The Apocalypse of St. John

The Apocalypse—or the Revelation of St. John the Divine, the last book in the Bible—has inspired many artists over the centuries to present their own perceptions of its events and characters. What might a woman clothed with the sun, a dragon with seven heads, the harlot of Babylon, the New Jerusalem, and paradise look like? Irma Korte has gathered a collection of more than 60 such color illustrations here, made during the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance.

The images trace the events of the Apocalypse of St. John, rendering its central figures and episodes lifelike for us. They are accompanied by an insightful interpretation: Dr. Korte suggests that the Revelation deals with the most essential problems in religion, such as the nature of man, reality, and evil. As the visions proceed, St. John lives through a profound inner transformation. He gives up shallow beliefs and moves toward personally experienced spirituality, culminating in final liberation. St. John, like anyone who has traveled the same path, undergoes both anxiety and bliss, encounters beasts and enjoys the happiness of paradise.

The images and events of the Revelation are compared to the descriptions made by Christian mystics and saints, as well as to Oriental philosophy and yoga theory. These saints and rishis include, among others, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Ramana Maharshi, and Paramahansa Yogananda.

Mythical images allow for many interpretations. Readers may use these old and strangely captivating illustrations as a source of inspiration to find their own meaning in St. John’s visions.

Irma Korte, Ph.D., has published several books and articles. She elaborated her interpretation of the Apocalypse of St. John in her earlier work The Revelation of St. John—An Inner Journey to Liberation, which is a detailed study of the Revelation. It offers more comparisons to the images of the Apocalypse of St. John from different cultures and time periods.