Faith and Revelation

Knowing God Through Sacred Scripture

Chapter 7

The Church Transmits God’s Revelation

Chapter Objectives

The student will be able to understand:

• • • • • • • • • • The Church as present from the beginning of time The power to forgive sins Doubting Thomas The Road to Emmaus appearance Jesus’ confirmation of St. Peter’s vocation The final preparation of his Apostles The election of St. Matthias Pentecost St. Peter’s first sermon Jesus, Son of David and David’s Lord • • • • • • • • • • • • The primitive Church St. Stephen Sabbath and Sunday worship The first Gentile conversion Saul The conversion of Cornelius The Council of Jerusalem The End Times The Book of Revelation and the liturgy The two beasts of Revelation The New Jerusalem God’s Final Judgment

Keys to Chapter 7

• After his Resurrection, Christ gave his Apostles a final, forty day preparation.

• Pentecost brought the Church to life, and St. Peter and the Apostles converted thousands.

• The history of the primitive Church is a turning from the Jewish to the Gentile world.

• Christ’s conversion of St. Paul gave the Church perhaps her greatest evangelist.

• The Church faces persecution and temptation in joyful hope of the Second Coming of Christ and the appearance of the New Jerusalem.

In This Chapter We Will Discuss:

• The Founding of the Church.

• The Divine mandate given the Church by Jesus Christ.

• The beginnings of the Church following the feast of Pentecost.

• What God has revealed about the end of time.

The Church Transmits God’s Revelation Lesson Objectives

• The Church as present from the beginning of time • The power to forgive sins • Doubting Thomas • The Road to Emmaus • Christ’s confirmation of St. Peter’s vocation

Jesus Christ: The Fullness of Divine Revelation Basic Questions

In what sense has the Church been in existence from the beginning?

The Church, as a human family living in communion with God and one another, has been present in a hidden way from the beginning.

Jesus Christ: The Fullness of Divine Revelation Basic Questions

Why does the Church have the power to forgive sins?

Christ gave his disciples his divine power to forgive sins.

Jesus Christ: The Fullness of Divine Revelation Basic Questions

What did Christ’s appearance to St. Thomas reveal?

Christ’s appearance to St. Thomas confirms both the necessity of faith and his physical Resurrection.

Jesus Christ: The Fullness of Divine Revelation Basic Questions

What did Christ’s appearance on the road to Emmaus reveal?

His appearance on the road to Emmaus revealed Christ fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.

Jesus Christ: The Fullness of Divine Revelation Basic Questions

What did Christ’s appearance on the shore of Lake Galilee reveal?

Christ confirmed St. Peter’s authority as chief shepherd of his Church when he appeared to the Apostles in Galilee.

Anticipatory Set

Incorporate Christ’s appearance on the road to Emmaus into opening prayer and then discuss:

Why do you think the two disciples did not recognize Christ?

How did the two disciples unconsciously know their companion was Christ even before they knew it with certainty?

What message did Christ teach the two disciples?

Focus Question

What are the two beginning points of the Church’s history?

They are Pentecost and the moment of creation.

Focus Question

Why is the moment of creation properly speaking the beginning of the Church?

God’s original intent—by creating Adam and Eve in his image—was a family of men and women living in communion with their Creator and with each other. This is the self-same nature of the Church.

Focus Question

What destroyed this original plan?

Original Sin destroyed it.

Focus Question

What is the essence of both the Old and New Testaments?

The Old Testament reveals how God worked to restore the communion between himself and man. The new Testament reveals the ultimate act of restoration through Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross, his Resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Focus Question

Just before his Ascension, what did Christ instruct his disciples to do?

They were to continue his mission on earth.

Focus Question

Why would the Apostles naturally be overwhelmed with their task?

There were only eleven of them, and they were mostly uneducated. Their leader had been mocked, tortured, and crucified by both the religious and political authorities.

Focus Question

What assistance did Christ promise his Apostles?

