Interpreting the “Apocalyptic” Gospel with Jewish Apocalypses

If the Gospel of John is an “apocalyptic” Gospel, the relationship between revelation and the Torah in Jewish apocalypses can aid our understanding of the Law of Moses in the Fourth Gospel. While Jewish apocalypses have distinct perspectives on the Torah, they are dependent upon the Hebrew Bible and were read alongside the Hebrew Bible. The revelation that is disclosed in Jewish apocalypses, whether “new” or not, ultimately derives from the God of Israel. Jewish apocalypses engaged in “revelatory exegesis” in which they sought to understand Israel’s Scriptures in light of their present circumstances. The Gospel of John interprets the Hebrew Bible in light of Jesus’s revelation in a similar manner. John claims the authority of Moses and other heroes of Israel in order to legitimate the revelation Jesus discloses. Further Johannine topics, such as imagery, time, and language, may also be explained in terms of the Gospel’s apocalyptic mode.