Seven...The Spirit of the Apocalypse

It might be interesting to have a look here at what is involved with an Apocalypse, first it will perhaps be instructive to peruse some classic literature of the genre;


I will give no guidance nor aid in understanding,
'Men forsook truth and took up violence,
'They abandoned justice and were plotting wickedness,
'Against but one country I raised up seven winds,
'He who did not die in battle will die in an epidemic,


He summoned the first to give his instructions,
"Wherever you go and spread terror, have no equal."
He said to the second, "Burn like fire, scorch like flame".
He commanded the third, "Look like a lion, let him who sees you be paralysed with fear".
He said to the fourth,"Let a mountain collapse when you present your fierce arms".
He said to the fifth, "Blast like the wind, scan the circumference of the earth".
He said to the sixth."Go out everywhere (like the deluge) and spare no one".
The seventh he charged with viperous venom," Slay whatever lives".


"I obliterate the land and reckon it for ruins,
"I lay waste cities and turn them into open spaces,
"I wreck mountains and fell their wildlife,
"I convulse the sea and destroy its increase,
"I bring the stillness of death upon swamp and thicket, burning like fire,
"I fell humankind, I leave no living creatures,
"Not one do I retain, nor any for seed to repopulate the land,
I spare no livestock nor any living creatures,


"You have put the unrighteous man to death,
"He who sinned against you, you put him to death,
" He who did not sin against you, you put him to death,
"The high priest, assiduous with divine offerings, you put to death,
"The functionary who served the king you put to death,
"The old man on the doorstep you put to death,
"The young girls in the bedrooms you put to death,
"Even then you found no appeasement whatsoever!
"Even then when you told yourself,'They hold me in contempt!'


"Let this poem stand forever, let it endure till eternity.
"Let all lands hear it and praise my valor,
"Let all inhabitants witness and extol my name,"


The extracts were from Erra and Ishmun,

n the extant text known to us at present, Erra and Ishum may date no earlier than the eighth century bce, but it almost certainly incorporates older elements. It consists of five tablets comprising some 750 lines; the final tablet is shorter than the others. Tablets with the text come from both Assyria (Nineveh, Assur, Sultantepe) and Babylonia

it is a tale of the God Erra, who is somewhat negelecting his duties as a God of destruction at the begining olf the narrative, until he is reminded of his essential nature by the seven Sebbitu, who were the seven Gallu Demons of Primordial Chaos in Sumerian times.

Anyway they persuade him that a good Apocalypse is just about due;

The Seven, warriors unrivalled, their divine nature is different,
Their origins are strange, they are terrifying,
Whoever sees them is numbed with fear.
Their breath of life is death,
People are too frightened to appproach it

These are the ones who are in a fury, holding their weapons aloft,
They are saying to Erra, "Up, do your duty!
"Why have you been sitting in the city like a feeble old man,
"Why sitting at home like a helpless child?



Erra see's their point; and decides it's time people were put in their place as they no longer fear the Gods;

"All the gods are afraid of a fight, so the black-headed folk are contemptuous!


Ishum the adviser of Erra has been trying to keep the bad influence of the Seven from him, but now to no avail;

Ishum made ready to speak, saying to warrior Erra these words.
"Why have you plotted evil against god and man?
"And why have you remorselessly plotted evil against the black-headed folk?
Erra made ready to speak, saying to Ishum his vanguard these words,
"You who know the reasoning of the Igigi gods, the counsel of the Anunna gods, would you givve guidance to the black-headed folk, and try to make them understand?

"Why are you, indeed, talking like a know-nothing?


And thus Erra insists on his Apocalypse, putting not only the black headed ones in their place, but also the Gods, including Marduk of Babylon who he disrespects for his weakness.

Eventually Erra calms down some after no little slaughter and Ishum reasons with him, and when Erra realizes he has made his point he instructs for scattered remnants to be restored so that they can worship him.

Ishum made ready to speak, saying to the warrior Erra these words:
"Quiet, warrior, hear what I have to say,
"No doubt this is true, now, calm down, let us serve you!
"At a time you are angry, where is he who can face you?"
When Erra heard this, his face beamed, like radiant daylight his features glowed

Praise to the great lord Nergal and warrior Ishum for years without number!
How it came to pass that Erra grew angry and set ou to lay waste the lands and destroy their peoples,
But Ishum, his counsellor calmed him and left a remnant,.


It can be seen then that Semitic Apocalyptic literature of the 8th century BC was based upon a God of Destruction simply being himself, and him being provided with a wise adviser who reminded him to leave some people around to still worship and admire him, there is no concern with morals or righteousness or greater plans of Divine Providence, it is simply the case of seven Demons of Primordial case putting him up to it.

