Old Document Review on 'The Expositions on the Apocalypse'

This old document was composed around 1235 A.D. by Hugh of Saint Cher (d.1263) under the title of Aser pinguis. Hugh was a dominican preacher and also a theology professor. In this document, he gives comments about the meanings behind the Apocalypse ( otherwise called Revelations).

His views are somewhat similar to that of Apringus, in that the Seven Seals mentioned in the book refer to prophecies sealed in time that were broken by the coming of Christ, in fact he goes as far as to say the 'the book is Christ'.

Hugh goes on to describe the various references from the Old Testament which are the seals, the incarnation, nativity, passion, resurrection, ascension, the sending of the Holy Spirit and lastly the coming judgement. These are all referenced to the seven miracles of Jesus. Note the slight differences to beliefs of Apringus from hundreds of years previous, this may be due to passage of time that ideas may change, but this document gives insight to what was believed within church circles in the 13Th century.

Most profound was a reference which claimed that Mary was not just the mother of Jesus, but in fact she was a prophetess!! This is formulated based upon one of the prophecies that formed one of the seals and quoted from Isaiah.

Old Document Review 'Tract on the Apocalpse'

This ancient document was written by the Bishop Apringus of Beja somewhere between 531-548 A.D. > it did not have wide distribution therefore middle sections of the document did not survive through history unfortunately.

The document itself it a commentary on the Apocalpse, in other words Revelations from the Bible, where the bishop makes attempts to explain the visions of John.

The Bishop believed that the Seven Seals which so many people nowadays attribute to fortelling of the 'end times' were actually symbolizing the life of Jesus. In essence the seven stages of His life which are; incarnation, nativity, passion, death, resurrection, glory and kingdom.

The Bishop further decribes how he believes that only Jesus was worthy to open the seals, the seals represent prophecies about the Messiah which were fulfilled by Jesus' life. In essence, the seals are events destined to happen only upon a certain set of circumstances that could only happen once, at a certain point in time, events in time that are sealed. These are the Seven Seals opened by Jesus.

He further identifies the four animals in Revelations as the gospels, and the seven horns as the stength and power of Jesus and the seven eyes as the seven spirits of God, the seven spirits being the virtues that dwelt in Jesus.

This interesting and compelling read gives a very believeable version of identifiying items in the Book of Revelations that have mystified scholars around the Earth, and it would also dispute many theories about the 'end times' that are based upon the seven seals.