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THE STRUCTURE OF
REVELATION This essay first appeared in Pro Gloria Christi: A
Festschrift in Honor of Edward A. Robson; edited by Jonathan M. Watt; pp.161-193. Different
Approaches to the Structure of Revelation Chiastic Structures & Recapitulation in
Scripture Chiasmus, Memory, Education and Oral Communication Examples Of How Each Of The Kaleidoscopic
Views Parallel One Another Literary
Structure & its Importance for Interpretation Different Approaches to the Structure of Revelation
There are two
basic approaches to the study of the Apocalypse’s overall structure.[1] The first approach argues that Revelation
is progressive (also called dove-tailing or telescopic [2])
and that there is a chronological progression in the movement of chaps. 4–22.[3] Evidence for the progressive structure of Revelation is most often rooted in Revelation 1:19, “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” Those who believe this verse gives us a structural division of the Apocalypse say that the things which you have seen applies to chapter 1, the things which are applies to chapters 2 and 3 and the things which will take place applies to chapters 4:1-22:5. [4] Two brief observations argue
against the progressive view of Revelation 1:19. First, Revelation 1:19 is what Ed Robson [5]
calls a Two-Kai Configuration: γραψον
α ειδες και α εισιν
και α μελλει γινεσθαι
μετα ταυτα “[T]he Two-Kai Configuration…is used to join sentences, prepositional phrases, nouns, verbs, relative clauses, adjectives, and adverbs. Items drawn together in a Two-Kai Configuration are equal in significance, and purposefully ordered” (Interpretation, 11). Simply stated, Revelation 1:19 does not focus on three distinct
periods of time, but rather the entire time period which the New Testament
calls the “last days” (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2); “end of the ages” (1
Cor.10:11); “last times” (1 Peter 1:20); and the “consummation of the ages”
(Heb.9:26). The “end” began almost
2,000 years ago with the accomplishment of redemption (see Revelation
1:12-20; 5:1-14), and continues until Jesus returns to judge the living and the
dead. Our observation about Rev.1:19 is further confirmed by Gregory Beale
who writes, “The concluding phrase (the things which will take place after these
things) is probably a conscious allusion to Daniel 2:28 29, 45, which in the
original context refers to the eschatological scope of the vision of God’s
kingdom being established throughout the earth. In Daniel 2:28, 45, the
phrase “latter days” is used synonymously with “after these things.” If
“after these things” refers to the general eschatological age, then
Revelation 1:19 cannot express such a tidy chronological formula. It would
refer to the eschatological period that includes inauguration in the past,
present and future…” (Eschatology).
[6] The second basic approach to Revelation’s overall structure is that of recapitulation, which finds repetition of “The End” at various stages of the book and not just at the end of the prophecy (see esp. Rev.11:15-19; 16:17-21; 19:11-21). Recognition of the presence of recapitulation in Revelation goes back as far as Victorinus of Pettau [7] who wrote the earliest extant commentary on Revelation. He recognized that Revelation has several sections which are parallel. [8] Tyconius wrote a commentary on Revelation around 380 A.D. following the approach of Victorinus. Although Tyconius’ commentary has been lost, it was heavily cited by Augustine, and it greatly influenced him and the interpretation of the Apocalypse for centuries. Recapitulation has other names and relatives, including: reiteration, chiasmus, concentric, parallelism, antimetabole, antistrophe, ring composition and inclusio. In this paper I will also use the term “kaleidoscopic.”
Describing the structure of Revelation as “kaleidoscopic” is not new. Leland Ryken writes, “The kaleidoscopic structure of Revelation consists of brief units, always shifting and never in focus for very long” (How to Read, 170). Elsewhere Ryken writes, “The linear movement [of Revelation] is not a smooth narrative flow from one event to the next. The movement is much closer to some of the effects in modern cinema – a kaleidoscopic sequence of visions, pictures, sounds, images, and events, ever shifting and never in focus for very long. The lack of a smooth narrative sweep, combined with the repetitive structure of the book, makes it impossible to arrange the book according to a rigid chronology in which each event is regarded as following the preceding event or scene” (Words of Delight, 478). J. Stuart Russell makes a similar observation about the Apocalypse, “[with] every turn of the instrument producing a new combination of images, exquisitely beautiful and gorgeous, while the elements which compose the picture remain substantially the same” (The Parousia, 378).
