Why the hell do bad things happen? Suffering, Satan and the Problem of Evil
Thesis: Title Page and Acknowledgements
1. The Death of the Divine Warrior
A study of the Gospel of Mark with a particular emphasis on the use
of the Scriptures of Israel in presenting Jesus as the fulfilment of the
New Exodus hopes of Isaiah.
Rev. Jonathan Swales
A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol and Trinity College in accordance with
the requirements for award of degree of Master of Letters in the Faculty of Arts.
March 2012
Word count: 59,992 (text only, excluding preliminary
pages, footnotes and bibliography)
2. Abstract: The Death of the Divine Warrior
This thesis seeks to explore the significance of the New Exodus for understanding the Gospel
of Mark. In brief, chapter two argues that the opening verses of the Gospel of Mark (1.1-3)
and the way section (8.22-10.52) provide a New Exodus framework within which the whole
of the gospel should be read. Jesus, in typological fulfilment of the New Exodus traditions of
Isaiah, has defeated the demonic enemy and is returning to Zion to be welcomed as its true
King. It is argued that Jesus is the Davidic messiah as well as the embodiment of the God of
Israel. In a close study of the the scriptural traditions of Mk. 11.1-11 and in comparison with
other ancient entry accounts, the third chapter of this thesis maintains that Jesus' entry into
Jerusalem is anticlimactic and shows that Jesus' kingship and his New Exodus project is
rejected by the city and its leadership. This, in turn, leads us to the heart of the thesis, in the
final chapter, where it is shown that the structure of Mark's gospel mirrors that of Isaiah
40-55. Jesus' death, although seemingly a failure, on the basis of the intertextual links
between Mark and Isaiah 53, is actually the moment whereby the New Exodus is fulfilled.
Jesus' death is that of the divine warrior who gave his life as a ransom for many.
This study, which maintains a biblical theology method throughout, whilst also interacting
with a number of key debates in biblical studies (Isa. 53, Son of Man, Divine Kingship,
Structure of Isa. 40-55), seeks to show that an intertextual and intratextual reading of the
scriptures of Israel can add theological depth to the Markan narrative and the Christological
claims advanced within it.
3. Author’s declaration
I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the
requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree
Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award. Except where
indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is the candidate's own work. Work done
in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views
expressed in the dissertation are those of the author.
SIGNED: ............................................................. DATE:..........................
4. Acknowledgements
I would like to gratefully acknowledge various people who have been journeyed with me in
recent years as I have worked on this thesis. First, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my
wife, Sarah, and my three children, Rebekah, Benjamin and Talitha. Through the struggles
and trials of this thesis they have been a constant source of joy. Thank you. Secondly, I would
like to thank my supervisor and friend, Rev. Dr. David Wenham, who has encouraged and
challenged me to be faithful to Scripture. In himself, David has modelled what it is to be an
academic and a follower of Jesus. Thirdly, special thanks to of 'Pipe Club' who made my
years at Trinity College a delight. I am sure you could all write my thesis for me given the
time you all contributed to the discussion of its contents. May God richly bless you all!
Fourthly, I would like to thank the leadership of St. George's Church, Leeds and also the
Diocese of Ripon and Leeds who allowed me to complete this project in the opening year of
ordained ministry. I hope that my academic encounter with the Scriptures over the last years
has prepared me well for missional engagement with those both within and outside of the
Church.
Lastly, and most of all, I would like to thank Jesus, the divine warrior, servant king, who gave
his life as a ransom for me. It has been a delight and privilege to fuse together research with
worship, and Scriptural study with contemporary discipleship.
St. George's Church, Leeds, March 2012
Soli Deo Gloria,
5. Abbreviations
General.
