revelation: apocalyptic and prophecy · 2019. 11. 18. · •apocalypto →“removing a cover”...
TRANSCRIPT
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Revelation: Apocalyptic and ProphecyJesus is Lord! Caesar is not …
Jonathan Numada, Ph.D.
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The Apocalyptic World
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The Apocalyptic Genre and the Book of Revelation
Revelation as Christian Apocalypse (ch.4-22)
Rev 1:1• Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Apokalypsis Iesou
Christou)
• Apocalypto → “Removing a cover”
John J. Collins:“Apocalypse is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it envisages another, supernatural world.” (Collins, Apocalypse, 9).
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The Apocalyptic Genre and the Book of Revelation
Apocalyptic as a Genre
SYMBOLISM AND IMAGERY TEMPORAL FRAMEWORK
• Visions and Epiphanies • Creation
• Discourse and Dialogue • Primordial Events
• Otherworldly Journey • Interpretation of History
• A Written document/book • Present salvation through
knowledge
• Angelic Mediator • Judgment
• Human recipient • Eschatological Salvation
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• In ANE cosmology, the world seen as a bubble of air in
water.
• Beasts like Leviathan or Tiamat dwelled in water under
earth; seen as agents of destruction.
• Sun goes in-and-out of water canopy to create day and
night.
• Temples were points of worship because deemed
(literally) closer to God(s).
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The Apocalyptic World
• Water = “nothingness” (like Space)
• Multiple Heavens of graduated Holiness
• Sun usually in the first Heaven
Influence
• Paul claims to have “known someone” who ascended to the “third Heaven” (2 Cor 12:2).
• Some Jews claimed Moses ascended to Heaven to receive the Law (Gospel of John denies this—John 3:13-14)
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The Theology of Revelation: It’s Historical Background
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Historical Background
Date
• Domitian’s Reign (95-96 CE)?
• Year of Four Emperors (68-69 CE)?
• Temple (Rev 11:1-2) = Before 70 CE?
Riddle: 666 (Rev 13:18) = “Nero Caesar”?• Letters acted as Numbers (no separate number
system)
• נרון קסר (NRWN QSR) →
• ר +ס+ק+ ן +ו+ר+נ → 666?
• Before 68 CE (Nero’s Death)?
From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)
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Major Views
• Preterism
• Historicism
• Futurism
• Idealism
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Literary Devices: Series of Sevens
7 Seals 7 Trumpets 7 Signs 7 Bowls1 Sin: White horse →
Subjugation (6:1)
Nature: Burning 1/3 of Earth (8:6) Spiritual: The Woman (12:1) Nature: Plague of Sores (16:2)
2 Sin: Red horse → Violence (6:4)
Nature: Sea (Blood) (8:6) Spiritual: Satan Cast Out (12:7) Nature: Pollution of Seas (blood)
(16:3)
3 Sin: Black horse → Greed (6:5) Nature: Star → Poison Water (8:10) Spiritual: War between Satan and the Woman and her son (12:13)
Nature: Pollution of Fresh Water
(blood) (16:4)
4 Sin: Ashen Horse → Violence, Pestilence, Death (6:8)
Nature: Sun, Moon, Stars dim
(8:12)
Political: Beast from the Sea (13:1) Nature: Scorching Sun (16:8)
5 Martyrs: Call for Judgement (6:9)
Political: (?) First Woe → Locusts &
Torment (9:1)
Political: Beast from the Earth
(13:11)
Political: Inflicting the Kingdom of
the Beast (16:10)
6 Collapse of Nature: Sky (6:12) Political: Second Woe → Angels @ Euphrates → War & Death (9:13)
Eschatological/Political: Lamb on
Zion (14:1)
Political: Drying Euphrates→ War
(16:12)
7 Collapse of Nature: Earth (8:1) Political: Third Woe → Imposition of God’s Reign (11:15)
Eschatological/Political: Harvest of
the Earth (14:6)
Political: Destruction of
“Babylon” (16:17)
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The Theology of Revelation: Its Historical and Social Context
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Theology of Revelation
Apocalyptic
Assumptions:
• NT has a generally “apocalyptic” worldview
• God in Control of History
• Jesus the turning Point
• Life of faith an eschatological battle or struggle
Main Theological Themes
• Rome’s Power is Evil • Roman Cultural Systems, Religious
Systems, and Values are Evil
• Christians are Called to be
Faithful
• God is Just in the Face of Evil and
Suffering
God’s Power over History
• Everything has a Purpose • God controls ALL of Creation
• God’s Power Reflects his
Transcendence and Glory
• Christians can Trust in God’s
Judgment and Reward
From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)
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Theology of Revelation: Looking Forward
Value of a Preterist Reading:
• Context to Symbols and Imagery
Three Levels to Reading Revelation:
1. Exhortation to Christians of its Time
2. A Prediction of what Discipleship can be Like
3. A Symbolic Anticipation of Future History
Canonical Function of Revelation:
• With Genesis, “book-ends” the
Canon
• Provides a “Telic” Reading of
History
• Makes Jesus the Center of
History
• Makes Jesus the Resolution of
History From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)
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Theology of Revelation: Looking Forward
From “Apocalypse” (Albrecht Dürer)
Revelation as “Social Identity Formation”
(a.k.a., What the Church is and What it’s About)
• Vision of the Public Face & Character of the Church
• Public Witness to King Jesus
• Publicly Faithful to Jesus
• Faithful Endurance of Suffering and Persecution
• Personal Commitment to Point of Martyrdom
• Church’s Cultural Engagement: Outward Weakness, Inward Strength
• NOT: Outward Strength, Spiritual Weakness
• NOT: Cultural Domination
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Revelation
Message
JESUS IS LORD -- (Caesar is not)!
BEWARE FALSE
TEACHERS
• A Gentile Christian issues?
• Letters to the Seven Churches
• The boasting of the Satanic Symbols
PERSEVERE TO
THE END
• A Common Jewish-Christian Theme
• More of an issue for Jewish Christians?
• 2 Peter, Jude, Hebrews