Official Church Teaching
The Catholic Church's stance
The official Catholic teaching directly relates to the modern social interpretations of the Book of Revelations as a whole. This official teaching directly attacks one of the more confusing issues in Revelation 7. It denies the idea that there is only one hundred forty-four thousand people of Israel that will be saved. In The Book of Revelation, Robert Mounce writes, “The number is obviously symbolic. 12 (the number of tribes) is both squared and multiplied by 1,000 – a twofold way of emphasizing completeness” (Mounce 168). This is an echo of the general understanding of Catholics, that the number is merely symbolic, despite some sects of Christianity taking this quote literally.
The list of the tribes in Revelation 7 is a second controversial topic, as there is evidence that it has changed over time. In The List of the Tribes in Revelation 7 Again, Richard Bauckham discusses these changes, citing different editions motivations behind including or excluding certain tribes. This is important to the Catholic teaching on this passage, as, by including it in their canon, the church embraces the changes made over time. These changes reflect volatile social understandings. There are three reasons cited in this article for the changes in the list of tribes. The first is that Judah was moved from being listed fourth. The reason for this is the belief that Christ is from this tribe, and he is meant to be the head of the church. The list is also altered to reflect the twelve apostles. Bauckham’s final reason behind reordering the list is a reflection of the tribes “living in ‘Galilee of Gentiles’, the focus of Christ’s early ministry but more especially so that the nullification of privilege based on difference of birth…” (Bauckham 100). These changes are crucial to understanding the book as a whole, as it reflects the fact that Revelation 7 has changed over time to become more Christian.
Sources:
The list of the tribes in Revelation 7 is a second controversial topic, as there is evidence that it has changed over time. In The List of the Tribes in Revelation 7 Again, Richard Bauckham discusses these changes, citing different editions motivations behind including or excluding certain tribes. This is important to the Catholic teaching on this passage, as, by including it in their canon, the church embraces the changes made over time. These changes reflect volatile social understandings. There are three reasons cited in this article for the changes in the list of tribes. The first is that Judah was moved from being listed fourth. The reason for this is the belief that Christ is from this tribe, and he is meant to be the head of the church. The list is also altered to reflect the twelve apostles. Bauckham’s final reason behind reordering the list is a reflection of the tribes “living in ‘Galilee of Gentiles’, the focus of Christ’s early ministry but more especially so that the nullification of privilege based on difference of birth…” (Bauckham 100). These changes are crucial to understanding the book as a whole, as it reflects the fact that Revelation 7 has changed over time to become more Christian.
Sources:
- Bauckham, Richard. 1991. The List of the Tribes in Revelation 7 Again. Journal for the Study of the New Testament.
- Mounce, Robert. 1977. The Book of Revelation. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI.
- "The Third Trumpet and the Wormwood Star, Number 22 from 'The Apocalypse of Angers', 1373-87 (Tapestry)". 2014. In Bridgeman Images: The Bridgeman Art Library, edited by Bridgeman Images. London: Bridgeman. https://providence.idm.oclc.org/login?