Modern interpretation of revelations I. Theologian

But more often it is called "apocalypse." A more mysterious book cannot be submitted. And its second name instills fear. The fact that the events of the coming end of the world are encrypted in the "Revelation", it is clear from the name. But how to find out what John theologians wrote about, because the Apostle told about his visions ambiguously?

A little about the author "Apocalypse"

Among the twelve apostles, who followed the Son of God, was one to whom Jesus, being already on the cross, instructed the care of his mother - the Most Holy Virgin Mary. It was John theologian.

The evangelist was the son of the fisherman of Zezeda and the daughter (the wrap of the Virgin Mary) Salomia. The father was a wealthy man, he had hired workers, he himself occupied a significant place in the Jewish society. Mother served the Lord with his property. First, the future apostle was among the students of John the Baptist. Later, together with his younger brother John John left the father's boat on the Genisaret Lake, responding to the appeal of Jesus Christ. The apostle became one of the three most beloved students of the Savior. Saint John Theologian became even called a foreshield - so they talked about a person, especially to someone.

When and how was the "Apocalypse" written?

Already after the Ascension of Jesus, in the link, the apostle was written "Apocalypse" or "Revelation on the Fate of the World". After returning from the island, Patmos, where was Soslated, Saint wrote his gospel in addition to the already existing books, the authors of which were Mark, Matthew and Luke. In addition to John, he created three messages, the main idea of \u200b\u200bwhich is that coming for Christ you need to learn to love.

Care from the life of the Holy Apostle was shrouded in secret. His is the only one of the students of the Savior - did not execute and did not kill. Approximately 105 years was the Holy, when John the Bogoslov himself insisted on his own burial alive. The grave was excavated the next day, but there was no one there. In this regard, the words of Christ are remembered that the apostle will not die before the Second Coming of the Savior. Many believers are confident in the truth of this statement.

"Apocalypse" of John the Bogoslov

The name of the book of the apostle itself in translation from the Greek denotes "Revelation". Writing the last of the units of the New Testament occurred at about 75-90 years after the Nativity of Christ.

Some Bible researchers doubt the Apostle to the authorship of the most mysterious book, since the style of writing and the "apocalypse" is different. But there are arguments in favor of the saint.

1. The author calls himself John and says that he had a revelation from Jesus Christ on the island of Patmos (it was there that was in the link Holy).
2. The similarity of the "Apocalypse" with and the Gospel of his name in spirit, syllable and some expressions.
3. Ancient testimonies that recognize that John theologian is the author of the last book of the Holy Scriptures. These are stories and student of the Apostle St. Pope of Ierapol, and St. Justina Martyr, who lived for a long time in the same city with the Saint Starter, and many others.

Essence of "revelation"

From the entire New Testament the last book differs in style and content. Revelations from God who received the apostle John theologians in the form of visions tell about the appearance on the Earth of the Antichrist, its number (666), the re-coming of the Savior, the end of the world, a terrible court. He inspires the hope that the last prophecy of the book describes the victory of the Lord over the devil after the difficult struggle and the emergence of new sky and land. There will be the eternal kingdom of God and people.

Interestingly, the number of beasts - 666 - still understood literally, with the interpretation of the entire book, it turns out only the key to the randering of the alphabetic content of the Antichrist. The right time will come - and the whole world recognizes the name of the opponent of Christ. A person will appear, which will calculate each letter in the name of Satan.

Interpretation of the Revelation of John the Bogoslov

It is necessary to know and remember that the "apocalypse", like any of the Holy Scriptures, requires a special approach. It is necessary to use other parts of the Bible, the works of St. Fathers, teachers of the church, to properly understand what is written.

There are various interpretations on the Apocalypse of John the Cologovo. Many of them are contradictory. And in this light, according to the statement of one of the interpreters, the Archpriest of the Fasta of Gennady, the reason for the contradiction is that each person is trying to understand the meaning of the vision of the Holy Apostle given to God's Spirit. Therefore, the true decoding of a mysterious book is possible only thanks to him. And the statement of St. Irinea Lyon says that God's spirit is where the church. Only her interpretation of the "apocalypse" can be right.

The main interpretation of "Revelation" is the work of St. Archbishop of Caesarea - Andrei dated to the VI century. But there are books of other clergy and theologians explaining the meaning of the "Apocalypse written in the Apocalypse.

One of the modern authors of the interpretation of the last book of the Holy Scriptures is Father Oleg Molenko. The temple of John the Theologian is the so-called church, the rector of which he is. His explanations for the Apocalypse reflect the past works of holy fathers in themselves, but at the same time they are missed through the prism of real events and today's life.

At the very beginning, "Revelation" talks about why "Apocalypse" was written, where and how he received the apostle John theologian. It is emphasized the importance of the predictions of the coming, presented to people to have time to prepare for the terrible court.

The number 7 is not accidental. It is sacred and chosen by God. Here is the warning about the abolition of the Antichrist of Christian holidays and Sunday. Instead, Saturday will be reserved for recreation. At a special place number 7 indicates a lot in the Bible and the Church:

• 7 sacraments;
• 7 in the church;
• 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (basic);
• 7 of its manifestations;
• 7 virtues (basic);
• 7 passions (sins with which you need to fight);
• 7 words in Jesus prayer;
• 7 Prayers of Prayer "Our Father".

In addition, the number 7 can be observed in life:

• 7 colors;
• 7 notes;
• 7 days of the week.

On the features of the "apocalypse"

The Church of John the Theologian, the rector of which is the author of the popular interpretation Father Oleg Molenko, collects a lot of parishioners, thirsting to understand the "apocalypse". It should be remembered that this book is prophetic. That is, everything that she tells, it will happen, perhaps already in the near future.

It was difficult to read and perceive the prophecies in the past, but nowadays it seems that everything that has been said in Revelation is written for us. And the word "soon" should be understood literally. When will it come? The events described in predictions will remain only a prophecy until they start come true, and then they will develop rapidly, then the time will not remain at all. This will all happen, on the interpretation of Oleg's father, who heads the Temple of John the Theologian, from the beginning of the Third World War, when all types of weapons exist in the world will go into the course. It tells about the 9th Chapter "Apocalypse". War will begin as a local conflict between Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria, which will be drawn the whole world. And last 10 months, devastating the land for one third of people living on it.

Is it possible to correctly understand predictions without interpretation?

Why is the "Revelation of John the Theologian" so hard for the right perception even holy? It is necessary to understand that the apostle saw everything described in revelations over 2,000 years ago and told about it available for that time with words. As for the heavenly (or spiritual), it is impossible to convey this simple language, hence symbolism in prophecy. Riddles and encrypted predictions - for people who are far from God. The true importance of the whole thing that was said in the "Apocalypse" can only be opened to spiritual people.

There is still a lot and long we can talk about the prophecies of the Holy Apostle, but there will be little one article for this. Interpretations do not always fit even into a whole book. The Church of John the Bogoslev (that is, the apostle, like Jesus, leads it and patronate), is considered to be modern Orthodoxy, can give up to eight different interpretations of the Holy Scriptures (according to the number of spiritual development). The Holy Highest level includes the evangelist himself. But such as he, units.

Believe or not predictions - the case of everyone. The prophecies of the Holy Apostle are needed to think about their lives, repent of sins and fight them. It is necessary to be kinder and try to resist evil, as if this is the antichrist himself. The world you in the soul!

Apocalypse (or translated from Greek - Revelation) St. John the Bogosla is the only prophetic book of the New Testament. She predicts the coming fate of mankind, about the end of the world and about the beginning of eternal life, and therefore, of course, it is placed at the end of the Holy Scriptures.
Apocalypse - The book is mysterious and difficult to understand, but at the same time the mysterious character of this book and attracts views of both believers of Christians, and simply inquisitive thinkers who try to solve the meaning and the meaning of the visions described in it. There is a huge number of books about the apocalypse, among which there are a lot of works with every nonsense, especially this applies to modern sectarian literature.

