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2008-02-09T01:40:00.000+01:00

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Konrad Huber, Einer gleich einem Menschensohn

2008-02-07T11:55:00.000+01:00

Huber, Konrad. Einer gleich einem Menschensohn: Die Christusvisionen in Offb 1,9-20 und Offb 14,14-20 und die Christologie der Johannesoffenbarung. Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen, N.S., 51. Münster: Aschendorff, 2007. viii + 361 pp.

Dr. Konrad Huber (b. 1965), extraordinary professor of NT, University of Innsbruck, argues that the explicit visions of Christ functions as a key and guidelines for the understanding of the intention and text pragmatics of the entire work (by the way, my own research confirms that, but my overall interpretation is different from that of Konrad Huber).

Accordingly, Huber analyses Rev 1:9-20 and 14:14-20, employing a broad range of methods. On the basis of this results, Huber examines the structural and thematic correspondences between these two texts and the other visions of Christ in Revelation 5 and Revelation 19 in order determine the specific contributions of the Son of Man-visions.

Huber concludes that the Christology of Revelation is a separate and not less important voice among the other NT Christological emphases. Huber's understanding of the purpose of this presentation of Jesus Christ is quite traditional: to encourage and urge the Christians to persevere steadily and without compromise in their faith in a situation of troubles and peril.

As I cannot link directly to the author's German abstract (Synopsis) on the publisher's website, I include it here for:

"Die Offenbarung des Johannes vermittelt ihre Botschaft hauptsächlich in Form von Bildern Metaphern und Symbolen und sie tut das vorwiegend im Rahmen von Visionsschilderungen. Die expliziten Christusvisionen erweisen sich dabei geradezu als Schlüssel- und Leitbilder für das Verständnis von Aussageintention und Textpragmatik des gesamten Werkes.

"Auf diesem Hintergrund unternimmt die vorliegende Arbeit zunächst eine eingehende Textanalyse jener beiden Christusvisionen in Offb 1,9-20 und Offb 14,14-20, in denen Christus in der Figur des Menschensohngleichen geschaut wird. Mit Hilfe eines möglichst breit angelegten methodischen Vorgehens wird das darin entworfene, in sich vielschichtige Christusbild in seinem literarischen und motiv- bzw. traditionsgeschichtlichen Umfeld erhellt und profiliert erarbeitet. Im Anschluss daran fragt die Arbeit nach den Bezugsmomenten zwischen den beiden Texten sowie nach ihren strukturellen Entsprechungen und thematisch-inhaltlichen Übereinstimmungen mit den übrigen beiden Christusvisionen in Offb 5 (Lamm) und Offb 19 (Reiter auf weißem Pferd). Die besondere Stellung und der je spezifische Beitrag dieser Christusbilder im Rahmen des christologischen Gesamtkonzepts der Johannesoffenbarung treten damit deutlich in den Blick. Zugleich zeigt sich darin erneut, dass dem Werk des Sehers Johannes eine durchaus eigenständige, keineswegs minder wichtige Stimme im Konzert der vielfältigen christologischen Ansätze innerhalb des Neuen Testaments zukommt.

"Funktion einer derart visionär vermittelten Präsentation Jesu Christi ist es, die Christen in ihrer konkreten, von Bedrängnissen und Gefährdungen gekennzeichneten Situation zu standhaftem, kompromisslosem Durchhalten im Glauben zu ermuntern und aufzufordern."

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Remarks on scholarly commentaries

2008-02-07T10:40:00.000+01:00

The commentaries included in the category Scholarly commentaries are either scholarly (i.e., written for scholars and serious students) or written by scholars and with a specific, valuable view on Revelation or one of the topics discussed on Revelation Resources.

Although it is hardly possible to rank commentaries objectively, I would suggest that some commentaries should be consulted more unhesitatingly than others. Comments are welcome!

Of the most recent commentaries I would mention:

David E. Aune, Revelation (3 volumes) (1997-1998)
Gregory K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (1999)
Robert H. Mounce, Revelation (1998)
Leonard L. Thompson, Revelation (1998)
Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (presentation forthcoming) (1999)

Two commentaries with a focus on the history of interpretation are recommended (in chronological order):

Weinrich, Revelation (2006)
Kovacs and Rowland, Revelation: The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ (2004)

I would also suggest the following commentaries (in chronological order):

Peder Madsen, Johannes' Aabenbaring
(1894-1896)
Henry Barclay Swete, The Apocalypse (1906)
Wilhelm, Bousset, Die Offenbarung Johannis (1906)
I. T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (1919)
R. H. Charles, Revelation (1920)
Theodor Zahn, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (1924-1926)
Ernst Lohmeyer, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (1926)
William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (1940)
Holger Mosbech, Johannes' Aabenbaring (see also his history of interpretation) (1943; 1934)
G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (1966; 1983)
Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7; Revelation 8-22 (1992; 1995)
Heinz Giesen, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (1997)
Grant R. Osborne, Revelation (2002)

Many - especially German - scholars were and are Lutherans. Some seem to be more distinctively Lutheran than others. I would mention the following:

R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (1935; repr. 2001)
Eduard Lohse, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (1960; 8th ed. 1993)
Martin H. Franzmann, The Revelation to John (1968; 2nd. 1978; repr. 1986)
Siegbert W. Becker, Revelation: The Distant Triumph Song (1985)
Gerhard A. Krodel, Revelation (1989)
Louis A. Brighton, Revelation (1999)

Any comments?

George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John

2008-02-07T09:10:00.000+01:00

Ladd, George Eldon. A Commentary on the Revelation of John. 1972. Repr. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995 or later. 308 pp.

The commentary
Ladd is a proponent of classic premillennialism rather than dispensationalism (see Clouse, Four Views). In his brief introduction (p. 7-17), Ladd asserts that the author was the apostle or a prophet well-known at that time, but unknown to us. He accepts the Domitianic dating and argues that "The prophecy of the Revelation goes far beyond any known historical situation in the first century" (p. 9).

Ladd states that "the correct method of interpreting the Revelation is a blending of the preterist and futurist methods. The beast is both Rome and the eschatological Antichrist — and, we might add, any demonic power which the church must face in her entire history" (p. 14).

The author
George Eldon Ladd (1911-1982) earned his Ph.D. in classics from Harvard under H. J. Cadbury (1949). He also studied in Heidelberg. Ladd was professor of NT exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary 1950-1980.

"From a survey taken in the 1980s, Ladd has been acknowledged as the most influential evangelical scholar in North America" (L. M. McDonald in: McKim, Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters. 1988, p. 589). He wrote seven books and thirty-one articles on eschatology (McKim, p. 590f). He emphasised the presentness of the kingdom of God and argued that "the church is the true Israel made up of Jews and Gentiles alike and that the new covenant for the church is the same for the Jews and the Gentiles" (p. 591).

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Beckwith, Apocalypse

2008-02-07T01:25:00.000+01:00

Beckwith, I. T.: The Apocalypse of John. Studies in Introduction with a Critical and Exegetical Commentary. The Macmillan Company: New York 1919. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock publishers, 2001. xv + 794 pp.

Also reprinted 1992 and by Baker Book House in 1967.

This commentary with more than 800 pages is divided in two parts: the introduction and the commentary. It is well argued on both linguistic, historical and theological issues and is - in my view - one of the more valuable English commentaries.

Isbon T. (Thaddeus) Beckwith (1843-1936), Ph.D. and D.D., was professor of Greek language and literature at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut (see a photo).

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Eduard Lohse, Die Offenbarung des Johannes

2008-02-06T16:25:00.000+01:00

Lohse, Eduard. Die Offenbarung des Johannes: Übersetzt und erklärt. 8nd ed. Das Neue Testament Deutsch, 11. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1993. 126 pp.

The author is a renowned scholar, pastor and bishop. Eduard Lohse was professor of NT in Kiel (1956-1964) and Göttingen (1964-1971). From 1971 until his retirement in 1988 Lohse was bishop in Evangelisch-Lutherischen Landeskirche Hannovers.

This commentary is the fifteenth edition of the NTD-volume on Revelation (the very first edition was written by Johannes Behm). It is the 8th edition that Eduard Lohse has seen to the press, the first being published in 1960. The publisher have printed 74,000 copies of the NTD-volumes on Revelation. At least one half of this number probably pertains to Lohse's commentary. Due to this number, the modest size and the high readability level of this commentary, and, naturally, his general influence as professor and Lutheran bishop, Lohse must be considered as one of the very influential German commentators.

In his introduction (pp. 1-11), Lohse outlines Jewish apocalyptic, Revelation as as a Christian apocalypse, the problem of authorship (the author is a prophet) and dating (Domitianic). Lohse argues that one must combine a contemporary-historical, an eschatological, and a traditio-historical approach (see, e.g., the excursus on the birth of the child, pp. 72f). A one page very densely written bibliography concludes the introduction.

The back matters include an Index of Names and Subjects (pp. 123-126), a Table of Contents and a list of thematic excursuses (p. 127).

One of the problems that the seven messages address is Gnosis. Repentance and deeds are necessary, which, Lohse asserts, reveals the difference between Paul and John (p. 36f; cf. also p. 117). The coming parousia which is near necessitates the call for watchfulness and perseverance (pp. 36f).

Noteworthy is also Lohse's cautious discussion of the number of the beast (pp. 82f). Lohse argues that the millennium is intelligible only in the light of its Jewish background, but he also endorses the Lutheran Confessions that warn Christians not to make use of the "speculations" of Revelation 20. These "speculations" cannot be doctrinally binding, Lohse states (p. 107).

In his summary of the message of Revelation, Lohse follows Luther's critique as well as his suggestions as to how one can usefully read Revelation as a Christian. A scholarly approach is useful. He summarises the doctrine, emphasising that the church is living under the cross, which means that we need both consolation and warning (pp. 117-122).

One disadvantage is difficult to fail to see: The layout, especially the size of the font used, is not very reader-friendly in my opinion (cf. also here). It is too dense, in my view.

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Swete, Apocalypse

2008-02-06T09:50:00.000+01:00

Swete, Henry Barclay: The Apocalypse of St. John. London: Macmillan, 1906. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock publishers, 1999.

The second edition was published in 1907 or perhaps already in 1906. The third was published in 1908 and reprinted several times at least until 1917. The commentary was also reprinted by Eerdmans in Grand Rapids, 1954, and by Kregel in Grand Rapids in 1977 and 1978 under the title Commentary on Revelation.

This is one of the major commentaries ever written - and a good one that should be regularly consulted despite its age.

The commentary
The commentary proper, which comprises more than 300 pages, consists of the text, text-critical notes and "notes" to the text.

The introductory chapters - about 200 pages - deals with:

Prophecy in the Apostolic Church
Apocalypses, Jewish and Christian
Contents and plan of the Apocalypse of John
Unity of the Apocalypse
Destination
Christianity in the Province of Asia
Antichrist in the Province of Asia
Purpose of the Apocalypse
Date
Circulation and reception
Vocabulary, Grammar, and Style
Symbolism
Use of the Old Testament and other literature (parallels are listed)
Doctrine
Authorship
Text
Commentaries
History and methods of Interpretation

The back matters include an Index of Greek words used in the Apocalypse and an Index to the introduction and notes. Illustrations include Coins of the Apocalyptic cities.

The list of commentaries includes the important commentaries from the entire history of interpretation (pp. cxcii-ccii).

In his summary of the doctrine of Revelation, Swete discusses monotheism, Christology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, soteriology - apparently, Swete finds a synergistic notion of salvation, repentance and faith (p. clxiii-clxiv) - angelology, and eschatology "in the widest sense." The purpose of Revelation is "to inspire Christian hope. But incidentally, it instructs, and the teaching, so far as it goes, is fresh, strenuous, and suggestive" (p. clxviii).

Swete was inclined to the traditional view that the author was the apostle, but desired "to keep an open mind upon the question" (p. clxxxi).

As to his own approach, Swete states that he is convinced that John was "what he claimed to be, an inspired prophet" (p. ccxii). Due to the special character of Revelation, one must compare Revelation to the apocalyptic portions of the OT, especially to Daniel, and to the non-canonical Jewish apocalypses (p. ccxiii). Revelation is not "directly prophetical," but one must recognise that "[a]nother important landmark for the guidance of the interpreter is to be found in the purpose of the book and the historical surroundings of its origin" (ibid.). "The prophecy arose out of local and contemporary circumstances; it is, in the first instance at least, the answer of the Spirit to the fears and perils of the Asian Christians toward the end of the first century" (p. ccxiv). Accordingly, Swete explicitly rejects the world- and church-historical approach (ibid.). An interpretation based on these principles "will have points of contact with each of the chief systems of Apocalyptic exegesis" (p. ccxiv).

Swete concludes his introduction with a word of caution: "No attempt to solve the problems of this most enigmatic of canonical books can be more than provisional ..." (p. ccxv).

Swete's purpose was "simply to contribute whatever a personal study, conducted in the light shed upon the Apocalypse by many explorers, may be able to offer towards a true appreciation of this great Christian prophecy" (p. xxcv).

The author
Henry Barclay Swete (1835-1917), was educated in London and at Cambridge. He succeeded Brooke Foss Westcott as Regius Professor at Cambridge where he served 1890-1915. Swete was an Anglican clergyman and a textual critic, famous for his The Old Testament in Greek.

See much more at The Life and Works of Henry Barclay Swete (1835-1917) website, which include on-line editions of biographies as well as bibliographies and many on-line texts.

The Apocalypse of St. John is also available electronically as part of Classic Commentaries on the Greek New Testament and as a separate volume.

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Ernst Lohmeyer, Die Offenbarung des Johannes

2008-02-05T20:15:00.000+01:00

Lohmeyer, Ernst. Die Offenbarung des Johannes. Handbuch Zum Neuen Testament, 16. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1926. 203 pp. –: 2nd. expanded ed. 1953, 208 pp. Reprinted 1970.

About the book
In his commentary, Ernst Lohmeyer (1890-1946), the successor of Bultmann, interprets Revelation as a thoroughly eschatological book.

Apart from the commentary proper, Lohmeyer provides some concluding summaries (pp. 181-203 in the 1st ed.). In part 1, Lohmeyer describes (his understanding of) the form or structure of Revelation. Part 2 deals with the content. In part 3, Lohmeyer takes a look at the sources or the traditions employed, while part 4 is devoted to the language of Revelation. Part 5 discusses the character of the seer and his work. The last part discusses the relations between Revelation and the Gospel of John. Rare quotations from ancient literature are included in an appendix (pp. 200-203). A list of excursuses concludes the book (p. 203).

Lohmeyer's commentary is almost unparallelled in that he repeatedly emphasises the present or rather timeless character of the content of the visions. For example, Lohmeyer rejects that Babylon is Rome (p. 189). Although he does refer to the coming of Christ as a future event, his manifestation will not reveal anything new at all, it will not add anything to his dignity and nature. Nor will Christ's coming give anything to the individual that he has not already experienced through faith; it can only reveal to the world what is already present and determined in the faith (see p. 186).

Lohmeyer's view challenges not only a contemporary-historical interpretation, but also a futuristic approach that sees no or almost no present relevance of what Christ did and is. Lohmeyer's career and death is also an interesting story in itself.

About Lohmeyer
As rector of the University of Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), Lohmeyer, who was a principled man and an original scholar, stood up for his Jewish colleagues in the nineteen thirties. As a result, the Nazi regime banished him to Greifswald. Having just been elected rector for the university, he was unjustly killed in 1946 and first rehabilitated by the Russian government in 1996 (see a German summary here and a longer English article here).

See also Köhn, Andreas. Der Neutestamentler Ernst Lohmeyer: Studien zu Biographie und Theologie. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 180. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2004 (xvi + 366 pp.).

Wilhelm Hadorn, Die Offenbarung des Johannes

2008-02-05T12:19:00.000+01:00

Hadorn, Wilhelm. Die Offenbarung des Johannes. Theologischer Handkommentar Zum Neuen Testament, 18. Leipzig: A. Deichertsche Verlagsbuchhandlung; Werner Scholl, 1928. 243 pp. Bibliography pp. 22-23.

Wilhelm Hadorn (1869-1929), Privatdozent in 1900 and later a professor of NT (1912; 1922) and Swiss Church history (1925), wrote a 40 page essay on the millennium in 1915 and the commentary on Revelation the year before he died. Earlier he had published a small volume on Revelation (Die letzten Buch der Bibel. 1918; 2n ed. 1919) as well as a monograph on eschatology (Zukunft und Hoffnung. 1914).

This volume seems to be a quite influential premillennial commentary. E.g., professor Moe followed Hadorn's structural analysis in his commentary. The Swedish commentator, Åke V. Ström, followed Hadorn quite closely.

Danish writings on Revelation

2008-02-04T23:20:00.000+01:00

Here is an overview of the Danish writings on Revelation; I have described most of them in separate entries.

Nineteenth century
Professor Peder Madsen (d. 1911) who studied with, among others, professor Hofmann, in Erlangen, was professor of systematic theology, but he also lectured extensively in New Testament. In 1885-1887 (2nd ed. 1894-1896), he wrote an almost 750 page Revelation commentary, including a lengthy history of interpretation and research.

The Grundtvigian theologian and pastor Otto Møller published a 348 page church-historical commentary on Revelation in 1889.

A 160 page critical commentary was published by A. C. Larsen in 1899.

A very small, premillennial commentary by Adam Bülow, a pastor associated with the Inner Mission, was published posthumously in 1906, but very likely written in the nineteenth century.

The first half of the twentieth century
Just after the First World War, another small commentary, by Johannes Loft, was published in Copenhagen (Synerne fra Patmos [The Patmos Visions], 1919), but the lectures were delivered during the early years of the war. This was also the case with another book that consists of six talks on the main visions of Revelation (Hovedsynerne i Johannes' Aabenbaring. 1919). The author was a (Grundtvigian) rural dean and a doctor of theology, his speciality being exegesis: Anders Andersen (1846-1919 [?]). Erik Thaning, an author, also published a popular reading of Revelation, Rytteren paa den hvide Hest [The Rider on the White Horse] which he originally delivered in Messiaskirken in Copenhagen in the early 1919. Thaning mostly follows the commentary by Peder Madsen.

Also during the war, in 1917, another author associated with the Inner Mission, L. Bostrup, issued a small commentary (Johannes's Aabenbaring) that argued that the narrative of Revelation is historically progressive and that the current time was described in Revelation 8-9. Bostrup suggested that the millennium was obscure and future, but its actual length symbolic (cf. 2 Pet 3,8). Bostrup refers to the signs of the recent times (p. 3), i.e. the war.

