THE BOOK OF REVELATION HEART OF CATECHESIS OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH--THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST LESSON 21 AS THE VISIONS DURING THE NIGHT CONTINUED, I SAW ONE LIKE A SON OF MAN COMING, ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN: WHEN HE REACHED THE ANCIENT ONE AND WAS PRESENTED BEFORE HIM, HE RECEIVED DOMINION, GLORY AND KINGSHIP; NATIONS AND PEOPLES OF EVERY LANGUAGE SERVE HIM. HIS DOMINION IS AN EVER- LASTING DOMINION THAT SHALL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY, HIS KINGSHIP SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED. DANIEL 7:13-14 Saint John on Patmos Giotto di Bondone 1320, Santa Croce Florence The fresco on this page is one of many that can be found in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. The church is also the burial place of the famous and infamous. Michelangelo, Rossini, Machiavelli, and Galileo Galilei were all laid to rest there. There is also a memorial to Dante, but his sarcophagus is empty. Sourced from www.visitflorence.com PARENTS & CATECHISTS READING REFLECTION & PRAYER Sacred Scripture Revelation 1:1-20 11:19-12:17 21:1-27 Catechism of the Catholic Church #148, 490-495, 722-726, 963-969
Page 2 Sacred Scripture STUDENTS READING REFLECTION & PRAYER Grades K-1 The Illustrated Acts of the Apostles pp. n/a Grades 2-4 Bible for Young Catholics pp. 312, 314 Grades 5-12 Revelation 1:1-20 11:19-12:17 21:1-27 FELLOW CATECHISTS: TEACHING STRATEGY & OBJECTIVES IT IS WITH A VERY CHALLENGING LESSON THAT WE CONCLUDE OUR YEAR OF STUDIES DURING WHICH WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ON OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST. THERE ARE PERHAPS MORE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT [ALSO CALLED THE BOOK OF THE APOCALYPSE] THAN THERE ARE ABOUT ANY OTHER BOOK OF THE BIBLE. PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE A LURID FASCINATION FOR THE VIOLENT AND BLOODY IMAGERY, THE HORRIFYING BEASTS, AND THE IDEA THAT THE BOOK IS AN ACCURATE, LITERAL, HISTORICAL, BLOW BY BLOW ACCOUNT OF FUTURE EVENTS. PLENTY OF PEOPLE READ THIS BOOK WITHOUT BOTHERING TO READ THE GOSPELS AND IT IS NO WONDER THAT THEY HAVE A VERY CONFUSED NOTION OF THE REALITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. WE WILL AVOID THE MORE VIVID AND FRIGHTENING PORTIONS OF THIS BOOK AND WILL ATTEMPT IN THIS SHORT LESSON TO HELP OUR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND 1. WHO THE AUTHOR IS AND HIS INTENTION FOR WRITING THE BOOK 2. THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF THE APOCALYPTIC LITERARY FORM 3. THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN MARY AND THE DRAGON AND ITS MEANING 4. THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES: JOHN S INTRODUCTION REV 1:1 20 THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON REV 11:19 12:17 THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM REV 21:1 27 OPENING PRAYER: PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL
Page 3 THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. TO HIS SERVANT JOHN CHAPTER ONE FELLOW CATECHISTS PLEASE READ THROUGH CHAPTER ONE [OR SELECTED SECTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THROUGH WITH YOUR CLASS]. TRY TO GIVE THEM SOME SENSE OF THIS VERY UNUSUAL BOOK OF THE BIBLE AND HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE APOCA- LYPTIC LITERARY FORM. OBVIOUSLY WITH THE YOUNGER STUDENTS YOU WILL NOT NEED TO MENTION SOME OF THE TECHNICAL EXPLANATIONS IMMEDIATELY BELOW WHEN, WHERE, AND BY WHOM WAS THIS BOOK WRITTEN? We shall follow the ancient tradition which assigns the authorship of this book to the disciple whom Jesus loved, St. John, one of the 12 Apostles. It may have been written as early as the 60 s AD during the time of the terrible Persecution of the Emperor Nero against the Christians. It was written during John s sojourn on the small and rocky island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea, not far from Asia Minor where John had been exiled because he proclaimed God s word and bore witness to Jesus [REV 1:9]. WHY DID JOHN WRITE THIS BOOK? John wrote this book for his fellow Christians to encourage and strengthen them during a terrible time of trial and persecution. He is addressing in particular the Seven Churches in Asia Minor. WHAT IS A LITERARY FORM? A Literary Form is the style of writing employed by an author. A writer may express himself through poetry, history, epistles, parables, priestly rubrics & laws [as in the Book of Leviticus] or, as