ALT Alternative
ANE Ancient Near East
NE New Exodus
NT New Testament
OT Old Testament
col. Collection
DW Divine Warrior
frg. Fragment
IDW Isaianic Divine Warrior
INE Isaiah's New Exodus
MT Masoretic Text
Syr. Syriac
Tg. Targum
Vulg. Vulgate
LXX Septuagint
OG Old Greek
Theo. Theodotion
Hebrew Bible/Old Testament & New Testament
Gen. Genesis
Exod. Exodus
Lev. Leviticus
Num. Numbers
Deut. Deuteronomy
Josh. Joshua
Judg. Judges
1 Sam. 1 Samuel
2 Sam. 2 Samuel
1 Kgs. 1 Kings
2 Kgs. 2 Kings
6. 1 Chron. 1 Chronicles
2 Chron. 2 Chronicles
Ezra Ezra
Neh. Nehemiah
Job Job
Ps(s). Psalm(s)
Prov. Proverbs
Song of Sg. Song of Songs
Isa. Isaiah
Jer. Jeremiah
Lam. Lamentations
Ezek. Ezekiel
Dan. Daniel
Hos. Hosea
Obad. Obadiah
Mic. Micah
Nah. Nahum
Hab. Habakkuk
Zeph. Zephaniah
Hag. Haggai
Zech. Zechariah
Mal. Malachi
Mt. Matthew
Mk. Mark
Lk. Luke
Rom. Romans
1 Cor. 1 Corinthians
2 Cor. 2 Corinthians
1 Tim. 1 Timothy
2 Tim. 2 Timothy
Heb. Hebrews
Rev. Revelation
7. Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Mishnah Talmud and Related Literature
Ass. Mos. Assumption of Moses
b. Babylonian Talmud
1 Bar. 1 Baruch
2 Bar. 2 Baruch
Jub. Jubilees
1 Macc. 1 Maccabees
2 Macc. 2 Maccabees
m. Mishnah
Meg. Megillah
Midr. Midrash
Pss. of Sol. Psalms of Solomon
Pesh. Pesher
Rab. Rabbah
Sib. Orac. Sibylline Oracles
Test. of Mos. Testament of Moses
Test. of Dan Testament of Dan
Tob. Tobit
Sim. of Enoch Similitudes of Enoch
Sir. Sirach
Wisd. of Sol. Wisdom of Solomon
Dead Sea Scrolls
1Qha The Thanksgiving Hymns
1QIsa The Isaiah Scroll
1QMX11 X11 The War Scroll
1QS Community Rule
11Q13 11QMelch
11Q19 Temple Scroll (a)
11Q20 Temple Scroll (b)
4Q174 4QFlorilegium
4Q175 4QTest
4Q176 4QTanhumim
4Q177 4QCatenaa
4Q246 4QAramaic Apocalypse
8. 4Q252 Pesher on Genesis
4Q431 4QHodayote
4Q427 4QHa
4Q491 4QM War Scroll
4Q89 4QPs
C.D. The Damascus Document
Greco-Roman Sources
Aristotle
Art. Rhet. Art of Rhetoric
Dio Cassius
Rom. His. Roman History
Dion. Hal. Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Ant. Rom. Roman Antiquities
Heraclitus
Homeric Allegories Homeric Allegories
Homer
Iliad Iliad
Odyssey Odyssey
Justin Martyr.
Dial. Dialogue with Trypho
Apology Apology
Jos. Josephus
Ant. Antiquities of the Jews
War. The Jewish War
Livy
Epit. Epitomes
9. Philo
Dec. The Decalogue
Spec. Laws. Special Laws
Plutarch
Life of Caesar Life of Ceaser
Life of Romulus LIfe of Romulus
Tacitus
History History
Suet. Seutonius
Calig. Life of Caligua
Virgil
Georgics Georgics
Other.
