Meaning of Apocalyptic
Apocalyptic is a term that relates to the whole destruction of anything, particularly the world. It originates from the word apocalypse, a Greek word referring to revelation. Christianity and Judaism embrace a significant amount of time, from the years following the Babylonian exile to the end of the Middle Ages (Kotva and Eva-Charlotta 2). These aspects can be recognized in the prophetical books of Zechariah and Joel. Chapters 24 to 27 and 33 of Isaiah explain the concept well. The books of Daniel and Revelation provide a mature and classic view of the matter.
The non-realization of the predictions promoted the apocalyptic methods in contrast to the non-achievement of the arrival of the Messianic kingdom. Therefore, though Jeremiah had assured them that Israelites would be restored to their land and enjoy blessings under a king in seventy years, this era passed without changing the situation. Some trust that the scenario was not forecasted to happen at the Babylonian exile’s end but at an undetermined time in the future (Kotva and Eva-Charlotta 3). Jews returning to their home was the lone occurrence prophesied as it occurred when the Persians conquered Babylon. Thus, the achievement of the predicted kingdom remained a reality (Kotva and Eva-Charlotta 3). This is an indication of hope for the people believing in the message.
Zechariah explained the non-fulfillment as caused by the failure to construct the temple in the city of Judah. Hence, the hope persevered. This is until the first fifty years of the 2nd Century, whereby the books of Enoch and Daniel explained the delay as due to human faults. Concerning the seventy years of exile forecasted in Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 10, the Jews were initially exiled in 605 BC during King Jehoiakim’s rule and permitted to go to their land. This era was estimated to be seventy years, as predicted by Jeremiah.
Rome overthrew the Greek empire of the East, an event that resulted in Daniel’s interpretation. The fourth and final empire was announced to be Roman by Ezra, chapter 10, verse 60. Earlier in chapters 2 and 7 in the book of Daniel, the fourth and last empire is Rome (Kotva and Eva-Charlotta 4). Therefore, it might be understood that Daniel was stating that prior to God’s kingdom, this would be the remaining power. Notions such as new heaven and earth or Yahweh’s day were reinterpreted by the Jews with novel distinctions in conformity with their new surroundings. Hence, the nation’s historical events conditioned the Jewish apocalyptic’s inner development.
The Theme of the Book of Daniel and its Apocalyptic Contribution
The book of Daniel can be described as an apocalypse, a literary genre that claims a heavenly reality is revealed to man in the form of symbolism, vision, or an angel. Its main theme is the sovereignty of God over history, whereby he is above every earthly king (DiTommaso 208). The first chapter introduces the basic question throughout the book, how God may still work on his plans when everything appears lost. It symbolizes God as an all-powerful being who controls everything (DiTommaso 208). This can be seen from a statement such as his giving Jehoiakim into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. The text details as well that God is responsible for taking Daniel and his friends into exile, and he is their salvation.
The final six chapters of Daniel can be described as apocalyptic. Daniel, in chapter 7, is given a vision where he sees four beasts from the abyss brought for man’s judgment. He sights a being that resembles a human appearing before God to be vested with his everlasting dominion. The creatures are explained as empires, including the Kingdom of the Medes, the Babylonian Empire, the empire of Alexander, and the Persian Empire, while the human-like being in Israel (DiTommaso 211). There is a revelation in chapter 8 of a struggle between the ram and the goat, the former representing Persians and Medes, whereas the latter refers to the Greek Empire.
Chapter 8 introduces the evils of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and is a declaration to the afflicted Jewish people that the end of their suffering is near. In the following chapter, Daniel reinterprets Jeremiah’s prophecy that the despair of Jerusalem would finish after seventy years. By making this period seem four hundred and ninety years, he can focus attention on the Antiochus’ prosecution era in the 2nd Century and on the nearness of doom (DiTommaso 215). A precise comprehension of his scheme is impossible since 490 years computed from the start of the exile goes beyond Antiochus’ time. The other chapters, that is, 10, 11, and 12, offer an insight into how the Seleucid tyrant caused the crisis (DiTommaso 215). The larger segment of this dream is a sketch of occurrences that impacted the Jewish people from the Persian era to the period of Antiochus and organized his rule of terror (Gooding 343). After chapter eleven, verse 39, Antiochus’ life account stops to agree with historical facts.
The Theme of the Book of Revelation and its Apocalyptic Contribution
The main theme of the book of Revelation is the crown of life. It was written to strengthen the faith of the members of churches by promising them that deliverance from evil authorities against them was nearby. John, who is the author, was a Christian from Ephesus. He was on Patmos Island, not far from Asia Minor (Meiring 3). Theologians claim that this means that he was in exile at the time as a martyr due to his faith. However, some scholars suggest that it might have been a regular halt on a preaching circuit. His statement in the first verse of chapter one shows that he was in the spirit, and he heard a voice that instructed him to note what he saw. This is the start of the revelatory vision that is the core of this text.