Despite the difficulty of understanding this book, spiritually enlightened fathers and teachers of the Church always treated her with great reverence as an inspired book by God. So, the Holy Dionysius Alexandrian writes: "This books are not preventing her darkness to surprise her. And if I do not understand everything in it, then only by my inability. I can't be the judge of truths, in it, and measure them by the poverty of my mind; Guided more faithful than the mind, I find them only superior to my understanding. " In the same way, the apocalypse of Blessed Jerome: "In it, as many secrets as words. But what am I saying? All praise this book will be below its dignity. "

For the divine service, the apocalypse is not read because in ancient times, reading the Holy Scriptures for the divine service was always accompanied by an explanation of him, and the Apocalypse is very difficult to explain.

Book author.

The author of the apocalypse calls himself John (from. 1: 1, 4 and 9; 22: 8). According to the general opinion of the Holy Fathers of the Church, it was the Apostle John, the beloved student of Christ, who received the height of his teachings about the God-word distinctive name "theologians. " Its authorship is confirmed by both the data in the Apocalypse itself and many other internal and external signs. Inspired by Peru of the Apostle John the Theologian belongs to another gospel and three cathedral messages. The author of the Apocalypse says that he was on Patmos Island "for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" (from. 1: 9). From church history, it is known that from the Apostles only St. John the Bologosov was imprisoned on this island.

Proof of the authorship of the Apocalypse AP. John the Theologian serves the similarity of this book with his gospel and messages not only in spirit, but also in a syllable, and, especially, according to some characteristic expressions. So, for example, the preaching of the apostolic is called "testimony" here (from. 1: 2, 9; 20: 4; See: Ioan. 1: 7; 3:11; 21:24; 1 John 5: 9-11) . The Lord Jesus Christ is called the "Word" (from. 19:13; See: Ioan. 1: 1, 14 and 1 John 1: 1) and "Lamb" (from. 5: 6 and 17:14; See: John 1:36). Prophetic words of Zechariah: "And they are led by him, whom they pierced" (12:10) and in the Gospel, and in the Apocalypse are given the same in the Greek translation of the "seventy intercurses" (from. 1: 7 and John 19:37). Some differences between the Apocalypse language and other books of the John apostle are explained as a difference between the content and the circumstances of the origin of the Scriptures of the Holy Apostle. St. John, Jews by birth, although he owned Greek, but, being imprisoned away from a lively conversational Greek, naturally imposed on the apocalypse the province of the influence of his native language. For an unforeseen reader of the apocalypse, it is obvious that all the content of him lies the seal of the Great Spirit of the Apostle of Love and Contemplation.

All ancient and later holy testimonies recognize the author of the apocalypse of St. John the Bogoslov. His student of the Holy Pappean Jeropolsky calls the writer of the apocalypse "Elder John," as the apostle itself calls himself in his messages (2 John 1: 1 and 3 John 1: 1). It is also important to testify to St. Justina Martyr who lived in Ephesus before his appeal to Christianity, where the Apostle John lived before him. Many of the holy fathers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries lead their places from the Apocalypse, as from the Corresponding Book, belonging to Peru of St. John the Bogoslov. One of them was Holy Hippolyte, Pope, who wrote apology on the Apocalypse, the student of Irinea Lyon. Clement Alexandria, Terertullian and Origen also recognize the Holy Apostle John by the author of the apocalypse. Equally convinced of this and later fathers of the Church: Rev. Efrem Sirin, Epiphanas, Vasily Great, Ilaria, Athanasius, Great, Gregory, Didim, Amvrosy Mediolsky, Blessed Augustine and Blessed Jerome. The 33rd rule of the Carthaginsky Cathedral, attributing the apocalypse to St. John the Theologian, puts him in a number of other canonical books of the Holy Scripture. Especially valuable witness to St. Irinea Lyon regarding the author's affiliation of the apocalypse St. John the Theologian, since Saint Irinean was a student of St. Polycarp Smirnsky, who, in turn, was a disciple of St. John the Cologovo, heading under his apostolic leadership.

Time, place and purpose of writing apocalypse.

An ancient legend refers to the writing of the apocalypse by the end of the i-th century. So, for example, Holy Irina writes: "Apocalypse appeared shortly before SEN and almost in our time, at the end of the reign of domician." Historian Evsevius (the beginning of the 4th century reports that the modern pagan writers mention the reference of the Apostle John to Patmos for the Certificate of Divine Word, referring this event to the 15th of the Kingdom of Domitian. (Reign in 81-96 after Christmas Christ).

Thus, the apocalypse was written at the end of the first century, when each of the seven low-depth churches, to which Holy John appeals, had its own history and one way or another the determined direction of religious life. Christianity was no longer in the first stage of purity and truth, and false Christianity has already tried to compete with true. Obviously, the activities of the Apostle Paul, who has long been preaching in Ephesus, was a matter of long lasting past.

The church writers of the first 3rd centuries agree and in specifying the place of writing the apocalypse, which they recognize the island of Patmos, mentioned by the apostle itself, as the place of receiving the revelations (from. 1: 9). Patmos is located in the Aegean Sea, south of the city of Ephesus and in the oldest time there was a place of reference.

In the first rows of the apocalypse, St. John indicates the purpose of writing 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 of the Christian preaching, to put a true faith in God in the souls in God, to teach them to live righteously, point to them in the kingdom of heaven. But not all people adopted a favorably Christian sermon. Already in the first days after the Pentecost, the church encountered anger and the conscious resistance to Christianity - first from the Jewish priests and scripts, then - by the unbelievers of Jews and pagans.

Already in the first year of Christianity, the bloody persecution of the preachers of the Gospel began. Gradually, these persecution began to take an organized and systematic form. The first center of combating Christianity was Jerusalem. Since the middle of the first century, Rome led to the hostile camp, headed by Emperor Nero (reign in 54-68 years after the Nativity of Christ). The persecution began in Rome, where many Christians were shed their blood, including the first apostles Peter and Paul. From the end of the first century, the persecution of Christians becomes more intense. The emperor Domitsian commands systematically to pursue Christians first in Asia Minor, and then other parts of the Roman Empire. Apostle John theologian, caused to Rome and abandoned in boiling oil boiler, remained unharmed. Domitian refers to the Apostle John to the island of Patmos, where the apostle receives a revelation of the fate of the Church and the whole world. With little breaks, bloody persecutions to the church continue until 313, when Emperor Konstantin publishes Milan Edict about freedom of religion.

In view of the beginning persecutions, the apostle John writes Christians of the apocalypse to console them, instruct and strengthen. He reveals the secret intentions of the enemies of the Church, whom he personifies in the beast, released from the sea (as a representative of hostile secular power) and in the beast, released from the Earth - a false prophet, as a representative of hostile pseudoreligious power. He discovers the main head of the fight against the Church - the Devil, of this ancient dragon, which grows the goggle forces of mankind and directs them against the Church. But the suffering of believers is not in vain: through loyalty to Christ and patience they receive a well-deserved award in heaven. In the time defined by God, hostile churches of the force will be betrayed and punished. After a terrible trial and punishment of the wicked, an eternal blissful life will begin.

The purpose of writing an apocalypse - to portray the upcoming struggle of the church with the forces of evil; show the methods that the devil with the assistance of his servants fight against good and truth; give guide to believers how to overcome temptations; Pictitate the death of enemies of the church and the final victory of Christ over evil.

Content, Plan and Symbols of Apocalypse

The apocalypse has always attracted the attention of Christians, especially at a time when various disasters and temptations with more power began to excite public and church life. Meanwhile, the imagery and the mystery of this book makes it very difficult to understand, and therefore for careless interpreters there is always a risk of care of the borders of the truth to unrealized hopes and beliefs. So, for example, a literal understanding of the images of this book gave rise to and now continues to give a reason for the false teaching about the so-called "Hiliazme" - the millennial kingdom of Christ on Earth. The horrors of the persecution worried about Christians in the first century and intertwined in the light of the apocalypse, gave some reason to believe that the "last times" and the second coming of Christ came. Such an opinion arose in the first century.