He promised the Holy Spirit who would “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Guided Exercise

Complete a paragraph shrink on two paragraphs (p. 234, “Meditating on his truth… if not in name.”).

Focus Question

What power did Christ give his Apostles on the night of his Resurrection?

He gave them the power to forgive sins.

Focus Question

How was the Apostles’ power to forgive sins an extension of God’s power to forgive sins?

Only God has the power to forgive sins. Christ, being God, properly exercised this power during his public ministry. Christ gave the Apostles—and they to their successors—this divine power.

Focus Question

What does the story of Doubting Thomas reveal?

First, it reveals faith is necessary to grasp the reality of Christ’s Resurrection. Second, it reveals the Resurrection was not an allegorical story or a symbolic representation of a transformation that took place within the Apostles; Jesus Christ really rose from the dead, bearing the marks of his Crucifixion.

Guided Exercise

Conduct a think/pair/share of the following question:

Christ said to St. Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20.29). How do those words apply to modern-day Christians?

Focus Question

What did the risen Christ explain to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus?

Christ illumined the Scriptures, showing how the history of Revelation pointed toward the events that had just taken place in Jerusalem. Christ was the fulfillment of all the covenants and the hope for mankind.

Focus Question

When did the two disciples recognize their companion was Christ?

They recognized him in the breaking of the bread.

Focus Question

What was the meaning of the breaking of bread in the early Church?

It meant the celebration of the Eucharist, the Mass.

Focus Question

Why were the Apostles probably surprised Christ told them to return to Galilee?

They were then in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and many were expecting Christ to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel immediately, whereas Galilee was an out-of the-way place.

Focus Question

What prophecy was fulfilled by the Apostles’ return to Galilee?

Isaiah foretold Galilee would be the place where the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel would begin: “In the latter time (God) will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Is 9:1).

Focus Question

What did the miraculous catch of 153 fish symbolize?

Greek naturalists had identified 153 different kinds of fish in the world. Symbolically, the Apostles had caught every different kind of fish. Since Christ had called the Apostles to be “fishers of men,” this implied the Apostles, with Christ’s help, would win converts from every land.

Alternative Assessment

Read Christ’s appearance to St. Mary Magdalene (Jn 20: 1-18) and then write about what this passage reveals.

Focus Question

Why did Christ ask St. Peter three times if he loved him?

By the charcoal fire on the shore of Lake of Galilee, Christ gave St. Peter the opportunity to reverse his threefold denial of Christ by the charcoal fire in the courtyard of Jerusalem.

Focus Question

What vocation did Christ confirm to St. Peter?

St. Peter was to be the shepherd who would tend Christ’s “lambs,” that is, all believers. In other words, Christ was repeating his invitation to St. Peter to be the rock upon which he would build the Church.

Pentecost

Lesson Objectives

• The final preparation of the Apostles • The election of St. Matthias • Pentecost • St. Peter’s first sermon • Jesus Christ, Son of David and David’s Lord

Pentecost Basic Questions

What did Christ do during the forty days he appeared to his Apostles after his Resurrection?

Christ taught his disciples about the Kingdom of God during the forty days after his Resurrection. The disciples waited in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost Basic Questions

Why did the Apostles replace Judas?

The Apostles, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel, elected St. Matthias to replace Judas.

Pentecost Basic Questions

What is Pentecost?

On Pentecost, the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost Basic Questions

What was the message of St. Peter’s first sermon at Pentecost?

St. Peter’s first sermon showed Christ, the very Person his audience had a hand in crucifying, was raised from the dead, fulfilling the prophecy God would not abandon his soul to Hades or let his Holy One see corruption.

Pentecost Basic Questions

What is the answer to the riddle, “How can David’s son be David’s Lord?

David called the Messiah both his son and his Lord because Jesus Christ was a descendant of David, thus his son, and the preexisting Son of God, thus David’s Lord.

