MEGAN LOUNSBURY

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

Book of Revelation
Summary and Explaination of Iconography in Medieval Art
7 Bowls of Wrath
1: (Rev 16:2) Malignant
Ulcers
2: (Rev 16:3) Sea turns
to blood and all living
sea creatures die
3: (Rev 16:4-7) Drinking
water turns to blood
4: (Rev 16:8-9) The sun
scorches men
5: (Rev 16: 10-11)
Antichrists kingdom is
struck with darkness
6: (Rev 16:12-16)
Euphrates river dried up
armies gathered for
Armageddon
7: (Rev 16: 17-21)
Worldwide Earthquakes

7 Trumpets

Brief Summary:
Attributed to John
During his incarceration on the Island of Patmos, John receives a vision of
apocalypse. He is then told to write to seven churches and report what he
has seen. Here Christ is the Slain Lamb and the only one to have the
power to open the book with seven seals. Next John tells of seven angels
that carry seven bowls of plagues. John describes Hell as the final resting
place of the unbelieving and an eternal place of conscious torment. Finally
John tells of the New Heaven and New Earth in the holy city of New
Jerusalem. This book was to serve its purpose as giving encouragement and
hope to Christians for Christs return and triumph.

1: (Rev 8:7) Flaming hail

falls and burns 1/3 of the
land.
2: (Rev 8:8-9) An
asteroid falls into the sea
turning it into blood.
3: (Rev 8:10-11) Another
asteroid breaks up and
pollutes fresh water and
many die
4: (Rev 8:12-13) Sun,
moon, stars struck and
there is 1/3 less light
5: (Rev 9:1-12) Locusts
from the pit torment
men for five months
6: (Rev 9:13-21) An army
of 200 million kill a third
of all men
7: (Rev 11:15-19)
Second Coming of
Christ, Destruction of
the wicked and reward
to all of the righteous.

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

Common Iconography
The Book of Revelations in Medieval
Art
One of the common types of iconography are the Seven
angels with trumpets. As listed above, each trumpet
brings on a different reaction and effect. (Rev 6:1-12:1)
There are also depictions of four angels holding back
four winds, which is representative of the symbols of the
great empires of antiquity. (Rev 7:1-8)
Four horsemen are also common with Book of
Revelation depictions, as the four horsemen are agents
of divine wrath. The four include the Conqueror who
is holding a bow and riding a white horse, War who
holds a sword on a red horse, Famine with a pair of
scales on a black horse, and Death who rides a sickly
pale horse and is usually followed by Hades. (Rev 6:1-8)

The Four Horseman, the Saint-Sever Beatus, or Apocalypse of Saint-Sever,

11th Century, Bibliotheque National de France, Paris

The Ox, Lion, Man, and Eagle are also representative of

the Apocalypse. These are referred to as the Apocalyptic
beast who later become the four evangelists. (Rev 4:2-8)

The Lamb, the Seven

Seals Broken, The
four Evangelists, and
Heavenly Host. 19

The Lamb is also representative of Christ. He is depicted

as a lamb with seven horns and seven eyes with its feet
resting on a book, or holding the banner of resurrection.
This is all just showing Christ and the Book of Seven
Seals containing the secrets of mans destiny. (Rev
5:6-14)

OTHER COMMON ICONOGRAPHY

John kneeling with a book and/or munching on the corner: John inwardly digesting the divine message (Rev
10:1-11)
Dragon: Micheal and his angels fighting a war in heaven, triumph over evil. (Usually shown with seven heads
representative of the seven deadly sins) (Rev 12:7-9)
Winepress and Grapes: symbolizes the wrath of Christ and the judgement of the chosen and the damed. (Rev
14:14-20)
https://anglicaninternetchurch.wordpress.com/author/frronstjohnanglican/page/3/
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2014/10/apocalypse-then-further-medieval-visions-fromrevelations.html\
Hall, Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, 2nd Edition.