As I was looking through some old notes taken in my Apocalyptic Literature class (last semester), I found some brief details I took down from our class discussion of the Apostle Paul. The point of the lecture was that Paul is considered by some to have a very apocalyptic background/perspective. The following are the notes I took — I can’t promise they’ll make much sense, but I thought they were worth putting up. I would normally take more time to revise and put them into more sensible language, but as I am reaching the end of this semester, time is not something I have much of — so please bear with me. The ideas expressed here are not my own, but are the notes I took of what Dr. Andrei Orlov was presenting.
The Apostle Paul, by Rublev
Paul’s writings were written before the Gospels–have even more apocalyptic thought than they do. Many scholars have analyzed this trend in Paul. Paul is the visionary extaordinaire in the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 12:
1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
We should understand that the man spoken of is Paul himself. Most scholars interpret this as Paul being taken up to third heaven, which, as he seems to indicate, is Paradise. The third heaven as paradise shows up in Enochic literature, as well.
Throughout Paul there are many apocalyptic themes: we get the cosmic battle, Satan/Belial, 2 spirits, secret knowledge or wisdom, “seeing,” angels, eschatological end to the age, Adam and Eve, Satan transforming himself into angel of light, and many others that show up in Jewish apocalyptic works.
The theme of the transformation of the visionary–a long tradition throughout apocalyptic literature–is not passed up by Paul. Paul mentions (2 Cor. 3) Moses being transformed (resulting in his shining face) after his vision of God on Sinai — a topic that, while not fully treated in the Bible, is popular in the non-canonical apocalyptic literature.
On the transformation of humans into divine beings in apocalyptic literature:
- Adam becomes mightier than all angels of Creation–Adam is worthy of worship
- Enoch becomes angelic and is made chief of all angels
- Righteous, as they die and ascend to heaven, will be likewise transformed–change can also happen here and now
When Adam transgressed, he lost the divine spirit–that is why there is a necessity to return to Adam’s initial glory–we know have only animal soul, and we need to gain, be restored to, divine soul (this is how some apocalyptic texts describe mankind’s predicament).
–Adam and Eve don’t just lose garments of light, they lose the Holy Spirit
etz hayyim = tree of life–its not just a plant! John (Revelation) depicts Christ as the tree of life– the Holy One is a tree–sacred oil comes from his head (like an olive tree). The tree of life is the Deity himself–sefirot tree of Kabbalah represents this idea. Genesis Rabbah says that the tree of life is large that it requires a 500 year journey to cross it; compare to Shi’ur Qomah on the size of God’s body.
The Apocalypse of Abraham depicts Azazel (Satan) as the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Arboreal methaphors are common for divine entities — In Enochic Lit., Giants see dream of fallen trees that are actually fallen angelic beings.
In the Adam and Eve literature, God sets his throne next to the tree of life — the Garden of Eden is a temple
In one tradition, the Tree of Life is what Moses sees on Mt. Sinai — he brings down a branch of the tree
1 Cor. 15:35–41 ma’aseh be’reshit–Creation–this is how the creation unfolds–Philippians says that righteous will shine like the stars–Zohar means shining–the shining of Adam–in the resurrection there are different degrees of shining
1 Cor 11:6 — Shows that Paul was familiar with the Watchers tradition (of 1 Enoch) — Rebellious angels look down and desire mortal women
There is much evidence that Paul knew Jewish apocalyptic tradition well and used it seemlessly in his own writings, likely with the assumption that his Christian audience was well-familiar with these themes as well.
Apocalyptic Paul?
As I was looking through some old notes taken in my Apocalyptic Literature class (last semester), I found some brief details I took down from our class discussion of the Apostle Paul. The point of the lecture was that Paul is considered by some to have a very apocalyptic background/perspective. The following are the notes I took — I can’t promise they’ll make much sense, but I thought they were worth putting up. I would normally take more time to revise and put them into more sensible language, but as I am reaching the end of this semester, time is not something I have much of — so please bear with me. The ideas expressed here are not my own, but are the notes I took of what Dr. Andrei Orlov was presenting.
The Apostle Paul, by Rublev
Paul’s writings were written before the Gospels–have even more apocalyptic thought than they do. Many scholars have analyzed this trend in Paul. Paul is the visionary extaordinaire in the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 12:
1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
We should understand that the man spoken of is Paul himself. Most scholars interpret this as Paul being taken up to third heaven, which, as he seems to indicate, is Paradise. The third heaven as paradise shows up in Enochic literature, as well.
Throughout Paul there are many apocalyptic themes: we get the cosmic battle, Satan/Belial, 2 spirits, secret knowledge or wisdom, “seeing,” angels, eschatological end to the age, Adam and Eve, Satan transforming himself into angel of light, and many others that show up in Jewish apocalyptic works.
The theme of the transformation of the visionary–a long tradition throughout apocalyptic literature–is not passed up by Paul. Paul mentions (2 Cor. 3) Moses being transformed (resulting in his shining face) after his vision of God on Sinai — a topic that, while not fully treated in the Bible, is popular in the non-canonical apocalyptic literature.
On the transformation of humans into divine beings in apocalyptic literature:
When Adam transgressed, he lost the divine spirit–that is why there is a necessity to return to Adam’s initial glory–we know have only animal soul, and we need to gain, be restored to, divine soul (this is how some apocalyptic texts describe mankind’s predicament).
–Adam and Eve don’t just lose garments of light, they lose the Holy Spirit
etz hayyim = tree of life–its not just a plant! John (Revelation) depicts Christ as the tree of life– the Holy One is a tree–sacred oil comes from his head (like an olive tree). The tree of life is the Deity himself–sefirot tree of Kabbalah represents this idea. Genesis Rabbah says that the tree of life is large that it requires a 500 year journey to cross it; compare to Shi’ur Qomah on the size of God’s body.
The Apocalypse of Abraham depicts Azazel (Satan) as the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Arboreal methaphors are common for divine entities — In Enochic Lit., Giants see dream of fallen trees that are actually fallen angelic beings.
In the Adam and Eve literature, God sets his throne next to the tree of life — the Garden of Eden is a temple
In one tradition, the Tree of Life is what Moses sees on Mt. Sinai — he brings down a branch of the tree
1 Cor. 15:35–41 ma’aseh be’reshit–Creation–this is how the creation unfolds–Philippians says that righteous will shine like the stars–Zohar means shining–the shining of Adam–in the resurrection there are different degrees of shining
1 Cor 11:6 — Shows that Paul was familiar with the Watchers tradition (of 1 Enoch) — Rebellious angels look down and desire mortal women
There is much evidence that Paul knew Jewish apocalyptic tradition well and used it seemlessly in his own writings, likely with the assumption that his Christian audience was well-familiar with these themes as well.