The narrative will reflect the turbulent times of the period, with various wars being seen as within the context of Erra's uprising, such as the attack upon Uruk by Sutean nomads.

"As for Uruk, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, the city of courtesans, harlots, and prostitutes for the cult,
"Whom Ishtar deprived of husbands and reckoned as her own,
"There Sutean nomads, men and women, bandy war whoops!
"They turned out the actors and singers of Eanna,


This does of course provide background for Hebrew Apocalyptic literature of the period, and perhaps for that reason is a little known work...but one i find fascinating.

Oh good. Lets elevate serial killers to godhood.

Kill everyone, take everything, burn whats left. You are kidding about this being a good thing?

That somehow religion justifies this behavior and thats okay?

Theres plenty of hate and murder to go around.

Most of it is spawned by religion.

reply to post by intrptr


I never said anything about it being a good thing, Seven Psychopaths isn't my kind of movie, all i've done here is provide insight into the Apocalyptic tradition that is generally obscured and ignored, if it shocks and horrifies you, then yes that was my intention.

reply to post by Kantzveldt

...Apocalyptic tradition that is generally obscured and ignored,...

Its not ignored. The message of fire and brimstone is negative abnd defeatist. But thats how religion operates and controls people, thru fear.

Two fold results of that are, people think the world is ending any way so what the hell lets go nuts...

and who cares about what happens to others (who don't practice our religion) they are going to die horribly and go to hell anyway.

So use up the planet resources the world is destined to be destroyed and heathens be damned they should have converted. Begin bombing.

Thats why the world is so screwed up. Because of belief systems like that.

Apocalypse doesn't mean end of the world anyway. Look it up it means "to be revealed".

I dont have an apocalypse bone in my body, the revelations are very positive message of the 7 chakras and ascension or gaining higher mind. And the Church adopting fundamentally, trying to explain their esoteric writings and metaphors as literal writings, did a very bad thing.

www.spiritofthescripture.com...
Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea: The Chakras of Our Upper Body Temple

www.spiritofthescripture.com...
Introduction to the Book of Revelations

It's all positive, and yet thought creates, so overcoming negative within and weeding our garden of the negative programming put in there is an important job.

reply to post by intrptr



The aspect i've provided insight into, the Erra epic, is almost entirely ignored, never been discussed around these parts, and this isn't much of a discussion either, reason being those who generally concern themselves with such prefer only the biblical variety, and those who don't are going to take exception to any Apocalypse scenario whatever the context, so a lose/lose situation for this thread.

I didn't say Apocalypse meant 'end of the World', just as i didn't say it was good, but in terms of the Erra epic the basis of revelation would have been astrological, a certain star twinkles;


Erra among all the gods [ ]
Among the stars of heaven the Fox Star [ ]
Was shining bright and its radiance [ ] for him,
The stars of all the gods were dazzling [ ],

"The star of Erra is shining bright and its radiant.... of warfare.
"His awe-inspiring brilliance will..... and all people will perish.
"The dazzling stars of heaven in his time are dimmed.
".... the ant, does it not rise [ ]?
"Among the beasts, the image of their star is the fox,


The Fox star was considered a bridging star in the constellation of Ursa Major, should the star be seen to flare up it was considered a portent of destruction, having previously been observed in conjunction with events of such nature.


www.mythopedia.info...


There is certainly the suggestion in the myth that people should be afraid of such omens, and that they should be respectful and worshipful toward Erra to avoid dire consequences should he in future flare up, but of course people also had the right to hold the entire issue in contempt and see how that worked out.



reply to post by Unity_99


Interestingly just as Erra destroys in conjunction with the seven Demons of chaos, the seven sages, or seven craftsmen as they are also referred to here, are consigned back into the depths of the cosmic waters, the Abzu, thus banished, seemingly by Marduk on earlier occasion.



" "I sent those craftsmen down to the depths, I ordered them not to come up,
"I removed the wood and gemstone and showed no one where,
"Now then, warrior Erra, as concerns that deed you said you would do,
"Where is the wood, flesh of the gods, suitable for the lord of the universe,
"The sacred tree, splendid stripling, perfect for lordship,
"Whose roots thrust down an hundred leagues through the waters of the vast ocean to the depths of hell,
"Whose crown brushed Anu's heaven on high?
"Where is the clear gemstone that I reserved for [ ]?
"Where is Ninildum, great carpenter of my supreme divinity,
"Wielder of the glittering hatchet, who knows that tool,
"Who makes it shine like the day and puts it in subjection at my feet?
"Where is Kunig-banda, fashioner of god and man, whose hands are sacred?
"Where is Ninagal, wielder of the upper and lower millstone
"Who grinds up hard copper like hide and who forges tools?
"Where are the choice stones, created by the vast sea, to ornament my diadem?
"Where are the seven sages of the depths, those sacred fish, who, like Ea their lord, are perfect in sublime wisdom, the ones who cleansed my person?

