عنوان

The relevance of apocalyptic numerology for the meaning of chilia ete in Revelation 20

TLpq303906264

انگلیسی

The relevance of apocalyptic numerology for the meaning of chilia ete in Revelation 20

[Thesis]

S. W. Carlson

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary

1990

261

Th.D.

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary

1990

The research in this dissertation originated from two rather unrelated phenomena. First, this writer's interest in eschatology goes back to the years shortly after his conversion to Christ in 1973. Second, in the search for a topic for research, this writer was discussing eschatology with an eminent evangelical Old Testament scholar who had changed from a premillennialist to an amillennialist in the course of his career. He told this writer that the change came from his belief that the premillennial view of eschatology relied too heavily on a literal interpretation of apocalyptic literature, especially Revelation and the references to "thousand years." This writer then began to pursue numerology in apocalyptic literature as a possible area of research for a dissertation. There have been numerous attempts to determine whether the phrase usd\chi\acute\iota\lambda\iota\alphausd usd\acute\epsilon\tau\etausd in Revelation 20 should be understood literally or figuratively. The proposed solutions to this problem separate premillennialism from amillennialism and postmillennialism. In this dissertation an attempt is made to determine if a precedent can be established from the study of numerology in apocalyptic literature for the interpretation of usd\chi\acute\iota\lambda\iota\alphausd usd\acute\epsilon\tau\etausd. The dissertation is divided into three main parts. The first part considers the problem of definition and genre analysis in the study of apocalyptic literature. Once a working definition has been reached, the ancient texts which fit this definition are determined. These are the texts which are utilized in the exegetical work in part three. Before the exegesis on apocalyptic numerology begins, part two considers the concept of symbolism, particularly as it relates to the use of numbers. The relationship between a symbol and the thing symbolized is critical in determining the manner in which a number should be interpreted. Part three considers the uses of numbers in apocalyptic literature. The interpretation of these numbers is given detailed attention. At this point, the data which were derived from a study of apocalyptic numerology are applied to usd\chi\acute\iota\lambda\iota\alphausd usd\acute\epsilon\tau\etausd in Revelation 20. The exegetical work in part three demonstrates that a literal interpretation of usd\chi\acute\iota\lambda\iota\alphausd usd\acute\epsilon\tau\etausd is exegetically and hermeneutically sound, at least from the viewpoint of apocalyptic numerology. There are three appendices. The first appendix allows the reader to see at a glance how this dissertation may be applied to various numerical references in Revelation. The second appendix is rather lengthy. It not only critiques the master paradigm of apocalyptic by John J. Collins, but it also offers this writer's paradigm based on the research in this dissertation. Finally, the third appendix gives the numerical values of the letters of the Hebrew and Greek alphabets.

=e

chilia et

eschatology

Millennialism

numerology

Philosophy, religion and theology

S. W. Carlson

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y