of a "harlot," the apostle John meant rich Rome with its port city. But many features of the apocalyptic Babylon do not apply to ancient Rome and, obviously, refer to the capital of the Antichrist.

Equally puzzling 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. Probably these details will be understood in the future when the time comes. Some of the allegories are taken from the description of Rome, which stood on seven hills, and its godless emperors. "Five kings (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 that is not, is the eighth, and (it is) from among the seven” - this is Domitian, the revived Nero in the popular imagination. He is the antichrist of the first century. But perhaps the symbolism of chapter 17 will receive a new explanation in the time of the last Antichrist.

The Revelation of John the Evangelist is the last book of the Bible. Its author was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ - the Apostle John. He wrote it around the 90s from being in exile on the island of Patmos.

Revealing God's Mystery

Sometimes this book is called the Apocalypse, since that is how the word "Revelation" sounds in translation from the Greek language. It would be a mistake to think that God's Revelation is contained only in this final book of Holy Scripture. The entire Bible is an initiation into the mysteries of God's plan. The last book is the completion, a generalization of all Divine truths, "sown" in the very first biblical book - Genesis, and consistently developing in subsequent chapters of the Old, and especially

Prophecy in Scripture

The Revelation of John the Evangelist is also a book of prophecies. The visions that the author received from Christ are mainly of the future. Although in the eyes of God, who exists outside of time, all these events have already happened and are shown to the seer. Therefore, the narration is conducted with the help of past tense verbs. This is important if you read Revelation not out of idle curiosity for predictions, but as part of the Church of Christ, which finally defeated Satan here and became a magnificent New Jerusalem. Believers can gratefully exclaim, “Praise the Lord! Everything has already happened.”

Summary of the Revelation of St. John the Theologian

The final book of the Bible tells how the Antichrist (the incarnation of Satan) was born on earth, how the Lord Jesus Christ came a second time, how a battle took place between them, and God's enemy was thrown into the lake of fire. The Revelation of John the Theologian tells how the end of the world and the judgment of all people happened, and how the Church became free from grief, sin and death.

seven churches

John's first vision was of the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) in the midst of seven golden candlesticks that symbolize the seven churches. Through the mouth of John, God addresses each of them, characterizing its essence and giving it promises. These seven represent the one Church at different times of its existence. The first, Ephesus, is its initial stage, the second - in Smyrna - characterizes the Christian church during the period of persecution, the third, Pergamon, corresponds to the times when God's assembly became too worldly. The fourth - in Thyatira - personifies the church, which has apostatized from God's truths, which has turned into an administrative apparatus. Bible scholars say it is consistent with the medieval Roman Catholic religious system. While the fifth church in Sardis commemorates the Reformation, Philadelphia's congregation symbolizes the return to the truth that all who are redeemed by the blood of Christ are members of His universal Church. The seventh, Laodicean, represents the time when the believers "faded" in their zeal, became: "not cold and not hot." Christ is sick of such a church, he is ready to “spew it out of his mouth” (Rev. 3:16).

Who is around the throne

From the fourth chapter, the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse) tells about the throne seen in heaven with the Lamb (Jesus Christ) sitting on it, surrounded by 24 elders and 4 animals worshiping Him. The elders denote angels, and the animals denote living beings on earth. One who looks like a lion symbolizes wild animals, like a calf - livestock. The one with the "face of a man" represents humanity, while the one like an eagle represents the bird kingdom. There are no reptiles and animals that live in the water, because in the coming kingdom of God they will not be either. The Redeemer is worthy to remove the seven seals from the scroll sealed for the time being.

Seven seals and seven trumpets

The first seal: a white horse with a rider symbolizes the gospel. The second seal - a red horse with a rider means countless wars. The third - a black horse and its rider portend famine times, the fourth - a pale horse with its rider denote the spread of death. The fifth seal is the cry of the martyrs for vengeance, the sixth is anger, sorrow, a warning to the living. And finally, the seventh seal is opened with silence, and then with a loud praising of the Lord and the fulfillment of His plan. Seven angels sounded seven trumpets, judging the earth, waters, luminaries, living people. The seventh trumpet proclaims the eternal kingdom of Christ, the judgment of the dead, the reward of the prophets.

great drama

From the 12th chapter, the Revelation of John the Theologian shows the events that are destined to happen next. The apostle sees a Woman clothed in the sun, who is tormented in childbirth, she is pursued by a Woman - a prototype of the church, a child - Christ, a dragon - Satan. The child is raptured to God. There is a war between the devil and the archangel Michael. God's enemy is cast down to earth. The dragon drives the woman and others "out of her seed."

Three harvests

Then the seer tells about two beasts that appeared from the sea (Antichrist) and from the earth (False Prophet). This is an attempt by the devil to seduce those who live on earth. The deceived people take the number of the beast - 666. Further, it is said about three symbolic harvests, personifying one hundred and forty-four thousand righteous uplifted to God before the beginning of the great tribulation, the righteous who heeded the gospel during the tribulation and were raptured to God for it. The third harvest is the pagans thrown into the "pressure of the wrath of God." Angels appear, carrying the Gospel to the people, announcing the fall of Babylon (a symbol of sin), warning those who worship the beast and accepted its seal.

End of old times

These visions are followed by images of the seven bowls of wrath being poured out on the unrepentant Earth. Satan deceives sinners to go to battle with Christ. Armageddon takes place - the last battle, after which the "ancient serpent" is thrown into the abyss and imprisoned there for a thousand years. Then John shows how the chosen saints rule the earth together with Christ for a thousand years. Then Satan is released to deceive the nations, there is the last rebellion of people who did not submit to God, the judgment of the living and the dead, and the final death of Satan and his followers in the lake of fire.

God's plan fulfilled

The New Heaven and the New Earth are presented in the last two chapters of the Revelation of John the Theologian. The interpretation of this part of the book goes back to the idea that God's kingdom - Heavenly Jerusalem - descends to Earth, and not vice versa. The holy city, saturated with God's nature, becomes the dwelling place of God and His redeemed people. Here flows the river of the water of life and grows the very thing that Adam and Eve once neglected, and therefore were torn away from him.