Steve,
I remember listening to one of your teaching series online where you gave an example of a historic event that was retold in apocalyptic language. It really helped me to understand more about it. Can you tell me where to find that again or direct me to some good sources. Thanks.
Todd
Apocalyptic language
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Apocalyptic language
Last edited by mgarrett on Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason:
Reason:
Todd,
The example comes from the apocryphal preface and post scripts added to the canonical Book of Esther. Hundredes of years after Esther's time, some anonymous writer, reporting an alleged dream of Mordecai, added these sections, which can be found in any Catholic Bible containing the Apocrypha.
These portions, tagged onto the Book of Esther, at the beginning and end, display the typical apocalyptic style of the period in which they were written. They describe a dream about dragons, earthquakes, little streams becoming great rivers, etc. The explanation is given that these refer to characters in the story of Esther.
By comparing these images with what we know of the historical narrative, we can see how the apocalyptic writers represented historical details in symbols.
Here is the dream, reported before the story of Esther:
"Behold, noise and confusion, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth! And behold, two great dragons came forward, both ready to fight, and they roared terribly. And at their roaring every nation prepared for war, to fight against the nation of the righteous. And behold, a day of darkness and gloom, tribulation and distress, affliction and great tumult upon the earth! And the whole righteous nation was troubled; they feared the evils that threatened them, and were ready to perish. Then they cried to God; and from their cry, as though from a tiny spring, there came a great river, with abundant water; light came, and the sun rose, and the lowly were exalted and consumed those held in honor."
Now, here, in part, is the interpretation, attached at the end of the book, represented as the words of Mordecai:
"These things have come from God. For I remember the dream that I had concerning these matters, and none of them has failed to be fulfilled. The tiny spring which became a river, and there was light and the sun and abundant water -- the river is Esther, whom the king married and made queen. The two dragons are Haman and myself. The nations are those that gathered to destroy the name of the Jews. And my nation, this is Israel, who cried out to God and were saved. The Lord has saved his people; the Lord has delivered us from all these evils..."
The example comes from the apocryphal preface and post scripts added to the canonical Book of Esther. Hundredes of years after Esther's time, some anonymous writer, reporting an alleged dream of Mordecai, added these sections, which can be found in any Catholic Bible containing the Apocrypha.
These portions, tagged onto the Book of Esther, at the beginning and end, display the typical apocalyptic style of the period in which they were written. They describe a dream about dragons, earthquakes, little streams becoming great rivers, etc. The explanation is given that these refer to characters in the story of Esther.
By comparing these images with what we know of the historical narrative, we can see how the apocalyptic writers represented historical details in symbols.
Here is the dream, reported before the story of Esther:
"Behold, noise and confusion, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth! And behold, two great dragons came forward, both ready to fight, and they roared terribly. And at their roaring every nation prepared for war, to fight against the nation of the righteous. And behold, a day of darkness and gloom, tribulation and distress, affliction and great tumult upon the earth! And the whole righteous nation was troubled; they feared the evils that threatened them, and were ready to perish. Then they cried to God; and from their cry, as though from a tiny spring, there came a great river, with abundant water; light came, and the sun rose, and the lowly were exalted and consumed those held in honor."
Now, here, in part, is the interpretation, attached at the end of the book, represented as the words of Mordecai:
"These things have come from God. For I remember the dream that I had concerning these matters, and none of them has failed to be fulfilled. The tiny spring which became a river, and there was light and the sun and abundant water -- the river is Esther, whom the king married and made queen. The two dragons are Haman and myself. The nations are those that gathered to destroy the name of the Jews. And my nation, this is Israel, who cried out to God and were saved. The Lord has saved his people; the Lord has delivered us from all these evils..."
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
In Jesus,
Steve
Steve