Over the past 20 centuries, many interpretations of the apocalypse of the most diverse character appeared. All these interpreters can be divided into four categories. Some of them include visions and symbols of the apocalypse to the "last times" - the death of the world, the phenomenon of the Antichrist and the second coming of Christ. Others - give apocalypse purely historical importance and limit his vision of the historical events of the first century: persecutions of Christians from the pagan emperors. Third - try to find the implementation of apocalyptic predictions in historical events of their time. In their opinion, for example, Pope there is an antichrist and all apocalyptic disasters are announced, in fact, for the Roman Church, etc. The fourth finally, they see in the apocalypse only allegory, believing that the visions described in it have not so much prophetic as moral meaning. As we will see below, these points of view on the apocalypse are not excluded, and complement each other.

Apocalypse can be correctly understood only in the context of the entire Holy Scripture. A feature of many prophetic visions - both Old Testament and New Testament - is the principle of connecting several historical events in one vision. In other words, spiritually related events, separating one from the other for many centuries and even thousands of years, merge into one prophetic picture, which combines the events of various historical eras.

As an example of such synthesis of events, you can bring a prophetic conversation of the Savior about the end of the world. In it, the Lord speaks at the same time about the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred 35 years after his crucifixion and about the time before his second coming. (MT. 24th ch.; Mr. 13th ch.; Luke. 21st ch. The reason for this merging of events is that the first illustrates and explains the second.

Often, Old Testament Predictions speak simultaneously about the beneficial change in human society in the New Testament time and about a new life in the kingdom of heaven. In this case, the first serves as the beginning of the second (Isa. (Isaiah) 4: 2-6; Is. 11: 1-10; Is. 26, 60 and 65 ch.; Ier. (Jeremiah) 23: 5-6; Ier. 33: 6-11; AV. (Avvakum) 2:14; Sof. (Sophonia) 3: 9-20). 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.; Ier. 50-51 ch.) There are many similar examples of the merger of events in one prediction. This method of combining events on the basis of their internal unity is used in order to help the believer to understand the essence of events based on what it is already known to leaving aside the secondary and not explaining the historical details aside.

As we will see below, the apocalypse consists of a number of multi-layered composite visions. The tinoster shows the future in the perspective of the past and present. So, for example, a polymaged beast in 13-19 ch. - This is the antichrist and its predecessors himself: Antihai Epifan, so brightly described from the Prophet Daniel and in the first two McCaewic books - this is the Roman emperors Nero and Domitian, pursuing the Apostles of Christ, as well as the next enemies of the Church.

Two witnesses of Christ in the 11th ch. - These are an attributes of Antichrist (Enoch and Elijah), and the samples of their - the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as all the preachers of the Gospel, who make their mission in the world, hostile Christianity. The false prophet in the 13th chapter is the personification of all those who hire false religions (Gnosticism, heresy, Moometanism, materialism, Hinduism, etc.), among which the most striking representative will be a false proportion of antichrist times. To understand why the apostle John united various events and different people in the same way, it is necessary to take into account that he wrote an apocalypse not only for his contemporaries, but for Christians of all the times, who had to undergo similar persecution and grief. The Apostle John discloses general seduction methods, and also shows a sure way to avoid them to be faithful to death.

Similarly, the court of God, which has repeatedly speaks apocalypse - this is the terrible court of God and all the private courts of God over individual countries and people. The trial of all humanity is also included here, and the court over the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrea with Abraham, and the court over Egypt with Moses, and a two-time trial of the Jews (for six centuries before the Nativity of Christ and again in the seventies of our era), and The court over the ancient Ninevenes, Babylon, over the Roman Empire, over Byzantium and is already relatively recently - over Russia. The reasons that caused the righteous punishment of God were always the same: the disbelief of people and lawlessness.

In the apocalypse, a certain timelessness is noticeable. It follows from the fact that the apostle John contemplated the fate of humanity not with earthly, but from the heavenly perspective, where the Spirit of God was erected. In the ideal world, the throne of the Most High stops the flow of time and at the same time appeared at the same time, the present, and the future appeared. Obviously, therefore the author of the Apocalypse some events of the future describes how those who have passed, and the past - as real. For example, the war of angels in the sky and overthow from the devil - events that happened before the creation of the world are described by the John Apostle, as if what happened at the dawn of Christianity (from. 12 ch.). The Sunday of the Martyrs and their reign in the sky, which covers the entire New Testament Epoch, is placed after the trial of the antichrist and false prophets (from. 20 ch.). Thus, the Tynoster does not tell about the chronological sequence of events, and discloses the essence of the great evil war with good, which is simultaneously on several fronts and covers both the real and angelic world.

There is no doubt that some predictions of the apocalypse have already been fulfilled (for example, regarding the fate of seven low-depth churches). Perfecting predictions should help us understand the remaining who have yet to be fulfilled. However, applying the visions of the apocalypse to one or another specific events, it must be borne in mind 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, all the details of the apocalyptic visions will be implemented.

The apocalypse is written in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is most difficult to understand the waste of people from faith and truly Christian life most of all, which always leads to the dullness, and even the complete loss of spiritual vision. All the devotion of a modern man with sinful passions is the reason that some modern interpreters of the apocalypse want to see in it only one allegory, and even the second coming of Christ is taught to understand allegorically. Historical events and faces of our time convince us that to see in the Apocalypse alone allegory means to be spiritually blind, so much now what is happening reminds terrible images and visions of the apocalypse.

The method of presenting the apocalypse is shown in the table attached here. As can be seen from it, the apostle reveals several spheres in front of the reader. Angelic world belongs to the highest sphere, the church, triumphant in the sky, and the church pursued on earth. He heads this sphere of good and leads it by the Lord Jesus Christ - the Son of God and the Savior of People. Below is the sphere of evil: the unbeling world, sinners, false teenters, conscious gogars and demons. Dragon leads - Fallen Angel. Throughout the existence of humanity, these areas are fighting with each other. The Apostle John in his visions gradually reveals in front of the reader different sides of the war between good and evil and reveals the process of spiritual self-determination in humans, as a result of which one of them become on the side of good, others - to the side of evil. During the development of the global conflict, the court of God is constantly accomplished over individuals and peoples. Before the end of the world, an evil will increase overly, and the church is extremely weakening. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will come to the ground, all people will be resurrected, and the terrible court of God will come over the world. The devil and his supporters will be convicted of eternal torments, the eternal, blissful life in paradise will begin for the righteous.

With a consistent reading, the apocalypse can be divided into the following parts:

1. The introductory picture of the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, who commands John to record the revelation of seven Naiazia Churches (1st chapter).
2. Letters of the 7th Maja Churches (chapters 2 and 3rds), in which, at the same time, with the instructions of these churches, the fate of the Church of Christ is inscribed - from the Apostolic Century to the end of the world.
3. The vision of God sitting on the throne, Lamb and Heavenly Services (chapters 4 and 5th). This worship is complemented by visions in subsequent chapters.
4. From the 6th chapter begins the disclosure of the fate of mankind. The opening of the Mysterious Book of Lamb of Christ is the beginning of the description of different phases of war between good and evil, between the Church and the Devil. This war, which begins in the soul of a person, applies to all sides of human life, is enhanced and more terrible (until the 20th chapter).
5. The glaces of seven angelic pipes (chapters 7-10) announce the initial disasters that must comprehend people for their disbelief and sins. The nature damage and the appearance in the world of evil forces are described. Before the start of disasters, believers are obtained on the man (on the forehead) of the fertile printing, maintaining them from moral evil and from the fate of the wicked.
6. The vision of seven signs (11-14 chapters) shows humanity, divided into two opposing and irreconcilable camps - good and evil. Good forces focus on the Church of Christ, presented here in the image of his wife, closed in the Sun (12th chapter), and evil - in the kingdom of the animal antichrist. The beast, who left the sea - a symbol of evil secular power, and the beast, out of the ground, is a symbol of decomposed religious power. In this part of the apocalypse, for the first time, a conscious church evil creature is clearly revealed - the Dragon Devil, who organizes and leads the war against the church. Two witnesses of Christ symbolize the gospel preachers here, which fight the beast.
7. The vision of seven bowls (chapters 15-17) draw a gloomy picture of the world moral decomposition. The war against the church becomes extremely tense (Armageddon) (from. 16:16), tests - unbearable grave. In the image of Bludnica Blondnitsa, mankind retreating from God, focused in the capital of the kingdom of the animal antichrist. The evil force spreads its influence on all areas of life of sinful mankind, after which God's judgment begins on the power of evil (here the Court of God over the Babylon is described in general terms, as an introduction).
8. In the following chapters (18-19), the trial of Babylon is described in detail. It also shows the death of the culprits of evil among people - Antichrist and false prophet - representatives of both civil and heretical anti-Christian authorities.
9. The 20th chapter sums up the spiritual war and world history. She speaks of a twice defeat of the devil and about the reign of martyrs. Fixed physically, they won spiritually and already bliss in the sky. It covers the entire period of the existence of the Church, starting with the apostolic times. Gogh and Magog personify the totality of all the goggleless forces, earthly and underworlds, which throughout Christian history fought against the church (Jerusalem). They are exterminated by the Second Coming of Christ. Finally, it is eternal punishment and the devil, this ancient serpent, who marked the beginning of all lawlessness, inappropriate and suffering in the universe. The end of the 20th chapter tells about the universal resurrection of the dead, about the terrible court and the punishment of the wicked. This brief description summarizes a terrible trial over humanity and fallen angels and summarizes the Drama of the Universal War between Good and Evil.
10. The final two chapters (21-22) describe the new sky, the new land and the blissful life of the saved. These are the brightest and joyful chapters in the Bible.

