PATTERNS OF PROPHETIC LAWSUITS IN THE ORACLES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

This article examines the juridical language and imagery in the messages to the seven churches of the Apocalypse and compares it to the lawsuit speeches in prophetic writings of the Hebrew Bible. The primary thesis is that the Apocalypse of John exhibits a pattern that corresponds to the basic struc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neotestamentica 2011-01, Vol.45 (2), p.178-205
Main Author: Bandy, Alan S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Christology
Churches
Exegesis and biblical criticism
History and sciences of religions
Lawsuits
New Testament
Oracles
Prophecy
Prophets
Religious buildings
Revelation
Speeches
Treaties
Warnings
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Summary:This article examines the juridical language and imagery in the messages to the seven churches of the Apocalypse and compares it to the lawsuit speeches in prophetic writings of the Hebrew Bible. The primary thesis is that the Apocalypse of John exhibits a pattern that corresponds to the basic structure of prophetic lawsuit speeches especially in the messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev 1-3). The first part of this article surveys the development and formal features of the Gerichtsrede, or lawsuit speech, as a prophetic subgenre. It will be argued that lawsuit speeches represent a prophetic convention with identifiable structural components, but were freely adopted and adapted by prophets to suit their purposes. The second section of the article will examine the form and content of the seven messages to the churches in Rev 2:1-3:22. This examination demonstrates that these messages are prophetic oracles most closely related to the covenant lawsuit speeches.
ISSN:0254-8356
0254-8356