Anticipatory Set

Read about the Ascension of Christ and the election of St. Matthias (Acts 1).

Focus Question

What prophecy of St. John the Baptist had Christ not yet fulfilled?

He was to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Focus Question

What did Christ say the Apostles’ ministry would be?

After having received the Holy Spirit, they would be Christ’s universal witnesses.

Focus Question

What does the phrase “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” describe?

It describes the restored Davidic Kingdom; the center at Jerusalem, then Judea (that which was left after the division between Israel and Judah), Samaria (the lost kingdom of Israel), and the ends of the earth (all the Gentile nations).

Focus Question

According to the Catechism, no. 1546, what is the nature of the common priesthood of all believers?

The Church is a Kingdom of priests. Each baptized person participates in Christ’s priesthood according to his own vocation.

Focus Question

How would this New Kingdom be different from David’s?

David’s was a temporal empire. The Church encompasses all nations and times with Christ reigning from Heaven, guiding his ministers to handle the earthly affairs of the Kingdom.

Focus Question

How did Christ spend the time between his Resurrection and his Ascension?

He prepared the Apostles for their mission as he had spent forty days in the desert preparing for his own.

Focus Question

Why did Christ instruct the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem?

They were to await the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Guided Exercise

Write on how Zechariah’s prophecy (Zec 2:11 12) had been fulfilled in the Church.

Focus Question

On what authority did St. Peter decide the Church needed to choose a successor of Judas?

Christ had told St. Peter to “feed his sheep,” that is, to be the chief shepherd of the Church.

Focus Question

Why is it important there be twelve Apostles?

St. Peter understood the choice of the Twelve was significant; a symbol of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Appointed by Christ to be the leader of the Apostles and of the Christian community, he decided it was necessary to replace Judas before the restoration of the Kingdom began.

Focus Question

What criteria was used to choose the successor of Judas?

Judas’s replacement had to have been with Christ from his Baptism until the Ascension so he could be an eyewitness to the Resurrection.

Focus Question

What does Pentecost mean, and what did the Jews celebrate at this feast?

Pentecost is from the Greek word fifty; it is the fiftieth day after Passover and the feast on which the Jews celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

Focus Question

How was Pentecost an international event?

Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate this festival.

Focus Question

What two similes did St. Luke use to describe the descent of the Holy Spirit?

There was a sound like the rush of a mighty wind, and tongues as of fire appeared.

Guided Exercise

Complete a focused reading of the paragraph, “In Greek, the word…” (p. 240) using the following question:

In the Church, what is the connection between the words office and bishop?

Focus Question

How did the assembled Jews from the various nations react to the Apostles’ speaking in various languages?

They were amazed, although some said they were drunk.

Focus Question

What was St. Peter’s message to the crowds in Jerusalem?

Christ and the events unfolding before their eyes fulfilled the covenants and inaugurated the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. They were seeing what the prophet Joel foretold; the Spirit of God poured out on everyone.

Focus Question

What does the question, “How can David’s son be David’s Lord,” mean when applied to Christ?

How can Christ be both the Son of God and the Son of David? If Christ is truly divine, how could he also have been born of man?

Focus Question

Why is it understandable Christ asked people this riddle during his public ministry?

It is the core of who the Messiah is; a Son of David and the Son of God.

Focus Question

Was this question ever answered in the Gospels?

No.

Focus Question

Who answered this question?

St. Peter, at Pentecost, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answered it.

Focus Question

What were some of the challenges St. Peter faced with his audience during his sermon at Pentecost?

Some mocked the Apostles, saying they were drunk; others had earlier turned against Christ and demanded his Crucifixion; and many looked down on the Apostles because they were from Galilee.

Focus Question

What approach did St. Peter adopt to persuade the crowd?

He appealed to their understanding of the Scriptures and showed how Christ fulfilled them.

Guided Exercise

Create a paragraph shrink on the paragraph “Jesus, being of both human and divine…” (p. 244).

