DRAFT: A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 4-22
Part 1: The Chiastic Reconfiguration
Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 4 October 2019 *
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Introduction
This study treats Revelation 4-22 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.
We will show that this apocalypse or revelation in Rev. 4-22 primarily details the periods of tribulation at the start and end of Christ's Millennial Reign. The passage is structured as a long, complex, multiply-applied cryptochiasmus that covers almost the entire book, with Rev. 12 acting as the primary chiastic pivot. In addition, the chronological sequences of the passages have been altered using the cryptotranspose mechanism - see details in the supplementary reconfigurations below. This is one of the few chiastic passages that are designated as sealed (in Rev 22:10); others are Dan. 8, Dan. 10-12, Isa. 7-9, Isa. 28-33.
In Part 1 below, we perform a reconfiguration of Rev. 4-22 and comment on the passages related to Satan's Fall from heaven and Christ's first coming (Period 1). Part 2 has commentary on Pre-Millennial Tribulations c. 2017AD-2027AD (Period 2) and Part 3 has commentary on the Last Days c. 2967AD (Period 3).
Note:
We will use the term "Judahite" to refer to the Israelites - primarily those of the tribe of Judah and their descendants - that remained after the Assyrian exile of the Northern Tribes.
Discussion
1. Presuppositions
We base our parse of this chiasmus on the assumption that it refers to 3 Periods:
- The period starting from the sign of the dragon in heaven at creation (4034BC) to the first coming of Christ and the escape of Judahite Christians during the First Jewish–Roman War (70-73AD). This period is covered in Revelation 12 which, as we have seen in another paper [2], is in itself a cryptochiasmus. The 4034BC date is from our parse of Daniel 12 [6].
- The Tribulations before the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (2017AD-2027AD). Satan will have absolute control through the Beast for a short time, but after that, his kingdom on earth, 'Babylon', will be destroyed. The two main types of tribulations in this Period are: those that come from the Beast system and affect the faithful; and those that affect the wicked, at the end of Satan's reign. This Period begins around the time of the sign of the Woman in Heaven in 2017AD, and ends with the start of Christ's Millennial Reign in 2027AD (the 2027AD date is from our parse of Isaiah 60-62 [4]).
- The "End of the Age" or the last days (ending in 2967AD, the date is from [6]). The more cataclysmic tribulations of this Period come from God, and they affect the wicked of the earth - those that remain after the rapture of the faithful. The Period begins with Christ's return in glory and the rapture (unknown date), and it ends with the final judgement and the arrival of a new heaven and earth (2967AD).
2. Parsing the chiasmus
We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.
Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into three categories as above. We will call the period from the sign of Satan's fall to the First Jewish-Roman War (4034BC-73AD) Period 1, the tribulations before the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (2017AD-2027AD) Period 2, and the "End of the Age" or the last days (circa 2967AD) Period 3.
We color-code the chiastic units below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 and green for Period 3.
Categorizing Revelation Chapters 4-22
Chapters 4, 5, 6:1-11 belong to Period 2.Chapters 4 & 5 A description of the heavenly assembly and the successful search for someone who is worthy to open the scroll.
Chapter 6:1-11 The opening of the first 5 seals and the release of the four horsemen. The opening of the 5th seal belongs to this Period, because the saints are asked to wait for the rest of the faithful to be killed and this happens in Period 2 - the saints will not suffer after that.
Chapter 6:12 to Chapter 11 belong to Period 3.
Chapter 6:12-17 The 6th seal, momentous events in heaven and on earth. The heavens are 'rolled up like a scroll' and the powerful hide in caves (Christ returns in glory). In part, we place this passage in Period 3, so that it aligns with our parse of the Olivet discourse in Matt. 24 (especially Matt. 24:29,30) and Luke 21 (esp. Luke 21:25,26).
Chapter 7 The 144000 are sealed. The Multitude in White robes praise God in heaven (after they are raptured).
Chapter 8,9,10,11 The 7th seal, 7 trumpets (along with 3 woes), 7 thunders and the little scroll. The two witnesses. The announcement of the kingdom of the Lord.