Each new Department of Apocalypse usually begins in words: "And I saw ..." - and ends with a description of the court of God. This description denotes the end of the previous theme and the beginning of the new one. Between the main departments of the apocalypse, the Tinoster sometimes inserts intermediate patterns, which serve as a link between them. The table below shows the plan and sections of the apocalypse. For compactness, we connected intermediate patterns along with the main. Walking horizontally according to the table, we see how everything is gradually revealed with the following areas: Heavenly Peace; Church, persecuted on earth; sinful and bogular world; Underworld; War between them and the court of God.

The value of characters and numbers. Symbols and allegory make it possible to talk about the essence of world events at a high level of generalization, so it is widely used by them. So, for example, eyes symbolize keeping, a lot of eyes - perfect management. Horn is a symbol of power, power. Long clothing means priesthood; Crown - royal dignity; White - purity, indispensability; The city of Jerusalem, Temple and Israel - symbolize the church. Numbers are also symbolic meaning: three - symbolizes the trinity, four are a symbol of peace and world order; seven means completeness and perfection; Twelve - the people of God, the completeness of the church (the same meaning has numbers derived from 12, like 24 and 144000). One third means some relatively small part. Three and a half years - time of persecution. The number of 666 will be particularly told below in this brochure.

New Testament events are often depicted against the background of homogeneous Old Testament events. For example, the disasters of the Church are described against the background of the suffering of the Israelis in Egypt, temptations for the Prophet Valaam, the persecution of the Queen Jezebeli and the destruction of Jerusalem Haldey; The salvation of believers from the devil is depicted against the rescue of the Israelis from Pharaoh with the Prophet Moses; Bogological power is presented in the form of Babylon and Egypt; The punishment of the god workers is depicted by the language of 10 Egyptian executions; The devil is identified with the snake who seduced Adam and Eve; The future of Paradise bliss is depicted in the form of a paradise garden and a tree tree.

The main task of the author of the Apocalypse - show how evil forces act, who organize them and sends in the fight against the church; instruct and strengthen believers in loyalty to Christ; Show full defeat of the devil and his servants and the beginning of the paradise bliss.

With all the symbolism and the mystery of the apocalypse, the religious truths are disclosed in it extremely clear. So, for example, the Apocalypse points to the devil as a culprit of all temptations and disasters of humanity. The guns that he tries to destroy people are always the same: disbelief, disobedience to God, pride, sinful desires, lies, fear, doubts, etc. Despite all his cunning and experience, the devil is unable to destroy people, with all the heart of the devotees to God, because God protects them with his grace. The ships of the same and sinners the devil more and more enslaves themselves and pushes them for all sorts of abuse and crime. He directs them against the church and with their help produces violence and arranges war in the world. The apocalypse clearly shows that in the end the devil and his servants will be defeated and punished, the truth will triumph, and the renovated world will come in a blissful life, which will not end.

By making, thus, a quick overview of the content and symbols of the apocalypse, we will now dwell on some of the most important parts.

Letters of seven churches (2-3 ch.).

Seven churches - Efesse, Smirnskaya, Pergamskaya, Fiatir, Sardyan, Philadelphia and Laodician - were in the southwestern part of Malaya Asia (now Turkey). They were founded by the Apostle Paul in the 40s of the first century. After his martyrdom in Rome, about the 67th year, the apostle John theologians took over the conservation over these churches, who looked at about forty years. Finding into the island of Patmos, the apostle John wrote the epistle to these churches to prepare Christians to the upcoming persecution. Letters are addressed to the Angels of these churches, i.e. Bishops.

Attentive to the study of the messages of seven Multiazia churches, suggests that the fate of the Church of Christ is inscribed in them, starting from the Apostolic Century and until the end of the world. At the same time, the coming 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 Pharisees and Saddukeev time with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle John uses Old Testament Events as a good faith of the New Town Church. Thus, in letters to seven churches, three elements are intertwined:

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

c) the coming fate of the church.

The combination of these three elements in the letters of seven churches is summarized in the table attached here.

Notes: The Ephesian Church was the most crowded, and had the status of Metropolis for neighboring low-media churches. In the 431st year, the 3rd Ecumenical Cathedral took place in Ephesus. Gradually, the lamp of Christianity of the Ephesian Church of the UGAS, as predicted by the apostle John. Pergamum was the political center of the western part of Malaya Asia. It was dominated by paganism with a magnificent cult of issued pagan emperors. On the mountain near Pergamum, a pagan monument-satellite, mentioned in the apocalypse as the "throne of Satan" (from. 2:13). Nikolaiti - ancient heretics-Gnostics. Gnosticism was a dangerous temptation for the church of the first centuries of Christianity. Favorable soil for the development of Gnostic ideas was a syncretic culture that arose in the empire of Alexander Macedonian, uniting East and West. The religious globility of the East, with his faith in the eternal struggle between the good and evil start, spirit and matter, body and soul, light and darkness, in combination with the speculative method of Greek philosophy, was given in various gnostic systems for which it was characterized by an idea of \u200b\u200bthe emanation origin of the world Of the absolute and about the set of creation, connecting the world with the Absolute. Naturally, with the spread of Christianity in the Hellenistic environment, the danger of his presentation in Gnostic terms and the transformation of Christian piety into one of the religious and philosophical gnostic systems arose. Jesus Christ was perceived by Gnobs, as one of the intermediaries (Eon) between the Absolute and the world.

One of the first distributors of Gnosticism among Christians was someone named Nikolai - hence the name "Nikolaiti" in the apocalypse. (It is assumed that it was Nikolai, who among other six elected husbands was ordained by the apostles in a deacon degree, see: Dean 6: 5). Distorting Christian faith, Gnostics encouraged moral succity. Starting from the middle of the first century, several Gnostic sects flourished in Malaya Asia. The apostles Peter, Paul and Judas warned Christians not to fall into the network of these heretic debronters. The prominent representatives of Gnosticism were Yeretiki Valentin, Markion and Vasilid, against whom the apostolic men and the early fathers of the Church.

Ancient gnostic sects have long disappeared, but Gnosticism as a merger of heterogeneous philosophical and religious schools exists in our time in theosophy, Kabale, Freemasonry, modern Hinduism, yoga and other cults.

Vision of heavenly worship service (4-5 ch.).

Apostle John received a revelation in the "Day of the Lord," i.e. on Sunday. It should be assumed that on the apostolic custom on this day he made a "refraction of bread," that is, Divine Liturgy and met, so he "was in the spirit," that is, Tested a special inspired state, (from. 1:10).

