 |  Understanding the Bible: Sixth Edition, 6/e Stephen Harris,
California State University--Sacramento
General Epistles and Some Visions of End Time and Chapter 14: Interpreting the Judeo-Christian Bible in a Changed World
Glossary| alpha | The first letter of the Greek alphabet, presented as a symbol of creation (Genesis). See omega.
| | | | | anti-Christ | The ultimate enemy of Jesus Christ who, according to Christian apocalyptic traditions, will manifest himself at the End of time to corrupt many of the faithful, only to be vanquished when Christ appears. The term is used only in 2 and 3 John but is clearly referred to in 2 Thessalonians (2:1-12) and Revelation 13.
| | | | | apocalypse | From the Greek apokalypsis, meaning to "uncover" or "reveal," the term refers to a special kind of prophetic literature that purports to foretell the future in terms of symbols and mystical visions and deals primarily with eschatological events.
| | | | | Apocalypse of Peter | One of many significant extracanonical works. Existing only in an Ethiopian translation, it describes in excruciating detail the suffering of souls condemned to hell by Jesus at his Second Coming.
| | | | | Armageddon | A Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Har Megiddon, or "Mountain of Megiddo," a famous battlefield in the Plain of Jezreel in ancient Israel (Judg. 5:19; 2 Kings 9:27; 23:29). In Revelation 16:16, it is the symbolic site of the ultimate war between Good and Evil.
| | | | | catholic epistles | A term referring to seven short New Testament documents, most of which were addressed to no specific person or church and therefore were intended for catholic ("universal") use.
| | | | | Clement of Rome | A Roman bishop thought to have written (c. 95 c.e.) the letter of 1 Clement.
| | | | | Didache | A two-part extracanonical work, also called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, that contains a manual of primitive church discipline that may date to apostolic times.
| | | | | Domitian | Roman emperor (81-96 c.e.), younger son of Vespasian, who ascended the throne following the death of his brother Titus. The Book of Revelation was written late in his reign.
| | | | | doxology | In a religious writing or service, the formal concluding expression of praise or formula ritually ascribing glory to God.
| | | | | dualism | A philosophic or religious system that posits the existence of two parallel worlds, one of physical matter and the other of invisible spirit. Moral dualism views the universe as divided between powers of Good and Evil, Light and Dark, which contend for human allegiance.
| | | | | epistle | A formal letter intended for a wide public audience rather than for a specific group or individual.
| | | | | eschatology | From the Greek, meaning a "study of last things," eschatology is a doctrine or theological concept about the ultimate destiny of humanity and the universe. Having both a personal and a general application, it can refer to (1) beliefs about the individual soul following death, including divine judgment, heaven, hell, and resurrection; or (2) larger concerns about the fate of the cosmos, such as events leading to the Day of Yahweh, the final battle between supernatural Good and Evil, judgment of the nations, and the establishment of the Deity's universal sovereignty. In Christian terms, it involves the Parousia (return of Christ), the chaining of Satan, introduction of the millennium, and so on. Apocalyptic works like Daniel, Revelation, 2 Esdras, and the books of Enoch typically stress eschatological matters.
| | | | | Incarnation | The Christian doctrine asserting that the prehuman Son of God became flesh, the man Jesus of Nazareth, to reveal the divine will to humanity-a doctrine based largely on the Logos hymn that opens the fourth Gospel (John 1:1-18, especially 1:14; see also Col. 1:15-20; 2:9-15; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:1-4; 2:14-18).
| | | | | James | 1. Son of Zebedee, brother of John, and one of the Twelve Apostles (Mark 1:19-20; 3:17; Matt. 4:21-22; 10:2; Luke 5:10; 6:14). A Galilean fisherman, he left his trade to follow Jesus and, with John and Peter, became a member of his inner circle. He was among the three disciples present at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-10; Matt. 17:1-9; Luke 9:28-36) and was at Jesus' side during the last hours before his arrest (Mark 14:32-42; Matt. 26:36-45). James and John used their intimacy to request a favored place in the messianic kingdom, thus arousing the other apostles' indignation (Mark 10:35-45). James was beheaded when Herod Agrippa I persecuted the Jerusalem church (41-44 c.e.) (Acts 12:2).
2. James, son of Alphaeus and Mary (Acts 1:13; Mark 16:1), one of the Twelve (Matt. 10:3-4), called "the less" or "the younger" (Mark 15:40).