We have treated Chapter 12 as a cryptochiasmus in another paper [2]. We use the results of that reconfiguration for the next two subunits.
Chapter 12 verses 1-2,10-12 belong to Period 2.
Chapter 12 verses 1-2,10-12 The woman in the heavens is about to give birth. Announcement in heaven about the start of a new age. The Devil has a short time.
We rearrange and combine the next two units of the results of the previous Revelation 12 parse [2] in time sequence, as the rules of cryptochiasmi [1] allow, to create the primary pivot point.
Chapter 12 verses 3-4a,7-9,13 and Chapter 12 verses 4b-6, 14-17 belong to Period 1.
Chapter 12 verses 3-4a,7-9,13 Sign of the Dragon - Satan's Fall and Eve's temptation (4034-4032BC).
Chapter 12 verses 4b-6, 14-17 The Ministry of Christ and the Escape of The Early Church to the Wilderness (1st century).
Chapter 13 belongs to Period 2.
The reign of the beast out of the sea and the Beast out of the earth. The Mark of the Beast.
Chapter 14:1-5 appear to belong to Period 3.
The 144,000 sing a new song. (We had also categorized the 144,000 in Chapter 7 as belonging to Period 3.)
Chapters 14:6 to 20:10 appear to belong to Period 2.
Chapter 14:6-20 The 7 angels make predictions, announcements and warnings about the reign of the Beast and its aftermath.
Chapter 15-16 The last 7 plagues. These plagues seem like the cataclysmic tribulations of Period 3, but they only affect Satan's empire 'Babylon' and the Beast system. Also, because there is reference to the Mark of the Beast and the destruction of 'Babylon', we believe this passage belongs to Period 2.
Chapter 17 A description of The Whore on the Beast. (In Ch 17:3, the angel takes John to a time shortly before the reign of the Beast.)
Chapter 18 The Fall of 'Babylon' is predicted.
Chapter 19 Threefold Hallelujah. The Rider on the White Horse is victorious (start of the Millennial Reign).
Chapter 20:1-10 Satan is bound. The 1000 year reign. Although verses 20:7-10 are about the end days, we will categorize them as belonging to Period 2 because the passage is framed as a future event in vs 7, "When the thousand years are over...", and because of sequence issues if categorized as Period 3.
Chapters 20:11 to 22:9 appear to belong to Period 3.
Chapter 20:11-15 The Final Judgement.
Chapter 21 to 22:5 The New Spiritual Jerusalem comes down from heaven.
Chapter 22:6-9 An epilogue to Period 3. Jesus will return promptly. The angel refuses John's worship.
Chapter 22:10-15 appear to belong to Period 2.
Chapter 22:10-15 An epilogue to Period 2. We treat vs 10 as the start of the epilogue for Period 2, because it predicts the unsealing of this prophecy, something that occurs in Period 2. Also, we take the phrase "Then he told me" in vs 10 as indicative of the start of a new section.
Chapter 22:16-21 lies outside the chiasmus.
Chapter 22:16-21 This is an epilogue to the whole book, corresponding to the introductory passages to the churches in Rev. 1-3. We treat vs 16 as the start of this final epilogue, as it mentions the churches again, as in Rev 1-3.
( We have split the rather long epilogue in Chapter 22:6-21 into 3 epilogues - one each for Period 3, Period 2 and for the whole book. Note that with this parse, the thrice-repeated phrase, "Look I am coming soon", appears once in each epilogue.)
3. Building the reconfigured text
3.1 The Primary Reconfiguration
From this parse, it appears that Revelation 4-22 forms a cryptochiasmus as below:A1 Ch 4,5,6:1-11 Period 2. Heavenly assembly...opening the first 5 scrolls...
B1 Ch 6:12-Ch 11 Period 3. 6&7th seal, 7 trumpets, 7 thunders...The two witnesses, announcement of the kingdom of the Lord.
C1 Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12 Period 2. Pregnant woman in heavens... Announcement of the start of a new age...Devil has a short time.
