February 2011: The coded language of the Apocalypse
to encourage theology
I intend to publish here, ten times a year, a text theological or spiritual, of the minutes of critical readings. I am a Protestant culture, but my question is about how Christianity can s'anticiper today. Such, perspective can not accommodate a purely religious or dogmatic attitude.
I draw inspiration from the biblical source unsurpassable and I lean against the Christian tradition of which I am involved. At the same time, I saw blood in the incompleteness of current reality and truth (which is different from doubt), with other religions and cultures, the mo ¬ dernité and postmodernity.
Islam: in my blog last December I was surprised that no Muslim voice does not rise against acts of terrorism done in the name of Allah. A friend put me trans ¬ a protest against these acts which "violate Islam" published in Liberation on January 17 last, signed by 60 French Muslims and the text of a violent fundamentalist Muslim reaction to this call.
I want these texts available to those who ask me (tell me your email address please)
biblical readings for the month of November were all from the Apocalypse, it is worthwhile to revisit this book
the coded language of Revelation
explained using the notes of the 1988 TOB
in the thought of all those who are persecuted for their faith in the world today
This a coded language that starts with the visions of Zechariah (in the 6th century BC), the Book of Daniel Development (2nd century BC), before being taken over and enriched in recent years the first century AD with the Apocalypse of John.
language from the book of Zechariah:
Angels: they are servants of the Lord, executors of his will, intermediaries between God and men (3.38 Da; 6, 23). Zachariah takes up the character Angel of the Lord which in most ancient texts of the Hebrew Bible, is a way of talking about the manifestation of God on earth (vocation of Abram, story of Gideon, Jacob at the ford of Jabbok, for example) which he opposes Satan, the enemy of God on earth (Job 1 and 2). In the Apocalypse, as in Zechariah, angels, in particular, the function of "hermeneutics": they are the ones who interpret the words and give a sense of vision. The Apocalypse depicts the "angels of the churches," we understand that these are their sponsors with the Lord. It's in the book Daniel mentioned that, for the first time Archangels, in particular Michel (10, 13, whose name means "Who is like God?" To fight victoriously political powers), According to the Book of Enoch's contemporary Book of Daniel, there are four angels of the first order or Archangels Gabriel (Man of God), Daniel (Lord Justice), Uriel (Light of God), Raphael (the Lord heals), Michel ( Who is the Lord, who can oppose him?).
The Four Horsemen: The visions of Zechariah describe the outbreak of horse (1.8, 6, 1-8). The number four is the earth, the riders travel the earth to report to the Lord of the global situation. In the Apocalypse (chapter 6), they personalize the scourges afflicting not only Christians, but then the Roman Empire as a whole: the invasion of the Parthian war, famine, epidemics. For some the first (white horse) would be the Christ or the plague of false Christs.
Horns symbolize power in all its aspects (physical, sexual, political, economic). Zechariah and Daniel and designate the powers aliens who have attempted to destroyed, or even destroyed, Israel. In the Apocalypse they have the same meaning, but are applied to both the four horns (four corners) of the altar of the Temple of Jerusalem (9, 15) and persecutor of Christians (Domitian). They are even assigned to the Lamb, mentioned in the guise of a young ram (Greek: Arnion ) in Rev 13, 11. The horns, like tiaras, describe the powers and their human imperfection Total (number 10). Understand how the seven heads (perfect number) and the ten horns (figure imperfection) animals of the Apocalypse (Rev 12.3, Chapters 13 and 17)?
measurement: a cord among Zacharias, a reed for the Apocalypse, give measures of vision is the process used to describe the new Jerusalem. The theme of Jerusalem an open city where the Lord himself will be present (Zac 2, 5-9) is included in the Apocalypse (21, from verse 9).
own clothes given to Joshua in Zac 3, 1-7, the white garments which the Old Man of Daniel bears, those martyrs (who have been "washed in the blood of the Lamb "Rev 3, 4, 5, 18, 6, 11, 7, 9, 13, 19, 14), in the Apocalypse symbolize not the virtue or holiness inherent in persons, but they were bought by the Lord (Revelation 14: 1-5).
The seven-branched candlestick (the Menorah) is in Zechariah (Chapter 4) Lord of the seven eyes that observe the Earth. For the Apocalypse is the presence of the seven spirits of God, that the fullness of his Spirit (the Holy Spirit, for us).
