Apocalypse

From Greek, an 'unveiling'). The faith of the early Christians, living under persecution, was sustained by the expectation of Christ's imminent second coming. This found literary expression in the Revelation of John, written at the end of the first cent. A.D., an allegory foretelling the destruction of the wicked, the overthrow of Satan and the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth, the 'New Jerusalem'. It followed the tradition of Jewish apocalyptic writing going back to Daniel in the 2nd cent. B.C., in which was foreseen the deliverance of Israel from her oppressors by a sudden act of the divine will, and from which the author of the Revelation borrowed much of his imagery. Popular belief, for which there is no historical evidence, identified the writer whose name was John with John the Evangelist, and he is so represented in apocalyptic themes. Though the author is alluding to the contemporary condition of Christians under the Roman empire, succeeding ages placed their own interpretation on the allegory. Thus the figure of the Beast, or Antichrist, which stands for the pagan emperor (either Nero or Domitian both of whom caused the blood of many martyrs to flow), came to symbolize Islam to crusading Christians; to Catholics at the time of the Reformation it stood for Protestant heresy, while Lutherans made it a symbol of the corrupt papacy. The sequence of fantastic images with their often obscure symbolism—the author's 'visions'—forms a loose cycle of themes that are found in religious art from the time of the Carolingian renaissance. They are seen in illuminated mss, in the sculpture, stained glass and frescoes of churches, and in engravings and tapestries. The famous series of fifteen woodcuts made by D€rer at the end of the ]5th cent. influenced the later treatment of the subject in northern Europe, especially France. The following are the more important themes:

1. The 'martyrdom' of John the Evangelist in a vat of boiling oil prefaces the series by D€rer.
   
   
2. Rev. 1: 10–16) A voice told John to narrate his vision to seven Christian communities in Asia Minor. He saw seven lamps (sometimes represented as altar candlesticks) in the midst of which was 'one like a son of man', his hair like snow-white wool, his eyes aflame, holding seven stars in his right hand, with a sword coming out of his mouth. (John kneels in prayer before this vision of Christ, who is generally enthroned.)
   
   
3. (4:2–8) In another vision John saw Christ enthroned, before him seven burning torches, around him four creatures resembling a lion, ox, man and eagle (the 'apocalyptic beasts', later made into symbols of the Four Evangelists); round them were twenty-four elders enthroned, wearing golden crowns, each one with a harp (5:8). Originally probably a choir of angels, but taken to symbolize the twelve prophets, or patriarchs, and twelve apostles, i.e. the Old and New Testaments. John is again kneeling
   
   
4. (5:6–14) A lamb, having seven horns and seven eyes, took from the enthroned one a scroll (containing the secrets of man's destiny) in order to break its seven seals. (The lamb rests its fore-feet on a book lying in the lap of Christ; or it holds the banner of the Resurrection. The elders, with harps and bowls of incense, sing hymns to the sacrificial lamb.)
   
   
5. (6:1–8) On the breaking of the first four seals there appeared the 'four horsemen of the apocalypse': 1) The 'conqueror', crowned by an angel, holding a bow, riding a white horse; 2) 'War', with a sword, on a red horse; 3) 'Famine', with a pair of scales, on a black horse; 4) 'Death', on a sickly pale' horse, closely followed by Hades. (The horsemen have been variously interpreted. To the Middle Ages the first stood for Christ and the Church; but more commonly all four are seen as the agents of divine wrath. They trample men under their hooves. Hades, a gaping-jawed Leviathan, swallows a bishop.)
   
   
6. (6:9–12) A vision of the martyrs (of Roman persecution) 'underneath the altar' and awaiting their vindication accompanied the breaking of the fifth seal. Each was given a white robe. (The robes, distributed by an angel, are being donned.)
   
   
7. (6:12–17) The breaking of the sixth seal brought the day of wrath: the sun turned black, the moon red as blood, the stars fell, mountains and islands moved. (Stars rain from heaven upon pope, emperor and common folk on the earth below.)
   
   
8. (7:1–8) Four angels held back the four winds (symbols of the great empires of antiquity) until another angel had placed the protective 'seal of the living God' on the foreheads of the multitudes of Christians.
   
   
9. (7:9–17) They stood before the throne of the Lamb, robed in white and holding palms, and gave praise to God. Angels and the apocalyptic beasts stood round the throne. 'The Lamb ... will guide them to the springs of the water of life.' The latter is represented by a fountain or by four streams (the gospels) flowing from the hill on which the Lamb stands.
   
