Revelation of St. John the Evangelist, Chapter 7 is the seventh chapter of the Book of the Apocalypse ( 7: 1-17 ), in which the saved from 12 tribes of Israel (each of 12 thousand, only 144 thousand) are stamped. The events in this chapter are the interval between the removal of the 6th and 7th seals.
Content
Structure
- The gap between the sixth and seventh seals (1-3)
- Capturing 144,000 Elected from the 12 Tribes of Israel (4-8)
- A great multitude of all nations, worship of the Lamb (9-17)
Contents
Angels hold the wind. Angels put seals on the foreheads of believers. Their number from 12 tribes of Israel is listed - only 144 thousand. Then they worship the Lamb with palm branches in their hands.
Mentioned
- The Twelve Tribes of Israel
- 144,000 saved
Interpretation
The number of angels holding the wind is four - according to the number of cardinal points. The sign put on the foreheads of believers, judging by the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 9,4-6), from which this image is borrowed - the letter " Tav ". This sign is placed on the eve of disasters. In the listing of the tribes, the Danovan tribe is not mentioned, perhaps by this time it has disappeared [1] .
The chosen ones are marked with a seal to preserve them during the upcoming upheavals. In the Early Church, this was associated with the rite of baptism [2] .
Iconography
This chapter is usually illustrated in medieval manuscripts depicting 4 angels who hold blowing heads - emblems of the winds. In the same genre, as well as in engravings, there is the following scene, with the application of a “print” with a brush on the foreheads of kneeling worshipers. The third iconographic plot related to this chapter is the next “Adoration of the Lamb,” which can be distinguished from other “Adoration” from the “Apocalypse” by palm branches in the hands of believers depicted according to the letter of the text. However, less detailed cycles of illustrations by this chapter were usually neglected (although one should mention the almost completely lost Cimabue frescoes on the subject of removing seals and angels with winds in the upper church of Assisi) [3] [4] .
Angels hold the wind, miniature from the Apocalypse, approx. 1420
The Capture of 144 Thousands, engraving from the Zwingli Bible, 1531
“Adoration of the Lamb,” stained glass window of York Cathedral, 1405-8
Notes
- ↑ O. Alexander Men. Reading the apocalypse. Conversations on the Revelation of St. John the Theologian . www.alexandrmen.ru. Date of treatment March 1, 2018.
- ↑ Revelation of John the Theologian. Comments by William Barkley. Ch. 7 . allbible.info. Date of treatment March 1, 2018.
- ↑ Johannesoffenbarung - Apokalypse des Johannes . www.johannesoffenbarung.ch. Date of treatment March 29, 2018.
- ↑ Apocalypse, Iconography of - Dictionary definition of Apocalypse, Iconography of | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary . www.encyclopedia.com. Date of treatment March 29, 2018.