PGM Greek Magical Papyri
LAB The Biblical Antiquities of Pseudo-Philo
Alexander Romance Alexander Romance
Modern Sources
AB Anchor Bible Commentary
ABRL Anchor Bible Research Library
AnBib Analecta Biblica
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt
AOTC Apollos Old Testament Commentary Series
AYBD Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
BBR Bulletin of Biblcial Research
BDAG Walter Bauer's Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and Other Early Christian
Literature
BDB Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius' Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon
BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
10. Bib. Biblica
BNTC Black's New Testament Commentary
BR Biblical Research
CNTUOT Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
CBR Currents in Biblical Research
EDNT Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament
ESV English Standard Version of the Bible
FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament
GHCLOT Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament
HAR Hebrew Annual Review
Hermeneia Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible
HTR Harvard Theological review
ICC International Critical Commentary
IJSCC International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JETS Journal of Evangelical Theology
JGRCJ Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism
JJS Journal of Jewish Studies
JPS Jewish Publication Society
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplemnet Series
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series
LBS Library of Biblical Studies
LNTS Library of New Testament Studies
Loeb Loeb Classical Library
NA27 Nestle-Aland 27th Edition Greek Text of the New Testament
NCT New Century Theology
NEB New English Bible
NETS New English Translation of the Septuagint
NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary
NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis
NIVAC New International Version Application Commentary
NovT Novum Testamentum
NovTSup Novum Testamentum Supplement Series
NRSV New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
NTS New Testament Studies
11. OTL Old Testament Library
RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Semeia Semeia
SBL Society for Biblical Literature
SBLDS Society for Biblical Literature Dissertation Series
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
SJT Scottish Journal of Theology
SOTBT Studies in Old Testament Biblical Theology
Sup.JST Supplement to Journal for Study of Judaism
SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
Trinity The Trinity Journal
TynBul Tyndale Bulletin
WEB World English Bible
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament
Unless otherwise stated all citations are from the following translations.
English Bible English Standard Version
Dead Sea Scrolls Trans. F. G. Martinez and E. J. C. Tigchelaar, The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition
(Leiden: Brill, 1998)
Greco-Roman Loeb Classical Series
Philo Trans. Yonge The Works of Philo : Complete and Unabridged
(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996)
Pseudepigrapha ed. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Vol 1&2
(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1993)
Mishnah Trans.. J. Neusner The Mishnah : A New Translation.
(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988)
Babylonian Talmud Trans. by M. L. Rodkinson The Babylonian Talmud, Volumes 1-10
(Boston: The Talmud Society, 1918)
Targums ed. M. McNamara Aramaic Bible: The Targums
Textual Searches were performed using Logos 4 Bible Software Scholar's Edition and a range of Logos Lexham
resources including:
T. Randall, D. A. deSilva, The Lexham Greek-English Interlinear Septuagint
van der Merwe, The Lexham Hebrew-English Interlinear Bible
12. Footnoting Style
The first mention of a modern source appears in an extended bibliographic citation.
eg. J. Marcus, The Way of the Lord: Christological Exegesis of the Old Testament in the Gospel of
Mark (London: T&T Clark, 2004);
B. W. Anderson, “Exodus Typology in Second Isaiah,” in eds. B. W. Anderson, and W. Harrelson Is-
rael’s Prophetic Heritage: Essays in Honour of James Muilenburg (New York: Harper, 1962);
R. E. Watts, “Consolation Or Confrontation? Isaiah 40-55 and the Delay of the New Exodus,” TynBul
41:1 (1990): 31-59.
Any subsequent mention of a modern source appears in a shorter bibliographic citation stating name and date of
publication.
eg. Marcus, The Way of the Lord (2004);
Anderson "Exodus Typology in Second Isaiah" (1962);
Watts, "Consolation or Confrontation" (1990).
