Source: Richard Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (London; New York: T&T Clark: A Continuum Imprint, 1993), 38–91.
Use of Apocalyptic Traditions.wav
This podcast examines Revelation's relationship with Jewish apocalyptic traditions by analyzing its use of recurring themes and images. The author argues that Revelation likely drew from shared apocalyptic traditions that circulated among both Jewish and Christian groups, rather than directly borrowing from specific known Jewish apocalypses. The detailed case studies on the blood flowing to the height of horses' bridles, the completion of the number of martyrs, and the giving up of the dead from various sources illustrate how these motifs appeared across different texts, suggesting a common pool of imagery and ideas. Ultimately, the analysis highlights the continuous and conservative nature of this apocalyptic tradition over centuries and proposes that the transmission of these traditions occurred within circles of Christian prophets, similar to how such material might have been shared among Jewish "wise" individuals.
1. The Relationship Between Revelation and Jewish Apocalyptic Traditions: The sources explore the complex relationship between the Apocalypse of John (Revelation) and extracanonical Jewish apocalypses. There are varying views on how similar Revelation is to typical Jewish apocalypses versus how it stands apart as Christian prophecy in continuity with Old Testament prophecy. This discussion often overlooks the diversity within Jewish apocalypses themselves. The relationship can involve shared literary forms, theological ideas, symbolic images, and methods of interpreting Old Testament scriptures. Revelation's distinctiveness might stem from its individual character compared to other apocalypses or from its specifically Christian prophetic perspective.
2. The Concept of Specific Apocalyptic Traditions Circulating Independently: Rather than assuming direct literary borrowing (e.g., John reading a specific Jewish apocalypse like 1 Enoch and copying from it), the sources propose that specific items or motifs of apocalyptic tradition circulated independently. These traditions were likely known in circles, both Jewish and Christian, that studied and produced apocalyptic literature. Such traditions could exist in oral or written forms, perhaps in notebooks, separate from the complete literary works in which we now find them. The difficulty in reconstructing clear chains of literary dependence among various Jewish and Christian works that share similar traditions supports this idea of independent circulation. Studying these specific traditions in detail across multiple texts, even later ones, is considered essential for understanding the background and composition of apocalyptic literature.
3. Case Study: The "Blood and Horses" Topos (Revelation 14:20): One detailed example of a shared apocalyptic tradition is the imagery of excessive slaughter depicted by blood reaching a great height or flowing a great distance. Revelation 14:20b describes blood from the winepress reaching up to the bridles of horses and flowing for 1600 stadia. This motif is found in various texts across different time periods and traditions (Jewish, Christian, Mandean), including 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, rabbinic accounts, and Byzantine apocalypses. These texts use the imagery to signify slaughter of exceptional proportions, often in the context of eschatological battles. Comparing Revelation 14:20b with these other texts reveals that the tradition likely included both the height and distance elements before Revelation was written. While 1 Enoch mentions only the height, other, sometimes later, texts parallel both elements, often adding that the blood flows into the sea for a specified distance. The sources argue that Revelation is dependent on a fuller form of this pre-dating Jewish tradition that included both height and distance, and that John likely omitted the reference to the blood flowing into the sea. In Revelation, the use of this topos is integrated with the winepress imagery to combine themes of vintage and battle, anticipating later battle scenes, and the height is specifically tied to the horses of the warriors. The vast distance further emphasizes the unprecedented scale of the slaughter.
4. Case Study: The "Completing the Number of the Martyrs" Tradition (Revelation 6:9–11): Another tradition examined is the idea that eschatological divine intervention is delayed until a predetermined "number" of certain individuals is completed. Revelation 6:9–11 features the souls of martyrs asking "How long?" for judgment, and they are told to wait until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who are to be killed is complete. This concept appears in roughly contemporaneous Jewish apocalypses like 1 Enoch 47, 4 Ezra 4, and 2 Baruch 23, often as an answer to the traditional question "How long?" There are variations among these texts regarding who is being numbered (martyrs, righteous killed by oppressors, all righteous, all people born), reflecting the specific concerns of each work. While there are striking resemblances between pairs of these texts (e.g., Revelation and 4 Ezra share the "How long?" question by righteous dead answered by completing their category; Revelation and 1 Enoch share the focus on God's people killed by the wicked and a prayer for vengeance), the sources conclude that these resemblances are best explained by dependence on a common tradition that existed in different forms, rather than direct literary borrowing between the works. John skillfully integrates this tradition into his narrative, using it to explain the delay of judgment within the sequence of the seven seals and linking it to themes of martyrdom, faithful witness, and the predetermined plan of God.
5. Case Studies: The "Giving Up the Dead" Motif (Revelation 20:13) and the "Silence in Heaven" Tradition (Revelation 8:1):
◦Giving Up the Dead: This tradition, seen in Revelation 20:13 where the sea, Death, and Hades give up their dead, is a common motif signifying resurrection for judgment. It appears in various Jewish and Christian texts from the first and second centuries A.D. (1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, Pseudo-Philo, Apocalypse of Peter, rabbinic texts, etc.). A key feature in many versions is a legal metaphor: the place of the dead is God's custodian, holding the dead as a "deposit" or "debt" that must be returned when God reclaims them. This metaphor asserts God's sovereignty over death. The tradition often employs a "unitary" image of resurrection, where the whole person (not just a disembodied soul) returns from the place of the dead, often expressed in a threefold synonymous structure listing different terms for the place of the dead (earth, Sheol/Hades, Abaddon, dust, chambers, etc.). Revelation 20:13 uses Death, Hades, and uniquely, the sea, adapting the threefold structure and omitting the explicit legal metaphor, possibly to emphasize the universality of resurrection and integrate the sea as a symbol of opposition to God that must also give up its dead before judgment and its eventual removal in the new creation.
◦Silence in Heaven: Revelation 8:1 describes silence in heaven after the seventh seal opens, followed by an angel offering incense with the prayers of the saints (8:3-4). This silence is connected to Jewish traditions where angelic praise in heaven is temporarily halted so that the prayers of Israel on earth can be heard by God. This idea is found in rabbinic literature, sometimes linked to interpretations of scripture (like Ezekiel 1:24 about the living creatures silencing their wings or Job 38:7 about Israel's praise coming first). The sources highlight the Testament of Adam, a pre-70 A.D. Jewish work, as providing early evidence for this tradition associated with the morning incense offering in the Jerusalem temple, during which the congregation prayed. In Revelation, this tradition is adapted to a heavenly context where the silence and the angelic offering of incense ensure the prayers of the saints for judgment are heard, leading to God's eschatological response. The specified duration of "half an hour" might refer to the approximate length of the temple incense ritual.
6. The Social Context of Tradition Transmission: The widespread presence of these shared apocalyptic traditions across diverse texts from different periods suggests they were transmitted through social contexts rather than solely through direct literary influence. The sources propose that these traditions circulated among circles of Jewish and Christian teachers, possibly through oral teaching or shared notes. In the case of Revelation, it is suggested that these traditions circulated within circles of Christian prophets in the churches of Asia, where John was a prominent figure. These prophets might have gathered to exchange prophecies, interpret scripture, and transmit apocalyptic ideas. The presence of Philip the evangelist and his prophet daughters in Asia could have facilitated the transmission of such traditions from Palestine. While evidence for analogous Jewish "apocalyptist" circles is more elusive, groups described as "the wise" who studied revelations existed. It is plausible that teachers within these Jewish groups transmitted traditions, and that some of these teachers may have become Christian prophets, thus providing continuity for apocalyptic traditions between Jewish and Christian contexts.