The Apocalypse of St. Jana delights with the richness of eschatological content. However, the eschatological themes of the Apocalypse are not a frequent subject of scientific study. The reflections contained in this article take the form of methodological guidelines. They concern the process of interpreting the eschatology of Apocalypse. The Apocalypse should not be interpreted in isolation from historical and literary research. It should also not be interpreted in isolation from ethical research. It should also take into account the specific nature of prophetism of the Apocalypse. Eschatological contents contain an important place in this book. In order to interpret them properly, it is necessary to note i.a.: eschatological dynamics of the Apocalypse; the ambiguity of some symbols; the relation of eschatology to christology and ecclesiology.

The main objective of the paper is to show original theological emphasis on Peter the Apostle. Chapter 21 is considered to be a later addition to the Gospel of John. It is necessary to pay a special attention to related issues of editorial text. Despite its seemingly simple structure John 21: 15-19 poses other challenges. One of them is a puzzling variation of terminology. It is therefore necessary to draw attention to possible variants of critical-literary assessment of the biblical text. In John 21: 15-19 Peter is presented as a shepherd. This par-ticular mission is given to him by the Risen Jesus. The flock, which he has to feed, remains Jesus’ property. John 21:18-19 associated the ministry of Peter with his martyrdom. The entire passage has an ecumenical significance. The delegation of pastoral authority can be treated as a one-off event. The historical context of John 21 indicates the unifying character of the ministry of Peter the Apostle. Proper reading of the text can facilitate dialogue on the nature of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.

The article is titled “The symbol of the serpent in the Apocalypse of St. John”. Its aim is an exegetical analysis of the term “serpent” (ὄφις). The expression appears in Rev 9:19; 12:9; 20:2 and 12:14-16. In Rev 9:19 snakes are a symbolic element of a cavalry that realizes God’s plan. In other texts the serpent is a symbol of Satan. In Rev 12:9; 20,2 appears the title “the ancient serpent” referring to the biblical story of Gen 3:1-24. It is emphasized that Satan is the tempter. In Rev 12:14-16 the term “serpent” is used as a synonym for the dragon. It is possible that the symbolic scene of aggression towards woman expresses a destructive satanic action against the Church. We also ask a question how much the apocalyptic dragon (δράκων) is a serpent. In the course of exegetical analysis we have paid attention to two perspectives. The first is a historical and religious background of the serpent symbol in Rev. The second is original theology of Rev. One of her basic features is very rich symbolism. The author of Rev. refers to the past, but introduces a new, original content.