Znaczenie terminu ὥρα („godzina”) w Apokalipsie Janowej
The Meaning of the Term ὥρα (“Hour”) in the Revelation of John

Summary/Abstract: Correct understanding of the term ὥρα in Rev depends on the literary and theological context. In the first section of the article the texts of the Letters to the Churches are discussed. There, in the context of the message of Christ, the “hour” is related to the situation of each Christian community. In the Letter to the Church in Sardis (3:3), a lack of vigilance can cause her not to recognize the time of the Lord’s coming. In the Letter to the Church in Philadelphia (3:10), the community receives a promise to be preserved in the hour of trial. In the second section of the article, the texts of the main part of Rev are discussed. In Rev 17–18 the “hour” has two different meanings. In the context of Rev 17:12 the “one hour” symbolizes the limited period of government directed against God, Christ and the Church. In a funeral song in Rev 18 the “one hour” is a recurring element of laments over the kings, the merchants, and of the owners of seagoing ships (18:10.17.19). The expression “one hour” indicates an impending and sudden fall of Babylon. In other texts the “hour” is a moment of fulfilling God’s intentions (11:13) and a precise, planned moment of judgment (9:15; 14:7.15). In the third section the expression “half-hour” (8:1) is discussed, which probably means a very short period of time. Thus, in the context of Rev the term “hour” may mean either a specific historical moment or a very limited period of time, but always an element of time planned, implemented or permitted by God.

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