Modern ecological concerns,the persistence of apocalyptic and the signs of the end

Abstract

This article considers the legitimacy of the popular connection of ecological concerns to apocalyptic ‘signs of the end’ in the light of biblical apocalyptic literature. It surveys the current scholarly discussion of apocalyptic literature and offers a detailed reading of the visionary material in the book of Daniel. By investigating how subsequent Jewish and early Christian literature (especially 4 Ezra and Revelation) draw on the Danielic material, it is possible to show that the motif of natural disaster takes its place within a wider set of imagery and theological convictions. This suggests that the use of apocalyptic imagery in relation to contemporary ecological concerns may be misguided.