Thompson worship provides the main conflict of the book of revelation, the contrast between those who worship god and those who worship the beast. Revelation united states conference of catholic bishops. Fr patrick henry reardon argues that the book of revelation is liturgical prophecy. It is dated in the middle of the last half of the first century. Is the book of revelation canonical in the orthodox church. Remember christian worship had been going on at least two generations before the revelation of st. Polyvalent symbolism, in which symbols have more than one meaning, also is part of revelation s imagery. The book of revelation describes the heavenly liturgy and focuses on a scroll or book which contains the meaning of life and the answers to all. Franciscan father stephen doyle provides a catholic commentary on the book of revelation and explains that todays people do not understand what the author of revelation is talking about. Yes, thats right, revelation, the book of monsters and wonders is a biblical commentary on the mass. Liturgy and slaughter in the book of revelation church life journal. Was byzantine rite divine liturgy inspired or influenced by. The book of revelation as liturgical commentary scribd.
The apocalyptic drama of the mass catholic exchange. The book of revelation, also called the apocalypse which means that which has been disclosed, and also called the revelation to saint john, is traditionally considered to be the work of the lords apostle who later wrote the fourth gospel and the letters. Scott hahn gives a detailed liturgical reading to revelation in the lambs supper, and more succinctly in the final chapter of his book on the. Revelation predicts cataclysmic events using complicated symbolic language. Revelation is the new testament book in which worship is most prominent. The book of revelation follows the structure of liturgy roughly as follows. The book of revelation, quipped ambrose bierce, is a famous book in which st. The funeral lectionary offers three official passages from the book of revelation. The worship setting makes it so, and the elements of christian worship permeate the book. A comparison of the language and imagery of the book of revelation with the divine liturgy of the orthodox churches suggests that in the revelation we see an. Introductory rites, reference verses in revelation, johns vision in revelation. The woman in revelation 12 is part of the fusion imagerypolyvalent symbolism that is found in the book.
Like the prophets of old, it is not a work of theological abstraction, but. Liturgy and slaughter in the book of revelation church. In this intro episode i explain the basics of revelation and how we will cover it as catholics using the old testament, church fathers, liturgy, and tradition. John, is showing forth a kind of archetypal liturgy to which all our earthly liturgies must bear resemblance. In this episode will look at chapters 45 of revelation line by.
For the prophetic aspects of this fascinating book, see the page on. In fact, many scholars believe that not only is this passage describing the eucharist, but that the entire book is a depiction of sorts of the heavenly liturgy of which the mass is a participation. The liturgy as a window to another world inside the vatican. This is why the church has always incorporated the elements that john saw in the heavenly liturgy into her earthly liturgy, for they are one and the same liturgical action of jesus christ our high priest. He has quotes from church fathers who read the liturgy into it as well its not something he or gen just made up. The hidden manna preparation of the gifts the wine in chalices and the bread in bowls 15.
The liturgy of praise in the book of revelation and in the church. Francesca murphy, nd professor of systematic theology, details the seven components for any theology formed by the book of revelation. The book of revelation, also called revelation to john or apocalypse of john is the last canonical book of the new testament in the bible. What an orthodox bishop thinks you should know about the. Liturgy of heaven third sunday of easter, year c revelation 5. If catholics could not connect the liturgy and slaughter of the book of revelation to the eucharistic mystery, no one could. The following is the forward and a portion of a chapter from a forthcoming book which, in my view, falls in the latter category. Conversation in catholic theology philip caldwell, lewis ayres, medi ann volpe on. Homepage study by topic mass the mass realized in the book of revelation by m. The mass and the book of revelations by scott hahn youtube. And it looked to the future, to the eternal heavenly liturgy described in the liturgical book of the new testament, the book of revelation, the marriage of the lamb, the liturgy that ever celebrates the cosmos and to which the people draw near only by their celebration.
Chapter 5 bears the title understanding understanding. A reference sheet for the symbols that are used in the book of revelation. John sees god sitting on a throne in heaven and with him the lamb of god, who is christ. The above scene from the book of revelation culminates in the. The book of revelation is perhaps the most mysterious book in sacred scripture. Book of revelation is the only book of the new testament that is not read during services by the byzantine rite churches although in the western rite orthodox parishes, which are under the same bishops as the byzantine rite, it is read. Worshiptraining worship in the book of revelation and the. Scott hahn would disagree w you that it has nothing to do w liturgy. The book of revelation is poetry, in the sense in which postromantic people understand the term. Book of revelation mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. And there has been much speculation about it some of it bordering on offthewall, but some of it serious and scholarly. A lionlike lamb that rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the book of revelation.
