Apocalypse Dualism Essay
The term Apocalypse can be defined as a sense of ending, decline, crisis and transformation. The more traditional form are religious apocalypses, which are viewed as revelations. These apocalypses bring about peace and justice. It is when those who believe to live a good life, that fulfilled the moral code of their religion yet are being deprived, will be rewarded at the time of an apocalypse. The apocalypse will bring a turn of order and provide a sense of hope. This is because the oppressed believe that they will be rewarded and will then be offered something better. As a result, those who are oppressed, who want something better traditionally, tend to be more apocalyptic. An example of a religious apocalypse comes from the Book of Daniel.
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Here, a main belief is that when you remain faithful to your religion, you will be rewarded in the end. Also seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls, apocalyptic religious communities required that people were absolutely committed. There were rules established as a way of instituting complete control. As in the Book of Daniel, this concept provided a hopeful message because those who obeyed the rules would be rewarded in the end. The difference between Jewish apocalypticism and Christian apocalypticism is that Jewish apocalypticism focuses heavily on a worldly view, such that in the end there would be order and power, whereas Christian apocalypticism focuses on a heavenly view. For example, in the Book of Daniel the role of wisdom, faith, dreams, and divine powers are emphasized more. Other types of apocalypses can be seen in the Book of Enoch. These include the Apocalypse of Weeks and an Animal Apocalypse. The Apocalypse of Weeks presents time in definite stages. Time is presented in an orderly fashion and predicts the future. This religious apocalypse demonstrates the power of the divine because the future is written, meaning that everything is predetermined and inevitable. With that, Enoch is aware that the end is near based on the scheme of history that has already happened. The Animal Apocalypse is one in which the animals represent humans. For example, the sheep represented Jacob/Israel, and the bulls of different colors represent Isaac, Abraham, Cain, Abel, Adam, and Noah. Besides religious apocalypses, another type of apocalypse that grew in the 20th century are secular apocalypses. These lack meaning and social order when compared to religious apocalypses. Apart from the religious apocalypse, this type is the belief that crisis is inevitable and unpredictable, bound to happen at any given moment but lack the meaning as to why they are going to occur. Examples of these include the deterioration of the ozone layer, global warming, or nuclear warfare.
The Combat Myth is a form of apocalyptic writing that pertains to the creation of new life through the destruction of evil. The evil is typically personified as a monster or a force of nature. In Enuma Elish, the evil is Tiamat, the sea monster. In the Baal cycle, the enemy is the sea, Yamm. The individual that fights the evil force is typically characterized as an “underdog” while the evil source is characterized as mighty and powerful that it is destined to win. Marduk, the protagonist in Enuma Elish is an example (The Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism). The hero, such as Marduk, conquers the evil force as a way to restore political and cosmic order. The hero is then rewarded, typically with a position of higher power such as that of a King. Similar themes can be seen in parts of Genesis. In Genesis, the earth seems to have already been established, meaning that God did not construct it in its entirety. At the very beginning of the book it says, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the early was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). This seems as if God was forced to conquer the sea in order to proceed to create the rest of the world. The example in Genesis is similar to the combat myth in the Baal cycle because the two both conquer the sea and then granted with greater titles of power and authority. The combat myth plays a role in apocalypticism because once the greater evil is conquered, a turn of order will prevail.
Vaticinium ex Eventu, meaning “prophecy after the fact,” is a technique that involves predicting events that have already happened. It does not predict the future, but is instead, predicting the past. This technique is used to convince readers that it was written or “prophesized” earlier than the current time period. By doing so, the “predictions” that are made by the author could be viewed as a true prophecy, giving credibility to the author’s predictions. By establishing the accurate predictions, this allows the author to establish himself as a valid and accurate source. This increases the likelihood that the reader will be convinced and believe what they are reading because it would appear as if the author has predicted events that the reader would already know are going to occur. Pseudonymity is a different literary technique. This technique is used to allow the author to keep their identity unknown or use the identity of a different source as another way to increase the validity of their writing. The reader would be more apt to believe a prophecy or prediction that comes from a well-known source such as a dominant religious or political figure. They would believe such a source over that of an unknown source with minute authority or importance. Pseudonyms are typically used in cases where the author wants to claim a more powerful title, one that is more recognizable. An example of both a pseudonym and Vaticinium ex Eventu can be seen in Enoch. The use of Enoch as the author gives a voice of authority because Enoch was close to God and a descendent of Adam. The author also predicts the events that lead up to the revolt of the Maccabees. Once again, both techniques are used to increase the validity of the writing and the credibility of the source.
