BIBLE & JESUS

CHRIST
Revelation= God’s
self-
communication in
Jesus Christ.
Where do we find
God’s revelation in
Christ?
We find revelation in
Sacred Scriptures and
Sacred Tradition.
Sacred Scriptures &
Sacred Tradition=single
sacred deposit of the word of
God (also called the deposit
of faith (depositum fidei)
 The Bible and Divine Revelation

1. God reveals himself through Old

Covenant Salvation History (CCC 51-
64)
a. Creation
b. The Covenant with Noah
c. The Covenant with Abraham
d. The Covenant with Israel
2. God reveals himself
through Jesus Christ, the Word
made Flesh (CCC 65-66)
3. There will be no further
public revelation (CCC 66-67)
There will be no further
revelation because God
has said everything in
His Word, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ= the
full, complete and
definitive revelation
of God.
How does
revelation come to
us?
The Transmission of Divine Revelation

1. The universal destination of divine

revelation (CCC 74)
2. The Apostolic Tradition (CCC 75-79; cf. 2
Thess. 2:15)
a. Handed on Orally
b. Handed on in Writing
c. Through Apostolic Succession
Gospel-handed
down/transmitted in 2 ways:
1.Orally (Sacred Tradition)
2. In writing (Sacred Scriptures)
The preaching of the
Gospel has been
continued in apostolic
succession through the
Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Sacred Scriptures
and Sacred
Tradition: entrusted
to the whole Church
Sacred Scriptures and
Sacred Tradition:
authentic interpretation
entrusted to the
Magisterium of the Church
3. The Magisterium (teaching
office of the Church): final
authentic interpreter of the Word
of God (CCC 85-95)
1.Guarding the word
2.Interpreting authentically the
word
Permanence of Divine Revelation
a. Abides perpetually in its full integrity
b. Is handed on to all generations
c. Christ>the Apostles>the bishops
(the legitimate successors of the
apostles)
Apostolic preaching is preserved
in two ways:
1.Sacred Scripture: in the
“inspired books”
2.Sacred Tradition: Church’s
doctrine, life, and worship
Not sola scriptura alone
(Scriptures alone) but Sacred
Scriptures and Sacred
Tradition together with the
Magisterium of the Church as
the final interpreter of both.
How did the Bible come
to us? And why are
there different canons
and versions of the
Bible?
Before Christ (B.C.) ca.1500-150 B.C. The books
of the Old Testament are written:
1. The Law (Torah)
2. The Prophets (Nebi’im)
3. The Writings (Ketubim)
TNK (Tanak/Tenak)=Hebrew Bible
ca. 250 B.C. First translation
of the Pentateuch into Greek
The Septuagint or “the 70,”
(LXX)
Circa 30-100 A.D.
Books of the New
Testament are
written
.
circa 400 A.D. St. Jerome finishes
the Latin Vulgate. Originally
commissioned by Pope Damasus I
(46 OT Books, 27 NT Books = 73
Books)
1442 A.D. Ecumenical Council of
Florence affirms the Canon
In 1534 Martin Luther publishes his
German Bible (39 OT Books, with 7
OT books separated (‘Apocrypha’);
27 NT books = 66 Books)
In 1540 John Calvin publishes
Geneva Bible
In 1546 Ecumenical
Council of Trent reaffirms
Catholic Canon 46 OT
Books; 27 NT Books=73
books
1582, 1609 Douay-Rheims
Catholic Bible in English
1611 King James Version (The
“Authorized Bible”) First
published with 46 OT Books
1952, 1966 Revised Standard
Version, Catholic Edition
(RSVCE) First Ecumenical
Translation (cf. Dei Verbum 24)
1970, 1986 New American Bible
(NAB)
In the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church,
Pope John Paul II reaffirms the Canon of Scripture.
It was by apostolic Tradition that the Church
discerned which writings are to be included in
the list of sacred books. This complete list is
called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46
books for the Old Testament (45 if we count
Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for
the New.
 Why Study the Bible?