Focus Question

According to St. Peter, why did David call his son my Lord?

The Son of David is also the Son of God; he entered history to accomplish the task of mankind’s salvation, and he now lives and reigns at the right hand of God the Father.

Focus Question

How does St. Peter explain the behavior of the disciples at Pentecost?

He explained the prophecy of Joel had been fulfilled; these are the last days in which God was pouring out his Spirit on ordinary sons and daughters of Israel.

Focus Question

What was the point of Christ’s miracles according to St. Peter?

They were the evidence—which many in St. Peter’s audience had personally witnessed or heard about from others—Christ was the Messiah sent to them by God.

Focus Question

According to St. Peter, how does Psalm 16 prophesy the Messiah would rise from the dead?

“Thou wilt not let the Holy One see corruption” (Acts 13:35; cf. Ps 16:10).

Alternative Assessment

Write about how Christ gave new meaning to the Jewish Feast of the Pentecost as he had done for the Passover?

The Primitive Church

Lesson Objectives

• The Primitive Church • St. Stephen • Sabbath and Sunday worship • The first Gentile conversion

The Primitive Church Basic Questions

How was the primitive Church?

The primitive Church grew quickly under St. Peter’s leadership and devoted herself to preaching, the Eucharist and the prayers, and caring for one another.

The Primitive Church Basic Questions

Who was St. Stephen?

After he was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the deacon St. Stephen delivered a courageous but inflammatory summary of Jewish history. Accused of blasphemy, St. Stephen was stoned to death, the first martyr.

The Primitive Church Basic Questions

How did the early Church worship?

The primitive Church publicly worshiped in synagogues on the Sabbath and then privately celebrated the Eucharist on Sunday.

The Primitive Church Basic Questions

Who was the Ethiopian eunuch, and why was he important?

Led by the Holy Spirit, St. Philip showed the Ethiopian eunuch Christ was the fulfillment of the Scriptures (Old Testament). When he asked for Baptism, the Apostle complied. The Ethiopian, who was barred from Judaism because he was a eunuch, was the first Gentile baptized into the Church.

Anticipatory Set

Complete a focused reading of the Catechism, no. 781 (p. 273), using the following question:

In what particular way does God desire his universal salvific will be carried out?

Focus Question

How did St. Peter show his authority at Pentecost?

He preached to the crowd and urged them to repent, believe, and be baptized. About three thousand were baptized that day.

Focus Question

What did the followers of Christ do during these days?

“They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). They listened to the Apostles’ preaching, took part in the Eucharist, and prayed. They shared their belongings with each other and the poor.

Focus Question

Who spoke for the Church when the Apostles were arrested by the Sanhedrin?

St. Peter

Focus Question

Why was the Sanhedrin forced to release the Apostles?

If they were to arrest the Twelve, they feared there might be a riot.

Focus Question

What was the Way?

It was what the early Church called herself.

Focus Question

What are deacons?

They are men the Apostles ordained to assist in the day-to-day activities of the Church. Extension: Deacon means servant.

Guided Exercise

Conduct a think/pair/share of the following question:

What was the effect of the persecution the Jewish authorities launched against the Church?

Guided Exercise

Brainstorm reasons many of the early conversions were relatively easy to achieve.

Focus Question

Why did St. Stephen come to the attention of the Jewish authorities?

He worked miracles and was a dynamic speaker.

Focus Question

What was the subject of St. Stephen’s preaching before the chief priests?

He explained the coming of Christ had been prophesied throughout the Scriptures (Old Testament).

Focus Question

Why did the court declare St. Stephen had committed blasphemy?

He said he was having a vision and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God.

Extension: This was a problem for the Sanhedrin because St. Stephen was saying Christ, whom they had condemned to death, was God’s anointed.

Focus Question

What did the authorities do to St. Stephen?

They stoned him to death; thus, he is the first Christian martyr.

Focus Question

What did the early Christians consider their place in Judaism?