The practice of breaking down history into specific time frames is known as periodization. These time periods could be very specific or very broad. For example, it could be a specific number of days, weeks, or years or they could be vague periods, such as before or after an event. Periodization allows an individual to determine what time period they are in as they read, forcing them to adapt to the situation. An example of this is the Apocalypse of Weeks in Enoch, which consists of definite stages. It lays out a definition of history. Time is orderly and is able to predict the future. This means that the future has already been written and that everything is predetermined. Enoch sees the grand plan as the end is near and he knows that there is not a whole lot of time left, provided a hopeful message. Various events occurred which lead toward destruction and the creation of divine intervention. This is hopeful because the end is close at hand because the scheme of history has already happened. Therefore, there isn’t much left except for the end. This concept of inevitability serves to encourage obedience, targeting lifestyles that the author wants to change. Doing so provides a sense of hope for the oppressed because those who are evil will eventually be brought to justice. This portrays the idea of divine order and God’s plan, where everything is going to happen at a set time regardless of the situation. This also assures those who are obedient and follow the moral guidelines will soon be rewarded.
In the apocalyptic tradition, Dualism is the division of moral pairs.
The opposing aspects are used to speak things into creation. Some of the most common moral binaries can be seen in Genesis. The most popular moral pairs are “day and night” and the “sea and earth.” The “day” represents light, all of which is good, and gives moral character to aspects of creation. In contrast, “night” represents darkness and evil. The concept of “light” and “darkness” can also be seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Here, the Essenes view themselves as the “Sons of Light” because they believe they are the right ones, representing goodness. Anyone outside of the Qumran community, they refer to as the “Sons of Darkness.” In this case, the “darkness” signifies outsiders, those who are evil and corrupt for not living by the same guidelines as the Essenes. The “sea” and “earth” are another set of moral binaries because as seen in Genesis, the sea also represents evil and the earth represents what is good. It states, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the early was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). This portrays an image of light and goodness as God is creating the heavens and the earth. The “formless void and darkness” that is being referred to, is that of the water covering the earth and characterizes it as something evil because it is an obstacle for God to overcome to continue creating. Further examples can be seen in the combat myths. As seen in the Baal cycle, Yamm is the sea and is also the evil force. Similarly in Enuma Elish, Tiamat is the evil sea monster. He was the evil force and his evil is symbolized through his associated with the
sea.
Here, a main belief is that when you remain faithful to your religion, you will be rewarded in the end. Also seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls, apocalyptic religious communities required that people were absolutely committed. There were rules established as a way of instituting complete control. As in the Book of Daniel, this concept provided a hopeful message because those who obeyed the rules would be rewarded in the end. The difference between Jewish apocalypticism and Christian apocalypticism is that Jewish apocalypticism focuses heavily on a worldly view, such that in the end there would be order and power, whereas Christian apocalypticism focuses on a heavenly view. For example, in the Book of Daniel the role of wisdom, faith, dreams, and divine powers are emphasized more. Other types of apocalypses can be seen in the Book of Enoch. These include the Apocalypse of Weeks and an Animal Apocalypse. The Apocalypse of Weeks presents time in definite stages. Time is presented in an orderly fashion and predicts the future. This religious apocalypse demonstrates the power of the divine because the future is written, meaning that everything is predetermined and inevitable. With that, Enoch is aware that the end is near based on the scheme of history that has already happened. The Animal Apocalypse is one in which the animals represent humans. For example, the sheep represented Jacob/Israel, and the bulls of different colors represent Isaac, Abraham, Cain, Abel, Adam, and Noah. Besides religious apocalypses, another type of apocalypse that grew in the 20th century are secular apocalypses. These lack meaning and social order when compared to religious apocalypses. Apart from the religious apocalypse, this type is the belief that crisis is inevitable and unpredictable, bound to happen at any given moment but lack the meaning as to why they are going to occur. Examples of these include the deterioration of the ozone layer, global warming, or nuclear warfare.