1. Study of the Bible: a most

excellent branch of “Sacred
Theology”, soul of theology
a. The Defense of the Bible
b. The Elucidation of the
Bible
2. Indispensable tool of
evangelization and catechesis:
the Bible should inspire all
pastoral work
3. Jesus and the Apostles
constantly used Scripture
4. St. Jerome: “Ignorance of Scripture is
ignorance of Christ”
5. The power of Scripture in preaching
6. St. Jerome and St. Gregory: Priests
should study Scripture without ceasing
7. Interior Life: word of God is the basis
of all authentic Christian spirituality
8. St. Augustine: the vanity of
the preacher who does not
interiorize the Scripture.
9.Word of God and candidates for
Holy Orders: “Candidates for the
priesthood must learn to love the word of
God. Scripture should thus be the soul of
their theological formation, and emphasis
must be given to the indispensable
interplay of exegesis, theology, spirituality
and mission.” (Verbum Domini, 82)
3 Main Purposes of Bible
Study
1. Spiritual Perfection
2. Defense of Catholic Dogma
3. Preaching
How should I read and
use the Bible in my day
to day life?
 Basic Steps
1.Lectio (Reading of a text):
What does the biblical text
say in itself?
2.Oratio (Praying over the
text): What do I say to the
Lord in response to His word?
3.Contemplatio
(contemplating on the text):
What conversion of mind, heart
and life is the Lord asking of
me?
4.Actio (Acting on the text):
What must I do in response to
 What is the Bible?

A sacred library of books (biblia):

Old Testament: 46 Books; New
Testament: 27 Books=73 books
A single book; the inspired Word of
God with one primary author (God)
Bible=Word of God
expressed in the
words of men: In order
to make himself known
to us God speaks in
human words.
Unique word of Sacred
Scripture: Christ
“All Sacred Scripture is but one
book, and that one book is
Christ, because all divine
Scripture speaks of Christ, and
all divine Scripture is fulfilled in
Christ.” (Hugh of Saint Victor)
 Biblical Inspiration
God is the author of Sacred
Scripture (CCC 105)
Divine Authorship: inspiration
of the Holy Spirit
Inspiration extends to all the
books of the Bible with all their
parts
Human authors are true
authors (CCC 106)
a. Full use of their own faculties
and powers
b. They wrote “whatever God
wanted written, and no more”
God/Holy Spirit-principal
author of the Bible
Human authors-
secondary, instrumental
authors
 Inerrancy of the Bible
Since, therefore, all that the inspired
authors or sacred writers affirm should
be regarded as affirmed by the Holy
Spirit, we must acknowledge that the
books of Scripture firmly, faithfully,
and without error teach that truth
which God, for the sake of our
salvation, wished to see confided to
the Sacred Scriptures. (Dei Verbum
11)
The books of the Bible
are inerrant (without
error) because they are
inspired by the Holy
Spirit.
Inerrancy does not mean that
manuscripts are preserved from error.
Inerrancy does not mean that there are
no apparent errors or contradictions, or
other serious difficulties littered
throughout the Scriptures.
Inerrancy assumes
a correct approach
to interpretation
(literary genre,
history, etc.)
Biblical Papal
Inerrancy Infallibility
Divine Divine
preservation
Inspiration from error
Total Infallibility in
Inerrancy matters of faith
and morals
Fundamentalist interpretation of the
Bible
“Literalism” (literalist or
fundamentalist) interpretation of
Sacred Scriptures refuses to take into
account the historical character of
biblical revelation.
It tends to treat biblical text as if it ha
had been dictated word for word by the
Holy Spirit (erroneous theory of
inspiration which is divine dictation
It fails to recognize that the word of
God has been formulated in language
and expressions conditioned by
various periods.
Fundamentalist interpretation of
the Bible promotes subjective,
arbitrary interpretations of the Bible.
 Biblical Interpretation
We must seek out the intention of both human
and divine authors.
How do we discover the human author’s
intention?
a. Language
b. Literature
c. History
d. Culture
How do we discover the divine
author’s intention?
a. Content and Unity of whole Scripture
(Scripture)
b. The Tradition of the whole Church
(Tradition)
c. The Analogy of Faith (Magisterium)
Analogy of faith means the
coherence of the truths of
faith among themselves and
within the whole plan of
revelation
 3 Criteria for interpreting
Scripture
1. Be especially attentive to the
content and unity of the whole
Scripture.
2. Read the Scripture within “the living
Tradition of the whole Church.”
3. Be attentive to the analogy of faith.
 4 Factors in Interpreting the Bible

