2023/05/08

90. In the Spirit, Part 1

In the last issue, I wrote that the Church remains amidst chapters 17 and 18 of the Book of Revelation. Therefore, I would like to discuss this theme with the keyword "in the Spirit," which has drawn my attention. This state, "in the Spirit," which appears four times in Revelation, happens in the "spot" where the author prophesies what he has seen and heard. The numbers in brackets indicate the chapter and verse of Revelation. 

The first spot is on an island called Patmos, where the author prophesies the scroll to the seven churches (1:11-3:24). The second spot is in heaven with an open door, where he prophesies about the following several prophecies. (1) the appearance of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the New Testament (4:1-11:19); (2) the appearance of the "divine knowledge" of the priesthood and the Eucharist and the "human knowledge" that tries to block its memory and the battle between them (12:1-13:18); (3) the appearance of the companions of the Lamb, or the Church (14:1-5); (4) the battle in which Babylon the Great is led to its fall, torn into three parts, by the spread of the Gospel (14:6-16:21). The third spot is in the wilderness, to see and prophesy the judgement against the great harlot, sitting on the waters, accompanied by an angel (17:1-18:24). Fourth spot is on the high mountain, again accompanied by an angel, to see and prophesy about the Bride, the wife of the Lamb, namely the New Testament (21:9-27). 

Chapters 17-18, which we are discussing, are in the third spot. The "great harlot who is seated upon many waters" (17:1), which the angel said he would show, was a woman seated on a scarlet beast when the author saw her in the Spirit. Characteristically, it reads, "on her forehead was written a name of mystery: 'Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations'" (17:5), and the name of "Babylon the great" (14:8), written in the second spot as "fallen," is inherited to this spot. 

The author writes: "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her I marveled greatly" (17:6). The expression, "the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," hints at the city of Jerusalem. And a description relating to King David, who established Jerusalem as the capital, is suggestively placed in Revelation (3:7, 5:5, 22:16). Jesus here refers to himself as "the root and the offspring of David" because he has achieved what Solomon, David's son, failed to realise, that of calling God his Father. 

On the other hand, the people of the Old Covenant, who had failed to form a parent-child bond with God, likened God to a bridegroom and the people to a bride, imagining the marriage bond as a bond with God. The Church, while calling God its heavenly Father, inherited this image. And, skilfully using a sophisticated vocabulary and logic, the Church has let it bloated to the extent of significantly influencing theology as nuptial mysticism. The woman marked on her forehead with the name of mystery, "Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations," was the Church. So, the author was astonished to find that the Church had become something quite different from the image of "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (12:1). The prophecies in Chapter 18 that follow are reminiscent of the Age of Exploration, which took place between the 15th and 17th centuries. The Church is forced to make a decisive shift and is in dire straits.

Maria K. M.

 2023/05/01

89. The New Testament within the New Testament, Part 3

Revelation 13 describes a world in which those who gather authority, power and wealth conquer by taking in information beneficial to them and taking advantage of differences in people's character and abilities, especially gender differences. From their illusory and fictional world comes endless suffering, including social inequality, all sorts of discrimination and even human trafficking. The information and knowledge that originate from the relationships among people and create these situations are likened to the dragon and the two beasts. John the Baptist was killed as a very victim of these situations (cf. Mark 6:17-28). 

Founded amidst such a social environment, the Church was in constant danger. That was because the Church had a totally new identity of the people who are described as "born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13) and who called God their heavenly Father. And that is, the Church had accepted Jesus' exhortation: "There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it" (Matthew 19:12). Nowadays, some Bible translations replace the word "eunuch" in this phrase with "one who does not marry," "one who has become a bachelor," etc., but this is not the case. Indeed, Jesus used the firm word "eunuch." That is because only he knew the kingdom of heaven (cf. John 3:13), and "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" referred to Jesus himself. Hence, the Church, the body of Christ, is present as "He who is able to receive this." The following words of Jesus suggest the Church: "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection" (Luke 20:34-36). 

As it reads, "a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads" (Revelation 14:1), Revelation 14 begins with the description of the Church. And the "women" in the following account, as we have discussed so far, signifies nuptial mysticism: "It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are chaste" (Revelation 14:4). The "woman" called "Babylon the great" and likened to a city, is described as having "made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion" (Revelation 14:8), which could happen because nuptial mysticism took the image of the institution of marriage that is so universal and absolute a social norm. The "eternal gospel" (Revelation 14:6) carried by the angel is a New Testament prophecy that protects people from nuptial mysticism, and the contents of the "seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God" (Revelation 15:7) are the words that affect the information people possess and their knowledge, leading them to repentance. 

