Home

apokalypsis

Apokalypsis is a Greek noun (ἀποκάλυψις) meaning unveiling or revelation. It is formed from apo- “away from” and kalupsis, from καλύπτω (to cover), yielding the sense of uncovering what was hidden. In English, the transliterated form apokalypsis is used in scholarly writing, while apocalypse is the more common term in popular usage. The word appears primarily in religious and theological discussions to denote revelation by a divine or supernatural source.

In biblical and apocalyptic contexts, apokalypsis refers to a genre of literature that presents visions of

Beyond strictly religious usage, apokalypsis can denote any unfolding or disclosure of previously hidden information. In

hidden
things
disclosed
to
a
mortal
messenger,
often
about
future
events,
cosmic
conflict,
and
the
ultimate
establishment
of
divine
judgment
or
salvation.
Typical
features
include
symbolic
imagery,
numerology,
dream
or
heavenly
visions,
and
explanatory
angelic
voices.
The
most
famous
example
is
the
Book
of
Revelation
in
the
New
Testament,
sometimes
titled
The
Apocalypse
of
John.
Although
tradition
attributes
it
to
John
of
Patmos,
modern
scholarship
commonly
dates
its
composition
to
the
late
first
century
CE
and
notes
influences
from
Jewish
and
Hellenistic
apocalyptic
traditions.
scholarly
discourse,
the
term
appears
in
discussions
of
revelation
as
a
literary
or
theological
concept,
and
in
broader
culture
it
informs
the
familiar
idea
of
unveiling
dramatic
or
world-changing
events.
The
term
remains
closely
linked
to
themes
of
eschatology,
prophecy,
and
the
interpretation
of
symbolic
imagery.