The Apocalypse Interpreted Vol 1

Excerpt from The Apocalypse Interpreted, Vol. 2: In the Light of "the Day of the Lord," In accomplishing a Second Volume of this work, the Author cannot find himself brought so far through his undertaking, amidst much to interrupt, without again recording his thanks to the God of all grace, who has permitted him, however humbly, thus to vindicate the Apocalypse from the cabalistical character so generally assigned to it; and to show, by actual examination, that the direction in which to look for its fulfilments, lies not in the history of Christendom which is past, and deposited in human records, - but rather in that of Israel, which is yet to come, as rehearsed in the other prophecies of Scripture. Of course, this impugning of the popular system of interpretation was not a thing to be brooked by its patrons, and so the Author has had to encounter the measure of animadversion usual on such occasions. Nor does he by any means except to this. Fair discussion, he reflects, is ever promotive of the cause of truth. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show unto His servants the things which must quickly come to pass, and signified, sending by His angel, unto His servant John. 2. Who bare witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatsoever things he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep the things which are written therein; for the time is near. 4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are in sight of His throne; 5. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in His blood; 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father: to Him be the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages. Amen. 7. Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall lament over Him. Even so; Amen. 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and End, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. 9. I, John, who also am your brother and partaker in the affliction and in the kingdom and patient expectation of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, 1-1 for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day; and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11. Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last; and what thou seest write in a book, and send to the churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and Smyrna, and Pergamum, and Thyatira, and Sardis, and Philadelphia, and Laodicea. 12. And I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, 13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the paps with a golden girdle. 14. And His head and hairs white as white wool, as snow: and His eyes as a flame of fire. 15. And His feet like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace; and His voice as the voice of many waters. 16. And having in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth; and His face as the sun shineth in his power.

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The Apocalypse or Book of Revelation is one of the most frequently discussed books of the biblical canon and arguably one of the most difficult to interpret. This volume contains three texts as examples of late ancient Christian interpretation of its intriguing visions. It also includes a comprehensive introduction to each text by its respective translator. Brief Explanations of the Apocalypse by Cassiodorus (c. 580), translated by Francis X. Gumerlock from Latin and published in English for the first time in this volume, served as an introduction to the Book of Revelation for Cassiodorus’s students at the Vivarium, a monastery in southern Italy. Cassiodorus divided the Apocalypse into 33 sections, corresponding to the age of Jesus at his Passion, and expressed his belief that John’s visions were revelations of the end of the world, including the Second Coming of Christ for judgment, the defeat of the Antichrist, the general resurrection, and the arrival of the heavenly Kingdom. Testimonies of Gregory the Great on the Apocalypse, translated from Latin by Mark DelCogliano and also published here for the first time in English, is a collection of 55 excerpts on the Apocalypse from the writings of St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) compiled by an anonymous author. Drawn mainly from Gregory’s Moralia, but also from his Book on Pastoral Care and homilies, the excerpts, which are arranged from Revelation 1.4 to 22.17, illustrate Gregory’s grammatical exegesis of the Apocalypse, his interpretation of various figures in the Apocalypse, and his attempt to reconcile certain passages in the Apocalypse with seemingly contradictory texts from other parts of Scripture. The anonymous Greek Scholia on the Apocalypse contains 39 exegetical notes on chapters 1-14 of the Apocalypse, which reveal influences of Origen and Didymus the Blind, among others. The notes provide “spiritual” interpretations of the various passages and give attention to the interpretation of certain words that appear in the Book of Revelation. This new translation from the Greek by T. C. Schmidt utilizes all the Greek editions. Furthermore, its introductory matter contains updates on the Scholia from the latest scholarship and compares each scholion with interpretations found in various patristic authors, mainly of Alexandrian heritage.

An introduction to the study of Revelation reviewing the book's linguistic structure, vocabulary, and variant readings, as well as differences of opinion regarding its message.

Of all the books of the Bible, few are as fascinating or as intimidating as Revelation. Four grim horsemen, the Antichrist, the ten-horned beast, the ultimate battle at Armageddon, the "mark of the beast." It's no wonder that these images have griped the imagination of so many--and have been variously interpreted as symbolizing everything from Hitler and Gorbachev to credit cards and the Internet. Is the book of Revelation a blueprint for the future? A book of powerful symbolic imagery with warnings for the church? Is it essentially an imaginative depiction of historical events in the first century? Four Views on the Book of Revelation explores four interpretations of the book of the Apocalypse: Preterist – a historical interpretation, arguing that most of John’s prophecies occurred in the first century, soon after his writing of them. Idealist – a spiritual or symbolic interpretation, arguing that the events in Revelation are not literal, and that apocalyptic literature requires a different approach than the Gospels or Epistles. Classical dispensationalism – a literal interpretation based on a reading of Revelation that pays close attention to the rules of grammar and the separate eras of covenantal history. Progressive dispensationalism – a modification of classical that has its root in the understanding of Christ's reign beginning immediately after the resurrection. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.