Scott Hahn's book "The Lamb's Supper" portrays the Mass as an important means of understanding the Book of Revelation. Hahn says "I propose that the key to understanding the Mass is the biblical book of Revelation - and further that the Mass is the only way a Christian can truly make sense of the Book of Revelation." Hahn believes that the Mass and the Book of Revelation are connected. He believes that they shed light upon one another.

Hahn believes that the Mass grants insight into heaven. He believes that the Mass presents a foretaste of heaven. Hahn says "Yet, I insist that we do go to heaven when we go to Mass, and this is true of every Mass we attend, regardless of the quality of the music of the fervor of the preaching." Hahn's belief in the connection between the Mass and heaven is strong. He believes that Christians mystically enter heaven when we attend Mass.

Hahn continues by saying "The Mass- and I mean every single Mass- is heaven on a Earth. I assure you that this is not my idea; it is the Church's. Neither is it a new idea; it's been around since the day John had his apocalyptic vision." Hahn suggests that this is the Catholic Church's position, which is rooted in God himself.

Hahn discusses the first Mass that he ever attended. At first, Hahn was skeptical. So, he went as an observer, not as a worshipper.

However, Hahn was struck by how biblical the Mass was. Hahn says "As the Mass moved on, however, something hit me. My bible wasn't just beside me. It was before me me in the the words at the Mass." Suddenly Hahn saw the connection between the Mass and the scriptures. He saw the Mass as deeply rooted in scripture. Likewise, he saw the scripture in the Mass.

Hahn says "In less than a minute, the phrase "Lamb of God" had rung out four times. From long years of studying the Bible, I immediately knew where I was in the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is called the Lamb no less than twenty - eight times in twenty - two champ tees." Once again, Hahn saw the connection between the Book of Revelation and the Mass. The Mass reminded him of the Book of Revelation.

As Hahn did more research, he discovered that the early Church connected the Mass to the Book of Revelation as well. Hahn says "I plunged with renewed vigor into my study of ancient Christianity and found that the earliest bishops, the Fathers of the Church, had made the same discovery I was making every morning." Hahn understood that the conclusions that he was making had already been made by the Catholic Church centuries ago.

Hahn also connected the Old Testament's appreciation of sacrifice. Hahn says "To ancient Israel, the lamb was identified with sacrifice, and sacrifice is one of the most primal forms of worship." Hahn discusses the offering made by Noah, Abraham, Jacob and others. Hahn also addresses the sacrifices in Genesis made by Mechizedek, Abraham and Isaac.

Hahn points out that "Melchizedek's sacrifice was extraordinary in that it involved no animals. He offered bread and wine, as Jesus would at the Last Supper, when He instituted the Eucharist. Melchizedek's sacrifice ended with a blessing upon Abraham." Perhaps Melchizedek's offering foreshadowed Jesus Christ at the Last Supper.

Hahn also says that "Christians would later look upon the story of Abraham and Isaac as a profound allegory for the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. The similarities were many. First, Jesus, like Isaac, was a faithful father's only beloved son." Here, Hahn addresses the connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Hahn points out that Israel offered its daily sacrifices to God at the Temple at Jerusalem. Two lambs were sacrificed every day, "one in the morning and one in the evening, to atone for the sins of the nation." So, sacrifice became a part of the daily life of the Jewish people. It started at Passover and then proceeded to the daily lives of the Jewish people.

Hahn emphasized that these sacrifices were not enough. Hahn says that "God demanded an interior sacrifice as well." In a way, the sacrifice of Passover and the daily sacrifices at the Temple prepared the Israelites for the interior sacrifices they would be called by God to make.

Hahn also discussed the parallels between Jesus Christ and the Passover. Hahn says "But, Passover had more than an ordinary importance in Jesus' life; it was central to his mission, a definitive moment. Jesus is the Lamb." Jesus is the Lamb of a God. The offering of lambs in the Jewish faith prefigured the death and resurrection of Christ.