Book in Zac 5 is an image of the word of God that is running she said. In Rev 4, is a revelation completely closed until the coming of the Messiah in Heaven, one worthy of the place, to give notice, to explain and implement. Revelation ( apocalupsis, in Greek) brings this Roukeau does not predict the future, but gives the "sense" of events past, present and future. In Chapter 10, it is about a book that the witness must eat (to enter the revelation), it is sweet when swallowed and indigestible in the stomach, because the news he announced is that of tribulations . Elsewhere, he discusses the books that are opened on the Day of Judgement, it is " books Life" (Revelation 13: 8), memoranda works for everyone.
language from the book of Daniel:
(s) and Old (s) : in the visions of Daniel, the Lord is mentioned in the guise of an Old Man ("the Ancient of Days") sitting on a throne, while in apoC ¬ Lyps it is a "present absence" a "somebody", "indicated" by his throne by the first circle of the "four beasts" who have a role of worshipers in Chapter 4, ushers in Chapter 6, then by the second circle of twenty-four elders who can represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of Christ. See Dn 7, 9, 13, 22; [2 Jn 1, 3 John 1], Veterans, people with experience and wisdom: Ap 4, 4, 10, 5, 5, 6, 11, 14, 7, 11, 13, 11.16, 13.3, 19.4. Nothing here indicates clearly that these twenty-four elders are judges to participate in the Last Judgement.
Daniel speaks of a Son of Man is enthroned by God (the Old). What does this mean? If this is the celestial representative of humanity, its induction could be understood as the consecration of a new humanity, a humanity redeemed. In the Apocalypse, Christ (the Son of Man comes in his day) to high heaven after his resurrection emerges alongside him who sits on the throne (or to him) under the guise of a "Lamb as sacrificed, "it is only deemed worthy to open the book sealed with seven seals. We recognize the image of Christ crucified, risen, glorified.
We find in the Apocalypse mysterious formula used by Daniel: "A period (or time) two periods (or two times) and a half period (or half a time)" Da 7.25, 9, 27: it is a symbolic computation. The total is 3 ½, that is the perfect number 7 divided by two, he announced the failure of the imperialist powers (the atrocities of Antiochus Epiphanes in Jerusalem, which Daniel speaks in the name of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, have actually lasted about three and a half years). Apocalypse 11.2, 12.14, 17.10, 20.3, 22.10, talks about 42 months or 1260 days to serve as the days of Domitian, the persecutor of Christians, are counted (Rev 11.3, 12, 6, 14; 13, 5; other traces in Luke 4, 25; Jac 5:17). Biblical fundamentalists have relied on several occasions on this formula to calculate the date (which has always proven false) to the end of the world.
own language in the Apocalypse of John:
Degrees awarded to Jesus titles shared with the Lord: "The First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty, "" One who is and who was and who is "treasury shares" the faithful and true witness, "the" firstborn from the dead, "the" prince of the kings of the earth ";" He who was dead and is alive again "(2.8), the" Lamb slain as "(Chapter 4); the" Amen "(3.14) and the" Lion of the Tribe of Judah Root of David, "the" Morning Star ".
as the Lamb slain is the figure of Christ whose death is identified with a sacrifice, but which is elevated and glorified with the Lord. His arrival (Chapter 4) gives the center the celebration heavenly worship which Christians do not share, but is intended to give them a sense of the tribulations they face, to give them hope and to change their fate soon here below.
There is a difference between crowns and tiaras : The crown symbolizes the fulfillment of the Whole (crowning) of life by the Lord, diadems which are adorned emperors land (the Beasts) are vanity.
The seven trumpets : they announce the debut of a new character, a new event, a new interpretation in a context where everything is eternal, however. They punctuate the moments of worship heavenly liturgy which is less than a speech in symbolic actions (as did the prophets, Jer 13, 18, 32), the unfolding of a message: that the experience of Christians in persecution. Thereby, they indicate the sections of chapters of the book of the Apocalypse. A role comparable to the seven trumpets is vested in seven seals, seven angels with , the seven bowls . In 1 Corinthians 14, 8, 15, 52, the trumpets herald the Last Judgement.
The two-edged sword that proceeds from the mouth of the Messiah indicates the role of God's word is not pronounced without producing definitive effects (Rev 1, 16, 2, 12, 16; 13, 10, 14, 19, 21, see Ep 6, 17, Heb 4, 12).
