요한계시록의 바다의 등장(4:6)과 전개(15:2)와 퇴장(21:1) 과정에 나타난 신학적 의의와 새 출애굽 : 부사의 비교

Abstract

This study is to explore the theological significance of the sea in Revelation from the perspective of the new exodus, focusing on the scenes of its appearances, development, and extinction in Revelation (4:6; 15:2; 21:1). From the beginning of John’s vision in Revelation 4, the sea emerges with a spectacular description of the heavenly throne that is adorned with “a sea of glass like crystal” (4:6). In chapter 15, the sea is portrayed as “a sea of glass mingled with fire” (15:2) while pouring out plagues and judgement in the following chapter. Finally, in chapter 21 where the world of new creation unfolds, the complete and final extinction of the sea takes place with the declaration that “the sea was no more” (21:1). It is hard to understand, however, that the sea which seemed to be a means of decorating the heavenly throne in the first scene has completely disappeared in the new creation at the final scene.BR For the contradictory descriptions of the sea in Revelation, I try to solve this problem by finding its nature and identity with the perspective of the new exodus in the cosmic, apocalyptic, and eschatological dimensions. The Red Sea event has been reinterpreted from generation to generation in the Old Testament (OT) and the later Jewish literature, during which the sea was regarded as the chaos and evil forces. In the exodus, the sea was a threat to both the Egyptian army and the Israelites, but God used the sea to destroy the Egyptian army and dried the sea to save the Israelites. On the one hand, the sea therefore serves as a tool to destroy the adversaries of God and his people while on the other hand, the sea is the chaos and evil force threatening God’s people that should be eliminated. The sea means both the tool of judgement over the evil people and the evil itself.BR Such nature and identity of the sea in the OT and the later Jewish literature are similarly manifested in Revelation, and are described in terms of the new exodus and in cosmic, apocalyptic, and eschatological dimensions. The glass sea like crystal (4:6), which implies the chaos and evil force in front of the heavenly throne reveals the glory and sovereignty of God through the complete submission of the sea. The glass sea mixed with fire (15:2) is used as a tool of judgement to destroy the forces that oppose God and his people. The sea being no more at the time of the new creation (21:1) shows that the complete elimination and extermination of evil has been accomplished. Just as the Red Sea dried up in the original exodus and thus entered the Israelites into the promised land, so the sea will be eliminated in the new creation of Revelation, which implies the ultimate and final destruction of chaos and evil forces, and that the people of God will dwell in the world of the new creation with the fulfillment of the new exodus.