1/24/03

The Structure of the Book of Revelation

“This calls for wisdom…” Rev 17:9a NAS

The book of Revelation has caused difficulty for virtually every would-be interpreter. Many have presented their solutions with great certitude, only to be contradicted by the next scholar with a pen. Others have recognized that the keys to understanding are found in two features of the book. First, Revelation is the product of almighty God speaking through a thoroughly Hebrew penman. Thus, we may properly expect that its imagery and symbolism will be Hebrew. After all, how else would the penman be able to have any hope of understanding what he had written?

Next, the book has a definite structure. Many structures have been proposed. And most have suggested a chiastic structure for the book. But there are many different chiasms proposed for the same passages, implying that most of them are wrong. After all, the chiasm is inherent in Hebrew thought patterns, and if this most Hebrew of books is built around it, it ought to be obvious. We will also suggest that a chiasm is a major part of the structure (and will explain it at that time), but will begin with much more fundamental elements.

Trajectory - Prologue:

Theologians use the word “trajectory” to describe where a discussion is going. In this case, we are looking at the ultimate point the book is trying to make. On this point, at least, most theologians do agree. Revelation 1:1-8 is generally recognized as the Prologue of the book. That is, it sets the stage.

No more dramatic stage could be set. Jesus is about to reveal “through his angel” “the things which must shortly take place.” In other words, “Here comes the future.” But more than that, the Greek of this opening sentence tells us that the focus of the revelation is none other than Jesus himself. This gives us our first interpretive key. Any interpretation of the book that spotlights anything other than the course of redemptive history is wrong. This is so important that it should be put in bold print.

Any interpretation of the book of Revelation that focuses on geopolitical events is wrong. The book of Revelation is about Jesus.

The second key is the Greek word semaino in the first verse. The impact of this word is that the revelation will be given in symbols. Thus:

Any interpretation that focuses on the literalistic meaning of individual words or phrases, separate from their Old Testament symbolic context, is also wrong.

The final element of the prologue is the setting in which John receives the revelation. Verse 9 identifies John as a “fellow partaker in the tribulation.” Specifically, John was a prisoner on the island of Patmos, put there because of his faith and testimony about Jesus.[i] Thus, the Christian community is enduring substantial opposition and persecution. This would certainly intensify later as the Roman Emperors used Christians as victims in the cruelest games imaginable. It is difficult in these modern days of tolerance to conceive of the conditions John is describing so casually. But this was the starting point for the revelation. Terrible troubles, the result of Satan’s agents working to eliminate the faithful people of God, describes the opening situation.[ii]

Trajectory - Epilogue:

The purpose of the book is revealed in the Epilogue. This is the closing statement that “wraps up” all of the revelation. Beginning at 22:8, John repeats his testimony as the messenger. Verse 12 points out that God will reward each man according to his works. When compared to 20:11-15, it can be seen that this is a very short description of the gospel message. Those who accept Christ will have their names written in the Book of Life. Those who reject him will be destroyed in the lake of fire. Verses 14-15 reinforce this by pronouncing a blessing on those who “wash their robes” (accept the gospel), and a curse on all others.

But this is not the end. An invitation to all is given (v. 17). The hope of salvation remains for all who will accept. But a curse is pronounced on all who would alter this message (vv. 18-19).

The message of the book is wrapped up in these two short segments. Times are terrible, but in the end, God will come for us, and will rescue us from the evil in the world. Wickedness will be abolished. The victory is assured!

Revelation is a message of hope for God’s people in times of trouble. That is its core. Everything else is an expansion of this message. And just to make sure that everyone who heard it recognized this feature, John added a specific form of greeting. In 1:4-5, John specifically greets the churches in the standard manner of an epistle.

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; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,

When he ends the book, he again uses a standard epistolary signature ( 22:21).

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

The book of Revelation is an epistle to the churches. It is designed to bring the hope of redemption to them as a divine certainty. But unlike the letters of Paul, or even of John himself, this large letter is designed to convey something larger. It is presented in symbols, the content of the visions related between the prologue and the epilogue. The current troubled times in which the churches are found will not last forever. At a divinely determined time, and in a divinely determined way, the saints of God will be rewarded for their faithfulness, and the wicked will be destroyed. Good will then rule forever.

The Foundation

The book of Revelation is built around a single theme. We can refer to this theme as the “foundation,” because, just like a building, every additional structure in the book is built on it. If this structure is missed, any interpretation of the book is likely to become faulty.

In the Old Testament, the Messiah was revealed in every aspect of the sanctuary. In the candlesticks, we find Jesus as the light of the world (cf. John 8:12). In the bread of the presence, we see Jesus as the bread of life (cf. John 6:33). In the sacrifice for sin, we see Jesus, our sinless sacrifice (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). In the same way, the sanctuary is the center of the book, for that was where Jesus was revealed before.

