Apocalyptic John

Some years ago, Richard Bauckham wrote superb book on Revelation, The Climax of Prophecy. It contained nine references to John’s gospel.

A recent collection of papers in honor of the dean of Johannine studies, Raymond Brown, contained only a handful of references to Revelation, all in a single footnote. John Ashton has written that we cannot accept the traditional attribution to John the Apostle because “in language, form, style, and content” John and Revelation are “utterly different.”

But Ashton left the door open, identifying some “intimations of apocalyptic” in John’s gospel, and now comes John’s Gospel and Intimations of Apocalyptic, edited by Catrin Williams and Christopher Rowland. 

Many of the essays in this volume look at “apocalyptic” elements in John’s gospel itself—the role of the Paraclete, for instance, or the depiction of evil. Two focus particular attention on the John-Revelation question, and both give some room to break out of the accepted wisdom about the books’ non-relationship.

Jorg Frey is the more explicit: The view that “Revelation was written by an unknown prophet named John, who was unrelated to the author or authors of the other ‘Johannine’ writings – is not satisfactory” (81). His exploration of the common notion of God “tabernacling” doesn’t prove the books are related or that they had the same author. He concludes lamely that his essay demonstrates how difficult it is “to make historical connections” (103). No doubt. But along the way to that hyper-modest conclusion, Frey shows that his selection passages share language and the same Old Testament notion of divine dwelling (shakinah). Which is a step, even if not an overly bold one. 

A follow-up article might attempt not only to spot similarities, and to identify historical connections, but attempt to tease out a progression. John uses the motif at the beginning of his gospel, describing the tabernacling of the Word in flesh; Revelation uses the same motif to describe the descent of the Bride. If we take the books together, the motif frames the whole, moving from Jesus to the bridal city, from new Adam to new Eve. 

Ian Boxhall’s essay looks at similarities of syntax and vocabulary, and discovers that in Revelation many of the “Johannine-sounding phrases” come from Jesus. “I received from My Father” a  commandment (John 10:18) and authority as shepherd-king (Revelation 2:27-28). Jesus issues an invitation to the thirsty in John 7:37, which is repeated by the Spirit-and-Bride in Revelation 22:17. Boxhall mentions in passing the six “I am” saying of Revelation, which we can add to the frequent usage in John.

He points to shared terminology between the two: Logos as a Christological title, bride/bridegroom imagery, “water of life,” frequent use of the word “life,” variations on the mart– root, promises of victory (nikain) and keeling/maintaining (terein; 64).

It’s all very suggestive. It’s only a beginning, but it’s at least that, and preferable to the unfortunate bifurcation of the two books that has dominated scholarship for some time.