Gerardo Plascencia
English Lit. AP
Mrs. Bosch
31 July 2008
Biblical Illusions
THE FALL- This is commonly known as the moment when Eve disobeys God by biting the apple in the Garden of Eden. She was convinced by a snake, and Adam standing next to her did nothing to stop her from falling into temptation. She falls into the Satan’s trick, and God punishes mankind with mortal sin.
THE FLOOD- God’s anger toward the people down on earth, where he called upon Noah and told him to build an ark in which he was to put animals in pairs. He gave him instructions on how to build the vast ark and what to do along the way. As soon as the ark was completed, pouring began and continued for 40 days and nights.
THE CREATION-our reference to how life on earth began (religiously). God created plants, animals, humans, and everything on earth during 6 days and took the seventh day and dedicated it to rest.
THE MARK OF CAIN-a curse put on Cain, for murdering his brother Abel. God marked him with it as punishment and he was not accepted by society after that.
LOT AND HIS WIFE- Lot, his wife, and family are warned by some angels that they need to leave the city because it will be destroyed. As they leave they are told to live by the mountains and are not to look back or they shall perish. Lot’s wife’s instinct makes her look back and she is instantly turned into a pillar of salt for disobeying.
SODOM AND GOMORRAH- two cities that were destroyed. Only lot’s family was saved by a warning from some angels. But as they were leaving, Lot’s wife turned her back to look at Sodom for one last time and was turned into a pillar of salt.
THE NATIVITY-the time when Jesus was born. The Virgin Mary and Joseph stopped at Nazareth and baby Jesus was born in a stable, where the three kings later made themselves present and brought gifts for the newborn.
LAZARUS- a man whom Jesus resuscitated from the dead for having faith in him
THE CRUCIFIXION-as the scriptures had it, Jesus would be betrayed and denied, being sacrificed for our sake and as pardon for our sins. He was crucified by Pontius Pilate and resurrected three days later.
THE DENIAL-Jesus warned his disciples that he would be betrayed by some of them, and none of them believed him. Later when confronted by authorities, they denied him three times (before the crow sang), and they couldn’t believe what they had just done.
THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER-when Judas betrayed Jesus he received thirty pieces of silver. This was a reward for such betrayal and in stories an act of betrayal, such as this one, is referred to as the “thirty pieces of silver”.
DAVID AND GOLIATH (PHILISTINES) - the story in which young David becomes a hero. He takes on the mighty giant Goliath and defeats him with a genius blow from his slingshot. BUDDHA/BUDDHISM- The Buddha taught that the nature of reality was impermanent and interconnected. We suffer in life because of our desire to transient things. Liberation from suffering may come by training the mind and acting according to the laws of karma (cause and effect) i.e. with right action, good things will come to you. This teaching is known as the Four Noble Truths:
Dukkha: Suffering is everywhereSamudaya: There is a cause of suffering, which is attachment or misplaced desire (tanha) rooted in ignorance. Nirodha: There is an end of suffering, which is Nirvana (the possibility of liberation exists for everyone). Maggo: There is a path that leads out of suffering, known as the Noble Eightfold Path (right view, right thought, right speech, right conduct, right vocation, right effort, right attention and right concentration).
GOLGOTHA-location of Jesus’ burial
THE PRODIGAL SON-this is from a story that tells about a father with two sons. He divides all of his belongings into equal parts for both of his sons. The older son was responsible and saved all that he was given but the younger son gathered it all and left far off. He was careless and soon ran out of money. He had nothing left and decided to work. The only job available to him was feeding swine and was so poor that he ended up eating with the pigs. He decided that the only choice left was to return home to his dad and ask for forgiveness and let him at least be a servant. As his father saw him approaching, he was filled with glee and immediately ordered his servants to make a big feast.(the killing of the fatted calf). But when the older son saw this he was mad and did not want to join the celebration. He felt that he had been treated unfairly, because he had been responsible and loyal, but yet his brother was getting a feast. Stories usually allude to “the prodigal son” to symbolize someone who leaves his/her home and eventually returns back in sorrow or shame.
REVELATIONS (FOUR HORSEMENT, NUMBER OF THE BEAST, ETC.)-
(1) THE SEVEN CHURCHES- The Epistles, to the seven Churches. The Churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The Epistles are short exhortations to the Christians to remain steadfast in their faith, to beware of false apostles and to abstain from fornication and from meat offered to idols.
(2) THE BOOK WITH THE SEVEN SEALS- The seven seals and the numbering of the Saints. At the opening of four seals, four horses appear. Their color is white, black, red, and sallow,\ (chloros, piebald), They signify conquest, slaughter, dearth and death.
The seventh seal. After the interval of about half an hour, the seventh seal is broken; seven angels issue forth, each one holding a trumpet. The sounding of the first four trumpets causes a partial destruction of the elements of nature. One-third of the earth is burned, as also one-third of the trees and all the grass. One-third of the sea becomes blood (cf. Exodus 7:17). One-third of the rivers is turned into water of wormwood. One-third of the sun, moon, and stars is obscured, causing one-third of the day to be dark (cf. Exodus 10:21). At the sounding of the fifth trumpet locusts ascend from the abyss. Their work is to torment men for five months, They are specially charged not to touch the grass. Their shape is that of the horses (Joel 2:4) their teeth like those of lions (Joel 1:6), their hair like the hair of women. They have the tails of scorpions to chastise man. The command over them is held by the Angel of the Abyss, named Abaddon, the destroyer. At the sound of the sixth trumpet the four angels chained at the Euphrates are let loose. They lead forth an army of horsemen. By the fire which the horses spit out and by their tails which are like serpents where one-third of mankind is killed. After the sixth trumpet there are two digressions. (1) The angel standing on the land and the sea. He swears that at the sound of the seventh trumpet the mystery will be completed. He hands to the Seer a little book. (2) The contamination of the court of the Temple by the heathens. It lasts three and a half years. Taken from Dan., vii, 25; ix, 27; xii, 7-11. During that time two witnesses are sent to preach in Jerusalem. They are the two olive-trees foretold by Zacharias, iv, 3,11. At the end of their mission they are slain by the beast. They are raised to life after three and a half days (years). The seventh trumpet is now blown, the nations are judged and the kingdom of Christ is established. (http://www.bookofrevelations.net/)
JONAH AND THE WHALE- Jonah, a prophet, was ordered by God to send a message to the city of Nineveh. But he refused to go there and decided to flee, thinking he could find a way to hide from god. He got on a ship that suffered from a great storm caused by god and his anger towards Jonah. The only way to calm the storm was to throw Jonah overboard. So the sailors did, for their own sake, and god sent a whale to swallow Jonah and safely get him to shore. A “Jonah” is usually referring to someone who brings bad luck along with them.
SAMSON AND DELILAH-Samson was of the strongest men around his time and he had a secret for his strength. Delilah was the woman he loved, and he confided his secret to her. He told her that that the source of his strength came from his hair, and while he was asleep Delilah cut his hair and betrayed him. This shows envy and betrayal to a trust.
MOSES AND THE FLIGHT FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT-when Moses was a baby his mother had to save him from the clutches of the authorities.(who at the time were killing all newborns, by orders of the king who was afraid of his crown with the news of the new “savior, Jesus Christ.)She put him in a basket and sent him down the Nile River, where the king’s daughter found him and adopted him as her own. As an adult, god calls upon him to lead the Hebrew to safety and away from slavery. God later hands him the Ten Commandments. Soon after the king follows them to get his slaves back; which angers god having him send the plagues and Moses saves the Hebrews by escaping through the middle of the red sea that parted way for Moses and his followers but closed once the king’s men try to follow them.