Hahn also discusses the different parts of the Mass. First, Hahn addresses the routine of the Mass. Hahn says "Faithfulness to our routines is a way of showing love. We just don't work, or thank, or offer affection when we really feel like it. Real love are loves we live with constancy, and that constancy shows itself in routine." Hahn is trying to show the importance of routine at the Mass. Hahn makes the point that the early Christians, including St. Paul had "concern with ritual precision and liturgical etiquette."

Hahn says "The rites of the Christian liturgy are the set phrases that have proven themselves over time: the thank- you of God's children, the I-love you of Christ's spouse, the Church. The liturgy is the habit that makes us highly effective, not just in the "spiritual life," but in life generally, since life must be lived in a world that's made and redeemed by God." So, Hahn points out that the liturgy, or the Mass, has been passed down by the Catholic Church over time. The liturgy helps to give scope and definition to our faith in Christ. It helps us to persevere and find order in our faith in Christ.

Hahn also points out that the "Liturgy engages the whole person: body, soul and spirit." At Mass, and perhaps at other Christian liturgies, our body, soul and spirit are involved in the worship of Christ. Our body, soul and spirit are orientated towards Christ.

Hahn points out that the Mass is divided into the "Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist." Hahn explains that "In the Latin Church, the Liturgy of the Word includes the entrance, the introductory rites, the penitential rite, and the readings from Scripture. The Liturgy of the Eucharist could be marked off in four sections: the offertory, the Eucharistic Prayer, the Communion rite, and the concluding rite. Though the actions are many, the Mass is one offering, and that is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which renews our covenant with God the Father." So, as Hahn points out, the primary reason for the Mass is to strengthen our covenant with God, the Father. The goal of the Mass is to strengthen our relationship with God.

Hahn continues by saying "Jesus' sacrifice would accomplish what all the blood of millions of sheep and bulls and goats could never do." The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ fulfills all previous sacrifices. It is the final sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.

Hahn addresses the battles discussed in the book of revelation as well. When dealing with the battles of revelation, Hahn suggests that we need to consider the "senses of scripture." When dealing with this issue, Hahn says "From the earliest times, Christian teachers have spoken of the Bible as having a literal sense and a spiritual sense. The literal sense may describe a historical person, place or event. The spiritual sense speaks -through that same person, place or event - to reveal a truth about Jesus Christ, or the moral life, or the destiny of our souls, or all three." So, Hahn points out that there are different layers to the scripture. Additionally, there are different layers to the Book of Revelation.

Hahn points out that "Tradition teaches us, however, that the literal sense is foundational. Yet, identifying the literal sense of the Book of Revelation is a most difficult enterprise...Interpreting the book of Revelation is further complicated because the literal and spiritual senses seem to merge in John's vision." So, Hahn admits that understanding and interpreting the Book of Revelation is tough. It is not easy. It requires patience.

Hahn says "In the Apocalypse, John alludes to the severe trials Christians faced in his day. Since he rarely names names - and he never tells you the date, except to say it was "the Lord's day" - interpreters offer a long list of candidates for Revelation's tribulations: the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple (A.D 70); the emperor Nero's bloody persecution (A.D. 64); the later persecution by the emperor Dominition (A.D> 96); the earlier persecution of Christians by Jews (50s and 60s A.D.)." So, there are different persecutions that interpreters could refer to. Hahn points out that different events in history could apply to what John was talking about.

Hahn says "In a sense, of course, - a spiritual sense- all of these interpretations are true, because Revelation does offer encouragement to all Christians who undergo trials or persecution, to any degree. But in a literal sense, Revelation is, I believe, primarily about the fall of Jerusalem." So, Hahn acknowledges that the book of Revelation could apply spiritualy to many events. However, he believes that it points specifically to the fall of Jerusalem. He believes the literal sense of the book of Revelation points to the fall of Jerusalem.