X Ch 12 verses 3-4a,7,8,9,13,4b-6,14-17 Period 1. Fall of Satan... first coming...escape of the early church c. 70AD
C2 Ch 13 Period 2. The beasts out of the sea and earth...Mark of the Beast.
B2 Ch 14:1-5 Period 3. The 144,000 sing a new song.
A2 Ch 14:6 to 20:10 Period 2. The angels make predictions...7 bowl plagues...Whore on the beast... Fall of 'Babylon' predicted...White Horse...1000 year reign.
We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].
We lead with central pivot point 'X'. The corresponding subunits (For example, subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (for example, A1,A2 is a unit) so that we get a list of such units.
The sequence selected for rearrangement is:
X [A1,A2] [B1,B2] [C1,C2] (1)
We have the following sequence when we include Ch 20:11 to Ch 22:15:
X - Period 1
[A1,A2] - Period 2
[B1,B2] - Period 3
[C1,C2] - Period 2
Ch 20:11 to 22:9 - Period 3. Final judgement...new Jerusalem...epilogue.
Ch 22:10-15 - Period 2. Epilogue.
We still have text for the periods in a non-contiguous form. So we treat this as a multiply-applied cryptochiasmus as below. Pivot X will be treated as outside this second chiasmus.
M1 [A1,A2] Period 2
N1 [B1,B2] Period 3
XX [C1,C2] Period 2 (Announcement of new age. Reign of the beast.)
N2 Ch 20:11 to 22:9 Period 3
M2 Ch 22:10-15 Period 2
It is necessary that the pivot point (unit XX in this chiasmus) be in some way special relative to the other subunits. Though XX, M1 and M2 are all regarding Period 2, we contend that Ch. 12 (Christ's victory) and Ch. 13 (the reign of the Beast) in XX are the primary events of this Period - the rest of this Period is regarding the consequences of these events.
The sequence selected for rearrangement (including the first pivot, X) is:
X XX [M1,M2] [N1,N2] (2)
Translating this sequence (2) into the subunits of the first chiasmus, we get:
[X] [C1,C2] [[A1, A2], [Ch 22:10-15]] [[B1,B2],[Ch 20:11 to 22:9]] (3)
Further translating (3) into verse numbers, we get:
[Ch 12 verses 3-4a,7,8,9,13,4b-6,14-17] (Period 1) (4)
[Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 13] [[Ch 4,5,6:1-11, Ch 14:6 to 20:10], [Ch 22:10-15]] (Period 2) (5)
[[Ch 6:12-Ch 11, Ch 14:1-5], [Ch 20:11 to 22:9]] (Period 3) (6)
3.2 Supplementary Cryptotranspose Reconfigurations
We notice that the events of Period 2&3 in sequences (5) and (6) are not in chronological order, so we perform a set of supplementary reconfigurations for this Period.
For these reconfigurations, we treat the passages of Period 2 and 3 as a cryptotranspose. Text that is arranged in the form of a cryptotranspose must be rearranged to be correctly interpreted (as in the case of a cryptochiasmus [1]). The rearrangement of a cryptotranspose is based on patterns and symmetries (as opposed to a cryptochiasmus, where rearrangement is based on chiastic structure and on the time-frame of events in the text). As far as we know, cryptotransposes are only found in the book of Revelation - here, and in Rev. 2-3 [5].
3.2.1 Cryptotranspose Reconfigurations of Period 2
We rewrite sequence (5) above, splitting up the passages to facilitate the reconfigurations, as:
Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 13, Ch 4,5,6:1-11, Ch 14:6-13, Ch 14:14-16, Ch 14:17-20, Ch 15-16, Ch 17-18, Ch 19:1-8, Ch 19:9-10, Ch 19:11 to 20:10, Ch 22:10-15 (7)
3.2.1.1 First Cryptotranspose: Transpose of Rev. 13 & Rev. 17-18
On inspecting sequence (7), we notice that Ch 13, which is regarding the reign of the Beast, should come after the passages in Ch 14 that contain warnings and predictions regarding its reign. Also Ch 17-18, regarding the Whore and 'Babylon', should be placed before the passages in Ch 14 - see details in the commentary on these chapters. We perform the simple reconfiguration of moving Ch 17-18 and Ch 13 to before and after the passages in Rev. 14 respectively to get sequence (8) below. We justify the reconfiguration based on its criss-cross symmetry and based on the second reconfiguration below; we provide further justification in the commentary on these passages.
Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 4,5,6:1-11, Ch 17-18, Ch 14:6-13, Ch 14:14-16, Ch 14:17-20, Ch 13, Ch 15-16, Ch 19:1-8, Ch 19:9-10, Ch 19:11 to 20:10, Ch 22:10-15 (8)
3.2.1.2 Second Cryptotranspose: Transpose of Rev. 14:14-16 and 14:17-20
We believe that the passages regarding the harvest of the earth (Ch 14:14-16) and the harvest of the vines (Ch 14:17-20) are also chronologically in the wrong position in verse sequence (8). We find that these passages fit better in the original positions of Ch 13 & Ch 17-18 respectively in verse sequence (7), the sequence before the first reconfiguration - see justification for these changes in the commentary. After this reconfiguration, we get sequence (9) below:
Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 14:14-16, Ch 4,5,6:1-11, Ch 17-18, Ch 14:6-13, Ch 13, Ch 15-16, Ch 14:17-20, Ch 19:1-8, Ch 19:9-10, Ch 19:11 to 20:10, Ch 22:10-15 (9)
3.2.1.3 Third Cryptotranspose: Transpose of Rev. 4-5 and Rev. 19:9-10
We move Rev 4,5 to the beginning of the sequence, because Period 2 should begin with the events of this passage in which Christ triumphs to open the seals. But a cryptotranspose must be symmetric, so we move the first epilogue in Rev. 19:9-10 to the end of Period 2 (after the second epilogue). After this reconfiguration, we get sequence (10) below:
Ch 4,5, Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 14:14-16, Ch. 6:1-11, Ch 17-18, Ch 14:6-13, Ch 13, Ch 15-16, Ch 14:17-20, Ch 19:1-8, Ch 19:11 to 20:10, Ch 22:10-15, Ch 19:9-10 (10)
3.2.1.3 Fourth Cryptotranspose: Transpose of Rev. 14:6-8 and Rev. 14:9-13
We move Rev. 14:9-13 to after Rev 13:9-10, so that the two passages make up the pivot of Rev. 13. We make a symmetric transpose in the opposite direction by moving Rev. 14:6-8 to after 18:1-3, so that the two passages make up the pivot of Rev 17-18. See justifications for these transposes in the commentary. With this transpose, all of Rev 14 relevant to Period 2, Rev 14:6-13, has been transposed to 4 other locations. After this reconfiguration, we get sequence (11) below:
Ch 4,5, Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 14:14-16, Ch. 6:1-11, Ch 17:1-18:3, Ch 14:6-8, Ch 18:4-24, Ch 13:1-10, Ch 14:9-13, Ch 13:11-18, Ch 15-16, Ch 14:17-20, Ch 19:1-8, Ch 19:11 to 20:10, Ch 22:10-15, Ch 19:9-10 (11)
3.2.2 Cryptotranspose Reconfiguration of Period 3
We rewrite the Period 3 sequence (6), splitting up the passages to facilitate the reconfigurations, as:
Ch 6:12-17, Ch 7, Ch 8:1-9, Ch 8:10 to Ch 11, Ch 14:1-5, Ch 20:11 to Ch 21:4, Ch 21:5-8, Ch 21:9 to Ch 22:5, Ch 22:6-9 (12)
3.2.2.1 Fifth Cryptotranspose: Transpose of Rev. 8:1-9 and Rev. 21:5-8
It appears that the first two trumpets of Rev 8:1-9 will be blown before the 'seals on the forehead' of Rev 7:1-8, because the 4 angels are to hold back these two trumpet plagues (Rev 7:1-3) until the 144000 are sealed. Also, the 7th seal is opened in Rev 8:1-9, and so this passage must come after that of the 6th seal in Rev 6:12-17. So we place Rev 8:1-9 between Rev 6:17 and Rev 7. But a cryptotranspose must be symmetric, so we similarly place the first epilogue, Rev. 21:5-8, between Rev. 22:5 and Rev. 22:6-9 (the 2nd epilogue). After this reconfiguration, we get sequence (13) below:
Ch 6:12-17, Ch 8:1-9, Ch 7, Ch 8:10 to Ch 11, Ch 14:1-5, Ch 20:11 to Ch 21:4, Ch 21:9 to Ch 22:5, Ch 21:5-8, Ch 22:6-9 (13)
We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses of Rev 4-22 so they are in sequences (4),(11) and (13).
