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The Book Of Destiny
An in-depth analysis of the Apocalypse that really makes sense. Proves it is a prophetic history of the Catholic Church. Proceeds chapter by chapter and verse by verse, explaining everything in terms of the language and symbolic meaning of Scripture itself. Gives the keys to understanding the Apocalypse. Shows we are on the verge of dramatic events! A masterpiece!
530 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1955
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September 22, 2024
A PRIEST'S COMMENTARY ON THE LAST BOOK IN THE BIBLE
Fr. Herman B. Kramer (1884-1976) was a priest in the diocese of Sioux City for 40 years, including 37 years as pastor. He wrote in the Foreword to this 1955 book, "The title chosen for this book sets forth the contents of the inspired message revealed to St. John, the Apostle. It is a summing up of the prophetical work in the Bible by the Holy Spirit and a revelation of the Great Causes shaping future history which will constitute the destiny or mankind. This destiny will be created and developed by man's free will. It is 'The Book of Destiny' because it shows forth the destiny of the whole human race. It is building up now and will grow until the Day of Judgment." [NOTE: page numbers refer to 522-page paperback edition.]
He says, "The Apocalypse seems to point obscurely and guardedly to Domitian as the present embodiment of the beast. St. Paul does not in his epistles take this view of either the empire or the emperor. Although in the epistles of St. John, the Docetae are antichrists, in the Apocalypse, the reigning emperor is the persecutor of the Church [Apoc 6:2]. Still, the Seer does not identify him with Antichrist, although he desired to be called 'Lord and God.' This blasphemy made Domitian in his own time the representative or type of Antichrist but not Antichrist himself, because the numbers 666 or 616 do not fit his name." (Pg. 20)
Commenting on Apoc. 1:20, he says, "the language must be considered metaphorical unless the context argues for the literal sense. According to our Lord's words, 'angel' means a bishop or priest throughout the Apocalypse, unless the context clearly shows him to be a celestial or evil spirit. Protestant interpreters do not like to admit that the 'angels' are bishops of the churches, because they contend that there were no monarchical bishops over the churches at this time. But it is clear from Scripture and Tradition, that a bishop presided over the church by apostolic institution in every city. That these angels should be celestial spirits is unacceptable, because one of them is pronounced spiritually 'dead' [3:1] and another 'lukewarm' [3:16]." (Pg. 59)
Of Apoc 8:8-9 [the "burning mountain"], he says, "this allegorical figure describes nothing with truer precision than Mohammedanism... He inaugurated a world-movement and established a world-power by the edge of the sword, which turned a part of the world into blood... A burning mountain hurled into the 'sea' by the south wind aptly represents Mohammedanism. The scourge heralded by the second trumpet punishes another third of the Roman Empire for the perversions of paganism, heresy, schism and luxury. Mohammedanism literally drenched one third of the known world with blood by its unceasing wars of conquest... It gave occasion to the Crusades, which for two hundred years involved all of Europe in apparently offensive but really defensive wars." (Pg. 198)
Of 13:16, he observes, "All commentators who try to force this chapter as fulfilled in St. John's time are constrained to admit that they are confronted with a fact prophesied and not fulfilled, for those provincials who conformed to the caesar-cult were not branded as here stated... The Apocalypse is a genuine prophecy and depicts future history... and is not a mere poetic embellishment of existing conditions. Those commentators who do not see the foretelling of real future events in this prophecy find no satisfactory explanation for anything contained in it." (Pg. 325) The infamous "666" in 13:18 is "probably no symbol at all but a mere cryptogram to be deciphered in Antichrist's time." (Pg. 327)
He says, "The present chapter [ch. 18] alludes obscurely to Nero and Domitian as types of the Beast. But the beast of this chapter is primarily the EMPIRE of the Antichrist, which shall come into existence at the time of this vision. The beast is the God-less world-empire, identified with the Roman Empire, personified in the first two persecuting emperors, and ... shall come to fulness of life again in the empire of Antichrist. The explanation that the assassination of Domitian is meant by the phrase, 'was, and is not,' is impossible in the light of the whole context of the prophecy...