The Beast, Babylon, the Great Prostitute : there are several celestial spheres, that of the Lamb slain as dominating everything, one of the four animals that surround the Lord more closely, the wider circle of twenty-four elders which opposes the world full of beasts that persecute the witnesses of Christ on earth (11.7, and chapters 13 to 17). The oppressive foreign power par excellence, the Roman persecutor of Christians ¬ like, is de ¬ signed in the name of Babylon (the land of exile became a symbol of tribulation) as the beast or the great Prostitute (an allusion to paganism Roman deification and the apotheosis of the emperors). The second beast, which comes on the scene in Chapter 13 executes the orders of the First, one can see the administration Imperial executes the orders of the emperor Domitian.
Dragon, woman and child , Apocalypse 12: The Dragon is made in connection with the serpent of Genesis 3 (the serpent, Satan, the Tempter), the child is the Messiah finds its rightful place with the Lord and the woman would be Zion, the Jewish people who gave birth to the Messiah. Marian theology is based on this chapter in order to exalt the person of Mary.
The number 666 (Rev 13.18) fundamentalists biblicist gave free rein to their imagination to solve the mystery of this figure. In any event, it is the "name of the beast", this number repeated three times the figure of man (6) as opposed to the figure of the Lord who is 7, is "a man's number." Without going into old or new specula ¬ ¬ Velles tions (it was calculated that it was Nero, for example), we can at least understand that this is the essence of what is pure ¬ human development, while the Roman emperors were deified. Any person, system, claiming the absoluteness may fall under this ruling. As a curiosity, see 1 Kings 10, 14.
The Millennium : This chapter (20) who speaks a thousand-year reign for forty-four miles redeemed and a second resurrection not only gave rise to speculation, but attempts to achievements land. In my case, I think the forty-four thousand (12x12) redeemed are the martyrs of persecution that have not been able to accomplish their life and who is given this time to complete what is lacking in their human destiny. The specific idea of the resurrection appears in Israel with the martyrs of the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BC), see 2 Maccabees 7, 9, 11, 14, 23, 29. There is thus a first resurrection which concerns only the martyrs of all time, followed by a second resurrection New Testament continues the theme of universal resurrection at the end of time for the Judgement. The word "redeemed" that we use is the Aramaic word "Nazarene" was applied (by mistake, instead of "Nazarene") to Jesus in the New Testament (Mt 2, 23, 26, 71, Jn 18, 5 and 7, 19, 19, Acts 2, 22, 3, 6, 4, 10, 6, 14, 22, 8, 24, 5, 26, 9), Jesus did precisely not need redemption.
The New Jerusalem, the new Creation (Rev 21-22): in Zechariah it is also a question of restoration and rehabilitation of Jerusalem, but in the sense of the earthly Jerusalem that is really a City of Holiness. In the Apocalypse, the new Jerusalem which descends from heaven is the Holy City and identifies with the New Creation, ie it concerns the reigns minerals, plants and animals and the entire universe. As Jacques Ellul said, the Bible begins in a garden and ends in the City. The City-Building is open it has no temple, because the Lord Himself is in the middle of it, the fate of his throne River of Life that flows through all beings. Precious stones that serve as materials for the City are less than allude to the richness of holiness. of Jerusalem and the New Creation.
Jacques Gruber
Other texts available via email : Evidence; elections or plebiscites; Where do we stand with the truth? ; Protestants, the souk, Jews and Christians, the divergence of monotheism (first and second parts) ; The Don and attention; Holy Spirit who are you, what are you doing? ; Send Church (s) What is believed Jesus entering Jerusalem; Messages for highlights of the year; Am I creating ¬ nist? ; Confession of Faith, Evangelism, Forgiveness, The Shipyard, Grace; Easter A vision for the world; Resources; The roadmap of Jesus, Open Letter to my Catholic friends, the Merciful; Led by the Spirit, The Contemporary distant For entry; The trickery of Calvin, Rome and Canterbury; Woes; Woes (continued) Easter 2010; Remember and learn ; Buddha or Jesus, Buddhism, the narrow gate, Berlin Pensions; Islam Apocalypse: the decor.
the same author: Hear the Word. The inner witness of the Holy Spirit , Editions du Cerf, 2003;
" You will be my witnesses." For a time of confusion and change , Editions du Cerf, 2009;
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