They considered themslves Jews who kept the Sabbath and followed Jewish Law.

Focus Question

How did the early Christians worship?

They worshiped at the synagogue publicly on the Sabbath and celebrated the Eucharist privately on Sunday.

Focus Question

What does it mean to say the synagogue and Temple are united in the Christian Mass?

The first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, is descended from the synagogue liturgy with its scriptural readings and prayers. The second part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, came from the Temple liturgy of the thank offering and the Passover as Christ celebrated it at the Last Supper.

Focus Question

Who was the first Gentile to whom an Apostle preached?

St. Philip preached to an Ethiopian eunuch.

Focus Question

Why did St. Stephen preach to him?

He was sent by an angel.

Focus Question

Why was it not surprising the eunuch was reading the prophecy of Isaiah?

Since the time of Solomon, there had been a Jewish presence in Ethiopia, and, as a result, there were a good number of converts to the Jewish faith living there.

Focus Question

Why could the Ethiopian eunuch not become a Jew or proselyte?

According to Deuteronomy 23:1, a eunuch could not be a part of the Jewish community.

Focus Question

What did Isaiah promise pious eunuchs?

God promised they would one day be more important to him than sons and daughters.

Extension: This is fulfilled by those who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God, that is, accept the vocation to celibacy.

Focus Question

What was an effective argument the early Christians used to gain converts?

They showed how Christ fulfilled the Scriptures.

Focus Question

What was the significance of the Baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch?

He was the first Gentile baptized a Christian, bypassing Judaism. This was a sign the Gospel was for everyone.

Extension: Ethiopia was the farthest part of the known world.

Alternative Assessment

Complete Practical Exercise 8 about St. Stephen and the effect of the martyrs.

Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles Lesson Objectives

• Saul • The conversion of Cornelius • The Council of Jerusalem

Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles Basic Questions

Who was Saul?

Saul was a zealous Jew who persecuted the Church until Christ personally appeared to him and made him an Apostle.

Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles Basic Questions

What is the significance of the conversion of Cornelius?

God revealed to St. Peter the proselyte Cornelius and all his household should be baptized without becoming Jews first.

Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles Basic Questions

What was the significance of the Council of Jerusalem?

At the Council of Jerusalem, St. Peter’s decision that Gentile converts did not have to follow the Mosaic Law was accepted by the Church.

Anticipatory Set

Conduct a think/pair/share using the following questions:

Do you think the Apostles imagined soon everyone would be living the Mosaic Law and making pilgrimages to the Temple?

Why might they have assumed this?

Focus Question

Who was Saul?

He was an educated Jew and Roman citizen who was zealous for the Mosaic Law and willing to go to any length to curb abuses of it.

Focus Question

Why did Saul lead the persecution of the early Church?

The new practices and teachings being introduced by the believers of Christ seemed an abomination to him.

Focus Question

What did Christ mean when he said to Saul, “Why do you persecute me?”

Saul was persecuting the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Therefore, he was persecuting Christ himself.

Focus Question

Who was Cornelius?

He was a Roman commander and a proselyte of the Gate.

Focus Question

What did the voice in the kill and eat vision mean by, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean?”

First, all foods are clean, that is, may be eaten; this is a departure from Jewish dietary regulations. Second, if a man has been cleansed by Baptism, he is acceptable to God.

Focus Question

How did St. Peter know Cornelius and his household should be baptized.?

They had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and this convinced St. Peter they had the right to be baptized.

Extension: Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized.

Focus Question

Where did Sts. Paul and Barnabas go?

They traveled to Antioch, preached Christ, and won many Gentile converts.

Focus Question

What was the first name used to describe followers of Christ, and what new name did they receive in Antioch?

They called their religion “The Way.” In Antioch they were called Christians for the first time.

Focus Question

How did St. Paul correct St. Peter?

