A Potential Unique Approach to the Book of Revelation

Theology
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O P E N I N G / P R I M E R

@Joe-Also

During a discussion on another thread I was invited to post some thoughts on the book of Revelation. So I decided to create a separate topic for it here. The unique consideration here, that came out of conversation, is this: Could the book of Revelation been written in a 19th century (AD) literary style called Modular Narrative?

What is Modular Narrative:

A modular narrative is a non-linear storytelling structure composed of discrete, relatively independent units or “modules” (scenes, chapters, or vignettes) that can be rearranged or experienced in various orders while still forming a coherent thematic whole. Instead of relying on strict chronological cause-and-effect, these stories use juxtaposition and accumulation of meaning.

BIBLICAL EXAMPE: The book of Daniel is not linear. Daniel’s chapters are not organized in sequence. There may be some themes in ancient Hebraic apocalyptic style to account for this. If anyone can weigh-in on that please do so. Daniel’s chapters being out of order suggests those chapters are arranged for effect. I believe the chapters in the book of Revelation are sequential. But seems to highlight within its structure modular narrative characteristics.

INTRO

I’m a cessationist. And I was also in the reformed world for a while. So end-times and the book of Revelation was never something that fascinated me for decades. Because it just seemed to dramatically different and for an age I’ll never see while on earth anyway. To me, in those days, it was kind of a neat view into what a potential future looks like. Other than that I really did not know what to do with it. And stayed away from that book of the bible for decades pretty much. Having no mind toward any sense of end times on any near horizon to us.

In addition it is one of those books that on its onset had four different major-general approaches:

  • (1) The seals, trumpets, bowls were simultaneous
  • (2) The seals, trumpets, bowls were sequential
  • (3) Views from earth portions / Views from heaven portions contrast
  • (4) Chiastic Structure

The above of course being a choice “after” one decides if Revelation is: Preterist, Historical, Allegorical, or futurist. I’ve always gone with futurist (but have seen some interesting points in historic). I go with 2, with a touch of 3.

But deciding how to even read Revelation had me discouraged initially. So my solution was, don’t. And I put away all the commentaries. And just read it several times a week for several weeks. Sometimes reading through the book in a day on several occasions just getting my feet wet in it.

Over time, I developed a simple outline just based on how the familiarity of the text along the way stood out. And i got increasingly familiar with that outline. Then i read the book over and over again for several weeks with an outline in mind from it as well. After 2-3 months of that, the book kind of seemed to do an interesting thing for me. Highlights from within it seemed to become almost like I was reading a pop-up book. And it would just seemed like hills and valleys within its literary style were forming as it were. At this engagement juncture, it at that point reminded me of modular narrative (from past days of college courses in creative writting methods). As I applied modular narrative approaches to the book of Revelation, it seemed to open up quite a bit. And seems to fit rather well.

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O F F I C I A L / O U T L I N E

FIRST HALF OF TRIBULATION

  • 6 - 9

SECOND HALF OF TRIBULATION

  • 10 - 19

. . . . .

Chapter 7 Modular Narrative Highlights

  • Mention of 144k as introduction “for being sealed during trumpets”

  • Multitude = Flash forward of souls won during second half of tribulation by 144k

  • V14 – They come out of future to Ch. 7 / Great Tribulation (Jacob’s Trouble) 2nd Half

  • V16 – These are souls from bowl judgement era evidence / 16:8-9 bowl 5

  • Ch. 7 Introduces 144k and flashes forward as to why they matter & what they will do

  • 144k are merely introduced / During Trumpets are sealed / Activate their ministry 2nd half

  • We see them again in Ch. 14

. . . . .

SECOND HALF CHAPTERS

  • 10 – Activation of 144k – Israel / New Book = Reanimated Nation of Israel Ministry

  • 10 – Suggestive linking language to Daniel 12 imagery

  • 10 - Inauguration of 144k ministry for second half of tribulation announced

    CHAPTER 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15 – 1ST TO SECOND HALF TRANSITION CHAPTERS
    HAVING SPECIAL FOCUSES PER EACH CHAPTER

  • 11 – Focus is Two Witnesses from beginning of trib to midpoint

  • 12 – Focus is celestial signs & Israeli story arc from beginning of trib to midpoint

  • 13 – Focus is antichrist from leading up to midpoint +

  • 14 – Focus is 144k inauguration proper & Table of Contents for 2nd half

  • 15 – Official bowl judgement inauguration

CHAPTER 14 TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • v6 – 144k as national Israel rep witnessing for Christ officiates

  • v8 – the fall of Babylon the Great

  • v9-11 – warning against taking the mark

  • v13 – those saints who die in the Lord in 2nd half to have special honor

  • v14-20 – the supper of God (19:17-18) via the reapers (Matt 24: 37-41) / Armageddon

CHAPTER 15 AS THE INAUGURATION OF THE SECOND HALF

  • v1 – official celestial emblem for bowls

  • Remainder of chapter in regards to sacred heavenly temple importance

  • Once judgements are completed, official temple access granted

. . . . .