In another minor commentary, Johannes' Aabenbaring from 1918, pastor Peter Ivertsen of the Danish folk church, interpreted Revelation church-historically. He rejects that Revelation is chronologically progressive (p. 9f) and prefers the recapitulationist view (p. 10).

In 1934, the Danish Bible Society of Copenhagen published a small commentary by Harald Wellejus (Johannes’s Åbenbaring). Wellejus preferred the eschatological approach (p. 13f).

Professor Holger Mosbech (d. 1953), who studied with professor Bousset in Tübingen, wrote three volumes on Revelation. Like Peder Madsen, he wrote about the history of interpretation and research (1934), undoubtedly as a preparation for the commentary proper (1943). A linguistic commentary completed his "trilogy" (1944).

During the Second World War, professor Frederik Torm published a popular commentary that was, in part, based on his academic own lectures on Revelation. Pastor Aage Krohn based his commentary, The Fifth Gospel, on others' research, but was much more direct in his application of the message of Revelation to his own time and church. Bishop Carl Skovgaard-Petersen of Copenhagen also published a popular commentary in 1942.

The second half of the twentieth century
Popular, minor commentaries were published by pastor Christian Bartholdy, the chairman of the Danish Inner Mission (1955), and by pastor Flemming Frøkjær-Jensen, a long-time board member of the Inner Mission (1993). Both commentaries were part of a series published by the Inner Mission.

Harald Rich (d. 1983), the founder of the present Danish Pentecostal Bible College, published a small dispensational commentary in 1978.

An entry level commentary by the former pastor Andreas Davidsen was published in 1988.

Although other Danish theologians have also made contributions to the study of Revelation, lecturer Geert Hallbäck (b. 1948), University of Copenhagen, is the one that must be mentioned. Hallbäck has published several articles on Revelation and "apocalyptic" since 1984 (e.g., this one and the dictionary entry on Revelation, "Johannes' Åbenbaring," in the 1998-edition of Gads Bibel Leksikon [vol. 1, pp. 384-385]), but as yet no major work or commentary.

Professor ("docent," i.e. Reader) Anna Marie Aagaard (b. 1935) is a systematic theologian. Unlike Peder Madsen she did not lecture in New Testament. She has published several articles on eschatology and apocalyptic theology. Aagaard's commentary from 1999 has a liberation-theological emphasis.

The late professor Ebbe Thestrup Pedersen's commentary was published posthumously. One gets the impression that it was written perhaps even decades ago. It is, however, a decent introduction for lay people and, e.g., students of education.

The twenty-first century
Dr.theol. Georg S. Adamsen (b. 1963) seems to be the first Danish exegete who wrote a doctoral thesis on Revelation. His thesis (in English) provides the first full-scale analysis of the parousia motif in the Book of Revelation as a whole. His 300 page commentary in the series Credo Kommentaren is forthcoming.

In 1998 Adamsen wrote an essay in which he argues that the millennium is future, but truly a-millennial, i.e. atemporal. He contributed a new 12 page article on Revelation to Lohses Store Bibelleksikon, a Danish translation and revision of The New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed.

See here for a comprehensive list of Adamsen's Danish and English writings.

Inspired by Frøkjær-Jensen, another author, Gunni Bjørsted, pastor in Det danske Missionsforbund, adapted a primarily symbolic approach to Revelation. Bjørsted's volume is not a traditional commentary, but verbal "images and messages from the Book of Revelation." More on this volume later.

Johannes Loft, Synerne fra Patmos

2008-02-04T23:15:00.000+01:00

Loft, Johannes. Synerne fra Patmos: En gennemgang af Johannes Aabenbaring. Aarhus: De Unges Forlag, 1919. 112 pp.

Immediately after the war, Johannes Loft, theologian, translator, author and lecturer (at a teacher-training college?) published The Patmos Visions (Synerne fra Patmos) at the publishing company of the Danish YMCA and YWCA (1919). The commentary is brief, but communicates contemporary scholarship. Loft emphasises that Revelation proclaims Christ's coming, not in grace, but for judgment (pp. 9f). He rejects the church-historical approach. He prefers to interpret chs. 6-19 symbolically about "principles and forces," while chs. 20-22 depicts the Second Advent of Christ.

Loft exercises restraint throughout the commentary, not least in his interpretation of Rev 20:1-10: "here it is God and the Devil that meet in the last conflict. It must be enough for us to know that the conflict ends in the judgement and eternal punishment of the Devil" (p. 106). Unlike those of Revelation 11-18, the principles of the millennium are unknown to us (ibid.).

Loft gives a series of short retrospects, dealing with geography, people, the dead, nature, and demonic forces (pp. 89-96).

Loft's commentary is not interesting for the history of interpretation, but if Loft was a lecturer at a teacher-training college, then it may perhaps inform us as to what the future teachers of his time had learned.

Olaf Moe, Bibelens siste bok

2008-02-02T22:15:00.000+01:00

Moe, Olaf. Bibelens siste bok: En utlegning av Johannes’ åpenbaring [The Last Book of the Bible: An Interpretation of the Revelation of John]. Oslo: Forlaget Land og kirke, 1960. 276 pp.

—: Johannes Uppenbarelse: Bibelns sista bok. Translated by Frithiof Dahlby. Stockholm: Diakonistyrelsens bokförlag, 1963 (reprinted by Verbum, 1968 & 1978). The Swedish translation is available as an audio book.

Olaf Moe (1876-1963) was a reader/associate professor at the University of Oslo (1906-1916) and from 1916 professor of NT at what is now The Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology in Oslo (Det teologiske Menighetsfakultetet). Some of Moe's theological views were discussed when he was appointed as professor (see here).

Professor Moe was a specialist on Paul, but he also wrote extensively on the Johannine writings. In 1937, professor Moe published a 630 page commentary on the Gospel of John. His commentary on Revelation - the last but one of the many he wrote - was published in 1960, while his 115 page exposition of the Johannine letters was published in 1961. He lectured until the year after, although 86 years old.

According to Moe, his commentary was the first since J. H. H. Brochmann's 85 page commentary from 1917. Frederik Torm's popular commentary from 1941, however, was translated into Norwegian and published in 1942. One must also bear in mind that Norwegian theologians and pastors were able to read Danish and Swedish as well as German and probably English.

Professor Moe's introduction discusses Revelation and prophecy/apocalyptic (pp. 9-23), interpretive principles (pp. 24-33) and the structure of Revelation (pp. 34-40). He also describes briefly the history of interpretation and various interpretive approaches (pp. 41-59). Questions about authorship (pp. 51-59), the recipients and the dating are considered as well (pp. 60-64). The last introductory chapter outlines the form and the content of Revelation (pp. 65-70).

Apart from the commentary proper, Moe gives a short retrospect of the book (pp. 273-275) and a list of commentaries (p. 276). He often refers to Peder Madsen and Holger Mosbech.

Although John's use of the Old Testament is now a research field of its own, this area was not neglected earlier. Moe focuses very much on it throughout the commentary, and he spent some pages on the use of Daniel in the introduction (pp. 14-18). He also discusses the relations between Revelation and "the New Testament prophecy" (pp. 18-23).

Moe discusses how to understand the visions. He concludes that it is often a matter of opinion whether one should interpret Revelation "symbolically" or "realistically" (p. 26). As regards Israel, Moe is more favourable towards a "realistic" interpretation than was usually the case, especially among Lutheran interpreters (cf. pp. 28-31).

Although Moe is very cautious, he does prefer the premillennial position (pp. 30f; pp. 252f). Accordingly, he also rejects the recapitulationist theory and argues for the progressive or chronological point of view (p. 38-40). Moe prefers the eschatological approach, but emphasises that Revelation has a message for the interval between John's time and the end time (pp. 48f). Thus he also interprets the references to Christ's comings in Revelation 2-3 as "temporary" (ad loc.).

Moe argues that the author is the apostle John (p. 59), and he dates Revelation to the nineties (p. 64). As to the structure, Moe follows the proposal of Hadorn (p. 66).

Keith A. Mathison (ed.), When Shall These Things Be?

2008-02-02T14:40:00.000+01:00

Mathison, Keith A., ed. When Shall These Things Be? A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P & R Publishing, 2004. xxii + 376 pp.

This volume critiques "hyper-preterism," the view that all prophecy in Scripture has already been fulfilled.

For more on this volume, visit Riddleblog's "Eschatology Q & A -- Are There Any Exegetical Resources Refuting Hyper-Preterism?"

Table of Contents

The historical problem with hyper-preterism, by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. (pp. 1-62)
Eschatology in the wake of Jerusalem's fall, by Charles E. Hill (pp. 63-120)
Hyper-preterism and unfolding Biblical eschatology, by Richard L. Pratt, Jr. (pp. 121-154)
The eschatological time texts of the New Testament, by Keith A. Mathison (pp. 155-214)
Hyper-preterism and revelation, by Simon J. Kistemaker (pp. 215-254)
Sola scriptura, creeds, and ecclesiastical authority, by Douglas Wilson (pp. 255-286)
Hyper-preterism on the resurrection of the body, by Robert B. Strimple (pp. 287-352)
Editor's conclusion (pp. 353-354)
Contributors (pp. 355-358)
Index of Scripture and Ancient Texts (pp. 359-370)
Index of Subjects and Names (pp. 371-376)

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Remarks on writings in the Scandinavian languages

2008-02-02T10:05:00.000+01:00

This topic includes references to on-line material or written contributions in the Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish) that are either scholarly of nature or written by scholars.

Full-scale exegetical commentaries
Major scholarly commentaries are few: Peder Madsen, Johannes' Aabenbaring and Holger Mosbech, Johannes' Aabenbaring with the two accompanying volumes: Mosbech, Fortolkningen (history of interpretation) and Mosbech, Sproglig Fortolkning (a linguistic commentary).

Other commentaries etc.
In Danish
Danish commentaries written by scholars include (apart from Madsen and Mosbech mentioned above): Torm, Johannes' Åbenbaring, Anna Marie Aagaard's Danish commentary on Revelation and Thestrup Pedersen, Johannes' Åbenbaring.

See also Adamsen, Parousia and Paraenesis.

See my separate entry with an overview of a number of Danish writings on Revelation.

In Norwegian
Torm's commentary from 1941 was mentioned above. Important is professor Olaf Moe's commentary from 1960 and Martin Synnes's commentary on Revelation 2-3. Martin Synnes has also published two articles on the millennium (see Synnes, Tusenårsrike). Moe and Synnes were professors at the present Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology.

In his thesis, Christ the Conqueror: Ideas of Conflict and Victory in the New Testament (London: SPCK, 1954), Professor of NT Ragnar Leivestad (1916-2002), University of Oslo, included a detailed discussion of Revelation.

Although written in English, one should notice the doctoral dissertation on Gog and Magog by Sverre Bøe. Like Bøe, Adamsen, a Dane, wrote and defended his as yet unpublished thesis on Parousia and Paraenesis at the Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology in Oslo.

See also Professor Jarl Henning Ulrichsen's unpublished doctoral thesis "Das eschatologische Zeitschema der Offenbarung des Johannes", submitted to University of Tronheim. Oslo, 1988.

Separate entry with an overview of a number of Norwegian publications will follow.

In Swedish
Otto Ferdinand Myrberg (1888) and David Hedegård (1944) [description to follow].

Bullinger's commentary (2nd ed., 1909) was translated into Swedish and published in 1927.

In 2007, teol.dr. Leif Carlsson published a 272 page commentary on Revelation. Carlsson is the author of Round Trips to Heaven: Otherworldly Travelers in Early Judaism and Christianity. Lund University, 2004 (description to follow).

Although written in English, one should also notice the doctoral dissertation on Revelation 7:9-17 and the Feast of Tabernacles by Håkan Ulfgard. Ulfgard's thesis was accepted by the University of Lund.

Separate entry with an overview of a number of Swedish publications will follow later.

In Finnish
Finnish does not belong to the Scandinavian languages, but see Simojoki, Apocalypse Interpreted.

Johannes Munck, Petrus und Paulus

2008-02-01T16:53:00.000+01:00

Munck, Johannes. Petrus und Paulus in der Offenbarung des Johannes: Ein Beitrag zur Auslegung der Apokalypse. Teologiske Skrifter, 1. København: Rosenkilde & Bagger, 1950. 125 pp.

Johannes Munck (1904-1965) was professor of New Testament at Aarhus University from the very beginning.

The Danish professors Peder Madsen and Holger Mosbech had both written on the history of interpretation of Revelation. With this volume professor Munck added his name to this list.

More to follow later.

Ulfgard, Feast and Future

2008-02-01T15:20:00.000+01:00

Ulfgard, Håkan. Feast and Future: Revelation 7:9-17 and the Feast of Tabernacles. Coniectanea Biblica, New Testament Series, 22. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International, 1989. viii + 186 pp.

The author is currently assoc. professor at Linköping University, Sweden (see more in Swedish).

The author's conclusion is that "the connection with the Feast of Tabernacles is not the primary theme in Rev 7:9-17, but that it is dependent on the Exodus pattern. The reference to God's protection of Israel during the wandering in the wilderness is a most suitable expression of Rev's characteristic dual concept of Christian existence in the age of salvation inaugurated by Christ" (from the author's abstract).

Leif Carlsson, Tröst och trots

2008-02-01T14:45:00.000+01:00

Carlsson, Leif. Tröst och trots: Uppenbarelseboken. Nya Testamentets Budskap, 2. Örebro: Libris, 2007. 272 pp.

Leif Carlsson is TD and professor (universitetslektor) at Jönköping University. He is also the author of Round Trips to Heaven: Otherworldly Travelers in Early Judaism and Christianity. Translated by Judy Breneman. Lund Studies in History of Religions, 19. Lund: Department of History and Anthropology of Religions, Lund University; Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International, 2004.

See the Swedish presentation at the publisher's webpage.

Thestrup Pedersen, Johannes' Åbenbaring

2008-02-01T11:15:00.000+01:00

Thestrup Pedersen, Ebbe. Johannes' Åbenbaring: Kommenteret og fortolket [The Book of Revelation: Commentary and Interpretation]. Valby: Forlaget Aros, 1999. 183 pp.

Professor Ebbe Thestrup Pedersen (1914-1998) was a Danish theologian and professor of education. This volume was published posthumously. Pedersen asserts that serious readers of Revelation must learn from the scholarly, historical-critical interpretation (p. 9).

Pedersen provides a synopsis of Revelation (pp. 11-15), a summary (pp. 154-159), a discussion of its message for us (pp. 159-166), and a short history of the reception of Revelation (pp. 166-173). He also offers a brief overview of the use and abuse of Revelation (pp. 15-17), and he outlines six unsolved problems: order and unity of composition, authorship, visionary genuineness, the interpretive approaches, and a lot of concrete passages (p. 17-19).

Revelation is a prophetic-apocalyptic book with genuine visions (pp. 19-22). The author was not the apostle John, but another John, unknown to us (pp. 22-25). Pedersen rejects Irenaeus' testimony as to the authorship, but not as to dating (p. 26).

The main purpose of Revelation was "a blazing protest against the imperial cult in the Roman empire," expressed in obscure imagery (p. 25f).

Pedersen discusses the various scholarly approaches, described by Holger Mosbech in his monograph on the history of intepretation. He emphasises the views of Luther (p. 30f), Grundtvig (p. 63-67) and criticises Holger Mosbech for his one-sided contemporary-historical approach. Pedersen airs some sympathy with Ernst Lohmeyer's idealistic approach (pp. 27f). Pedersen seems to favour a combination of the eschatological and the contemporary-historical approaches.

One cannot avoid the impression that Pedersen's introduction ignores what has happened by and large since the Second World War. In the commentary proper, Pedersen often quotes Eduard Lohse's commentary from 1971.

In his commentary proper, Pedersen states that "All the chapters of the book deal with the sole, great theme of the coming of the Lord in order to strengthen the perseverance of the congregations in the coming events of distress before the fulfilment of the promise," i.e. of Christ's parousia (p. 34f). However, Pedersen also quotes Mommsen with approval: "The entire Apocalypse is a polemical treatise against the worship of the Roman Emperor as God" (p. 36; perhaps cited from Bousset's commentary p. 386; see p. 114). Pedersen also mentions that the visions of the Apocalypse are mighty images illustrating the prayers and the Amen of the Lord's Prayer (p. 130; cf. pp. 151f and 155f).

The "angels" are probably bishops, and the many texts in Revelation 2-3 that use words for 'coming,' are interpreted sometimes about the parousia (e.g., 3:3, 20), sometimes about immediately preceding events (e.g., 3:10), sometimes about other events (e.g., 2:5).

Pedersen prefers the recapitulationist view on the structure of Revelation (p. 78), and he asserts that the plagues are warnings of the coming Last Judgement and calls for repentance (p. 79).

This volume is a decent communication of the problems involved in the interpretation of Revelation. Pedersen's emphasis on its lasting eschatological message is valuable.

Students of education will benefit from this work.

Dansk
Ebbe Thestrup Pedersens kommentar blev hans sidste bog. Kommentaren rummer mange gode observationer og tolkninger, og den fører ind i mange af problemstillingerne, som man må forholde sig til i tolkningen. En del steder er Pedersen noget tilbageholdende med at konkludere, hvordan et afsnit skal forstås.

Særligt i indledningen kan det ikke nægtes, at kommentaren virker til at være blevet til for mange år siden. Mange af de vigtigste samtalepartnere i kommentaren var mere fremtrædende under og efter Anden Verdenskrig, hvor Pedersen holdt nogle forelæsninger om Åb, end de er nu om dage. Pedersen har tilsyneladende kun i begrænset omfang konsulteret nyere forskning. Stort set citerer Pedersen af nyere litteratur kun Lohses kommentar fra 1971.

Der er i øvrigt alt for mange trykfejl og brydningsfejl.

Ovenstående kritik skal bestemt ikke afholde f.eks. lærerstuderende og "interesserede læsere" fra at bruge Thestrup Pedersens kommentar. Der er meget at hente.

Davidsen, Johannes' Åbenbaring

2008-01-31T16:00:00.000+01:00

Davidsen, Andreas. Johannes’ Åbenbaring: Kommentar med tillæg [Revelation: a Commentary with appendices]. København: Gyldendal, 1988. 170 pp.

The Danish theologian, pastor and former lecturer at a college of education, Andreas Davidsen (b. 1928) has published an entry level commentary. In his introduction (pp. 11-41), Davidsen describes "apocalyptic" and discusses the common introductory questions, including its relation to the rest of the New Testament, the three standard approaches as well as some newer ones. Davidsen's understanding of the outline of Revelation is rendered artistically by Vibeke Fonnesberg (see the front cover). A similar chart and an accompanying synopsis of Revelation concludes the introduction.

