Navigating Revelation: Charts for the Voyage

A Pedagogical Aid

Eugene E. Lemcio

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781498261784
• eBook ISBN: 9781498269834
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Not a reference tool, this unique work is a teaching-learning guide to studying the Book of Revelation. The focus is on showing how rather than on telling that. Charts followed by leading questions and statements help both faculty and students to see how St. John adopted and adapted his sacred texts (as well as Jewish and Greco-Roman resources) in light of his convictions about and experience of Jesus. Noticing the dominance of words and themes leads one to discover the primary concerns of the Author and his readers. Observing how John internally arranged his visions provides a clue as to the kind of work it is and how it was meant to function.

1

POLITICS: Human & Divine in Daniel

1. Because Daniel supplies so many of the key themes and terms in Revelation (and in the Synoptic Gospels, for that matter), I display the data and provide the following observations and questions. (They will not have to be repeated in the chart on Revelation that follows.) Although textual variants in some cases affect the numbers, they do not contradict the overwhelming preponderance of the figures above.

2. The best way to reduce (if not completely avoid) subjectivity about determining a/the dominant theme of any literary work is to apply the criterion of frequency. Which terms or clusters of terms occur in most instances, at certain concentrations, and at critical junctures? This display indicates how much political terminology (both separately and collectively) covers the text.

3. As a working definition, regard politics to be an understanding of power and as a strategy for distributing it in human community. In the Bible, there are only two ways: human politics and divine politics. The latter is summarized especially by a multiple refrain at 4:17, 25, and 32: “The Most High rules human kingdoms and gives them to whom he will” and, according to v. 17b, “sets over it the lowliest of human beings.” According to the LXX of 4:28(31), Daniel tells King Nabouchodonosor [Nebuchadnezzar], “The kingdom of Babylon has been taken away from you and is being given to another, a contemned [or “despised”] person in your house. Lo, I establish him over your kingdom, and he will receive your authority and your glory and your luxury so that you may recognize that the God of heaven has authority in the kingdom of humans and he will give it to whomever he desires. Now, by sunrise, another king will rejoice in your house and will take your glory and your power and your authority” (NETS).

4. The numbers represent Greek terms as they occur in the LXX, the Bible most often cited and alluded to by the writers of the NT. A comparison with Semitic and English concordances does not materially affect the quantity and distribution of the terms. All such reference works testify to the heavily political context of the writer’s various themes. The sheer number and variety of instances for royal terminology is itself impressive. Can there be any doubt that dominion and rule are dominant themes in this book?

5. Regard the throne as the “seat” of power from which kings rule. In the extended chapter 4 in the LXX of Daniel, the throne imagery is increased several fold. This is more apparent in the NETS.

6. Perhaps the clearest definition of Israelite kingship (at least its ideal) is provided by Deut 17:14–20. Distinguish between negative and positive aspects of the job description. See also Psalm 72.

2

Politics: Human & Divine in Revelation

1. Unlike in Daniel, by far most of the royal terminology is applied to God and Christ.

2. Forty-seven of the sixty-two instances (or 76 percent) of the NT’s usage occur here. Why does most of the “throne” (“seat of power”) terminology appear in chapter 4? Recall that the scope shifts from local and earthly in chapters 2–3 to global and cosmic in the remainder.

3. On thirty-eight occasions, some form of “king/kingdom/rule” occurs. “Authority” comes a close second.

4. Where do the main concentrations of most terms take place?

3

“Son of Man” in Daniel 7: Vision & Interpretation (Ancient & Modern)

1. Because John’s lead Christology (chapter 1) is that of the “one like a son of man” (occurring again in chapter 14), and because it is derived from Daniel 7 and 10, it is necessary to examine the dynamics of the original usage.

2. The overall political emphasis displayed earlier in chart 1 lies behind its particular manifestation in this chapter, as the bold font highlights.

3. Although vv. 1–14 present the vision proper, explanations 2 and 3 also contain expansions (additional details of the original vision).

