The existence of mysteries in the Christian religion was expressly taught by the Vatican Council (De Fide Cath., cap. White amulet: literally, white stone, on which was written a magical name, whose power could be tapped by one who knew the secret name. And, just as Jesus overcame the world for us (John 16:33) and was glorified, we are to overcome the world until the time when we are glorified (Read: What you need to know about Sanctification & Glorification). If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world . * [2:2628] The Christian who perseveres in faith will share in Christs messianic authority (cf. Revelation - Chapter 17. 1:19 . Only ancient, pagan Rome or apostate Jerusalem could possibly be the Whore. The Bible does not give a clear and complete answer. 6 It is in your favour, nevertheless, that you loathe as I do the way the Nicolaitans are behaving. Our Price: $17.48. This sword, of course, is only symbolic. During the past century the Church has been called on to reject as erroneous several views of Revelation irreconcilable with Catholic belief. Bible Book List. Her fate is sealed, but there is hope of repentance for her followers (Rev 2:2122). 19I know your works, your love, faith, service, and endurance, and that your last works are greater than the first. And I will write upon him my new name. John 6:48-58 I am the bread of life. cit., cap. Thus, on their own view, their identification of the Catholic Church with the Whore is completely impossible! Catholic Schools: Open Houses & Other Events; Volunteer Opportunities; Liturgy & Worship; Adult: Social, Education, & Spiritual . Your generosity is both a blessing and encouragement. And the people of the world, whose names have not been written since the beginning of the world in the book of life, will be astonished when they see how the beast was once alive and is alive no longer, and is still to come. The angel also interprets for John the meaning of the Beasts ten horns: And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. The reason is not deprived of its legitimate activity because the criteria are external. . But Revelation is not restricted to these. Hence no religion, whether pagan or Christian, is wholly false; but none can claim to be a message from God free from any admixture of error. The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the woman is sitting. The revelation of truths of the natural law is certainly not inconsistent with Gods wisdom. all the churches shall know--implying that these addresses are designed for the catholic Church of all ages and places. The book itself suggests that the crisis was ruthless persecution of the early church by the Roman authorities; the harlot Babylon symbolizes pagan Rome, the city on seven hills (Rev 17:9). And what might His new name be? Prayer Intentions. 2:17 "New Name in Glory," by C. Austin Miles (1910) 4-5 The principal divisions of the Book of Revelation are the following: Prologue (1:1-3) Letters to the Churches of Asia (1:4-3:22) God and the Lamb in Heaven (4:1-5:14) The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Plagues, with Interludes (6:1-16:21) The Punishment of Babylon and the Destruction of Pagan Nations (17:1-20:15) The New Creation (21:1 . (7) She is a central cause of abominations in the land, abominations being a reference to practices, especially religious practices, that are offensive to God. In the Kingdom Age, there will be flesh-born humans. Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth. 6But you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans,* which I also hate. But we can go beyond a mere critique of the shallow anti-Catholic arguments like Hunts. Forty Titles of Jesus to Know Him Better and Love Him More. 16:25; Gal. In another tract, Is the Catholic Church the Whore of Babylon?, we looked at nine arguments given by fundamentalist Dave Hunt for his claim that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon from Revelation 1718. In this episode, we continue with part two of our Lenten book study Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schchuts. Accusations made by Jewish brethren there occasioned the persecution of Christians; cf. Continuing in chapter 18, John sees the destruction of the Whore, and a number of facts are revealed which also show that she cannot be the Catholic Church. Keep your moral standards . IV. the apostle John, brother of James, and author of the gospel of John and three epistles. Revelation 3:6,13,22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. The Lord knows them that are his. Delve into the most mysterious book of the Bible with Joann Roa, director of Adult Faith Formation . It's the first letter with a future in view, which led me . A literal sword does not come out of the mouth of Jesus, but is symbolic of His words and how they cut sharply and deeply and both ways. Those who adopt this standpoint rely in the main on two fundamental objections: they either urge that the miraculous is impossible, and that Revelation involves miraculous interposition on the part of the Deity; or they appeal to the autonomy of reason, which it is maintained can only accept as truths the results of its own activities. Learn about the riches He gives to all who are His. To Ephesus. I will tell you the meaning of this woman, and of the beast she is riding, with the seven heads and the ten horns. This totally demolishes the claim that Christian Rome or Vatican City is the Whore. . On the contrary we assume that every Christian before he commences inquiries of this kind is already convinced that no other form of religion but the Christian can harmonize with his piety (Glaubenslehre, n. 