"And the myth of a 'Nero redivivus' is equally as impossible. The 'mystery' of the woman shall remain forever unintelligible if interpreters insist on making St. John responsible for the belief in the fulfillment of an impossible legend... We would have an inspired prophecy that was not fulfilled and was impossible of fulfillment. If interpreters want to insist on putting the fulfillment of this chapter in the times of the Roman Empire, they will entangle themselves in inexplicable riddles. If, however, the context of the whole Apocalypse is kept in view and applied to the course of history, an explanation is not impossible or contradictory." (Pg. 391)
He concludes by saying about 22:19, "The words are a withering threat to Protestant sectaries who have interpreted the prophecies in accordance with their prejudices and their own private purposes. They have ever represented the Pope as the Antichrist, although such an interpretation is an open contradiction of the text and of the whole New Testament... The Apocalypse and the Book of Daniel have been distorted into many kinds of contradictory meanings by those who will not hear or believe the truth but want to follow their own prejudices and impose them upon others... Anyone who interprets this or any text of Scripture in accordance with his prejudices is out of harmony with the divine Will, is unworthy of his divine inheritance and cannot share in the bounties of the Spirit of God." (Pg. 518)
There are few Catholic commentaries on the Apocalypse, which makes this one all the more unique and valuable to Catholics with a more conservative/traditionalist orientation.
Fr. Herman B. Kramer (1884-1976) was a priest in the diocese of Sioux City for 40 years, including 37 years as pastor. He wrote in the Foreword to this 1955 book, "The title chosen for this book sets forth the contents of the inspired message revealed to St. John, the Apostle. It is a summing up of the prophetical work in the Bible by the Holy Spirit and a revelation of the Great Causes shaping future history which will constitute the destiny or mankind. This destiny will be created and developed by man's free will. It is 'The Book of Destiny' because it shows forth the destiny of the whole human race. It is building up now and will grow until the Day of Judgment." [NOTE: page numbers refer to 522-page paperback edition.]
He says, "The Apocalypse seems to point obscurely and guardedly to Domitian as the present embodiment of the beast. St. Paul does not in his epistles take this view of either the empire or the emperor. Although in the epistles of St. John, the Docetae are antichrists, in the Apocalypse, the reigning emperor is the persecutor of the Church [Apoc 6:2]. Still, the Seer does not identify him with Antichrist, although he desired to be called 'Lord and God.' This blasphemy made Domitian in his own time the representative or type of Antichrist but not Antichrist himself, because the numbers 666 or 616 do not fit his name." (Pg. 20)
Commenting on Apoc. 1:20, he says, "the language must be considered metaphorical unless the context argues for the literal sense. According to our Lord's words, 'angel' means a bishop or priest throughout the Apocalypse, unless the context clearly shows him to be a celestial or evil spirit. Protestant interpreters do not like to admit that the 'angels' are bishops of the churches, because they contend that there were no monarchical bishops over the churches at this time. But it is clear from Scripture and Tradition, that a bishop presided over the church by apostolic institution in every city. That these angels should be celestial spirits is unacceptable, because one of them is pronounced spiritually 'dead' [3:1] and another 'lukewarm' [3:16]." (Pg. 59)
Of Apoc 8:8-9 [the "burning mountain"], he says, "this allegorical figure describes nothing with truer precision than Mohammedanism... He inaugurated a world-movement and established a world-power by the edge of the sword, which turned a part of the world into blood... A burning mountain hurled into the 'sea' by the south wind aptly represents Mohammedanism. The scourge heralded by the second trumpet punishes another third of the Roman Empire for the perversions of paganism, heresy, schism and luxury. Mohammedanism literally drenched one third of the known world with blood by its unceasing wars of conquest... It gave occasion to the Crusades, which for two hundred years involved all of Europe in apparently offensive but really defensive wars." (Pg. 198)
