Day 8: Apocalypse and the Book of Revelation

"Apocalypse" means "Revelation," hence why the Book of Revelation is sometimes called the Book of the Apocalypse. When the Winchesters fail to prevent the Apocalypse they encounter many of the Biblical symbols and figures that are taken out of the Book of Revelation and adapted to modern times, and to fit the show as necessary.

The Four Horsemen

                                                                         War

  Famine                                                                                                                                                                                     Death

“Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” ²I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer.

^“3When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come!” ⁴And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another; and he was given a great sword. ⁵When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, ⁶and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s pay, and three quarts of barley for a day’s pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!” ⁷When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, “Come!” ⁸I looked and there was a pale green horse! Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, and by the wild animals of the earth.”

                                                                                      -Revelation 6:1-8, NRSV

The brothers encounter each of the four horsemen of the apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. Besides Death, the riders of the colored horses in Revelation are not explicitly stated, but have been interpreted as these other three. When the brothers meet each rider they do not ride actual horses, instead they drive Mustangs in the color they are said to ride in the Book of Revelation.

In Supernatural the brothers are trying to steal the rings that the four horsemen wear because when the rings are combined they open the door to Lucifer’s cage. They defeat War, Pestilence, and Famine, but Death cannot be defeated. He hands the ring over to Dean because Death does not want to answer to Lucifer. Death is more than just a horseman, he is actually Death. He says he will reap everyone one day, even God.

The Whore of Babylon

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters, ²with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk." ³So he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; ⁵and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth's abominations."

                                                          Revelation 17:1-5, NRSV

The Winchesters and Castiel encounter the Whore of Babylon, who has killed and taken the appearance of a girl named Leah. The Whore’s purpose is to lead people to sin so they go to Hell, and that is what the main characters find her doing in episode 17 of season 5. 

The Whore does not appear riding the beast described in Revelation, and ironically “Leah” is chaste, she does not fornicate with anyone. This is the opposite of the Biblical Whore “with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication” (Rev. 17:2).

Since the Book of Revelation was written in code, there are many interpretations of who the Whore of Babylon is. In Dante’s Inferno the Whore of Babylon is corruption and simony, not a literal creature. During the Protestant Reformation some reformers claimed that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon, leading souls to hell. There are even some within the Catholic Church that claim the Church since Vatican II is the Whore of Babylon, a fake Church that leads souls astray. The counterfeit-Church leads true Catholics away.

Many Biblical scholars believe the Whore of Babylon is code for the Roman Empire that was persecuting Christians at the time. As often happens with Supernatural, creatures are based on Biblical ideas and twisted to make them fit with the show or to make them more exciting for the audience.

Symbolic v. Literal 

Supernatural uses many of the characters from the Book of Revelation literally. The show never takes into account that the Book of Revelation was written in code and symbols to avoid persecutions. Although the Book of Revelation is hard to interpret, very few Christian sects take every word literally.

The biggest difference between the apocalypse of Supernatural and the Catholic apocalypse is the cause. In Supernatural the world will end because of a battle to the death between Michael and Lucifer. Supposedly, if Michael wins there will be Heaven on Earth, and if Lucifer wins there will be Hell on earth. The Catholic apocalypse is the Second Coming of Christ, where each person will be sent to Heaven or Hell based on their righteousness. Since Supernatural never mentions the existence of Jesus Christ (except for swearing), it would be hard to tie in this cause of the apocalypse. 

Day 7: Prophets

Prophets were very important in the Hebrew Scriptures which Catholicism and Judaism share. In Supernatural, there are two prophets of significance. These prophets are not known to be prophets as they are in Biblical times, they do not even know they are prophets until they encounter the Winchester brothers. They do not behave in the same way that the ancient prophets did, but the basic concept is the same: hear the Word of God, write it down, and pass it on.

Chuck Shurley

Chuck is first introduced as a fiction writer who writes about the Winchester brothers. He believes that he is making these stories up, not realizing that he is actually seeing the future and writing it down. He is supposed to write the  "Gospel of Winchester" which, at least according to the Catholic angels, will explain how the apocalypse came to take place and what happened. 

Chuck does not fit into the same role the ancient prophets did, he is closer to one of the early evangelists who recorded the gospels. He does not perform miracles or interpret the Word of God, he simply writes what he thinks not realizing until later that they are visions. Chuck also helps prevent the apocalypse. 