And so, the first thing he is honored to see is, as it were, the continuation of the service committed by him is heavenly liturgy. This worship of the Apostle John describes in the 4th and 5th chapters of the Apocalypse. The Orthodox man will find out here the familiar features of the Sunday Liturgy and the most important belonging of the altar: the throne, the seedswie, the cub with smoking Fimiam, the Golden Bowl, etc. (These items shown by Moses on the Sinai Mountain were also used in the Old Testament Temple). Watched by the apostle, the miscarriage in the middle of the throne reminds the believer of a communion, under the guise of bread lying on the throne; souls killed for the Word of God under the celestial throne - antiminis with the particles of the relics of holy martyrs in it; Elders in bright clothes and with golden crowns on the heads - the premium of clergymen, who are concerned about the Divine Liturgy. It is noteworthy here that even the exclamations themselves and prayers heard by the apostle in the sky express the essence of the prayers, which clergy and singers are pronounced during the main part of the Liturgy - the Eucharistic Canon. The rootation of the righteous of his clothes "Blood of the Lamb" resembles the sacrament of communion through which believers sanctify their souls.

Thus, the apostle begins to disclose the fates of mankind from the description of the heavenly liturgy, which emphasizes the spiritual meaning of this worship and the need for the prayers of the saints about us.

Notes. The words "Lion from the Knee Judeina" belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and remind the prophecy of Patriarch Jacob about the Messiah (Gen. 49: 9-10), "Seven Spirits of God" - full of graceful gifts of the Holy Spirit, (see: Is. 11: 2 and zh. 4th ch.) Many points - symbolize omniscience. Twenty-four elders correspond to twenty-four priestly chiefs established by the king David for serving in the temple - two more petties for each knee of new Israel, (1 pairs. 24: 1-18). Four mysterious animals surrounding the throne are similar to the animals, seen by the Prophet Ezekiel, (Iz. 1: 5-19). They seem to be creatures, the most close to God. Persons of these - man, lion, calf and eagle are taken by the church as the emblems of the four evangelists.

In the future, the description of the world's world is obscured by us incomprehensible. From the apocalypse, we learn that the angelic world is immensely great. The disembodied spirits are angels, like people are endowed with the Creator with a mind and free will, but their spiritual abilities are many times superior to our. Angels are fully committed to God and serve him with a prayer and execution of his will. So, for example, they are ascending to the throne of God's prayers of the saints (from. 8: 3-4), contribute to the righteous in achieving salvation (from. 7: 2-3; 14: 6-10; 19: 9), sympathize with the suffering and persecuted (From. 8:13; 12:12), in the command of God, sinners are punished (from. 8: 7; 9:15; 15: 1; 16: 1). They are clothed with power and have power over nature and its elements, (from. 10: 1; 18: 1). They lead a war with the devil and his demons (from. 12: 7-10; 19: 17-21; 20: 1-3), take part in the court over the enemies of God, (from. 19: 4).

The teachings of the apocalypse about the Angelic world in the root leaves the teachings of the ancient Gnostics, who recognized intermediate creatures (aons) between the absolute and the real world, which completely independently manage the world.

Among the saints whom the Apostle John sees in the sky, two groups are distinguished, or "Lika:" These are martyrs and virgins. Historically, martyrdom is the first born of holiness, and therefore the apostle with the martyrs starts, (6: 9-11). He sees their souls under the heavenly altar, which symbolizes the redemptive importance of their suffering and death they participate in the suffering of Christ and, as it were, complement them. The blood of martyrs is likened to the blood of the Old Testament victims, which flowed under the altar of the Jerusalem temple. The history of Christianity shows that the suffering of ancient martyrs served to moral renewal of the stray pagan world. The ancient writer Turtulian wrote that the blood of martyrs serves as a seed for new Christians. The persecution on believers will subside, they will strengthen during the further existence of the Church, and therefore the Tyinoster was discovered that the number of first to be added to the new martyrs.

Later, the apostle John sees a huge number of people in the sky, which no one could count - from all tribes, knees, and peoples, and languages; They stood in white clothes with palm branches in their hands, (from. 7: 9-17). In general, this innumerable host of the righteous is that "they came from great grief." For all people, the path to paradise is one - through grief. Christ is the first sufferer who took over as the lamb of God's sins of the world. Palm branches - a symbol of victory over the devil.

In a special vision, the Tinoster describes virgins, i.e. People who refused the ruffles of the wedding life for all the ministry of Christ. (Voluntary "Skattsy" for the kingdom of heaven, see about this: MT. 19:12; From. 14: 1-5. In the church, this feat was often carried out in monasticism). The Tyintrier sees a written "Father's name", "that indicates their moral beauty, which reflects the perfect of the Creator. "New song," which they sing and which no one can repeat, is an expression of spiritual height, which they have achieved through the feat of the post, prayer and chastity. This purity is inaccessible for people of a worldly lifestyle.

Moses Song, who sing the righteous in the following vision (from. 15: 2-8), reminds of a thanksgiving anthem, who sang the Israelis when, moving through the Red Sea, was escaped from Egyptian slavery, (Ex. 15 ch.). Similarly, the New Testament Israel is escaped from the power and influence of the devil, going into a graceful life through the sacrament of baptism. In subsequent visions, the Tyintrier describes the saints several times. "Veson" (precious linenwear), in which they are clothed, - a symbol of their righteousness. In the 19th chapter of the apocalypse, the wedding song rescued speaks of the approachment "marriage" between the Lamb and Saints, i.e. On the occurrence of the closest communication between God and the righteous, (from. 19: 1-9; 21: 3-4). The book of revelation with a description of the blissful life of saved peoples (from. 21: 24-27; 22: 12-14 and 17). These are the brightest and joyful pages in the Bible, showing the solemn church in the kingdom of fame.

Thus, as the world's fate discloses in the Apocalypse, the Apostle John gradually sends a spiritual gaze of believers to the kingdom of heaven - to the ultimate goal of earthly wandering. He, as it were, forced and reluctantly talks about the gloomy events in the sinful world.

Removing seven seals.

Vision of four riders (6th ch.)

Who are the four riders of the apocalypse?

The vision of seven seals is introduced to the subsequent revelations of the apocalypse. Removing the first four seals shows four riders who symbolize four factors characterizing the entire history of mankind. The first two factors are the reason, the second two - consequence. A crowned rider on a white horse "came out to win." He personifies those good principles, natural and fertile, which Creator invested in a person: the image of God, moral purity and innocence, the desire for good and perfection, the ability to believe and love, and the individual "talents," with whom a person is born, as well as graceful gifts Holy Spirit, which he gets in the church. According to the thought of the Creator, these kind beginnings were to "win," ie Determine the happy future of mankind. But a person already in Eden succumbed to the temptation of the tempter. Damaged by sin nature passed to his descendants; Therefore, people from early age tend to sin. From repeated sins, there are even more bad inclinations in them. So a person, instead of spiritually grow and cultivate, falls under the destructive effect of his own passions, indulges to various sinful wishes, begins to envy and beg. All crimes in the world (violence, war and all sorts of disasters) arise from the internal disaster in the person).

The destructive action of passions symbolizes the red horse and the rider who took the world in humans. Giverant of his random sinful desires, a man squints the data to him the talents, poorly physically and spiritually. In the public life, enmity and war lead to weaken and decomposition of society, to the loss of its spiritual and material resources. This internal and external tenderness of mankind symbolizes the rone horse with a rider holding a measure (or scales) in his hand. Finally, the complete loss of God's giving leaders leads to the death of the spiritual, and the end consequence of hostility and wars is people and the collapse of the public. This sad fate of people symbolizes a pale horse.

In four apocalyptic riders, the history of mankind is depicted in the most common features. At first - a blissful life in the Eden of our progenitors designed to "reign" (white horse), then their sin (red horse), after which their descendants were filled with various disasters and mutual destruction (raven and pale horses). Apocalyptic horses also symbolize the life of individual states with their heyday and decline. Here and the life path of every person - with his children's cleanliness, naivety, great potential, which are darkened by stormy youth, when a person crashes his strength, health and eventually dies. Here - both the history of the church: the spiritual burning of Christians in the apostolic time and the efforts of the Church to update the human society; The emergence in the church of Yerezi and the splits, and the chase of the Church by the pagan society. The church is weakening, goes into the catacombs, and some local churches disappear at all.