Of 13:16, he observes, "All commentators who try to force this chapter as fulfilled in St. John's time are constrained to admit that they are confronted with a fact prophesied and not fulfilled, for those provincials who conformed to the caesar-cult were not branded as here stated... The Apocalypse is a genuine prophecy and depicts future history... and is not a mere poetic embellishment of existing conditions. Those commentators who do not see the foretelling of real future events in this prophecy find no satisfactory explanation for anything contained in it." (Pg. 325) The infamous "666" in 13:18 is "probably no symbol at all but a mere cryptogram to be deciphered in Antichrist's time." (Pg. 327)
He says, "The present chapter [ch. 18] alludes obscurely to Nero and Domitian as types of the Beast. But the beast of this chapter is primarily the EMPIRE of the Antichrist, which shall come into existence at the time of this vision. The beast is the God-less world-empire, identified with the Roman Empire, personified in the first two persecuting emperors, and ... shall come to fulness of life again in the empire of Antichrist. The explanation that the assassination of Domitian is meant by the phrase, 'was, and is not,' is impossible in the light of the whole context of the prophecy...
"And the myth of a 'Nero redivivus' is equally as impossible. The 'mystery' of the woman shall remain forever unintelligible if interpreters insist on making St. John responsible for the belief in the fulfillment of an impossible legend... We would have an inspired prophecy that was not fulfilled and was impossible of fulfillment. If interpreters want to insist on putting the fulfillment of this chapter in the times of the Roman Empire, they will entangle themselves in inexplicable riddles. If, however, the context of the whole Apocalypse is kept in view and applied to the course of history, an explanation is not impossible or contradictory." (Pg. 391)
He concludes by saying about 22:19, "The words are a withering threat to Protestant sectaries who have interpreted the prophecies in accordance with their prejudices and their own private purposes. They have ever represented the Pope as the Antichrist, although such an interpretation is an open contradiction of the text and of the whole New Testament... The Apocalypse and the Book of Daniel have been distorted into many kinds of contradictory meanings by those who will not hear or believe the truth but want to follow their own prejudices and impose them upon others... Anyone who interprets this or any text of Scripture in accordance with his prejudices is out of harmony with the divine Will, is unworthy of his divine inheritance and cannot share in the bounties of the Spirit of God." (Pg. 518)
There are few Catholic commentaries on the Apocalypse, which makes this one all the more unique and valuable to Catholics with a more conservative/traditionalist orientation.
December 12, 2013
This book is a commentary on the Book of Revelation. I read it straight through, which I don't normally do with commentaries, and it read well as a book. The book has it's flaws, but it's well worth reading, because it's very well researched and is very thought provoking. One of the main flaws the book has is the author's belief in a literal (future) millennium, which is the same, earthly, messianic belief Jews had at the time of Christ and the same view of earthly messianism Christ rejected. Jews today still expect a messiah who will set up an earthly kingdom, and reject Christ because he didn't set up such a kingdom.
February 11, 2021
Very good for reference while studying the book of Revelation. This book was written in 1955 by Rev. Father Herman Bernard F Leonard Kramer. He studied the book of revelation for 30 years before releasing this book. Each chapter in the book starts with a written chapter of Revelation from the Bible then afterward an explanation of the chapter verse by verse. The way it is set up is very easy for study or occasional reference.
February 16, 2025
For some reason I only read up to chapter 14, a good ten years ago of the good Father's treatise. Glad I just finally finished. The author took 30 years to research. Lots of symbolism in the Book of Revelation from OT books including the prophets Jer., Is, Ezechial and Daniel. Good reference book to add to your Bible study.
June 8, 2024
well worth your time.
Very detailed analysis of a challenging book. I feel like I finally have a good understanding of how to interpret prophecy.
Very detailed analysis of a challenging book. I feel like I finally have a good understanding of how to interpret prophecy.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews