ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

Hoe kan God dit toelaat? 'n Bibliologiese verryking van die teodiseevraagstuk uit 'n vergelyking tussen Openbaring en 4 Esra

 

How can God allow it? A bibliological enrichment of the theodicy issue from a comparison between the Book of Revelation and 4 Ezra

 

 

J.A. du Rand

Departement Bybelkunde. Universiteit van Johannesburg. Johannesburg. E-pos: jdurand@uj.ac.za

 

 

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OPSOMMING

By die verstaan en beskrywing van die verhouding tussen God en die mens, kom die prominente teodiseevraagstuk telkens na vore. Die hart van die problematiek is die eeue oue worsteling om as gelowige die goddelike voorsienigheid in verband te bring met menslike lyding en teenspoed. Op hierdie vraagstuk het filosowe en teoloë uiteenlopende kommentaar gelewer. Enkele kommentare word genoem. Goed en kwaad kan in 'n dualistiese, harmoniese, pluralistiese of teleologiese verhouding verstaan word. Volgens reformatoriese besinning setel die verstaan van teodisee eerder in die soteriologiese en eskatologiese. Dit word bevestig deur die Ou Testament, intertestamentêre geskrifte en die Nuwe Testament. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om ook die aandag op die apokriewe geskrif, 4 Esra te vestig. Volgens die ontvouing van die apokaliptiese narratief van 4 Esra kom verrassende insigte oor die teodiseevraagstuk na vore.

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ABSTRACT

In the process of understanding and defining the relationship between God and man, the theodicy issue frequently floats to the surface. A long strand in the history of philosophy and theology has addressed itself to the task of reconciling God's omnipotence and benevolence with human suffering and the existence of evil. Some of the philosophical and theological views are represented in this article. According to reformed scholarly presentation, theodicy should seriously take into account the soteriological and eschatological hermeneutical views. This is confirmed by the Old Testament, intertestamental literature and the New Testament. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the apocryphal 4 Ezra which puts surprising views about theodicy on the table.

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