The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation

Moyise’s The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation is not a conventional commentary but is one of the most illuminating specialist works to place beside one. Rather than treating John’s Old Testament allusions mechanically or assuming that one source such as Daniel controls the whole book, Moyise explores the dynamic interaction between Revelation and the texts it evokes, especially Daniel and Ezekiel. His intertextual approach is particularly valuable for showing how John transforms and recombines inherited scriptural imagery rather than simply reproducing it. At times the language of intertextuality and reader-response theory is more theoretical than a pastor or general reader will need, and I would retain stronger controls on authorial intention than Moyise sometimes does. Precisely for that reason, however, Moyise is an excellent conversation partner for Beale. For serious study of Revelation’s use of Scripture, the two together are exceptionally fruitful.

Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995. Pp. 173, Cloth, £30.00/$45.00, ISBN 185075554X. J. Christian Wilson Elon College Elon College, NC 27244 Of the new methodologies that have developed in NT studies over the last quarter century, none holds more promise for the study of Revelation than intertextuality. No book of the NT alludes to and echoes the Hebrew Scriptures more than Revelation; no book of the NT quotes the Hebrew Scriptures less. Older commentaries and studies marvel at this phenomenon but are not equipped to analyze it. Many of the newer commentaries, written within the page and format limitations of series, lack the space to analyze it thoroughly. Indeed Revelation is so allusive that the prospect of a complete intertextual treatment is daunting. G. W. Buchanan has made what is perhaps the first attempt in his 1993 commentary in the new Mellen Intertexual Commentary Series. The forthcoming commentaries of G. K. Beale in the NIGTC series, D. E. Aune in the Word Biblical Commentary series, and J. M. Ford's anticipated major revision of her 1975 Anchor Bible commentary, among others, promise to be strongly intertextual in methodology. In the meantime a flood of articles and monographs on specialized areas of intertextuality in Revelation has begun. Moyise's book is the second such monograph to be published in the JSNT supplement series within a year, the first being Jan Fekkes's Isaiah and Prophetic Traditions in the Book of Revelation. Moyise is more self-conscious about his methodology than Fekkes, who to the best of my recollection never even uses the word intertextuality. Moyise sets out in a series of four rather disparate case studies to show how intertextuality can illuminate our understanding of this text. The four case studies are "The Use of Scripture in Revelation 1-3," "John's Use of Daniel," "John's Use of Ezekiel," and "The Use of Scripture at Qumran." Throughout these case studies, as well as in his introduction and his concluding chapter on "Revelation and Intertextuality," Moyise constantly reflects on methodological issues. For example, he frequently deals with how one text changes the meaning of another by being imbedded within it, causing the two to be juxtaposed in the mind of the reader. [Full Review]