5 research outputs found
The Background and Meaning of the Image of the Beast in Rev. 13:14, 15
Problem
This dissertation investigates the first century Greco-Roman cultural backgrounds and the literary context of the motif of the image of the beast in Rev 13:14, 15, in order to answer the problem of the author’s intended meaning of the image of the beast to his first century Greco-Roman readers.
Method
There are six steps necessary to accomplish the task of this dissertation. These steps are taken in the form of the exegetical studies which are done in six chapters, respectively. Following the introductory chapter, the second chapter is a brief history of the historical interpretations of the image of the beast in Rev 13:14, 15, starting with the interpretations from scholars of the first three centuries and continuing on to the present. This historical survey in Chapter 2 demonstrates that an in depth exegetical study of the image of the beast is much needed. Chapters 3-6 were an attempt to make up for this deficiency by providing an exegetical study of the image of the beast motif in its original cultural and literary context of the book of Revelation. Chapter 3 is a study of the image-of-the-beast motif within its immediate context of Revelation 13. Chapters 4-6 provide a study of the image-of-the-beast motif in the latter half of Revelation, i.e., Revelation 14-20, with Chapters 4-5 studying the image-of-the-beast motif in the chapters (Revelation 14-16, 19, and 20) in which this term occurs, and Chapter 6 studying this motif in the chapters (Revelation 17, 18) in which this term is absent.
Conclusion
As I have come to see it, the narrative of Rev 13:14, 15 depicts the attempt of an unholy trinity to counteract God’s goal for the plan of salvation, i.e., the restoration of Imago Dei in human beings in the last days by creating the image of the beast on Earth. The image of the beast is an end time entity, comprised of a community of people who reflect the character of the dragon, and has the three-fold religious-economic-political power to impose false worship on Earth. The image of the beast is best identified with the end time Babylon the Great of chapters 17-18
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The Power Dynamics of the Family of the Gods in Archaic Verse.
This thesis seeks to explore the power dynamics within the Greek pantheon as it is represented in
Archaic Greek verse. The poets depict the gods as members of an elite ruling family, and this
presentation allows them to explore complex relationships between the gods. The poets’ own
understanding of interfamilial and political relationships within their communities would have
shaped their presentation of the gods, who the poets describe using the same terms as their mortal
counterparts. Studies of the basileus in the archaic period have shown that Zeus has more in
common with that of the ‘Chief’ or ‘Big-man’ than with ‘king’. This thesis will demonstrate that the
immortals are subject to the same social pressures as their mortal counterparts and highlight the
connections between family and political roles in the power struggles amongst the gods. Particular
attention is given to the role of goddesses in relation to their consorts and sons. Zeus’ position is far
from secure, and he must manage his allies and rivals carefully to avoid displacement. While he
punishes his enemies, but he also creates alliances through distribution of gifts and honours and
through marriages which bind together the various branches of the divine family. Zeus actively
polices the boundaries of mortal and immortal, by punishing those who attempt to transgress those
boundaries. In an appendix, the thesis explores similarities and differences between Near Eastern
theogonic accounts, especially in the means of succession and models of monarchy. The
presentation of the gods as members of a powerful dynasty offers a powerful insight into how the
Archaic Greeks conceived of their deities