When these Jewish Christians appeared, St. Peter withdrew from eating with the Gentile Christians. St. Paul confronted St. Peter publicly, arguing, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:14).

Focus Question

How did Ananias argue with Christ?

He was afraid to go to Saul because Saul was such a danger to Christians.

Focus Question

Why were Christians in Jerusalem reluctant to bring St. Paul to the Apostles?

They had a hard time believing Saul had really converted to Christ.

Focus Question

What was the basic question the Church had to answer with respect to Gentiles?

Did a Gentile have to become a Jew before he could become a Christian?

Focus Question

When was the Council of Jerusalem?

It was held about AD 52.

Focus Question

What position did St. Peter take during the council?

Both Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity are saved by grace, not by following the Mosaic Law. Therefore, Gentile converts should not be burdened with Jewish customs and laws.

Focus Question

Why was it remarkable St. James supported St. Peter?

It was remarkable someone who loved and followed the Mosaic Law so perfectly would be so detached as not to impose it on others.

Alternative Assessment

Write how the Church might be different if the Council of Jerusalem had decided everyone who converted to Christianity had to follow the Mosaic Law completely.

Guided Exercise

Write the points St. Peter makes in Acts 15: 7 11.

Guided Exercise

Answer Practical Exercise 9 about the Church’s decision in the Council of Jerusalem as a fulfillment of Mosaic Law.

The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

Lesson Objectives

• The end times • The Book of Revelation and the liturgy

The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy Basic Questions

What are the end times?

The New Testament can be said to reference three “end times”; the end of the Old Covenant, which occurred with the destruction of the Temple AD 70; the final historical epoch, which began after the Resurrection of Christ; and the absolute end of history when Christ will return in glory.

The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy Basic Questions

How is the Book of Revelation like the liturgy?

The Book of Revelation is a kind of vision of the heavenly liturgy, and, like the Mass, it has two parts that are akin to the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Anticipatory Set

Incorporate Matthew 24:1-44, one of Christ’s discourses about the end of the age, into opening prayer.

Graphic Organizer

Review Matthew 24:1-44 and complete the following table about the three kinds of end-times statements in Christ’s teaching.

Example in Matthew 24 Type of Statement

End of the World Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple Life of the Church

Focus Question

What did the Early Christians seem to expect would take place soon?

They seemed to believe the end of the world was imminent.

Focus Question

What did Christ predict?

He said some of those standing with him would “see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Mt. 16:28), and “this generation will not pass away” (Mt 24:34) before the things he described will take place.

Focus Question

What actually did end?

Though the earth itself was not destroyed, the world of the Old Covenant—the world of man separated from God—was brought to a sudden and catastrophic end.

Focus Question

What do Christians seek regarding the end of the world?

Christ will establish a new Heaven and a new earth without pain and suffering in which his people will dwell in the eternal love of God.

Focus Question

Can anyone predict when the end of the world will come?

No; that is reserved for God.

Focus Question

What is the first key to understand the prophecies in the Book of Revelation?

The first key is to examine the historical setting in which the book was written.

Guided Exercise

Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question:

How was the destruction of the Temple the end of the world?

Focus Question

How did the revolt go at first?

At first it was successful, but then the Romans sent their best general, Vespasian, who turned the tide in Rome’s favor.

Focus Question

What did Christians do when the Romans closed in on Jerusalem?

They withdrew from Jerusalem to the town of Pella in the mountains across the Jordan. This fulfilled Christ’s words, “Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Focus Question

What happened to the Temple?

As Christ had prophesied, the Temple was razed and not rebuilt.

Focus Question

How did Christ’s original followers interpret these events?

They saw them as the fulfillment of Christ’s words, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place.” The Greek word generation usually refers to a period of about forty years, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple came almost exactly forty years after Christ’s prophecy.

Focus Question

To what two ends of time does the Book of Revelation refer?

It refers to the end of the world when Christ will return and the historical epoch that began after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is, the last 2000 years.

