The Unveiling of Revelation

Revelation – the very last book in the New Testament – attributed to the apostle John during his exile on the island of Patmos around the time the Jewish temple was destroyed in 70AD, about forty years after the time of Christ. While the book of Revelation might conjure up images of the “apocalyptic end times,” such as the modern-day view of the rapture, the book of Revelation is instead an “unveiling” (as the root word apokalypsis actually means “to pull back the veil”) first of the bridegroom (christ) and then his bridegroom (the church).

At the center of the book of Revelation is the emphasis on liturgy, particularly how much our earthly liturgy is based on the heavenly liturgy that John experiences in several visions being taken up into Heaven. The premise of the book is seven letters written to the seven churches that were connected along a mail route through Asia Minor during a time of great persecution for the early church by Rome. The letters include both encouragement and a call to repentance to these seven churches and also represent the ending of one age and the ushering in of a new age with Christ at the heart. The book of Revelation contains more than five hundred allusions to texts and prophesies within the Old Testament. Of particular relevance to the book of Revelation is the book of Daniel, of which many of the images, numbers, colors, and creatures within the book of Revelation can be referred back to.

The book of revelation reveals to us what is happening behind the scenes at every Mass, where God reigns victorious over sin, evil, and death. In the book of Revelation, we are called to examine our lives and where we are thriving in our relationship with Christ, as well as those places where we are being called to continually grow as disciples. Revelation is a beautiful book revealing our ultimate destiny and the splendor of the kingdom.

About the Author: 

Avila Rose (Allison Ramirez) is a Catholic author, editor, and teacher. She received her B.A in English with Creative Writing emphasis from Seattle Pacific University in 2019. She recently received her M.A. in Theology with Church History emphasis from Holy Apostles College & Seminary in 2024. She currently serves as the Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation at St. Barbara Parish, and she is the author of The Divided Kingdom series as well as nonfiction devotional journal, Breathe Deeply: The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary as Invitations to Peace. Allison and her husband, Nathan, reside in Washington State with their pug pup, Leo.

You can connect with Allison through her Substack newsletter at https://authorallisonramirez.substack.com/p/welcome. She can also be found on her website at www.author-allison-ramirez.com or Instagram at authorallisonramirez.