4. Revelation 4-22 Reconfigured
On account of the large amount of text in this reconfigured chiasmus, we will only list verse numbers here with short excerpts.
4.1 Period 1. From the Sign of Satan's Fall to The End of the First Jewish Roman War (4034BC-73AD) (Ch 12 verses 3-4a,7-9,13,4b-6,14-17)
4.1.1 Sign of the Dragon - Satan's Fall and Eve's temptation (4034-4032BC) (Ch 12 verses 3-4a,7-9,13)
12:3-4a ...an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads...
12:7-9 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon... He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
12:13 When the dragon...pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
4.1.2 The Ministry of Christ and the Escape of The Early Church (1st century) (Ch 12 verses 4b-6, 14-17)
12:4b-6 The dragon stood in front of the woman...She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”...The woman fled into the wilderness...where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
12:14-17 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle...Then the dragon.. went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring.
4.2 Period 2. The Tribulations before the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (2017AD-2027AD) (Ch 4,5, Ch 12 verses 1,2,10-12, Ch 14:14-16, Ch. 6:1-11, Ch 17:1-18:3, Ch 14:6-8, Ch 18:4-24, Ch 13:1-10, Ch 14:9-13, Ch 13:11-18, Ch 15-16, Ch 14:17-20, Ch 19:1-8, Ch 19:11 to 20:10, Ch 22:10-15, Ch 19:9-10 )
The Throne in Heaven and the successful search for someone worthy to open the seals (2017AD) (Ch 4,5)
Ch 4 ...throne in heaven...twenty-four elders...the seven spirits of God...four living creatures... give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever...”
Ch 5 ...the Lion of the tribe of Judah ...is able to open the scroll and its seven seals...Then I saw a Lamb...Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain...to receive power and wealth and wisdom...
A Sign in Heaven (2017) (Ch 12 verse 1-2,10-12)
12:1-2 A great sign... a woman clothed with the sun...She was pregnant...
12:10-12 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil ... he knows that his time is short.”
The Earth is to be Harvested (Ch 14:14-16)
14:14-16 ... seated on the cloud was one like a son of man ... “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ...
The first 5 seals are opened (2019AD-2023AD) (Ch 6:1-11)
Ch 6:1-11...first of the seven seals...a white horse!...and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest... the second seal...a fiery red one (horse). Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other...the third seal...a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand....“Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages...and do not damage the oil and the wine!”...the fourth seal, a pale horse! Its rider was named Death...power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth...the fifth seal...souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God...How long...until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”...they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, were killed...
The Great Prostitute (Ch 17)
Ch 17 ...the punishment of the great prostitute,...a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns...the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people...The beast...once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction... The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings...The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast...They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them...The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples...The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin... The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Babylon is Fallen (Ch 18:1-3)
Ch 18:1-3 ...Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!...
The Gospel will be Proclaimed to all the World (Ch 14:6-8)
Ch 14:6-8 ...(An) angel...had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth...A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great...
The Punishment of Babylon is Predicted (Ch 18:4-24)
Ch 18:4-24 ...When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her...The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore...Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down...In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.
