The song of Moses in the book of Revelation : allusions, memories, and identity

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research aims to trace the exodus motif in the book of Revelation in general and Rev.12-20 in particular, and to examine the socio-rhetorical function of the use of the exodusmotif. Our hypothesis is that Rev. 12-20 constitutes a coherent unit in terms of narratologyand that the exodus motif plays a significant role in forming the structure and the message ofthe book of Revelation, specifically of Revelation 12-20. Significantly, the song of Moses andthe Lamb in Rev. 15 plays a pivotal role in the development of the thread of the chapter 12-20as a plot.In the chapter 2, an overview of the history of interpretation of Revelation is provided andalso the limitation of current studies of the song of Moses is highlighted. In addition, a newapproach to the song of Moses in Revelation is suggested.The main goal of the chapter 3 is to examine Rev. 12-20 according to four narrative elementsand from which Rev 12-20 can be deduced as a discrete literary unit constituting a plot. Itwill be argued that Rev. 12-20, as a plot, is highly stylized in the chiastic structure which hasthe song of Moses and the Lamb at the centre.Chapter 4 investigates Exod. 1-15 as a coherent story and explains how the author ofRevelation adopts the exodus motifs in forming both the theme and the structure ofRevelation. Moreover, it will be argued that the exodus motif generated certain sociorhetoricalmeanings to the audiences or the readers who were assimilated into the RomanEmpire. For understanding the socio-rhetorical meanings, we examine the socio-rhetoricalcontext, namely Asia Minor as part of the Roman Empire, and deal with the socio-rhetoricalrole of the exodus motif in the book of Revelation.In the chapter 5, firstly, drawing on the theoretical assumptions from social psychology, webuild up a framework in which we can deal with Rev. 12-20 in terms of identity issues. Then,the covenantal identity based on the covenant in the book of Exodus will be suggested as analternative identity. Thus, the exodus motif in Rev. 12-20 challenges the assimilated identityof the audiences or the readers to be renewed in the covenantal identity, so that they may beholy apart from the culture and the structure of the Roman Empire. The song of Moses andthe Lamb reinforces the covenantal identity.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University