It is common knowledge that the book of revelation falls into unequal parts. In the roman liturgy, when the priest has made the offering of the bread and the wine, he bows to the altar and prays quietly. The biblical and heavenly roots of the sacred liturgy community. Symbols in the book of revelation a reference sheet for the symbols that are used in the book of revelation. I inspiration such as is bestowed by god on the author of a sacred book.
The orthodox faith volume i doctrine and scripture. When the wine press is trodden, it unleashes a tide of blood that rises as high as a horse and reaches out for 200 milescertainly. Hahn demonstrates why this littlestudied book contains many of the keys to understanding the gospels. This page is an indepth bible study of the book of revelation based on the concordia commentary of revelation by dr. The book of revelation shows us glimpses of the heavenly liturgy jesus christs once and for all sacrifice eternally present in heaven. The worship of the church has traditionally, quite consciously, been patterned after the divine and eternal realities revealed in this book. Guide to catholic worship peter kwasniewski according to joseph ratzinger, the last book of the bible, revelation or the apocalypse of st. The book of revelation and the holy mass the book of revelation shows us glimpses of the heavenly liturgy jesus christs once and for all sacrifice eternally present in heaven. The book of revelation stands as an eternal witness to the spirituality of all the principles and types of liturgy and sets an eternal seal on its prayers, its praises, its incense, and its sacrifice. Liturgy and slaughter in the book of revelation church life. So, returning to johns vision in the book of revelation, the heavenly liturgy worship and delight of love in heaven by the blessed community of heaven centers upon christ, the lamb that was slain yet is risen and lives. The revelation to john makes dramatic use of the rich symbolism of the sacrificial ritual of the jewish temple. Apr 09, 2007 the book of revelation and the holy mass. Lamb of god you take away the sins of the world, 5.
Anyone who reads the book of revelation carefully finds before him a detailed heavenly picture of all the different kinds of liturgical rites that. Liturgy of the mass in revelation agape bible study. In the 1970s there was an extremely popular book titled the late great planet earth which allegedly interpreted the book of revelation. The prayer of the church and its mystical celebration are one with the prayer and celebration of the kingdom of heaven. Sacramental theology in the book of revelation charles a. Today we kick off this exciting podcast series on the book of revelation. It depicts the liturgy as the center of cosmic history, as the chief battleground between god, mary see ch. Unless we come to understand what the liturgy is and how it works to draw us into the mysteries of god, it becomes something else, discontinuous and novel. The hymn of the book of revelation that we meditate today concludes with a final acclamation cried out by.
Scott hahn and mike aquilina explain how the catholic mass is the key that opens ones eyes to understanding the liturgical aspects of the apocalypse the book of revelation. For example, in revelation 14, an angel harvests the grapes of the earth and throws them into the great wine press of gods fury. Here, he links up the book of revelation to the holy sacrifice of the mass. As catholics, we reject the approach of those who use this book to guess wildly about the future or to create fear and mistrust among christians or to support their own political agendas.
God will not tolerate false worship, so the story revolves around the theme and is punctuated often by scenes of true worship. Among the things found in this book was the idea that revelation was speaking about such things as the soviet union, nuclear attacks between the ussr and the us, etc. A comparison of the language and imagery of the book of revelation with the divine liturgy of the orthodox churches suggests that in the revelation we see an early stage in the development of christian liturgy. Sep 01, 2000 i realized that in the mass i was really seeing on earth what was taking place in the heavenly liturgy that john describes in the apocalypse. John was ever given, and the core structures of the byzantine liturgy were already in place. Introduction worship in book 24 times to worship the first 1.
Revelation 45 and early christian liturgical usage jstor. In this talk, which is lesson 1 of a 6 lesson seminar entitled unveiling the mystery. Although there are various possible translations of maranatha, our lord comes, our lord has come, the fragments at the end of the book of revelation show that it was understood at that time to mean come lord. Sep 05, 2012 prayer in the book of revelation on september 5, 2012, pope benedict xvi resumed his general audiences in the vatican, having held them at castelgandolfo during the month of august. The book of revelation is not so intimidating once you understand what the author was up to. The mass realized in the book of revelation introductory rites. If they are not thus connected, divine punitive justice will ultimately be rejected on moral grounds, as unbecoming to god.
