An
apocalypse (
Ancient Greek:
ἀποκάλυψις apocálypsis, from
ἀπό and
καλύπτω meaning 'un-covering'), translated literally from Greek, is a disclosure of knowledge, i.e., a lifting of the veil or revelation, although this sense did not enter English until the 14th century. In religious contexts it is usually a disclosure of something hidden. In the
Revelation of John (Greek
Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου, Apocalypsis Ioannou), the last book of the
New Testament, the revelation which John receives is that of the ultimate victory of good over evil and the end of the present age, and that is the primary meaning of the term, one that dates to 1175. Today, it is commonly used in reference to any prophetic revelation or so-called
End Time scenario, or to the
end of the world in general.