Hahn says "From the very beginning, Revelation has an imminent tone: 'The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place (Rev1:1) The message recurs throughout the book: 'I am coming soon' (see 1:1, 3; 3:11; 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20). Jesus Himself indicated that He would return soon, even before a generation had passed since His Resurrection. "There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom." (Mt 16:28) "This generation will not pass away till all these things take place.' (Mt 24:34) So, Hahn points out that Jesus Christ was saying he would return soon. However, does that mean that his second coming would be imminent or that he would be present in the world and the Church in a special way? Of course, his imminent return refers to this second coming, but it also may apply to his unique presence in the church in in all Christians who believe in him. In a way, Jesus Christ remains in the world through Christians who profess his name and who believe in him. In a unique, way Christ is present in the scripture, the seven sacraments, the teaching of the Catholic Church on faith and morals and in a special way in the Mass. Christ's imminent return has also taken place through the Church. And, Christ is present in a unique way in every Christian who believes in him.

Hahn says "Today, most of us associate the 'soon' with the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world. And this is surely true; both John and Jesus were speaking about the end of history. I think, however, that they were also- and primarily- speaking about the end of "a" world: the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, and with it the end of the world of the Old Covenant, with it's sacrifices and rituals, its barriers to gentiles, and it's barriers between heaven and earth. Yet the Parousia (or "coming") of Jesus was meant to be more than an ending; it was a beginning, a new Jerusalem, a New Covenant, a new heaven and earth." The Catholic Church teaches that not only has Christ redeemed individual souls. He has also redeemed all of creation. So, in a way Hahn is echoing Catholic teaching with his interpretation of the book of Revelation. Jesus Christ came to inaugurate a new time, a new kingdom of which he is the only head. It is Christ's kingdom. When people follow Jesus Christ on earth, these people contribute to the building up of this kingdom.

Within the context of the "Mass as heaven on Earth," Hahn addresses judgement. Hahn says the following of God's law and covenant: "A covenant is a sacred family bond. We can see that God- by His covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus - gradually extended that family relationship to more and more people. With each covenant came a law; but these were not arbitrary acts of power; they were expressions of fatherly wisdom and love." Hahn bases God's judgement on God's covenant with people. He says that "Sin comes from our refusal to keep the covenant, our refusal to love God as much as he loves us." Hahn continues by saying "Judgement, then, is not an impersonal, legalistic process. It is a matter of love, and it is something we choose for ourselves. Nor is punishment a vindictive act. God's 'curses' are not expressions of hatred, but of fatherly love and discipline. Like medicinal ointment, they hurt in order to heal. They impose a suffering that is remedial, restorative, and redemptive. God's wrath is an expression of His love for His wayward children." So, Hahn suggests that God's love for us is expressed as a covenant, which can never be broken. However, it can be wounded through personal sin that God punishes in order to restore us. Even the punishment is an expression of love.

Hahn emphasizes that this understanding of covenant helps us to understand the Book of Revelation. Hahn says "John's vision is not merely liturgical, or merely royal, or merely military. It is all these, but it is also juridical...To citizens of modern democracies, this combination might seem like chaos; but we should remember that, in ancient Israel, the king was commander in chief of the army, chief justice of the courts, and, ideally, high priest as well. As divine king, Jesus fulfilled all these roles par excellence." So, Hahn emphasizes that some of Christ's roles are present in the Book of Revelation. Ultimately, his role as judge of each person is present in the Book of Revelation.

On some level, we experience a foretaste of heaven and of God's judgement at Mass.

Hahn also addresses the presence of Christ. Hahn says "In Greek, the word is Parousia, and it conveys one of the key themes in the Book of Revelation. In recent centuries, interpreters have used the world almost exclusively to denote Jesus' Second Coming at the end of time...Yet, it is not the primary meaning. Parousia's primary meaning is a real, personal, living, lasting, and active presence. In the last line of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus promises "I will be with you always." So, the liturgy is a unique presence of God. It is an example of Christ's promise to be with us until the end of time.