Kevin Tran

Kevin Tran first appears in season seven. He is a high school senior, test scores and AP classes are the most important part of his life until he meets the Winchesters. After the Winchester brothers acquire stone tablets, Kevin is drawn to them and is the only one who can read them. It is revealed that Kevin can read the scrolls because he is the next prophet, after Chuck.

A high school boy is not the ideal prophet. He is irresponsible and can barely take care of himself, but is supposed to save the world by translating. He can read the Word of God that Metatron recorded on stone tablets, and this makes him valuable to Crowley. Kevin may be just a high school boy but he is very brave, a characteristic he shares with the ancient prophets. 

Day 6: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory

In Catholicism there are three fates after death: Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. All three of these realms are shown in Supernatural, and Dean Winchester visits all three. 

Heaven

For Catholics Heaven means eternal communion and friendship with God. In Supernatural, each person lives in their own world where they live out their best memories from Earth with all of their loved ones. This is a very secularized version of Heaven. In both Catholicism and Supernatural it is where just people go after death to live happily for eternity. For Catholics this happiness comes from God, and for the characters of Supernatural happiness comes from earthly remnants.

Although Heaven is a theological concept from many different religions, especially Christian denominations, this version of Heaven has very little to do with God, which is distinct from theological ideas of Heaven. Sam and Dean travel to Heaven after they are killed and are brought back to life again, but the viewers get a view of Heaven.

Hell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc6j8AiW6vc

Day 5: Lucifer, Crowley, and other Demons

As mentioned in Day 1, in season four Lucifer is released from his cage. In both Supernatural and the Catholic tradition, Lucifer was an archangel who rebelled against God. Lucifer was jealous of humans because God loved them so much after He created them, and Lucifer refused to worship them. He fell from Heaven and there was a battle between the rebellious angels and the angels who were still loyal to God. Here Supernatural breaks off from Catholicism. In the show, Lucifer is trapped in a cage. In Catholicism, Lucifer and the other fallen angels were banished to Hell.

Lucifer is freed from his cage in season four and wreaks havoc on the world throughout season five. He is the king of hell, and organizes the demons that are roaming the Earth. Catholics believe in demons in a literal sense, not simply symbolically. The Winchester brothers fight the demons with magical weapons that kill them, but they also perform exorcisms, an idea stolen directly from Catholicism.

Day 4: Angels, Part 3

That's right, folks! Angels are so important to Supernatural, Catholicism, and Judaism that they get three whole days! This blog is not just about what Supernatural borrows from each religion, now we go deeper into the analysis of why these angels were chosen and how they are used.

Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are part of Judaism but are especially important to Catholicism since they are the only named angels in the Catholic Bible. I was raised Catholic, and these are the only three angel names I grew up knowing. Although some of the angels in Supernatural are named after other Biblical figures, these three angels are common enough to be known by a Christian audience. I believe this is why the trickster was chosen to be Gabriel- when his identity was revealed most people watching would immediately understand the significance of the name “Gabriel.”

Usually in Catholicism, the only “evil” angel is Lucifer, but in Supernatural most of the angels are out to destroy the world. The angels claim their intention is to end Earth to bring about Heaven, but the Winchesters, with Castiel, are fighting to save the lives of every human on the planet. Castiel becomes a rebellious angel, which to his brothers puts him on the same level as Lucifer. In Castiel’s attempt to save the world he is treated like the devil, literally.

Angels in Supernatural act as a big dysfunctional family in which God is their absent father. They bicker and fight, but their fights are large enough to threaten humanity. Gabriel fled heaven because of his bickering siblings. He tells the brothers “What you guys call the Apocalypse? I used to call Sunday dinner.” The angels all refer to God as dad or father, some sarcastically and some with love. The angels are not portrayed as perfect beings; many are corrupt or become corrupt without God to watch over their actions.

Castiel is pitted against the other angels. Cassiel is never mentioned in Catholicism, so in this way it is the Jewish angel against the Catholic angels (Metatron is not mentioned until after the apocalypse is prevented in season five). The Catholic angels fight to end the world and bring Heaven to earth as is predicted in the Christian Bible, but Castiel resists this idea and resists his brothers attempts to start the apocalypse. Since there is no Heaven or paradise for Judaism, it makes sense that the Jewish angel would not be fighting for the end of the world.

Another interesting observation is that the Catholic angels follow the hierarchy. Although God is missing, they still answer to the angels in the hierarchy that they are appointed to. In this case, Michael is the new boss. Castiel rebels against this hierarchy. He does not answer to his immediate superiors, and even ends up lighting Michael on fire to prevent the apocalypse.

