Jung on the Archetype of the Apocalypse, page-8

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    From the OP link---- T
    he Meaning and Features of the Archetype of the Apocalypse


    Before we tackle a definition of the archetype of the apocalypse, we need to understand the meaning of “apocalypse.”
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    It comes from two Greek words, apo and kalypto, which mean “to take away” and “to cover or hide.” So “apocalypse” means literally to “take away the covering of something that has been hidden.” What’s been hidden?
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    The truth, or more specifically, the truth about the future and what is to come.
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    In the New Testament, the final book of the Christian Bible is often referred to the apocalypse or “revelation” given to St. John. John’s visions “took away the cover” of what previously been hidden, to reveal the future end times.
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    Through centuries of Chrisitians’ usage referring to John and his vision the term “apocalypse” has become associated specifically with revelations that envision a “great, final catastrophe” to befall the earth.
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    Jung regarded apocalypse as an archetype because he recognized that such visions are not limited to Christians: they occur in every culture.
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    Every culture has some sort of belief or account of an “end time” that will be (or has been) revealed. While the specifics vary from culture to culture, there are usually certain basic components of the archetype: Something is revealed about the future; some sort of judgment or evaluation occurs; there is destruction or punishment; and finally there is renewal, in the form of a new reality or world.





    Last edited by RedCedar: 10/03/25
 
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