The last chapter addressed the proper method of interpretation for the book of Revelation. It seems to me that the natural subject to review at this point would be the characteristics of this particular book, and its literary form.
The opening verse of John’s manuscript establishes the very nature of the entire work. Notice this line: “and he sent and signified it by his angel” (1:1). The Revelation is to be “signified” to John by the angel of Christ. The Greek word “esemana,” translated here as “signified,” is from the Grk sema; it answers to the English word—sign. Sema also means; to give a sign, or to make known. We may expect, then, for the subsequent revelations to be given to John in signs or symbolic images and language.
In this book of symbols, the number seven (7) plays an important role that cannot be over emphasized. In the Revelation, seven is the divine number used to show completeness. It has been pointed out by others how the use of the number seven, in both the Revelation and the Fourth Gospel, is strong evidence of one author for both books. The use of this number in its symbolic sense is a characteristic of John the Apostle.
Concerning the number 7, the following information is very telling. The Revelation contains twenty-one groups of seven. As stated previously, symbols are central to this book, and numbers play a major role in the book’s symbolic nature. For instance, three is the number of confirmation. (Note: the law of witnesses was established in Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15. According to the law of witnesses, any evidence for a matter must be confirmed by two or three witnesses. This rule of confirmation has been followed throughout Scripture [see Num 35:30, compare to Matt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:13; Heb 10:28], and is employed often in the Revelation.) Therefore, the number 21 is key, because it is a multiple of 7 by 3; thus, showing that the number 7 is confirmed by the number 3 as being the official number of the Revelation.
The number 7 is regarded by the Hebrews as a sacred number; in that it represents completeness, or perfection, it is the covenant number throughout Scripture. It is a sign of God’s covenant relationship with mankind, and especially with the Church. This is evidenced in the hallowing of the seventh day: in the execution of circumcision, the sign of the covenant, after the seventh day; in the part played by the number in marriage covenants and treaties of peace; it is a number of purification and consecration (see Lev 4:6, 17; 8:11, 33; Num 19:20); seven is the number of every grace and benefit bestowed upon Israel, which is thus marked as flowing out of the covenant, and consequence of it; the priests compassed Jericho seven days and on the seventh—seven times, that all Israel may know that the city was given into their hands by their covenant God, and that its conquest was a direct and immediate result of their covenant relationship to Him; Naaman is to dip in Jordan seven times, that he may acknowledge the God of Israel as the author of his cure; it is the number of reward to those who are faithful in the covenant (see Deut 28:7; 1 Sam 2:5), of punishment to those who are froward in the covenant (see Lev 26:21, 24, 28; Deut 28:25), or to those who injure the people of it (see Gen 4:15, 24; Ex 7:25; Ps 79:12). All these things are ordered by the number seven, or else by seven multiplied by seven and thus made more intense still. Thus, it is with the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, of Tabernacles, the Sabbath Year, and the Jubilee. It is also observed that God employs the number seven in His dealings with nations who are outside the covenant, showing that He is working for Israel’s sake with respect to His covenant: it is the number of years of plenty and famine, a sign that these are for Israel’s sake rather than for Egypt’s; seven times over Nebuchadnezzar that he may learn that the God of his Jewish captives is King over all the earth. The number seven is just as prominent in the New Testament: showing the covenant of Calvary to be the Abrahamic covenant realized; showing the cross of Christ to be the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy given in Jeremiah 31:31; furthermore, there are seven petitions in the Our Father (Matt 6:9-13); seven sayings of Christ from the cross; seven deacons (Acts 6:3); seven graces (Rom 12:6-8); seven characteristics of wisdom (James 3:17); etc.
Moreover, Hebrew literature is highly covert by nature, and the book of Revelation is, in point of fact, a Hebraic masterpiece—although it comes to us written in Greek. Since the book of Revelation is from the very beginning covert, instead of overt, one would expect the manuscript to require a specialized reading. The truth of its visions will not be found lying on the surface of its words, but hidden behind veils of symbolic images and language. No one will dispute the Hebraic nature of its writing and thought, throughout. The fingerprints of the Hebrew prophets—such as Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah—are to be found all over the manuscript; this much is undeniable. In fact, the Apocalypse is written to the motif of the Old Testament scripture almost in its entirety. We must notice Balaam (2:14); Jezebel (2:20); Michael the archangel (7:7 compared to Dan 10:13; 12:1); Abbadon (9:11); seven headed beasts with ten horns (13:1 compared to Dan 7:7); the seven stars (1:16 compared to Job 38:31 and Amos 5:8); the Euphrates River (9:14); Sodom, Egypt (11:8); Mount Sion (14:1); Babylon (16:19); Jerusalem (21:2); Gog and Magog (20:8 compared to Ezek ch’s 38 and 39). Similarly, there is the tree of life (2:7; 22:20); scepter of iron (2:17); potter’s vessel (2:27); the morning star (2:28); the book of life (3:5 compared to Ex 32:32, 33). The tabernacle of Moses provides the motif for John’s description of Heaven (4:6; 6:9; 9:19; 11:1, 19). The Song of the Redeemed is, in fact, the song of Moses (15:3 compared to Ex 15:1-17). The great earthquake of chapter six recalls the prophet Haggai; the sun becoming black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon becoming blood (ch 8) from Joel; the stars of heaven falling, the fig tree casting her untimely figs, the heavens departing as a scroll (ch 8) from Isaiah; the scorpions of Revelation chapter nine recall the prophet Ezekiel; the gathering of the vine of the earth (ch14) from Joel, and the treading of the winepress in the same chapter from Isaiah. The vision of the glorified Christ (1:12-20) connects with several of the prophets. For example: the golden candlesticks reflect Exodus and Zechariah; the garment down to the feet reflects Exodus and Daniel; the golden girdle and hair “white like wool” reflect Isaiah and Daniel; His feet “like unto fine brass” and “his voice as the sound of many waters” reflect Ezekiel; the “sharp two-edged sword” reflects Isaiah and the Psalms; the countenance as the sun reflects Exodus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The laying of Jesus’ right hand upon John recalls a like event from the prophet Daniel.
