St John's Vision of Christ and the Seven Candlesticks

From Apocalipsis cum Figuris (Apocalypse)

Illustrated by Albrecht Dürer

Dürer's St John's Vision of Christ and the Seven Candlesticks depicts one element of the ecstatic vision experienced by

St John. The words associated with the illustration - from the King James text of the Bible follow:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a

book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto

Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadeliphia,

and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned,

I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto

the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with

a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his

eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;

and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and

out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun

shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right

hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth,

and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and

of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things

which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seen stars which thou sawest in my right hand,

and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches;

and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Horton ("The Ecstatics Vision of History in a Dürer Woodcut", in Harper's Magazine: 11 February 2008) makes the

following comment of Dürer's extraordinary illustration:

The realization of the vision is a near perfect replication of recorded words of John, but

beyond that it is filled with valuable keys to use to unlock his broader and deeper meaning

in the history of ideas. And Dürer's plain objective is the accomplishment of an inner

harmony between the doctrine and theology of the church and his vision and

understandings of classical antiquity. He presents an apocalyptic vision as an ultimate act

of harmony and reconciliation. It is a rare and powerful vision.

Our Greeting Cards and Reproduction Prints

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In the meantime, enjoy perusing this glorious illustration by Albrecht Dürer.

The illustration

	Single Greeting Card (with matching Envelope) Code: AD SJVCSC SGC Price: US$5.00   Reproduction on 8x12" sheet Code: AD SJVCSC (8x12) Price: US$30.00     Reproduction on 12x18" sheet Code: AD SJVCSC (12x18) Price: US$60.00

Some details from the illustration

Christ	St John	The Seven Stars