   
10. (8:1–12) When the Lamb broke the seventh seal 'there was silence in heaven for what seemed half an hour'. There then appeared seven angels with trumpets and as each blew further disasters, hail, fire and blood, rained down. A third of the earth and sea were burnt up, a third of the rivers poisoned, a third of the sun, moon and stars went dark. (God in heaven is handing out trumpets to his angels. On earth below cities are on fire, ships sinking.)
    
    
11. (8:13) An eagle in mid-heaven cried woe to those on earth when the last trumpets should sound. (The words 'Vae, vae, vat' or 'Ve, ve, ve' issue from its beak.)
    
    
12. (9: 1–1 1) The fifth trumpet caused a star to fall into the pit of hell and unloosed a plague of monstrous locusts that tormented those that had not beer sealed. (They have human heads and tails terminating in serpents' heads.)
    
    
13. (9:13–19) The sixth trumpet released the four angels of death and their cavalry whose horses had lions' heads that breathed fire, and serpent-headed tails. (Watched by God in heaven the angels with drawn swords slay pope emperor and commoner.)
    
    
14. (10: 1–1 1) An angel appeared wrapped in cloud, his face shining like the sun, and with legs like pillars of fire, one planted in the sea, one on land. John was commanded to take the angel's scroll and eat it, thus 'inwardly digesting the divine message. (John kneels, receiving the book or, as in D€rer, munching one corner. The angel has burning pillars for legs.)
    
    
15. (12:1–6) The seventh trumpet brought a vision of God's heavenly temple followed by earthquake and storm, and the appearance of the famous 'portent' la woman robed with the sun, beneath her feet the moon, and on her head , crown of twelve stars'. A dragon with seven heads stood waiting to devour the child she was about to bear, but it was borne by angels safely up to God. (There is doubt about the writer's original meaning for this vision. The woman was probably meant originally to symbolize the Church. Her identification with the Virgin Mary was a medieval interpretation of Bonaventura and others.
    
    
16. (12:7–9) War broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought and conquered the dragon. (One of the central images of the triumph of Christianity over evil, commonly found as a separate subject apart from the cycle. The dragon's seven heads symbolize the seven Deadly Sins.)
    
    
17. (13: 1–10) A beast with ten horns and seven heads rose out of the sea and men worshipped it. On each horn was a diadem. One head had a mortal wound that had healed. (The beast stands for Nero, as the well-known riddle of its number, 666, tends to confirm; its seven heads are probably a line of Roman emperors, the horns other rulers. One of its heads may be seen to fall back as if dead. People kneel before it worshipping; those who refuse are executed.)
    
    
18. (13:11–20) A second beast with horns like a lamb's, miraculously brought down fire from heaven, and caused men to worship the first beast. (A symbol of paganism, represented as a lion-headed monster with horns and fire descending about it.)
    
    
19. (14:14–20) The vision of the harvest of the world, the 'grapes of wrath'. Christ enthroned on a cloud, holding a sickle, sent out his angels with sickles. They gathered the grapes 'and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath'. (The judgment of the chosen and the damned, the wicked going to their doom.)
    
    
20. (17:3–6) The vision of the whore of Babylon was of a woman clothed in purple and scarlet, mounted on a scarlet beast that had seven beads and ten horns. She held a gold cup full of obscenities. An angel foretold her destruction to John. (The whore of Babylon symbolizes Rome to the writer who states that the beast's seven beads represent seven hills. To Protestant reformers she stood for the Rome of the popes.)
    
    
21. (18:21–4) 'Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea and said, "Thus shall Babylon, the great city, be sent hurtling down, never to be seen again"'.
    
    
22. (19:11–16) A vision of a rider named Faithful and True, riding a white horse. His eyes flamed like fire, a sword came out of his mouth, he carried a rod of iron, and his garment was drenched in blood. (The symbol of Christ as a warrior, robed in the blood of martyrs, with a sword to conquer and a rod to rule.)
    
    
23. (20:1–3) An angel with the key of Hell and a chain seized the dragon, 'that serpent of old', chained him and threw him into a pit for a thousand years.
    
    
24. (21: 9–27; 22:1–5) An angel carried John to a mountain-top and showed him the New Jerusalem 'coming down out of heaven'. It was built as a square, with high walls and twelve gates at each of which was an angel. It was made of jewels and gold and the river of the water of life flowed through it. (John stands with the angel gazing at the city. This visual rendering of the expected Second Coming later came to be construed as the building of the Church upon earth.)