3. James, the eldest of Jesus' three "brothers" (or close male relatives) named in the Gospels (Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55), first opposed Jesus' work (Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21; John 7:3-5) but was apparently converted by one of Jesus' postresurrection appearances (1 Cor. 15:7) and became a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-34; 21:18-26). According to legend, a Nazirite and upholder of the Mosaic Law, he was known as James "the righteous." James apparently clashed with Paul over the latter's policy of absolving Gentile converts from circumcision and other legalistic requirements (Gal. 1:18-2:12). The reputed author of the New Testament Epistle of James, he was martyred at Jerusalem in the early 60s c.e.
| | | | | John of Patmos | The author of Revelation, exiled to the Aegean island of Patmos where he experienced visions of heaven and End time (Rev. 1:1, 4, 9; 22:8). He is not to be confused with the apostle John, son of Zebedee and brother of James.
| | | | | Jude | An Anglicized form of the name Judah or Judas; one of Jesus' "brothers" (or a close male relative) (Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55), perhaps a son born to Joseph before his marriage to Mary. Jude is less prominent in the early Christian community than his brother James (Jude 1:1) and is considered, according to tradition, the author of the Epistle of Jude, though most scholars doubt this claim.
| | | | | Laodicea | A commercial city on the Lycus River in Asia Minor and one of the seven churches of Asia (Col. 4:15-16; Rev. 3:14-22).
| | | | | liturgy | A body of rites, including both actions and spoken formulas, used in public worship, such as the ceremony of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). The Didache (c. 100 c.e.) describes some of the church's earliest liturgical practices, including baptism and Communion.
| | | | | Melchizedek | The king-priest of Canaanite Salem (probably the site of Jerusalem) to whom Abraham paid a tenth of his spoils of war (Gen. 14:17-20); cited by the author of Hebrews as foreshadowing Jesus Christ (Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6-10; 7:1-25).
| | | | | Michael | The angel whom the Book of Daniel represents as being the spirit prince, guardian, and protector of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1). Jude 9 depicts him as an archangel fighting with Satan for Moses' body. In Revelation 12:7, he leads the war against the dragon (Satan) and casts him from heaven. His name means "Who is like God?"
| | | | | Nero | Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, emperor of Rome (54-68 c.e.), the Caesar by whom Paul wished to be tried in Acts 25:11 and under whose persecution Paul was probably beheaded (64-65 c.e.). A first-century superstition held that Nero, slain during a palace revolt, would return at the head of an army. Regarded by some Christians as the anti-Christ, Nero's reappearance is apparently suggested in Revelation 13:4-18.
| | | | | Parousia | A Greek term (meaning "being by" or "being near") used to denote the Second Coming or appearance of Christ, commonly regarded as his return to judge the world, punish the wicked, and redeem the saved. It is a major concept in apocalyptic Christianity (Mark 13; Matt. 24-25; Luke 21; 1 and 2 Thess.; 2 Pet. 2-3; Rev.); but see also John 14:25-29; which emphasizes Jesus' continued spiritual presence rather than an eschatological apparition.
| | | | | Pergamum | A major Hellenistic city in western Asia Minor (modern Bergama in west Anatolian Turkey), site of a magnificent temple of Zeus, which some commentators believe is referred to as "Satan's Throne" in Revelation 2:13, Pergamum is one of the seven churches that the author John of Patmus addresses (Rev. 1:11; 2:12-17).
| | | | | Satan | In the Hebrew Bible, "the satan" appears as a prosecutor in the heavenly court among "the sons of God" (Job 1-2; Zech. 3:1-3) and only later as a tempter (1 Chron. 21:1; cf. 2 Sam. 24:1). Although the Hebrew Bible says virtually nothing about Satan's origin, the pseudepigraphal writings contain much legendary material about his fall from heaven and the establishment of a hierarchy of demons and devils. By the time the New Testament was written, he was believed to head a kingdom of Evil and to seek the corruption of all people, including the Messiah (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Satan (the "Opposer" or "Adversary") is also "the Evil One" (Matt. 6:13; 13:19; Eph. 6:16; 1 John 2:13; 5:18-19), "the Devil" (Matt. 4:1; 13:39; 25:41; John 8:44; Eph. 4:27), and the primordial serpent who tempted Eve (Rev. 12:9).
| | | | | Trajan (Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajanus) | Emperor of Rome (98-117 c.e.) who was born in Spain in about 53 c.e., became a successful military leader, and brought the Roman Empire to its greatest extent, annexing Dacia, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Arabia. Probably following the policies of Vespasian (69-79 c.e.), he conducted a persecution of Christians, although he wrote to Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, that they were not to be sought out or denounced anonymously.
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