Thus, the vision of four riders summarizes the factors that characterize the life of sinful humanity. Further heads of the Apocalypse will develop deeper by this topic. But the tinoster shows the removal of the fifth print shows the light side of human disasters. Christians, injured physically, defeated spiritually; Now they are in paradise! (From. 6: 9-11) Their feat brings them the eternal award, and they reign with Christ, as described in the 20th ch. The transition to a more detailed description of the disasters of the Church and the strengthening of the goggleless forces is marked with the removal of the seventh seal.

Seven pipes.

Imprinting chosen.

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

Angelic pipes are prevailing humanity disasters, physical and spiritual. But before the outbreak of disasters, the Apostle John sees Angela, marking the seal for the sons of the Sons of the New Israel, (from. 7: 1-8). "Israel" - here is the New Testament Church. Imprinting symbolizes chosen and fertile patronage. Reminds this vision The sacrament of the world-building, during which the "print of the gift of the Spirit of the Holy Spirit of the Holy Spirit of the Spillage is entrusted." It reminds and the criticism of which "the enemy is opposed." People who are not protected by grace printing suffer from "locust," published from the abyss, i.e. from the devilish power, (from. 9: 4). The Prophet Ezekiel describes such a selection of righteous citizens of the ancient Jerusalem before it takes by Chaldean Hordes. Then, as well as now, the mysterious stamp was resting with the aim of preserving the righteous from the fate of the wicked, (Iz. 9: 4). When the transfer of 12 knees (tribes) of Israel is deliberately missed the knee Danovo. Some see in this indication on the origin of the antichrist from this tribe. The basis for this opinion is the mysterious words of Patriarch Jacob regarding the future descendants of Dana: "snakes on the road, aspan on the way," (Gen. 49:17).

Thus, this vision serves as an introduction to the subsequent description of the persecution of the church. Measuring the temple of God in the 11th ch. It has the same meaning as the capture of the sons of Israel: the preservation of church chad from evil. The temple of God, like a wife, closed in the sun, and the city of Jerusalem are different symbols of the Church of Christ. The main idea of \u200b\u200bthese visions is the fact that the church is holy and the road to God. God burns the persecution for the sake of the moral improvement of believers, but protects them from the enslavement of evil and from one participation with the gogulars.

Before removing the seventh printing, there is no silence "as if half an hour," (from. 8: 1). It is silence in front of the storm, which will smash the world during the antichrist. (The modern process of disarmament as a result of the collapse of communism is not a break, which is provided to people to appeal to God?). Before the disaster attack, the apostle John sees the saints, diligently praying for the pardon of people, (from. 8: 3-5).

Disasters in nature. Following this, the pipe sounds of each of the seven angels are heard, after which various disasters begin. First, the third part of the vegetation dies, then the third part of the fish and other marine creatures, then the poisoning of rivers and water sources. The fall in land and fire, a flaming mountain and a glowing star, apparently, allegorically points to the huge size of these disasters. Is this a prediction about global clogging and destroying nature, which is observed in our day? If so, the ecological catastrophe foreshadows the coming of the antichrist. More and more defects the image of God, people cease to appreciate and love his beautiful world. They pollute the lakes, rivers and the sea; Spilled oil amazed huge coastal spaces; Destroy the forests and jungle, many types of animals, fish and birds exterminate. From the poisoning of nature, both the guilty and innocent victims of their brutal greed are ill and die. Words: "The name of the third star is worried ... and many of the people died from the water, because they became bitter," remind a Chernobyl disaster, because "Chernobyl" means wormwood. But what does the defeat of the third part of the sun and stars and the eclipse of them? (From. 8:12). Obviously, we are talking about air pollution to such a state, when sunny and star light, reaching the earth, it seems less bright. (For example, due to air pollution, the sky in Los Angeles usually looks dirty-brown in color, at night the stars over the city is almost not visible, except for the brightest).

The narrative of locust (fifth pipe, (from. 9: 1-11)), who came out of the abyss, speaks of the strengthening of demonic power among people. He heads her "Apollion," which means "destroyer" - the devil. As people lose their disbelief and sins, the grace of God, the spiritual emptiness formed in them, becomes more and more fills the demonic power, which torments their doubts and various passions.

Apocalyptic wars. The pipe of the Sixth Angel leads to a movement of a huge army behind the Euphrates River, from which the third part of people dies, (from. 9: 13-21). In the biblical presentation of the Euphrates River, denotes the frontier, followed by hostile peoples to God, threatening Jerusalem with war and extermination. For the Roman Empire, the Euphrates River served as a stronghold from the attack of the eastern peoples. The ninth head of the Apocalypse is written against the background of the cruel and bloody Jewo-Roman war of the 66-70 years of our era, even fresh in the memory of the Apostle John. This war had three phases, (from. 8:13). The first phase of the war in which Gasius Flor headed the Roman troops, lasted five months, from May to September 66 (five months of locusts, from. 9: 5 and 10). Soon the second phase of war began, from October to November 66, in which the Syrian Governor of Cesty headed four Roman legions, (four angel at the Euphrates River, from. 9:14). This phase of war was especially crushing for Jews. The third phase of the war, under the leadership of Flavian, lasted three and a half years - from April 67 to September 70, and ended with the destruction of Jerusalem, burning the temple and scattering the prisoners of Jews in the Roman Empire. This bloody Rimo Jewish war became the prototype of the terrible wars of recent times, which was indicated by the Savior in his conversation on the Eleon Mountain, (MT. 24: 7).

In the attributes of hellice and the Euphrates Haling, you can learn modern weapons of mass destruction - tanks, guns, bombers and nuclear rockets. Further heads of the Apocalypse describe all the increasing wars of recent times, (from. 11: 7; 16: 12-16; 17:14; 19: 11-19 and 20: 7-8). The words "River Euphrates dried up to be ready to be the way to kings from sunrise solar" (from. 16:12) may indicate "Yellow Danger." It should be borne in mind that the description of the apocalyptic wars has features of real wars, but ultimately belongs to the spiritual war, and their own names and numbers have an allegoric meaning. So the apostle Paul explains: "Our brand is not against blood and flesh, but against the bosses, against the authorities, against the methods of the darkness of the century, against the spirits of the Evil Primbate" (Eph. 6:12). The name Armageddon is composed of two words: "AR" (on the Jewish - Plain) and "Megiddo" (terrain in the north of the Holy Land, near Mount Karmil, where in ancient times, Varak struck the army of the army, and the prophet Elija destroyed more than five hundred Waalov's priests), ( From. 16:16 and 17:14; Court. 4: 2-16; 3 Tsar. 18:40). In the light of these biblical events, Armageddon symbolizes the defeat by Christ's Burning Forces. Names Gogh and Magog in the 20th ch. Remind the prophecy of Ezekiel about the invasions on Jerusalem of the unblend Haling under the leadership of Gogh from the earth Magog (in the south of the Caspian Sea), (Iz. 38-39 ch.; From. 20: 7-8). Ezekiel refers this prophecy to Messianic times. In the apocalypse, the deposition of Hordes Goga and Magoga "Mill of Saints and the City of Beloved" (i.e. churches) and the extermination of these Haling, heavenly fire should be understood in the sense of a complete defeat of the goggle forces, human and demonic, the Second Coming of Christ.

As for the physical disasters and punishments of sinners, often mentioned in the Apocalypse, the Tyintrier himself explains that God burns them for the inspection to bring sinners to repentance, (from. 9:21). But the apostle notes with sorrow that people would not make the call of God, continue to sin and serve the demon. They, no matter how "biting wondering," rushing to their own death.

Vision of two witnesses (from 11: 2-12). The 10th and 11th chapters occupy an intermediate place between the visions of 7 pipes and 7 signs. In two Witnesses of God, some holy fathers see the Old Testament Righteousness of Enoch and Elijah (or Moses and Elijah). It is known that Enoch and Elijah were taken alive on the sky (Gen. 5:24; 4 Tsar. 2:11), and before the end of the world will come to the ground to expose the falsehood of the Antichrist and call people to be loyrtain to God. Execution that these witnesses will be offended by people resemble miracles performed by the prophets Moses and Elijah (Ex. 7-12 ch.; 3 Kings. 17: 1; 4 Tsar. 1:10). For the apostle John, the apostles Peter and Paul could be the examples of two apocalyptic witnesses, shortly before that, victims of Rome from Nero. Apparently, two witnesses in the apocalypse symbolize other witnesses of Christ spreading the gospel in a hostile pagan world and often imprinting their preaching of the martyrdom. The words "Sodom and Egypt, where and the Lord are crucified" (from. 11: 8), point to the city of Jerusalem, in which the Lord Jesus Christ suffered, many prophets and the first Christians. (Some suggest that at the time of Antichrist, Jerusalem will become the capital of the World State. At the same time, the economic rationale for such an opinion).