The Beast out of the Sea (2023-2027) (Ch 13:1-10)
Ch 13:1-10 ... And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads...The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast...And it was given authority over every ...nation.
Warning for those who Worship the Beast (Ch 14:9-13)
Ch 14:9-13 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury...Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on...
The Beast out of the Earth (2023-2027) (Ch 13:11-18)
Ch 13:11-18 ... Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon... And it performed great signs... they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name....That number is 666.
Seven Angels with 7 Plagues: Destruction of 'Babylon' (2027AD) (Ch 15, 16)
Ch 15 ...those who had been victorious over the beast...sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb ...seven angels with the seven plagues...seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God...
Ch 16 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land...festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image...The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood...The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:..they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”...The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire...The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness...The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East...three impure spirits that looked like frogs...Look, I come like a thief!...Then they gathered the kings together to the place...Armageddon...The seventh angel poured out his bowl...“It is done!”...flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake...The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found...huge hailstones...
The Beast is to be Destroyed: the Grapes Trampled (Ch 14:17-20)
Ch 14:17-20 Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine,”...The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath... and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia
The Threefold Hallelujah (Ch 19:1-8)
Ch 19:1-8 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:...Hallelujah!... wedding of the Lamb has come...
Rider on the White Horse is victorious against the Beast (Ch 19:11-21)
Ch 19:11-21 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True...His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself...The armies of heaven were following him...Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”...king of kings and lord of lords...Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army...But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf...The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur...The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse...
The Dragon is hurled into the Abyss, The Saints Reign With Christ for A Thousand Years (Ch 20:1-10)
Ch 20:1-10 ...He (the angel) seized the dragon...who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss,...After that, he must be set free for a short time...those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God...came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years...This is the first resurrection...Gog and Magog...gather...for battle...But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil...was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown...
Epilogue Part 1 (Ch 22:10-15)
Ch 22:10-15 ...Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near...“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega...Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. ...I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.
Epilogue Part 2 (Ch 19:9-10)
Ch 19:9-10 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”...And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you...Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
4.3 Period 3. The "End of the Age" or the last days (circa 2967AD) (Ch 6:12-17, Ch 8:1-9, Ch 7, Ch 8:10 to Ch 11, Ch 14:1-5, Ch 20:11 to Ch 21:4, Ch 21:9 to Ch 22:5, Ch 21:5-8, Ch 22:6-9)
The 6th Seal is Opened, Christ returns in Glory (Ch 6:12-17)
Ch 6:12-17 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black...the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth...The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place...the kings of the earth... hid in caves...They called to the mountains...“Fall on us and hide us...For the great day of their wrath has come...
The 7th Seal, Trumpets 1-2: End-times Tribulation Begins (Ch 8:1-9)
Ch 8:1-9 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour...golden censer...the prayers of God’s people...Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came ...flashes of lightning and an earthquake...Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them...The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood...A third of the earth was burned up...The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood...
The 144000 Sealed and the Great Multitude in White Robes (Rapture) (Ch 7)
Ch 7...“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”...the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel...After this I looked...a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation...standing before the throne...were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands...These are they who have come out of the great tribulation...Therefore,“they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple...
Trumpet Plagues 3-6 (Ch 8:10 to Ch 9:21)
Ch 8:10-13 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers...Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter...The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars...Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth...
Ch 9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet...a star that had fallen from the sky...The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss...locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth...only (harm)those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads...to torture them for five months...people will seek death but will not find it...They had as king over them...Abaddon... The sixth angel sounded his trumpet...Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates...to kill a third of mankind.The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand...A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths...The rest of mankind...did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons...Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The Little Scroll and The 7 Thunders (Ch 10)
Ch 10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven...his face was like the sun...He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand...he gave a loud shout ... When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke...Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down...Then the angel...raised his right hand to heaven...in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished...I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."...“You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
The Two Witnesses and the 7th Trumpet (Ch 11)
Ch 11 ...measure the temple of God...But exclude the outer court... because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months...my two witnesses...will prophesy for 1,260 days...They are “the two olive trees”...If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies...They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain...and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague...the beast that comes up from the Abyss will...kill them...For three and a half days...people...will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them...because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after the three and a half days...they stood on their feet...At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed...The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon. The seventh angel sounded his trumpet...“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,and he will reign for ever and ever.”...the twenty-four elders...saying: “...you have taken your great power and have begun to reign...The time has come for judging the dead...” Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant...
