©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Chapter 20 Continuing the Apocalyptic Hope: The Book of Revelation and Other Jewish/ChristianApocalyptic Works

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Key Topics/Themes Revelation –Expresses hope for imminent transformation of world –Assures faithful of the completion of Gods prearranged plan Other Hellenistic apocalyptic writings help place New Testament Book of Revelation in context

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Introduction Revelation at end of New Testament as thematically appropriate Revelations portrayal of Jesus determined by authors apocalyptic viewpoint

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Revelation and the Apocalyptic Tradition The origins of apocalyptic literature Characteristics of apocalyptic writing Authorship and date of Revelation Significance of the emperor cult Purpose and organization of Revelation Revelations use of symbols

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Jesus Letters to Seven Churches (2:1-3:22) All seven letters follow the same pattern Refer to actual historical circumstances in those churches in the first century Advice to churches exemplifies the radical exclusivism of the author

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Visions in Heaven: Breaking the Seven Seals (4:1-11:19) Seals to a document containing Gods preordained history Breaking of each seal releases a sign or event in Gods plan The End portrayed as set of astronomical catastrophes The seven trumpets –Each trumpet announces a plague or disaster from God

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Seven Seals (contd.) Eating the scrollDerived from Ezek. 2:8-3:3; symbolizes John internalizing Gods foreordained plan Two witnesses prophesy for God, are killed, and then come back to life

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Signs in Heaven (12:1-16:21) Preparation for Armageddon, the final conflict between Good and Evil The celestial woman, the Dragon, and the beast from the sea Johns numerical symbols

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Methods of Interpreting Revelation Symbols in Revelation refer to events in first century only Symbols in Revelation predictions concerning future events Symbols in Revelation have applications that transcend any particular time or place

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Visions of the Final Triumph (21:1-22:5) The millennium The lake of fire The wedding of the Lamb and the Holy City

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Other Hellenistic-Jewish and Christian Apocalypses Review of other apocalyptic books helps us place Revelation in proper historical perspective Like Revelation, these have been very influential in Christian thought Shift from cosmic eschatology to personal eschatology

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education 1 Enoch Composed over three centuries Combines cosmic and personal eschatology Attributed to Enoch in Hebrew Bible Part of the Pseudepigrapha Contents of 1 Enoch

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education 2 Esdras (4 Ezra) Found in Christian Apocrypha Composite work of both Jewish and Christian authors Ezras interest in theodicy Ezras views on the afterlife

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education The Apocalypse of Peter Represents shift from cosmic to personal eschatology Considered Scripture by some early Christians Contains version of Matthews parable of the sheep and the goats

©McGraw-Hill Higher Education Apocalypse of Peter (contd.) A survey of horrible tortures suffered by the wicked in hell May reflect desire for justice as horrors of Roman persecution of Christians increased in second century