Seven signs (12-14 ch.)

The church and the kingdom of the beast.

The farther, the more distinct the Tinoster reveals the separation of humanity to the two opposite camps to the readers - the church and the kingdom of the beast. In the previous chapters, the Apostle John began to acquaint readers with the church, speaking of captured, about the Jerusalem temple and about two witnesses, and in the 12th chapter he shows the church in all its heavenly glory. At the same time, he reveals her chief enemy - the Devil-Dragon. The vision of his wife, closed in the sun, and the dragon makes it clear that the war between good and evil goes beyond the real world and extends to the world of angels. The apostle shows that in the world of disembodied spirits there is a conscious evil creature, which with desperate perseverance leads war against the angels and people devotees to God. This war evil with good, permeating all the existence of humanity, began in the Angelic world before creating a real world. As we said, the Tyintrier describes this war in different parts of the apocalypse not in its chronological sequence, but in different fragments, or phases.

Wife's vision reminds the reader of God's promise to Adam and Eve about the Messiah (about the seed of his wife), who will erase the head of the snake, (Gen. 3:15). It would be possible to think that in the 12th chapter, the Virgin Mary is meant under his wife. However, from further narration, which refers to other descendants of his wife (Christians), it can be seen that here under his wife must mean the church. The solar radiance of his wife symbolizes the moral perfection of the saints and the gracious illusion of the Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Twelve stars symbolize twelve tribes of the new Israel - i.e. A combination of Christian peoples. The flour of his wife at birth symbolize the feats, deprivation and suffering servants of the Church (prophets, apostles and their successors) incurred by them in the spread of the Gospel in the world and when approving Christian virtues among their spiritual children. ("My children, for whom I am again in the flour of birth, did not depict Christ in you," said the Apostle Paul Galat Christians, (Gal. 4:19)).

The firstborn of his wife, "who was supposed to fall all the peoples with an iron rod," - this is the Lord Jesus Christ, (Ps. 2: 9; from. 12: 5 and 19:15). He is a new Adam, who became the head of the church. The "admiration" of the baby, obviously, indicates the Ascension of Christ on the sky, where he sat down "Odessa Father" and since then he has managed the fate of the world.

"Dragon with his tail fascinated by the third of the stars and relocate them to the ground," (from. 12: 4). Under these stars, the interpreters understand the angels, whom the proud Dennie Devil rebelled against God, as a result of which the war occurred in the sky. (It was the first revolution in the Universe!). At the head of the Good Angels, Archangel Mikhail spoke. Angels who rebounded against God were defeated and could not resist the sky. Having left God, they became demons from good angels. Their underworld, the kingdom, called the abyss or hell, became the place of gloom and suffering. According to the opinions of the Holy Fathers, the war described here by the John's apostle occurred in the Angelic world even before the creation of the real world. It is given here with the purpose of explaining the reader that the Dragon, who will pursue the church in the further visions of the apocalypse, there is a fallen Dennica - the enemy of God.

So, the victims defeat in the sky, the dragon with all the fury is always on his wife-church. His weapons are a multi-solid temptation, which he rushes on his wife like a stormy river. But it rescues from the temptations to the flight to the desert, that is, a voluntary refusal of life benefits and amenities that the dragon tries to capture it. The two wings of his wife are a prayer and a post that Christians are spiritualized and are made unsaveted for the dragon crawling along the ground, as a snake, (Gen. 3:14; Mr. 9:29). (It should be remembered that many zealous Christians have already moved to the Desert in the literal sense, leaving noisy cities, full of temptations. In remote caves, Scribes and laurels, they all their time gave prayer and bogglihood and reached such a spiritual height about which modern Christians and ideas do not have. Monasticism bloomed in the east in 4-7th centuries, when in the desert places of Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Malaya Asia formed a lot of abylls, numbering hundreds and thousands of monks and nuns. From the Middle East, monasticism spread to Athos, and from there - To Russia, where in the pre-revolutionary time there were more than a thousand monasteries and beds).

Note. The expression "time, time and half-time" - 1260 days or 42 months (from. 12: 6-15) - corresponds to three and a half years and symbolically denotes the period of persecution. Three and a half years continued the Savior's public service. Approximately the same time persecuted on believers with the Tsar Antihah Epifan, Emperors Nerna and Domitian. At the same time, the number in the Apocalypse should be understood allegorically (see above).

The beast, released from the sea, and the beast, out of the ground (from. 13-14 chapters)

Most of the holy fathers under the "beast from the sea" understand the Antichrist, and under the "beast from the Earth" - false prophet. The sea symbolizes the unbelieving human mass, everly worried and beworned passions. Of the further narration of the beast and from the parallel narrative of the Prophet Daniel (Dan. 7-8 ch). It should be concluded that the "beast" is the entire gogling Empire of Antichrist. According to the appearance of the Dragon Devil and the Beast, who came out of the sea, to which the dragon handed his power, alike. Their external attributes speak of their dexterity, cruelty and moral disgrace. The heads and horns of the beast symbolize the goggle states that make up the Anti-Christian Empire, as well as their rulers ("kings"). A message about the fatal injury of one of the heads of the beast and about her healing is mysterious. At one time, the events themselves are light on the meaning of these words. The historical basis for this allegory could serve as many contemporaries of the apostle John, that the dead neron came to life and that he would soon return with the Parf troops (who were behind the Euphrates River (from. 9:14 and 16:12)) to take revenge on their enemies. There may be a guidance on the partial defeat of the goggle of the Christian faith and the revival of paganism during the period of universal retreat from Christianity. Others see here guidance on the defeat of Boggleless Judaism in the 70s of our era. "They are not Jews, but the Satanic gathering," said the Lord John (from. 2: 9; 3: 9). (See more about this in our brochure "Christian doctrine about the end of the world").

Note. There are general features between the Beast of the Apocalypse and the Four Beasts of the Prophet Daniel who personified 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 of Antioch Epifan - the preview of the upcoming Antichrist, whom Archangel Gabriel called "contemptuous," (Dan. 11:21). The characteristic and acts of the apocalyptic beast have a lot of generally also with the tenth horn of the Prophet Daniel, (Dan. 7: 8-12; 20-25; 8: 10-26; 11: 21-45). The first two macavaic books serve as a bright illustration of the time before the end of the world.

The Tyintorator then describes the beast, who came out of the ground, which he later refers to false prophets. The earth symbolizes the complete absence of spirituality in the teaching of the false prophet: everything is saturated with materialism and the deposit of a sining flesh. False prophets seduces people with false miracles and makes them worship the first beast. "He had two horns like Lamb, and spoke like a dragon" (from. 13:11), - i.e. He looked meekly and peace-loving, but his speeches were fulfilled to flatter and lies.

As in the 11th chapter, two witnesses symbolize all the ministers of Christ, so, obviously, two beasts of the 13th ch. symbolize the totality of all haters of Christianity. The beast from the sea is a symbol of civilian boric authorities, and the beast from the Earth is a set of false teachers and any perverted church power. (Other words, the Antichrist will come from a civil environment, under the guise of a civilian supervisor preached and praised by tracing religious beliefs with false prophets or false proposals).