4. John J. Collins summarizes three main views about the identity of the son of man figure and the Saints/Holy Ones of the Most High: (a) a collective symbol for loyal Israel under assault, (b) a human representative of these people, and (c) an angel (Michael?) at the head of a band of angels—both being the heavenly patrons of God’s earthly people. See chart 4 for a fuller treatment.

5. Although the MT enables one to read v. 27—and (c)—in this manner, the LXX prevents one from doing so for two reasons: angels are never referred to as “holy”; and v. 27 speaks of “the holy people of the Most High” rather than “the people of the Saints/Holy Ones of the Most High” (MT).

6. I have argued in TB that we will be distracted from the central point by focusing on the figure’s identity (one of the above). Rather, the stress should be on the nature of his human-like condition—regardless of who he is/represents: an embattled but loyal Israel, its lowly human representative, or a vulnerable member of the angelic order (or one from the lower ranks). For the sake of argument, work with “son of man” as an idiom for humanity in its frailty and vulnerability—the downside of human experience. See Bowker, Burkett, and Lemcio.

7. And one needs to give close attention to the dynamic aspects of the mini-drama (narrative in nuce) taking place (rather than focusing on the denoument): a kingdom was granted to one who had previously had none; glory was given to him who had been without it; authority was bestowe...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Definitions
• Charts Summary
• Chapter 1: Politics: Human & Divine in Daniel
• Chapter 2: Politics: Human & Divine in Revelation
• Chapter 3: “Son of Man” in Daniel 7: Vision & Interpretation (Ancient & Modern)
• Chapter 4: Interpretations of Daniel 7: Summary of Main Positions
• Chapter 5: Ironic/Paradoxical Christologies in Revelation
• Chapter 6: Already & Not Yet: Inaugurated & Unrealized Eschatology
• Chapter 7: Revelation & Recapitulation?
• Chapter 8: Revelation 6 & Isaiah 13: The Shaking of the Foundations
• Chapter 9: Revelation 6 & 7: Questions & Answers
• Chapter 10: Revelation 7 & 14: The Lamb & the 144,000
• Chapter 11: Revelation 8:1–5 & 1 Kings 18:16–40
• Chapter 12: Revelation 8:6–12 & Exodus 7–12
• Chapter 13: Revelation 9: Sphinxes & “Locusts”
• Chapter 14: Revelation 10 & Ezekiel 1–3, 5
• Chapter 15: Chiasmus & Particularization in Revelation 11?
• Chapter 16: Prophets & Witnesses: OT “Backgrounds” to Revelation 11
• Chapter 17: Revelation 11: Priests, Prophets, Anointed Ones, & Witnesses
• Chapter 18: Revelation 11 & 12: Two Facets of the Whole?
• Chapter 19: Dragon/Serpent Imagery: ANE & OT (Similarities)
• Chapter 20: Dragon/Serpent Imagery: ANE & OT (Differences)
• Chapter 21: Dragon/Serpent Imagery: OT (Differences)
• Chapter 22: Revelation 12 & Exodus Imagery
• Chapter 23: Revelation 12: “Satan’s” Fall in Jewish Apocalyptic
• Chapter 24: “I saw Satan fall from Heaven” (Luke 10:18)
• Chapter 25: Myth in Revelation 12: Similarities*
• Chapter 26: Myth in Revelation 12: Differences*
• Chapter 27: Revelation 12: The Kerygma/Gospel-in-Myth
• Chapter 28: Revelation 12 & Matthew 1–2: Two “Christmas Stories”
• Chapter 29: Revelation 13–14: Animal Imagery & Followers Contrasted
• Chapter 30: Revelation 13 & 14: Sinners & Saints Contrasted (by Chiasmus?)
• Chapter 31: The Beasts of Revelation 13: A Summary of Interpretive Tendencies*
• Chapter 32: Revelation 17–18: The Prostitute, Babylon, Beasts, & Kings (Their Relationships)
• Chapter 33: Revelation 17–19: Babylon & New Jerusalem
• Chapter 34: Revelation 17–21: History, Myth, & Eschatology
• Chapter 35: Revelation 17, 19, 21
• Bibliography