11). If anyone shall say that human reason is independent in such wise that faith cannot be commanded it by Godlet him be anathema (De Fide Cath., cap. In the case of the former, the dominion would be political; in the case of the latter, it could be a number of things. The Apocalypse, or Revelation to John, the last book of the Bible, is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. God, who has endowed man with means to communicate his thoughts to his fellows, cannot be destitute of the power to communicate His own thoughts to us. 9I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. Why would Jesus have a new name? Why is God going to give us a white stone with a new name? It is explained by M. Blondel, an eminent member of the Immanentist School, as signifying that nothing can enter into a man which does not proceed from him, and which does not correspond in some manner to an interior need of expansion; and that neither in the sphere of historic facts nor of traditional doctrine, nor of commands imposed by authority, can any truth rank as valid for a man or any precept as obligatory, unless it be in some way autonomous and autochthonous (Lettre sur les exigences, etc., p. 601). The possibility of Revelation as above explained has been strenuously denied from various points of view during the last century. Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth (18:20, 24). . You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. The essence of Revelation lies in the fact that it is the direct speech of God to man. Catholic Online Saints - thousands of saints bios. It can hardly be questioned that the autonomy of reason furnishes the main source of the difficulties at present felt against Revelation in the Christian sense. Revelation 17. A prominent Catholic priest, John A. O'Brien, said, . Daily Readings - viewed over 100 million times worldwide. The fact that Revelation is not merely possible but morally necessary is in itself a strong argument for the existence of a revelation, and imposes on all men the strict obligation of examining the credentials of a religion which presents itself with prima facie marks of truth. When I saw her I marveled greatly (Rev. Therefore, we can only reason from whatthe Bible says. * [2:1415] Like Balaam, the biblical prototype of the religious compromiser (cf. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. (3) With the view just mentioned is closely connected the Pragmatist view of M. Leroy (Dogme et Critique, Paris, 2nd ed. . Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. Trusting Gods Mercy, by Charles Spurgeon, Unconditional Love Given to an Undeserving Person by an Unobligated Giver. 8 'Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna and say, "Here is the message of the First and the Last, who was dead and has come to life again: 9 I know your hardships and your poverty, and -- though you are rich -- the slander of the people who falsely claim to be Jews but are really members of the synagogue of Satan. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name. The context makes it clear that here her sitting on something does not refer to a geographical location.). Introduction. No one can see imputedrighteousness and no one will be able to see the new name.. Catholic Online Prayer Candles - light your prayer candle. 17:910). Historically, a number of commentators, both Protestant and Catholic, have adopted this interpretation. 200 B.C. Popeye14 March 8, 2017, 10:18pm . 17Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 250,000; it was the capital of the Roman province of Asia and the commercial, cultural, and religious center of Asia. The separation of truth from error is a work involving time and labor. * [2:811] The letter to Smyrna encourages the Christians in this important commercial center by telling them that although they are impoverished, they are nevertheless rich, and calls those Jews who are slandering them members of the assembly of Satan (Rev 2:9). u, can. 3Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. It is based upon the theory of Immanence and has of recent years been strenuously advocated by certain of the less extreme members of the Modernist School. And the Traditionalists of the nineteenth century (Bautain, Bonnetty, etc.) 27 which I myself have been given by my Father, to rule them with an iron sceptre and shatter them like so many pots. Lord, When Did We See You Hungry or Thirsty or a Stranger or Naked or Ill or in Prison? 11Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.c The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.*. For one, she is depicted as a major center of international trade and commerce. Contemporary English VersionIf you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Title: Unlike most books of the Bible, Revelation contains its own title: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (1:1). Understand the meaning of Revelation 2:17 using all available Bible versions and commentary. * [2:1217] The letter to Pergamum praises the members of the church for persevering in their faith in Christ even in the midst of a pagan setting and in face of persecution and martyrdom (Rev 2:13). It is a return to the errors of Baius. * [2:26] Who keeps to my ways: literally, who keeps my works.. The funeral of Babylon. . 