Revelation is a divine reality, while nuptial mysticism is a man-made fiction. The Church remains amidst chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation because it still holds nuptial mysticism (cf. blog № 77, 85).

Maria K. M.

 2023/04/24

88. The New Testament within the New Testament, Part 2

In the previous article, "Part 1," we summarised the context of chapters 1 to 10 of the Book of Revelation. This time, we will cover the following chapters, chapters 11 to 12. The author prophesied again about the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's epistles, which he had already prophesied about, prompted by the voice from heaven (cf. blog № 17). Here, the fact that these books, as books of revelation, were also raised to heaven was testified just as the Book of Revelation, described at the beginning as being "the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:1), and the Gospels, depicted as four living creatures "round the throne, on each side of the throne" (Revelation 4:6), were both placed in heaven as books of revelation. As a result, all the books of the New Testament, including the Catholic Epistles, whose existence was prophesied in the Book of Revelation (cf. blog № 87), were raised to heaven, confirming the prophecy of the revelation of Jesus Christ. The fact that in later times, these books were established as the canon of the New Testament according to this prophecy shows that the revelation of Jesus Christ was completed within the New Testament. 

Hence, the contents of the ark, described as "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple" (Revelation 11:19), are the New Covenant. From this, we can see that the sign that appeared next in heaven in the form of a woman "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1) signifies the priesthood that arose along with the body of Christ and the blood of the new covenant, which Jesus instituted at the last supper. It originates from the account in the Gospel of John, where the Apostle takes in the mother of Jesus (cf. blog № 18). There, on the other hand, we also read that the woman "cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery" (Revelation 12:2). For on earth, this woman represents the figure of the priesthood that conceived the Word by which bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ by the Holy Spirit. This figure is projected onto the Apostles and their successors who, amid persecution, perform the event of the last supper "in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19), just as Jesus commanded them. 

Then another sign of a great red dragon appears in heaven. It represents the image that the information arising from the relationships among those who try to remain in the worldview that can be said to be the old covenant, becomes knowledge and reigns. That knowledge originated from the relationship between Adam and Eve and has engulfed the world since then. Its heads with diadems and horns testify to the immensity of that knowledge (cf. blog № 42-45). The old "human knowledge" is about to devour the "divine knowledge" of the Eucharist, which continues the covenant of salvation made by the blood of Christ and makes the presence of God among the people visible. The Apostles gave birth to the Eucharist by the Holy Spirit. The Eucharistic knowledge hidden in the New Testament was raised to the heavenly throne because it was a revelation. On the other hand, the knowledge of the priesthood of the new people, which gives birth to the Eucharist, is hidden in the Apostles' unconscious realm (cf. blog № 21), where it is nurtured and matured. 

The above things cause a battle within the inner recesses of those who know Jesus. The worldview of the old covenant now became identified by the worldview of the new covenant, namely the worldview of Jesus Christ. That is because the "enmity that God placed" (cf. blog № 23) in the memory of the people in Genesis becomes fully effective when people have the worldview of Jesus Christ (cf. blog № 22).

Maria K. M.

 2023/04/17

87. The New Testament within the New Testament, Part 1

The difficulty with the Book of Revelation comes from the fact that itself clearly states that it is both a book of the revelation of Jesus Christ and a book of prophecy (cf. Revelation 1:1), and that at the same time, it is a book of training for the disciples (cf. Revelation 1:3). Additionally, the zeal of God to let the next generations, who did not know Jesus directly, share the sense of the disciples who had shared the world view of Jesus Christ (cf. blog № 76) seems to amplify the difficulty with the book. So, with these things in mind, I would like to devote the subsequent few issues to putting the context of the Book of Revelation, which we have been discussing, into perspective. 