Apart from a general index, this volumes also features a number of appendices with study questions on themes such as "apocalyptic," persecutions, the question of authorship and a number of illustrations and and texts that may throw light on various parts of Revelation (pp. 121-148).

The appendices also include a collection of illustrations with a brief introduction to "Revelation in the history of art" (pp. 149-161) and a collection of modern texts (pp. 162-1686).

The last appendix presents a proposal for a service in which the reading of most of Revelation alternates with the singing of hymns from the Danish Hymnal (Den Danske Salmebog) (pp. 167-169).

Aage Krohn, Det femte Evangelium

2008-01-31T13:45:00.000+01:00

Krohn, Aage. Det femte Evangelium: Johannes’ Aabenbaring udlagt for vor Tid [The Fifth Gospel. The Book of Revelation Interpreted for Our Time]. København: Schønbergske Forlag, 1942. 222 pp.

This Danish commentary was one of several written in times of war (see more on Torm, Johannes' Åbenbaring). Drawing on scholarly research, Krohn interprets Revelation as a writing highly relevant to the crisis, warfare, totalitarianism, and cultural breakdown of his own time. This commentary is especially interesting from a historical and cultural point of view rather.

Krohn, a Lutheran pastor in the Danish folk church, applies the message of the Book of Revelation to his time. He asserts that Revelation is relevant to churches and congregations that are in a situation similar to that of the first-century church. Thus, he uses Revelation not only as a religious writing of hope and consolation, but probably also as a tool of opposition to the Nazi occupation and totalitarianism.

According to Krohn, the visions are genuine, like the visionary material in other Biblical Scriptures (p. 22). Although Krohn accepts Irenaeus' s Domitianic dating, he does not seem to accept apostolic authorship. Krohn only says that John is a "prophet" (p. 21).

Revelation is written for the church of God as a book of consolation in difficult times. To understand the meaning of life and history one must know the outcome of life and history. John saw the triumph of evil, but also the victory of good, Christ's victory (pp. 20f). Krohn, however, emphasises the resurrection of Christ and the Christians (p. 16), which is relevant to all who live in a time of persecution and martyrdom (cf. p. 26f).

Hermeneutically, Revelation must be interpreted according to the proclamation of Christ and the other apostles (p. 22f) and from the perspective of the first Christians: persecution and martyrdom because of the Christians' refusal to worship the emperor (pp. 23-25) and the risk of syncretism (p. 26) . "The state was no longer God's servant, but wanted to be God itself" (p. 25). The people needs a religion, so the state invents a religion suitable for itself. The creed of this religion reads: "There is only one God, and the emperor is his prophet." Christianity and Anti-Christianity is in confrontation with each other (p. 25). In his memoirs from 1938, the Danish Orientalist Johannes Østrup had also criticised the domineering position of the Nazis at the German universities: "It sounds quite Mohammedan: There is only one Hitler, and all of us are his prophets" (cited from K. Møller, Vejen til Damaskus, 2008, p. 109).

Commenting on the fall of Babylon, Krohn laments the contemporary culture. It is godless and morally disintegrating, and it will perish because God will destroy it. The only way to escape humanity from such judgement of God is to submit to the will of (the triune) God and worship Him alone (p. 194).

Krohn is pessimistic and rejects the idea of progress. The only hope for humanity is the coming of Christ (p. 195). He does, however, emphasise that God will not destroy the earth for good. The earth will be renewed and purified (pp. 206f).

Krohn rejects any premillennial interpretation, "belief in a Mohammedan Paradise," and asserts that only the martyrs will enjoy the millennium, "a long period of time, appointed by God," here on the earth (pp. 203-206).

Torm, Johannes' Åbenbaring

2008-01-30T11:40:00.000+01:00

Torm, Frederik. Johannes' Aabenbaring: En populær fortolkning [The Book of Revelation: A Popular Commentary]. København: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, 1941. 162 pp.

Norwegian translation (Johannes' åpenbaring: En populær fortolkning) published by Lutherstiftelsens forlag, Oslo, 1942. 160 pp.

English
Frederik Torm (1870-1953), professor of New Testament at the University of Copenhagen (1909-1940), was a conservative, anti-liberal theologian. He was also a sharp critic of the anti-Semitism of the German Nazism.

The wars and the unrest during the inter-war period and the Second World War gave rise to a renewed interest in the Book of Revelation. Torm was one of at least four theologians who published on Revelation at that time (cf. Skovgaard-Petersen; Torm's younger colleague, Holger Mosbech, and Aage Krohn, Det femte Evangelium). Torm's commentary was reprinted already in the year of publication.

Professor Torm's popular commentary was based on several academic courses and a series of popular lectures. He referred the readers to his introduction to the NT (Indledning til Det Nye Testamente. 3rd ed. 1940, 498 pp.) for more technical discussions.

According to Torm, Revelation is a prophetic rather than a apocalyptic book in the form of a letter and a book of revelation. The author was probably the apostle John who wrote from Patmos against the imperial cult and persecutions. The content was genuine visions that accurately describe both the heaven of God and the situation of the churches in Asia.

Torm rejected the church-historical approach and argues that one must combine the contemporary-historical and the eschatological approaches. However, Revelation is relevant for all times and places. John is not really interested in "time."

The key theme is the announcement of the Second Advent of Christ and the emphasis on the eternity and omnipotence of God that will be revealed through the coming of Christ (p. 33). Torm seems to accept a premillennial interpretation of Rev 20:1-10, but refrains from giving details (p. 153).

Dansk
Under indtryk af krigstilstandene og uroen i mellemkrigstiden og under 2. verdenskrig blussede interessen for Johannes' Åbenbaring op, således hos professor i NT ved Københavns Universitet, Frederik Torm. Torm var en konservativ, lærd og anti-liberal teolog og i øvrigt i stærk opposition til nazismen og dens antisemitisme.

Kalms, Der Sturz des Gottesfeindes

2008-01-25T20:20:00.000+01:00

Kalms, Jürgen U. Der Sturz des Gottesfeindes: Traditionsgeschichtliche Studien zu Apokalypse 12. Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament, 93. Neukirchen-Vluyen: Neukirchener Verlag, 2001. xii + 300 pp.

This volume is a slightly revised and abbreviated edition of the author's doctoral thesis, accepted by the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in 2000, the late professor Jens-Wilhelm Taeger being the first reader (and supervisor?).

Chapter 1 is an exegetical analysis of Revelation 12: its place in the composition of Revelation; exegesis with a special emphasis on the dragon's threat to the heavenly woman and her child; interpretive models; a traditio-historical survey of the woman and child-motif (pp. 11-132).

Chapter 2 is a religio- and traditio-historical analysis of the dragon-motif: the dragon and its designations, the fall of the enemy of God in Isaiah 14; the tradition of the fall of the enemy of God, including rabbinical traditions; the use of Isaiah 14 motifs in the parallel texts examined (pp. 133-206).

Chapter 3 and 4 set out the-fall-of-the-enemy-of-God motif in Luke 10:18 (in its context in Luke 10:17-20) and in John 12:31f (in its context in John 12:27-33) (pp. 207-234 and pp. 235-273).

This volume concludes with a 6 page summary and a 20 page bibliography, but, unfortunately, no indices at all.

It goes without saying that a recent volume on Revelation 12 is a welcome contribution.

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Peder Madsen, Johannes' Aabenbaring

2008-01-25T16:35:00.000+01:00

Madsen, Peder. Johannes’ Aabenbaring: Indledet og fortolket [The Book of Revelation: Introduction and Commentary]. 1st ed. København: G. E. C. Gad, 1887. 2nd ed. 1896.

Both editions were published in two parts, the two first volumes in 1885 and 1894. The libraries disagree as to the number of pages. The first edition consists of either x + 730 pages or viii + 727/728 pages (the first 286 pages were published in 1885); the second of x + 731 pages (the first part being published in 1894).

Peder Madsen (1843-1911), a Danish theologian, was professor of systematic theology at the University of Copenhagen (1875-1909) and the Bishop of Zealand (1909-1911). As a postgraduate theologian, Professor Madsen studied with the professors Gottfried Thomasius, Johann Christian Konrad von Hofmann, Franz Hermann Reinhold Frank, and Gerhard von Zezschwitz in Erlangen, but he was no pupil of any theologian.

According to Frederik Torm, who as professor of New Testament was Peder Madsen's colleague and later his biographer, Peder Madsen has written more thoroughly on the history of interpretation than any other (Biskop Peder Madsen [1936], p. 100f). Fifteen years later, Torm published his own - popular - commentary on Revelation.

Peder Madsen himself singled Th. Kliefoth out as the one he had learned very much from, although he was from time to time very critical of him. As the first interpreter (so Torm), Madsen discusses the fundamental interpretive questions of Revelation as a prerequisite for the interpretation of the many details.

More about this commentary later ...

Dr. Ian Paul

2008-01-23T12:15:00.000+01:00

Metaphors and Revelation 12-13
Alan Brady over at Café Apocalypsis has a nice summary of parts of Dr. Ian Paul's article "" in Studies in the Book of Revelation, ed. S. Moyse (see here) and some methodological reflections on the interpretation of metaphors.

Ian Paul's essay is based on his Ph.D.-dissertation, "The Value of Paul Ricoeur’s Hermeneutic of Metaphor in the Interpretation of the Symbolism of Revelation 12 and 13". According to Paul's web pages (here and, especially, here), he is preparing a revised edition for publication by Paternoster.

See also:

Paul, Ian. "The Use of the Old Testament in Rev 12." In: The Old Testament in the New Testament: Essays in Honour of J.L. North. Edited by Steve Moyise. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000.
Paul, Ian. The Interpretation of Metaphor and Symbol

S. J. Davis, Introducing an Arabic Commentary on the Apocalypse

2008-01-22T13:45:00.000+01:00

Davis, Stephen J. "Introducing an Arabic Commentary on the Apocalypse: Ibn Katib Qaysar on Revelation." Harvard Theological Review 101 (2008): 77-96.

Here is the abstract from the publisher's website:
"Ibn Katib Qaysar's long-neglected Commentary on the Apocalypse of John is a veritable treasure trove for those interested not only in the early transmission of the biblical text and its history of interpretation, but also in the way ancient definitions of prophecy and vision were reconceived in Arabic Christian theology.

"Written in Cairo by a thirteenth-century Egyptian author, it is one of only two large-scale medieval commentaries on Revelation produced in the Arabic language. The other such commentary was composed by a fellow Copt, Bulus al-Bushi, who was a near contemporary of Ibn Katib Qaysar. Together, these two works provide a compelling witness to the currency of this apocalyptic biblical text among Christians living in Islamic Egypt."

If you want to see the names with Unicode fonts, go to the publisher's website.

Hattip: NT Gateway Weblog

Migne's Patrologia - a complete on-line edition

2008-01-20T13:50:00.000+01:00

Jacques Paul Migne (1800-1875) is famous for his Patrologia cursus completus which consists of a Latin series in 221 volumes and eventually a bilingual Greek-Latin edition of the Greek texts in 165 volumes. See more at Wikipedia.

Many of the volumes are now superseded by critical editions. But some volumes are not. Useful are also the indices that allow us to identify sources cited.

The on-line edition is published at Documenta Catholica Omnia.

See also Migne's Patrologia Graeca in Greek Unicode.

Hattip: Antonio Lombatti over at Ancient World Bloggers Group

Olav Hovdelien, Martyrenes belønning

2008-01-18T17:00:00.000+01:00

Hovdelien, Olav. Martyrenes belønning: Åp 20:4-6 fortolket [The Reward of the Martyrs. Rev 20:4-6 Interpreted]. Rapport - Høgskolen i Hedmark, No. 8, 2001. Elverum: Høgskolen i Hedmark, 2001. 133 pp (with a lot of blank space and pages, however).

This report, available on-line in pdf-format, is a revised and enlarged edition of the author's Master of Theology-thesis "Tusenårsriket: En tolkningshistorisk tilnærming til Johannes’ Åpenbaring 20:4-6, med vekt på det siste århundrets eksegese" [The Thousand Year Reign: Towards an interpretation of Revelation 20:4-6, taking into account the history of interpretation, with the emphasis on the exegesis of the last century]. The Theological Faculty, University of Oslo: 1998. The advisor was professor David Hellholm.

The back matter includes a useful index of persons (pp. 131-133) and a 12 page bibliography (pp. 119-130). The front matter includes an English and a Norwegian abstract as well as a preface.

Part I is a survey of the history of interpretation with a special emphasis on the context of political power (pp. 13-62, with a summary pp. 62f). Throughout the Constantine Era, the interpreters have had difficulty handling the "literal interpretation;" futuristic interpretations have been marginal phenomena in times of crisis. So Hovdelien.

Part II dicussses the reason for this claim. In the first chapter of this part (ch. 8), the author examines seven commentaries on a verse-by-verse basis: Bousset, Charles, Lohmeyer, Hadorn, Lohse, Kraft and Roloff, the majority being German protestants. In ch. 9, the author interprets Revelation 20:4-6, after a discussion of text-critical problems (p. 101f) and the structure of the text (pp. 102f). Apart from the material gathered in ch. 8, the author primarily uses the background in Daniel 7.

The author concludes that the history of interpretation may be interpreted ("read," as he says) as a discussion, as to what is the various interpreters' attitude to the Jewish background of the text (p. 115). Hovdelien opts for a modified millennarianism as in Irenaeus (p. 118).

What is most surprising is that Hovdelien does not use the major monographs by Bietenhard and Mealy. He also makes little use of the rest of Revelation. He had no chance to familiarise himself with Martin Synnes' 2002 article on the interpretation of Rev 20:6 (see here). Neither does he refer to my article on the same text.

In my opinion, it may very well be that the millennarian interpretation is a marginal phenomenon, typical for times of crisis. But is this an argument for or against the millennarian interpretation?

I do not agree, moreover, that the millennarian interpretation is "literal." I do think that Hovdelien pays insufficient attention to the interpretive problems in general, e.g., how to interpret the figurative or metaphorical language. If the wedding feast in Rev 19:6f is not a literal wedding, then why should we interpret Rev 20:1-10 in a so-called "literal" way?

Hovdelien's survey of the history of interpretation and research is, however, a helpful achievement that is useful for those who need a brief overview (and is able to read Norwegian).

See also Hovdelien, Olav. "Tusenårsriket: Et grunnriss av tolkningshistorien" [The Thousand Year Reign: An Outline of the History of Interpretation]. Ung Teologi 33, no. 1 (2000): 45-54. [Young Theology is a journal of theology published by the students of the Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology in Oslo]

Anna Marie Aagaard's Danish commentary on Revelation

2008-01-18T09:35:00.000+01:00

Aagaard, Anna Marie. Johannes’ Åbenbaring Fortolket [The Book of Revelation Interpreted]. Det Danske Bibelselskabs Kommentarserie [The Danish Bible Society Commentary Series]. København: Det Danske Bibelselskab, 1999. 157 pp. Out of print.

The Danish Bible Society Commentary Series is intended for Bible readers as a help for Bible readers in the endeavour to understand the Biblical writings in their contemporary-historical context and their significance for today.

The author of this volume, Anna Marie Aagaard (see a Danish biography here and here), was a Danish reader (now emerita) in systematic theology. In 2005, she was promoted as honorary doctor at the University of Helsinki, in addition to her earned doctorate from 1973 (see here and here).

The introduction
The commentary depends on three contemporary approaches: a liberation-theological, a contemporary-historical, and a literary-critical, postmodern approach (pp. 16-21). The running commentary indicates that the first approach, the liberation-theological view, takes precedence over a more traditional Lutheran interpretation, although often in subtle ways: by more or less tacit redefinitions of traditional concepts as well as omissions (see more below).

Aagaard's lengthy introduction deals with the following issues: the interpretive approach (pp. 7-42) and the dating of the book (pp. 43-53). She also provides an outline and a short summary of the books (pp. 53-60).

Aagaard mentions some uses and misuses as well as the rejection or hesitation of the ancient church. She comments briefly on Luther's 1522 preface, but summarises in some detail his much longer 1530 preface. Aagaard thinks that there are twentieth-century parallels to Luther's approach in the modern approaches that interprets Revelation as a cryptic message about the twentieth century. This approach is exemplified with John F. Walvoord (Armageddon, Oil, and the Middle East Crisis. Grand Rapids, 1974).

According to Aagaard, Revelation is an apocalyptic, prophetic circular letter (pp. 26-42), written towards the end of Domitian's reign (pp. 43f). Nowadays one almost expects a separate discussion of the use of the OT. Aagaard includes it under the subheading of "A Prophecy" (pp. 34-40). Aagaard asserts that John reuses the visions of the OT prophetic books and the final result thus appears as visions (p. 37).

John "thinks with his pen." "As he becomes absorbed in the message of the OT prophets their visions and imagery are overlaid with the tradition of Christ and John's creative fantasy of faith" (ibid.). Aagaard illustrates John's reuse of the OT with the use of Zechariah (pp. 37-39).

Aagaard describes the Roman empire, the Jews, the Christians at that time and discusses the importance of Domitian, the Christians, and the imperial cult (pp. 44-53).

Although I do not agree with Aagaard's structural analysis, she makes a number of good observations. The number seven is an important narrative device. All what John tells us in the septets, he connects to his two visions of the heavenly throne room in Revelation 1 and Revelation 4-5 by a number of narrative repetitions (p. 55). Other narrative strategies include the scroll/the opened scroll and the spiral structure. The interludes tie the visionary proclamation of hope to the present day and everyday life of his Christian audience (pp. 56-57). However, Aagaard also finds three concentric circles around 12,1-15,4 which, then, is the centre of Revelation and narrates about the people of God in conflict with the power that opposes God (p. 59f). Those who follow the Lamb will win according to 14,1-5 and 15,2-4 (p. 57f).

The running commentary
Because of the format of the series, Aagaard does not cite scholarly sources. Her commentary, however, is evidence that she is not unfamiliar with recent research on Revelation and related areas.

Aagaard, however, has her own perspective. She pays (more) attention to the present importance of Revelation from a liberation-theological perspective that emphasises the present reality of martyrdom. "John's millennial reign is a figurative representation of their vindication and [it is] a heavenly universe that is the counter-image of ungodly Rome" (p. 143). Repeatedly, she emphasises the power of God and Christ (e.g., p. 63, 65 and 72).

On the other hand, the repeated calls for repentance (directly in Rev 2:5, 16; 3:3, 19 and indirectly in 2:21f) and Christ's coming for either judgement or wedding feast as its background are only discussed quite briefly (e.g., pp. 77 and 136). Aagaard asserts that John's imagery with its many metaphors "proclaims the great hope for God's just justice and his and his witnesses' victory" (p. 137). She does not deny God's judgement, Hell and eternal damnation and punishment, but neither does she unpack or even discuss this part of John's message (e.g., in Rev 14:9-11).