Along with its Hebrew character (as demonstrated above) the book of Revelation is apocalyptic literature; and, as such, is highly symbolic in its language, in that one thing stands for another. However, the book often gives keys for interpreting its symbols; for example, stars are angels (1:20); candlesticks (lamp stands) are churches (1:20); the Harlot (17:1) is Babylon (17:5), a.k.a. Rome (17:18); waters are people, multitudes, nations, or tongues (17:15); horns are kingdoms or power (17:12); the heavenly Jerusalem is the Lamb’s wife (21:9, 10), a.k.a. the Church; etc. Animals and colors are used symbolically, as are numbers: for example 3, 7, 10, 12, and multiples of the same. Gematria, a system of turning names into numbers and numbers into names, popular among the Hebrews, is employed by John to reveal (and at the same time conceal) the identity of the anti-Christ (13:17, 18).
Concerning the order and structure of the book of Revelation, a few particulars must be pointed out from the very first. For instance, one should not expect the visions of the book to follow chronological order as John records them. There are eight primary visions in the book; seven of these visions overlap one another wholly or in part. The seven overlapping visions cover the history of the Church in seven different and distinct tiers of prophecy. The eighth vision is of eternity future. (See the chart below.) Eight is God’s personal number, and is used universally to represent infinity and new beginning. Hence, the reason the vision of eternity future is the eighth primary vision. Also, according to the science of Gematria, the numerical value of the name, Jesus, is 888.
The following chart gives the eight primary visions of the Revelation:
PRIMARY VISIONS OF REVELATION
- The Seven Churches (1:9-3:22). This vision covers the entire history of the Church.
- The Book with the Seven Seals (5:1-6:17; 8:1-9:21; 11:15-18). This is an overlapping vision that covers the entirety of the history of the Church.
- The Seven Personages (11:19-14:20). A third overlapping vision also addressing the entire history of the Church.
- The Seven Vials of God’s Wrath (15:1-16:22). This vision is limited in the scope of its reach; it overlaps the Seventh Seal – applies to the kingdom of the beast in the end of history.
- Mystery Babylon and Her Judgment (17:1-19:10). This vision is of the entire age of the Church; Mystery Babylon is here viewed as the Church of Iniquity.
- King of kings Upon a White Horse Conquering By The Word of God (19:11-21). This vision overlaps the time of the Wrath of God (vision number four).
- The Thousand Years Reign and the White Throne Judgment (20:1-15). This vision is of the entire Church Age, plus the final judgment.
- The New Heaven and the New Earth (21:1-22:5). This vision is but a glimpse into eternity future.
Another characteristic of Revelation’s affinity with the number seven are the twenty-one sevens found within its pages. The number twenty-one is important because it is the number seven multiplied by three—three is the number of confirmation; thus, confirming that seven is the official number of the book of Revelation.
The twenty-one sevens of the book of Revelation:
- The seven churches, 1:4-20; 2-3.
- The seven Spirits, 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.
- The seven candlesticks, 1:12-20; 2:1.
- The seven stars, 1:16-20; 2:1; 3:1.
- The seven lamps, 4:5.
- The seven seals, 5:1-5.
- The seven horns, 5:6.
- The seven eyes, 5:6.
- The seven angels, 8:2-6.
- 10. The seven trumpets, 8:2-6.
- 11. The seven thunders, 10:3-4.
- 12. The seven thousand redeemed, 11:13.
- 13. The seven heads, 12:3; 13:1; 17:3-9.
- 14. The seven crowns, 12:3.
- 15. The seven angels, 15:1-8; 21:9.
- 16. The seven plagues, 15:1-8; 21:9.
- 17. The seven vials, 15:7; 17:1; 21:9.
- 18. The seven mountains, 17:9.
- 19. The seven kings, 17:10-11.
- 20. The seven beatitudes, 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9;
20:6; 22:7, 14.
- 21. The seven I Am’s of Christ, 1:8, 11, 17, 18; 21:6; 22:13,16.
After spending over forty years in the dispensational doctrine, and having raise my children in that theological framework, I became a convinced adherent to a "kingdom" theology that recognizes the Church as the Israel of God, and that the first century actually saw the fulfillment of most of Matthew chapter 24. "Letters to My Children on Apostolic Kingdom Theology" is a compilation of twenty four letters written to my children explaining my journey. These "Letters" provide a systematic approach to Apostolic Eschatological study of Scripture. It is sure to interest all students of Scriptures.
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After spending over forty years in the dispensational doctrine, and having raise my children in that theological framework, I became a convinced adherent to a "kingdom" theology that recognizes the Church as the Israel of God, and that the first century actually saw the fulfillment of most of Matthew chapter 24. "Letters to My Children on Apostolic Kingdom Theology" is a compilation of twenty four letters written to my children explaining my journey. These "Letters" provide a systematic approach to Apostolic Eschatological study of Scripture. It is sure to interest all students of Scriptures.
