Apocalypse! The Story of the Book of Revelation (Frontline)Apocalypse! The Story of the Book of Revelation (Frontline)
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Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 0794054814637 Format: NTSC Label: Pbs Home Video Manufacturer: Pbs Home Video Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Pbs Home Video Release Date: December 14, 1999 Running Time: 120 minutes Studio: Pbs Home Video
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Editorial Review: Description: On the eve of the new millennium, thoughts of doom and destruction filter through our Western consciousness, provoking both anxiety and anticipation. But where do these ideas and their symbolic power come from, and what do they really mean? Central to this concept is the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation. It is a book filled with startling images of cosmic warfare between the forces of good and evil. Written nearly two thousand years ago, many believe this ancient text foretells the end of the world. From the apocalyptic prophet Montanus--who convinced thousands that the New Jerusalem would literally descend to earth in the year 170 C.E.--to modern day end-time prophets, it seems that in nearly every age the Book of Revelation has excited a belief that the end is imminent. But the end of what? Ultimately, every generation has had to re-set the doomsday clock as time keeps ticking. Why does the Book of Revelation lend itself to so many, often contradictory interpretations, and what does it reveal? Apocalypse! traces the evolution of apocalyptic ideology throughout the ages--from its origin in the Jewish experience after the Babylonian exile to its diverse and often tumultuous expression in modern times. This two-hour special invites the viewer to understand how these ideas evolved--a timely topic as we approach the year 2000. Amazon.com: This remarkable documentary from the PBS Frontline series brushes away the usual hoodoo surrounding the New Testament's Book of Revelation and takes a more scholarly--but no less dramatic--angle on the origins of Armageddon. Besides inspiring generations of frenzied, sometimes dangerous Revelation literalists (remember all that extra security in Jerusalem just before the year 2000 was ushered in?), were there any good reasons behind the apostle John's recorded vision of a cosmic war between good and evil, a millennium of peace, and the Whore of Babylon? Yes, yes, and yes. Turning to a handful of experts in the history of religions, and providing the audience with rare views of antiquities related to Revelation, the program shows us how John's fantastic imagery and references were built upon centuries of apocalyptic tradition. That tradition was born during the enslavement of Jerusalem by Babylon, whose mythological imprint on Jewish literature became an important step in the development of apocalyptic prophecy, most of which pined for Jerusalem's freedom. With subsequent occupations of the Jews by Greece and Rome, there were so many villains and so much hope to keep alive during these centuries of unhappiness that the prophetic arts grew and evolved, subtly codifying mixed historical references that led to John's mind-blowing tale. This is terrific, illuminating stuff, and quite helpful for a proper understanding of Revelation's context. --Tom Keogh Customer Reviews Average Rating: 
Rating: - Perceptive and ExhaustiveA terrific, scholarly, incisive documentary with a clear focus: the obsession and need for an apocalyptic world view. I thought this one rose above the normal PBS or Frontline standard. Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Related Items:
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Apocalypse! The Story of the Book of Revelation (Frontline)
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