An Apocalypse in the terminology of early Jewish and Christian literature, is a revelation of hidden things given by God to a chosen prophet; this term is more often used to describe the written account of such a revelation. Apocalyptic literature is of considerable importance in the history of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, as beliefs such as the resurrection of the dead, judgment day, heaven and hell are all made explicit in it. Apocalyptic beliefs predate Christianity, appear in other religions, and have merged into contemporary secular society, especially through popular culture (see Apocalypticism). Apocalypse-like beliefs also occur in other religious systems; an example is the Hindu concept of pralay.
From the second century, the term "Apocalypse" was applied to a number of books, both Jewish and Christian, which show the same characteristic features. Besides the Apocalypse of John (now generally called the Book of Revelation) included in the New Testament, the Muratorian fragment, Clement of Alexandria, and others mention an Apocalypse of Peter. Apocalypses of Adam and Abraham (Epiphanius) and of Elias (Jerome) are also mentioned; see, for example, the six titles of this kind in the "List of the 60 Canonical Books".
The use of the Greek noun to designate writings belonging to a certain class of literary products is thus of Christian origin, the original norm of the class being the New Testament Book of Revelation. In 1832 Gottfried Christian Friedrich Lücke explored the word "Apocalypse" as a description of the book of Revelation, a usage obtained from the opening words of the book which refer to an apocalpyse (prophecy) of Jesus Christ given to John, who wrote the text. In Greek the opening words are 'Aπōκάλυψις 'Iησōῦ Χριστōῦ.
Jesus and me @4:00 AM Jesus and me @4:00 AM Jesus and me @2:45 AM Jesus and me @2:09 AM
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After a short introduction (ch. 1:1–10), it contains an account of the author, who identifies himself as John, and of two visions that he received on the isle of Patmos. The first vision (chs. 1:11–3:22), related by "one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle", speaking with "a great voice, as of a trumpet", are statements addressed to the seven churches of Asia. The second vision comprising the rest of the book (chs. 4–22) begins with "a door … opened in heaven" and describes the end of the world—involving the final rebellion by Satan at Armageddon, God's final defeat of Satan, and the restoration of peace to the world.
Revelation is considered one of the most controversial and difficult books of the Bible, with many diverse interpretations of the meanings of the various names and events in the account. Protestant founder Martin Luther considered Revelation to be "neither apostolic nor prophetic" and stated that "Christ is neither taught nor known in it" [1].
In the 4th century, St. John Chrysostom and other bishops argued against including this book in the New Testament canon, chiefly because of the difficulties of interpreting it and the danger for abuse. Christians in Syria also reject it because of the Montanists' heavy reliance on it. In the 9th century, it was included with the Apocalypse of Peter among "disputed" books in the Stichometry of St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople. In the end it was included in the accepted canon, although it remains the only book of the New Testament that is not read within the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church
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One passed this highway, the boy would take a short cut by passing by the church every morning just to say Hi to God, and faithfully say his, “Magandang umaga po” in Bicol dialect. He was faithfully being watched by a Priest who was happy to find innocence soup lifting in the morning, “ Kamusta Andoy! Papasok ka ba? Opo Padre….” he would flash his innocent grin, the priest would be touched.
He was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy, “From school…” he advised “Do not cross the highway, you can pass through the Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road…that way I can see that you are home safe…, Thank you father!, Why don’t you go home…do you stay in this church right after school? I just want to say Hi! to my friend, God,” and the priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking by himself, but he was behind the altar to listen to what this boy has to say to his heavenly Father. “You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat although my seatmate is bullying me for notes…I ate one cracker and drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker. Thank you for this! I saw poor kitten who was hungry…and I know how he feels, so I gave my last cracker. Look, this is my pair of slippers…I may have to walk barefoot next week…you see this is about to be broken…but it is okay…at least I am still going to school…some says we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stooped going to school…please help them get to school again, please God? …..Oh, you know, Inay had hit me again, it is painful, but I know this will pass away, at least I still have a mother…God, you want to see my bruise? I know you can heal them…here…here…and …oh…blood…I guest you knew about this one huh? Please don’t be mad at Inay she just tired and she worries for the food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us…Oh, I think I am in love…there’s this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita…do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don’t have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best friend!!! Hey your birthday is two days from now!!! Aren’t you excited? I am! wait ‘till you see, I have a gift for you…but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Ooooops, I have to go…”then he stood up
and call out , “Padre, Padre, I am finished talking to my friend…you can accompany me to the other side of the road now.
