The Throne Motif in the Book of Revelation

This book represents a revised version of my dissertation in New Testament Studies, submitted to the theological faculty of the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, in May 2011. I would like to thank all the people who have provided me with support and contributed to the process of carrying out the research and of writing and publishing this study. First of all, I must express my deep appreciation to Professor Peter Balla, my Doktorvater, who encouraged and guided me tirelessly throughout the entire process and stood beside me as a kind of 'parent', inspiring me by his personal example to become not only a better scholar but also a better man. He graciously recommended the publication of this work in the LNTS series. I would also like to thank the committee of readers of the dissertation and the examiners, Professors József Zsengellér, Gábor Vladár, Jen Szigeti, Ferenc Pap and Ottó Pecsuk, for their helpful criticism and thoughtful suggestions. Among the exceptional scholars who most stimulated my thinking on the book of Revelation during earlier stages are Professors Jon Paulien, Richard Bauckham and Greg Beale. I am aware that I am standing on the shoulders of giants and that I greatly bene ted from their scholarship, which opened new vistas for me and deepened my love of the Scriptures. I owe a debt of gratitude to the Trans-European Divison and South-East European Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for providing me with a scholarship that made possible the birth of the present work. Because of their substantial help, I was able to spend four months at Tyndale House (Cambridge), signi cant time at the Catholic and Protestant Theological library in Vienna and also at various libraries in Budapest, between 2007 11. I would like to add with gratitude that the staff of these libraries did their best to assist me in my research. I am grateful to Bloomsbury T&T Clark for agreeing to publish this work as part of the LNTS Series, and for providing me with support in nalizing the manuscript. It is a great privilege to stand in the line of scholars whose work has been published in this prestigious series. Most of all, I am indebted to my dear wife Helena, who believed in this project from the beginning and provided a loving and stimulating context, while reminding me at the same time of the reality of life. This CONTENTS Acknowledgments Abbreviations INTRODUCTION 1. Statement of the Problem 2. Justification for the Study 3. Purpose and Thesis of the Study 4. Towards a Semantic Framework for a Motif Study 5. Order of Presentation Part I - BACKGROUND TO THE THRONE MOTIF Chapter 1 - OLD TESTAMENT 1. Concepts Related to Yahweh’s Throne 2. The Chariot Throne 3. The Theological Meanings of Yahweh’s Throne 4. Conclusion Chapter 2 - JEWISH LITERATURE 1. The Throne Visions of God 2. The Heavenly Thrones of God’s Allies 3. The Heavenly Throne in Qumran 4. Conclusion Chapter 3 - GRAECO-ROMAN SOURCES 1. The Origin of the Institution of the Divine Throne 2. Divine Thrones in Graeco-Roman Literature 3. Thrones in Numismatics 4. Thrones in Art 5. Conclusion Part II - TEXTUAL ANALYSIS Chapter 4 - THRONE OF GOD 1. Description of the Throne (4.1-11) 2. Characterization of God by the Throne Motif 3. Phenomena/Actions Emanating from the Throne 4. Conclusion Chapter 5 - THE LAMB ON THE THRONE 1. Drama in the Heavenly Throne-Room (5.1-14) 2. The Heavenly Temple Festival (7.9-17) 3. The Throne in the New Jerusalem (22.1-5) 4. Conclusion Chapter 6 - THRONES OF GOD’S ALLIES 1. Enthronement of the Overcomers (3.21) 2. Thrones of the Twenty-Four Elders (4.4; 11.16) 3. Thrones of the Judgers (20.4) 4. Conclusion Chapter 7 - THRONES OF GOD’S ADVERSARIES 1. Throne of Satan (2.13) 2. Throne of the Beast (13.2; 16.10) 3. Conclusion Part III - SUBSTANTIAL ANALYSIS Chapter 8 - THE STRUCTURE OF THE THRONE MOTIF 1. Literary Characteristics of the "thronos" Texts 2. Cognate Concepts Related to the Throne Motif 3. Macrodynamic of the Throne Motif’s Development 4. Conclusion Part IV - FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS Chapter 9 - THE RHETORICAL IMPACT OF THE THRONE MOTIF 1. The Rhetorical Situation of Revelation 2. Rhetorical Force of the Throne Motif 3. Conclusion Chapter 10 - CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEOLOGY OF REVELATION 1. The Throne and the Question of God 2. The Throne and the Question of History 3. Conclusion CONCLUSION Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors "This book argues that the throne motif constitutes the major interpretive key to the complex structure and theology of the book of Revelation. In the first part of the book, Gallusz examines the throne motif in the Old Testament, Jewish literature and Graeco-Roman sources. He moves on to devote significant attention to the throne of God texts of Revelation and particularly to the analysis of the throne-room vision (chs. 4 & 5), which is foundational for the development of the throne motif. Gallusz reveals how Revelation utilizes the throne motif as the central principle for conveying a theological message, since it appears as the focus of the author from the outset to the climax of the drama. The book concludes with an investigation into the rhetorical impact of the motif and its contribution to the theology of Revelation. Gallusz finally shows that the throne, what it actually represents, is of critical significance both to Revelation's theism and to God's dealing with the problem of evil in the course of human history."--Bloomsbury Publishing This book argues that the throne motif constitutes the major interpretive key to the complex structure and theology of the book of Revelation. In the first part of the book, Gallusz examines the throne motif in the Old Testament, Jewish literature and Graeco-Roman sources. He moves on to devote significant attention to the throne of God texts of Revelation and particularly to the analysis of the throne-room vision (chs. 4 & 5), which is foundational for the development of the throne motif. Gallusz reveals how Revelation utilizes the throne motif as the central principle for conveying a theological message, since it appears as the focus of the author from the outset to the climax of the drama. The book concludes with an investigation into the rhetorical impact of the motif and its contribution to the theology of Revelation. Gallusz finally shows that the throne, what it actually represents, is of critical significance both to Revelation's theism and to God's dealing with the problem of evil in the course of human history. (Publisher) This book argues that the throne motif constitutes the major interpretive key to the complex structure and theology of the book of Revelation. In the first part of the book, Gallusz examines the throne motif in the Old Testament, Jewish literature and Graeco-Roman sources. He moves on to devote significant attention to the throne of God texts of Revelation and particularly to the analysis of the throne-room vision (chs. 4&5), which is foundational for the development of the throne motif. Gallusz reveals how Revelation utilizes the throne motif as the central principle for conveying a theological message, since it is the author's focus from the outset to the climax of the drama. The book concludes with an investigation into the rhetorical impact of the motif and its contribution to the theology of Revelation. [From back cover].