As we read through the book, we will find immense volumes of sanctuary material. It is a constant motif that allows us to understand the symbolic material recorded by John. But it is more. The festival calendar that was so important in the Hebrew year is the calendar of redemption. And that calendar is a key progressive structure of the book. Just as the festival calendar sweeps toward the conclusion of the year, it sweeps toward the conclusion of redemption.[iii]

The Daily Ministry

In chapter 1, we find Jesus walking among the lampstands. Later, in the message to Ephesus (2:5), he tells the church to “repent and do the deeds you did at first,” or he will “remove your lampstand.” This is a daily priestly ministry (Exod 30:7). While it is not one of the festivals listed in Leviticus 23, it is foundational to all of them. This ministry was the daily tie each Hebrew had to his God.

Passover

The first festival of the year (Lev 23:5) was Passover. This festival initially was the beginning of the exodus from Egyptian captivity. Later it became a memorial of that release. And in the New Testament, Christ was sacrificed as our Passover (1 Cor 5:7).

The key features of Passover included service of all 24 priestly courses (1 Chron 24:1-5) and the sacrifice of the lamb (Exod 12:6). The introductory temple scene that follows the messages to the churches (to which the daily ministry vision belongs) presents us with these key elements. The twenty-four elders are most likely representative of the priestly courses.[iv] Next, the setting of the vision is the courtyard, where the sacrifice would take place.[v] Finally, the Paschal lamb (Rev 5:6) is present.

Pentecost

Fifty days after Passover came Pentecost (Lev 23:15-16). This was again a festival where all the priests were to be present. It concluded the spring harvest. Of particular interest is that this is when (Acts 2) the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in great power, working miracles. And it is also when Peter’s sermon led to the harvest of 3,000 souls.

The introductory temple vision of Revelation 4-5 has all of these elements. As we have already noted, the twenty-four priestly courses are represented by the twenty-four elders. And 5:6 presents the Holy Spirit sent out into the earth.

It is of particular interest that the spring festival types met their antitypical fulfillment in the first advent of Jesus. As Paul notes, he was our Passover sacrifice (1 Cor 5:7). Although we have not mentioned it here, after Passover came the observation of Firstfruits (Lev 23:10-14). On the third day, Christ arose as the Firstfruits from the dead (1 Cor 15:20). We may see this inferred in the reference to the Lion of Judah (Rev 5:5) who is worthy to open the sealed scroll. And finally, we have seen the fulfillment of Pentecost in Acts 2.

The entire series of spring festivals met their fulfillment in sequence in the First Advent of Christ. This should alert us to the possibility that the fall festivals are likely to be divinely arranged for a similar purpose in the Second Advent.

The Feast of Trumpets

The Feast of Trumpets began the fall festivals. Each month, the shofar[vi] was blown on the first day. On the seventh month, the sabbatical cycle was completed. The first day of that month was signified by a blowing of silver trumpets for the entire day, giving it the name Yom Teruah, or “The Day of Blowing.”

The specific purpose of the Feast of Trumpets is not given in the Old Testament, but rabbinical sources indicate that it was regarded as “the little judgment leading up to the great judgment.” In other words, it was a herald that in ten days, the Day of Atonement was coming. Each Israelite was to “afflict his soul” (Lev 23:27) to bring every sin to the temple before that day. Then, on the Day of Atonement, the people would be clean of their sins (Lev 16:30). This would be a day of judgment in favor of God’s people (Dan 7:18).

The Feast of Trumpets does not appear in an introductory temple scene the way that Passover and Pentecost did. But its presence is considerably greater. God’s call to the wicked to repent is presented in the seven trumpets of chapters 8-11. This function is not immediately apparent on the first reading of this section of the book, but when the symbols in which the trumpets are presented have been understood, the call can be heard.

The Day of Atonement

The most important day of the year was the Day of Atonement. On this day, everything stopped. The people humbled themselves before the Lord, seeking final cleansing from their sins. The high priest went through an elaborate ritual in which he entered the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God (Lev 16:2). This process included the presentation of large amounts of incense (Lev 16:12-13) to shield him from the presence of God. While present in the Holy of Holies, he would see the Ark of the Covenant. So that his exit from the Holy of Holies would be known to the camp, there were bells on the hem of his robe (Exod 28:31-15). But since these bells only “tinkled,” it was essential that the camp be silent during the Holy of Holies ministry.

As in the Trumpets, the Day of Atonement does not appear in an introductory vision. Rather, it appears in the ultimate step of the three most prominent series of “seven” in the book: the seals, trumpets, and bowls. These three series present redemptive history in a symbolic way, and all end in the Day of Atonement. In the seventh seal (8:1-5), there is silence and the large amount of incense. The seventh trumpet speaks of the temple being opened and the appearance of the Ark of the Covenant (11:19). The seventh bowl includes a “loud voice from the throne saying ‘It is done’” (16:17), concluding the Atonement.

