Abstract
In the introduction to The Jewish Apocalyptic Tradition and the Shaping of New Testament Thought, Benjamin E. Reynolds and Loren T. Stuckenbruck discuss the problematic nature of the term “apocalyptic” in New Testament studies, highlighting the looseness of the term in much New Testament scholarship. Reynolds and Stuckenbruck give specific attention to the nature of revelation and both the temporal and spatial transcendence noted in the Semeia 14 definition of the genre (pp. 4–6). Reynolds and Stuckenbruck cogently provide three new departure points for a discussion of the role of Jewish apocalyptic tradition in the New Testament: revealed wisdom, revealed cosmology, and revealed resolution of time, seeking to move the discussion from eschatology to revelation (p. 9). The book is divided into three parts—Jesus and the Gospels; Paul and the Pauline Letters; and Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and Revelation—each of which will be discussed below.
In the opening chapter, Leslie A. Baynes notes the distinct similarities between Jesus and other apocalyptic characters, specifically in relation to the way in which Jesus reveals the hidden secrets of the heavens. Baynes posits that Jesus functions as angelus interpres throughout the Synoptic Gospels, that is, Jesus plays the same role as the angel who interprets the messages in apocalypses (p. 16). Perhaps most important in this opening chapter, particularly regarding the understanding of apocalyptic as revelatory, is Baynes’s discussion of Jesus as the one who reveals the μυστήριον, the secrets of the kingdom of God, through parables (p. 17). Likewise, Grant Macaskill notes that a key feature of the apocalyptic nature of the gospel is the revealed identity of Jesus. Macaskill notes that, although the narrative of Mark is eschatological, the priority of the Markan account is the revealed identity of Jesus (p. 77). Nevertheless, it is not just Jesus who is discussed in this first part of the book. Kristian Bendoraitis highlights Matthew’s angelology as an important feature of apocalypticism in the Gospel. Bendoraitis discusses the way in which Matthew uses angelic imagery in three ways: through the Son of Man and the angels; the work of God in Jesus’ life; and the cosmology of Matthew, concluding that Matthew’s use of angels reflects more than simply an apocalyptic eschatology but rather provides a more revelatory apocalypticism in the Gospel. Likewise, Kindalee Pfremmer De Long highlights the apocalyptic nature of Luke–Acts through the author’s appeal to angels, visionary experiences, and direction from the Holy Spirit (p. 79). De Long notes that because angels are revelatory mediators of God, they are by definition “an apocalyptic aspect of biblical narrative” who reveal cosmological and eschatological secrets through visionary experiences (p. 81). In the final chapter of this section, Benjamin E. Reynolds suggests that the Gospel of John be considered apocalyptic because of John’s revealed cosmology (p. 110). Reynolds focuses attention on δείκνυμι and its use in both John, the LXX, and Greek versions of Second Temple Jewish apocalyptic texts. He concludes that John portrays otherworldly beings and regions, that the visions of God are made known (δείκνυμι) through revelation, and that the Gospel discloses the heavenly mysteries much like Jewish apocalypses.
Part 2, Paul and the Pauline Letters, brings together the long-held view that Paul was an apocalyptist. Two helpful chapters will be highlighted here. First, in her chapter on Paul and Romans, Karina Martin Hogan brings a much needed discussion on revealed eschatology to Romans. Hogan notes points of contact between Jewish apocalyptic writings, particularly 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra, and the understanding of creation, judgment, resurrection, and glory in Romans which are particularly needed in discussions of Paul and Romans. Second, Mark Harding highlights the apocalyptic nature of the Pastorals, which is generally overlooked. Harding notes that in the Pastoral Epistles there is a sense of coming judgment in which the faithful will be saved (p. 264). He notes that 1 Tim 3:16 “celebrates the transformation of the world as a direct consequence of the Christ-event” (p. 264). Likewise, he notes the audience is in the “last days” (1 Tim 4:1; 2 Tim 3:1) as part of the expectation of the parousia (p. 265). Harding’s discussion of “apocalyptic rhetoric” in the Pastoral Epistles focuses on the apocalyptic understanding of the revelation of mysteries and the authority of the author of the Pastorals to proclaim truth (p. 269).
In Part 3, Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and Revelation are discussed. I will here only focus on the Catholic Epistles as there is a plethora of scholarship on Hebrews and Revelation in regard to Jewish apocalyptic tradition. Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn’s discussion of James as apocalyptic wisdom is particularly helpful in understanding the apocalyptic background of James. Kovalishyn posits that wisdom functions in the intermediary role between God and humanity (p. 293). Moreover, the prominence of the theme of coming judgment in James, combined with a renewed urgency on the role of wisdom, suggests that the sapiential nature of James should rightly be called “apocalyptic wisdom” (p. 306). Finally, Chad Pierce suggests that 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude each use apocalyptic characteristics to influence their readers. Pierce suggests that 1 Peter includes “both realized and future revelations” for the purpose of giving hope to a marginalized church (p. 308), whereas both Jude and 2 Peter use apocalyptic characteristics to combat false teachers (p. 325). Pierce concludes that revelations concerning otherworldly beings and the end of time are used by the authors to influence the behavior of the audience in the present but not necessarily the future. The helpfulness of this edited book cannot be overstated. The book is not overly technical and therefore provides a useful and necessary resource for students and pastors who are interested in the role of Jewish apocalyptic tradition and worldview in the New Testament. Moreover, it corrects the primary conflation of apocalypticism and eschatology prominently found in much of scholarship.