1) The inspired human author’s intention

2) text itself
3) readers/hearers
4) common horizon which unites all the
books of the Bible into a basic unity and
which links the context of the text with
our present reading context
 Some valuable tips for correct
interpretation of the Bible

a. Cautious use of non-Catholic

interpreters
b. Recourse to the Magisterium
of the Church. Does the biblical
interpretation show coherence
with Church dogma?
c.The authority of the
Church Fathers. How did
the Fathers of the Church
interpret the scriptural
passages?
d. “The interpretation of the Sacred Scripture
would remain incomplete were it not to include
listening to those who have truly lived the
word of God: namely, the saints.” (Benedict
XVI, Verbum Domini, 48)
“The most profound interpretation of Scripture
comes precisely from those who let
themselves be shaped by the word of God
through listening, reading and assiduous
meditation.”
e. Use of later biblical
commentators: exploring
new interpretations
(biblical commentaries,
lexical aids)
 Unity of the Bible (of the Old and
New Testaments)
The unity of the two Testaments
proceeds from the unity of God’s plan
and his Revelation.
The Old Testament prepares for the New
and the New Testament fulfills the Old.
The two testaments shed light on each
other.
Both are true Word of God.
 Senses of Scripture
Really two senses: based on divine and
human authorship
1. The Literal Sense
2. The Spiritual Sense
The Literal Sense: “The meaning conveyed
by words of Scripture and discovered by
exegesis” “All other senses are based on the
literal” (CCC 116)
The Spiritual Senses:
a. Allegorical: recognizes “types” of
Christ (typological or christological)
b. Moral: leads us to act justly (ethical
or tropological)
c. Anagogical: reveals eternal
significance; “leads us” home
(eschatological)
Canon of the Bible refers to
the official collection of books
that make up the Bible; official
list of books that were
considered by the Church as
inspired
Canonicity refers to the
Church’s acknowledging
the inspired quality of
books.
Inspiration depends on God.
To consider a book of the
Bible canonical depends on
the Church. The Church
declares a book canonical.
Who could establish the
canon of the Bible?
Reply: The Church through her
teaching office, the Magisterium.
Canonical refers to the
regulating value for faith and
morals for those books in the
Bible that were recognized by
the Church as inspired.
Protocanonical books of
the Bible refer to those
books whose inspiration
has never been questioned
hence accepted first by the
Church.
Deuterocanonical books of
the Bible refer to those books
whose inspiration was at first
doubted, questioned but later
recognized by the Church as
inspired.
Both classes of books
(protocanonical and
deuterocanonical
books) are inspired and
canonical.
Protocanonical
books of the OT=39
Deuterocanonical books of the OT=7

1.1st and 2nd Maccabees

2.Tobit
3.Judith
4.Sirach
5.Wisdom
6.Baruch
7.Parts of Esther and Daniel
 45 or 46 inspired and
canonical books of Old
Testament
45 if we count Jeremiah and
Lamentations as one
46 if we count Jeremiah and
Lamentations as two separate
books
 Number of Old Testament
Books
Protestant (39)
Catholic (46)
Orthodox (49)
Arrangement of OT books in the Hebrew
Bible (TNK)
1. Law/Torah
2. Prophets (Nebiim)
Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges,
Samuel, Kings
Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jer., Ezekiel,
Dan., Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi
3. Writings (Ketubim):
Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs,
Ruth, Lamentations
Arrangement of the OT books in the
Greek Bible
1) Pentateuch: 5 books from Genesis
to Deuteronomy
2) Historical Books (16): Joshua,
Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles,
Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther,
Maccabees
3) Wisdom Books (7): Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach
4) Prophetic Books (18)
4 Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Daniel
14 Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos,
Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Baruch,
Lamentations
 PENTATEUCH/TORAH

