How would you explain the arrangement of the Revelation to a
friend who asks you what it is all about? There are many suggested ways to
arrange or outline the book, some good and others not so good. You may have a
preferred outline. Here I would like to suggest one that is more in line
with how the book was written by John.
Here is a suggestion for
reading and understanding the arrangement of the Revelation. This is proposed by both Ramsey Michaels and George Eldon Ladd who see the Revelation
as four successive prophetic visions recorded in the one book.[1]
This proposal is based on the phrase, which John used, i.e. “in the Spirit.”
The variations of this phrase are as follows,
·
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard…” (Rev
1:10).
·
“I was in the Spirit, and behold…” (Rev 4:2).
·
“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And
I saw…” (Rev 17:3).
·
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high
mountain, and showed me…” (Rev 21:10).
Based on the repetition
of this phrase highlighting these four prophetic visions, there are four interwoven
sections. After each of the statements “in the Spirit,” John recorded what he saw
in these visions. That is,
·
The glorified Jesus Christ and His message to the seven local
churches: Rev 1:9-3:22.
·
The throne of God and the judgements: Rev 4:1-16:21.
·
The fall of Babylon and the Great White Throne judgement: Rev
17:1-21:8.
·
The new heaven, earth and Jerusalem: Rev 21:9-22:5.
·
The pending return of Jesus Christ: Rev 22:6-21.
Remember that, these
visions were based on the phrase, “in the Spirit,” lay the foundation for the
spiritual aspect of the letter. The section at the beginning of the book is the
introductory statement of context.
Pause
in His presence for a moment and think this over…
[1] Michaels, J.
Ramsey. Interpreting the Book of Revelation. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker,
2000), 69-71. Ladd, George Eldon. A Theology of the New Testament.
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 619-921.
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