All three of these are descriptions of the Day of Atonement. The seals give the view of the camp outside the temple, and the preparatory actions of the high priest. The trumpets bring us into the Holy of Holies with the high priest, where he sees the Ark. Finally, the bowls present the verdict of God in favor of the saints. “It is done! My people have been truly cleansed of their sins.” (cf. 11:18)

The Feast of Booths

The final festival in the year was the Feast of Booths (Lev 23:34-43). This was a reminder of the Lord’s miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt. In this festival, the Hebrews made temporary “booths” of the branches of beautiful trees in which they lived for a week. These symbolized the protection from the desert sun while in the wilderness. This symbol of the booth was used repeatedly in the Old Testament to symbolize God’s protection for his people.

Two ceremonies were added to the feast during the intertestamental period.[vii] The first was the water drawing ceremony. This recalled the water from the rock in the wilderness (Exod 17:6; cf. 1 Cor 10:4). In it, water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam. It was poured into a basin that drained into the Kidron Valley along the path of the river of life in Ezekiel 47.

The other ceremony was the illumination of the temple. This recalled the pillar of fire by night in the wilderness (Exod 13:21–22). These ceremonies were the backdrop when Jesus declared himself to be the water of life (John 7:37–38) and the light of the world (John 8:12).

The Feast of Tabernacles is foreshadowed in Revelation 7:15-17, where it is said that God “will spread a booth over them” (v. 15, lit). Further echoes of this festival include protection from “sun, heat, and thirst” in verses 16-17. This foreshadowing is more directly presented in Revelation 20:7-10. There the second resurrection leads to the attack of the wicked on the saints who have descended from heaven. Fire from heaven destroys the wicked, and the saints are protected.

The description of the New Jerusalem fills out the festival. The River of Life (Rev 22:1-2) echoes the water drawing, both in its ceremonial form and in the promise of life in Ezekiel’s vision. It is also the final fulfillment of Jesus’ appropriation of the type to himself (Rev 21:6). The illumination of the Temple is seen in the illumination of the New Jerusalem by the presence of Christ ( Rev 21:23).

Shemini Atzeret[viii]

The Feast of Tabernacles was centered on a seven-day temporary residence in booths. After the festival, the people were to leave their temporary shelters and move to their permanent homes. That day was a solemn sabbath, and has also been known as the “Great Sabbath of the Feast of Booths.” But since the feast is seven days long (Lev 23:36, 41-42), this day is not properly part of the Feast of Booths. Little else is said about it in scripture.

The key feature of Shemini Atzaret is the movement from temporary to permanent dwellings. This is fulfilled in Revelation in the description of the New Jerusalem. It is summed up in the statement, “I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). This speaks of a re-creation of the perfect state that was present in Eden. There, Adam and Eve were intended to live in a permanent sinless state. In the earth made new, we will all leave the temporary protection Christ gave against the attack by the wicked, and move into a permanent home where evil will never threaten us again.

 

The festival calendar is seen throughout the book of Revelation. Every part of the book is saturated with its language and prophetic content. Just as the prologue and epilogue take us in direct language from our desperate sinful state toward the sinless earth made new, the festival calendar takes the book from the daily ministration of Jesus today to the ultimate daily celebration of eternity with him.

Every part of the book is built on the foundation of the sanctuary. The festivals are a progressive object lesson and prophecy of the promise of salvation. And in the book of Revelation, they serve as the fabric on which the tapestry of the drama of salvation is sewn. Because these “Jewish” festivals permeate every part of the book, it is impossible to separate the book into “church” and “non-church” segments. Every section is part of an organic whole. It is a living message of hope for all of God’s people.

Chiastic Structure: The Key Issue Revealed

The book of Revelation is written in a chiastic form. This is a typical Hebrew thought and writing pattern built around parallel thoughts. In this structure, the parallel ideas are presented in an extended inverted sequence which is diagrammed as follows.

A
- B
-- C
--- D
-- C’
- B’
A’

Idea A is parallel to idea A’, B is parallel to B’, and so on. Because this structure looks like the left half of the Greek letter Chi (X), it is called a chiasm. Of particular importance in chiastic structure is the fact that the most important thought is placed in the center or peak of the chiasm.