CHAPTER 16 = THE PHYSICAL BOWLS ROLLOUT

. . . . .

MODULAR NARRATIVE REGARDING CHAPTERS 17 & 18

  • These two chapters are sandwiched between 16 & 19

  • 16 = the bowls themselves

  • 19 = Armageddon completion

  • Places 17 & 18 here implies they are 2nd half commentary

  • Some see 17 as first half and 18 as second

  • In the event 17 is 1st half – it would be flash back

  • But that 17 be placed in 2nd half chronology section for final destruction emphasis

  • The focus of Babylon the Great in 2nd half is a stand-in likely for all human government

  • Babylon the Great occupies the ultimate seat struck by Dan 2:4

. . . . .

AFTERTHOUGHT – The reason i believe the bowls alone = the second half and all of the seals and trumpets are first half is because we are told that the beast that comes out of the pit (11:7) is the one who kills the two witnesses. In chapter 9 it is likely the opening of this pit in reference. Which is trumpet 5. If the 2 witnesses are killed after trumpet 5 when their ministry has expired (after 3.5 years), it would make sense they are killed at the midpoint. And 15:1 uses chronological language to suggest the bowls are the last of sequences of judgements upon the earth (matching the timeframe of the 144k being available after the trumpets).

Thanks for considering. Blessings.

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I grew up within a religious context which assumed a Futurist reading of the Revelation, and specifically within a Dispensational Premillennial framework.

Over time those assumptions gave way to questions, and I went through what could be described as an Eschatological deconstruction. The term “deconstruction” isn’t the best term, and it has some negative connotations in regard to religion; but I’m at a loss for a better term.

Without getting too deep into the weeds of it all, my general approach to the Revelation today is best described as broadly Partial Preterist and Idealist. I have a difficult time calling myself a Partial Preterist as that category tends to involve certain assumptions which I don’t always agree with. For example, most Partial Preterists I’ve encountered tend to date the Revelation to before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD; I disagree with that, and agree with the traditional date of the mid-90’s during the reign of Domitian.

Another key factor is that the standard Partial Preterist reading of the Revelation assumes it to be about the destruction of Jerusalem/Temple–that’s not how I approach it either. So the “Preterist” position I take isn’t that the Revelation was written before the destruction of the Temple and is largely about the destruction of the Temple; but that it is focused largely on the contemporary concerns of John’s time and the churches to whom he was addressing.

As an example of how I approach the Revelation, I do believe that the Beast most directly corresponds with Nero through the numeric cipher which John gives–a name with the numeric value of six hundred and sixty-six being John’s clue as to the identity of the Beast, and that this fits with a reference to Nero. However, Nero was most definitely already dead when John was on Patmos and received these apocalyptic visions. Which is why I think it matters that in John’s vision of the Beast the Beast is mortally wounded but then is revived by the dragon. Under Domitian (and other later emperors) the same persecuting spirit which began under Nero returned, and so it is as if Nero had revived. I also think that the imagery of the Beast in Revelation 13, and the imagery of the Prostitute who rides upon a beast in Revelation 17 are connected in such a way as to describe the way in which Rome (aka “Babylon”) through Roman imperial power persecuted, oppressed, and was a major temporal threat against the Church, in John’s time and also in the generations after John.

And this is where also the Idealist side comes into play: While John speaks of real contemporary events and issues through apocalyptic imagery, it also speaks to later generations of Christians who also continue to suffer under oppressive power. And so the over-arching theme of the book becomes the triumph of God, through Christ, for the Church. That this present world through all its evil, and even though the temporal powers may be an instrument of suffering by the devil, Christ has already conquered, the Lamb who suffered is seated on the Throne, His kingdom is everlasting, and He will return on the Last Day to bring judgment and God will set all things to rights.

So the text becomes timeless, not because there aren’t real events beneath the layers of apocalyptic imagery (there absolutely are); but because the theme is the unshakeable victory of God over all the powers of wickedness in the world through Jesus Christ; and it is therefore our hope, and our confidence in Christ, which becomes the source of our victory, to endure whatever may come, and look ever forward to the Day when God makes all things new.

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Thank you for doing so. Forgive if I don’t write much in response, I’m on an old flakey tablet and composing texts makes it lag, glitch and stall; and it’s been real bad lately. (Especially with it posting unfinished replies without me hitting reply… Grrr!)

Makes sense. This is a ken of just skipping around in my Bible, which I do. So with you so far. (Unless I’m mistaken, in which case I’m hopelessly lost.)

Yes, I see. What you outline, it does appear to jump around. Never much noticed or pondered that before. Very thought provoking concept.
:thinking:

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The main arc as I see is:

6-9 Combined seals/trumpets = first half

10-19 2nd half

17 & 18 likely second haft – demonstrating the end of the human sole rule of government

. . . . .

