Deck 28: Christians and the Cosmos: the Revelation of John, the Shepherd of Hermas, and the Apocalypse of Peter

Question 1

Choose one of the apocalypses you have studied and describe how it appropriates some aspects of the genre and excludes others. What is the main point of the apocalypse? What does it warn its readers about? How might it function within a Christian community?

Answer 1

Students should discuss the basic elements of the genre: pseudonymity and its function, symbolic visions and their meaning in the text, repetitions, triumphalist themes, and motivational functions. In addition, they should discuss the primary themes in the texts (the destruction of current world powers, the problem of postbaptismal sin, the promise of heaven and the tortures of hell) and how each of these themes points to problems within particular communities.

Question 2

Apocalypses were a distinct genre of literature. Many ancient writers used this genre's dualistic perspective on human history to convey an apocalyptic agenda. Discuss the differences between apocalyptic literature written by ancient Jews and that written by Christians.

Answer 2

The drama of human history concludes differently in Jewish and Christian literature for the obvious reason that in Christian, but not Jewish, apocalyptic literature, it is always Jesus who conquers evil in the present age and ushers in the Kingdom of God. In Christian apocalypses such as Revelation, The Shepherd of Hermas, and the Apocalypse of Peter, all the cataclysmic events culminate with Jesus as the savior of the world.

Question 3

Seemingly everything about apocalyptic literature is symbolic. Interpret the following symbols of Revelation in light of your knowledge of the book's historical context: the twenty-four human elders; the whore of Babylon; and the number of the Beast, 666.

Answer 3

The twenty-four human elders in Revelation appear to represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles; the whore of Babylon represents Rome, who persecutes "the saints" (in Jewish tradition, "Babylon" is typically code for the enemy of God's people; the reference to seven hills also implies Rome). The art of calculating the number of a person's name is known as "gematria." The number of the Beast, 666, most likely refers to the Roman emperor Nero Caesar. The Sybilline oracles pick out Nero as the Beast based on the total of his name being 616. However, when his name is spelled in Hebrew, the total comes out to 666. This interpretation fits with the symbolism in Revelation revealing Rome as "the whore of Babylon" supported by Satan and the archenemy of God.

Question 4

Discuss what can be known about the author of the book of Revelation and the communities to which he writes. How would you characterize the social context of his audience?

Question 5

Revelation is not pseudonymous.

Question 6

Apocalyptic literature is symbolic because it is trying to describe future events (and inventions) that ancient visionaries couldn't understand.

Question 7

The number of the Beast is 616 in some manuscripts and 666 in others.

Question 8

The seven-headed Beast of Revelation is best identified as the seven continents.

Question 9

The Greek of Revelation is clumsy and even ungrammatical at times.

Question 10

The first two

A) A heavenly journey
B) A tour of hell
C) Letters to churches
D) Descriptions of the destruction of the world

Question 11

Surviving apocalypses are written in the names of all of the following except:

A) Jesus
B) Moses
C) Abraham
D) Adam

Question 12

All of the following are true about The Shepherd of Hermas except:

A) It is an apocalypse.
B) It is pseudonymous.
C) It was written in the second century.
D) Some Christians included it in the New Testament.

Question 13

Later Christians deemed The Shepherd of Hermas noncanonical because:

A) It was heretical.
B) It was written by an apostle.
C) It was not ancient.
D) It was pseudonymous.

Question 14

The primary concern of The Shepherd of Hermas is:

A) Christians who have sinned after baptism
B) The appearance of false prophets
C) The community's inappropriate actions at the Lord's Supper
D) The method of baptism

Question 15

The Muratorian canon:

A) Is an ancient record of the final form of the New Testament
B) Does not include the Pauline letters
C) Begins and ends midsentence
D) Is a list of all of the books of the Hebrew Bible

Question 16

The Shepherd of Hermas teaches that:

A) People who sin have no chance of salvation.
B) People who sin can obtain salvation through confession.
C) People who sin can repent only once after baptism.
D) People who sin must be rebaptized every time they repent.

Question 17

The Apocalypse of Peter:

A) Is pseudonymous
B) Was written by Peter
C) Was written in Latin
D) Is in the New Testament

Question 18

The Apocalypse of Peter:

A) Is concerned with baptism and repentance
B) Records secret sayings of Jesus
C) Describes a tour of heaven and hell
D) Promises the imminent destruction of the Roman Empire

Question 19

The first apocalypticist to write an apocalypse was:

A) John, the author of Revelation
B) The author of Daniel
C) The author of The Shepherd of Hermas
D) The author of the Apocalypse of Peter

Question 20

Of the two main kinds of ancient apocalyptic literature, the "heavenly journey" type has the prophet/author:

A) Taken on a heavenly tour by an angelic companion
B) Receive a symbolic vision of the future course of human history
C) Die for the sins of the world
D) Meet God and Satan personally

Question 21

Of the two main kinds of ancient apocalyptic literature, the "historical sketch" type has the prophet/author:

A) Taken on a heavenly tour by an angelic companion
B) Receive a symbolic vision of the future course of human history
C) Die for the sins of the world
D) Meet God and Satan personally

Question 22

First Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra are:

A) Noncanonical Christian apocalypses
B) Canonical Christian apocalypses
C) Noncanonical Jewish apocalypses
D) Canonical Jewish apocalypses

Question 23

Revelation 22:18-19 delivers a threat to:

A) The reader
B) The copyists
C) The Gentiles
D) The Romans

Question 24

The "lake of fire" in the book of Revelation most likely refers to:

A) The author's belief that sinners will be annihilated and cease to exist
B) The author's belief that sinners will suffer forever for their sins
C) The author's belief that the world will be consumed by fire
D) The author's belief that the world's oceans will turn to ash at the coming of Jesus