The Book of Revelation:
End-Time Events
(MDiv/BD/MTS/CDCM)
Tony Siew
Course Description:
Recent years have witnessed events of great portents –
global warming, financial crises, rise in food prices, plagues, great
earthquakes, wars and volcanic eruptions are becoming almost daily fare in the
news. Are these signs or events predicted by the book of Revelation to occur at
the end of time? Does Revelation provide a blueprint of history leading to the
end of the world?
This course will seek to answer these questions. It will take a historical-critical perspective of the text as a product of the late first century C.E. of the Greco-Roman world, but yet seeks to be faithful to John’s stated purpose of writing a prophetic book (Rev 1:3; 22:7, 9, 18), which things are said to unfold in the future. It focuses on the literary-structural analysis of the book with special attention to John’s schema of a triple series of sevens – the 7 Seals, the 7 Trumpets and the 7 Bowls (Rev 6-16). The events of the Great Tribulation of the last three-and-a half years will be highlighted where the two beasts are said to war against the two witnesses (Rev 11-13). While there will be discussion as to the differing interpretive lenses through which the Church in history and modern scholars have read the book, we will concentrate primarily on the text in question whereby the final denouement of history is seen in the coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. This course seeks to investigate the book of Revelation from a historical-critical perspective in the light of its historical, cultural, social, religious and political milieu of the late first century C.E. We will pay close attention to the book’s literary and structural texture and the use of the Old Testament that permeates the whole book.
Textbooks & References:
1) Reddish, Mitchell G., Revelation
(Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary; Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys
Publishing, 2001).
2) Witherington, Ben, Revelation
& End-Times (Abingdon Press, 2010).
3) Boxall, Ian, Revelation
of Saint John (Black’s New Testament Commentary; Hendrickson, 2006).
4) Siew, Tony, The War
between the Two Beasts and the Two Witnesses: A Chiastic Reading of Revelation
11:1-14:5 (LSNT 283; New York & London: T & T Clark, 2005).
5) Frilingos, Chris, Spectacles
of Empire: Monsters, Martyrs, and the Book of Revelation (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004).
6) Mitchell G. Reddish, ed. Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1990.
7) Leonard L. Thompson. Revelation.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998.
8) J. Ramsey Michaels. Interpreting
the Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992.
At the successful completion of
the course students should have
1) a knowledge of the political,
religious and geographical background of the seven Asia Minor churches of
Revelation and the Roman Empire in general.
2) a knowledge of the structure
and major divisions of Revelation and the content of each section.
3) an acquaintance with the
various principles of interpreting the book of Revelation.
4) a knowledge of current
political, economic and environmental issues in relation to the book of
Revelation
Course Reader:
MDiv/BD students are required to read all the articles and
will write a 2-page report at the end of the Semester. CDCM students are strongly encouraged to read
the recommended readings for this course.
1)
Portier-Young, Anathea E., “Daniel”, ch. 7 of Apocalypse Against Empire: Theologies of
Resistance in Early Judaism (Eerdmans, 2011), pp. 223-279.
2)
Heyman, George, “Roman Imperial Cult”, in The Power of Sacrifice: Roman and Christian
Discourse in Conflict (Catholic University of America Press, 2007), pp.
45-93.
3)
Humphrey, Edith, “Revelation 12”, For I Turned to See the Voice: the Rhetoric of Vision in the New Testament” (Baker
Academic, 2007).
4)
Carter, Warren, ‘Accommodating “Jezebel” and
Withdrawing John: Negotiating Empire in
Revelation Then and Now’, Interpretation pp. 32-47.
5)
Tan Kim Huat, “The Number of the Beast: Counting
the Options”, Trinity Theological Journal
Vol. 19 (2011), pp. 1-38.
6)
Siew, Tony, The
War between the Two Beasts and the Two Witnesses: A Chiastic Reading of
Revelation 11:1-14:5 (LSNT 283; New York & London: T & T Clark,
2005), pp. 28-64.
7)
Bauckham, Richard, “Eschatological Earthquake”,
in Climax of Prophecy (T & T
Clark, 1993), pp. 199-209.
8)
Kraybill, J. Nelson, “The Merchants have Grown
Rich”, in Imperial Cult and Commerce in
John’s Apocalypse (Sheffield Academic Press, 1994), pp. 102-141.