Understanding the structure of Revelation is a bit like anatomy. Knowledge of anatomy does not heal a patient, but without anatomy, a doctor has little chance of detecting what is happening in the human body. [9] Likewise, without knowledge of the structure of Revelation, the reader will have little chance of interpreting much of the book. In fact, the conclusion one comes to concerning the overall anatomy of Revelation will have ramifications for the interpretation of the entire book. For example, the more one agrees with the overarching kaleidoscopic nature of Revelation, the more difficult it will be to maintain either a premillennial [10] or a historicist [11] interpretation of Revelation. Chiasmus
The observation that the anatomy of Revelation is kaleidoscopic becomes stronger when one studies chiasmus. [12] Chiasmus is named after the Greek letter chi (X) because chiasms can be marked with it (X marks the spot). Take for example Revelation 3:7: who opens and no one will shut,
and who shuts and no one opens Note how the two claims of Revelation 3:7 can be laid out parallel to each other with a line drawn to connect the key words forming a X. Another way of thinking about chiasmus is as a frame around a picture, the purpose of which is to make the picture all the more obvious. The “frame” of chiasmus is usually arranged in the following manner: A:B:A , A:B:C:B A, A:B:C:C:B:A , etc. Our earlier example would look like this: A who opens B and no one will shut B1 and who shuts A1 and no one opens Chiasmus is common throughout literary history. [13] It is found in modern history in the writings and speeches of men like Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Shakespeare, and Ben Franklin. [14] Chiasmus has been found as early as the third millennium B.C. [15] Quintilian, the first century A.D. Roman rhetorician argued:
A literary work should begin and end in the same way, with similar material (and so should smaller passages within the work), with the most important material in the middle. Typically, each unit begins and ends with narrative material between which discourse material will be framed. Furthermore, passages should not be simply juxtaposed, strung together, without connecting links. From the rhetoricians dramatists borrow the principle that passages should be ‘mixed and tied together by their ends’ (Lucian); each part should be prepared for by ‘seeds of proof sown’ in the preceding part (quoted in Stock). [16] Chiastic Structures & Recapitulation in Scripture
Chiastic structures can be found throughout Scripture. Take for example John’s introduction of the principle persecutors of the church and then their judgment: A Introduction of Death & Hades (Revelation 6:8) B Introduction of the dragon (12) C Introduction of the beast and the false prophet (13) D Introduction of D1
Destruction of C1 Destruction of the beast and the false prophet (19:20) B1 Destruction of the dragon (20:1-10) A1 Destruction of Death and Hades (20:14)
One can observe the reversal of
the order in which these principle persecutors are destroyed ( A forty-two months (11:2) B twelve hundred and sixty days (11:3) C three and a half days (11:9) C1 three and a half days (11:11) B1 twelve hundred and sixty days (12:6) A1 forty-two
months (13:5) ( Several commentators have
suggested that the book of Daniel is one of the keys to understanding
Revelation. [17] In fact, Gregory Beale proposes, “Daniel may be more determinative on the
overall theology and structure of the Apocalypse than any other traditional
or OT source.”[18] Chiastic/kaleidoscopic structure is found in the Aramaic section of Daniel (chapters 2-7), where chapter two parallels chapter seven, chapter three parallels chapter six and chapter four parallels chapter five. [19] Chapter 2: A vision of four kingdoms and their end (Nebuchadnezzar) Chapter 3: Faithfulness and a miraculous rescue (Daniel’s three friends) Chapter 4: Judgment warned and experienced (Nebuchadnezzar) Chapter 5: Judgment warned and experienced (Belshazzar) Chapter 6: Faithfulness and a miraculous rescue (Daniel) Chapter 7: A vision of four kingdoms and their end (Daniel) [20] Recapitulation/parallelism
is found in Daniel 2, 7-8 and 11-12: [21] |
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DANIEL 2 |
DANIEL 7-8 |
DANIEL 11-12 |
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Head of Gold = |
Lion with wings of eagle = |
3rd year of Cyrus. |
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Chest & arms of silver = Medo-Persia (2:39) |
Bear = Medo-Persia (7:5; cf.8:20) |
“three more kings are going to arise
in |
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Belly & Thighs of Bronze = |
Leopard with four wings = |
A mighty King = Greece & Alexander the Great (11:2-4) |
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Legs of Iron = |
Fourth beast, dreadful, terrifying