In many ways the relationship between the Catholic angels and Jewish angels, specifically Castiel, could be interpreted in not as a battle between Catholics and Jews but they do highlight many differences in both practice and theology. 

Day 3: Angels, Part 2

Today is the same idea as yesterday, except with Metatron and Cassiel. These angels are from Judaism. Although Metatron never appears in the show, he is mentioned throughout seasons six and seven. Castiel becomes a main character starting in season four and becomes increasingly important in the following season. Although Cassiel’s name was changed to Castiel, the character is based loosely on the theological angel.

Metatron

*Start the video around 2:47, that's the Metatron part*

Metatron

Metatron is known as the angel of life who protects the Tree of Life and Death (the same tree from the Garden of Eden). Although his name is never mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, he is sometimes thought to be Enoch, an ancestor of Abraham, who was supposedly transformed into an angel (Genesis 5:24). He is also credited with preventing Abraham from sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22:11-18) and leading the Israelites while they wandered the desert for forty years (Exodus 23:20-32), although his name is never mentioned in either of these passages.

In Supernatrual, Metatron is the scribe of God, a concept taken directly from Jewish mythology. Although Metatron has not appeared on the show (at least not as of the date of this blog post), he is still very important. The Word of God was recorded by Metatron onto stone tablets which only a prophet of the Lord can read, such as Kevin Tran or Chuck (the prophets will get their own day). Metatron included his own personal note in the tablet. Crowley, the ancient demon in the video, apparently knew Metatron hundreds of centuries again.

Cassiel / Castiel

Castiel is a main character in seasons four through six of Supernatural, and a recurring character in seasons seven and eight. Castiel first appears when he raises Dean from Hell in the premiere of season four. He befriends the Winchester brothers and eventually helps them prevent the apocalypse, disobeying his brothers (the other angels) and is killed by Lucifer. He is miraculously resurrected with little explanation, and it is believed that God raised him from the dead.

Cassiel is an archangel that is part of the Jewish tradition but not part of the Catholic tradition. He is known as the angel that stays in the background and watches without interfering, which is the exact opposite of what Castiel does in Supernatural. It is often said that Sam, Dean, and Castiel make up “Team Free Will” because they ignore what they are told they are supposed to do and choose their own paths.

Castiel is a beloved character by many fans of Supernatural. In season six, Castiel is fighting for control of heaven and partners with the new king of hell, Crowley (see above) to gain power to fight the other angels. He makes a grave mistake and absorbs the souls from Purgatory giving him infinite and God-like powers. These powers destroy him, but he (once again) is brought back to life with little explanation.

Castiel, loosely based on the angel who never interfered, interferes more than any angel is allowed to do. 

Day 2: Angels, Part 1

There are many angels that appear as characters on Supernatural¸ some that come from the Bible, some from Jewish mythology, and some that the show created as characters. In the Supernatural universe God created four archangels: Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, and Gabriel. All four of these angels come from the Catholic Bible, but there characters have been expanded and changed to fit the show. This post will focus on Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel; Lucifer will get his own day.

Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel is a well-known and beloved Catholic figure. He is considered a strong warrior, as shown by the prayer to him:

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

In Supernatural, the creators took Michael’s role in this prayer literally. In the show, Michael’s mission and goal is to defeat Satan in a battle that will end the world. He is seen as a leader among the other angels, their general in the battle against Lucifer and his evil forces.

In Catholicism Michael is seen as a defender of humans, but in Supernatural he plans on fighting Lucifer and destroying the earth and all of the humans on it. He is as much of an antagonist as Lucifer to the brothers who are trying to save the world and prevent the apocalypse, while Michael and the other angels actively try to end the world.

Raphael

The archangel Raphael is sent by God to heal Tobit and Sarah in the book of Tobit, a book of the Old Testament of the Catholic Bible. He is not mentioned except in Tobit where he is primarily a healer. Raphael also appears in the Book of Enoch where he is sent to bind the demon Azâzêl. Azâzêl, in Supernatural, is the demon who killed Mary Winchester, but Azâzêl and Raphael never appear in the same episode.

The character Raphael in Supernatural is loosely based on the archangel from the books of Tobit and Enoch, but they have little in common. They are both archangels named Raphael, but the rest of Raphael’s character was created by the writers and producers.