7b shows the fruit of the 144k Looking ahead. Ch 14 does a similar approach with Israel as focus. It seems to use a flash forward table of content for the second half. Aside from that, there is chapter 10. Israeli nation engaged in its inauguration projecting its role in the 2nc half. As it relates to Israel, 10, 14. Those are the only pure flashforward.

Chapter 15 also only flashes forward. With those standing on the glass are both Jew and gentile resistance…looking to that time of the abomination of desolation as the opening act of the 2nd half.

Ch 11, 12, 13 all have flashforward and back comprised together in those chapters.

I would term what might look like jumping around to perhaps be like story telling mostly in linear fashion as gathering like terms narrative. Like algebra collecting all the letters together first before solving the equation. If that might make sense? Blessings.

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Algebra has never made sense to me. But still, I get what you’re saying.

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Thanks for sharing. I did try to look into preterist consideration. For me it looks like it could account for some things but it just always seemed like way too much in Revelation to be absorbed in great part as mostly symbolic. Based on its very loud language though, it is understandable to consider how it might.

A while back I was speaking to a preterist about Ez 38. Something we don’t see in Revelation. And the preterist seemed to think this event already happened. This war already happened. To me it seems like so massively much is lining up for it today. Would your take be that it was in the past? And if so what might you tie it to historically? Or maybe you might see this as after the 1,000 year reign (which I don’t think is calculated like that in preterism)? Maybe I should ask, or do you see it as in the future but very far off future? Thanks again for sharing. Blessings.

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My interpretation of Gog and Magog tends to understand these as less than literal places, but as emblematic of hostile nations, effectively meaning “places far away”. Ezekiel 38, especially in the broader context of Exile and Return (which is past) and the rebuilding of the Temple (which is what’s going on in these chapters of Ezekiel).

So these things are past for us, but were still future for Ezekiel.

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If one considers that the book of Revelation was written to seven Jewish kingdom churches in Western Turkey, One might see a book relevant for them. It is a description of what could have come upon those waiting for the earthly kingdom to be established in Israel. Since the mystery of the gospel of grace was revealed, it is also a book that describes what will happen when the opportunity to receive the earthly kingdom will again be given to those of Israel.

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Thanks @timf I appreciate the post. I believe whether preterist or not, this book of Revelation would have to not only be very relevant to the first and second century, but since there is a blessing in reading/doing what this book offers, that would apply for every age.

As I have been looking a bit more into the doctrine of rewards, what might be that thing for all ages is how the spirit of God through the seven churches shows actual specific rewards to them and how we may too. The funny thing is, I have been studying scripture for 30 years, and today is the first time i even had that thought…lol. But if not that than what?

Tim, it sounds like you might be coming too from a similar like preterist take on Revelation? Or if not like how might you differ? And I am very new here and not really sure of this forum’s make up % on eschatology. Might this forum be evenly divided among the various eschatological views? Or might it be a little more on the preterist side?

I believe the category of annoyance, lol, at least how i might look at it is the category I am in. I am a futurist. And although there is plenty today for a futurist to be excited about, and there are some fascinating futurist takes…I have a lot of trouble with it. I mean, i try hard to see the beauty from the heart in any saint’s approach in our futurist view. But so much of it, to me, is extremely sensationalized. And it would seem like huge chunks of it ignored and other pieces are extremely hyper-focused on. I suppose if there would be a real futurist end time age, the social media one that tends to hype everything under the sun would run perfect cover for that age. Because it would just be dismissed as tabloid eschatology. Sometimes i wonder if that is why…lol.

But in any case, yeah just interested to know kind of too like in general on these kinds of things what this forum is into. Blessings.

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Understanding the Structure and ordering of Revelations is important.

But without all contention, practically all the Symbology must be spiritually discerned, regarding to what they refer.

Such as the three Woes pertaining to World Wars 1&2 and Armageddon. Some Theologians believe they do, some do not.

You are correct that there are certain events which shall occur more or less simultaneously at the end.

I have learner, forgotten and relearned Revelation’s meanings over and over again.

Currently I am approaching a place where I am almost afraid for my next “deep-dive” because (forgive me if I appear to brag; but…) my insight level is working “rather well” praise God! Good luck (Providence) with your Eschatological Studies and go easy my Friend. Let God bring the answers to you in His own, good Time.

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Get the time frame right, and the whole New Testament pops into vivid focus and makes sense. (Get the time frame wrong, and you might well spiral into immediate irrelevance, and a much lower quality of life.) Life is GREAT! God’s plans are AMAZING! Let’s go move some mountains for His glory!

The state-of-the-art best eschatology, postmillennialism, usually includes some form of preterism. Most of the prophecies in the Olivet Discourse, and John’s more detailed retelling of that discourse in prophetic (visual, right-brain) imagery, refers to the Jewish War, which lasted 7 years, started on schedule 40 years after Jesus pronounced God’s pending judgment upon “this generation,” and kicked the feet out from under the Kingdom of God’s two chief enemies – Rome, and apostate Israel.

Get the time frame right, and you can even explain Apocalypse to Turkish Muslims in a way that makes sense.

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