The 144,000 Sing a New Song (Ch 14:1-5)
Ch 14:1-5 ...there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads...they sang a new song ...No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth....they remained virgins...They were... offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb...
The Final Judgement (Ch 20:11-15)
20:11-15 ...a great white throne... And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened...the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books...each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
A New Heaven and A New Earth (Ch 21:1-4)
Ch 21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”...I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride...“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people...‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning...”
A Description of the New Heaven (Ch 21:9-27, 22:1-5)
Ch 21:9-27...the bride, the wife of the Lamb...the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven...high wall with twelve gates...On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel...The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb...The city was laid out like a square... foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone...The great street of the city was of gold...the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple...The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it...Nothing impure will ever enter it...but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Ch 22:1-5 ...the river of the water of life, ...flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb...On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit... And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations...The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him...for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Epilogue Part 1 (Ch 21:5-8)
Ch 21:5-8 “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”...I am the Alpha and the Omega...But the cowardly, the unbelieving...will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur... the second death
Epilogue Part 2 (Ch 22:6-9)
Ch 22:6-9 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel...“Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you.. Worship God!”
5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text
5.1 Period 1. From the Sign of Satan's Fall to The End of the First Jewish Roman War (4034BC-73AD) (Ch 12 verses 3-4a,7-9,13,4b-6,14-17)
5.1.1 Sign of the Dragon - Satan's Fall and Eve's temptation (4034-4032BC) (Ch 12 verses 3-4a,7-9,13)
Chapter 12
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4a Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9a The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.
9b He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
The revelation of future events in Rev. 4-22 begins with a look back at a sign in heaven at the time of creation (Genesis 1). This sign portends the fall of Satan with his angels and the Fall of Man (we believe that the woman in vs 13 is Eve and her child is mankind). This is the start of a battle for the souls of man, which culminates in the events prophesied here.
These verses appear at around the middle of the book of Revelation, but with this chiastic reconfiguration, they are, more appropriately, the first verses of this prophecy.
See our paper on Revelation 12 [2] for a more detailed analysis of this extract.
5.1.2 The Ministry of Christ and the Escape of The Early Church (1st century) (Ch 12:4b-6, 14-17)
Chapter 12
4b The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
The "woman" in vs 4 is the God-fearing Judahite community at the time of Christ, and the child is Jesus Christ. The dragon, or Satan, tried to tempt Jesus away from God and into worshipping him (he tried to "devour her child") at the very "birth" of Jesus' ministry (see Matthew 4:1-11). After his ministry and death, Christ was resurrected and ascended to heaven ("snatched up to God").
The community of Judahite Christians (the "woman") fled to the mountains for 3 1/2 years when the Romans attacked Jerusalem at the midpoint of the 7-year First Jewish-Roman War (66-73 AD) (see our paper on the "70 weeks of Daniel" [3] for more details on the war). Satan was unable to wipe out the early Judahite Church, and so he sets off to war with the the other offspring of the early church - Christians worldwide.
See our paper on Revelation 12 [2] for a more detailed analysis of this extract.
See Part 2 for commentary on Period 2 and Part 3 for commentary on Period 3.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
References
[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 12
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 59-63
[5] A Reconfiguration of Revelation 2-3
[6] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 10-12. Part 2: Daniel 11-12
* Updated 13 Aug 2021 with a modified parse and more detailed commentary. Updated 1 Mar 2021 with details on the 42 months. Updated 16 Jul 2022 with supplementary reconfigurations and a modified parse of the epilogue. Updated 3 Dec. 2022 with cryptotranspose. Additional cryptotranspose on 7 Jan 2022.