and extremely strong = |
The King = Time of Roman Empire/Herodian Dynasty (11:36-12:4). This period of time is referred to as the “latter days” (10:14) and “the time of the end” (11:27,35,40;12:4,9). [22] It is closely related to the “latter days” of Dan.2:28 and the events of Daniel 9:24-27 |
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Chiasmus,
Memory, Education and Oral Communication Chiasmus is a mnemonic device, a highlighter for the ear, or an “oral typesetting” [23] (remember that ancient scribes didn’t have fancy word processors with bold, italics, highlighting, different fonts, etc.). Today, we write primarily for people’s eyes. In biblical times, people wrote to be heard, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy” (Rev.1:3); “He who has an ear, let him hear…” (Rev.2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22; 13:9); “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book…” (Rev.22:18). When we see or hear the term “read” we typically think of silent reading. But in ancient times, private reading was nearly always done aloud. When Philip went to the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch, Luke says that Philip “heard him reading Isaiah the prophet” (Acts 8:30). Ambrose of Milan, the great 4th
century bishop and champion of orthodoxy, was an anomaly. [24] Augustine wrote about Ambrose’s silent
reading in the Confessions, “When
he read his eyes scanned the page and his heart sought out the meaning, but
his voice was silent and his tongue was still. Anyone could approach him
freely and guests were not commonly announced, so that often, when we came to
visit him, we found him reading like this in silence, for he never read
aloud” (quoted in Manguel, 40). [25]
Ancient libraries would have been noisy places! We might therefore translate Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he who reads aloud and those who hear the words of the prophecy.” This insight into the orality of Revelation is significant for its interpretation. [26] John not only chose words to convey meaning, but meaning is conveyed by word structure (e.g. chiasmus and parallelism) and also in their sounds. In Roman times chiasmus was built
into the very method in which children were taught. Children did not simply learn the alphabet
from A à Z like they do today. They learned the alphabet backwards from Z à A and then both ways at once, the English
equivalent of A-Z, B-Y, C-X, D-W etc.
[27] This may be significant when one
looks at the Greek alphabet. The Greek letters mu-nu are the center of the Greek alphabet, so it is probably not
coincidental that the name of the Greek goddess of memory was Mnemosyne. The middle two letters of the Greek
alphabet were also the first two letters of the Greek words for “mindful/keep
thinking” (μνημονεύω), “remember” (μνεία), “memory” (μνήμη), “memorial/tomb” (μνῆμα/μνημει̂ον), etc. [28] From these Greek words we get our English
word “mnemonic” and “amnesia.” Not only was chiasmus appropriate as a mnemonic aid for oral communication, but it also lent itself to the written medium of scrolls. When rolled up, one would be in the center of a work. As a scroll was unrolled, the symmetry of a work could be revealed. Today some people read the end of a book to see what happens. In ancient times, one might read the center of a scroll to learn the main point. With this background in mind we are now ready to begin unscrolling the structure of Revelation: |
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Revelation is comprised of seven sections and each begins in heaven and ends on the earth with a description of judgment and/or reward. The seventh and final kaleidoscopic view ends with the heavens and the earth coming together. Some of the judgments at the end of each turn of the kaleidoscope have occurred already, such as the judgments promised upon some of the seven churches if its members did not repent. I believe that the 2nd Kaleidoscopic View parallels the 6th, and that both end with covenantal judgment poured out upon Apostate Israel in 70 AD. [29] The 1st Kaleidoscopic View parallels the 7th in that both bring the reader to the consummation and the Final Judgment of those who are outside of Christ and the reward of overcomers. Regardless of how one interprets the seven sections, each kaleidoscopic view traces the fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer with God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. [30] Every section emphasizes that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the risen and exalted Christ. Indicators
of a New Kaleidoscopic View
As mentioned above, the earliest
commentators of Revelation have sensed something of the kaleidoscopic
structure of Revelation. Yet one of
the greatest difficulties has been discerning when and where a new section
begins. This is one of the weightiest
arguments against recapitulation.
