The term, derived from Greek, apokalypsis, which simply means 'revelation,' as used in modern biblical studies, may a) designate a genre or type of literature, b) a kind of eschatology, or c) a historical movement (apocalypticism).
There remains debates about how apocalyptic is to be defined; most scholars accept as a working term the definition proposed by the Society of Biblical Literature Genres Project, i.e.,
'Apocalypse' is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial insofar as it involves another, supernatural world.
A simpler way of putting it is to say that "[B]iblical apocalyptic is a highly stylized form of literature characterized by its method of revelation and its eschatology of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God" (william J. Dumbrell, NIDOTTE, Vol 4, 394).
Apocalyptic literature is not unique to the Jewish-Christian culture. From a biblical-theological perspective, apocalyptic literature generally draw heavily on the OT for their expressions and motifs, are rich in obscure and exoteric symbolism, making them almost always difficult to be precise in their interpretation, though what is almost always also clear is their sharp criticism of the present age and their offer of hope in which God will break-in into the present age to bring about a cataclysmic transformation because God is steadfastly moving history towards a clear telos or goal and nothing happening now on Earth will stop it. Mk 13 (Read Text) is often cited as an example of such an early Christian apocalyptic genre though, of course, there is also the book of Revelation. The books of Zechariah and Daniel are the most obviously apocalyptic work in the OT, though there is much in the book of Ezekiel that are considered apocalyptic as well.
Further Reading:
P. Hanson, The Dawn of Apocalyptic. Rev. ed., Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.
Leon Morris, Apocalyptic. 2nd ed., London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973. If you are new to the subject, this is a good place to start. Even though the work is nearly half a century old, Leon Morris is a highly regarded scholar and an extremely capable teacher, and most of what he says do not seem to go out-of-date. And, surely a plus, it's available on-line.. N pdf. N
Christopher Roland, The Open Heaven. New York: Crossroad, 1982.
D. S. Russell, The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalytic. London SCM, 1964.
D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares & Pruning Hooks. Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic. Downers Grove/Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Resources:
Preaching Apocalyptic Literature," by Bob Fyall, delivered at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly, 2006. PTResources Audio
Richard Bauckham, "The Rise of Apocalyptic," Themelios 3.2 (January 1978): 10-23. pdf. N
John W. Drane, "Apocalyptic Hope in the New Age," Evangel 17.3 (Autumn 1999): 85-87. pdf. N
Hamilton Moore, "Paul and Apocalyptic," Irish Biblical Studies 9.1 (Jan. 1987): 35-46. pdf. N
Christopher Seitz, "Old Testament Apocalyptic," Evangel 17.3 (Autumn 1999): 74-76. pdf. N
Stephen H. Travis, "The Value of Apocalyptic," Tyndale Bulletin 30 (1979): 53-76. pdf. N
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