Holger Mosbech, Johannes' Aabenbaring

2008-01-17T19:10:00.000+01:00

Mosbech, Holger. Johannes’ Aabenbaring: Indledet og forklaret [The Book of Revelation: Introduction and Commentary]. København: Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag, 1943. xl + 408 pp.

Holger Mosbech (1886-1953) was reader/associate professor (1916-36) and professor of New Testament (1936-1953) at the University of Copenhagen. Mosbech was awarded the doctorate for a thesis on the Essenes.

In general, Mosbech was influenced by the history of religion school and liberal theology (so the Danish National Encyclopedia). He was a student of professor Wilhelm Bousset in Göttingen.

Apart from the works on Revelation, Mosbech also wrote an introduction to the NT in about 850 pages: New Testament Isagogics (1946-1949) and several commentaries. He was one of the leading men in the translation of the authorised translation of the NT (1948).

Holger Mosbech wrote three volumes on the Book of Revelation. In 1934 he published his 106 page survey of the history of interpretation of Revelation (Mosbech, Fortolkningen). 9 years later he had finished his 450 page commentary (1943). Linguistic comments on the Greek were published separately in a 216 pp volume the year after (Sproglig Fortolkning, 1944). Not only were the type-setting costs reduced. In Mosbech's judgement, most students of theology would benefit from being familiar with the non-linguistic material of the commentary before studying the Greek text. It also made the commentary more accessible to the people with no acquaintance of Greek.

Mosbech does not cite a great number of commentaries that agree with the interpretations that Mosbech mentions, but he does cite the OT and the OT Apocrypha as an essential help.

Although Mosbech hoped to publish his view on the message of Revelation for his own time - a time of war - he did not do so.

Mosbech's introduction to Revelation
Mosbech introduces the ancient apocalyptic literature, both Jewish and early Christian (pp. vii-xiv), and compares Revelation to this literature (pp. xv-xviii). John did experience a few visions, but most of Revelation is the result of John's writing at his desk, although it is impossible to distinguish the real visionary material from John's later elaborations (pp. xviii-xxi). Mosbech argues for the Domitianic date, but also for the use of older material (pp. xxi-xxv). The author is Jewish-Christian, perhaps a Palestinian, but he has also lived in Asia Minor for a rather long time. In spite of the earliest evidence that he reviews, Mosbech concludes that the author is not the author of the other Johannine writings. There are similarities, but Mosbech doubts that there is sufficient evidence for a Johannine school (pp. xxv-xxxii).

More important than the identification of the author is the interpretive approach. Mosbech goes over the main approaches: the church-historical, which he sees as obviously erroneous; the eschatological, which he rejects because it is inconsistent with passages like Rev 1:1; 22:10 and 22:20 with the expectation of an imminent coming of Christ and because it presupposes the later notion that the second advent of Christ might be postponed; the contemporary-historical (German: "zeitgeschichtliche"; Danish: "tidshistoriske"), which Mosbech prefers, in spite of obscure details and the lack of precise, historical information; the traditio-historical (German: traditionsgeschichtliche; Danish: "traditionshistoriske"), which complements the contemporary-historical (pp. xxxvii-xl). Mosbech appends some bibliographical notes to each section of his introduction

Finally, Mosbech lists the most important commentaries and a few other useful works. At that time, the most recent scholarly commentary in Danish was written almost sixty years before (P. Madsen, Johannes' Aabenbaring).

Notes on the commentary proper
Mosbech concentrates on providing the necessary background information and explaining the text as a theological document.

He makes judicious use of both the OT and the NT. Or rather: Mosbech makes use of the OT, as it was used by Jesus and the NT, as he does not always himself understand the OT in the same way. E.g., Mosbech thinks that Dan 7:13 did not originally describe the Messiah.

The religio-historical material that Mosbech introduces is sometimes illuminating; sometimes it seems less relevant to me.

Apparently, Mosbech interprets the OT and Revelation in a millennarian way, as did the ancient church in the first few centuries (so Mosbech). Mosbech adds that the majority of the scholarly interpreters have rejected the millenarian interpretation, but most conservative interpreters favour it. The former attribute no particular Christian significance to the millennarian view (p. 362).

In spite of his critique of the eschatological approach mentioned above, Mosbech interprets Rev 19:11ff as the parousia, the Second Advent of Christ.

Mosbech's commentary is still useful in many ways. Here and there it seems as though it is not completely consistent, e.g., as to whether the eschatological parousia is a possible idea at the time John wrote Revelation.

Lücke, Einleitung

2008-01-17T13:45:00.000+01:00

Lücke, Friedrich. Versuch einer vollständigen Einleitung in die Offenbarung Johannis oder Allgemeine Untersuchungen über die apokalyptische Litteratur überhaupt und die Apokalypse des Johannes insbesondere. 2nd ed. Commentar über die Schriften des Evangelisten Johannes, 4:1. Bonn: Eduard Weber, 1852. xviii + 1074 pp.

The classic introduction to Revelation and the apocalyptic literature in general by Friedrich Lücke (see here and here) is now available at Google Books, also for download as a pdf-file.

Book I: The Concept and History of Apocalyptic Literature (pp. 9-342)
Book II: The Johannine Apocalypse. Especially its Literary Characterisation and Canonical Evaluation (pp. 345-1070; look for a separate file at Google Books)

Mosbech, Sproglig Fortolkning

2008-01-16T21:55:00.001+01:00

Mosbech, Holger. Sproglig Fortolkning til Johannes' Åbenbaring. København: Gyldendalske Boghandel, 1944. viii + 216 pp.

This volume is a companion volume to Mosbech's commentary, published a year earlier. It provides a linguistic analysis of and commentary on Revelation. It is still very valuable.

Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, Geschichte der Auslegung

2008-01-10T22:15:00.000+01:00

"Geschichte der Auslegung der Apokalypse des Johannes," by Heinrich Julius Holtzmann (1893). Online here: http://www.payer.de/christentum/holtzmann01.htm.

First published in: Holtzmann, Heinrich Julius. Evangelium, Briefe und Offenbarung des Johannes. Edited by Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, and R. A. Lipsius. 2nd ed. Hand-Commentar zum Neuen Testament, 4. Tübingen: Mohr, 1893, pp. 280-289.

Trench, Epistles to the Seven Churches

2008-01-10T15:30:00.000+01:00

Trench, Richard Chenevix. Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia, Revelation II.III. 1st ed. London: Parker, Son, & Bourn, 1861. xi + 225 pp. At least six editions were published in the UK and the USA in the 19th century. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1997. 249 pp.

Richard Trench, Doctor of Divinity, and archbishop of Dublin 1864-1884, was also the author of the well-known Synonyms of the New Testament.

This commentary, which despite the title includes a commentary on 1:4-20, was written while Trench was Dean of Westminster. It is based on the lectures he gave three times to the theological students at King's College London.

In the introduction Trench comments on the many exegetical problems as well as on "the entire originality of these seven Epistles" (p. 8; cited from the pdf-edition mentioned below). "While the analogy of faith is perfectly preserved, while there is no difficulty in harmonizing what is here said of Christ's person and offices with what is taught elsewhere, yet how wholly new a series of titles are these" (ibid.).

Trench emphasises that "there is enough in these two chapters alone to render Arianism entirely untenable by any one who, admitting their authority, should consent to be bound in their interpretation by the ordinary rules of fairness and truth" (p. 9). But Trench did not only value the theological substance of Revelation.

"And, finally, the practical interest of these Epistles in their bearing on the whole pastoral and ministerial work is extreme" (p. 10). The seven messages "are full of teaching, of the most solemn warning, of the strongest encouragement" (ibid.). Indeed, "We learn from these Epistles the extent to which the spiritual condition of a Church is dependent upon that of its pastors; the guilt, not merely of teaching, but of allowing error ..." (ibid.).

Trench laments that Revelation 2-3 is never heard in the Anglican Churches, and that private reading among the people is scant (p. 11). These are "chapters so rich in doctrine, in exhortation, in reproof, and promises ..." (ibid.).

Authorship and recipients
Trench argues that the author is John the Apostle. The alternative is that John is a falsarius. (p. 14). He was banished to Patmos for his steadfastness in the faith of Christ Rev 1:9); he was only released at the accession of Nerva (see p. 37), and "The whole book breathes the very air of martyrdom" (p. 37).

Trench argues that 'in (the) Spirit' means "a condition in which there is a suspension of all the motions and faculties of the natural life" (p. 38). However, according to Rev 10:4, John was about to write, so some faculties were retained.

The Epistle - for, according to Trench, the Apocalypse is indeed an 'epistle' - is written to the seven church and the Church, they represent "in their mystic unity" (p. 16; cf. pp. 42-45).

Trench comments on the salutation, but does not explain what grace and peace really mean (p. 17). Perhaps he simply assumes that his readers know.

Key-note to the whole book
Commenting on ho erchomenos in Rev 1:4, Trench identifies the key-note to the whole book as "I come quickly." "It is Christ's word of comfort, or, where they need it, of warning, to his friends; of terror to his foes" (p. 19). This must be the meaning of ho erchomenos here as well. I agree. With Origen, Trench asserts that Rev 1:4 yields evidence for "the equal divinity of the Son with the Father" (ibid.).

Trench interprets the clouds that accompany Christ's second coming in Rev 1:7 as "symbols of wrath" (p. 31). However, in the light of Daniel 7 this seems to me to be too one-sided. Trench also turns Zechariah 12:10 on its head (ibid.). 'The Lord's Day' is Sunday (p. 40-41).

Holy Spirit
The 'seven spirits' is the Holy Ghost, Trench argues (p. 20f). Again, I agree with Trench's conclusion as well as his arguments. Trench cites Richard of St. Victor, as regards the interpretation of 'the faithful witness' in Rev 1:5. Today, most will interpret it in the light of the OT or in the light of Jesus' actual testimony before Pilate. Trench/Richard interprets it theologically.

Grammatical departures
As to the many departures from ordinary grammar, Trench asserts that "the doctrinal interest here overbears the grammatical" (p. 23). For other explanations, see Laughlin, Solecisms and Beale, Use of the OT.

Other glimpses
Trench makes use of the Old Testament as well as the rest of Revelation. 'The prince of the kings of the arth' is "A manifest reference to Ps. ii 2" (p. 26). Naturally, Trench's text-critical remarks are outdated. Yet they are not without interest (see pp. 28, 29).

On Rev 1:6, Trench states that "The royal priesthood of the redeemed (see Exod. xix. 6; 1 Pet. ii. 9) flows out of the royal priesthood of the Redeemer, a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. cx. 4; Zech. vi. 13)." (p. 29).

The 'angels' of the seven churches
Of the many well-made observations, I must restrict myself to mention that Trench identifies the 'angels' of the seven churches as the bishop (p. 78). Trench reminds us that there were many elders of the Ephesian Church already at Paul's time (Act 20:17, 25). "And yet now, with this large of numbers of presbyters, there is only one Angel in each of these Churches. What can he be but a bishop? - a bishop too with the prerogatives which we ascribe to one" (p. 79). One may (and should) discuss the details of Trench's argument, but I think he has made a strong case for the "human" (as opposed to "angelic") interpretation of these 'angels.' I would suggest that this issue is a good topic for a paper (or, perhaps, a thesis).

A worthwhile commentary
I believe that these sample quotes and summaries are enough to show that Trench's opus is worthwhile to study. Repeatedly, Trench cites other commentators, not only in English and German, but in Latin and, occasionally, Greek as well. Undoubtedly, it makes the commentary more difficult to read for many, but Trench's opus seems to me to be worth the effort needed to study it.

Historico-prophetical interpretation rejected
In a lengthy excursus, added as a sort of appendix (pp. 291-312), Trench discusses "the historico-prophetical interpretation of the epistles to the seven churches of Asia" (p. 291). Trench notes that all the interpreters were agreed that Revelation 2-3 "were also written for the edification of the Universal Church" (p. 293), that the seven churches "in some sort represent the Universal Church" and therefore offer moral and spiritual guidance to all Christians (p. 293). Trench summarises what we can learn from each church (pp. 294f).

The "Periodists" claim that "we have in them [the seven messages] ... a prophetic outline of seven successive periods of the Church's history" (p. 296). Trench cites Joseph Mede and Vitringa. Trench asserts - correctly - that the Church Fathers were not periodists. The first were the "Spiritualists, or extreme Franciscans," not Augustine or Chrysostom (pp. 299f). They took their lead from Joachim of Fiore (p. 301). The "Spiritualists" used this type of interpretation "for the assault of the dominant Church and hierarchy of Rome" (p. 300).

Their interpretation was modified chronologically and dogmatically after the Reformation, which "was easily effected." "The whole thing was a subjective fancy of men's minds, not an objective truth of God's Word, and would therefore oppose no serious resistance" (p. 301). The periodist - or church-historical - interpretation assumed importance, primarily in the Reformed Churches of Holland from about 1650 and into the next century. Cocceius (1603-1669) was the primary promoter (pp. 303ff). Cocceius divided the Church's history into seven periods before Christ's coming and seven after. Cocceius did not deny a historical element in the seven messages, but others did (e.g., Floerke, Lehre vom tausendjährigen Reiche. Marburg, 1859, pp. 59ff; see Trench, p. 305 n. 1).

As modern interpreters agree, the prophetico-historical interpretation lacks Scriptural foundatoin. Trench notes that it also lacks the seal of history (p. 308). And the periodists do not agree (p. 309). Well, I have summarised enough of what Trench himself call "the arbitrary artificial character of all the attempted adaptations of Church history to these Epistles" (p. 312). A final quote, though: "The multitude of dissertations, essays, books, which have been written, and still are being written, in support of this scheme of interpretation, must remain a singular monument of wasted ingenuity and misapplied toil; of the disappointment which must result from a futile looking into Scripture for that which is not to be found there ... " (p. 312).

The 312 page 1862-edition of Trench's commentary, published by Charles Scribner in New York, is available in an electronic edition at The Digital Christian Library (direct link to pdf-format here).

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Hengstenberg, The Revelation of St. John

2008-01-09T21:45:00.000+01:00

Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. The Revelation of St. John: Expounded for Those Who Search the Scriptures. Translated by Patrick Fairbairn. Originally published as Die Offenbarung des heiligen Johannes: für solche die in der Schrift forschen. Berlin: Ludwig Oehmigke, 1849-1850. Repr. New York: R. Carter & brothers, 1852-1853. Also reprinted in the series Clark's Foreign Theological Library in Edinburgh: Clark and London: Hamilton, Adams, 1851-1852. 2 vols. New reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005. 992 pp.

E. W. Hengstenberg, a very learned German Lutheran professor and pastor, published two editions of his commentary on Revelation. Only the first edition was translated into English. The second from 1861-1862 was not.

Hengstenberg was one of the major spokesmen for "repristination theology." They were quite influential (see Bengt Hagglund, History of Theology, 1968 p. 363f).

Some of Hengstenberg's contemporaries expected a future millennium. Hengstenberg, however, "preferred the Preterist point of view and equated the millennium with the Germanic ascendancy that he dated from 800 until about 1800" (Wainwright, Mysterious Apocalypse, p. 135).

In general, Hengstenberg defended the church-historical approach. "Their theory, sometimes known as kingdom history, treated the Apocalypse as a prediction of the main periods of history and understood it as a prophecy of the triumph of God's kingdom" (ibid.)

Perhaps the author was an optimist. Perhaps readers were different 150 years ago. Be that as it may, the author wrote:

"The Revelation of St. John was for a long time a shut book to me. That it was necessary here to lay open a new path, that neither the course pursued in the older ecclesiastical, nor that of the modern Rationalistic exposition was to be followed, I never entertained a doubt....

"The title shows that this work is intended for all who search the Scriptures. The remarks contain little of a grammatical nature. The text will present no difficulties to cultivated readers, even though not theologians, if they are only animated by the earnest desire to become thoroughly acquainted with the contents of the book....

"I commend this work, the deficiencies of which I deeply feel, to Him who has given me strength to execute it thus far, and who has rendered it to myself a source of edification and comfort." (From the publisher's page)

Among many other works, E. W. Hengstenberg also wrote the 1400 page, two-volume The Christology of the Old Testament (also available from Wipf and Stock Publishers here).

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Bock (ed.), Three Views on the Millennium

2008-01-09T17:40:00.000+01:00

Blaising, Craig A., Kenneth L. Gentry, and Robert B. Strimple. Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond. Edited by Darrell L. Bock. Counterpoints: Exploring Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999. 330 pp.

As usual for the Counterpoints series, the proponent of each view sets forth his case in a rather lengthy essay. Responses from the two other contributors follow. The editor, Darrell L. Bock, has written a short preface and a summary essay (pp. 277-310).

The main contributors
The editor is professor of NT at Dallas Theological Seminary. Craig A. Blaising was Joseph Emerson Brown professor of Christian Theology at Southern Baptist Theological College in Louisville, Kentucky. Kenneth L. Gentry was dean of faculty and professor of systematic theology at Westminster Classical College in Elkton, Maryland. Robert B. Strimple is professor emeritus of systematic theology at Westminister Seminary California.

Table of Contents

Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.: Postmillennialism (pp. 11-57; responses by RBS, pp. 58-71, and CAB, pp. 72-80)
Robert B. Strimple: Amillennialism (pp. 81-129; responses by KLG, pp. 130-132, and CAB, pp. 143-154)
Craig A. Blaising: Premillennialism (pp. 155-227; responses by KLG, pp. 228-255, and RBS, pp. 256-276)
Darrell L. Block: Summary essay (pp. 277-310)

The back matters include Select bibliographies (pp. 311-316), General Index (317-322) and Scripture Index (pp. 323-330)

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Riddleblog

2008-01-09T11:25:00.000+01:00

Kim Riddlebarger is the author of A Case for Amillennialism and The Man of Sin. Apart from descriptions of his books, Riddlebarger's website features numerous resources. You can read about Riddlebarger (here), read some of his articles, for example "Princeton and the Millennium." He also provides Links to Helpful Books, Essays, and Charts. And more.

If you want information about a Reformed, amillennial view from the horse's mouth - or about the author of the books mentioned above - then go to RiddleBlog.

Oh, you should also take a look on his "Finally, the Beast Revealed!" Now, we can proceed to something else, can't we!?

Mealy, After the Thousand Years

2008-01-09T08:15:00.000+01:00

Mealy, J. Webb: After the Thousand Years: Resurrection and Judgment in Revelation 20. (JSNT.SS 70). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1992. 273 pp.

Mealy's study is the first monograph on Revelation 20 since Bietenhard's from 1955. Mealy argues in favour of a premillennial position, even though he, at first, seems to present arguments that to me (and, indeed, him) rather supports an atemporal millennialism.

