Il terzo "sigillo" dell'Apocalisse (Ap 6,5-6): simbolo dell'ingiustizia sociale?
The Article reexamines the meaning of the third seal (Rev 6.5-6). A survey of the proposed interpretations — an allusion to an edict of Domitian, to the war of 70 or to a famine which happened during the 1st century; a prediction of a relative scarcity of food; a metaphorical reference to the church...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | Italian |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Ed. Pontificia Univ. Gregoriana
1978
|
| In: |
Gregorianum
Year: 1978, Volume: 59, Issue: 4, Pages: 691-719 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
|
| Summary: | The Article reexamines the meaning of the third seal (Rev 6.5-6). A survey of the proposed interpretations — an allusion to an edict of Domitian, to the war of 70 or to a famine which happened during the 1st century; a prediction of a relative scarcity of food; a metaphorical reference to the church's sacraments — betrays a disparity of importance between the third seal and the other seals. This disparity sems to conflict with the literary pattern, which is identical in each case. Since the attention hitherto paid both to the literary and symbolical aspects appears to be inadequate, a further inquiry is proposed. We examine the literary elements concerning the context (Rev 6.1-8) and especially the text of the third seal (Rev 6.5-6). All the symbolical elements of this seal are closely analysed, such as the opening of the seal, the third animal's voice, the horse, the black colour, the rider and the balance on his hand. The synthetical result — namely « the revelation of a negative force invading the earth on the level of justice » — is further determined by the heavenly voice at the conclusion of the third seal: ordering basic and luxury articles to be treated differently, it gives the injustice a social dimension. Our conclusion is confirmed by the great importance which the problem of the social injustice acquires in the Old Testament (cf. for ex. Am 6.6; 8.4-6) and by other passages which, in the progressive development of the Book of Revelation, refer to the same topic (cf. 19.11 ff; 18.11-13; 21.1-4). |
|---|---|
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Gregorianum
|