Thus in some sense the removal of the seven aspects of wisdom create the void which is filled by the activities of the seven Demons.

reply to post by Kantzveldt

. . . there is no concern with morals or righteousness or greater plans of Divine Providence, it is simply the case of seven Demons of Primordial case putting him up to it.

Reminds me of a line in Revelation,

Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
(2011 NIV)
where you have the unholy six, the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, and the three spirits.

reply to post by Kantzveldt

. . . insight into the Apocalyptic tradition that is generally obscured and ignored . . .

Hermann Gunkel thought so a hundred years ago when scientists were studying these tablets from the Mid East once they were able to decypher them.
He wrote a book that is now available in an English translation from the German,
Creation and Chaos in the Primeval Era and the Eschaton: Religio-Historical Study of Genesis 1 and Revelation 12,
where he makes a pretty good argument that the character of Michael is based on Marduk.

reply to post by Kantzveldt

. . . are consigned back into the depths of the cosmic waters, the Abzu, thus banished, seemingly by Marduk . . .

Christian fans of the book of Revelation I doubt like to consider that their favorite character in the story is actually Marduk.
One reason probably why it took a hundred years for Gunkel's book to be translated into English.

btw: do you know anything about Damkina, who Gunkel thinks is the woman standing on the moon in Rev. 12, and is the mother of Marduk?

reply to post by Kantzveldt

The Fox star was considered a bridging star in the constellation of Ursa Major, should the star be seen to flare up it was considered a portent of destruction, having previously been observed in conjunction with events of such nature.

Okay, whatever. The light reaching earth from stars began its journey lonnng ago. How is that accurate to "portending" anything again? I'm not debunking seeing the future, just the "ancient star theories" about it. Those people didn't have telescopes. Nor were they aware of light speed or that their "constellations" were random associations of stars, much like seeing pictures in clouds.

Remember I am not debunking wisdom, spirituality or "seeing", etc.

I note you still think apocalyptic means destruction.

"Apocalypse" (Ἀποκάλυψις) is a Greek word meaning "revelation", "an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling.

WIKI

reply to post by intrptr



I didn't say Apocalypse meant destruction...!!!

I said that the revealing was related to the flare up of a star which the Neo-Babylonians associated with destruction, and which to them made sense of then current events.

Obviously they didn't concern themselves with the speed at which light travels, just basic astrological interpretation of celestial events as they unfolded and what tradition had ascribed to them.

reply to post by jmdewey60


Damkina was the wife of Enki and mother of Marduk, generally i compare Ea to Yah, so the suggestion of Damkina as the women of Revelations i don't find too shocking.


O Damkina, mighty queen of all the gods, O wife of Ea, valiant art thou, O Ir-nina, mighty queen of all the gods . . . Thou that dwellest in the Abyss, O lady of heaven and earth!

Damkina

Damgaluna

Don't you know the bible has the market cornered on apocalyptic literature?

Thanks for posting this. An interesting read. So much of history is connected in so many ways. A lot more than we'd care to admit. S&F.

Good info, none of which I think I have previously seen. S&F. Sounds like they had some pretty nasty stuff going on long time ago, seems that this stuff keeps reoccurring through history, only the weapons get better.

reply to post by Kantzveldt


An Apocalypse (Ancient Greek: ἀποκάλυψις apocálypsis, from ἀπό and καλύπτω meaning 'un-covering'), translated literally from Greek, is a disclosure of knowledge, i.e., a lifting of the veil or revelation, although this sense did not enter English until the 14th century.[1] In religious contexts it is usually a disclosure of something hidden. In the Revelation of John (Greek Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου, Apocalypsis Ioannou), the last book of the New Testament, the revelation which John receives is that of the ultimate victory of good over evil and the end of the present age, and that is the primary meaning of the term, one that dates to 1175.[1]
en.wikipedia.org...

Thus, it's a revelation at the end of the age involving a final triumph of good over evil.

Best Regards,

NAM
Bride of Christ

Very. . .informative and instructional. Instructional indeed. Thank you.
I have known these Seven. . .haven't you?

reply to post by Divine Strake



I guess so, i wrote of them here;

Sumerian Vampire Cult


And meanwhile back in the present;


Language of Vampyr

to comment on my earlier post: something that I meant to add a couple days ago and just was reminded of;

There is this oddity with Revelation's account of the beasts, where it mentions the two-horned beast of the land, then sort of forgets about it while talking about the false prophet. Some interpreters think that it is the same entity but what I am thinking now is that it could be a way to come up with seven entities, rather than six, as I came up with earlier.

reply to post by Kantzveldt


Tales...and words,strategically placed like chess pieces to fit the ideology of what is familiar.