The Danielic Eschatological Hour in the Johannine Literature

Stefanos Mihalios examines the uses of the hour in the writings of John and demonstrates the contribution of Danielic eschatology to Johns understanding of this concept. Mihalios begins by tracing the notion of an eschatological time in the Old Testament within expressions such as in that time and time of distress, which also appear in the book of Daniel and relate to the eschatological hour found in Daniel. Mihalios finds that even within the Jewish tradition there exists an anticipation of the fulfillment of the Danielic eschatological time, since the eschatological hour appears in the Jewish literature within contexts that allude to the Danielic end-time events. Mihalios moves on to examines the Johannine eschatological expressions and themes that have their source in Daniel, finding evidence of clear allusions whenever the word hour arises. Through this examination, he concludes that for the Johannine Jesus use of the term hour indicates that the final hour of tribulation and resurrection, as it is depicted in Daniel, has arrived.