The author was again filled with the Spirit and saw the throne in heaven, the One sitting on it, and the elders. There, the first event occurs that implies the Holy Spirit has already descended (cf. Revelation 4:5). Next comes the scroll with the seven seals and the "Lamb" who breaks these seals. The first and second seals referred to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark (cf. blog № 13), respectively, while the third and fourth seals to the Gospels of Luke and John (cf. blog № 14). The fifth and sixth seals referred to the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's epistles (cf. blog № 15). The seventh seal is for the Book of Revelation. When the seal was opened, seven trumpets were given to the seven angels, and every time they blew them, a "plague" occurred. These were manifestations of the effects of the seven books of the New Testament (cf. blog № 16). These descriptions indicate seven New Testament books are within the Book of Revelation. In addition, the reference to the seven Catholic Epistles (cf. blog № 12) means that in the Book of Revelation, the whole New Testament was already settled. 

Thus, the Book of Revelation has a style of "Revelation is in the New Testament and the New Testament in Revelation." That was to inject the imagery of God's "works themselves" into the memory of the trainees by projecting Jesus' words from the Gospel of John, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves" (John 14:11), into the structure of the Book of Revelation. 

The New Testament is a "little scroll" compared to the Hebrew Bible. The angel said to John, "Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth" (Revelation 10:9). These words are also for those blessed ones who receive Revelation as a book of training and try to read aloud and hear it and retain it in their memory (cf. Revelation 1:3). To have recited and heard Revelation so far, which is both a book of revelation of Jesus Christ and a book of prophecy, means that they have eaten the imagery of the New Testament and put it into their sensory memory. It is difficult (bitter) to commit it to your memory but easy (sweet) to hear in your own voice. Hence, this exercise can be continued as little as every day. With repetition, anyone can have the opportunity to put the New Testament imagery into their memory. So, John "took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it" (Revelation 10:10). 

Maria K. M.

 2023/04/10

86. The Lamb and the Bride

The word "bride" was essential to the nuptial mysticism that flourished in twentieth-century theology, which likened Christ to the bridegroom and the Church to the bride. But Jesus, who always spoke to the crowds in parables, never used the word "bride" and must have done so intentionally. That is because the word "bride" referred to the new covenant made in Jesus Christ, the Word of the Father, as its meaning became clarified thanks to the word of John the Baptist (cf. blog № 65). In other words, it is the New Testament. 

Just as John the Baptist called Jesus the "Lamb of God" (cf. John 1:29,36), in the Book of Revelation, the Holy Spirit is called the "Lamb" as the Advocate who is sent in Jesus' name and reminds us of his words. So, the "Lamb" is introduced at its beginning as follows: "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (Revelation 5:6). Then, "he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne" (Revelation 5:7), it is written. Since the Father and the Son are seated on the heavenly "throne" (cf. Revelation 3:21), "the right hand of him who was seated on the throne" refers to the Son. The "Lamb" then opens the seals of the seven scrolls, which prophesied the formation of the New Testament (cf. blog № 12-18). And the "Bride" appears towards the end of Revelation. From the context, we can read that the "bride," like the "bride" of the Gospel of John, whose meaning became clarified through the word of John the Baptist, signifies the New Testament that embodies the ministries of the "Lamb." 

The expression, "the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" (Revelation 19:7-8), shows that the New Testament became ready in heaven for "those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). After that, the end-time battle and the final judgement take place for the marriage supper to be held, then, a new heaven and new earth appear. The author wrote: "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). As Jesus had said, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power" (Mark 9:1), the author John saw the Kingdom of God that would emerge with the formation of the New Testament, the space of the marriage supper which both the dead and the living would participate in. Then, with the angel's words, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:9), the author was carried away to the high mountain in the spirit and shown the entire New Testament, the holy city itself. The New Testament is here referred to as "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" because it became the partner of the Lamb, who was said to be the seven spirits or the spirit of prophecy, so that he may shepherd (cf. Revelation 7:17) those who are said to "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). 

Finally, the "bride," the New Testament, together with the spirit, the "Lamb," calls for the Second Coming of the Word seated at the right hand of the Father: "Come" (Revelation 22:17). That is because the word of God, which has done what God wanted and fulfilled what God has entrusted to him, returns to God (cf. Isaiah 55:10-11). The Church, who hears this, must also say: "Come."

Maria K. M.

