A Proposed Structure for Revelation

There’s a special blessing for those who ‘keep’ what’s written in the book of Revelation, so it would be nice if we could identify a structure that helps us remember its contents.

It feels like such a thing should exist because the book is replete with heptads (groups of seven), but, unfortunately, almost everyone who analyses the book sees a different structure in it.

Perhaps the structure outlined below will simply be another one to add to the list (or perhaps it’s already been proposed; I don’t know). Either way, I think it’s defensible and intuitive.

My proposed structure emerges from three simple observations.

The book of Revelation starts with an prologue and closes with an epilogue, and these ‘bookends’ mirror one another:

• they both describe the book as a soon-to-be-fulfilled revelation that’s been given to John (by Jesus’ angel) and that now needs to be passed on to John’s fellow men (1.1, 22.6);

• they both pronounce blessings on those who ‘keep’ the book’s contents (1.3, 22.7);

• in case we missed it, they both reiterate that the time of the fulfilment of John’s visions is ‘near’ (1.3, 22.10); and

• fittingly, they both declare that God is ‘the Alpha and Omega’ of history (1.8, 22.13).

So far so good.

Revelation is built around four heptads—the visions of the seven churches, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls (ch. 16)1—, and each of these heptads is preceded by a concrete event that occurs in heaven and explains what’s about to come.

• Prior to the vision of the seven churches (chs. 2–3), Jesus speaks to John and shows him a vision of the lampstand-churches that he’s about to address (1.9–20).

• Prior to the seven seals (6.1–8.1), Jesus takes a scroll from the Father’s hand and prepares to open it (chs. 4–5).

• Prior to the seven trumpets (8.6–11.19), seven trumpets are given to seven angels, and the prayers of the saints are poured out on a heavenly altar (8.2–5).

• And, prior to the seven bowls, the heavenly sanctuary is opened, and seven bowls are given to seven angels (15.5–8).

Treating each of these heptads-and-preludes as an individual unit, the structure below emerges.

This structure is relatively attractive. The only problem with it is that the final section of the book seems to include too much material. It feels like chapter 20, where Satan is bound in the aftermath of his defeat and the beleaguered saints are finally vindicated, should mark the start of a new section.

Suppose, then, we divide 17.1 to 22.5 in half. We now have seven sections of roughly equal length, which seem appropriate to arrange in a chiasmus given the symmetrical nature of the book’s epilogue and prologue, as is done below.

The central element of this chiasmus is, aptly, the Church and beast’s battles.2 And other features of it also seem apt (though are beyond the scope of this short note to explore).

The structure outlined above is also attractive for two further reasons. First, it means that the seven sevens around which Revelation is based echo the seven schematic ‘weeks’ around which the Gospel of John is based. Second, it means that every section of the book of Revelation has a connection with the number seven. This is the case because the sections between the book’s heptads have a discourse-related connection to the number seven. The book of Revelation is punctuated by John telling us that he’s seen certain things (‘And I saw…’)—(kai) eidon/eida (or in one case idon)—, which John does seven times in each of the book’s non-heptadic sections.3 That is to say, John uses the phrase (kai) eidon/eida/idon seven times in 12.1–15.3, seven times in 17.1–19.21, and seven times in 20.1–22.5, as shown below.

• kai eidon (13.1, 13.11, 14.1, 14.6, 14.14, 15.1, 15.2)

• kai eidon (17.3, 19.11, 19.17, 19.19), kai eida (17.6), idon (17.6), eidon (18.1)

• kai eidon (20.1, 20.4, 20.11, 20.12, 21.1, 21.2), kai ouk eidon (21.22)

The last of these makes a particularly apt final marker, since it describes something that John doesn’t see. John doesn’t see a temple in the new Jerusalem, ‘since its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb’.