The end times, people are waiting for a long time. Since 33g. B.C. and up to the latest time, periodically another mystic solemnly declares that the universal death is not far off - in connection to this we can remember the predictions of Charles Russell and Joseph Rutherford, "founding fathers" of the society of Jehovah's witnesses or the prophecies of seventh-day Adventists. But, undoubtedly, in this series the most famous prophecy of this kind, the biblical Apocalypse, the book of St. John the theologian...

In a literal translation of the Apocalypse means of "disclosure"or "revelation", and not the death of the world.

Who will hear the Revelation?

Revelation is the last of the members of the canonical Bible books that describe the events preceding, according to the author, the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth. It is considered (although this is debatable)that Revelation was written directly by the disciple John, the son of Shed-deevil, during his imprisonment on the island of Patmos at the end of the first century B.C. in the last years of the reign of the Emperor Domitian (81-96 years BC). And, strictly speaking, is addressed it is not for us, as representatives of seven small first Christian communities, located on the territory of Turkey and experienced enormous pressure from a variety of pagan cults. By the way, most of those first believers not know how to read, and Revelation was written so that it was possible to tell, to listen and to perceive thanks memorable images that really affects human imagination, but it is quite clear to contemporaries.

Imagine, just a few small communities, a drop in the sea in a hostile environment, exposed to, on the one hand, persecuted for their strange new faith in the one God among admirers of pagan cults, and on the other, the temptation to throw seemingly hopeless cause. The task John - not to intimidate, but on the contrary, to encourage their co-religionists, showing them pictures of the new world, which is very soon, throughout their life! evil will be defeated and punished, justice will prevail, and steadfast righteous will receive a worthy reward for their faith. These righteous people should not confuse the current visual Majesty of the seven-headed-century Beast - Imperial Rome stands on seven hills, which will certainly be defeated, for his days are numbered.

Almost all of the imagery of Revelation easily decrypted. From the "number of the Beast", which can be considered "whosoever has the mind": from the point of view of applied numerology, the number denotes the name of one of the most ruthless persecutor of Christians of the Emperor Nero (in Hebrew and Greek writing each letter corresponded to a certain number, the sum of which was the number of the name). However, there is a version that this number does not 666, 616, and it implies not Nero, and Gaius Caligula, has disposed to set their own statue in the Jerusalem temple, and thereby committed unheard of sacrilege.

Next, what do the colors of the horses of the Apocalypse, which is called the Conqueror, War, Famine and Death and are distinguished by color. This is also not a secret.

Color of horses, of course, is symbolic. So, red (red is the color of blood, but the color of luxury and glory, conquered by Rome price shed bloody rivers; crow - black is the color of suffering and hunger. In the hand of the rider on the white horse - bow, a symbol of revenge Rome: exactly were armed with bows Parthian cavalrymen, representing the Empire's most terrible and immediate threat. Some scholars point specifically to Wologizi I, Parthian Shah, who came into the fight with the Roman Empire and won a very important battle in 62 A.D.

The historical context has affected the image of Hunger, the rider on a black horse. "And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts saying, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; the oil and the wine don't hurt". In the days of John the theologian penny was extremely high price. Rider is in the hand of the measure, or scales, meaning the way of dividing bread in time of famine. It is understood that in connection with the hunger grain prices will rise sharply, and the price of the wine and oil will not change. We are talking about the abundance of luxury at an almost complete exhaustion of essential goods such as bread.

And what is Armageddon, why field of the last battle between Good and Evil on the eve of the last judgment is called in revelation this way? And here everything is simple. Hill har Megiddo 10 kilometres from Afula in the North of Israel have seen more than a dozen bloody battles. And on this hill in the time of John stood sixth Roman Legion, controlling the road and trade routes and for his special power and ruthlessness called Ironsides. Camp sixth Legion terrified the whole Empire - than not the forces of darkness, concentrated in Magic-up?..

It is interesting that, unlike the "prophecies" later predictors, promises John turned out to be not unfounded. Although, a little later than anticipated, but the seemingly indestructible Roman Empire really fell, and the Christian Church incredibly rose and has gained tremendous power for many centuries. And this has greatly contributed to the prisoner from the Isle of Patmos, the author of the Revelation, who thanks to his powers of persuasion to inflate barely smoldering in the hearts of his supporters light of faith to almost incredible size and give them the courage to survive and not to succumb to the pagan temptations.

The first believers are very optimistic perceived Revelation, without fear waiting for the end of the world because of the accident will die only unjust, they created relied receiving eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

As for the specific date, in the revelation of St. John, as in the Bible as a whole, there has never been assigned. In Mark 13:32) it is written: "but Of that day or hour no one knows, neither the Angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

The Bible and therefore is considered a sacred book that her predictions often come true. But other prophecies such precision differ not always.

Unreasonable expectation

The same Jehovah's witnesses, for example, only in the XX century had predicted the end of the world as many as eight times in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975 and 1994. In the end, they worked it out, declaring that Jesus actually already come, but rules "invisible".

Especially the "good" looked predictions of some of William Miller. First, on the basis of in-depth Bible study, this gentleman has announced a specific date - April 23, 1843. He was so convincing that many farmers sold all his property, dismissed workers, distributed stocks and refused to sow the fields, convinced that now all this has to anything and the Lord is coming to save the world from sin and to give those who believe in Him eternal salvation. When this doesn't happen, Miller was slightly surprised at my mistake in calculations and... simply moved the end of the world on October 1844. Interestingly, all the same farmers have once got trapped again believed him and even began to actively buy up white mantle to ascension", which sold them, "prophet", assuring that these garments only correspond to "dress code", prescribed for meeting ceremony of the Creator. (It is strange that nobody was surprised why he sells, and, at least, not giving the gift: why the prophet money after the second coming?..) Anyway, on the appointed date Adventists, dressed in Millerovo mantle, and went to the hills to wait for the Lord. Some very impatient even attempted to fly, strapping makeshift wings of Turkey feathers, but it was all over the falls and fractures. At midnight it became clear: this time the expected coming was not held. Miller had to admit that he was wrong again about the exact dates, and Adventists since called the incident a bummer Great disappointment.

With the acceleration of scientific and technological progress of various wild superstitions not only die, but, on the contrary, flourish even more lush color, put on a "scientific" basis. From the first years of the XXI century: remember the "mistake 2000", the presumed failure in computer systems, which most certainly will start a nuclear war! And then it became already a good tradition to wait for the Apocalypse more often than New year.