The faithful witness has been granted an imprimatur and can be purchased from our website shop. The liturgy of praise in the book of revelation and in the. A catholic study of the book of revelation, karlo gives a posture with. Heaven on earthbook of revelation and orthodox liturgy 2. The golden thread of liturgy is what holds together the apocalyptic pearls of. A practical exercise is to ask ourselves what deficiencies and qualities christ would list if he were to send his angel to write a letter to us and our communities. When christians gather together in the liturgy, they. For example, the seven heads of the beast are said to be both seven mountains rev. The book of revelation as liturgical commentary book of. The book of revelation reveals how gods salvation has entered the world in the life, death and resurrection of jesus. What an orthodox bishop thinks you should know about the book of revelation june 11, 20 joel j. Book of revelation liturgy and sacraments catholic. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant john, a 2 who gives witness to the word of god and to the testimony of jesus christ by reporting what he saw. The vision begins during the sunday liturgy, and it conveys the profound meaning of christian worship.
The revealing is done by the commentators, who know nothing. The book of revelation, often called the book of revelations, revelation to john, the apocalypse of john, the revelation, or simply revelation, the revelation of jesus christ from its opening words or the apocalypse, is the final book of the new testament, and therefore also the final book of the christian bible. This created a tension over the book of revelation that lasted for centuries. Symbols in the book of revelation saint marys press. To see how the book of revelation describes the liturgy of heaven.
It should come as no surprise that this book of revelation offers four recommended readings for funeral masses. Prayer in the book of revelation on september 5, 2012, pope benedict xvi resumed his general audiences in the vatican, having held them at castelgandolfo during. Worship in the book of revelation and the eastern orthodox liturgy. In many respects, the book of revelation is more accessible than most biblical books to the life of modernday congregations. The book of revelation was written for people who were living during the time of the author. This is why the priests wear the alb, the white robe of the men. That very short passage about dead believers finding rest in christ. The following is the forward and a portion of a chapter from a forthcoming book which, in my view, falls in. Lord god, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the sacrifice we offer you with humble and contrite hearts. Louis brighton and the online commentary the book of revelation. This is why the church has always incorporated the elements that john saw in the heavenly liturgy into her earthly liturgy, for they are one and the same. Revelation conveys the call to repentance in all times with equal immediacy. On the one hand, the heavenly liturgy is the golden thread that holds together all of the apocalyptic pearls in johns revelation, starting in chapter one where jesus appears wearing a white robe and a golden girdle.
Do our minds become confused when we hear all those sevens and l2s, and all those strange titles applied to jesusthe alpha and omega and the bright morning star. Gieschen the book of revelation is often interpreted as a document that is full of eschatology, namely, it is understood as depicting the gloom of the last days and the glory of eternity. Peterson, learning to worship from saint johns revelation, christianity today, october 28, 1991, 25. Resourcing a theme in twentiethcentury catholic theology renewal. It will be seen that revelation as thus explained differs clearly from. The book of revelation and the holy masscatholic caucus. And then, on the pages of the book of revelation, i realized just how significant, how dramatichow worldchangingthe sacrificial worship of the church on earth is. In the orthodox church, the book of revelation has great liturgical significance. The book is in letter format and is intended to be read aloud in the christian liturgy cf. Eleven interesting facts about worship in revelation. Ministry magazine worship in the book of revelation.
In christian theology the lamb of god is viewed as both foundational and integral to the message of christianity. Jun 07, 2017 the book of revelation there is no s on the end. Revelation also tells us something more about the mass itself. The apocalypse, or revelation to john, the last book of the bible, is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. Is one of the most difficult to understand due to its intense use of symbolic imagery. A catholic study of the book of revelation lesson 1. The sanctus, acclaimed during the liturgy of the eucharist, is taken from rev.
The three distinct sets of visions leading up to johns eating of the small scroll 10. Parousia and liturgy 1 although there are various possible translations of maranatha, our lord comes, our lord has come, the fragments at the end of the book of revelation show that it was understood at that time to mean come lord. He explains that, for those students willing to examine the historical background to the new testament, the book of revelation actually summarizes the central doctrines of faith. What are catholic views on the book of revelations.
Has any protestant considered that the book of revelation, along with proclaiming the end times events, is also speaking about the catholic mass. It talks about many things revealed to its author john of patmos. Other apocalyptic books, like the book of revelation, are in the old testament. A surface reading of revelation 20 seems to lend itself to chiliastic interpretation, and so, beginning in the third century as the church pushed back against montanism, it also pushed back against chiliasm, and in the process, against the book of revelation. Apr 11, 20 so, returning to johns vision in the book of revelation, the heavenly liturgy worship and delight of love in heaven by the blessed community of heaven centers upon christ, the lamb that was slain yet is risen and lives.
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