Seven Seals as Documentary and Eschatological Device

Rev. 5:1-14 depicts a dramatic heavenly scene in which the Lamb alone is worthy and able to take and open what is referred to as a βιβλίον (biblion) with seven seals and inscribed in a particular way. The attempt to gain a more precise mental picture of this literary object and its nature as a text includes matters of word meaning and textual criticism. Dr. Christian Askeland, a past contributor to this podcast, is Advisor for The Green Collection (Oklahoma City) and works with Inspire.org. He is interested in the origins and diversity of early Christianity, endeavoring to reconstruct historically the movements from which the relevant texts and manuscripts arose. He has authored John's Gospel: The Coptic Translations of its Greek Text and has co-authored The Bible in the U.S. Capital: Inviting All People to Engage with the Transformative Power of the Bible.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3LLFswf M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4jYUwTL