The Symbols of Sin and Redemption: the witness of the Church in the world
November 23, 2024 - Saturday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Revelation 11:4-12
The passage we hear today is rich in references to the Old Testament. The two witnesses remind us of Moses, who turned water into blood, and of Elijah, who closed up the sky so that no rain could fall for three and a half years (Rev. 11:6; see Exodus 7:14-25; 1 Kings 17:1). The fact that after their martyrdom the two witnesses were taken to heaven can also be connected with Moses and Elijah. The burial of Moses is shrouded in mystery: "no one knows the place of his burial to this day" (Deut. 34:6). On the other hand, the story of Elijah's ascension into heaven is familiar to most of us (see 2 Kings 2:1-12). Moreover, we encounter them again in the New Testament on the Mount of Transfiguration, talking with Jesus about our Lord's impending death and resurrection in Jerusalem (see Luke 9:28-36).
The mission of the two witnesses is clear. Just as Moses called the leadership of Egypt and Elijah called the leadership of the northern kingdom of Israel to repentance, so the two witnesses call the entire world to repentance. But, as with Moses and Elijah, the audience rejects this call, and the consequences are tragic. Egypt was devastated by the plagues, and the northern kingdom of Israel ceased to exist. What will happen if the world does not repent is portrayed in the following chapters of the Book of Revelation.
"Sodom" and "Egypt" both symbolize places of sin and oppression. We are familiar with the shocking story of the citizens of Sodom, who surrounded Lot's house and demanded that he bring out the two angelic visitors who had found shelter under his roof to "play" with them (see Gen. 19:1-5). Ezekiel indicts Sodom for other sins as well. According to the prophet, the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with "pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door" (Ezek. 16:49; see Luke 16:19-20). On the other hand, we all know that Egypt, which at first welcomed the family of Jacob with open arms, turned into a place of slavery for the Israelites (see Exodus 1-2).
What may shock a contemporary reader is the fact that the author of Revelation, a Jewish follower of Christ, identifies Sodom and Egypt with Jerusalem. But he is not the only one. The Christmas story in the Gospel of Matthew includes Herod's order to murder all the boys born in Bethlehem and the surrounding area "two years old and under." For many Jews of the first century—such as the Qumran community and the Jewish followers of Jesus—the political and religious leadership had turned Jerusalem into an oppressive and sinful city, resembling Sodom and Egypt.
The "beast" that appears for the first time in this story brings to mind the fourth beast from the Book of Daniel (see Daniel 7:1-8). Daniel was terrified by its appearance, and that "beast," like the one in Revelation, "made war with the saints and prevailed over them" (Daniel 7:21; Rev. 11:7). In the Book of Daniel, all of these beasts represent oppressive empires that brought destruction upon Israel, and all of them were judged by God, who put an end to them. As the Book of Revelation progresses, we will also hear how the Lord will deal with this beast and all other oppressive powers that try to silence the missionary efforts of the Church and destroy the community of Christ's followers.