David Aune writes, “if
the phenomenon of recapitulation is present, it lacks any clear formal
literary indications of its presence or (perhaps more likely) belongs to an
earlier level of composition than that now extant in Revelation” (Revelation
1-5, xcii). In answer to this
criticism I offer three indicators of recapitulation: 1. Groups of seven, or heptads, are found in each section of Revelation (see 2nd diagram). Each kaleidoscopic turn ends with the promise or description of Christ’s mediatorial judgment or reward. 2. One of Craig Blomberg’s criteria for detecting an extended chiasmus is that “verbal (or grammatical) parallelism as well as conceptual (or structural) parallelism should characterize most, if not all, of the corresponding pairs of subdivisions.” From the diagrams below one can note these and other forms of parallelism. 3. Perhaps the most important literary indicator of the presence of recapitulation is the use of bridges (sometimes referred to as hooks, interlocking, literary hinges, or a Janus [31]). Bridges link the various sections of Revelation together. [32] They are formal literary indications that one section of Revelation is segueing into the next. They are like the body’s ligaments and joints which hold our skeletal structure together. |
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EXAMPLES OF HOW EACH OF THE KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEWS
PARALLEL ONE ANOTHER PROLOGUE
AND EPILOGUE |
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PROLOGUE
(Revelation 1:1-8) |
EPILOGUE
(Rev.22:10-22:21) |
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Rev.1:1: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave Him to
show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place;
and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, |
Rev.22:6: And he said to me,
“These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of
the prophets, sent His angel
[cf. also 22:16] to show
to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. |
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Rev.1:1: The prophetic chain: God, Jesus Christ, Spirit, His Angel,
John, Pastors, People. |
Rev.22:6-8,17: The prophetic chain: God, the Lord, Spirit; His Angel,
John, Prophets, Servants. |
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Rev.1:3: Blessed
is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the
things which are written in it; for the time is near. |
Rev.22:7: “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the
prophecy of this book.” |
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Rev.1:3: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the
prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. |
Rev.22:10: And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the
prophecy of this book, for
the time is near. |
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Revelation 1:4: John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you
and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven
Spirits who are before His throne; |
Revelation 22:16: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you
these things for the churches.
I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.” |
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Revelation 1:7: Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him,
even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over
Him. Even so. Amen. |
Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to
every man according to what he has done. |
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Revelation 1:8: “I
am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was
and who is to come, the Almighty.” |
Revelation 22:13: “I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and
the end.” |
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Revelation 1:7: Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye
will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth
will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. |
Revelation 22:20: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am
coming quickly.” Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus. |
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PARALLELS
BETWEEN THE 1ST & 7TH KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEWS [33] |
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1st
KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW (Rev.1:9-3:22) |
7th
KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW (Rev.20:1-22:9) |
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The Seven Churches: Christ
& His Church Militant |
The Millennium & Sabbath
Rest (Church Triumphant) |
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PROMISES
MADE TO OVERCOMERS |
CONSUMMATION
OF CHRIST’S PROMISES |
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Ephesus: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To him who OVERCOMES, I will grant to eat of the
tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’ (2:7) |
in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the
tree of life, … (22:2). |
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Smyrna: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. He who OVERCOMES shall not be hurt by the
second death.’ (2:11) |
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection;
over these the second death has no power, but they will be
priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years
(20:6; cf. 21:7,8). |
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8 …The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life…. 9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), you
