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Apocalypse of Abraham

About this book
Chapter 11

1 And I stood up and saw the one who had taken my right hand and stood me on my feet: 2 and the appearance of his body was like sapphire, and the look of his face like chrysolite,⁠ and the hair of his head like snow,⁠ 3 and the turban on his head like the appearance of the rainbow,⁠ and his clothing like purple;⁠ and a golden scepter was in his right hand. 4 And he said to me: "Abraham!" And I said: "Here I am, your servant." And he said: "Do not let my appearance frighten you, or let my speech trouble your soul. 5 Come with me and I will go with you, visible until the sacrifice, but invisible forever after the sacrifice. 6 Take courage, and come!"

Texts in conversation

Compare Apocalypse of Abraham 11:3 and Revelation 10:1

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

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Summary

In the Apocalypse of Abraham, Jaoel wears a rainbow-colored turban as he guides Abraham toward heaven. In Revelation, a mighty angel also has a rainbow above his head, and in both texts the rainbow links the messenger to God's glory.

Passages

Apocalypse of Abraham 11:3

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 And I stood up and saw the one who had taken my right hand and stood me on my feet: 2 and the appearance of his body was like sapphire, and the look of his face like chrysolite, and the hair of his head like snow, 3 and the turban on his head like the appearance of the rainbow, and his clothing like purple; and a golden scepter was in his right hand. 4 And he said to me: "Abraham!" And I said: "Here I am, your servant." And he said: "Do not let my appearance frighten you, or let my speech trouble your soul. 5 Come with me and I will go with you, visible until the sacrifice, but invisible forever after the sacrifice.
70–150 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Apocalypse of Abraham

Revelation 10:1

New Testament
1 Then I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire. 2 He held in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. 3 Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. 4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.”
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

“... The mention of the rainbow is reminiscent of Ezekiel 1.28 (cf. Rev. 4.3), where God's glory is compared to the bow in the clouds. An angel with a rainbow around his head appears also in Revelation 10.1, and it is not easy to differentiate between this angel and the risen Christ who appears to John on the island of Patmos. ...”
Christopher Rowland, The Open Heaven: A Study of Apocalyptic in Judaism and Early Christianity (London: SPCK, 1982), 102.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Apocalypse of Abraham 11:3 and Revelation 10:1

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