Mealy proposes several new readings and points to some very important prima facie arguments which have not been recognised before Mealy.

Mealy's study was a very important inspiration for my article on 'the thousand years.'

Reviews (kindly provided by dr. Mealy)

Georg S. Adamsen, Revelation Resources [this page]
Gregory K. Beale, "Review Article: J. W. Mealy After the Thousand Years," in: Evangelical Quarterly 66 (1994): 229-49
Ian Boxall, in: Biblical Interpretation: A Journal of Contemporary Approaches 1/2 (1993): 250
John M. Court, in: Journal of Theological Studies 44/1 (April 1993): 488
Charles E. Hill, in: Journal of Biblical Literature 14/1 (Spring 1995): 169-72
Martin Karrer, in: Theologische Literaturzeitung 118/10 (1993): cols. 836-38
Russell Morton, in: Catholic Biblical Quarterly 55 (1993): 595-96
Steve Moyise, in: Anvil 10/2 (1993): 164.
Mathias Rissi, in: Interpretation (Jan. 1994): 102-103
D.S. Russell, in: Expository Times 104/5 (February 1993): (155-)156
John Sweet, in: Theological Book Review 6/1 (October 1993): 20.

See also the abstracts in New Testament Abstracts 38/2 (1994), 307; Theology Digest 40/2 (Summer 1993), 174.

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Van Deventer, Amillennial History

2008-01-08T23:45:00.000+01:00

Jack Van Deventer, "Amillennial History," Credenda Agenda 14/2 (apparently no date): 34-35.On-line as http://credenda.org/issues/14-2eschaton.php

When looking at the Internet for information about Abraham Kuyper, I came across this very interesting article on the history of the term and concept of amillennial(ism): "Amillennial History," by Jack Van Deventer, over at Credenda/Agenda (see here for the text and here for the notes).

The concept was not invented until the 20th century. "Having become convinced of history's downward spiral, yet having rejected dispensationalism as unbiblical, presbyterian, and Reformed people were in need of their own theological rationale for pessimism."

"The amillennial solution was to reassign the biblical victory passages to the heavenly or spiritual realm. The kingdom of God was allegorized, spiritualized, and explained away as other-worldly, another spiritual dimension, a land beyond time and beyond our grasp. The prophecies of doom and destruction, of course, were retained and applied to the earthly realm. In other words, keep the curses, discard the blessings. Although a younger doctrine than dispensationalism, amillennialism met the same need and fit the mood of the day." Read it all.

Whether Van Deventer is right about the historical explanation or the underlying theological conceptions is another matter. What do you think?

Kuyper, Revelation

2008-01-08T22:40:00.000+01:00

Kuyper, Abraham. The Revelation of St. John. Trans. John Hendrik De Vries. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1935. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1999. 360 pp.

Abraham Kuyper was a very influential Calvinist theologian and statesman. He took both his undergraduate and doctoral degree in theology at Leyden. His commentary on Revelation guided many interpreters. He founded the Free (Reformed) University of Amsterdam in 1880.

"The Revelation of St. John, presented here in English garb, forms the greater part of the fourth and last volume of Dr. Kuyper's work: 'The consummation of the world.'"

According to Gregg, Four views, Kuyper was both futurist and amillennialist (towards the end of the chapter "The Millennium in Revelation" and, especially in the introduction to Revelation 20: "What Is the Meaning of the '1,000 Years'? When Do These Events Occur"). Kuyper understands the rider on the white horse in Rev 6:1-2 as Christ. Gregg mentions Kuyper about 12 times.

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Jenkins, The OT in Revelation

2008-01-08T19:10:00.000+01:00

Jenkins, Ferrell. The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation. Foreword by Homer Hailey. Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation Publications, 1972. Reprint. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1976. Reprint. Temple Terrace, Florida : Florida College Bookstore, 1984. 151 pp. Still in print (see below).

This volume was originally presented as the author's thesis (M.A.) at Harding Graduate School of Religion. It includes a bibliography (pp. 133-141) and two indices. One of the first studies on the topic, and (as far as I remember) on a not-too-technical level. As its publication history shows, there was a need for this book.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword / Homer Hailey
Preface
The Old Testament background of the Book of Revelation
The number and analysis of Old Testament quotations
The text used in the Old Testament allusions
The purpose of the Old Testament allusions
The place of the Book of Revelation in Apocalyptic Literature
The times in which apocalyptic grew
Apocalyptic - a re-interpretation of prophecy
Apocalyptic literature distinct
The Book of Revelation
Illustrations from the Book of Revelation
The four horsemen
The sealing of the servants of God
The great harvesting
The overthrow of Babylon
An examination of Old Testament books most frequently used in the Book of Revelation
Daniel
Ezekiel
Jeremiah
Isaiah
Zechariah
Psalms
Exodus
The description of Christ in the Book of Revelation, chapter one
The description in verses 4-7
The vision of Jesus on Patmos (verses 10-20)
Titles of Deity from the Old Testament
Creator
He Who is and Who Was and Who is to Come
The Almighty
The God of Heaven
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
The Root of David
The Lamb
The Bright Morning star
The Holy One
The Key of David
The beginning of God's Creation
Old Testament imagery used in the Book of Revelation
Place-names from the Old Testament
Jerusalem
The River Euphrates
Armageddon
Objects from the Old Testament
The Tabernacle and the Temple
The altar
The ark
Old Testament characters
Balaam
Jezebel
Summary and conclusion
Selected bibliography
General index
Index of Scripture references.

Still in print
Dr. Jenkins has informed me that this volume is still in print: "Because the current publisher of the book does not have a marketing strategy many people think the book is out of print. You may secure a copy from the Florida College Bookstore. I wasn’t able to locate the book on the website, but you can send an Email to bookstore [at] floridacollege [dot] edu for information. I think the book now sells for $4.95. I saw a used copy on Amazon recently for $59.96!" (See "Resources on the Book of Revelation" for more.)

Marshall, Parables of War: Reading John's Jewish Apocalypse

2008-01-08T16:40:00.000+01:00

Marshall, John W. Parables of War: Reading John’s Jewish Apocalypse. Studies in Christianity and Judaism, 10. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press (for the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion = Corporation canadienne des sciences religieuses), 2001. vii + 258.

A revised edition of the author's Ph.D-thesis (see here).

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Aporias: Passages Without Passage
Meanings: Names and Paths
Terms: The Supplement and/or the Complement
Taxonomy: The Sine Qua Non of Christianity?
Narratives: John('s) Becomes a Christian (Document)
Names: Choosing Categories
Date: That Long Year
Location: Diaspora in War
Parables I: Standing Fast Among the Nations
Parables II: Defending the Holy City
Results: Judaism in Asia and Devotion to Jesus

Includes bibliographical references (pp. 208-239) and index.

"Provocative theoretical insights about the formation of early Christian communities in a first-century Jewish context have been stretched too far in this book" (Robert M. Royalty - read all of his review)

Reviews:

Ronald R Clark, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2003) (direct link here)
Paul B. Duff, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2003) (direct link here)
Robert Royalty, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2003) (direct link here)

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Bøe, Gog and Magog

2008-01-08T15:15:00.000+01:00

Bøe, Sverre. Gog and Magog: Ezekiel 38-39 as Pre-text for Revelation 19:17-21 and 20:7-10. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 2nd Series, 135. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 2001. XVI + 449 pp.

This dissertation is a rev. ed. of a dissertation submitted to The Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology (Det teologiske Menighetsfakultet) Oslo, Norway and published in the series Studiebibliotek for Bibel og Misjon, 5 (Oslo: Biblia/Fjellhaug Skoler, 1999). It was defended for the major doctorate (dr.theol.) at September 25th, 1999 at the Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology.

The book consists of five chapters. The first defines the task, surveys the history of research, discusses methodological issues, and, finally, some introductory issues as regards Revelation.

Chapters 2 and 3 analyse the Gog and Magog traditions in the OT outside of Ezekiel and in Ezekiel 38--39, respectively.

Chapter 4 surveys references to Gog and Magog in other primarily ancient literature from before c. AD 100. Later literature is treated in three excursuses.

Chapter 5 analyses John's use of the Gog and Magog-traditions in Revelation 19:11--21:8.

A summary, bibliography and indices concludes the dissertation.

The most original part of the thesis is Chapter 4, while Chapter 5 is disappointingly weak on theological discussions as regards the relevance of his study for the overall interpretation of Revelation and for the understanding of Rev 20:1-10. There are, nevertheless, many useful observations in this thesis.

Reviews (more here):

Kyle Abot, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2003) (direct link here)
Ian boxall, in: Journal of Theological Studies 54/1 (2003): 265ff
Heinz Giesen, in: Theologie der Gegenwart 46/2 (2003): 140ff
Michael Barram, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2004) (direct link here)
Karl-F. Pohlmann, in: Theologische Rundschau 71 (2006): 61ff

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Scott, Original Language

2008-01-08T14:10:00.000+01:00

Scott, Robert Balgarnie Young: The Original Language of the Apocalypse. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, 1928. 25 pp. including bibliographical references.

In this volume - originally a Ph.D.-thesis submitted to University of Toronto, Scott (for short biographies, see here and here) argued that Revelation was originally written in Hebrew.

Taeger, Johanneische Perspektiven

2008-01-08T13:15:00.000+01:00

Taeger, Jens-Wilhelm. Johanneische Perspektiven: Aufsätze zur Johannesapokalypse und zum johanneischen Kreis 1984-2003. Forschung zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments, 215, Ed. David C. Bienert and Dietrich-Alex Koch. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2006. 254 pp. Hardcover

Professor, dr. Jens-W. Taeger, who died only 59 years old (see here), did not complete his commentary on Revelation before his death. His doctoral thesis is Johannesapokalypse und johanneischer Kreis. This volume includes a bibliography of Taeger's publications (p. 241f).

In this collection of essays, published posthumously, Taeger analyses the function or purpose of Revelation seen in the context of the Johannine circle or school.

"Niemand hat die imponierende Größe des Römischen Reiches so grundsätzlich kritisiert wie der Seher der Johannesoffenbarung. Jens-W. Taeger, der früh verstorbene Neutestamentler aus Münster, hat die Offenbarung eine 'fulminante Streitschrift' genannt, die Partei ergreift 'im Streit um die Frage, wie in den Strukturen der Welt der Glaube unter strikter Wahrung der christlichen Identität zu leben ist.'

"In den hier vereinten Aufsätzen analysiert Taeger die theologische Zielsetzung der Apokalypse und stellt sie bewusst hinein in die komplizierte Geschichte des johanneischen Kreises. Die Aufsätze ergreifen dabei selbst Partei in den strittigen Fragen der johanneischen Forschung und geben zugleich Anstöße zu weiteren Untersuchungen."

From the Table of Contents (a complete list at Eisensbrauns)

Taeger als Neutestamentler und Theologe, by Dietrich-Alex Koch
Die Apokalypse—Eine fulminante Streitschrift unter Einfluss des johanneischen Gemeindeverbandes: Jens-W. Taegers Beitrag zur Erforschung der Apk und der joh
Theologieentwicklung, by Martin Karrer
Johannesapokalypse und johanneischer Kreis: Zu Jens-Wilhelm Taegers Methode des motivgeschichtlichen Vergleichs innerhalb des Corpus Johanneum, by Friedrich Wilhelm Horn
Einige neuere Veröffentlichungen zur Apokalypse des Johannes
Der Konservative Rebell: Zum Widerstand des Diotrephes gegen den Presbyter
Gesiegt! O himmlische Musik des Wortes: Zur Entfaltung des Siegesmotivs in den johanneischen Schriften
Eine fulminante Streitschrift: Bemerkungen zur Apokalypse des Joannes
Begründetes Schweigen: Paulus und paulinische Tradition in der Johannesapokalypse
Hell oder Dunkel? Zur neueren Debatte um die Auslegung des ersten apokalyptischen Reiters
Offenbarung 1,1–3: Johanneische Autorisierung einer Aufklärungsschrift
Bibliography of Jens-Wilhelm Taeger
Index of subjects and persons

Reviews

Nicole Chibici-Revneanu, in: TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 12 (2007):
http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/vol12/Traeger2007rev.pdf
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2007) (direct link here)

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Laughlin, Solecisms

2008-01-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

Laughlin, T. Cowden: The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. Princeton: C.S. Robinson & Co., University Printers, 1902. 23 pp. Now on-line.

Despite its modest size, Laughlin's booklet is his Ph.D.-thesis, presented to the Faculty of Princeton University in 1902. It contains a systematic analysis of the peculiar language of Revelation.

Laughlin concludes that the solecisms "are clearly due to the influence which the prophetic writings of the Old Testament, either in their Hebrew form or in that of their translation into Grekk--the Septuagaint--exerted upon the Author" (p. 21).

Laughlin also presents a number of "corollaries": the solecisms are not an argument for the early date; they do not support a non-apostolic authorship; they do not require a substantial time interval between the Revelation and the Gospel according to John; John was not ignorant of correct Greek usage, but made a conscious effort to use the LXX and Hebrew idiom.

It is now available on-line in a variety of formats at The Internet Archive (direct link pdf-format)

McKim (ed.), Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters

2008-01-07T17:40:00.000+01:00

McKim, Donald K. Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2007. xxviii + 1106 pp.

DMBI is a revised edition of Historical handbook of major biblical interpreters (1998), already an established reference. This revised and expanded volume is a welcome resource for any Biblical scholar and student. Hopefully, an electronic edition will be published soon.

"With over two hundred in-depth articles, the Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters introduces readers to the principal players in that history: their historical and intellectual contexts, their primary works, their interpretive principles and their broader historical significance. In addition, six major essays offer an overview of the history of biblical interpretation from the second century to the present." (From the publisher's site)

Table of Contents (For sample pdf-files, see the linked entries below)
Table of Contents
Preface to First Edition
Preface to Second Edition
How to Use this Dictionary
Abbreviations
Contributors

Part 1: Biblical Interpretation through the Centuries
Biblical Interpretation in the Early Church
Biblical Interpretation in the Middle Ages
Biblical Interpretation in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
Biblical Interpretation in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
Biblical Interpretation in Europe in the Twentieth Century
Biblical Interpretation in North America in the Twentieth Century

Part 2: Major Biblical Interpreters (sample entry: Luther)
Dictionary Articles
Index of Persons
Index of Subjects
Index of Articles

Hat tip: deinde.org

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Migne's Patrologia Graeca in Greek Unicode

2008-01-07T17:10:00.000+01:00

Over at the Thoughts on Antiquity blog you can read about Migne's Patrologia Graeca in Unicode via PDF: See here.

Danny Zacharias over at Deinde.org - Discussion and resources for Biblical scholars - points us to this useful directory page in his Migne treasures.

See also Migne's Patrologia - a complete on-line edition.

Zimmermann, Nuptial Imagery

2008-01-07T14:37:00.000+01:00

Zimmermann, Ruben. Nuptial Imagery in the Revelation of John. Biblica 84 (2003): 153-83. This article is now on-line.

Abstract: "In this article is argued that the nuptial imagery of the Book of Revelation is not limited to chapters 19 and 21 but rather runs throughout the book. While the imagery is certainly most pronounced in the final part of the book, it also appears in the letters to the churches (bridal wreath in Rev 2,10; 3,11), in the scene depicting the 144,000 as virgins (Rev 14,4-5), and is encountered again in Rev 18,23 (silencing of the voice of bridegroom and bride) and Rev 22,17 (summons of the bride) at the end of the book. Thus the wedding metaphors can be seen as one of the structural patterns of Revelation as a whole directly in contrast to the metaphors of fornication."

Loren L. Johns

2008-01-07T14:25:00.000+01:00

Dr. Loren L. Johns's The Apocalypse of John lists many resources, including a number of articles written by Johns himself.

See also his Apocalypticism and Millennialism: A Select Bibliography for Research.

He also includes a section on Revelation in art, and a page with resources about Patmos (currently with some obsolete links).

Dr. Johns's Curriculum Vitae is here and includes a list of publications.

Darby's Synopsis of Revelation on-line

2008-01-07T14:08:00.000+01:00

John Nelson Darby's synopsis of Revelation is published on-line here or here.

Darby is the father of dispensationalism.

Dr. Laszlo's resource collection

2008-01-07T13:50:00.000+01:00

http://www.apokaliptikum.lap.hu

This quite extensive resource collection is compiled by Dr. Hubbes Laszlo.

Although it is in the Hungarian language, some headlines are translated, and it is certainly possible to find quite a number of useful resources, even if you do not know Hungarian. As the sample shows. As Dr. Laszlo informed me, "the majority of the collection points to English sites."

Especially relevant is the following:

Apocalypse Commentaries
Apocalypse Definitions
Apocalyptic Bibliographies
Apocalyptic in Arts
Apocalyptic in Music
Apocalyptic Resources Online
Apocalyptic Studies
Apocalyptic Symbology and Iconography

Reddish, Revelation

2008-01-07T11:45:00.000+01:00

Reddish, Mitchell Glenn. Revelation. Smyth & Helwys Bible commentary. Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2001. xxiv + 472 pp and a searchable CD-ROM.

This volume by professor, dr. Mitchell G. Reddish is interesting. Already in 2001, it included CD-ROM with the commentary text and the many sidebars in a fully searchable form and with visuals that this volume includes. The layout is very pleasing to the eye. The primary focus is the theological issues, but potential applications are included as well. These "connections" considers what issues are relevant for teaching and preaching. I have not had access to the commentary itself, but the front matters and the introduction is available in pdf-format here.

I find the many sidebars, special-interest boxes, interesting. They provide: historical information, graphic outlines of literary structure, definitions or brief discussions, relevant quotations, notes, but also various illustrations.

I agree with professor Reddish's opinion that "the church needs to embrace the Apocalypse because it is a powerful presentation of the message of our faith" (p. 2), although I do want to describe this faith somewhat differently from Reddish.

Reddish defines Revelation as an apocalypse (although with characteristics of other literary genres) and gives a very helpful summary of apocalyptic literature and the origins of this genre (p. 3-7). Included are two sidebars. The first provides "Sources for Understanding Apocalyptic Literature" (omitting, by the way, the contributions of David Hellholm). The second lists apocalyptic writings. Reddish is also the editor of Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader. The publisher gives access to Reddish's introduction (as well as the table of contents and a sample chapter).

I find Reddish's discussion of the provenance and social setting of Revelation (pp. 7-11) fair and balanced. Reddish gives a fine survey of the topic "Emperor worship and persecution" (pp. 11-15). "These situations [of persecutions] were likely sporadic, local instances of persecution and martyrdom. But for John, these few instances were enough to cause him to sound the alarm to the churches of Asia Minor" (p. 13). In his commentary, Witherington assesses the social setting quite differently than Mitchell does.

