judge

I was in a discussion about Revelation chapt 20

1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

And I am wondering , with images of angels, dragons, serpents, heaven the abyss, burning sulphur and the sea, etc etc....

Is this stuff only comprehensible in terms of Ancient Near East mythology?

How relevant is ANE mythology to all this?

aa5874

Comprehensible?????

How does a person have a dream that last for a thousand years?

The author probably never woke up.

mg01

In creation myths, existance before the world is represented as a type of watery chaos/deep/abyss. This is personified as a monster/serpent/dragon that is conquered to allow the world to come into existance. (Marduk defeats Tiamat, El defeats Yam, etc...) The symbolic implication of "releasing the monster" is implying that creation will be undone/destroyed.

judge

Thanks for that. So possibly in Rev 20:1 the dragon/serpent is chained, creation happens, then in verse 7 satan is released, creation is undone. Then In chapter 21 the new creation arrives?

can you reccomend an avenue to further look into this?

judge

I think I got this ass about.

Revelation seems to have Jerusalem destroyed which takes us to the end of chapter 18.
Then in chapter 20, the dragon is bound and thrown into the abyss (creation?), then later released (de-creation?). Then in chapter 21 the new Jerusalem/creation(?) appears.

I'm not sure what to make of it...any ideas anyone?

mg01

The symbolism may not be that explicit. In spinning his own tale the author is probably just making references to draw on the imagery to describe the calamity of what is to come, which is simply the old/evil/corupt way will be destroyed and the righteous elect will be saved and welcomed in a new kingdom.

For more info on ANE myths try "Myths from Mesopotamia" by Dalley, "Stories from Ancient Canaan" by Coogan, "World Mythology" by Willis (ed), or "Masks of God: Occidental Mythology" by Campbell.