Doctoral Degrees (Old Testament)
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Old Testament) by Subject "Moses (Biblical leader)"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access A biblical-theological investigation of the phenomenon of wonders surrounding Moses, Elijah and Jesus(University of the Free State, 2014-01) Van der Walt, John Stevens; Snyman, S. D.; Van Zyl, H. C.English: In the Canon of Scriptures, the phenomenon of miracles/wonders falls into three great Epochs. In the Old Testament there are two Epochs where decisive turning-points marked its course with an intensification of miracles/wonders. First, there are the wonders in the so-called plague narratives and during the “wilderness” in the Exodus tradition. Then, in the ministry of Elijah and Elisha (1 and 2 Kings), came the second Epoch. Both of them (Elijah and Elisha) did miraculous deeds. The third Epoch heralds the ministry of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This study shows that there are similarities between wonders in the first and the third Epoch, and there are similarities between wonders in the second and the third Epoch, and even in all three. The researcher uses a narrative model which is a combination of existing narrative models, to point out the significance of the similarities between wonders in the three Epochs. Selected aspects used in the model, such as structures, settings, themes and motifs, highlight the fact that there must be a coherent Theological relationship between the three Epochs. Miracles in all three Epochs point to events (forwards and backwards) in the future and in the past, helping the reader to understand that the same God is at work, present, future and past. In all three Epochs the miracle stories give hope to people finding themselves in some kind of oppression. Their hope ultimately lies in God’s presence, shown in his miraculous acts through his agents, Moses and Elijah and his Son, Jesus. The thesis addresses the lack of a detailed examination on the theme of corresponding miracles in the miracle narratives surrounding the figures of Moses, Elijah and Jesus. In order to achieve the goal of a comprehensive narratological study, the model used by the researcher consists of two divisions: A. Preliminary reading and B. Closer investigation. The preliminary reading helps the researcher to get a grip on the narrative as a whole, but also to identify certain aesthetical elements such as structure, settings, themes and motifs, which the authors of the three different Epochs used to craft their miracle stories. The aesthetical “tools” of structure, settings, themes and motifs form the backbone of the study. They point right to the fact that there are similar aspects in miracle stories in the three Epochs. Hence, they show that, in the field of Biblical studies, a thematic approach opens up new possibilities to discuss the coherence between Old Testament and New Testament studies: The theme of “wonders” is one possibility. Hopefully, this dissertation will contribute to a debate (once more) which J.P. Gabler started way back in 1787 and which has been almost forgotten.