Discussing the date (pp. 16f), Reddish finds a domitianic date most likely, but he notes many arguments are circular (p. 16). Indeed. Reddish rejects apostolic authorship and argues that "The author, then, is best understood as an unknown John living in Asia Minor in the closing years of the first century" (p. 18). This John "viewed himself as a Christian prophet and had possibly functioned in this role among the Christians in Asia Minor, perhaps as an itinerant prophet" (p. 18f). Although Reddish notes that "The authority with which he wrote indicates that he was obviously well known to the Christians in Asia Minor and knew the churches and their backgrounds intimately," he does not explain why any reliable information about this John is totally absent.

Reddish favours a recapitulation view on the structure of Revelation (pp. 20-22): "the structure of Revelation presents a movement that is spiral" (p. 21). Reddish compares the composition of Revelation to a piece of music: "in which certain themes of the piece are repeated, but with variations and new interpretations, each variation moving the piece forward" (p. 21). I agree. However, when Reddish claims that "Revelation operates impressionistically rather than logically" (p. 22), I disagree. The "expressive language" of Revelation supports the cognitive content (doctrines) of Revelation. J. J. Collins asserts that "The apocalyptic revelations are symbolic attempts to penetrate the darkness, which provide ways of imagining the unknown, not factual knowledge" (The Apocalyptic Imagination, 1984, p. 214; quoted p. 22). I would suggest, however, that Revelation depicts what is, basically, known from the Old Testament and the other New Testament documents.

In his outline of "Theological Themes and Emphases," Reddish summarizes his view on the sovereignty of God, radical monotheism, exalted Christology, salvation, judgement and warning, non-violent lifestyle, and hope (pp. 26).

I found his discussion of the relationship between God and Christ quite inadequate. Although it is in some sense true that "there is no Nicene Creed in Revelation" (p. 24), I agree with Tremper Longman and others who argue that the Danielic Son of Man is both God and Man, and I also find that there is a broad range of evidence to support the Nicene Christology.

As to his discussion of salvation, judgement and warning, Reddish asserts that "The Apocalypse serves as a powerful warning that those who would be the people of God must be obedient to God" (p. 25). I find it quite lacking that Reddish does not discuss the role of faith and the relationship between faith and obedience.

Reddish does not include any discussion about specific end-time events. I am sympathetic to that. I do miss, however, a discussion of the relationship between Christology, salvation, and judgement.

As to the interpretive approach, Reddish takes issue - very much so - with the the type of interpretation popularised by the Scofield Reference Bible, Hal Lindsey, John Walvoord (pp. 26-29). According to Reddish, one must instead consider the socio-historical setting, the literary genre, the language and symbols of Revelation, and one must read it "imaginatively" (p. 28f). Revelation is open-ended and "does not have one meaning" (p. 29).

There are sidebars on the outline of Revelation, including interludes (p. 23), and on recommended resources (p. 27).

Reddish has also published "Martyr Christology in the Apocalypse," Journal for the Study of the New Testament 33 (1988): 85-95.

I found the reference to Reddish's commentary on one of Dr. Loren Johns's pages (a review of Loren Johns's published thesis is in preparation, by the way).

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Lupieri, Commentary on the Apocalypse

2008-01-07T00:55:00.000+01:00

Lupieri, Edmondo F. A Commentary on the Apocalypse of John. Italian texts and studies on religion and society. Trans. Maria Poggi Johnson, and Adam Kamesar. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006. xxx + 395 pp.

"Edmondo Lupieri’s main goal in A Commentary on the Apocalypse of John is to introduce readers to the mental and spiritual world of John as both a first-century Jew and a follower of Jesus. The fruit of over ten years of research, a constructive response to postmodern criticism, and an academic best-seller in its Italian edition, Lupieri’s commentary offers both new proposals and traditional interpretations to shed light on this complex coda to the biblical message.

"In an illuminating preface Lupieri discusses the strange world of the Apocalypse and promises an open commentary, full of original treatments of knotty interpretive problems. Maintaining a strong historical perspective throughout, he examines the text of the Apocalypse line by line, paying careful attention to the Greek text, offering a new translation, making wide use of apocryphal, pseudepigraphal, and Qumran literature, and often analyzing John’s Apocalypse as compared to other Jewish apocalypses.

"Thoughtful, thorough, and nonsectarian, Lupieri’s Commentary on the Apocalypse of John will appeal to anyone with a serious interest in the meaning of the biblical text." (From the publisher's page)

Apart from the almost 270 page commentary, this volume includes a 11 page bibliography and a 45 page introduction. The back matters include indices of modern authors (2 pp.), names (3½ pp.), places (2 pp.), subjects (5½ pp.), and an index of references that includes the extra-biblical passages.

This volume was originally published in Italian under the title L'Apocalisse di Giovanni (1999).

Reviews:

Craig R. Koester, Review of Biblical Literature (2007) (direct link here) - In his assessment, Koester critiques Lupieri's interpretation of Revelation as a critique of (non-Christian) Judaism rather than as an anti-Roman apocalypse

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Wainwright, Mysterious Apocalypse

2008-01-06T14:40:00.000+01:00

Wainwright, Arthur William. Mysterious Apocalypse: Interpreting the Book of Revelation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. 293 pages, bibliography, indices and 35 pages with notes. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock publishers, 2001.

This very well-written and well researched book contains three parts, the first of which treats "The Millennium and History". It depends on first hand source studies and is easy to read in spite of the difficult subjects treated. Professor Wainwright treats the interpretations of Revelation throughout history in its relationship to general church history thereby facilitating understanding of the history of interpretation of Revelation.

The two other parts of the book deal with Critical Approaches, and Revelation and Human Experience.

There are six colour and two black and white illustrations supporting Wainwright's analysis of the use of Revelation in art.

It is an excellent introduction, but I am quite sure that even scholars familiar with the literature on Revelation will find much useful information in Wainwright's book.

Notes on individual topics
See pp. 189ff about Revelation and art.

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Wilson, The Victor Sayings

2008-01-06T13:55:00.000+01:00

Wilson, Mark Wayne. The Victor Sayings in the Book of Revelation. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007. 294 pp. Paperback

This volume is based on the author's Ph.D.-thesis (see abstract here). Wilson analyses this very important motif that also is also of great importance for the overall interpretation of Revelation's message and purpose.

The publisher's description
"This is the first major study to focus solely on the victor sayings and should prove invaluable to scholars and students of Revelation and apocalyptic literature. It demonstrates that the motif of victory is Revelation's macrodynamic theme.

"Chiasmus is proposed as the book's macrostructure, based in part on the chiastic nature of the promises to the victors, with the later fulfillment of these promises in the book. The proposed forms for the seven letters—forms such as edicts, oracles, and epistles—are examined, and it is concluded that they are a mixtum compositum best called 'prophetic letters.'

"The sociological significance of victory is explored within the Greco-Roman world. The text of the promises and their co-texts (as reflected intertextually in traditions of biblical literature) receive thorough examination.

"The eschatological fulfillment of the victor sayings is surveyed in Revelation's later chapters, especially in chapters 21-22, where the new Jerusalem is depicted.

"The study concludes with an investigation of the ways that the promises were appropriated for the time and the text world of Revelation." (More at the publisher's page)

About ten years ago, the author very kindly gave me access to an electronic copy of his very useful thesis. I think I have some discussions with Wilson's analyses in my own thesis (which you can read about here)

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Simojoki, Apocalypse Interpreted

2008-01-06T12:45:00.000+01:00

Simojoki, Anssi. Apocalypse Interpreted: The Types of Interpretation of the Book of Revelation in Finland 1944-1995, From the Second World War to the Post-Cold War World. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University Press, 1997. 220 pp.

Through the lens of semiotic theory, Simojoki analyses the interpretation/use of Revelation in Finland in the period 1944-1995. Apocalypse Interpreted is the author's doctoral thesis in systematic theology, written under the supervision of professor Fredric Cleve.

Finnish interpretation of Revelation is heavily influenced by earlier and foreign interpretations. Therefore, Simojoki outlines these influences and analyses the Finnish interpretations in the light of his findings.

I found this volume very helpful as an introduction to Finnish interpretations and, to some degree, Finnish research on Revelation.

The author's methodology:
"In pursuit of the comprehensive characteristics of each type of interpretation I shall employ a 'combing' method; the source material is 'combed' with 10 questions on the central themes or images of the Book of Revelation:

The origin and author of the book
The nature of the prophecy in Revelation
The role of contemporary history and present day
The true and false Church
The apocalyptic plagues
Antichrist
The rapture
The Jews and Israel
Armageddon, Gog and Magog
The Millennium" (p. 23)

Table of Contents (abbreviated):

Preface

Introduction (pp. 10-34)
A Historical Tradition as a Basis - Martin Luther's View on the Book of Revelation (pp. 35-52)
The History in a Prophetic Chronology - Traditional Adventist Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (pp. 53-66)
The Secret Rapture - Rescue from the Coming Tribulation (pp. 67-98)
The Quest for Present Day Relevance of the Book of Revelation - Biblical Outlines (pp. 99-111)
Armageddon and Utopia Around the Corner - Interpretations of Jehovah's Witnesses (pp. 112-124)
Myths Revisited - the Book of Revelation as a Mythological Compendium (pp. 125-138)
Scholars on the Book of Revelation [especially A. T. Nikolainen, pp. 139-146] (pp. 139-165)
Conclusions (pp. 166-187)

Bibliography (pp. 188-214)
Index [of names and subjects] (pp. 215-220)

Farrer, Revelation

2008-01-06T12:15:00.000+01:00

Farrer, Austin: The Revelation of St. John the Divine: Commentary on the English Text. Oxford: Clarendon, 1964. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005. 242 pp.

Farrer interprets John as a rabbinic preacher seeking "new inspiration by drawing old texts into fresh combinations" (p. 30) and thinks that OT was authoritative for John. If the meaning of words and images cannot be found in Revelation, they must be found in the OT.

"Another of St. John's formal procedures is the exegetical. His whole apocalypse is a visualized meditation on sacred texts" (p. 57).

Caird was heavily influenced by the work of Farrer.

See also Farrer, Rebirth of Images.

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Farrer, Rebirth of Images

2008-01-06T11:40:00.000+01:00

Farrer, Austin. A Rebirth of Images: The Making of St. John’s Apocalypse. Westminster [London]: Dacre Press, 1949. Reprint. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 1986. 348 pp. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007. 350 pp.

This classic volume, a very influential work, is now in print again!

"In this book St. John's Revelation is approached as a great and singular theological poem. The author tries to see how the poem arose in an inspired mind, by what processes of divination its author explored the realm of supernatural truth, how he used the images of his Old Testament faith and gave them fresh meaning in the context of his scheme. Here the reader may follow the workings of a late first-century Christian imagination in which the Scriptures and the stars, the liturgy of the temple and the magic of numbers, the elements of nature and the march of human history are closely interwoven." (From the publishers' description)

See also Farrer, Revelation.

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Hofmann, Luther

2008-01-06T02:50:00.000+01:00

Hofmann, H.-U.: Luther und die Johannes-Apokalypse: Dargestellt im Rahmen der Auslegungsgeschichte des letzten Buches der Bibel und im Zusammenhang der theologischen Entwicklung des Reformators. (BGBE 24). Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1982. In print.

This book is a rather extensive and detailed dissertational study (Habilitationsschrift) of Luther's use of the Book of Revelation.

Although Luther's view on Revelation is often mentioned, few have read more than Luther's words on Revelation in his preface to his bible translation. Hofmann has investigated the actual uses of Revelation and located them into the history of interpretation and into the development of Luther's theology.

This book should certainly be consulted with regard to Luther's understanding (or use) of Revelation.

Charles, Studies in the Apocalypse

2008-01-06T02:35:00.000+01:00

Charles, R.H.: Studies in the Apocalypse. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1913 and 1915 (2. ed.). Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1997.

Charles' presentation of the history of interpretation in his commentary was an abbreviation of a larger study. The full presentation is given here.

"Shorter studies by the author of the commentary on Revelation in the International Critical Commentary series. Originally given as four lectures to the University of London in 1912, the lectures were expanded and an appendix was added in which the critical analyses of chief early scholars from Grotius to Weiss were given." More here.

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Zahn, Offenbarung

2008-01-06T00:50:00.000+01:00

Zahn, Theodor. Die Offenbarung des Johannes ausgelegt. Leipzig: Deichert, 1924-1926; reprint, Wuppertal: R. Brockhaus Verlag, 1986. vi + 633 pp.

This work deserves a detailed presentation. It is an erudite commentary that presents material and insights hardly found elsewhere. Zahn provides a detailed overview of the history of interpretation.

Kretschmar, Offenbarung des Johannes

2008-01-05T23:45:00.000+01:00

Kretschmar, Georg: Die Offenbarung des Johannes: Die Geschichte ihrer Auslegung im 1. Jahrtausend. Calwer Theologische Monographien, B9. Stuttgart: Calwer Verlag, 1985. 164 pp.

Kretschmar's book is not only a presentation of its history of interpretation throughout the first millennium. It also presents the author's view on introductory matters and its overall interpretation.

Contents (apart from foreword, list of abbreviations and abbreviated references)

I. Jewish apocalyptic (sic) as the background of traditional material for Revelation (pp. 11-18)
1. Apocalyptic as prophecy
2. Book of Daniel

3. The spread of apocalyptic in Judaism

II. The pictorial Book of Promises (pp. 19-68)
1. Christian apocalyptic
2. The origins of Revelation
3. Intention and characteristics
4. The structure of Revelation

5. The imagery of Revelation

III. Revelation in Early Christianity (pp. 69-79)
1. Early Christian apocalyptic and Revelation
2. Christian chiliasm
3. Gnostic reception
4. Irenaeus and Hippolytus, Methodius

5. Disputed canonicity

IV. Revelation in the Greek Church and the rest of the Orient (pp. 80-90)
1. Acceptance and influence of Revelation
2. Christian apocalyptic and interpretation of history besides Revelation

3. The great commentaries after the sixth century: Oecumenius; Andrew of Caesarea; Arethas of Caesarea; Dionysios bar Saliba

V. Revelation in the Latin Church (pp. 91-115)
1. Early Christian heritage: Victorinus of Poetovio
2. Church Controversy: Tyconius and Augustine
3. Learned collectors: Jerome, Cassiodor, Primasius

4. Results and heritage

VI. Revelation in the Middle Ages of the West (pp. 116-160)
1. Collecting and sieving the ancient heritage
a) Britain: Beda
b) Spain: Beatus
c) Italy: Ambrosius Autpertus

2. Revelation in the Carolingian Renaissance

a) The Carolingian Renaissance
b) Book paintings
c) Commentators

3. The High Middle Ages
a) Ottonic, imperial theology
b) Anti-Christ and the end of the world
c) Revelation in the Investiture Controversy
d) The Crusades and the theology of the House of Hohenstaufen

4. Exposition of Scripture and interpretation of history
a) The methods of theology
b) Experience of history and interpretation of Scripture
c) Epilogue: Change into a new chiliasm

Kretschmar, Offenbarung des Johannes

2008-01-05T23:35:00.000+01:00

See Kretschmar, Die Offenbarung des Johannes.
(This entry is a dummy that allows me to use more categories than Blogger allows).

Trebilco, The Early Christians in Ephesus

2008-01-05T20:50:00.000+01:00

Trebilco, Paul R. The Early Christians in Ephesus: From Paul to Ignatius. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2004. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing, 2007. Reprinted from the German edition, published as vol. 166 of WUNT, 2nd series. xxiv + 826 pp.

Rick Brannan at ricoblog made me aware of this monumental, somewhat expensive (see below), and really interesting volume (here and here).

Ephesus is important for many reasons. It is central to Paul and Acts, it became a centre of early Christianity, and the first of seven messages in Revelation 2-3 was directed "to the angel of the church in Ephesus." I have often looked for a book that gives an overview of the knowledge available today. Trebilco's opus magnum fills this gap. Trebilco is also the author of Jewish Communities in Asia Minor.

In ch. 1, Trebilco describes the context: the city, the Artemis cult, the imperial cult, and the Jewish community (pp. 11-52). Ch. 7 is devoted to "Revelation 2:1-7: The Proclamation to the Church in Ephesus and the Nicolaitans (pp. 293-350). Ch. 8.4 focus on the wider culture and the readers of Revelation: acculturation, assimilation and accommodation (pp. 393-402). In ch. 9.3, Trebilco analyses "Material Possessions and the Christians in Ephesus according to Revelation" (pp. 434-443). Leadership and authority in Revelation is the subject of ch. 10.3 (pp. 490-503). The role of women in Revelation is discussed in ch. 11.3 (pp. 540-550). Trebilco looks at the issue of self-designation in Revelation in ch. 12.5 (pp. 577-586).

Ch. 13 is an analysis of "The Relationships between traditions and communities in Ephesus," and Revelation is treated in 13.3 (pp. 614-626). A full Table of Contents is available from the publisher (here).

The bibliography is huge: 54 pages (pp. 719-771), and there are indices of References, Authors, and Subjects and Places.

Mohr Siebeck provides a long list of reviews here.

The original German edition is available for €149.00 (see here), but the American edition is only about $62 or £37.

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Bredin: Jesus, Revolutionary of Peace

2008-01-05T19:00:00.000+01:00

Bredin, Mark. Jesus, Revolutionary of Peace: A Nonviolent Christology in the Book of Revelation. Paternoster biblical and theological monographs. Carlisle [England]: Paternoster Press, 2003. xii + 262 pp.

According to Ted Grimsrud, "Bredin joins in a tradition of reading Revelation as peace literature, going back to G. B. Caird in the 1960s and including such later writers as Jacques Ellul, Eugene Boring, Wilfred Harrington, Richard Bauckham (Bredin's Ph.D. adviser), Loren Johns, Barbara Rossing, and Harry Maier." (review in Biblical Theology Bulletin, Winter [2007])

"John has woven this [Lamb] imagery into holy warfare imagery resulting in a text that utilizes the holy war tradition that seeks justice in such a way that the idea of advocating hatred was transformed into the hope of the transformation of the sinner" (Bredin, p. 199; quoted in Grimsrud's review).

Grimsrud adds some concerns. "A few concerns must be mentioned, however. Although Bredin's writing is clear and accessible throughout, at times he presents ideas and summarizes others' ideas in overly brief, even cryptic fashion. An unsympathetic reader, or one unfamiliar with the literature of non-violence action, might not find Bredin's arguments particularly persuasive."

And: Bredin "gives short shrift to Revelation's focus on the internal life of the churches to whom John writes." Nevertheless, Grimsrud asserts, "Bredin has provided a significant interpretation of Revelation that turns the traditional view of Revelation as escapist literature on its head."