will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I
will give you the crown of life (2:8,10) |
… and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand
years (20:4) |
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Pergamum: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To him who OVERCOMES, to him I will give some of
the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name
written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’
(2:17) |
He who overcomes
will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son
(21:7). |
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Thyatira: ‘And he who OVERCOMES, and he who keeps My
deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are
broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father;
(Rev.2:26,27) ‘And he who OVERCOMES…I will give
him
the morning star (2:26,28) |
and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first
resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be
priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years
(20:4,6; cf. 19:15; 22:6,16). |
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Sardis: ‘He who OVERCOMES shall thus be clothed in white
garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life,
and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels (3:5). |
and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall
ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the
Lamb’s book of life (21:27; cf. 19:7-8,14; 20:12; 21:2). |
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Philadelphia: ‘He who OVERCOMES, I will make him a pillar in the
temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write
upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the
new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new
name (3:12). |
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband…10 And he
carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the
holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God (21:2,10). |
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‘He who OVERCOMES… I will write upon him the name of My God,
and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem… (3:12) |
… and His name shall be on their foreheads. (22:4) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God… (21:2). |
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Laodicea: ‘He who OVERCOMES, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on
My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His
throne (3:21). |
Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to
them…. and they came
to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years (20:4,6). |
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SECOND
EXAMPLE OF PARALLELS BETWEEN THE 1ST & 7TH KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEWS
[34] |
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1st KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW
(Rev.1:9-3:22) |
7th KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW
(Rev.20:1-22:9) |
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The Seven Churches: Christ & His Church Militant |
Millennium & Sabbath Rest: Christ & His Bride are Triumphant |
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THE IMPERFECTIONS OF THE CHURCH
IN THE OLD CREATION |
THE PERFECTIONS OF THE CHURCH
IN THE NEW CREATION |
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false prophets (Rev.2:2) |
twelve true apostles
(Rev.21:14) |
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false Jews (Rev.2:9; 3:9) |
the names of the tribes of true
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Christians dwell where Satan’s throne is (Rev.2:13) |
Christians dwell where God’s throne is (Rev.22:1). |
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some in the church are dead (Rev.3:1) |
All in the new Jerusalem are written in the Lamb’s book of life(Rev.21:27) |
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the church is faltering, temporal lampstand (Rev.1:20; 2:5) |
God and the Lamb are the eternal lamps (Rev.21:23-24; 22:5) |
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The church is filled with idolatrous impurities (2:14-15,20) and liars (Rev.2:9; 3:9). |
there will be only purity and truth in the new creation (Rev.21:8,27). |
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Christians face persecution, hoping in God’s promises to overcomers (Rev.2:8-10,13). |
In the new creation they reign, having inherited these promises (Rev.2:7=22:2; 2:17=22:4; 3:5=21:27; 3:12=21:10 and 22:4; 3:21=22:1 and 22:5). |
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PARALLELS
BETWEEN THE 2ND & 6TH KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEWS |
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2nd KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW (Rev.4:1-8:1,3-5) |
6th
KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW (Rev.17:1-19:21) |
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THE THRONE OF RULE, PRAISE AND
WORSHIP |
THE “THRONE” OF RUIN, WEEPING
AND LAMENTING |
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Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a
throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne (Revelation
4:2). |
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness;
and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names,
having seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:3). |
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Universe Governed By God’s
Throne: and behold, a
throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. (Rev.4:2) |