Assessment (MDiv/BD):
1) Reading Requirements (20% plus Bonus 5% for book or
article review: 1,000-1,200 words)
2) Major Essay: 40% (max. 3,500 words including footnotes):
Essay Due (26th April 2012)
3) Final Exams: 40%,
40 Questions (20% & 1 Essay question: 20%)
Assessment (CDCM):
1) Final
Exams, 100% (40 Questions)
5th Jan: Course
Overview
Russell, D.S., Prophecy
and the Apocalyptic Dream: Protest and Promise pp. 12-43.
“Revelation as a Critique against Empire”, in Interpretation Vol 63 No 1. January 2009
12th Jan: Apocalyptic Literature in the OT and NT corpus
(Isaiah 24-27; Zech 1-6; 9-14; Daniel 2, 7-12; Joel; Hab 3; Mal 3); Little
Apocalypses, Jesus’ eschatological sayings
Reading:
1) Portier-Young, Anathea E., “Daniel”, ch. 7 of Apocalypse Against Empire: Theologies of
Resistance in Early Judaism (Eerdmans, 2011), pp. 223-279.
2) Stephen Cook,
Prophecy & Apocalypticism: The Post-exilic Social Setting (Fortress
Press, 1995), pp. 19-54, “The Sociology
of Apocalyptic Groups”; “Zechariah 1-8”, pp. 123-165.
3) Finitis, Antonios, “Restoration Eschatology and Messianic
Presence” in Visions and Eschatology: A
Socio-Historical Analysis of Zechariah 1-6 (T & T Clark, 2011), pp.
102-36.
19th Jan:
Structure of Apocalyptic Literature & Jewish
Apocalyptic Literature (War Scroll, DSS; 1 Enoch; 3 Baruch; 4 Ezra);
Symbolism in Revelation (Numbers, Temple, Angels)
Reading:
1) Fiorenza,
Elizabeth, “Composition and Structure of the Book of Revelation,” CBQ 39 (1977), pp. 344-66.
2) Bauckham,
Richard, “Structure and Composition” in Climax
of Prophecy (1993), pp. 1-37.
2nd Feb:
The 7 Churches (Rev 1-3) & Dating of Revelation
(Does it matter?); Who are the 7 angels of the 7 churches?
Reading:
1) Carter, Warren, ‘Accommodating “Jezebel” and Withdrawing
John: Negotiating Empire in
Revelation Then and Now’, Interpretation, pp. 32-47.
2) Thompson, Leonard, “Pronouncements to the Seven
Churches”, pp. 62-88.
9th Feb:
7 Churches &
Two Powers in Heaven (cf. 1 Enoch) [Rev 4-5]
16th Feb:
The Four Horsemen
& the 6 Seals [Rev 6] (A Comparison with the Little Apocalypses of the
Gospels)
23rd Feb:
First Interlude & 7 Trumpets (Rev 8-9)
1st March:
3.5 Years (2 Witnesses & the Temple of God &
Jerusalem) [Rev 11-13]
Reading:
1) Siew,
“The Identity of the Two Witnesses and the Two Beasts”, pp. 214-278.
2) Tan Kim
Huat, “The Number of the Beast: Counting the Options”, Trinity Theological Journal Vol. 19 (2011), pp. 1-38.
3) Humphrey,
Edith, “Firing the Imagination: Visions with Embedded Propositions”, in For I Turned to See the Voice: the Rhetoric of Vision in the New Testament (Baker
Academic, 2007), pp. 151-194.
22nd March:
The Two Beasts
Reading:
1) Heyman,
George, “Roman Imperial Cult”, in The
Power of Sacrifice: Roman and Christian Discourse in Conflict (Catholic
University of America Press, 2007), pp. 45-93.
2) Price,
S., Rituals and Power: The Roman Imperial
Cult in Asia Minor (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984).
29th March:
Three Visions of Chapter 14 & Seven Bowls (Rev
14-16)
12th April:
Mystery Babylon (Rev 17-18)
19th April:
Second Coming, Millennium & the New Jerusalem
(Rev 19-22)
26th April:
Summary & Revision
Exams: 3rd May CDCM(8-9:30pm); MDiv/BD (8-10pm)
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