Old Testement

APOCALYPSE

This catholic fine art print is centered on the last book of sacred scripture. In this book St. John poetically describes the vision he was given on the island of Patmos while he was a prisoner. The book is written as all apocalyptic literature both from the old testament and contemporary of St. John’s day with wondrous imagery, symbolic numbers and colors, and liturgical references to describe what eye has not seen nor ear has heard nor even entered the human heart what God has prepared for those who love him. St. John uses similar imagery as Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and other prophets from the Old Testament to describe the similar visions they saw. The book opens with a vision of Jesus in divine splendor and authority to warn the seven symbolic churches in what is now Turkey of there failings and admonishes each church to repent of their particular sins. These seven admonishments are seen by the church fathers to be warnings to the church of all time and places of the potential faults and errors that church will face and the need to repent and reform. The imagery of the heavenly liturgy throughout the book is complete with glorious hymns, prayers and incense, and divine rubrics. The rest of the book records in vivid poetical narrative what will occur toward the end of time culminating in the Victory of the Lamb and his angels and saints over the great dragon (Satan) and his followers. The book ends with the great wedding feast of the Lamb and his bride the church as the glorious heavenly Jerusalem appearing before St. John. This particular image of the apocalypse is full of vivid details from the book.

Just above the central image is a dove that represents the Holy Spirit, who is the primary author of the Apocalypse and of all sacred scripture. The two large circles on either side of the central image each contain the five-pointed star of the old covenant and the eight-pointed star of the new covenant, which speak of the one Word of God- Jesus. The large circle just below the central image contains an image of the morning star that Jesus calls himself several times in the Apocalypse and to which St. Peter makes reference in his second letter (2 Peter 2; 19). To the left and right of the morning star are two Greek letters Alpha and Omega that Jesus also calls himself several times in the Apocalypse meaning that he is the beginning and end of all things.

Catholic fine art and prints - innerwindows.net