To the REVELATION – Conclusions
This study acknowledges the literary complexity of Revelation and looks at its structure from a fresh perspective: a spatio-temporal map of its cosmic setting – it is like an hermeneutic of spacetime. The proposed macrostructure indicates there are five spaces within Revelation’s cosmos: heaven’s throne-room; heaven’s outer realms in which the celestial child is born and Michael defeats the dragon/ satan in battle; a physical-spiritual earth (John describes these two visionary dimensions together, for example Babylon is both a physical city and spiritual harlot); an earth that reflects the biblical narrative earth whose characters (Israel or maybe Eve, Messiah, satan) are part of the messianic war; and below-the-earth, which is described by its boundary events (demons rising, lake of fire).
Richard Bauckham describes chapters 12-14 as the ‘messianic war’ from the Incarnation (12:5) to its climax at the Parousia (Christ’s appearance or his ‘coming’, in Revelation) (12:1-14:20, Bauckham, 1993a: 94; see Framework 1B.d). This study proposes that 12:5 refers to Creation (satan’s first appearance and the Messiah’s birth in the heavenly realms), not to the Incarnation, and 21:7-8 (part of the Final Judgement) is the ending of the war – but the principle is the same despite our different interpretations of 12:5.
Mapping illustrates Revelation as an overview of God’s territory that puts characters and events into a cosmic and temporal perspective. The proposed macrostructure uncovers Revelation’s relatively simple, linear chronology from Creation to the New Order, which is consistent with the meta-narrative of the Scriptures. Literary paradoxes, abrupt transitions and repetitions in the story are the result of a single story-line stepping back in relative time at 4:2, 12:1, 12:13 and 15:1, and these enable John to witness different perspectives of the story, as two linked dramas unfold (4:1-11:19 and 12:1-22:20a).
The first drama describes what has happened, is happening and what will happen in heaven’s throne-room and on the physical-spiritual earth. The second drama describes why things happen – the war between the forces of heaven and satan is underway from the universal beginning at Creation (see Framework chapter, 1B.e) to the Final Judgement (21:7-8) (see Framework 5).
The proposed macrostructure highlights the repetitions in eighteen time-parallels (which are like text parallels, but with a chronological component) and these link the two dramas. The text indicates that John describes what he saw and heard as events unfold before him as he moved between visionary vantage points: first on Patmos; then in heaven’s throne-room; return (probably) to Patmos; a move to Jerusalem and probably to a site near to Jerusalem; in the wilderness; and finally on a high mountain.
Superimposed upon the story-line is a text spiral associated with the fall of Babylon and its aftermath (16:12-21:9). The spiral confirms the suggestion that John was on vantage points for most of his vision. The integrity of the time-parallels suggests John experienced a single waking vision and he did not change the order of events as the story moved around the visionary cosmos. He was able to record events while they were happening (10:4).
Linear seals, trumpets and bowls accentuate perennial disasters facing humanity but literary patterns such as layers, spirals and chiasms are surface features that overlie the cosmic setting of events. Allusions to other texts (Hebrew Bible and, perhaps, other sources) indicate John was aware of the meaning of the images, historical patterns and biblical prophecies, as he honed the text before its circulation as a prophetic-apostolic letter.
This study compared Revelation with events described within Lk. 17 and Lk. 21/ Mt. 24-25/ Mk. 13 because these describe sequences of events. It uses these chapters to validate the proposed macrostructure (see Towards … 6).
For convenience only, the proposed macrostructure is divided into five parts: from Creation to the impact of the Cross, i.e. to the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ (Framework 1, time-parallel 1); John’s ‘present age’ and the beginning of ‘the age to come’ (Framework 2); the era of satan’s beasts (Framework 3, time-parallels 2-8a); the Lamb appears on Mt Zion and Babylon falls (Framework 4, time-parallels 8b-11); the climax of the messianic war (Framework 5, time-parallels 12-18).
1) From Creation to the impact of the Cross, i.e. to the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ (Framework 1, time-parallel 1)
The two dramas begin at Creation, implied by the heavenly worship (4:11) and defined by the birth of the celestial child (the Christ/ Messiah) in heaven’s environs (not in Bethlehem); the child is ‘snatched up’ to the throne (12:5). The Messiah is ‘the origin of God’s Creation’ (3:14) and he has held the book-of-life since Creation (13:8, 17:8). This study proposes that John’s description of the throne-room (4:3) includes a very early reference to the Trinity: the One-seated-on-the-throne, who holds the scroll with seven seals (the Father); the emerald-like rainbow encircling the throne (the Spirit, appearing like the aurora borealis or a celestial wind); and the celestial child/ slain Lamb (the Son).
