[B-Greek] APO KATABOLHS KOSMOU in Rev 13:8 and 17:8
Albert & Julia Haig
albert_and_julia at yahoo.com.au
Sat Nov 5 21:04:42 EST 2005
I have a question re the phrase APO KATABOLHS KOSMOU
in Rev 13:8 and 17:8. Let's assume, at least for the
sake of the argument, that in 13:8 this is connected
with the writing of names (as in the NRSV & NASB)
rather than the slaying of the Lamb (as in the NIV &
KJV); if so, then in both cases we have reference to
names written "from the foundation of the world".
What I want to ask is whether this could be translated
as "since the foundation of the world", in the sense
of writing activity that has been ongoing since the
creation, rather than names that were all written at
or before the creation of the world. On at least two
occasions, the phrase APO KATABOLHS KOSMOU clearly
seems to have that meaning:
Luke 11:50-51: so that this generation may be charged
with the blood of all the prophets shed since the
foundation of the world (APO KATABOLHS KOSMOU), from
the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who
perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I
tell you, it will be charged against this generation.
This does not mean that the prophets were already
slain when the world was created, but only that they
have been slain since the world was created. It does
not seem to have any predestinarian aspect; it is not
saying that these prophets were somehow destined to be
slain from creation (though that may or may not be
true as a theological matter). Another example:
Heb 9:26: for then he would have had to suffer again
and again since the foundation of the world (APO
KATABOLHS KOSMOU). But as it is, he has appeared once
for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the
sacrifice of himself.
Again, this hypothetical suffering that Jesus would
have had to endure, unambiguously means suffering in
an ongoing fashion since the creation of the world,
not suffering that was all realized at the foundation
of the world, or somehow predestined then.
So returning to Rev 13:8 & 17:8, could we understand
this to mean the people whose names had not been
written since the foundation of the world i.e. whose
names had not be written up to that time, are referred
to? If so, this entirely removes the predestinarian
aspect of these texts; they would not be saying that
there has existed from the time of the creation some
fixed book of names of who was to be saved and who is
not. Rather, they would just be saying that there is a
book to which names have been added on an ongoing
fashion since the creation of the world, presumably as
these people believed. The implied message to the
reader would be: "you had better get your name added
to the book of life before the time of judgement".
Dr Albert Haig.
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