This routine happens everyday. Andoy never fails. Father Agaton shares this ever Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at negative situations.
One Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he could not make it in the church, he was sent to the hospital. The church was left to 4 manna’s who would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour, would not smile and would always find fault in what you do, they are also very well versed incurring if you irritate them! They were kneeling, saying their kilometric rosary when Andoy, coming from his Christmas party, playfully dashed in,
“Hello God!!!” I P----!!! (a curse) Bata ka!!!!!! Alam mong nang may nagdadasal!!!alis!!!alis!!!alis!!!”
Poor Andoy was so terrified, “ where’s Father Agaton! He supposed to help me cross the street…and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church…not only that, I have to greet Jesus—it is His birthday, I have a gift right here…” just as he was about to get the gift out his shirt, the manang pulled out of his shirt and threw him out of the church. “Susmaryosep!!!” (does a sign of the cross fervently) alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan ka!!! So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the church.
He crossed. A fast moving bus came in. There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crow dead the poor boy, the body a lifeless young boy…. suddenly , out of a nowhere a tall man in pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears…He came and carried the boy in His arms, He was crying. Curious by standers nudged the man in white, and asked, “ excuse me sir, are you related to this child? Do you know this child?” The man in white, His face mourning and in agony, lifted up and answered, “ He was my Best friend…” was all he said. He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and placed it near His heart. He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight. The crowd was curious.
On Christmas eve, Father Agaton learned of the shocking news. He visited the house, and wanted to verify about the man in white. He consulted the parent of Andoy. “ How did you know that your son died?” “A man in white brought him here. “sobbed the mother. “What did he say?” The father answered “He did not say anything. He was mourning. We do not know him and yet he was very lonely at our son’s death, as is he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him. He gave me my son , and then he smiled peacefully. He rubbed my son’s hair away from his face and kissed him
on his forehead, then he whispered something…, What did he say? “He is my boy” the father began, “ Thank you for the gift…I will see you soon, you will be with me” and the father of the boy continue, “ and you know for while, it felt so wonderful…I cried, but I do not know why…all I know is I cried in tears of joy I could not explain it father , but when that man left, something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense of love inside…I could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy is in heaven now…but…tell me father who is this man that my son talk to everyday in your church, you should know because you are always there…except on the of his death…?”
Father Again suddenly felt the tears welling in his eyes, with trembling knees, he murmured, “……. He was talking to no one…but…God…”
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The subordinate ministers appointed in the Mosaic Law for the service of the Tabernacle and of the Temple.
Levi was the third son borne to Jacob by Lia, and full brother of Ruben, Simeon, and Juda. Together with Simeon he avenged the humiliation of their sister Dina by the slaughter of Sichem and his people (Genesis 34), for which deed of violence the two brothers were reproved both in Genesis 34:30, and in the prophecy attributed to the patriarch in Genesis 49:5-7.
Waiving all critical discussion connected with this incident as also with the other events connected with the history of the tribe, the next point to be noticed is the connexion of Levi with the priesthood. According to the received Biblical account, all the male descendants of the patriarch were set apart by Moses, acting under Divine command, for the service of the sanctuary, a distinction which may have been due to the religious zeal manifested by the tribe on the occasion of the idolatrous worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:25-29). As it was also the tribe to which Moses himself belonged, it could probably be relied upon more than the others to sustain the legislator in the establishment and promotion of his religious institutions among the people. The sacred calling of the Levites is mentioned in various passages of the Pentateuch. For instance, the author of the first chapters of Numbers (P), after recalling (iii; cf. Exodus 28:29; Leviticus 8:9) the names and sacred functions of the sons of Aaron, adds the designation of the entire tribe of Levi who were to "stand in the sight of Aaron the priest to minister to him. And let them watch, and observe whatsoever appertaineth to the service of the multitude before the tabernacle of the testimony, and let them keep the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in the ministry thereof." Though in Numbers 18:23, the special mission of the tribe is described broadly as a mediation between the Lord and his people, and though the Levite mentioned in the interesting and very ancient passage of Judges (17 and 18) is represented as exercising without qualification the functions of the priesthood, it is held by many commentators that at an early date a distinction was made between the priests of the family of Aaron and the simple Levites--a distinction which became very pronounced in the later religious history of the Chosen People. The ceremonies with which the simple Levites were consecrated to the service of the Lord are described in Numbers 8:5-22. Besides their general function of assisting the priests, the Levites were assigned to carry the Tabernacle and its utensils, to keep watch about the sanctuary, etc. As most of their duties required a man's full strength, the Levites did not enter upon their functions before the age of thirty.