The Lamb appears in the throne-room and he takes and opens the scroll while John watches. This represents the exact moment of the Cross (5:7) when the dragon/ snake/ satan is defeated in the war in heaven’s environs ‘by the blood of the Lamb’ and thrown down to earth (12:9-12). The story-line steps back in relative time at 4:2, 12:1 and 12:13. The Lamb assumes his authority as Messiah (5:7-14) and this is confirmed in 12:10-11. The seal torments occur on the physical-spiritual earth.
On the mythic or early/ pre-history earth (the biblical earth), the mother first finds safety (12:6) and then danger when the dragon appears (12:13-16). As the mother of the Messiah, the mother may be the archetypal Israel, and perhaps Eve and thus the mother of all humanity. Later, the war includes the followers of Christ (12:17) and then the dragon stands by the sea-shore (12:18). Time-parallel 1 represents the Cross and its universal impact (5:5-6:1, 12:9-12, 12:17-18).
The first reference to ‘where the (probably dead) body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together’ refers to the crucified Christ (the slain Lamb) and the ‘eagles’ were the Roman Legion (Mt. 24:28); ‘this generation’ witnessed the rejection of Christ (Lk. 17:25).
John’s ‘present age’ is the era of the opening seals and it is a time of persecution and waiting. The dragon/ satan continues to stand by the sea-shore (12:18) and there are no time-parallels in this section. Satan’s victims cry for vengeance; they must wait (fifth seal, 6:9-11). When the sixth seal breaks (6:12-17), everyone thinks (wrongly) judgement day has come but this may represent the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Four angels at the four corners of the earth are told to wait while the 144,000 representatives of all the tribes of Israel are sealed (7:1-8). This generation experiences the ‘great tribulation’ (7:9-17).
The silence in heaven (seventh seal, 8:1) may represent the ‘the times of the Gentiles’ (Lk. 21:24). Then, the seven trumpets are prepared and the golden censer is flung to earth (8:2-5) and this is the beginning of the ‘age to come’. The trumpets sound warnings of impending judgement and cosmic devastation (8:6-11:19).
When the fifth trumpet sounds and the three ‘woes’ begin, activity in every cosmic space increases – as illustrated by the increased number and frequency of the time-parallels. On the physical-spiritual earth, the abyss opens (9:1-12) and a beast rises from the abyss onto the biblical earth (13:1-10) (time-parallel 2).
All the main characters (excluding the One-seated-on-the-throne, 4:3) have identities that reflect the cosmic space within which they are found and the abyss beast has an appearance that reflects the two earthly spaces and two eras: John’s era of the beast’s seven heads/ hills/ kings (Rome and seven caesars); and in the age-to-come (the era of the ten horns/ kings) the beast will become the ‘eighth king’ (17:3-14).
During the sixth trumpet/ second woe, four angels (perhaps those of 7:1) are released at the Euphrates (9:13-21) and the earth beast rises (13:11-15) (time-parallel 3). The earth beast has an alter-ego as a false prophet (16:13) who works on behalf of the abyss beast (13:12-17, 19:20, 20:10). He sets up a speaking image of the abyss beast and everyone must worship it (13:14-15) and be ‘marked’ on the biblical earth if they want to buy or sell (13:16-18). On the physical-spiritual earth, John interacts with the mighty angel with the little scroll and there will be ‘no more delay’ (10:6). John hears the seven thunder prophecies, eats a little scroll and is told to measure the temple (10:1-11:2) (time-parallel 4).
Two witnesses are appointed and killed in Jerusalem (11:3-10) and the ‘sign’ of the seven angels with the last plagues is seen in heaven’s environs (15:1) (time-parallel 5). When the two witnesses are resurrected, a tenth of the city collapses and 7,000 people die, and the seventh trumpet sounds (11:11-18) – and the victorious martyrs rejoice in heaven’s throne-room (15:2-4) (time-parallel 6). The story-line steps back in relative time at 15:1 because the bowls are prepared and the heavenly Temple is opened (15:5) before the Lamb appears on Mt Zion (14:1-5).
When the heavenly sanctuary opens in heaven (15:5), this is seen on the physical-spiritual earth (11:15-18) (time-parallel 7). In heaven’s environs, the seven plague angels are given bowls full of the wrath of God (15:6-16:1) which are poured out onto the physical-spiritual earth from 16:2 (time-parallel 8a). The Day of God’s Wrath begins when the first bowl empties and this may be the anticipated ‘third woe’ of 11:14. It is unknown when the dragon/ satan moves from the sea-shore on the biblical earth (12:18) but marking (13:16-17) continues into the time of the bowls (16:12).