In chapters 2 and 3, the book explains the short letters sent to various churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The traditional perception of the text and apocalyptic literature is that it results from persecution. Therefore, it is usually compared with Daniel since the latter was written to directly respond to the oppression of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes IV. For this reason, scholars point to Revelation chapter 2, verse 13, referring to “Antipas, my witness, who was killed among you,” to depict the Pergamon church (Meiring 5). It as well represents the story of the witnesses murdered and the bodies left in the streets.
One must remember that terms such as witness, testify, and testimony all have a basis in the Greek phrase martyrs. Therefore, it is assumed that there was the persecution of Christians inhabiting Asia Minor during Domitian’s rule and that it corresponds to the author’s exile as well as imprisonment (Hansen 7). This is the perspective sustained in two of the book’s standard and well-renowned older commentaries. Ford and Caird, who are responsible for them, claim that John aimed to give individuals a sense of strength in the seven churches through the letters (Meiring 6). This enables them to maintain their faith against the forthcoming oppression. The other visions were purposed to indicate how the situation would occur with God’s victory against Satan. Thus, empower them to keep steadfast on Jesus Christ’s side.
Meaning of Apocalyptic Worldview
More studies by different researchers and scholars focus on apocalyptic theology as the cause of violent religious acts seen in history. It is a specific symbolic world found in every religion, whether Christian or non-Christian and in some secular ideologies. The myth of cosmic warfare is the one aspect of this concept that is often misinterpreted (Hansen 6). It shows the earth to be a great battlefield whereby there is a fight between the side of evil and that of good, and the faithful are on the latter (Hansen 6). This dualism etches a great imprint on the religious imagination and empowers one group’s idealization and another’s demonization.
Apocalyptic warfare is usually connected to economic, political, and social agendas that are not religious and is a response to the view that the earth has become awry in a desperate situation. It is used as a tool of hope for extremist groups of all types, particularly racial supremacists. Mark Jeurgensmeyer claims that many individuals perceive cosmic warfare as their ambition (Hansen 7). The notion means more than an attitude. Eventually, it is a worldview as well as an assertion of power. Some scholars argue that living in a state of conflict is whereby people understand themselves, the reason behind their suffering, those causing their affliction, and what expense they have endured.
Summary
The paper has looked at the meaning of the apocalyptic, the theme of the books of Daniel and Revelation, their contribution to the concept of apocalypticism, and the connotation of the apocalyptic worldview by scholars. The idea of apocalypticism stands for a religious belief that it is guaranteed that the world will end soon. This is supported by the notion that civilization will stop suddenly in a disastrous manner. It is among the eschatological elements in some religions concerning last occurrences.
Various religions focus on uncommon revelations regarding cataclysmic as well as sudden intervention by God. They refer to that event as judgment day, whereby humans will be judged based on their actions on the earth. The paper has used two books in the Bible to show their contribution to the apocalyptic view, that is, Daniel and Revelation. According to theologians, the final half of Daniel is described as apocalyptic. In the seventh chapter, the author receives a vision whereby he is shown four creatures from an abyss whose purpose is for judgment. Apart from that, he can see a being resembling a human in front of God, accepting everlasting power.
The book of Revelation expands the meaning of apocalypse by explaining the meaning of the predicted dream or event. Its main theme is the crown of life, it is written as a promise to Christians to maintain their faith in Christ as redemption is near. Some scholars had interpreted the text to mean that when John wrote it, the church faced persecution in Asia Minor. This is the reason behind his letters to the seven churches.
Works Cited
DiTommaso, Lorenzo. “The Four Kingdoms of Daniel in the Early Mediaeval Apocalyptic Tradition.”Four Kingdom Motifs before and beyond the Book of Daniel. Brill, vol. 28, no. 1, 2020, pp. 205-250.
Gooding, Richard. “Teaching Resources for the Apocalypse.” Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, vol. 13, no. 1, 2021, pp. 342-346. 10.3138/jeunesse.13.1.342
Hansen, Meghan Elizabeth. “The Book of Revelation: The Apocalypse Debunked.”Johns Hopkins University, vol. 1, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-18.
Kotva, Simone, and Eva-Charlotta Mebius. “Rethinking Environmentalism and Apocalypse: Anamorphosis in The Book of Enoch and Climate Fiction.”Religions, vol. 12, no. 8, 2021, pp. 1-16.
Meiring, Arnold M. “An apocalyptic agenda for mission in our time.”Verbum et Ecclesia, vol. 41, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-8.