Judgment Of The Harlot’s
“Throne”: “Come here, I
shall show you the judgment of the great harlot
who sits on many waters, 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a
wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting
on a scarlet beast, (Rev.17:1,3) |
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Description of the One sitting on the throne (4:2ff.). Note the description of the Person, throne,
and character. |
Description of the woman sitting on a scarlet beast (17:3-5). Note
the description of the person, throne, and character. |
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God’s throne is surrounded by heavenly creatures & the redeemed
who praise Him (Rev.4:4,5,7,11,13). The
redeemed are very close to their Redeemer (7:15-17) |
The woman’s throne is surrounded by those who dwell on the earth
(Rev.17:8,), peoples & multitudes and nations and tongues (17:15), those
who participated in the woman’s sins (18:4,9-19). These weep and lament over her (18:9) and
stand at a distance because of fear of her torment (18:10) |
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Purity of the Lamb (5:9/see the sacrificial laws about blood) |
Impurity of the woman (17:4/see the Levitical laws about blood and
menstruation) |
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Salvation (Rev.5:9-10) |
Damnation (Rev.18:1ff) |
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Singing (Rev.5:9) |
Cessation of singing (18:22) |
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saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive power
and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” (Rev.5:12) |
“And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and
mourning, saying, ‘Woe,
woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her
wealth, for in one hour she has been laid
waste!’ (Rev.18:19) |
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And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the
souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of
the testimony which they had maintained; (Rev.6:9) |
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the
blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered
greatly. (Rev.17:6) |
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great multitude (ὄχλος
πολύς;
7:9) worshipping ¨ And all the angels were standing around the
throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on
their faces before the throne and worshiped God (Rev. 7:11) |
19:1-10 - great multitude (ὄχλου
πολλοῦ [v.1]; ὄχλου
πολλοῦ [v.6]) worshipping ¨ And the twenty-four elders and the four
living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying,
“Amen. Hallelujah!” (Rev. 19:4) |
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PARALLELS
BETWEEN THE 3rd & 5TH KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEWS |
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3rd
KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW (Rev.8:2,6-11:19) |
5th
KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW (Rev.15:1,5-16:21) |
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THE SEVEN TRUMPETS: THE
KINGSHIP OF CHRIST OVER CREATION |
THE
SEVEN BOWLS |
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1st
Angel of Judgment: earth
(Rev.8:7) [note the judgment here is upon creation] |
1st Angel of Judgment: earth (Rev.16:2) [note the judgment here is upon men] |
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2nd
Angel of Judgment: the 1/3
of the sea becoming blood (Rev.8:8) |
2nd Angel of Judgment: the sea becoming blood/the damage is more extensive than the 3rd Kaleidoscopic View (16:3) |
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3rd
Angel of Judgment: 1/3 of
rivers and springs of waters (Rev.8:10-11) |
3rd Angel of Judgment: rivers & springs of waters/damage more extensive (Rev.16:4) |
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4th
Angel of Judgment: 1/3 of sun,
moon and stars leading to darkness (Rev.8:12) [note the judgment here is upon
creation] |
4th Angel of Judgment: the sun is affected leading to scorching heat (Rev.16:8,9) [note the judgment here is upon men] |
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These following three trumpets are set off
from the others because they are called woes.
These woes lead up to the consummation. |
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5th
Angel of Judgment: The
first woe and the abyss (Rev.9:1-12) |
5th Angel of Judgment: The throne of the beast. |
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6th
Angel of Judgment: great
river Euphrates (Rev.9:13-21) |
6th Angel of Judgment: great river Euphrates & Armageddon (Rev.16:12-16) |
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7th
Angel of Judgment:
Announcement concerning Christ’s Kingdom and His reign (Rev.11:15-18) [φωναὶ
μεγάλαι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ
λέγοντες, ] ¨
Temple
(v.19) ¨
Flashes
of lightning (v.19) ¨
sounds
and peals of thunder (v.19) ¨
an
earthquake (v.19) ¨
great
hailstorm (v.19) |
7th Angel of Judgment: Announcement, “It is done” (Rev.16:17-21) [φωνὴ μεγάλη ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θρονοῦ λέγουσα, Γέγονεν] ¨
¨ Flashes of lightning (v.18) ¨ sounds and peals of thunder (v.18) ¨ great earthquake (v.18) ¨ huge hailstones (v.21) |
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The third kaleidoscopic view mentions three woes in 8:13. The first woe
is connected with the fifth trumpet and occurs in 9:1-12 (see v.12), the
second woe is linked with the sixth trumpet and is realized by 11:14. The third woe is never specifically
mentioned as having been accomplished.