In the distribution of the Land of Chanaan after the conquest, Josue, acting according to instructions received from Moses, excluded the tribe of Levi from sharing like the others in the territory. "But to the tribe of Levi he gave no possession: because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their possession" (Joshua 13:33) It way be noted that a very different reason for this exception is mentioned in Genesis 49:5-7. In lieu of a specified territory, the members of the tribe of Levi received permission to dwell scattered among the other tribes, special provision being made for their maintenance. Besides the tithes of the produce of land and cattle, and other sacerdotal dues already granted by Moses, the Levites now received from each of the other tribes four cities with suburban pasture lands, or forty-eight in all (Joshua 21). Among these were included the six cities of refuge, three on each side of the Jordan, which were set aside to check the barbarous custom of blood revenge, still existing among the Arab tribes, and in virtue of which the kinsmen of a man put to death consider it a duty to avenge him by the killing of his intentional or even unintentional slayer. It is probable, however, that these administrative dispositions concerning the Levites were not fully carried out until some time after the conquest, for, during the long period of transition between the wandering life of the desert and the fully organized civilization of later times, the priests and Levites seem to have had a rather precarious mode of existence. Taking the story of Michas (Judges 17) as illustrative of the condition of the Levitical order during that early period, it would appear that the priestly functionaries were inadequately provided for and had to wander about to secure a livelihood.
The elaborate and highly differentiated organization of the priestly or Levitical system, described with such abundance of detail in the priestly writings of the Old Testament, was doubtless the result of a long process of religious and ritualistic development which attained its fullness in the post-Exilic period. As elsewhere in the history of ancient religions, there appears in the beginnings of Hebrew history a period when no priestly class existed. The functions of the priesthood were performed generally by the head of the family or clan without need of a special sanctuary, and there is abundant evidence to show that for a long time after the death of Moses the priestly office was exercised, not only occasionally, but even permanently, by men of non-Levitical descent. The Deuteronomic legislation insists on the unity of sanctuary, and recognizes the descendents of Levi as the sole legitimate members of the priesthood, but it ignores the sharply defined distinction between priests and simple Levites which appears in the later writings and legislation, for the whole class is constantly referred to as the "levite priests". This category excludes the purely lay priest who is no longer tolerated, but if any Levite be willing to leave his residence in any part of the land and come to Jerusalem, "He shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, that shall stand at that time before the Lord. He shall receive the same portion of food that the rest do; besides that which is due him in his own city, by succession from his fathers" (Deuteronomy 18:6-8). In the post-Exilic writings the detailed organization and workings of the levitical system then in its full vigour are adequately described, and a certain number of the regulations pertaining thereto are ascribed to King David. Thus, it is to the period of his reign that I Par. refers the introduction of the system of courses whereby the whole sacerdotal body was divided into classes, named after their respective chiefs and presided over by them. They carried out their various functions week by week, their particular duties being determined by lot (cf. Luke 1:5-9). We read also that during the reign of David the rest of the Levites, to the number of thirty-eight thousand, ranging from the age of thirty years and upwards receive a special organization (1 Chronicles 23-26). Levites are mentioned only three times in the New Testament (Luke 10:32; John 1:19; Acts 4:36), and these references throw no light on their status in the time of Christ.
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pde kaung mag comment if you like(just look under every topic and click--comments niu powh..and for others,,merong prayer request..
dahil jan matu2lungan kitang i-pray your personal intensions or iba pa,, and bakah ipagpray din yan ng iba pang makakakitah, o dibah(yan ang prayer partners)!!
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