 2023/04/03

85. Nuptial Mysticism

Just as many religions seek in one way or another the union with a higher being, such as God, the universe, etc., which they each intuit, so there are Christians who, through mysticism, attempt to reach the highest level of mystical experience, the innermost depths of divinity, to unite with God. But not everyone succeeds in it, even though they undergo the hardships and sacrifices required. What Jesus wanted His disciples to do was to take up their own cross and follow Him. One's cross emerges as a concrete event in the daily life of the Christian. And to follow Jesus is to walk along "the way of Jesus," which appears when we voluntarily establish the routine of going to the Mass in daily life. The formation of the Holy Spirit and the training of Revelation help us to do so (cf. blog № 36). This path, which leads through the Word, the truth, to the Eucharist, the life, appears again as a path towards the Mass in front of the faithful who have attained union with God and have received the blessing of the dispensation. The Mass gives us the concrete experience of the words of Jesus, who assured us that "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). This experience is that of reaching the highest level of divine reality, the innermost depths of divinity. God asks Christians only to taste it voluntarily. 

Some mystics say they have seen Jesus. And some claim they must have received a divine revelation in some form. There are also those who record these particular experiences to claim they are genuine revelations. However, the fact that the Book of Revelation, which is placed at the end of the New Testament and declares itself to be the revelation of Jesus Christ (cf. Revelation 1:1), prophesies in it the formation of the New Testament is a sign that the divine revelation has already been completed in the New Testament (cf. blog № 12). In addition, Revelation warns: "I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book" (Revelation 22:18). Therefore, if anyone is convinced that he has received a new revelation from Jesus, he must be regarded as not the one who follows Jesus, and we must be on our guard. 

For a long time now, we have been moving away from the Book of Revelation itself and focusing on the causes of incidents that could be described as catastrophes for the Church (cf. blog № 57-№ 84). Nuptial mysticism, which has the Song of Songs as its source, blossomed in 20^th-century theology, tempting those who aspired to it into the fictional world and satisfying the sensibilities and preferences of people from different positions who were attracted to the images of the groom and the bride. As a result, the understanding of the Book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, some whose parts were used as an analogy, has also been subject to a marital bias and has not been appropriately understood as a book of revelation. For it to be appreciated, we had to wait for the true nature of the nuptial mysticism to be revealed over time (cf. blog № 69, № 70) and for the following words of Revelation to be fulfilled: "[F]or his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants" (Revelation 19:2).

Maria K. M.

2023/03/27

84. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life

As Jesus, who had prepared everything perfectly for the Holy Spirit and Christians, had announced at the last supper, the Holy Spirit descended and revealed it is righteousness, or the right thing, that Christians no longer see Jesus (cf. blog № 83). That is the divine reality and is guaranteed by Christ's statement, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well" (Matthew 6:33). 

The Kingdom of God appears in the Mass. The righteousness of God, the reality of no longer seeing Jesus Christ, makes the believer turn towards the Eucharist and all the more focus on it. That is because the way of Jesus, who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (John 14:6), brings his last supper to the "now" and once again makes "remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19) a reality. The first ones to have followed this way were Peter and John, who were sent by Jesus to prepare the Passover meal. The way they took to enter the city and meet the man carrying a water jar (the Holy Spirit) and the householder (the Father) appears before the believers (cf. Luke 22:7-20). Following this same path, believers attend the Mass in which they hear the Word, which is the truth. Then they see the Eucharist, the life, and proclaim: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Hearing this voice, they receive from the priest the consecrated host with their own hands, touch it, smell it and partake of it. We will receive the "image" of Christ, the risen one, his holy humanity, with our whole being only in thus using all six human senses. That is the experience of being united with God. The Holy Spirit freely draws this memory of the reality of God from the believer whenever he wants in a timely manner, and the believer becomes aware of the grace of God in himself. And as the believer establishes his daily routine on the concrete way of Jesus towards Mass again, he comes to take everything he encounters in everyday life as an event that happens on the way to the Mass. This routine becomes a sign to the world that indicates the way of Jesus Christ, embodied in the believer's life, leading to the Father in heaven. 

In addition, the reality of the Eucharist, being eaten by believers, dying and being digested, coincides with the incident that the body of Christ disappeared from the tomb. On the Cross, Jesus drew all people to himself (cf. John 12:32). In particular, he drew the evil spirits and other wandering spirits who remained in the world until the time of his appearance and took them with him at his death (cf. blog № 49). He then rose from the dead. This phenomenon still happens every time believers receive Holy Communion. Hence, for these spirits, the way to the Mass of believers is the "way of kings" (cf. blog № 55, № 56). 

Throughout its long history, the Church has experienced this distinctive divine reality. But at the same time, from the very beginning of its history, it has also surrendered itself to mysticism and has enjoyed its pleasure.

Maria K. M.