Raphael is strict and usually angry. He is first introduced as a protector of Chuck, a prophet, but he does not heal anyone like his Catholic version likes to do. He never fights Azâzêl in the show, breaking away from the Jewish mythology as well. Raphael follows Michael’s orders through season five, but does not disappear after the Winchesters prevent the apocalypse, defeating the angels’ plan. He becomes a main antagonist to the brothers in season six, following no orders from anyone and only following what he believes is right.

Raphael’s character shares almost nothing in common with the theological character. He remains obedient, but to Michael and not to God. His character was transformed to fit a role the show needed, not based on the actual theological character. 

Gabriel

Gabriel appears many times in both Catholic and Jewish writings. In Judaism, he is thought to be the angel in the Books of Daniel and Ezekiel. In Jewish mythology he is responsible for picking souls out of the Tree of Souls (from the Garden of Eden) and placing them on Earth as an embryo.

In Catholicism, Gabriel is the angel who announces the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. He is both well-known and well-loved by many Christians. St. Raphael shares his feast day with St. Michael, an interesting connection considering their relationship in Supernatural.

The first identity of Gabriel in Supernatural was disguised until the fifth season. He first appeared as a trickster, a pagan god that is often thought to be Loki from Norse mythology. Many pagan gods exist in the Supernatural universe. They are less powerful than “God,” presumably the monotheistic God of Judaism and Catholicism. Gabriel is accepted as the trickster until he reveals his identity to prove a point. He is often comic relief for the show during particularly dark plotlines, but becomes another piece of the puzzle when it is revealed he is actually Gabriel in the fifth season. He urges the Winchesters to play their part in the apocalypse and listen to his brothers, the other angels. Gabriel is killed by his brother, Lucifer, after Lucifer kills many of the pagan gods who Gabriel considers friends.

Gabriel has very little in common with his theological basis. I believe the name Gabriel was chosen for this character because Gabriel is one of the most well-known angels. The character in the show becomes significant in his attempt to force the Winchester brothers to play their parts in the apocalypse, specifically for Dean to become the vessel for Michael. Gabriel no longer serves as a messenger from God, in fact he says he ran away from heaven years ago because he could not listen to the fighting. He is a messenger for himself and his own will. 

Day 1: Introduction

Hello there! Welcome to a blog focused around the show Supernatural and the ideas and themes it steals from Judaism and Catholicism.

You’re either reading this because you’re a professor who has to, a huge Supernatural fan, or a huge theology fan! For whatever reason you’re reading this now, I hope you enjoy it! This blog was created as a project for a class, but I chose to put it out here on the internet so other fans of the show can see Supernatural in a new way.

Supernatural focuses around Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers raised to hunt monsters and ghosts. The first two seasons focus on two brothers travelling around the country hunting. In the third season the theology of angels, God, prophets, and the apocalypse were introduced, borrowing much of these ideas from Judaism and Catholicism.

Sam and Dean were raised by their father, John Winchester, who became a hunter to avenge his wife’s death.  It was later revealed that she was killed by a demon, which is the first introduction of demons into the show. Demons are common in the Supernatural universe, and they will get their own post.

The existence of souls and Hell was established in the beginning of the second season when John made a deal with a demon to trade his soul for Dean’s life. In these deals, humans sell their souls for some sort of benefit, usually living well for ten years, but when the human dies their soul is sent to Hell. After Sam dies at the end of the second season, Dean makes a deal to sell his soul for Sam’s life. At the end of season three, Dean’s time is up and his soul is sent to Hell.

In the season four premiere, Dean was saved by a being he had never believed in before- an angel named Castiel. This is the first official introduction to angels (they were mentioned in season two but dismissed). From this point on, Castiel is a main character on the show, and many other angels from both Judaism and Catholicism make appearances.

We find out that while in Hell Dean began the process of releasing Lucifer from his cage in Hell by breaking the first of 66 seals on Lucifer’s cage. Sam, Dean, and Castiel try to prevent the other 65 seals from being broken and triggering the apocalypse. SPOILER ALERT- they fail. Season five focuses on the apocalypse which draws mainly from the Book of Revelation from the Christian tradition. We’ll explore the Catholic themes in season five later, particularly the one about the apocalypse.

So why pick Supernatural as a focus of Catholic and Jewish themes? Well in this short little blurb we’ve already touched on many Catholic and Jewish ideas: angels, demons, Heaven, Hell, the existence of God, Lilith, prophets. The list goes on. Each day of blog posts will be dedicated to the different ideas taken from these theologies, and specifically how they are used and what that could suggest about Judaism and Catholicism in general.

*Disclaimer: I own nothing. All video, audio, pictures, and other material belong to the CW.*