The Combat Myth is a form of apocalyptic writing that pertains to the creation of new life through the destruction of evil. The evil is typically personified as a monster or a force of nature. In Enuma Elish, the evil is Tiamat, the sea monster. In the Baal cycle, the enemy is the sea, Yamm. The individual that fights the evil force is typically characterized as an “underdog” while the evil source is characterized as mighty and powerful that it is destined to win. Marduk, the protagonist in Enuma Elish is an example (The Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism). The hero, such as Marduk, conquers the evil force as a way to restore political and cosmic order. The hero is then rewarded, typically with a position of higher power such as that of a King. Similar themes can be seen in parts of Genesis. In Genesis, the earth seems to have already been established, meaning that God did not construct it in its entirety. At the very beginning of the book it says, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the early was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). This seems as if God was forced to conquer the sea in order to proceed to create the rest of the world. The example in Genesis is similar to the combat myth in the Baal cycle because the two both conquer the sea and then granted with greater titles of power and authority. The combat myth plays a role in apocalypticism because once the greater evil is conquered, a turn of order will prevail.
Vaticinium ex Eventu, meaning “prophecy after the fact,” is a technique that involves predicting events that have already happened. It does not predict the future, but is instead, predicting the past. This technique is used to convince readers that it was written or “prophesized” earlier than the current time period. By doing so, the “predictions” that are made by the author could be viewed as a true prophecy, giving credibility to the author’s predictions. By establishing the accurate predictions, this allows the author to establish himself as a valid and accurate source. This increases the likelihood that the reader will be convinced and believe what they are reading because it would appear as if the author has predicted events that the reader would already know are going to occur. Pseudonymity is a different literary technique. This technique is used to allow the author to keep their identity unknown or use the identity of a different source as another way to increase the validity of their writing. The reader would be more apt to believe a prophecy or prediction that comes from a well-known source such as a dominant religious or political figure. They would believe such a source over that of an unknown source with minute authority or importance. Pseudonyms are typically used in cases where the author wants to claim a more powerful title, one that is more recognizable. An example of both a pseudonym and Vaticinium ex Eventu can be seen in Enoch. The use of Enoch as the author gives a voice of authority because Enoch was close to God and a descendent of Adam. The author also predicts the events that lead up to the revolt of the Maccabees. Once again, both techniques are used to increase the validity of the writing and the credibility of the source.
The practice of breaking down history into specific time frames is known as periodization. These time periods could be very specific or very broad. For example, it could be a specific number of days, weeks, or years or they could be vague periods, such as before or after an event. Periodization allows an individual to determine what time period they are in as they read, forcing them to adapt to the situation. An example of this is the Apocalypse of Weeks in Enoch, which consists of definite stages. It lays out a definition of history. Time is orderly and is able to predict the future. This means that the future has already been written and that everything is predetermined. Enoch sees the grand plan as the end is near and he knows that there is not a whole lot of time left, provided a hopeful message. Various events occurred which lead toward destruction and the creation of divine intervention. This is hopeful because the end is close at hand because the scheme of history has already happened. Therefore, there isn’t much left except for the end. This concept of inevitability serves to encourage obedience, targeting lifestyles that the author wants to change. Doing so provides a sense of hope for the oppressed because those who are evil will eventually be brought to justice. This portrays the idea of divine order and God’s plan, where everything is going to happen at a set time regardless of the situation. This also assures those who are obedient and follow the moral guidelines will soon be rewarded.
In the apocalyptic tradition, Dualism is the division of moral pairs.
The opposing aspects are used to speak things into creation. Some of the most common moral binaries can be seen in Genesis. The most popular moral pairs are “day and night” and the “sea and earth.” The “day” represents light, all of which is good, and gives moral character to aspects of creation. In contrast, “night” represents darkness and evil. The concept of “light” and “darkness” can also be seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Here, the Essenes view themselves as the “Sons of Light” because they believe they are the right ones, representing goodness. Anyone outside of the Qumran community, they refer to as the “Sons of Darkness.” In this case, the “darkness” signifies outsiders, those who are evil and corrupt for not living by the same guidelines as the Essenes. The “sea” and “earth” are another set of moral binaries because as seen in Genesis, the sea also represents evil and the earth represents what is good. It states, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the early was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). This portrays an image of light and goodness as God is creating the heavens and the earth. The “formless void and darkness” that is being referred to, is that of the water covering the earth and characterizes it as something evil because it is an obstacle for God to overcome to continue creating. Further examples can be seen in the combat myths. As seen in the Baal cycle, Yamm is the sea and is also the evil force. Similarly in Enuma Elish, Tiamat is the evil sea monster. He was the evil force and his evil is symbolized through his associated with the
sea.