18To the angel of the church in Thyatira,* write this: The Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished brass, says this: To Ephesus. . Ephesus tells us, "Do not let your love for Jesus grow cold," (Revelation 2:1-7). Is Leonard Cohens Hallelujah a Christian Song? Continuing in Revelation, the angel begins to explain to John the womans symbolism: This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while (Rev. * It is a triumph that unfolded in the history of Jesus of Nazareth and continues to unfold in the history of the individual Christian who follows the way of the cross, even, if necessary, to a martyrs death. Andperhaps, it will be given to those who will both live and reign with Him in the Kingdom and throughout eternity. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Plagues, with Interludes (, The Punishment of Babylon and the Destruction of Pagan Nations (. It could be spiritual dominion in that Jerusalem held the religion of the true God. The human soul reaching up towards the unknowable God is ever endeavoring to interpret its sentiments in intellectual formulae. 8To the angel of the church in Smyrna,* write this: The first and the last, who once died but came to life, says this: Also the vision of the conquering King in Rev 19, the judgment in Rev 20, and the vision of heaven in Rev 21-22 have been particularly rich. It could even be political, since Jerusalem was the center of political power in Canaan and, under the authority of the Romans, it ruled a considerable amount of territory and less powerful peoples. NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS. In addition to the promise to overcomers in Revelation 2:17, Jesus also promised to write His new nameupon overcomers in the church at Philadelphia. Owing to Guenthers erroneous teaching that the doctrines of the faith assume a new sense as human science progresses, the Vatican Council declared once for all that the meaning of the Churchs dogmas is immutable (De Fide Cath., cap. Here too the autonomy of reason is invoked as fatal to the doctrine of Revelation properly so called. We are told that the heads are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come. If five of these kings had fallen in Johns day and one of them was still in existence, then the Whore must have existed in Johns day. And he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself. The first four reveal the memorable "four horsemen of the apocalypse" who are sent to ravage the earth. 15 The angel continued, 'The waters you saw, beside which the prostitute was sitting, are all the peoples, the populations, the nations and the languages. The metaphor of Babylon as harlot would be wrongly construed if interpreted literally. God has judged her for the way she treated you. Even the most vital truths are called in question and are met by serious objections. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds and that I will give each of you what your works deserve.f It is well known that the early Church Fathers referred to pagan Rome as Babylon; however, there are also indications in Revelation that the Whore might be apostate Jerusalem. Its simply biblical reasoning. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: To him that overcometh I will give the hidden manna and will give him a white counter: and in the counter, a new name written, which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it. If our race be viewed in its present condition as history displays it, the answer can only be that it is, morally speaking, impossible for men unassisted by Revelation, to attain by their natural powers such a knowledge of that law as is sufficient to the right ordering of life. He provides a series of tests distinguishing a true development from a corruption, chief among them being the preservation of type, and the continuity of principles; and then, applying the tests to the case of the additions of Roman teaching, shows that these have the marks not of corruptions but of true and legitimate developments. 28). The mode of communication, however, may be mediate. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. 1 * "To the angel of the church * in Ephesus, * write this: "'The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this: 2 "I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and discovered that they are . A Room with a View of EternityThe Last Will & Testament of Jesus Christ Take a seat at the Master's table. And to him I will give the morning star. 25except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come. On the other hand if God has conferred a revelation on men, it stands to reason that He must have attached to it plain and evident criteria enabling even the unlettered to recognize His message for what it is, and to distinguish it from all false claimants. Revelation 3:12 He that shall overcome, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God: and he shall go out no more. 20 Nevertheless, I have a complaint to make: you tolerate the woman Jezebel who claims to be a prophetess, and by her teaching she is luring my servants away to commit the adultery of eating food which has been sacrificed to idols. THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL However, some members of the church followed the teaching of Balaam, and others followed the teaching of the Nicolaitans. I suggest several possible reasons the name will only be known to the one who bears the name. Of all such representations, unless they are purely illusory, it must hold good that implicitly and in undeveloped form they contain rational thought and therefore thought which human intelligence may ultimately free from its sensuous veil. 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Ought to hear what the Spirit saith to the errors of Baius [ ]. Bears the name will only be known to the errors of Baius ever endeavoring to interpret its sentiments in formulae! Gospel of John and three epistles Online is a work involving time and labor riches He gives to all are.