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,

Numbers, Deuteronomy
 HISTORICAL BOOKS

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd

Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd
Chronicles, Ezrah, Nehemiah, Tobit,
Judith, Esther, 1st and 2nd Maccabees
 WISDOM BOOKS

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes

(Qoheleth), Song of Songs, Wisdom,
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
 PROPHETIC BOOKS

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch,

Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos,
Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi
Protestants call the
deuterocanonicals
(deuterocanonical books) the
Apocrypha (secret, not
inspired)
For us, Catholics we understand apocryphal
books
1.As books of hidden origin or false authorship
(St. Jerome, St. Augustine), or
2.Books contrary to faith and morals (Origen,
St. Augustine),
3.Books not allowed to be read in public
services (Rufinus, Origen)
4.Books that are not canonical (St. Jerome)
 Principal Purposes of the Old Covenant (Old
Testament)

1.Pedagogy: To prepare for the

coming of Christ
2.Prophecy: To announce his
coming through prophecy
3.Typology: To indicate the meaning
of Christ through “various types”
Protacanonical books of the
NT=20
Deuterocanonical
writings/books of the NT=7
Protocanonical books of the NT

1. 4 Gospels-Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John
2. Acts of the Apostles
3. Epistles of Paul except
Hebrews
4. 1st Peter
5. 1 John
Deuterocanonical writings of
the NT
1. Letter to the Hebrews
2. Letter of James
3. 2nd Peter
4. 2nd John
5. 3rd John
6. Jude
7. Apocalypse (Revelation)
 Completeness of the Bible

The Bible is complete in its revelation

inasmuch as it contains all that God
willed to reveal of Himself in this inspired
form
The Bible is complete inasmuch as it
contains what we must know about God
and what we must do for our salvation.
In the Bible, God had come to an
end in some way of his self-
revelation. It was an end in
the way of inspired books. It
was not an end of his revealing
himself to his people.
God continues to speak to us in and
through the Church.
The Church applies the Scriptures to the
changing times, explains them anew in
the light of different conditions, provides
clearer insights into what He had
revealed in the Bible.
The Old Testament
 Genesis

Origins of the world, mankind, of

the people of Israel
God chose His people to prepare
His coming.
 Exodus

God’s saving act (exodus

from slavery)-central
event of the OT
Covenant at Mount Sinai
 Leviticus

Laws and regulations (law of

sacrifice, the priesthood, clean
and unclean, holiness code)
Message: Consecration to God
means holiness of life
 Numbers

Census of people, wandering

in the wilderness
Message: importance of
faithfulness and
perseverance
 Deuteronomy

Moses last discourses

Message: Religion is
inseparable from life.
 Joshua

Joshua, successor of Moses as

leader of God’s people in the
conquest of the promised land
Joshua, which means God
saves becomes in Greek
“Jesus”
 Judges

Troubles in the land which

called for local and
national heroes “judges”
 Samuel

Establishment of monarchy in
Israel (Saul, David)
Jerusalem-symbol of united
Israel
 Kings

Solomon; the division of

two kingdoms
 Chronicles

Review of the history of Israel

2 sources of Israel’s hope:
the temple and the messianic
hope
 Ezra and Nehemiah

Return from exile, re-

organization of the
community
 1st and 2nd Maccabees

Religious persecution,
martyrs for the faith
Message: God’s kingdom is
not of this world
 Isaiah

Oracles against Judah,

against other nations
Isaiah: the prophet of
God’s holiness
 Jeremiah

Last appeal to the

nation in crisis
Jeremiah: the prophet of
the new covenant
 Ezekiel

Exile period-can these

bones live (chapter 37)
Basic topic: inner
conversion
 Daniel

Persecution of Antiochus IV
“Epiphanes”
Message of encouragement
to a persecuted people
 Hosea

Israel’s idolatry is a
called of adultery
Hosea: prophet of God’s
love
 Joel

A locust plaque, a picture of

divine judgment, call to
repentance and prayer
Promise of the outpouring of
God’s spirit in messianic times
on all believers
 Amos