in our own day, in a novel or a biography. WHAT IS THE LITERARY FORM OF? The book of Revelation is an example of the Apocalyptic literary form [based on the Greek word apocalypsis, which means revelation. ] It is a very unusual form of writing which employs symbolic images and numbers, which speak of the past, the present, and the future, as it seeks to describe the great war between the forces of Good and Evil. Some of the symbols used in this book. THE LAMB STARS LAMPSTANDS INCENSE BOWLS SCROLLS HORNS HEADS EYES JESUS CHRIST ANGELS LOCAL CHURCHES PRAYERS PRAYERS [PRESENTED TO GOD] THE WORD OF GOD POWER KINGS KNOWLEDGE & SIGHT 12 NUMBER OF COMPLETION 1,000 A VAST NUMBER 7 COMPLETION/WHOLENESS 6 INCOMPLETION; EVIL 666 A VERY EVIL NUMBER In John s time, letters had numerical equivalents. If the full name and titles of Nero (the Roman Emperor who instigated horrible persecution and punishment of Christians) in Hebrew letters are added up, 666 is the total of their numeric value. There are other examples of the Apocalyptic literary form in the Bible, notably in the prophets Ezekiel [Chapter One] and Daniel [Chapter 7] and apocalyptic imagery is also employed by Jesus in the Gospels [as in Mark 13:24 31]. As we read the dreams and visions of the apocalypses in Sacred Scripture it is important that we realize that they are to be understood symbolically [or allegorically] rather than as precise and literal accounts of actual events in the past, present, or future.
OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH--THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST Page 4 WHAT DOES JOHN TELL US IN THE OPENING OF HIS BOOK OF REVELATION? John first tells us that the revelation has been given to him by God, about things that are to happen very soon [verses 1 3]. He then addresses his letter to the seven churches in the province of Asia. He speaks of Jesus the first-born from the dead, Who freed us from our sins by His Own Blood and Who has made us a royal nation of priests in the service of His God and Father. This reminds us both of how Jesus saved us by His Death and Resurrection, and of our participation in His Priesthood. In several places John reminds us that God is ETERNAL: WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END; ONLY GOD ALWAYS WAS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE. John gives us God s proclamation I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE ONE WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME THE ALMIGHTY! Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet [like our A and Z ]. WHAT HAPPENS TO JOHN IN THIS FIRST CHAPTER OF REVELATION? John is caught up in ecstasy like St. Paul before him [2 COR 12:1 10]. He experiences an intense vision and finds himself face-to-face with One like a Son of Man. This image of the Son of Man is taken directly from an apocalyptic passage in the book of the Prophet Daniel [7:13] and if you go back and read that passage, you will find remarkable similarities between Daniel s vision and John s vision in the Book of Revelation. Most importantly, Son of Man is the title that Our Lord Jesus Christ most often uses in referring to Himself in the Gospels THE SON OF MAN IS LORD EVEN OF THE SABBATH! [MK 2:28]. In Revelation Chapter One, John is confronted by the Son of Man, Jesus Christ Glorified wearing an ankle-length robe, with a sash of gold about His breast. The hair of His head was as white as snow-white wool and His eyes blazed like fire. His feet gleamed like polished brass refined in a furnace, and His voice sounded like the roar of rushing waters [REV 1:13 15]. The sharp two-edged sword that comes out of his mouth symbolizes the Word of God [see Heb 4:12] which Jesus is [and which He speaks]. John is overwhelmed by the vision of Jesus Christ glorified and falls down at His feet as though dead. Jesus touches John and reassures him that he has nothing to fear. He tells John to write down the visions he will see, and explains the meaning of some of those images CATECHISTS READ HERE VERSES 1:17 THRU 1:20 FOR YOUR STUDENTS. AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED CHAPTER ONE WITH THEM, YOU CAN TELL THEM THAT WE ARE NOW GOING TO CONSIDER ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS IMAGES IN THE BOOK OF REVE- LATION CHAPTER 11:19 THRU 12:9 A WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN AND ON HER HEAD A CROWN OF TWELVE STARS FELLOW CATECHISTS WE ARE GOING TO READ THROUGH THIS PASSAGE VERSE BY VERSE AND WILL PROVIDE EXEGESIS EXPLAINING THE MEANING OF THE VISIONS.
OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH--THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST Page 5 READ VERSES 11:19 12:2 WHO IS THE WOMAN? She is our Blessed Mother Mary. Remember that THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IS THE MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST. SHE WAS IMMACULATELY CONCEIVED, IS FOREVER FULL OF GRACE, AND HELPS US CONSTANTLY BY HER PRAYERS. There is a remarkable connection between a number of passages in the Bible which refer to a Woman. First, in the book of Genesis, in the shadow of the Fall of Man, God prophesies and promises to our first parents and to the serpent [or dragon] who tempted them I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN YOUR OFFSPRING AND HERS; HE WILL STRIKE YOUR HEAD, WHILE YOU STRIKE AT HIS HEEL [GEN 3:15]. This is why we see many statues of Mary crushing a snake beneath her feet. God worked through a Woman to crush the power of hell. Many thousands of years later, at the Wedding Feast at Cana, [in John s Gospel, Chapter 2] Mary approaches Jesus to tell Him THEY HAVE NO MORE WINE [JN 2:3]. And Jesus responds WOMAN, HOW DOES THIS CONCERN OF YOURS INVOLVE ME? [JN 2:4]. Knowing what His Mother Mary wants, and also recognizing His Father s Plan, Jesus then works His first Miracle; He changes water into wine at the beginning of His Public Ministry. At the end of His Public Ministry Jesus speaks to the Woman again as He is dying on the Cross. Mary is standing at the foot of the Cross, next to Jesus beloved disciple John, and Jesus says... WOMAN, BEHOLD YOUR SON [JN 19:26]. [CATECHISTS, WE SHALL LOOK AT THIS MOMENT FROM THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST IN GREATER DETAIL AT THE END OF TODAY S LESSON] Finally, here in this week s lesson, in Revelation 12, we see the Woman one last time clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars [REV 12:1]. Mary is indeed the chosen vessel who brought our Savior into the world.. Like the Ark of the Covenant [which we see at the beginning of the passage we are pondering] the Divine Presence dwelt within her, and of her Jesus Christ was born. She is truly the Mother of God! WHAT DOES MARY S CROWN OF 12 STARS SYMBOLIZE? Mary is the Queen Mother the full flower of the 12 Tribes of Israel. She is prophesied by Zechariah Rejoice heartily O Daughter Zion, Shout for joy, O Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King shall come to you; a just Savior is He, Meek and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass [ZECH 9:9]. 12 is also a symbol of fullness and completion, so it is one way of saying that Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth. READ VERSES 12:3 4 WHO DOES THE RED DRAGON SYMBOLIZE? The Devil. His Seven Heads represent a fullness of Evil, as do his seven diadems [or crowns]. The Devil, whose original name, Lucifer [a name which means bearer of light ] is said to have been one of the greatest of all the angels the most powerful angel in the choir called Seraphim which means fiery ones. He envied God s Power and DIVINITY: THE QUALITY OF BEING GOD and fell into evil by a sin of Pride. The Woman of the Apocalypse Peter Paul Rubens 1623
Page 6 His tail sweeps down, a third of the stars of heaven and casts them to the earth. This may refer to the Devil s seducing 1/3 of the angels of Heaven to follow him in his rebellion against God. When the Dragon/Devil stood before the Woman who was about to bear a child to devour her child, we may remember that agent of evil, King Herod who sought to destroy the Newborn King of the Jews [MT 2:16 18]. READ VERSES 12:5 6 WHAT DO THESE VERSES MEAN? Mary gives birth to Jesus the Good Shepherd. When Jesus finished His work on earth He ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN or as the Book of Revelation says, he was caught up to God and to His Throne. When the Book of Revelation tells us that the woman herself fled into the desert, this may be John telling us that He took Mary off to a safe place out of the way so that she might be protected from the war or persecution against the Church. READ VERSES 12: 7 9 WHAT DO THESE VERSES MEAN? The war that