Focus Question

What had St. John the Apostle witnessed by the end of his life?

He had witnessed the end of Israel, which had been destroyed by the Romans.

Focus Question

What did Florus do?

His cruel rule of Judea was marked by massacres of innocent Jews.

Focus Question

How did fanatical Jews respond to Florus’s oppression?

They revolted, attacked Roman soldiers, and murdered any Jews they suspected of collaborating with the Romans.

Focus Question

What is the second key to open up the Book of Revelation for understanding?

The Mass, or Divine Liturgy, is the second key.

Focus Question

Of what is the Book of Revelation a vision?

It is a vision of the heavenly liturgy, that is, the loving act of worship and praise that occurs continually in Heaven. The liturgy Christians celebrate on earth is a participation in the heavenly one.

Focus Question

How are the Book of Revelation and the liturgy related?

The structure of the Book of Revelation is the same as that of the liturgy. The Book of Revelation is divided into two parts, the first corresponding to the Liturgy of the Word and the second corresponding to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Focus Question

When did St. John’s vision take place?

It took place on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when Christians everywhere were celebrating the Mass.

Focus Question

Who is “one like a son of man”?

It is Christ.

Focus Question

How is the beginning of the Book of Revelation similar to the beginning of the Mass?

This section, a call to repentance, is like the Penitential Rite before the Liturgy of the Word.

Guided Exercise

Review St. John’s vision of Christ knocking at the door (Rev 3:20), and then discuss the following question:

How does the open door relate to human freedom.

Focus Question

What do the seven seals represent?

They are a series of symbolic events that hold reference to both events of the time and lasting truths of the Faith.

Focus Question

How do the four horsemen suggest the Jewish war of revolt?

The first horse rides out to conquer; the other three bring war, famine, and death. The Jewish rebels started the war against Rome to free Israel, but the result was a terrible war, the starvation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the deaths of over one million.

Focus Question

What is the mark received by the 144,000?

The cross-shaped Tau is put on the foreheads of the servants of God. 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel, to protect them from destruction.

Focus Question

What is the dual meaning of those who are marked?

They are both the Jewish Christians who fled to the mountains across the Jordan and the full number of those who will be saved at the end of time.

Focus Question

How does the seventh seal recall Exodus?

The seven angels blow seven trumpets, and each of the first six trumpets release a plague to punish the earth, recalling the plagues the Egyptians suffered. As in Exodus, the wicked refuse to repent.

Focus Question

What is the overall story told in this section of Revelation?

God calls people to repentance. Some repent; others do not. God protects those who remain faithful to him, and those who are not faithful are left to suffer the misery of their abandonment.

Focus Question

In St. John’s vision of God enthroned with all the heavenly beings forever worshiping him, of what would St. John’s original hearers be reminded?

They would have thought of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Focus Question

What is the relationship between the Lion of Judah and the Lamb?

These are both symbols of Christ.

Extension: The Lion of Judah is the image of a conquering champion. The victory of salvation was won by the Lamb of God, who was slain.

Focus Question

When was the Ark of the Covenant supposed to have reappeared according to 2 Maccabees?

It would be rediscovered when “God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy” (2 Mc 2:7).

Focus Question

What did St. John introduce immediately following the Ark?

St. John gave the vision of a woman with child pursued by the great red dragon.

Focus Question

What does the great dragon in the vision want to do?

It wants to devour the child after he will have been born.

Focus Question

What is the destiny of the child?

He is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, and he is caught up to God and to his throne.

Focus Question

What happened to the woman?

She fled into the wilderness where she was protected by God.

Focus Question

How is the Blessed Virgin Mary the New Ark of the Covenant?

The Ark of the Covenant contained the tablets of the Law, some manna from Heaven, and Aaron’s rod. Mary bore in her womb the child who is the Word of God, the Bread of Life, and the one who will rule the nations with a rod of iron. Mary carried Christ in her womb; therefore, she contained these things insider her as the Ark contained its contents.