This volume is reviewed by Ted Grimsrud (see above) and, quite critically, by Tobias Nicklas in: Review of Biblical Literature (2005).

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Pattemore, People of God in the Apocalypse

2008-01-05T18:45:00.000+01:00

Pattemore, Stephen W. The People of God in the Apocalypse: Discourse, Structure, and Exegesis. Society for New Testament Studies Monographs Series, 128. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Also available in an Ebrary-edition. xv + 256.

This volume is based on parts of the author's doctoral dissertation, The People of God in the Apocalypse: A Relevance-Theoretic Study (Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, Dunedin: University of Otago, 2000). His thesis addressed both discourse-structural and exegetical issues. The structural studies
have been published as Souls under the Altar. The people of God in the Apocalypse contains the exegetical work (cf. p. 11, note 40).

Preliminary chapters (chs. 1-3)
Pattemore takes the lead from a quote from Adela Yarbro Collins: "Revelation ... provides a story in and through which the people of God discover who they are and what they are to do" (Interpretation 40 [1986]: 242). Pattemore's study "aims to elucidate this process of discovery on both fronts, identity and action" (p. 9). He wants to answer: "What are the cognitive and behavioural outcomes to which the narrative seeks to lead them?" (p. 10).

Pattemore uses narrative and rhetorical theory (Kirby; D. L. Barr) and, especially, Relevance Theory (cf. also Garrow). Pattemore employs Relevance Theory as "a discriminatory hermeneutic criterion by which to evaluate the significance of proposed background information for the understanding of the text" (p. 11).

Ch. 2 is therefore devoted to a presentation of Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory (cf. Sperber, Dan, and Deirdre Wilson. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. 2nd ed. Oxford; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 2001) (pp. 13-50). David Barr summarises the theory in his review (see below).

Ch. 3 discusses the external and internal context of Revelation and summarises the analyses, published in Souls Under the Altar. In Revelation, the people of God are featured as addressees, as audience, and as actors (pp. 64-67). Chs. 4-6 examine the references to the people of God as the last category: actors. They yield a good number of helpful results. However, the focus on the people of God as actors also means that some questions are not posed and thus not answered. I will comment briefly on that below.

Ch. 4-6 presents the exegetical analyses (see especially p. 11f for the following overview).

Ch. 4, pp. 68-116, begins with Revelation 6:9-11, "the first actual visionary depiction of the people of God," and it "follows themes relating to martyrdom through the book".

Ch. 5, pp. 117-196, traces "militaristic depictions of the people of God, from Revelation 7 forwards." Key texts are Rev 7:1-8 (ch. 5.3, pp. 125-140), 7:9-17 (ch. 5.4, pp. 140-159) and 14:1-5 (pp. 179-193), but also Daniel 7 and a number of Revelation-texts that portray "War against the saints" (ch. 5.5, pp. 159-179). Rev 7:1-8 and 14:1-5 paint "a picture ... of victory through suffering after the pattern of the Messiah."

Ch. 6, pp. 197-212, "briefly shows how the various threads are woven together in the picture of the New Jerusalem." Here Pattemore focuses on three themes, "or, rather, clusters of themes, namely the vindication of the martyrs, the victory of the saints, and the marriage of the Lamb" (p. 197). Pattemore describes the intra-textual connections that many others have shown as well (e.g., Mark Wilson).

Ch. 7, pp. 213-219, summarises the results and assesses the use of Relevance Theory. The use of Relevance Theory as a tool for a sharper application of existing methodologies led Pattemore to identify "three types of roles": 1) martyrdom, 2) the messianic army that "intersected with the previous one at many points and turned out to have many similar implications for the audience" and the New Jerusalem-visions (p. 213f; quote at p. 214).

Pattemore concludes that Relevance Theory has proved useful "at every stage of this investigation" (p. 214), although it is a limitation that we have only incomplete knowledge of the cognitive environment and "don't know what we don't know" (p. 215). "The use of RT has not eliminated all subjectivity from the process of exegesis" (ibid.).

As to the identity of the people of God, they are God's people (ch. 7.3; p. 216f, which means, among other things, that they are secure and on their way from captivity to the Promised Land, the New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God. They are also "the close companions of the Lamb." "Their victory, like his and because of his, consists in their lives being offered in sacrifice, the outcome of which is salvation for the world." The OT marital imagery shows that "The goal of their existence is to be united with their Lord." (p. 216).

There are sharply drawn boundaries between the people of God and the earth-dwellers. Persecution may be present and certainly will occur in the future (p. 216f).

Allusions to the seven messages and rare instances of direct address to the audience prompt the audience to identify with the actors of John's portrayal. It is also done indirectly. Finally, John's opponents are categorised as earth-dwellers and outsiders (p. 217).

As regards the task of the people of God (ch. 7.4; pp. 217f), they are to offer their life as a sacrifice to God, align their behaviour with what is desirable, and ensure "that they are 'in' rather than 'out.' They are to "resist the seduction of every form of idolatry associated with the political and economical power-structures of their society" and endure the consequences. "Positively they are to remain faithful to their Lord in anticipation of ultimately being united with him," which "requires obedience to his commands in terms of ethical conduct in the
world and of true worship. It also requires them to bear witness to him." (p. 218). As in Mark 8:34f.

The back matters include an appendix, "Abbreviated discourse outline," a 20 page bibliography, and a combined index (of subjects, Biblical and modern authors), but no index of Scripture passages.

Concluding remarks
The ecclesiology of Revelation is a field of research with relatively few works. Pattemore asserts - in my opinion correctly - that "Revelation's ecclesiology is crucially dependent on its christology" (p. 216).

However, I think that a crucial part of its Christology is soteriology. It seems to me that Pattemore's study suffers from inadequate consideration as to how the people of God is saved. One - important - reason for this neglect may be the focus on the people of God as actors.

Soteriology, however, is certainly a central issue, as Christ repeatedly urges the recipients of the seven messages to repent. In other words, some of the recipients were in grave danger of losing their salvation. They would then experience the parousia, the second coming of Christ, not as the victorious coming of their bridegroom for their victory, but as the victorious coming of their judge and warrior for their defeat, judgement, and, indeed, eternal punishment.

Relevance Theory may be relevant and helpful. The use of Relevance Theory, however, is no guarantee that one identifies the most important issues (cf. the third step of his relevance-sensitive methodology, p. 49). That Pattemore has, indeed, identified important issues is beyond doubt.

Pattemore's volume is reviewed by David L. Barr in Review of Biblical Literature (2005) (direct link here)

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Fekkes, "His Bride Has Prepared Herself"

2008-01-05T17:54:00.000+01:00

Fekkes, Jan, III. " 'His Bride Has Prepared Herself': Revelation 19-21 and Isaian Nuptial Imagery." Journal of Biblical Literature 109 (1990): 269-87.

One of the important studies of the bride metaphor.

See also McIlraith, Love and Huber, Like a Bride Adorned as well as Fekkes, Isaiah.

Mayo, "Those Who Call Themselves Jews"

2008-01-05T15:15:00.000+01:00

Mayo, Philip L. “Those Who Call Themselves Jews”: The Church and Judaism in the Apocalypse of John. Princeton theological monograph series. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2006. x + 212 pp.

The interpretation of Revelation 2:9 is one of the cruces interpretum in Revelation. Regardless of one's interpretation, this relatively new publication by Dr. Philip Mayo is really helpful, as it helps us to think through the exegesis of Revelation 2:9.

Publisher's description says that "The nature of Jewish-Christian relations at the end of the first century has been a subject of serious study and considerable debate. The time between 70 and 150 CE is held to be a volatile time in that Jewish-Christian relations were quickly, although not uniformly, deteriorating. This is a time referred to as the 'partings of the ways,' when the church was emerging as a religion apart from Judaism.

"Although it has often been neglected in this study, of particular interest is the Apocalypse of John, since it was written in this dark and turbulent time in Jewish-Christian relations. John, who is a Jewish Christian, is writing to what are likely predominantly Gentile churches. At first, he appears to deny the very name 'Jew' to his ethnic kin while accusing them of belonging to Satan (2:9; 3:9).

"Nevertheless, he does not abandon his own Jewish background and theology. He makes broad use of the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish cultic imagery while maintaining a Christian understanding that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

"What is of particular interest is how he adopts and adapts this imagery and language and applies it to the church. It is John's mix of Jewish imagery with a Christian message that may provide some insight into his perspective on the relationship between these two increasingly polarized sects. What exactly this perspective is constitutes the subject of the present discussion."

Table of Content:
Introduction (p. 1)

An Overview of Jewish-Christian Relations (70-150 CE): Factors in the Developing Schism (p. 27)
"Those Who Call Themselves Jews": Conflict in Smyrna and Philadelphia (p. 51)
The 144,000: Israel or Spiritual Israel? (p. 77)
The Temple, the Two Witnesses, and the Heavenly Woman: The Church as Spiritual Israel (p. 107)
The New Jerusalem as the Eschatological People of God (p. 164)
Conclusion (p. 199)

Bibliography (p. 205).

Reviews:
David L. Barr, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2007) (direct link here)

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David L. Barr, The Apocalypse as Oral Enactment

2008-01-05T13:11:00.000+01:00

Barr, David Lawrence. "The Apocalypse of John As Oral Enactment." Interpretation 40 (1986): 243-56.

"The original audience encountered (Apoc) as an aural experience (1:3) and that experience determined both the way the Apoc. was structured and the meaning the auditors found in it."

Quoted from Wood, Structure, p. 13 n. 37.

Darin M. Wood, The Structure of the Apocalypse

2008-01-05T13:06:00.001+01:00

Dr. Darin M. Wood has written a helpful and well-documented essay on the structure(s) of Revelation (2006).

I noticed one or two minor mistakes. Wood ascribes the recapitulation theory to Joachim of Fiore and cites Wainwright, Mysterious Apocalypse, p. 51. However, according to Wainwright (p. 35), the recapitulation theory was used by Victorinus and formulated by Tyconius.

In notes 56 and 60, p. 18, and in note 67, p. 22 one could get the (erroneous) impression that Lambrecht and Beasley-Murray co-authored the article "A Structuration of Revelation 4:1-22:5," but this is not the case (according to my notes, at least). Beasley-Murray was one of the contributors.

Huber, Like a Bride Adorned

2008-01-05T12:55:00.000+01:00

Huber, Lynn R. 2007. Like a Bride Adorned: Reading Metaphor in John’s Apocalypse. Emory Studies in Early Christianity. New York: T&T Clark International. xi + 221 pp.

The bride metaphor is a powerful one. It has been investigated by McIlraith and Jan Fekkes (and others). Studies like this one are welcome additions to this topic.

Synopsis from the publisher
"The phrase 'like a bride adorned' is one of the ways Revelation describes the new Jerusalem which descends from heaven. This phrase can also be read as describing one of the ways interpreters historically have understood the relationship between Revelation and its metaphorical language. In contrast to views that suggest Revelation's metaphorical language is simple adornment, Huber argues that Revelation's persuasive power resides within the text's metaphorical nature and she articulates a method for exploring how Revelation employs metaphor to shape an audience's thought.

"In order to gain a sense of how metaphorical language works in Revelation's highly metaphorical text, Like a Bride Adorned: Reading Metaphor in John's Apocalypse engages one set of conceptual metaphors in relation to Revelation's literary and social-historical milieu. Specifically, Huber explores the conceptual metaphors undergirding Revelation's nuptial or bridal imagery. Positioned at the culmination of the text's, nuptial imagery serves as one the text's final and arguably one of its most important characterizations of the Christian community

"Examining the function of Revelation's nuptial imagery involves investigating how the text redeploys conventional metaphorical constructions used in the writings of the Hebrew prophets and how its imagery engages Greco-Roman depictions of women, weddings, and brides. Discourse about marriage and family was such an important part of Revelation's historical context, especially as it was shaped by the Roman Empire, that any discussion of the text's nuptial imagery must examine how it reflects and responds to this discourse. By addressing these questions, we see that Revelation's nuptial imagery serves to further the text's goal of shaping Christian identity in opposition to the social demands of the Roman Empire. Moreover, exploration of the conceptual metaphors undergirding Revelation's 'bride adorned' reveals how John seeks to shape Christian identity as a transitional identity.

"Through metaphor, Revelation encourages its audience to envision the Christian community as a bride who constructs 'her' own identity as she transitions into a new role in relation to God and the Lamb. Through the process of exploring Revelation's nuptial imagery with insights gained from conceptual metaphor theory, we uncover the ways that John employs metaphorical language to persuade his audience's thought about themselves and about others. Consequently, this work contributes both to our understanding of the text's nuptial imagery and to our knowledge of how Revelation employs metaphor as tool for persuasion."

Table of Content:

Reading through the “Veil of Obscurity:” Interpreting Revelation’s Imagistic Language
KNOWING IS SEEING: Theories of Metaphor Ancient, Medieval, and Modern
Envisioning the City as a Woman: A Metaphorical Framework in the Jewish Literary Traditions
Unveiling the Bride: Nuptial Traditions and Roman Social Discourse
“Alleluia . . . the wedding of the Lamb has come:” Reading Revelation’s Nuptial Imagery
“Like a Bride Adorned:” Reading Metaphor in Revelation

Appendix Babylon--A City without a Bride: Revelation 18:23
Bibliography

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McIlraith, The Reciprocal Love

2008-01-05T12:49:00.000+01:00

McIlraith, Donal A. The Reciprocal Love Between Christ and the Church in the Apocalypse. Rome: Columban Fathers, 1989.

Witherington, Revelation

2008-01-05T12:15:00.000+01:00

Witherington, Ben, III. Revelation. New Cambridge Bible commentary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. xviii + 306.

Witherington brings the socio-rhetorical approach, pioneered by Vernon K. Robbins, to Revelation. This volume opens the NCBC series which is edited by Witherington himself.

It is crucial to Witherington's approach that the socio-historical situation is determined as accurately as possible. As many others do, he identifies the author as "a prophet from the Johannine community operating at a time when there is apparently no apostolic presence left in that community" (p. 3). Witherington recognises that "there is nothing in Revelation establishing John's personal authority" (ibid.). This author was unknown, and, in fact, still is. But why, then, should the churches then or the churches today accept what he says?

Witherington argues in favour of a late date. He takes issue with the efforts (espcially Thompson's in Book of Revelation) to rehabilitate Domitian (pp. 5f-7). "We must take seriously the evidence in Rev. 2-3 that it is a document addressed to actual particular congregations with which John had contact ..." (p. 7; Witherington refers to Slater, Christ and Michaels, Interpreting Revelation).

(to be continued ...)

Table of Content:
Part I. Introduction:
1. Authorship, date, and audience of the apocalypse (p. 1)
2. The resources, rhetoric, and restructuring of Revelation (p. 10)
3. Revelation in its social setting in West Asia Minor (p. 22)
4. The Christology of Revelation (p. 27)
5. The genre of Revelation (p. 32)
6. A brief tour of the Book of Revelation (p. 40)

Part II. Suggested Reading on Revelation:
1. The genre of Revelation (p. 51)
2. Commentaries (p. 52)
3. Rhetorical studies (p. 53)
4. Sociological and anthropological approaches (p. 54)
5. Classical and archaeological resources (p. 55)
6. History of interpretation (p. 56)
7. Theology (p. 56)
8. Important monographs (p. 57)
9. Articles of interest (p. 58)

Part III. Commentary
1. Rev. 1.1-3: Visionary material: handle carefully (p. 65)
A closer look - Forensic Language and the Meaning of Martyr
Bridging the Horizons
2. Rev. 1.4-1.20: The Heavenly Son of Man (p. 73)
A closer look - God and Christ as the Alpha and Omega
Bridging the Horizons
3. Rev. 2-3: postcards from the edge (p. 87)
A closer look - Prophets in the postapostolic age
A closer look - John and sectarianism
A closer look - The question of Jewish and Christian relationships in Revelation
Bridging the Horizons
4. Rev. 4-5: the throne room vision
A closer look - On ancient scrolls
Bridging the Horizons
5. Rev. 6.1-8.5: The Seven Seals
A closer look - On how to read Revelation 6-16
Bridging the Horizons
6. Rev. 8.5-11.19: The Seven Trumpets
A closer look - Fallen angels in Early Judaism and Christianity
Bridging the Horizons
7. Rev. 12: The woman and the dragon
A closer look - The mythological background of Revelation 12
Bridging the Horizons
8. Rev. 13.1-14.5: 666 and his spokesman
A closer look - 666, Nero, and the ancient art of gematria
Bridging the Horizons
9. Rev. 14.6-14.20: Three angelic messengers
A closer look - The Emperor's new clothes
Bridging the Horizons
10. Rev. 15.1-16.21: The seven eschatological plagues
A closer look - John's narrative and narrative logic
Bridging the Horizons
11. Rev. 17.1-19.10: Babylon the Harlot
A closer look - Holy and unholy cities
A closer look - Slavery and the Roman economy
A closer look - John's eschatology
Bridging the Horizons
12. Rev. 19.11-21.8: The rider on the white horse, redemptive-judgment and the messianic millennium
A closer look - John and radical evil
Bridging the Horizons
13. Rev. 21.9-22.5: The tour of the New Jerusalem
A closer look - Nuptial and city imagery and John's intertextuality
A closer look - Heavenly Jerusalem or Sky city
Bridging the Horizons
14. Rev. 22.6-22.21: The epilogue
Bridging the Horizons

Part IV. Appendix: A Millennial Problem

The back matters include author index (p. 293), Extra-Biblical texts index (p. 296), Scriptural index (p. 301), and Subject index (p. 307).

Reviews:
Thomas Hieke, in: Review of Biblical Literature (07/2004) (direct link)

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Slater, Christ and Community

2008-01-05T11:50:00.000+01:00

Slater, Thomas B. Christ and Community: A Socio-Historical Study of the Christology of Revelation. Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series, 178. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999.

More on this volume later.

Reviews:

James L. Resseguie, Review of Biblical Literature (2000) (direct link here)
Bob Royalty, Review of Biblical Literature (2000) (direct link here)

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Mathewson, New Heaven and a New Earth

2008-01-04T21:20:00.000+01:00

Mathewson, Dave L. New Heaven and a New Earth: The Meaning and Function of the Old Testament in Revelation 21.1-22.5. Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series, 238. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2003. xii + 282 pp.

This volume, based on the author's Ph.D.-dissertation "The Meaning and Function of the OT in Rev. 21.1-22.5" (University of Aberdeen),

"In this book the author attempts to move beyond merely identifying and substantiating OT allusions in Revelation to considering how the presence of OT allusions and echoes affects reading Rev. 21.1-22.5 and how the OT functions within the context of the entire work.