Israel warned of coming

disaster: capture of
Samaria
Amos: prophet of God’s
justice
 Obadiah

Shortest book in the Bible, an

oracle against Edom, Judah’s
neighbor
Foretells its destruction
because of its un-fraternal
attitude toward Judah
 Jonah

The unwilling
prophet to a pagan
people in Nineveh
 Micah

Announces the
consequences of the sins of
the people and preaches
repentance and conversion
in Judah (southern kingdom)
 Nahum

Sees in the fall of

Nineveh, God’s
punishment of Assyria for
misusing the great power
given to her
 Habakkuk

A prophet’s problem: the problem of

evil. He wondered how God’s justice
could be served by a sinful nation
like Judah being punished by a still
more sinful nation like Babylon
Answer to his problem: to stand on
the “watchtower of faith”
 Zephaniah

“day of the Lord” is very near

Idolatry and sin: cause of
impending exile
Appeal to his countrymen to
repent while there was still time
and hope
 Haggai

Collect the broken stones

and rebuild the temple of
the Lord
 Zechariah

Urged the people to rebuild

the temple,
Messianic restoration
centered on Jerusalem
 Malachi

A plea for sincerity in worship

Temple had been reconstructed and
regular worship resumed yet people
were no longer truly religious; there was
discouragement, accompanied by
degradation in morals and piety on the
part of priests and people
 Baruch

The splendors of
monotheism
 Lamentations

Dirges on the fall of

Jerusalem and its
temple
How could it ever
happened?
 Ruth

Moabitess, David’s
great grandmother.
 Judith

Extraordinary deliverance
of the Jewish people
through the hands of a
woman
 Tobit

A pious Jewish family in

exile
The struggle to live up to
its ideals.
 Esther

Deliverance of a section of
the Jewish people from
extermination by the
mediation of Esther
 Job

The problem of innocent

suffering
 Proverbs

Collections of maxims and

sayings
 Ecclesiastes

Outside of God all

is emptiness.
 Song of Songs

Poem of love
 Wisdom

Wisdom which comes from

God.
 Ecclesiasticus

A lifelong
meditation on
God’s law.
The New Testament
Testament (testamentum-Latin)
Covenant (Berit-Hebrew); diatheke-Greek)
“New” because it relates to the new covenant
that Jesus instituted (Mk. 14: 24; Mt. 26: 28; Luke
22: 20; 1 Cor. 11: 25)
The term “New Testament” for a body of writings
came to be used by Christians in the 2nd century.
This led to the use of Old Testament for the
Scriptures of Israel
 Covenant/Testament

Old New
 Mediator, Moses  Mediator, Jesus
 12 tribes of Israel  12 Apostles (New People of
 Law (Torah; Prophets shed Israel=Church
light on the Torah; Writings  New Law=law of grace,
meditate on the Torah) law of the Spirit, law of
 Blood of the lamb love
 Blood of Jesus
 Circumcision-entry into the
people of Israel  Baptism “spiritual
circumcision”
Canon of the New
Testament: 27
books
 One Gospel

The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to

Matthew
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Mark
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Luke
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John
 3 stages in the formation of the 4
Gospel narratives
1. The life and teaching of Jesus
2. Oral tradition-after the ascension of Jesus, the
apostles handed on orally what Jesus had said and
done
3. Written Gospels-the sacred authors
(hagiographers) selected certain elements which had
been handed on, either orally or already in written
form; others they synthesized or explained in view of
the situation of the Churches but always faithful and
truthful about Jesus.
The Gospels are the heart of
all the Scriptures “because
they are our principal source
for the life and teaching of
the Incarnate Word, our
Savior.”
 Why 4 Gospels?