Focus Question

How is the woman like the Church?

As the woman was attacked by the dragon but protected by God in the wilderness, the Church was attacked by the Devil but was kept safe in Pella.

Focus Question

How does the vision of the woman with child relate to Adam and Eve?

The serpent tempted Adam and Eve and conquered them. Christ and Mary, the New Adam and Eve, overcame the dragon.

Alternative Assessment

Write about St. John’s vision as an allegory of the saving actions of Christ’s life, Death, and Resurrection.

The End of the World

Lesson Objectives

• The two beasts of Revelation • The New Jerusalem • God’s Final Judgment

The End of the World Basic Questions

What are the two beasts of Revelation?

The two beasts in Revelation 13 represent corrupt governments that persecute the Church and seduce mankind.

The End of the World Basic Questions

What is the New Jerusalem?

The New Jerusalem is the city of the redeemed. It has no Temple because God will directly dwell with his people.

The End of the World Basic Questions

What is God’s Final Judgment?

God will recompense us for the good or evil we have done. Persons and even particular churches will be lost if they choose not to adhere to the Faith, of which the seven churches of Asia are an example.

Anticipatory Set

Read the Catechism, no. 676 (p. 273) and then discuss the Antichrist.

Focus Question

What are the meaning of the horns and the diadems of the first beast?

The horns symbolize power, and the diadems symbolize royal authority.

Focus Question

What is the significance of the beast having seven heads?

This beast possesses a kind of diabolic perfection.

Focus Question

Overall, what does the beast represent?

The beast seems to represent the seductive power of temporal might. This may refer both to the powerful, tyrannical governments of the day such as the Roman Empire or the dynasty of Herod and to any corrupt government that has existed since.

Focus Question

What kind of creature is the second beast?

It is a lamb in disguise, a kind of counterfeit Christ that can work miracles yet seduces man to evil.

Focus Question

What is the significance of the number 666?

It might be a numerological reference to Nero or to anyone who can seduce with the tyranny of power.

Guided Exercise

Write about how the New Jerusalem is already present on earth through the Mass.

Guided Exercise

Conduct a think/pair/share of the following question:

The New Jerusalem can be compared to a bride adorned for her husband. What does this comparison tell us about the New Jerusalem?

Focus Question

What is the overall narrative of the Book of Revelation?

It is the symbolic retelling of the conquest of Christ over sin and death.

Extension: This is the same narrative re-presented during each Mass.

Focus Question

What is the New Jerusalem?

It is the new “place” where God dwells with his people.

Focus Question

What is an effect of God dwelling with his people in the New Jerusalem?

There is no longer suffering, sadness, or death.

Focus Question

How is the New Jerusalem like the Garden of Eden?

God and his people dwell together as it was in the Garden, and God’s original intent for creation is realized because his people live in joy, love, and worship.

Focus Question

Why is there no Temple in the New Jerusalem?

God himself is the Temple and provides the city’s light.

Focus Question

How does the New Jerusalem fulfill what the prophets foresaw through the Davidic Covenant?

According to the Davidic Covenant, the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into Jerusalem, and its gates shall never be shut. This is what is promised in the New Jerusalem.

Focus Question

What does the Book of Revelation accomplish?

It reveals (1) the intention of God’s will in history after the Resurrection of his Son, (2) the Church as the Bride of Christ manifesting God to the world until the end of time, and (3) the way Heaven is available on earth to those who live a Christian life of godly worship.

Focus Question

What warning does the Book of Revelation issue?

St. John urged the seven Churches to repent and be faithful to Christ. None of these churches now exists. Each person has to decide whether to be faithful to Christ or be seduced by the beast.

Focus Question

What is the final promise God made in the Book of Revelation?

God will reward or repay everyone according to what he or she has done.

Alternative Assessment

According to Sacred Scripture, no one can really imagine how Heaven will be.

Write about what you think or hope about Heaven.