Greek Word Apocalyptic

Introduction Western pop-culture Christianity has re-defined apocalyptic to refer only to “the end of the world as we know it.” Although, within biblical terminology, an “apocalypse” is not an event, but a “revelation” that is recorded in written form. It is a piece of crisis literature that reveals truths about the past, present, and/or future in highly symbolic terms. The revelation often comes in dreams or visions and usually needs to be interpreted with the help of an angel. This literary genre is usually intended to provide hope and encouragement for people amid severe trials and tribulations. Therefore, it is the intention of this paper to further the understanding apocalyptic

It is scary, thwarting, and about boding evil. The dictionary tells us it is presaging people of imminent disaster, exaggerated predictions, or allusions of the Last Days. However, this is not what it meant in the original Greek or in the time this term was penned. The word apocalyptic, derived from the Greek word apokalypsis, means “revelation” or “unveiling,”. The same Greek word is translated “revelation” (Rev.1.1). The genre of revelatory literature, with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendental reality which is “both temporal, hence, it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial insofar as it involves another, supernatural world” (Collins, 1984, p.

Primarily, apocalypses are usually written from a context of oppression, persecution, and despair. There is a presence of a sharp dualism, a contrast between the present age dominated by evil, and a coming age of change. In addition, this genre contains visions and revelations, in which a heavenly intermediary usually appears to interpret visions or reveal secret knowledge. Generally, apocalypses are usually filled with symbolism with references and allusions to mythology, numerology, or animal symbolism (Morris, 1972, pp. 34-37). Also, this style of writing contains ideas of the unity of history and a goal toward which history is moving. Apocalypses tend to be deterministic, portraying an inescapable future, set in stone by God’s fixed calendar of events. Finally, apocalyptic writings appear pessimistic about the possibility for positive change and the need for a radical divine intervention to overthrow God’s enemies and set things right. Moreover, authors Russell and Symes, in their book, The method & message of Jewish Apocalyptic, 200 BC-AD 100, suggests four distinctly literary characteristics of apocalyptic writing: “It is esoteric in character, literary in form, symbolic in language, and pseudonymous in authorship” (Russell & Syme, 1964, p. 106). However, compiling a definitive list of characteristics is difficult since no full set fits each