13. The Death of The Divine Warrior
Table of Contents
I. Introduction, Outline and Methodology 1
1. Introduction 1
a. The Warrior Messiah and the New Exodus Hopes of Psalms of Solomon 1
b. Thesis Outline 3
2. Narrative, Intertextuality and Intratextuality 6
3. Monotheism and the Divine Identity of the Davidic King 8
a. Second Temple Jewish Monotheism 9
b. The Divine King and Messiah 12
i. Divine King Ideology 13
ii. Post-Exilic Expectation of a Future Divine King 15
c. Daniel 7 - The 'Son of Man' 17
i. 'Son of Man' as Davidic Messiah 18
ii. 'Son of Man' as Divine 21
iii. First Century Evidence of 'Son of Man' as both Davidic and Divine 24
d. Concluding Remarks 30
II. Chapter Two: The March of the Divine Warrior 32
1. Introduction 32
a. New Exodus Motif in Isaiah 32
2. Mk. 1.1-3 36
a. Mk. 1.1-13/15 as a Dramatic Prologue 37
i. The Dramatic Prologue 37
ii. Mk. 1.1 as a Title 39
iii. Summary 40
iv. Citation Formulae 1.2 41
v. Summary 49
b. Mark's Use of Isa. 40.3 49
i. Jesus as the κύριος of Mk. 1.3 49
ii. Isa. 40.3 in Context 53
iii. 'Streams of Tradition' 54
iv. Summary 55
c. Interlude: In Search of a Context 55
i. An Overview of Hatina's Method 56
ii. Critique with particular reference to Mk. 1.3 57
d. The significance of Isa. 40.1-11 in the Markan Prologue 60
3. The Use of ὁδός in Mk. 8.22-10.52 64
a. The significance of ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ 64
b. The Healing-of the-Blind Miracles and the Isaianic DW motif 68
14. i. The Motif of Blindness in Isa. and Mk. 68
ii. The Intratextual-Structural Significance of the Healing-of-the-Blind Miracles 71
iii. The Intertextual Significance of Isa. 35.1-10 in Mk. 10.46-52 73
4. Exorcism and INE 75
a. Jesus the Exorcist 76
i. Divine Identity of Jesus 76
ii. Apocalyptic Dualism 79
b. Mk. 3.22-27 and the Defeat of Satan 81
i. Mk. 3.27 and Isa. 49.24 83
ii. Isa. 49.24 in Context 84
5. Conclusions 85
III. Chapter Three: The Rejection of the Divine Warrior 86
1. Interlude: Divine Kingship in the Gospel of Mark 86
a. Divine Sonship and the Prologue 86
b. Son of Man 87
2. Mark 11.1-11 89
a. Mk. 11.1 The Geographic Location 90
i. Mount of Olives 90
ii. Bethany 92
iii. Bethphage 95
b. The Scriptural Background 97
i. Gen. 49.8-12 98
ii. Ps. 118 101
iii. Zech. 9.9-10 114
iv. Summary Statement 130
c. Mark's Use of Gen. 49.8-12, Ps. 118 and Zech. 9.9-10 131
i. Mark's Use of Ps. 118 132
ii. Mark's Use of Zech. 9.9-10 and Gen. 49:8-12 134
3. Mk. 11.1-11: Zion's Rejection of the DW and NE 137
a. Triumphal Entry? 140
4. Concluding Remarks 144
IV. Chapter Four: The Death of the Divine Warrior 145
1. Isa. 40-55: The NE Postponed Until the Death of the Servant 146
a. Isa. 40-55: A Failed New Exodus and the Task of the Servant 147
i. The Unity of Isa. 40-55 147
ii. The Dramatical Plot of Isa. 40-55 149
iii. The Davidic Identity of the Servant 158
b. The Gospel of Mark and Narrative Substructure of Isa. 40-48 171
c. The Gospel of Mark and Narrative Substructure of Isa. 49-55 173
2. Jesus as the Isaianic Servant 174
a. The Suffering Servant and Mk. 9.12 177
b. The Passion Predictions 181
15. c. Mk. 10.45 and the Suffering Servant 182
d. The Last Supper 186
3. The Death of the King 190
a. The Death and Vindication of the Shepherd King 191
b. The Death of Jesus and the Roman Triumph 193
c. The Death of the Davidic King 196
d. The Death of the Divine Son of God 198
e. Resurrection and Vindication of the Divine Warrior 200
4. Conclusions 201
5. Summary, Implications and Suggestions for Future Research 201
V. Bibliography 205
Figure 1: Isa. 40-48 and the Failed New Exodus 154
Figure 2: Oracles of Proclamation and Salvation in Deutero-Isaiah 155
Figure 3: Isa. 49-55 and the Task of the Servant 158
Table 1: The use of ὁδός in Mark 66
Table 2: The 'Way' Section 67