172
K. Bangert
and content. While the term is nowadays applied exclusively in the modern scientific
discourse, it was not used in ancient times to describe apocalyptic literature.
Apocalyptic literature proceeded from what is considered an apocalyptic movement (Tilly 2012, p. 12) that is generally characterized by certain basic principles
such as: (1) the experience of the presence as being fraught with suffering, threat,
injustice, hopelessness and suppression; (2) a dualistic world view of opposites such
as light and darkness, good and evil, life and death, truth and deception etc.; (3)
the idea of several aeons (“Weltzeitalter”) such as the idealized past, the disorderly
presence, the Armageddon-type end-time aeon, and the time of deliverance; and (4)
the expectation of a final judgement. Typical for apocalyptic literature is that the
future and the hereafter become the projection of today’s hopes and fears. The apocalyptic paradigm pretends to have received revelations about God’s salvific plans
even though that plan is nowhere to be verified in today’s reality (Tilly, p. 15).
Apocalyptic literature (which generally deals with eschatological events) is to
be distinguished from prophetic literature which is altogether a different genre and
historically precedes the apocalyptic type. According to Israel’s prophets the presence
allows for divine intervention at any time, while the apocalyptic viewpoint does not
reckon with any divine intervention during the present era but expects God to put a
radical end to the presence at some point in the future. Hence, apocalyptic thought
is an expression of the disappointment over God’s virtual non-intervention in times
past. Another difference between the prophetic and the apocalyptic view is that while
the prophets reckoned with God’s judgmental intervention as a consequence of man’s
sin during the current history, the apocalyptic view places God’s retribution at the
eschatological final judgment (Tilly, p. 22 f.).
Apocalyptic literature has flourished since the time of Ezekiel and Deutero-Isaiah
when—amongst the diaspora Jews—the expectation of the imminent end of the world
and the coming of the kingdom of God (led by the Messiah) came more and more
to the fore. While Mt 24–25 constitutes only a portion of the Gospel of Matthew,
“the true Jewish apocalypses present complete books of prophecy in pseudonymous
form” (Kümmel 1966, p. 317). One of the most prominent—and fully preserved—
Jewish apocalyptic books is the Book of Daniel which, according to most modern
scholars, was probably written at the time of the Maccabean revolt. There are also
apocalyptic passages in other Old Testament books, notably Is 24–27; 33–35; Jer 33;
Ez 39–39; Joel 3; and Zech 12–14.
There are also numerous non-canonical apocalyptic books many of which were
written during the Jewish era. Jewish apocalyptic books were, for instance, the Book
of Enoch, the Assumption of Moses, Second and Fourth Ezra, the Jewish Sibyllines, the
Syrian Apocalypse of Baruch etc. But there were also apocalyptic books authored in
the early Christian era. The Ascension of Isaiah is believed to have originated during
the Judaeo-Christian era, as it contains Jewish and Christian elements. The early
Christians either revised some of the Jewish apocalyptic literature, such as Ezra,
the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and the Christian Sibyllines, or they wrote
altogether new books of the same genre, such as the Apocalypse of John (known as
Revelation), the Apocalypse of Peter, Shepherd of Hermas, etc. most of which were
not included in the New Testament canon. Some apocalyptic narratives have even
K. Bangert
and content. While the term is nowadays applied exclusively in the modern scientific
discourse, it was not used in ancient times to describe apocalyptic literature.
Apocalyptic literature proceeded from what is considered an apocalyptic movement (Tilly 2012, p. 12) that is generally characterized by certain basic principles
such as: (1) the experience of the presence as being fraught with suffering, threat,
injustice, hopelessness and suppression; (2) a dualistic world view of opposites such
as light and darkness, good and evil, life and death, truth and deception etc.; (3)
the idea of several aeons (“Weltzeitalter”) such as the idealized past, the disorderly
presence, the Armageddon-type end-time aeon, and the time of deliverance; and (4)
the expectation of a final judgement. Typical for apocalyptic literature is that the
future and the hereafter become the projection of today’s hopes and fears. The apocalyptic paradigm pretends to have received revelations about God’s salvific plans
even though that plan is nowhere to be verified in today’s reality (Tilly, p. 15).
Apocalyptic literature (which generally deals with eschatological events) is to
be distinguished from prophetic literature which is altogether a different genre and
historically precedes the apocalyptic type. According to Israel’s prophets the presence
allows for divine intervention at any time, while the apocalyptic viewpoint does not
reckon with any divine intervention during the present era but expects God to put a
radical end to the presence at some point in the future. Hence, apocalyptic thought
is an expression of the disappointment over God’s virtual non-intervention in times
past. Another difference between the prophetic and the apocalyptic view is that while
the prophets reckoned with God’s judgmental intervention as a consequence of man’s
sin during the current history, the apocalyptic view places God’s retribution at the
eschatological final judgment (Tilly, p. 22 f.).
Apocalyptic literature has flourished since the time of Ezekiel and Deutero-Isaiah
when—amongst the diaspora Jews—the expectation of the imminent end of the world
and the coming of the kingdom of God (led by the Messiah) came more and more
to the fore. While Mt 24–25 constitutes only a portion of the Gospel of Matthew,
“the true Jewish apocalypses present complete books of prophecy in pseudonymous
form” (Kümmel 1966, p. 317). One of the most prominent—and fully preserved—
Jewish apocalyptic books is the Book of Daniel which, according to most modern
scholars, was probably written at the time of the Maccabean revolt. There are also
apocalyptic passages in other Old Testament books, notably Is 24–27; 33–35; Jer 33;
Ez 39–39; Joel 3; and Zech 12–14.
There are also numerous non-canonical apocalyptic books many of which were
written during the Jewish era. Jewish apocalyptic books were, for instance, the Book
of Enoch, the Assumption of Moses, Second and Fourth Ezra, the Jewish Sibyllines, the
Syrian Apocalypse of Baruch etc. But there were also apocalyptic books authored in
the early Christian era. The Ascension of Isaiah is believed to have originated during
the Judaeo-Christian era, as it contains Jewish and Christian elements. The early
Christians either revised some of the Jewish apocalyptic literature, such as Ezra,
the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and the Christian Sibyllines, or they wrote
altogether new books of the same genre, such as the Apocalypse of John (known as
Revelation), the Apocalypse of Peter, Shepherd of Hermas, etc. most of which were
not included in the New Testament canon. Some apocalyptic narratives have even