"The author concludes that a variety of semantic effects are evoked by the author's continuous intertextual appeal to the OT: new creation, new exodus, new Jerusalem, new covenant, the bride, new temple-priesthood, paradise restored and renewed, inclusion of the nations, prophetic legitimization. The numerous allusions function to shape the readers perception of eschatological hope." (The publisher's description)

Table of Content:

Introduction (pp. 1-27)
The New Heavens and the New Earth in Revelation 21.1-5a (pp. 28-72)
Prophetic Legitimization and Exhortation in Revelation 21.5b-8 (pp. 73-94)
New Jerusalem and New Temple in Revelation 21.9-17 (pp. 95-126)
Precious Stones and Divine Presence in Revelation 21.18-21 (pp. 127-157)
The Inclusion of the Nations and the Holy City in Revelation 21.22-27 (pp. 158-185)
Paradise Restored and Renewed in Revelation 22.1-5 (pp. 186-215)
Summary and Conclusions (pp. 216-236)

Back matters include Bibliography (pp. 237-256), Index of References (pp. 257-277) and Index of Authors (pp. 278-282).

Reviews in Review of Biblical Literature (2004)

by James P. Sweeney
by Thomas Hieke

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Bornkamm, Zur Komposition

2008-01-04T17:45:00.000+01:00

Bornkamm, Günther. "Die Komposition der apokalyptischen Visionen in der Offenbarung Johannis." Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 36 (1937): 132-149. Reprinted in Studien zu Antike und Christentum: Gesammelte Aufsätze II, 204-22. Beiträge zur evangelischen Theologie, 28. 3rd ed. München: Chr. Kaiser Verlag, 1970.

Bornkamm's article is an important, but, unfortunately, rarely used essay about the composition of Revelation. Bornkamm points to some very important aspects of John's narrative technique, e.g., that John often describes the same event twice (indeed, some times more than twice). The second occurrence adds information that was omitted and thus assumed in the first. An example would be 14:14-20 and 19:11ff. Because of this narrative technique, it is justified to interpret a given passage in the light of later parallel passages.

For a Danish presentation of this aspect of Bornkamm's essay, see my Fortælleteknikker i Johannes' Åbenbaring.

Joachim of Fiore, Expositio

2008-01-04T16:05:00.000+01:00

Joachim of Fiore. Expositio in Apocalypsim. Frankfurt am Main: Minerva, 1964. 224 pp.

Joachim's Expositio in Apocalypsim: Commentary on the Apocalypse is his main work on Revelation. According to Joachim's works: chronology, editions, and manuscripts, the commentary was written, re-written and revised between 1183-1184 and 1200.

In the same period, he also wrote a series of essays, e.g. the Praefatio.

This edition is a facsimile of the 1st edition, published in Venice in 1527 by F. Bindoni and M. Pasini. It includes the text of Revelation.

Joachim of Fiore, Praephatio super Apocalipsim

2008-01-04T16:00:00.000+01:00

From International Center for Joachimist Studies

"Joachim composed this "general introduction", to the apocalypse between 1188 and 1192. In the Praephatio super Apocalypsim the Joachimist theory of Trinitarian 'status' is explained. The ancient patristic doctrine of the six Ages of the world is replaced by the later doctrine of the seven periods of the Age." (Quoted from here)

References (Quoted from here):

Praephatio super Apocalipsim, ed. K.-V. SELGE, Eine Einführung Joachims von Fiore in die Johannesapokalypse, in: Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters 46 (1990), pp. 85-131. Available here (login necessary)
See also GIOACCHINO DA FIORE, Introduzione all'Apocalisse, a c. di K.-V. SELGE, trad. it. di G. L. Potestà, Roma 1995

Pattemore, Souls Under the Altar

2008-01-04T10:04:00.000+01:00

Pattemore, Stephen W. Souls Under the Altar: Relevance Theory and the Discourse Structure of Revelation. UBS Monographs Series, vol. 9. New York: United Bible Societies, 2003. xiii + 241.

More to follow ...

Siew, The War Between the Two Beats and the Two Witnesses

2008-01-03T22:35:00.000+01:00

Siew, Antoninus King Wai. The War Between the Two Beasts and the Two Witnesses: A Chiastic Reading of Revelation 11:1-14:5. Library of New Testament studies, 283. London; New York: T&T Clark, 2005. xiv + 331 pp.

Siew argues that the concept of chiasm should be employed in the analysis of the structure of Revelation 11:1 - 14:5. See more at the publisher's site and at Amazon (follow the links below).

To me it seems very surprising that Siew lets a new section begin in 11:1, and not with the seventh angel in 11:15. I look forward to reading his arguments for that.

Siew claims that a literal temple will be built before the final 3½ years, which he takes as a literal period. This is a very controversial view that I, for one, do not share.

Siew's "main thesis as per title is that the war in heaven between Michael and the dragon results in the the war between the two witnesses and the two beasts on earth" (see his short presentation here). Without access to the book itself, I wonder whether his structural arguments may support my a-temporal interpretation. More, hopefully much more, on that later.

This volume is reviewed by Pieter G. R. de Villiers in Review of Biblical Literature (2007) (direct link here). Siew comments on de Villers' review here: Review, My Book and The War between the Two Beasts and the Two Witnesses. See also more links below the Amazon-links.

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Antonius (Tony) Siew's blog entries about his book and related issues:

Craig Koester, History of Interpretation

2008-01-03T20:50:00.000+01:00

Koester, Craig R. "On the Verge of the Millennium: A History of the Interpretation of Revelation." Word and World 15 (1995): 128-36.

In his outline of the history of interpretation, Koester deals with:

Ancient interpretation are futuristic or timeless
Joachim of Fiore and church renewal
Luther as the heir of earlier approaches, and Luther's own distinctive contribution
Dispensational interpretations (both post-millennialists and pre-millennialists), which Koester critiques in three paragraphs
Historical interpretations as an alternative to the excesses of futuristic interpretations
Theological interpretations with an emphasis on Interpretation and Faith (cf. Caird)

Available online here.

Craig Koester, Cities of Revelation

2008-01-03T20:25:00.000+01:00

Craig Koester has a fine collection of texts, photos and a few maps relevant to Patmos and the cities of Revelation: The Cities of Revelation.

Steve Moyise on Revelation

2008-01-03T20:05:00.000+01:00

Professor Steve Moyise is one of the most prolific scholars as regards studies on and related to Revelation:

"Intertextuality and the Book of Revelation," Expository Times 104 (1993): 295-298
The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995.
"The Language of the Old Testament in the Apocalypse," Journal for the Study of the New Testament 76 (2000): 97-113
Studies in the Book of Revelation. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 2001. Editor and contributor of the essay "Does the Lion lie Down with the Lamb."
"Authorial Intention and the Book of Revelation," Andrews University Seminary Studies 39 (2001): 35-40
"Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures?" Andrews University Seminary Studies 40 (2002): 3-21
‘The Language of the Psalms in the Book of Revelation,’ Neotestamentica (2003): 68-83
"Intertextuality and the Use of Scripture in the Book of Revelation," Scriptura (2003): 391-401
The Psalms in the New Testament. London; New York: T and T Clark, 2004. Editor and contributor of the essay: "The Psalms in the Book of Revelation"
"Singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb: John’s Dialogical Use of Scripture," Andrews University Seminary Studies 42 (2004): 347-360
"Word Frequencies in the book of revelation," Andrews University Seminary Studies 43 (2005): 285-299

Compiled and edited from Moyise's list of publications and research interests

Brueggemann, The Use of the Psalter

2008-01-03T19:35:00.000+01:00

Brueggemann, Dale A. The Use of the Psalter in John’s Apocalypse. D.Phil.-dissertation, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1995. 303 pp., incl. a 53 page bibliography and 11 pages of 7 appendices.

Dale Brueggemann was advised by Tremper Longman, III. Vern S. Poythress was the second faculty reader.

Here are some notes on Brueggemann's thesis: As the title indicates, Brueggemann compares Revelation to the Greek Psalter. The study of the use of the Psalms in Revelation "should produce increased understanding of the message of Revelation" (p. 4). Thus, one should avoid both focusing only on the Psalms and neglecting the Psalms (and other OT texts used).

One must therefore deal with the problem of definition (p. 4f) and methodology (p. 5). As to the problem of probability, Brueggemann follows the leads by G. K. Beale (here) and, especially, Jon Paulien (here and here). Methodologically, Brueggemann rejects extremes represented by L. P. Trudinger and Louis A. Vos. Again, Paulien is the middle course.

However, one must be able to identify the sources of allusions and echoes, i.e. not just to establish a parallel, or affinity. Criteria include external evidence (pp. 18-25) and internal evidence, again using Beale and Paulien, as well as other scholars (pp. 25-28).

Brueggemann then discusses a methodology for relating allusions. One must interpret the NT passage in its own right, then actualise the OT allusions in the NT passage, using a five step procedure: recognise the marker; identify the source; actualize the relevant contextual elements; put it all together; and fit new pattern into the alluding text (pp. 28-39).

Brueggemann summarises his study as follows:
"The most common feature of Revelation's use of Psalms was a typological approach. The foreshadowed messianism in David's court, which the Psalms had reflected, found its fulfillment in the heavenly courts where the Son of David sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father of all of David's sons. Because the Psalter's language was so often heightened, we found ourselves dealing with typico-prophetic language, which even at its outset contained the seeds of eschatological hope in its heightened expressions of hope for the beleaguered Davidic dynasty.

"We saw a heavy and flexible use of Psalms in Revelation; however, John reliably reflected the Psalms' original Cultic Sitz im Leben, making use of the Psalms to depict the eschatological cultus. Even more emphasized was the Psalms' original Royal Sitz im Leben, mirrored in Jesus Christ's expansive consummation of Israel's messianic hopes.

"What we saw in Revelation was the culmination of a world view exemplified in typical patterns, or "scriptural thought-models," [note: Peder Borgen, "The Place of the Old Testament in the Formation of New Testament Theology," NTS 23 (1976-77): 73. On seeing Revelation as the culmination of canonical themes, see William J. Dumbrell, The End of the Beginning (Sydney, N.S.W.: Lancer, 1985); see also Philip S. Alexander, "Retelling the Old Testament," in It Is Written, 99-121] that had been already employed motifically throughout the Scriptures. Although the Old Testament was decisive for John's thought, he did not merely continue that message at the same level on which the Old Testament authors had operated; John brought the motific symphony to its finale in Jesus Christ's eschatological ministry.

"Thus, the reader who cannot connect the "Christ" of Revelation to the psalmist's messianic hopes will perhaps not be misguided; but he will certainly be insufficiently guided as to the significance of Jesus' messianic rule. Under the pen of John, intertextual borrowing produced a message of arresting import, evoking canonical images of judgment and redemption and heightening them to an eschatological level."

Brueggemann's abstract reads as follows (with my additions in square brackets]:
"John's Apocalypse (Revelation) makes heavy use of the Old Testament (OT) but seldom quotes it; instead, it alludes to and echoes its language, imagery, and themes.

"Chapter I [pp. 1-40] defines source usage as to degree of directness (quotation, allusion, or echo) and degree of probability (clear, probable, possible, or non-allusion/echo). Then it draws on Ziva Ben-Porath to set out a methodology for associating allusions and echoes, calling for exegesis of the New Testament (NT) passage in its own right and then for actualization of the OT in the NT.

"Chapter II [pp. 41-113]surveys 360 suggestions that Revelation has used the Psalter and determines that it quotes only twice from the Psalms (Rev 2:26-27 = Ps 2:8; Rev 19:15 = Ps 2:9); however, it employs a clear, probable, or possible allusion 45 times and a clear or probable echo 94 times.

"Chapter III [pp. 114-157] looks at how the NT approaches material from the OT, drawing on I. Howard Marshall, G. K. Beale, and Joseph Fitzmyer for this discussion. Then it asks how one should read the NT use of the OT, examining the debate over literal vs. figurative meaning and on sensus plenior but looking to E. Earle Ellis, Leonard Goppelt, and Patrick Fairbairn for help defining a typological method for interpreting these allusions.

"Chapter IV [pp. 158-214] examines the theological use of the Psalm in the 93 occasions classified as quotation, clear or probable allusion, or clear echo. The study of those occasions shows that Revelation's use, which is generally typological, remains faithful to the Psalms' own cultic and royal Sitz im Leben, a fidelity that Revelation's eschatological use of Psalm 2 clearly demonstrates.

"Finally, Chapter V [pp. 215-238] establishes some hermeneutical conclusions, setting out a series of relationships between typology and the following dynamics: (a) allusion and figurative language (Ben-Porath and E P. Clowney); (b) canon (Ellis and Ronald Clements); (c) prophecy (Goppelt and Fairbairn); (d) eschatology (Goppelt); and (e) messianism (Joseph Coppens and Goppelt)."

Quotations and allusions
Brueggemann identifies to quotations: Ps 2:8f in Rev 2:26f and Ps 2:9 in Rev 19:15.

He identifies 45 allusions, of which 13 are clear allusions, 24 are probable allusions, and 8 are possible allusions. There are also 154 echoes of the Psalms in Revelation. Here is a list of the allusions:

Clear Allusions (13)
Rev 1:5—Ps 88:28
Rev 2:26—Ps 2:8
Rev 3:5—Ps 68:29
Rev 5:8—Ps 140:2
Rev 9:20—Pss 113:12-15; 134:15-17
Rev 11:5—Ps 96:3
Rev 12:5—Ps 2:7,9
Rev 15:3—Ps 144:17
Rev 15:3,4—Ps 85:9,10,12
Rev 19:19—Ps 2:2
Rev 21:24,26—Ps 71:10,11

Probable Allusions (24)
Rev 1:6.7—Ps 71:17
Rev 2:6—Ps 138:21,22
Rev 4:11—Ps 148:5
Rev 6:15—Ps 2:2
Rev 7:17—Ps 22:1,2
Rev 9:16—Ps 67:18
Rev 11:18—Ps 113:21
Rev 12:10—Ps 2:2
Rev 13:8—Ps 68:29
Rev 13:16—Ps 113:21
Rev 14:10—Ps 10:6
Rev 15:4—Ps 97:2
Rev 16:6—Ps 78:2,3
Rev 17:8—Ps 68:29
Rev 19:2—Ps 78:10
Rev 19:5—Ps 113:21
Rev 19:6,7—Ps 96:1
Rev 20:11—Ps 113:7
Rev 20:12,13—Ps 61:13
Rev 20:12,15—Ps 68:29
Rev 21:27—Ps 68:29
Rev 22:4—Ps 41:3

Possible Allusions (8)
Rev 4:4—Ps 20:4
Rev 10:3—Ps 28:3-9
Rev 12:12—Ps 95:11
Rev 14:5—Pss 14:1-3; 31:2
Rev 16:14—Ps 2:2,3
Rev 19:20—Ps 54:16
Rev 20:11—Pss 113:3; 138:7

Trudinger, The Text of the OT in Revelation

2008-01-03T18:50:00.000+01:00

Trudinger, L. P. The Text of the Old Testament in the Book of Revelation. Th.D.-dissertation, Boston University School of Theology, 1963.

Cf. his "Some Observations Concerning the Text of the Old Testament in the Book of Revelation." Journal of Theological Studies 17 (1966): 82-8.

Beale, Use of Daniel

2008-01-03T18:01:00.000+01:00

Beale, Gregory K. The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1984. xiv + 349 pp.

Beale's thesis is based on his 1980 Cambridge Ph. D. dissertation with some revision.

It is an important study for many reasons. Firstly, Beale makes a significant methodological contribution to this then new field of study. Secondly, he provides many insights into both Daniel and Revelation.

Review:

Poythress, Vern Sheridan. In: Westminster Theological Journal 47 (1985): 348-50 (available online here)

Tilly, Deuteronomy in Revelation

2008-01-03T11:45:00.000+01:00

Tilly, Michael. "Deuteronomy in Revelation." In Deuteronomy in the Book of Revelation, ed. Maarten J. J. Menken, and Steve Moyise, 169-88. Library of New Testament studies, 358 . London: T & T Clark, 2007.

Tilly's article fills a gap in the field of John's use of the Old Testament.

More to follow later ...

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Mathewson, Isaiah in Revelation

2008-01-03T11:25:00.000+01:00

Mathewson, David. "Isaiah in the Book of Revelation." In Isaiah in the New Testament, ed. Steve. Moyise, and M. J. J. Menken, 189-210. The New Testament and the Scriptures of Israel. London; New York: T&T Clark, 2005.

Mathewson investigates Isaiah in Revelation in the four thematic categories that Jan Fekkes have suggested: 1) visionary experience and language; 2) Christological titles and descriptions; 3) eschatological judgment; 4) eschatological salvation (see p. 190).

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Moyise, The Psalms in Revelation

2008-01-03T10:55:00.000+01:00

Moyise, Steve. "The Psalms in the Book of Revelation." In The Psalms in the New Testament, ed. Steve Moyise, and M. J. J. Menken, 231-46. The New Testament and the Scriptures of Israel. London; New York: T & T Clark International, 2004.

This chapter fills a gap within the field of John's use of the Old Testament (see, however, Brueggemann, Use of the Psalter). It is available as a Word-file at Moyise's web page at University of Chicester (here).

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Moyise, The OT in Revelation

2008-01-03T10:25:00.000+01:00

Moyise, Steve: The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation. (JSNT.SS 115). Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press, 1995. 173 pp.

Moyise's revised dissertation supervised by Frances Young is a rather short analysis (173 pages) of the relationship between OT, Qumran and Revelation with the focus on the use of Scripture in Rev 1-3, the use of Daniel and Ezekiel, the use of Scripture in Qumran, and a discussion of intertextuality.

As usual with a SAP-publication, the book contains bibliography and two indices of references and authors (pp. 147-173).

Moyise seems to be most familiar with English language scholarship. His methodology resembling that of Ruiz could have been refined, especially with a more substantial interaction with Paulien's "Elusive Allusions."

Moyise raises the question of the relationship between the use of a quotation and the original meaning of the quoted text. He believes in an interactive approach and approvingly quotes Ruiz as the last words of his book: "As Ruiz says, 'to the extent that the "interpreting subject" engages in an active reading of John's book, he or she engages in a dialogue with the text and with the texts within the text.' " (p. 146).

To reflect on the methodological issues involved in analysing John's use of the Old Testament is important. Regardless of whether one agrees with Moyise in his approach or the details of his analysis, one should consult this volume and reflect on the complexity of John's use of Scripture.

Reviews known to me:

J. Christian Wilson in Journal of Biblical Literature (115/4).
J. Christian Wilson in Review of Biblical Literature 06/26/2000 (available here)