broke out in Heaven refers to the battle that took place between the devil and his dark angels, and God, who allowed the Arch Angel Michael to lead the angels of light against the powers of darkness. The Devil the Dragon the Serpent or Satan [this is another name for the Devil, which means the Adversary ], was cast out of the heavens and hurled down to the earth with his wicked followers. We often see paintings of St. Michael wielding a sword and crushing Satan and his power underfoot. CATECHISTS YOU MAY WISH TO DO A STUDY ON THE MANY REMAINING VERSES IN THIS CHAPTER BUT BE SURE YOU LEAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO COVER THE MATERIAL REMAINING BELOW I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH AND THE HOLY CITY, A NEW JERUSALEM COMING OUT OF HEAVEN FROM GOD REV 21:1 2 FELLOW CATECHISTS WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THIS PASSAGE SWIFTLY, TOUCHING ONLY ON SEVERAL HIGHLIGHTS. BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT LEAVE OUT THE DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME SEGMENT WHICH FOLLOWS. READ VERSE 21:1 WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN? New heavens and a new earth, refer to a complete transformation of all the created universe, the lands and the skies and the space beyond them. God s reign shall be finally and ultimately consummated in every place. This reminds us of the complete transformation of our own bodies, which, like the Resurrected body of Jesus Christ, will be united forever and perfectly with our risen souls in a glorified state. New heavens does not mean that God s Heaven shall be changed, since His HEAVEN is not so much a place, but is EVERLASTING LIFE IN GOD S PRESENCE. And the sea was no more; in Apocalyptic Literature, the sea symbolizes war, chaos, and death. These shall be no more. We shall finally have the True Peace that God gave Man in the beginning which we lost through Sin and which was restored to us by Jesus Christ. READ VERSES 21:2 WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN? I also saw a New Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God, beautiful as a bride prepared to meet her husband. The New Jerusalem is a symbol of the Church, which is united to Jesus Christ and becomes one with Him. Something that Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians [which we studied recently] helps us to understand this image
Page 7 Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church. He gave Himself up for her to make her holy...immaculate and without stain or wrinkle No one ever hates his own flesh; no, he nourishes it and takes care of it as Christ cares for the Church for we are members of His Body. This is a great foreshadowing; I mean that it refers to Christ and the Church. [EPH 5:25 32]. READ VERSE 21:3 WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN? I heard a loud voice from the Throne cry out, THIS IS GOD S DWELLING AMONG MEN. HE SHALL DWELL WITH THEM AND THEY SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE AND HE SHALL BE THEIR GOD WHO IS ALWAYS WITH THEM [REV 21:3]. Jesus Christ dwells among us in the Kingdom He has established His CATHOLIC CHURCH: BAPTIZED FOLLOW- ERS OF JESUS BELIEVE, WORSHIP, AND ARE SANCTIFIED IN HIS MYSTICAL BODY WHICH IS ONE, HOLY, UNIVERSAL AND APOSTOLIC. We are members of this Church, living stones bound together by Christ s Love and the Holy Spirit, the Soul of the Church which is Christ s Mystical Body. Jesus is present not merely in His Word; He is forever present to us in the HOLY EUCHARIST: THE SACRAMENT GIVEN TO US BY JESUS CHRIST AT THE LAST SUPPER AND AT MASS IN HOLY COMMUNION, THE BREAD OF LIFE IS REALLY AND TRULY JESUS BODY, BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY. I saw no temple in the city. The Lord God the Almighty is its temple He and the Lamb. The city had no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. The nations shall walk by its light [REV 22:22 24a]. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME MOMENTS FROM THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AT THE CROSS: JESUS AND MARY AND JOHN [JOHN 19:25 27] Near the Cross of Jesus there stood His Mother, His Mother s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Seeing His Mother there with the Disciple whom He loved, Jesus said to His Mother, WOMAN, BEHOLD YOUR SON. In turn He said to the Disciple, BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER. From that hour onward, the Disciple took her into his care. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW PEOPLE MENTIONED HERE. WHERE WERE ALL OF THE OTHER FOLLOWERS OF JESUS? Peter and the Apostles were afraid and hiding. Jesus other followers also seem to have abandoned their Lord. The mobs that had welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem with cries of Hosannah! a few days earlier had demanded He be crucified that same day. Some were there to mock Him as He was dying on the Cross. Throughout history people have proclaimed Jesus the Christ then have abandoned Him when the going got tough. We must always pray for the grace to remain close to Him and in His Church. We must never walk away from the Truth and the Sacraments and never forsake our Holy Communion with Him in the Bread of Life which the Eucharist is!
Page 8 WHY DOES JESUS CALL HIS MOTHER WOMAN? As we mentioned earlier in this lesson, Jesus is showing that Mary is the Woman prophesied in GEN 3:15 and also is presented as the Woman in the heavens in REV 12. WHAT DOES BEHOLD MEAN? Behold doesn t just mean here it is or there it is as some people suppose. It is a command to look at something, or someone which is very important. Pontius Pilate commanded the angry mob to Behold the Man! and John the Baptist told his disciples to Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world! These same words are echoed by the Priest as He holds up Jesus in the Host at every Mass. WHY ARE THESE WORDS SO IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING OUR BLESSED MOTHER? When Jesus said to His Mother, WOMAN, BEHOLD YOUR SON, He was telling her that His time with her in this life was short. From that day John would protect her and take care of her. This also helps us to recognize that Jesus did not have any brothers or sisters; He was Mary s only child. If Christ did have brothers and sisters, He would not have given her into John s care. WHAT DOES BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER MEAN FOR JOHN [AND FOR US?] This is our last question of the year and is a very important one! Even though Jesus is speaking to John, He does not use John s name. John knows that he is to take care of Jesus Blessed Mother from that hour. But since Jesus did not use John s name, it is also possible to understand His command, BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER, as words addressed to all the world to every person in every time and place. MARY IS MARY IS THE MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST. Since Jesus is truly Man and is also God the Son, Mary is truly the Mother of God as we pray in the HAIL MARY HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD. When Jesus Christ on the Cross said BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER, He was telling John [and all of us] to consider her OUR MOTHER as well. And so we see fulfilled Mary s prophecy From this day, all generations shall call me Blessed, [LK 1:48b]. Mary is Our Blessed Mother. the Immaculate Conception. IMMACULATELY CONCEIVED means she WAS PRESERVED FROM ORIGINAL SIN FROM THE FIRST MOMENT OF HER LIFE IN HER MOTHER S WOMB. MARY IS FOREVER FULL OF GRACE, AND HELPS US CONSTANTLY BY HER PRAYERS. Mary intercedes for us as she interceded for the bride and groom at their Wedding Feast at Cana. Like a good Son, Jesus listens to her prayers, and allows them to be an important part of His Work to save the world. When we remember and think about moments and mysteries in the lives of Mary and Jesus, [especially when we pray the Rosary], we follow the example of Mary, who treasured these things and pondered them in her heart [LK 2:19]. BEHOLD THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD; LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD! AMEN! CATECHISTS PLEASE END THE YEAR BY PRAYING THE HAIL MARY WITH YOUR STUDENTS!