Hierarchy, Prophecy, and the Angelomorphic Spirit: A Contribution to the Study of the Book of Revelation's "Wirkungsgeschichte"

Abstract

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-USASCII text omitted.) Thanks to work of scholars such as Ulrich Luz and Dale C. Allison, Jr., Wirkungsgeschichte (usually rendered into English as history) has come to be regarded as a necessary part of biblical scholarship.1 Recent years have seen publication of a volume on Revelation in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series, as well as of a book, authored by Judith Kovacs and Christopher Rowland, on reception of Revelation in Christian tradition.2 In what follows, I propose an interpretation of several passages in Revelation that deal with ... and prophecy. I explore possible fusion of horizons between views expressed in book of Revelation at end of first century, views of certain second-century writers, in particular Clement of Alexandria, and, to a certain degree, views of today's scholars on Revelation. The witness of Clement is extremely valuable because he is very self-conscious in committing to writing certain oral traditions inherited from earlier authoritative, even charismatic, teachers, whom he refers to as the This is especially true of surviving portions of his Hypotyposeis-the Excerpta ex Theodoto, Eclogae propheticae and Adumbrationes? It is generally admitted that in these works voice of elders is heard more often and more clearly than in other Clementine writings.4 I argue that Revelation exemplifies an archaic angelomorphic pneumatology similar to one discernible in other early Christian writings, one that occurs in tandem with christology, within a theological framework still marked by binitarianism.51 will clarify my use of Spirit christology and binitarianism at a later point. As for angelomorphic, this term, coined by Jean Danielou, is now widely used by scholars writing on emergence of christology.61 follow Crispin Fletcher-Louis's definition and use it wherever there are signs that an individual or community possesses specifically angelic characteristics or status, though for whom identity cannot be reduced to that of an angel.7 The virtue of this definition is that it signals use of angelic characteristics in descriptions of God or humans, while not necessarily implying that latter are angels stricto sensu. I. EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMENTARIES ON REVELATION The earliest surviving commentaries on Revelation is that of Victorinus of Poetovio, composed around 258-260.8 The works by Melito and Hippolytus did not survive; a few scholia are ascribed to Origen.9 There is, however, much that can be learned about exegesis of Revelation prior to Hippolytus and Origen. It is certain, for instance, that a passage in scholia ascribed to Origen finds an exact match in Strom. 4.25.156.10 It appears that Clement of Alexandria's notes on Revelation (as well as on Apocalypse of Peter) were part of eighth book of Hypotyposeis.11 It is not dear whether Cassiodorus, who commissioned a Latin translation of this work, possessed only excerpts of Hypotyposeis dealing with some of catholic epistles (since he only mentions Clement's commentaries on these NT writings), or whether he not only took care to purge Hypotyposeis of offensive ideas, as he does admit, but also thought it best to leave out certain passages, such as, for instance, scholia on Revelation.12 In any case, Adumbrationes consist only of scholia to 1 Peter, 1-2 John, and Jude. We are fortunate, however, to possess Cassiodorus's commentary on Revelation, contained in his Complexiones. To degree that passages in Cassiodorus's commentary reflect theology present in Adumbrationes, commentary may represent views that go back to Clement and elders. II. THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF REVELATION AND THE SECOND-CENTURY ... Revelation refers several times to a mysterious group of seven spirits (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). …