Abstract
This article focuses on the mystical nature of the Christophany in Revelation 1-3 in order to illuminate the present research on mysticism in the New Testament. It firstly introduces the relevant text and outlines the extraordinary, exalted nature of the Christophany in Revelation 1. The second part then explains the vision in terms of the mystical revelation of hidden knowledge, whilst the third part analyses the mystical glory of the Son of Man.The article concludes with an explanation of the function of this mystical picture of Christ and the way in which a mystical Christology illuminates the relationship of believers with the divine.
Highlights
In his study on Pauline mysticism, Schweitzer (1931:1-3) spoke of mysticism as a general religious phenomenon about the union with the divinity and about “Being in its ultimate reality”
From the insights mentioned above and in the rest of the volume edited by Deconick, it is clear that mysticism in the New Testament still awaits much research work, that it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with many faces in different locations, texts and groups, that later interpretive categories should not obfuscate its meaning in antiquity and that it has a decisive role to play in the interpretation of the New Testament
The vision of Babylon, the whore is, for example, about the secret knowledge of the secret name on her forehead which is explained to him (Ba bylon, the great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth; Rev. 17:5). This motif of mystery is so important that John repeats it immediately afterwards when the angel responds to his astonishment with an explanation of “the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides” (Rev. 17:7)
Summary
In his study on Pauline mysticism, Schweitzer (1931:1-3) spoke of mysticism as a general religious phenomenon about the union with the divinity and about “Being in its ultimate reality”. From the insights mentioned above and in the rest of the volume edited by Deconick, it is clear that mysticism in the New Testament still awaits much research work, that it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with many faces in different locations, texts and groups, that later interpretive categories should not obfuscate its meaning in antiquity and that it has a decisive role to play in the interpretation of the New Testament. The rediscovery and reappraisal of ancient mystical texts and groups and in Biblical times is stimulating a new research approach which offers an inter pretive grid that allows new insights to be recognized and developed in Bibli cal texts To illustrate this practically and in more detail, this article explores the vision of the exalted Christ in Revelation 1 in terms of its mystical nature. The essay will discuss how both these insights about the angelic, glorious status of the Son of Man affect the way in which the book functions
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