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OTL 220/221/222 Exam summary (study notes)
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OTL 220/221/222EXAM SUMMARY
Graham Smith
, STUDY UNIT 5: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, THE BIBLE AND TH E
FEATURES OF APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE
DEFINING APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE
The apocalypse is the most important literary form in which the apocalyptic-eschatological perspective is
expressed. (Other literary forms are also used, such as the testament, the salvation/judgment ruling and the
parable).
Because this perspective is mainly concerned with the future and the future is regarded as a drastic intervention
from Above, the statements about the future are presented as a revelation (an apocalypse) given to a human
recipient by an otherworldly/supernatural mediator in which the future, especially the salvation of the faithful
from the current misery by the heavenly powers, is described.
An early stage in the development of apocalyptic literature is represented by Ezek 38-9, Zech 1:7-6:8, Joel 2:1-11,
4:1-21. Passages such as Isaiah 24-27, 56-66, and Zechariah 9-14 represent a further stage in the development
of apocalyptic thinking. They can be seen as a 'proto-apocalyptic' or 'early apocalyptic'. Identifiable apocalyptic
writings which, admittedly, are not only pure 'revelation' but can be considered as representative of
the literary type of the apocalypse, are:
◼ Daniel 7-12 (2nd century BC)
◼ Ethiopian Enoch 37-82, 83-90 (3rd century BC-1st century AD)
◼ II Enoch (first century AD)
◼ 4 Ezra (100 AD)
◼ 2 & 3 Baruch (100 BC-3rd century AD)
◼ Apocalypse of ABRAHAM (c100 AD)
◼ Apocalypse from Zep. (1st century BC-1st century AD)
◼ Testament of Abraham (1st-2nd century AD)
◼ Testament of Levi
◼ Revelation
Two aspects make the apocalypse a unique form of expression:
1. The symbolic universe with which it deals is alienated from the general master symbols. Although the
same word forms and literary patterns are used as in other literature, they have a unique semantic content.
The closed nature of the community from whose ranks the apocalypse comes and for whom it is intended
causes totally exclusive fields of meaning to be linked to many concepts.
2. The apocalyptic movements freely incorporated whatever they found useful in their environment to
express their thoughts. From Semitic mythology (especially as it is found in the cult), domestic and foreign
wisdom literature, neo-Babylonian astrology, Persian dualism and the 'Hellenistically oriented syncretism',
everything that was useful for the communication of the apocalyptic perspective was adopted.
FEATURES OF APOCALYPTIC LITERA TURE
A distinction has been made between the apocalypse as a genre and apocalypticism as a historical
movement with a particular worldview. Scholars further distinguish between the apocalypse as a genre,
apocalyptic eschatology as a religious perspective and apocalypticism as the ideology of a group that lives
according to the outlook of apocalypse. Webb defines apocalypticism more as the ideology of an apocalypse. It is
important to distinguish between apocalypse and eschatology. An apocalypse employs a particular form of
eschatology. Biblical eschatology is about the last things, about the end of the world and the final judgment.
This particular focus in eschatology manifests in a type of ‘literature’ known as an apocalypse. The author of the
last book of the Bible calls his writing the Revelation (Greek: ἀποκάλυψις: apokalupsis). It has become customary
to call all literature that, like the book of Revelations, contains God-given visions of events at the end of time, or
teaching about those events, apocalypse/ apocalyptic literature. It is not easy to give a definition of an apocalypse.
As a genre it has certain characteristics. However, it should be read against a particular cultural and historical
© Copyright reserved/Kopiereg voorbehou Graham Smith ©
1
Based on study notes of OTL 220/221/222
, background and be seen as a reflection of that culture. In the seventies, the Apocalypse Group of the SBL Genre
Project did not take function or social background into consideration, but arrived at a definition as follows:
It 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 involves another, supernatural world.
Since the eighties, function has also been taken into account. It is conceded that apocalypse may have different
functions in different social contexts, but they still have a certain number of basic functions in common. An
apocalypse always aims to persuade people either to change their outlook, attitude and behaviour, or to
encourage them to endure adverse conditions. It has an original purpose as well as a contemporary meaning for
today's readers. An extensive definition is therefore:
“Apocalypse” is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which 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 involves another, supernatural world; such a work is
intended to interpret present, earthly circumstances in light of the supernatural world and of the future,
and to influence both the understanding and the behaviour of the audience by means of divine authority.
Scholars distinguish between two groups of apocalypses. There are apocalypse describing a journey to heaven
with cosmological and meteorological terms, and others that present an overview of history and see the events
leading to an eschatological crisis. An apocalypse is about secrets that are revealed but that does not always
have something to do with eschatology, but sometimes spatially with journeys to other worlds. The historical
apocalypse divides history into periods and prophetically sees its own time as that which is eschatologically
aimed at the final event. Cosmic transformation is not necessarily part of this projection, although cosmological
space is included in this view. Cosmological and eschatological mysteries play an important role in travel
apocalypses.
LITERARY FEATURES WITH REGARDS TO THE FORM OF APOCALYPSES
1. Pseudonomity
The authors of apocalyptic writings use pseudonyms. The name of an admired and well-known person from the
past is usually used as the nom de plume (the author of Revelation and the Shepherd of Hermas are exceptions).
Names such as Enoch, Moses, Daniel and Ezra are used. Because the apocalypse appeals to its readers to
persevere, the familiar name is used as a technique of persuasion to give authenticity to the information
and the appeal. Pseudonyms are used in historical apocalypses to give a post ex eventu prophecy. In the travel
apocalypses they are used to give authority to the statements. Pseudonomity does occur, but is not an absolute
condition for the genre of apocalypse.
2. Exclusive communication
The information presented is in the form of a narrative. The information is experienced as a revelation from Above
and is experienced visually. Through the mediation of a heavenly being, the narrator is taken on a supernatural
journey and informed about the meaning of the different images and phenomena that he observes. He describes
the various scenes and events he experienced and explains their symbolism. The information is referred to the
future and the entire cosmic scene.
3. Visions, images etc.
Visions, imagery and number symbolism play a major role. Persons, for example, are depicted as animals and
historical events as natural phenomena. Secret meanings are assigned to colours and numbers. The meanings
of the numbers relate to the ancient Near Eastern world. Literary borrowing from a number of genres throughout
the ancient Near Eastern world occurs. Often there is a long history behind the images, and they emanate from
the mythological, cosmological and astrological traditions from the East and the West. These traditions usually
determine more or less the meaning of the images, but more often (e.g. in Revelation), they are used to bring a
new message.
© Copyright reserved/Kopiereg voorbehou Graham Smith ©
2
Based on study notes of OTL 220/221/222
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