Irenaeus of Lyons: It is not because of an

accidental historical development but
because of the significance of the number
four in the order of creation and
salvation.
Four directions, four winds, four beasts in
Ezekiel 1: 10 and Apocalypse 4: 7; four
compacts of God with mankind
Since God does everything by measure and
number, there can be neither more nor less
than 4 Gospels; and therefore it is lawful
neither to add another nor to confine oneself
to one of them like the Ebionites (they
recognize only the Gospel of Matthew),
Marcion (recognizes only Luke), Cerinthus
(accepts only Mark) and the Valentians
(recognize only the Gospel of John)
The four living creatures seen by
Ezekiel (1: 10) and mentioned by
Saint John in Revelation (4: 7) were
interpreted by Saint Ambrose,
which had been generally
accepted by the Church.
Matthew is
represented by the
man, for he opens his
Gospel with the
genealogy of Christ.
Mark is symbolized by the lion, for he
opens his Gospel with account of
Saint John the Baptist “the voice
crying in the wilderness.”
Luke is represented by the ox, for he
opens his Gospel with the sacrifice of
Zechariah in the temple.
John is symbolized by an
eagle because in his
Gospel he relates those
words and deeds that
manifest the divinity of
Christ.
 Synoptic Gospels

The first three Gospels

(Matthew, Mark and Luke) are
called Synoptics or synoptic
Gospels because when we
arrange them in parallel
columns we will see at a glance
(synopsis) similarities and
 Overview of the 4 Gospels

Mark Matthew
  Theme underlined:
Theme underlined:
The Person of Jesus fulfillment of the OT (the
Church)
 Addressed to non-Jews  Addressed to the Jews in
(Gentiles, Romans)
Palestine
 Probable date written:  Probable written date:
late 60’s AD early 70’s
 Probable place  Probable place written:
written: Rome somewhere in Palestine
 Overview of the 4 Gospels

Luke John
 Theme underlined:  Theme underlined: total
meaning of the life of Jesus
universality of
 Addressed to the first and
salvation
second generation
 Addressed to the
Christians
Gentiles  Probable date written: final
 Probable date written: redaction in the 80’s or
around 70 Ad 90’s
 Probable place written:  Probable place written:
Ephesus
Rome
Matthew has 28 CHAPTERS
Mark has 16 CHAPTERS
Luke has 24 CHAPTERS
John has 21 CHAPTERS
 7 “I am” sayings of St. John the
Evangelist
1. “I am the bread of life” (John 6: 35)
2. “I am the light of the world” (John 8: 12)
3. “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10: 7)
4. “I am the good shepherd” (John 10: 11)
5. “I am the resurrection and the life” (John
11:25)
6. “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John
14:6)
7. “I am the true vine” (John 15: 1)
 Acts of the Apostles

Here, we see the Holy Spirit at work,

forming the Church, empowering the
Church, and expanding her mission
There are 18 speeches in the Acts:
speeches of Peter, Paul, Peter and
James, Gamaliel, Stephen, the clerk of
Ephesus, Tertullus
 13 Pauline Letters (Epistles)

1. Romans 10. 1st Timothy

2.1st Corinthians 11. 2nd Timothy
3.2nd Corinthians 12. Titus
4.Galatians 13. Philemon
5.Ephesians
6.Philippians
7.Colossians
8.1st Thessalonians
9.2nd Thessalonians
Letter to the
Hebrews
 Catholic Epistles
Addressed to the universal Church
(Church in general)
1.Letter of James
2.1st Letter of Peter
3.2nd Letter of Peter
4.1st Letter of John
5.2nd Letter of John
6.3rd Letter of John
7.Letter of Jude
Revelation (The
Apocalypse/ The
Apocalypse of John)
Principal aim:
 To strengthen the readers in loyalty to
God Christ
 To encourage them to persevere
patiently in the severe persecutions
 To inspire them to bear martyrdom
cheerfully
To understand therefore the book of
Revelation or Apocalypse we need to
understand the content, style of
writing (literary form), meaning of
apocalyptic writings
Literary form- use of pictures,
symbols and allegories
For example, eyes symbolize
knowledge; wings=mobility;
legs=stability; hands or horns=power
and domination; crown=royalty of those
who carry it; long robe=priesthood;
palm=triumph; bowl or cup=destruction
and death; Babylon=Rome.
Colors: white=joy, purity,
victory; red=blood, murder;
scarlet=luxury and debauchery
Numbers: 7=perfection; 4=the
world; 12=Church, 1000 and
New Israel=a vast number of
people.
Jesus Christ