Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

M.Th.(Old Testament)

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No description available.

No description available.

Microreproduction of original thesis. / Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1986. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original microfiche copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: no abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

This dissertation examines the consensus view that is based on Hans-Peter Müller's 1969 and 1972 articles: Daniel was a mantic wise man in the Mesopotamian ASA court, and this was the self-understanding or aspiration of the maskilim of Dan 11:33, 35, 12:3, 10, who wrote the book. Chapter 1 reviews the arguments that make the mantic connection and Chapter 2 concludes that a direct connection with the Danes of Aqht, Ezek, and Jub, and with the angel in 1 Enoch should be rejected. There is evidence that the tradition of a priest in Ezra 8: 2 and Neh 10: 7, and found also in the superscription to the Old Greek of Bel, and 4 Ezra 12:10-11, and suggested the name. Chapter 3 concludes that the portrayal of the court diviners in Dan 1-6 is wholly negative and includes both the diviners, and the essence of the professions, i. e., the ability to interpret a divine revelation. The critique is conveyed through the story line, explicit criticisms, irony, and humour. Chapter 4 concludes that Daniel, the interpreter of dreams and the writing on the wall, is distinguished from every other character and role. In the final form of Dan, Daniel as the divinely assisted each time he interprets, just as when he receives help from an interpreting angel in Dan 7-12. Chapter 5 demonstrates that the portrayal of Daniel as the divinely assisted interpreter makes sense of the reinterpretation of old prophecies against the Assyrians as prophecies against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Hab 2:2-4 and Isa 52-53 were also understood as predictions about the maskilim themselves. Comparisons are then made with the Teacher of Righteousness, the writers of the Hodayot, and with three Essenes portrayed by Josephus. These too were portrayed as divinely assisted interpreters.

D. Litt. et Phil. / While partial preterism has not been a dominant interpretive method among the four traditional ways of interpreting the Book of Revelation, namely, preterism, historicism, futurism, and idealism, it seems to be the most convincing interpretation. The problem concerning this work derives from the two parallel arguments in partial preterism. On the one hand, the advocates of consistent partial preterism argue that the whole Book of Revelation including chapters 12-13 concerns God's judgment on the apostate Jerusalem. On the other hand, according to transitional partial preterism, a significant turning point comes in these two chapters in that in Rev. 12-13 John introduces God's judgment on Rome. To solve this problem and to suggest a proposed solution, the following are respectively investigated: historical survey of the interpretation of the Book of Revelation; the critical evaluation of the two arguments of partial preterism; a probe into the socio-historical and literary aspects of Rev. 12-13; intratextuality of Rev. 12-13; intertextuality of John and his Jewish Christian and Gentile Christian audiences; and a proposed partial preterism of Rev. 14-22. The intertextuality of John's receptive production in terms of the NT, the OT and noncanonical intertexts is relevant to God's judgment of Rome as well as that of Jerusalem. For this reason, the intertextuality of the seven churches' productive reception plays a crucial role in determining the (partial preterist) meaning of Rev. 12-13 in particular, and of Revelation as a whole. This does not of necessity imply that the locus of meaning is in the audience, but that the communicative interaction among the author, the text and the audience decides the meaning. The partial preterist meaning of Revelation is not unlimitedly multiple but determinately controlled in that the intertextuality of John and his audience manifests only two choices: God's judgment on Rome and Jerusalem. With consistent partial preterism, John provides the Jewish Christians with a direct solution, but with transitional partial preterism, he provides a direct solution for the Gentile Christians. Therefore, both solutions function complementarily and not contradictorily. It is reasonable to conclude that, on the one hand, the Jewish Christian audiences, who emigrated to Asia Minor in AD 66 and were converted by Paul's Ephesian mission in AD 52, were persecuted especially by the heretical Jews. Therefore, using the OT and NT knowledge they might have interpreted Rev. 12 onward (and maybe Rev. 4-11 too) in terms of God's judgment on the apostate Jews. The removal of the Jewish temple was absolutely necessary to relieve the stress on the first century Christians of persecution from the Jews. The annihilation of the Jewish system therefore removed the most formidable antagonist of the gospel and brought rest and relief to suffering Christians. On the other hand, the Gentile Christian audiences, who were acquainted with the pagan sources and daily experienced the Roman persecution, were not severely persecuted by the infidelic Jews and interpreted Rev. 12 onward (and maybe Rev. 4-11 too) in the light of God's judgment on Rome. It can be deduced that John's Jewish and Gentile audiences have the same form of locution and the same type of illocution in Rev. 12-13. But the perlocutionary act by which John achieves certain intended effects in his audiences in addition to those achieved by the illocutionary act is different to both the Jewish and Gentile audiences. In short, it is not a matter of 'either ... or' but 'both ... and'. Therefore, the two lines of partial preterism do not exclude each other but should be taken into account conjointly.

M.A. (Biblical Studies) / The aim of this study was to investigate on the one hand Second Isaiah's employment of the creation tradition and monotheism motif and to establish whether a relation exists between them, and, on the other hand, whether in the use of these themes one can speak of a re-creation that Second Isaiah announces ...

This dissertation examines the function of God as a character, and how the characterization of God works within the narrative of the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 1 presented a rationale for the study of God as a character. The purpose of the study and the current status of research has been stated. The study of existing scholarship provided a fair ground for current study. Chapter 2 presented discussions over the modern literary theory which is related to this study and specific application of the theory to the Gospel of Matthew. Employing the primary research and methodology presented in chapters 1 and 2, chapter 3 provided an exegetical analysis of passages in which God functions as a character. The passages included where (1) God speaks or acts, (2) the references to God occur directly, (3) the references to God occur indirectly, (4) God's activity is recognized explicitly, and (5) God's activity is recognized implicitly. In addition, specific Matthean terminology, which was related to this study, was discussed. Chapter 4 discussed God's relationship with other characters in Matthew and summarizes God's function as a character in the Gospel of Matthew. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.