However, 8:13 indicates that the last three trumpets are the three
woes, “Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on
the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the
trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” An argument for recapitulation is found in 10:7, “But in the days of
the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery
of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets”. Based upon this solemn oath, we are to
understand that seventh trumpet as taking us to The End (i.e. the
consummation) and yet there are still eleven chapters after the seventh
trumpet is sounded! The reason for
this is that the last eleven chapters recapitulate what has already been
revealed, along with a description of
the new heavens and the new earth. The progression present from the 3rd to 5th kaleidoscopic view is a progression of judgment that becomes increasingly severe. Both judgments are a call to repentance (9:21; 16:10). Bridges The transition between the kaleidoscopic sections of Revelation is
made evident by “bridges” which link previous sections with new ones. |
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THE
KALEIDOSCOPIC/ PARALLEL STRUCTURE OF REVELATION & ITS “BRIDGES"[35] |
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PROLOGUE Revelation 1:1-8 1:9-11 serve as a bridge between the prologue and the first
kaleidoscopic view: “John (vv.1,4 with
v.9),” “testimony of Jesus (v.2 with v.9),” “word of God (v.2 with v.9),”
“seven churches (v.4 with v.11),” and “kingdom (v.6 with v.9)” link this
transition with what John wrote in vv.1-8.
The listing of the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum,
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea in 1:11 looks forward to the
seven letters in chapters 2-3. |
EPILOGUE Rev.22:10-22:21 22:6-9 constitute the final bridge of
Revelation. This final transition is
the most complex because it not only introduces the epilogue but it also
forms an inclusio with the prologue (e.g. John directly addresses the
audience [22:8; 1:9]; blessing is pronounced [22:18; 1:3]; the benediction of
grace [22:21] takes one back to the salutation of grace [1:4] {Barr,
249}). |
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1st KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.1:9-3:22 The sitting of Christ with His Father on
His throne (3:21) marks the transition between the first and second kaleidoscopic
view where John sees the throne of the Father (4:1-11) and the Son
approaching the throne and receiving divine authority (5:1-14). |
7th
KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.20:1-22:9 Chapter 20 introduces a new vision
narrative and brings the reader/hearer back to the 1st century
A.D. following the casting of Satan from heaven and his being bound. The bridge marking the transition between
the sixth and seventh kaleidoscopic view is 20:3 where “deceive” and
“nations” link up with the deception of the nations by the false prophet in
19:15,18-21. The judgment described in
19:17-21 completely destroyed the godless nations deceived by the beast and
false prophet and so the mention of nations and protection from deception in
20:3 alerts the reader that another turn of the kaleidoscope is beginning
(see White, Reexamining…, 319-44). |
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2nd KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.4:1-8:1,3-5 In 8:1-5 there is an interweaving with
8:1,3-5 belonging to the second kaleidoscopic view and 8:2 marking the transition
with the third kaleidoscopic view. The
“misplacement” of verse 2 alerts the reader/hearer that a new section is
commencing. |
6th KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.17:1-19:21 The use of one of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls in 17:1 serves as a bridge between the bowl judgments in
15:1,5-16:21 and the judgment of the harlot in 17:1-18:24. |
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3rd KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.8:2,6-11:19 The only section without a bridge is the transition between the third
kaleidoscopic view to the fourth. The
reason for this is that “With the seventh trumpet-blast the Kingdom of God
has come, and the general judgement is at hand…If the Book had ended here, it
would have been within these limits complete” (Swete 146). The very fact that vv.11:15-19 bring the
hearer to The End alerts the reader
that what follows in 12:1ff. begins another turn of the kaleidoscope. It may also be of importance that the Greek
word “sign” and its cognates are used seven times in Revelation. The first instance is 1:1 (semaino) and the second instance is 12:1 (semeion) (Hall,
287f.). |
5th KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.15:1,5-16:21 15:1 is another “misplaced” verse which like 8:2 alerts the
reader/hearer of Revelation that another kaleidoscopic section is about to
begin. In 15:1 the seven angels with
the seven plagues are introduced, but they are “interrupted” until 15:5. |
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4th KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW Rev.12:1-15:2-4 |
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