by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.
(from the SBL's "Apocalypse Group"; published in J. J. Collins, Semeia 14 [1979] 9):
" 'Apocalypse' is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework,Addition to the Definition, incorporating the purpose of the genre, from the suggestions of Hellholm (1982) & Aune (1986):
in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient,
disclosing a transcendent reality which is
both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation,
and spatial insofar as it involves another, supernatural world."
".intended to interpret the present, earthly circumstances in light of the supernatural world and of the future,
and to influence both the understanding and the behavior of the audience by means of divine authority."
Apocalyptic (adj.) - originally referred to anything "revelatory"; now usually refers to catastrophic violence or disasters.
Apocalypticism - a world view with strong apocalyptic expectations; social movements that expect the end of the world.
Eschatology / Eschatological - any teaching about the "end" times and/or the future world beyond the end of normal time (see my page on Jesus' Eschatological Discourse)
Prophecy / Prophetic - not really "foretelling the future," as if the prophet were "looking into a crystal ball"; rather, a prophet "speaks and acts on behalf of God," conveying God's message to the people; the words could be about past, present or future truths; the actions could be "symbolic" or "miraculous" (see also my new extensive page on Biblical Prophecy)
Revelation - an "uncovering" of something which has always been true, but previously hidden or unknown to humans.
Day of the Lord / Judgment Day - a cosmic event expected in the future, but the specific expectations vary.
Parousia - the "coming" or "arrival" of any important figure, esp. of Jesus at the end of time, in early Christian expectations.
Rapture - a fairly new term for the expectation that faithful Christians will be taken off the earth to live with Jesus, while all other people are not; based on an overly literal misinterpretation of 1Thess 4:15-17.
Return to the HOME PAGE of Prof.
Felix Just, S.J.
This page was last updated on
June 12, 2021
.
Copyright ©
2001--2021