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Historical Approaches to Apocalyptic Literature (Part 2)

posted by Krista | 1/7/2003 12:47:42 AM | Permalink | Stumble It!

This article is part of a series on Apocalyptic Literature. Read the previous section: Premillennialist Interpretation of Revelation (Part 1).

Problems with A Premillennialist Approach
The main problem in the premillennialist approach to Revelation is that scripture is compared to other scripture, so that one passage in Scripture may be used to interpret another, even if they were written at different time periods by different authors. This isn't problematic to premillennialists because they see God as the author of every biblical book, but it is to historians because it ignores the human contribution to the composition. Instead, historians look at the historical and social context in which the text was written. Premillennialists immediately assume that if the symbol is found in one passage, it must mean the same as in a different passage in a different book. Because they find such striking similarities, they take both books and interpret them as if they were a single text.

A second problem involves interpreting the images of Revelation as if they were unique to the bible and were created to convey historical information through simple codes. Biblical scholars such as Hermann Gunkel have shown that this isn't the case and that biblical writers borrowed heavily from their environment including ancient Near East myths.

Historical Interpretation of Apocalyptic Texts
Historical interpreters try to compare apocalyptic texts not on the scripture interprets scripture view, by comparing texts with other texts of the same type (in form, content, or function). This has been a major focus of biblical study from the late 1970s onwards. To compare texts of similar types, a general definition of 'apocalyptic' had to be created to fit a wide range of extra-biblical texts along with biblical texts such as Daniel and Revelation. The following definitions were produces.

"Apocalypticism" is used to mean a historical movement or to refer "to the symbolic universe in which an apocalyptic movement codifies its identity and interpretation of reality." A movement then would be called "apocalyptic" if it "shared the conceptual framework of the genre, endorsing a worldview in which supernatural revelation, the heavenly world, and eschatological judgment played essential parts."

Framework of an Apocalypse
The general framework of an apocalypse describes some kind of revelation being revealed by a vision or otherworldly journey. The seer usually engages in dialogue with an otherworldly being or is allowed to read a heavenly book, which reveals heavenly secrets and hidden events of the future. There is almost always an angel that acts as an interpreter of the vision or serves as a guide during the journey, implying that the revelation requires some kind of otherworldly aid to be interpreted correctly, and the seer almost always pseudonymously takes the name of a figure from the past. Some have a review of history and all have some form of eschatology, which can involve political and cosmic transformation or only a personal afterlife.

When evaluating a text, it is essential to look at the function of the text in context. This can be:

• "The functional relations between the elements of content... how the text works (literary function"
• "what the author wants to accomplish with the text, its message"
• "the social function, the relation between the text and its social setting."

Continue reading Historical Approaches to Revelation (Part 3).

Reference

• Article: Premillennialist Interpretation of Revelation (Part 1)
• Article: Historical Approaches to Revelation (Part 3)
• Boring, M.E. "The Theology of Revelation: The Lord Our God the Almighty Reigns." Interpretation 40.01, July 1986. pp.257-269.
• Collins, A. Y. "Reading the Book of Revelation in the Twentieth Century." Interpretation 40.01, July 1986. pp.229-242.
• Collins, John. The Apocalyptic Imagination.
• DeBernardi, Jean. "If the Lord Be Not Come... End-Time Teachings and Evangelical Practice in the Brethren Movement In Singapore." Journal of Ritual Studies 15 (1) 2001.
• Origen. De Principiis 2.11.2-5