Apocalyptic literature

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Apocalyptic literature (from Greek Αποκαλυψις, (Apokalypsis) "lifting a veil", "revealing") as a literary genre concentrates on prophecies concerning eschatological end times. It had its origins in the Jewish literary traditions of the first millennium BCE. The early Christians through the Roman period and the Middle Ages continued the tradition.

The two best-known examples of the genre appear in the Bible: the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation in the New Testament.

## Contents

* 1 Nature of the genre
* 2 Book of Daniel
* 3 Book of Revelation
* 4 More recent examples
* 5 Non-religious parallels
* 6 See also
* 7 External links

## Nature of the genre[edit]

Although apocalyptic literature often deals with eschatological themes, such as in the Book of Revelation, it would be a misunderstanding to read such works as direct, literal predictions about future historical events. Rather, such works are highly allegorical and employ a symbolism which only a limited audience is able to understand. In the case of the Book of Revelation, the fundamental theme is not so much the ending of the world, but a reflection on the persecution of the early Christians by Roman authorities at the time of Emperor Nero. Thus, the Great Beast referred to in Chapter 13 can be identified with Nero, and the opposing cities of Babylon and Jerusalem are symbolic representations of pagan Roman society of the 1st century and of the Christian society which it was hoped would replace it and end the persecutions.

## Book of Daniel[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Book of Daniel

## Book of Revelation[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Book of Revelation

## More recent examples[edit]

* The Left Behind series of US Christian fundamentalist apocalyptic pulp with just a hint of Schadenfreude when it comes to the fates of those not whisked away to their heavenly rewards.

## Non-religious parallels[edit]

* Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and especially its societal breakdown and Going Galt parts owe a fair share to apocalyptic literature (incl. the barely disguised glee over the misfortunes of characters who don't fit Rand's Objectivist ideals).
* William Luther Pierce's 1978 book, The Turner Diaries, is a white supremacist racist/racialist fantasy (and pretty much everyone else's nightmare) about the ~~brave new world~~ genocidal race war that eventually creates a "pure" white Eden.

## See also[edit]

* List of predictions of the end of the world

## External links[edit]

* See the Wikipedia article on Apocalyptic literature.

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Articles about apologetics and counter-apologetics

Apologetics and counter-apologetics: |  Question Evolution • Christianity is not a religion • Proof the Bible is True • Proof God is Always Right • Russell's Teapot • New Apologetics • Apologetics • Zeal of the convert • Statements that are wrong on the level of a Young Earth • Evidence for God from Science • Free will • Atheists hate god • Torah Philosophy • Answering Islam • ProphecyFilm.com • Atheist professor myth • Marian apparition • Minimal facts argument • FAQ for the Newly Deconverted • Nahom • Kuzari principle • Richard Dawkins - God Hater • God • Mara bar Serapion •
| Existence of gods: |  Religious scientists • Omnipotence paradox • Ontological argument • Presuppositionalism • Problem of evil • Transcendental argument for God • Oenological argument • God of the gaps • Evidence for God's existence • Argument from morality • Argument from molarity • Argument from first cause • Argument from fine tuning • Argument from design • Argument from beauty • Lewis Trilemma • Magic sandwich • Evil is the absence of God • Kissing Hank's Ass • The Dragon in My Garage • Intelligent design • Argument from desire • Arguments against the existence of God •
| Belief in gods: |  Pascal's wager • Spanish Inquisition • List of gods that theists don't believe in •
| Science and religion: |  Fideism • God of the gaps • Intelligent falling • Non-Overlapping Magisteria • Faith • Creation science • Accommodationism • Burwell v. Hobby Lobby • Louis Pasteur • Science and religion •
| Morality and religion: |  Just world fallacy • Divine command theory • Euthyphro dilemma • Birth as a Grave Misfortune • Responding to Sam Burke's Argument That Christianity Entails Anti-Natalism •
Scriptures: |  Book of Mormon • Dianetics • Talmud • Q gospel • Book of Mormon • Septuagint • Essene Gospel of Peace • Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ • Torah • Qur'an • New Testament • Tao Te Ching • The Urantia Book • Old Testament • Kutub al-Sittah • Holy book • Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures • Avenue Q gospel • Oahspe • A Course in Miracles • Doctrine and Covenants • Books of Enoch • Pearl of Great Price • Hadith • Bible • List of Hindu texts •
| Bible analysis: |  Authorship of the New Testament • Bible interpolation • Biblical sexism • Bibliolatry • Documentary hypothesis • Evidence for the Exodus • Gospels • Horizontal reading • King James Only • Pesher • Q gospel • Septuagint • Skeptic's Annotated Bible • Ten Commandments • Torah • Bible translation • Word of God • Biblical literalism • Biblical contradictions • List of mistakes made by God • Abomination • Firmament • G'Tach • Arsenokoites • Genealogy of Jesus • Nag Hammadi library • Noah's Ark • Slavery in the Bible • Examples of God personally killing people • Herod • The Brick Testament • Evidence against a recent creation • EvilBible.com • List of actions prohibited by the Bible • Biblical scientific errors •
| Qur'an analysis: |  List of actions prohibited by the Qur'an • Qur'anic scientific foreknowledge • Qur'anic scientific errors • Qur'anic contradictions • Dhu al-Qarnayn •
Apologists and counter-apologists: |  Matt Dillahunty • TheraminTrees • Hemant Mehta • Charles Templeton • Edward Current • Armoured Skeptic • DarkMatter2525 • Peter Kreeft •
| Christian apologists: |  C. S. Lewis • Jack Chick • Anselm of Canterbury • Kirk Cameron • Ray Comfort • Jonathan Sarfati • Henry Morris • Duane Gish • Andrew Snelling • Ravi Zacharias • Lee Strobel • Patrick Glynn • David Ray Griffin • R. J. Rushdoony • Gary North • Chuck Baldwin • Brian Thomas • Apologetics Press • Gary Habermas • J. P. Holding • Herb Titus • Jeffrey Tomkins • Lawrence Ford • Nathaniel Jeanson • John Morris • Tim Todd • Sye Ten Bruggencate • Randal Rauser • Timothy LaHaye • Ben Hobrink • Bible Issues • WallBuilders • L. Brent Bozell III • Rush Limbaugh • Alister McGrath • Buddy Davis • William Lane Craig • Ross Douthat • Norman Geisler • Ted Cruz • Ben Carson • Rick Perry • Pat Robertson • Joseph Farah • Theodore Beale • Mike Huckabee • One America News Network • David Wood • Edward Feser • Encyclopedia of American Loons • Got Questions • Dinesh D'Souza • Computing Forever • Eric Hovind • Cornelius Van Til • Frank Turek • Brittany Sellner • Ken Ham • Augustine of Hippo • Alvin Plantinga • Jair Bolsonaro • Thomas Aquinas • George Galloway • Laura Ingraham • E. Calvin Beisner • Bill Muehlenberg • Thomas Malthus • Josh McDowell • Mark Cahill • Ayaan Hirsi Ali • Kent Hovind • Creation Ministries International • Jordan Peterson • Steve Turley • G. K. Chesterton • Creation Research • Redeemed Zoomer • Walter Veith • Mike Pence •
| Muslim apologists: |  Harun Yahya • Dawah Man • Hamza Tzortzis • Zakir Naik •