As in the time of earthly life of the Savior, both these authorities, civil and religious, in the face of Pilate and Jewish high priests united in the condemnation of Christ for crucifix, and in the entire history of mankind, these two authorities are often united in the fight against faith and for the persecution of believers. As already mentioned, the apocalypse describes not only a distant future, but also repeated - for different peoples in due time. And the Antichrist is also for all your own, which is during a slave, when "taken kept." Examples: Prophet Valaam and Moavitsky king; Queen Jezebel and her priests; Falsefrores and princes before the destruction of Israel and later the Jews, "apostates from the Holy Covenant" and King Antioch Epifan (Dan. 8:23; 1 McC. and 2 McC. 9 ch.), Moiseev's adherents and Roman rulers in the apostolic time. In the New Testament time, heretics-false ledents weakened the church with their splits and this was promoted by the conquering successes of Arabs and Turks, flooding and ruined the Orthodox East; Russian Volnoduumtsy and populists have prepared the ground for the revolution; Modern false teachers seduce unstable Christians in various sects and cults. All of them are false prophets that promote the success of the goggleless forces. Apocalypse brightly discovers mutual support between the Dragon Devil and both beasts. Here each of them has its own mercenary calculations: the devil is eager to worship himself, the Antichrist gets power, and the false prophet is looking for its material benefit. The church, calling people to faith in God and to strengthen virtues, serves as a hindrance, and they fight against her.

Stacking the beast.

(From. 13: 16-17; 14: 9-11; 15: 2; 19:20; 20: 4). In the language of the Holy Scripture, we have a seal (or drawing) means affiliation or submission to someone. We have already said that the seal (or the name of God) on the belly of believers means their God's chosen and, therefore, God's patronage over them, (from. 3:12; 7: 2-3; 9: 4; 14: 1; 22: four). The activity of false prophets described in the 13th chapter of the Apocalypse, convinces that the kingdom of the beast will be a religious and political character. Creating the Union of different states, it will simultaneously impose a new religion instead of the Christian faith. Therefore, to conquer the Antichrist (allegorically - to take the animal print on his man or on his right hand) will be equivalent to renunciation from Christ, which will entail the deprivation of the kingdom of heaven. (The symbolism of printing is drawn from the usual of antiquity when the soldiers burned on their hands or on her forehead the names of their leaders, and slaves - voluntarily or violently - took the stamp named after their master. The pagans who devotees to some kind of deity often wore a tattoo of this deity) .

The possibility is not excluded that improved computer registration like modern bank cards will be instituted during the antichrist. Improvement will be that the invisible eye computer code will not be printed on a plastic card, as now, but right on the body of a person. This code, readable by electronic or magnetic "eye, will be transmitted to the central computer, which will store all information about this person, personal and financial. Thus, the establishment of personal codes directly in humans will be replaced by the need for money, passports, visas, tickets, checks, credit cards and other personal documents. Thanks to the individual encoding, all cash transactions - receiving a salary and debt payment - can be held directly in the computer. In the absence of money, the robber will have nothing to take. The state, in principle, will be able to easier control the crime, since the movement of people will be known to him thanks to the central computer. It seems that in such a positive aspect, this system of personal coding will be offered. In practice, it will also be used for religious and political control over people, when "no one can not buy or sell or sell it, who has this drawing" (from. 13:17).

Of course, the thought expressed here about stamping codes in humans is an assumption. The essence is not in electromagnetic signs, but in loyalty or in treason Christ! Throughout the history of Christianity, the pressure on believers by the Anti-Christian authorities received a wide variety of forms: bringing the formal victim to an idol, the adoption of Magomethanism, the entry into the godless or anti-school organization. In the language of the Apocalypse - this is the adoption of the "Inscription of the Beast:" Acquisition of temporary advantages to the price of renunciation from Christ.

The number of the beast is 666.

(From. 13:18). The value of this number still remains a mystery. Obviously, it will succumb to declaring when the circumstances themselves will contribute to this. Some interpreters among the 666 are seen a decrease in the number 777, which in turn means three-year perfection, completeness. With this understanding of the symbolism of this number, the Antichrist, striving to show his superiority over Christ, in fact, will be imperfect. In ancient times, the calculus of the name was based on the fact that the letters of the alphabets had a digital value. For example, in Greek (and in church-Slavyansky), 1, B \u003d 2, g \u003d 3, etc. Such digital value of letters exists in Latin and in Jewish. Each name could be arithmeticly calculated by adding the digital value of the letters. For example, the name Jesus, written in Greek, is 888 (it is possible that denoting the highest perfection). There is a huge number of own names that the sum of their letters translated into numbers give 666. For example, the name Nerin Caesar written by Jewish letters. In this case, if the native name of the antichrist was known, then it would not require a special wisdom to calculate its numerical importance. It may be here to seek the decision of the riddle in the concept plane, but not clear in which direction. The beast of the apocalypse is an antichrist, and his state. Maybe the initials denoting the new world movement will be introduced during an antichrist? By the War of God, the personal name of the Antichrist is hidden from idle curiosity. When the time comes, those who should decipher it.

Talking image of the beast.

It is difficult to understand the meaning of the words about false prophets: "And it was given to him to put the spirit into the image of the beast so that the image of the beast spoke and acted so that we would be killed by anyone who would not worship the image of the beast," (from. 13:15). The reason for this allegory could be the requirement of Antioch Epifan, so that Jews lay the statue of Jupiter, erected in the Jerusalem Temple. Later, the emperor Domitian demanded that all residents of the Roman Empire put on its image. Domitian was the first emperor who demanded his divine honor in his life and so that His Major "our Lord and God." Sometimes, for a greater impression of the statues of the emperor, priests were hidden, which from there were broadcast from his behalf. Christians who do not block the image of the domician was ordered to execute, but to give the shuttle. It may be in the prophecy of the apocalypse we are talking about any device like a TV that will transmit an image of an antichrist and simultaneously monitor how people react to it. In any case, in our time, movies and TV are widely used to plant anti-Christian ideas, to accurate people to cruelty and vulgarity. Daily unintelligent watching TV kills in man good and holy. Is there a TV forerunner of the speaker image of the beast?

Seven bowls.

Strengthening goggle.

Court of sinners (15-17 ch.)

In this part of the apocalypse, the Tinoster describes the kingdom of the beast that has reached its apogee for strength and control over people's lives. The retreat from the true faith covers almost all of humanity, and the church comes to extreme exhaustion: "And it was given to him to behave with the saints and defeat them" (from. 13: 7). To encourage the believers left the faithful Christ, the apostle John will take their eyes to the Gorear and shows the great sites of the righteous, who, like the Israelis, who escaped from Pharaoh with Moses, sing a victorious song (Ex. 14-15 ch.).

But both the end of the Pharaoh's power came and the days of the Anti-Christian authorities are considered. The following chapters (16-20 ch). In bright strokes paint God's trials. The defeat of nature in the 16th ch. Like the description in the 8th ch., But here it reaches worldwide sizes and produces a terrifying impression. (As before, obviously, the extermination of nature is produced by people themselves - wars and industrial garbage). Increased sunny heat from which people suffer may be associated with the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to the prediction of the Savior in the last year before the end of the world, life conditions will become so unbearable that, "if God had not reduced those days, no flesh would be saved" (MT 24:22).

A description of the court and punishment in 16-20 chapters of the apocalypse follows the order of increasing guilt of the enemies of God: first they are punished with people who took the inscription of the beast, and the capital of the Anti-Christian Empire - "Babylon," then - the Antichrist and Falzodrok, finally - the Devil.

The narrative of the defeat of Babylon is given twice: first in general terms at the end of the 16th ch., And more thorough in - 18-19 chapters. Babylon is depicted by a harlot sitting on the beast. The name Babylon resembles the Chaldean Babylon, in which the governments focused in the Old Testament time. (Chaldean troops destroyed the ancient Jerusalem in 586 to the Nativity of Christ). Describing the luxury "Bludnitsa," the apostle John meant Riema with his port city. But many features of the apocalyptic Babylon are not applicable to an ancient Rome and obviously belong to the capital of the Antichrist.

It is equally mysterious and an explanation of the angel at the end of the 17th chapter on the "secret of Babylon" in details relating to the Antichrist and his kingdom. Probably these details will be understood in the future when the time comes. Some allegorys are taken from the description of Rome, who stood on seven hills, and his goggleless emperors. "Five kings (animals of the beast) have fallen" - these are the first five Roman emperors - from Julia Caesar to Claudia. The sixth head is Nero, the seventh - Vespasian. "And the beast, which was not the same, is eighth, and (he) from among seven" is a domician who came to life in a folk view. He is an antichrist of the first century. But probably, the symbolism of the 17th chapter will receive a new explanation during the time of the last antichrist.