M.A. / In this study the question on the eschatology of the New Testament is handled. Most New Testament scholars never try to compare the eschatology of Paul with the eschatology of the book of Revelation. Can this two works be compared or are they so different that they cannot be compared? There was a remarkable development in the eschatology of the period between the two testaments and even during the duration of the New Testament. These influences are considered to make a comparison between the writings of the early church and the Jewish people.The writings of Paul were by no means written to give a full eschatology but the letters is full of eschatological thoughts. The Apocalypse of John on the other hand is so full of eschatological meaning that almost the whole book has to do with eschatology. To compare these two is therefore very significant. It is considered that the two writing had one common source of apocalyptic thought. The development within the Jewish thought also shed some light on the meaning of some of Paul's doctrine. The two different settings in which the two authors lived also played an important role. Although both authors experienced persecution in some sense, the question that arises is if they perceived it different from each other's experience. The method used in the study is the literal comparison method. The two works is compared on the grounds of literal differences as well as the exegetical differences. The apocalyptic traditions of the Jews and the early Christians also are brought into view. The backgrounds of the writers are considered although not much is known about John who wrote Revelation. The influences of the Greek and Roman cultures play an important role to understand the development of the eschatological thought.It seems that there is much more conformity between the letters of Paul and the book of Revelation than what most people think. The purpose of the two works is different and many times the eschatology of Revelation is not included in the eschatology of the rest of the New Testament because of its symbols and images. Paul's strong Jewish background played an important role in his eschatology. The Pauline readers had an expectation for the coming of Christ but the crisis that is experienced in Revelation gave the readers an ever-greater expectation for the coming of the Son of Man. The cosmic occurrences and al the symbolism adds up to a great end in the Final Age. Those who persevere the enemies of God and serve the only one true God will be rewarded justly. The study can to the conclusion that behind the two eschatological works lies a common tradition, which developed from the apocalyptic thought of the early Christian age.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:9222 |
| Date | 14 August 2012 |
| Creators | Van der Schyff, Braam Wilhelm |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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