Divine Judgment and the Apocalypse

In relation to illustrating the divine realm, condemning the evils of the clergy and extolling the prophets and their righteous entourage, a shared understanding of divine judgment and the apocalypse constitutes one characteristic dimension of late antique prophetic tradition and, furthermore, forms another arena in which there is strong dialogue between the Qur’ān and the Aramaic Gospel Traditions. The Qur’ān—in large part inspired by the substance found in the book of Daniel, the Gospels (especially Matthew 24–25; Mark 13 and Luke 21), and the book of Revelation—consistently interweaves the teachings and ethics of prophetic tradition on one hand with apocalyptic imagery on the other. ¹ And what mediates this relationship is the principle of universal justice which, in turn, is symbolized in the metaphor of divine judgment. ²