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Recent discussions of the Benedictus have focused on its function in Luke- Acts. However, little if no attention has been given to the persuasive force of the passage and how it may have functioned to create a divine encounter for the implied audience. This study will address this gap. Following a brief survey of Luke’s purpose and a discussion of the nature of prophecy, I will argue, first, that divine revelation was often cast in poetic form. Second, I will describe the poetic features of the Benedictus, emphasizing its divine nature. Third, I will explain the ancient perception that deities had a superior ability to name persons, places, and objects. I will follow this discussion with a listing of the divinely authored names in the Benedictus. Fourth, I will contend that the Old Testament vocabulary and the tone of confidence in Zechariah’s prophecy further enhances its divine nature. Finally, considering the above, I will explain how a skilled lector reading the prophecy to Luke’s original audience may have allowed them to experience something of the aural presence of God.

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Very few studies have explored the connection between prayer and religious experience, which are recounted in biblical and extra biblical literature. Religious experience is usually investigated within the categories of visions, auditions or dreams. Often prayer is only considered a ritual for the incubation of a religious or divine experience. This study will explore prayer as a divine experience in the petition by the martyrs in Revelation 6:9–11. We will proceed with this investigation by first, defining empathy and demonstrating its role in allowing a person to connect with another person’s experience. Second, because of its importance in empathy, we will define emotions, and then define fear or reverence, lament, hope, and confidence, which are the specific emotions that are communicated in Revelation 6:9–11. Third, we will describe the textual evidence supporting a divine experience for the martyrs. Finally, we will explore how the emotions of lament, reverence, hope, and confidence are invoked in Revelation 6:9–11. These feelings potentially could cause listeners or readers to undergo a similar divine experience as the martyrs.

This study will examine how the oracle in Revelation 13:9 ̶ 10 might have been regarded by the original audience as it was recited by the lector to each of the seven churches. The oral cultural context from which it originated decisively shaped the oracle's form and content. That oral cultural context will be considered in this analysis. The investigation will be conducted in three steps. First, this essay will argue that in the recitation of Revelation, the assemblies in Asia Minor would have perceived the following: the author's presence, his authority as a prophet, and the divine presence. Second, it will demonstrate that in hearing the oracle in Revelation 13:9-10, the congregants would have heard John's voice and accepted the prophet's words as caring and authoritative. Finally, the poetic nature of the oracle will be examined for its ability to foster a sense of the semantic divine presence. Consequently, when the prophecy was read aloud, it may have nurtured feelings of awe, reverence, and respect for God in the listeners.