The Book of the Apocalypse is a fitting finale to the Bible, because it foretells the coming of God’s Kingdom and the triumph of good over evil. Apocalypses are written in times of struggle and danger for God’s faithful. The Book of Daniel was written during the persecution of Antiochus IV and the Apocalypse, when the Roman Empire oppressed the Christian community. The scribe names himself John, but he was almost certainly not John the Evangelist; all we know is that he was exiled to Patmos and experienced a series of visions. These are rich in imagery and show a very definite Jewish background.
The Lamb is the central figure in the visions. He is the only one able to undo the seals (Apoc. 5 & 6). At the end of the book he is wedded to the Bride (Apoc. 19:6-9), and sun or moon will not be needed any more because he is the Light (Apoc. 21:23). In today’s reading the Lamb is again the central figure. He is surrounded by all kinds of people, who have shared in his suffering and are now glorified.
We hear so much in the news about evil world leaders, who inflict so much injury and death on the innocent. It is easy to forget the countless number of unrecognised people whom Jesus spoke about in the Beatitudes. Today we remember all those who enriched our lives. They are the 144,000, a biblical number expressing completeness. It is the multiplication of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles, which signifies the fulfilment of God’s plan.