Scholars have suggested a wide variety of chiasms for the book of Revelation; depending on which ideas they found to be important. But because these proposed chiasms differ from each other, it is very unlikely that the bulk of them are correct. For our purposes, we will use a simple approach. The major visions of the book can be naturally separated like this:

A- Prolog -- 1:1-8
B -- 7 Churches -- 1:9-3:22
C ---- Seals and saints -- 4:1-8:5
D ------ Warning of judgment -- 8:2, 6-11:19
E --------- Conflict over worship -- 12:1-14:20
D’------ Execution of judgment -- 15:1-18:24
C’----- “Sealing” of the wicked -- 19:1-20:15
B’--- Victorious church -- 21:1-22:5
A’- Epilog -- 22:6-21

Segment “E” is the peak of the chiasm. And the subject of this vision is worship. In particular, Satan’s agent, the Beast, demands that all men worship him or his agent (Rev 13:3-8) on pain of death (vv. 16-17). But the saints will refuse to worship him (v. 8), and give their worship to Christ (14:4).

The sanctuary is the center of true worship. Thus, the sanctuary is the central focus of the book of Revelation, revealed in the peak of the chiasm that is the book.

Summary

It is not possible to properly understand the book of Revelation without first understanding the sanctuary. The Trajectory of the book is from a world dying from sin to an earth made new without sin. This cleansing is accomplished when saints bring their sins to the sanctuary.

The Foundation of the book is the sanctuary festival calendar. In each festival, a specific aspect of the plan of redemption is presented. These progress from the daily ministry to the Shemini Atzaret, the great sabbath of the Feast of Booths, where the saints leave the temporary shelter Jesus provides against the assault of Satan, and enter their permanent homes in the earth made new.

The Focus of the book is true worship, as revealed in the peak of the chiastic structure of Revelation. True worship can only occur in the context of the true sanctuary. In the Old Testament, this was typified by the sanctuary in the wilderness, followed by the more permanent temple in Jerusalem.[ix] But the true temple is in heaven (Heb 9:24, Psa 11:4). This is where we bring our pleas for forgiveness (Heb 4:16).

The book of Revelation cannot be properly understood without first considering the Sanctuary and its services. Without it we may be able to gain small glimpses of the way in which God is planning to rescue us from the curse, but without a firm foundation in the sanctuary, we will be severely limited in our comprehension. The sanctuary brings us to the glory of God’s plan for us.

The entire book of Revelation is an epistle to the early church. Yet, it is written almost exclusively in Old Testament idiom and symbols drawn from Old Testament prophecies, founded in the Old Testament sanctuary. It is the story of our redemption by the Old Testament God.

 

[i] The NETBible translates this as an objective genitive, implying that it is the testimony about Jesus, rather than the testimony by Jesus. Other translations are a bit less specific, and use ambiguous English constructions. The same grammatical form appears in 19:10, where the NETBible again translates it as an objective genitive. There they note that if this were a subjective genitive, it would imply that the testimony was the same as that to which Jesus testifies. While the differences are subtle, the impact is that preaching Jesus’ message (the gospel) is what landed John in the slammer.

[ii] One issue we will not discuss here is the debate over the date of Revelation. One body of scholarship places John’s imprisonment during the time of Nero (AD64 or so). Another puts it during the reign of Domitian (AD94 or so). Both sides offer cogent arguments to support their positions. Because the conclusion to this debate has no bearing on the material we will present, this issue will be left for another time and place.

[iii] This application of the festival calendar is typological. It uses the original temple services and calendar as types, or acted-out-prophecies. The fulfillments of these types are known as antitypes. This is in good agreement with many New Testament applications of Old Testament material. However, it is an application that was generally unknown to Jewish scholars of Jesus’ day. While they understood the coming arrival of the Messiah, and the ultimate prophesied victory of God over evil, they did not comprehend that the institutions that were given to them by God at Sinai were intended to teach them about this process. When Jesus explained this to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:25-27) it was as if he was revealing a mystery. Indeed, this is the very term used by Paul to describe the gospel.

[iv] The discussion of the twenty-four elders is quite involved, and is the subject of much scholarly debate. Of key interest is that the number twenty-four has only one scriptural referent, and that is the priestly courses. Further, the elders have been redeemed (Rev 5:9) implying that they are men. Finally, they are performing priestly duties.

[v] The key feature that places this in the courtyard is the sea of glass (Rev 4:6), reminiscent of the laver in Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 7:23-26).

[vi] The shofar was the ram’s horn trumpet used in the daily temple services.

[vii] The books of the Old Testament were completed shortly after the return from Babylonian captivity. The New Testament was begins with the account of Christ’s life. The period between these landmarks is known as the intertestamental period because it is “between the Testaments.”

[viii] Shemini Atzeret literally means “eighth assembly,” but functionally means “assembly on the eighth day. It probably received this name in the intertestamental period, but it is not possible to be certain about this. The name does not appear in scripture.

[ix] Actually there were two temples. Solomon’s temple served until it was destroyed in 586BC. Then the second temple was built after the return from Babylonian exile and served until Christ died on the cross. It existed physically until AD70 when it was destroyed by the Roman army. But the sacrificial services no longer had meaning after Christ died (Heb 9:26).