4) The Lamb appears on Mt Zion, Babylon falls (Framework 4, time-parallels 8b-11)
Sometime during the emptying of the seven bowls (16:2-16:17), earth will see something like Christ the Lamb on Mt Zion (14:1) before or about the time Babylon falls (14:8). This is perhaps ‘the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven’ (Mt. 24:30a) – a sign for all nations (time-parallel 8b), but we do not know exactly when (16:15). The first four plagues have similarities with the first four seal and trumpet torments, so it is likely Christ appears when the fifth bowl empties and there is darkness on the throne of the beast (16:10-11).
This is the first part of the Parousia and Christ comes with three angels to the biblical earth (14:6-11) and their messages provide the structure for this section (time-parallels 9-11). The first angel proclaims the gospel and imminent judgement (14:6-7) while evil forces prepare for war (16:12-13; time-parallel 9).
The second angel announces Babylon’s fall (14:8) and armies gather for battle at a place called Armageddon (16:14-16). The seventh bowl empties and voice from the heavenly throne exclaims ‘It is done!’ (16:17). Babylon the city is destroyed by a storm and earthquake (16:18-21) and her true identity is shown to John (17:1-18). The fall is announced to below-the earth (18:1-3) and heaven celebrates (19:1-4) (time-parallel 10).
The third angel warns that the ‘marked’ will be judged (14:9-11) and Babylon is mourned by the beasts’ followers and condemned for her sins (18:4-24). This may be the last chance to repent (18:4), perhaps until the Harvests. Heaven’s rejoicing at the fall of Babylon leads onto preparations for the wedding of the Lamb (19:5-6) (time-parallel 11).
5) The climax of the messianic war (Framework 5, time-parallels 12-18)
Babylon has fallen and the faithful must endure patiently (14:12-13) while they are preparing to become the bride of the Lamb (Christ; 19:7-8) (time-parallel 12). The messianic war (12:1-14:20) culminates in the appearance of the One-like-a-son-of-man (Christ), crowned and on a cloud. This is the second part of the Parousia. In the Gospels, this may correspond to the gathering of ‘his elect’ when everyone will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ (Mt. 24:29-31, Mk. 13:26-27).
Christ gathers the Grain Harvest (14:14-16) while the wedding invitations are distributed (19:9-10) (time-parallel 13). This study proposes that the Grain Harvest represents the mercy of God because those who accept the invitation will be spared the Grape Harvest (14:17-20).
The Rider (Christ) appears in the third part of the Parousia, with the armies of heaven (19:11-16). Evil forces re-group for war (19:17-19) and an angel gathers the Grape Harvest (14:17-18) (time-parallel 14). This gathering may correspond to ‘one will be taken and one will be left’ at an ‘unexpected time’ (Mt. 24:40-44, Lk. 17:34-36). The blood on the Rider’s gown before the Great Battle/ Grape Harvest crushing indicates he is the victor in spiritual battles throughout history (for example, as witnessed by Daniel, Dan. 10:5-12:13). The grapes are crushed (14:20) by the Rider (19:15-16) and satan’s beasts are thrown into the lake-of-fire (19:20) when the Rider is victorious in the Great Battle (19:21); and the Day of God’s Wrath ends (time-parallel 15).
The second reference to ‘where the (perhaps living) body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together’ refers to the living, risen Christ and the ‘eagles’ will be the armies of the abyss beast and his followers (16:14, 19:19); ‘this generation’ will witness these events (Lk. 21:29-33, Mt. 24:32-36, Mk 13:28-32).
Satan is restrained in the abyss for 1000 years (20:1-3) and the martyrs who experience the First Resurrection will reign on earth with Christ for 1000 years (20:4-6). This is the Millennium (time-parallel 16). After 1000 years, satan is freed, fights and is defeated by fire from heaven (20:7-9; time-parallel 17). Satan is thrown into the lake-of-fire and everyone who ever lived undergoes the Final Judgement; it is universal and it is the post-script to the messianic war (20:10-15, 21:7-8; time-parallel 18).
The New Order is created and a voice from the throne exclaims ‘They are done!’ (21:3-6) and the New Jerusalem (the Bride) descends to the New Earth as the dwelling-place of God and the faithful (those who will experience the Second Resurrection). The letter began with a short prologue and introduction (1:1-3:22), and it closes with confirmation of the vision’s credentials as a revelation from Jesus Christ and an epilogue (22:6-21).
The many roles and identities of Christ transcend space and time and the Trinity in the New Order may be represented by the One-seated-on-the-throne (the Father), the Lamb on the throne (the Son) and the water of life flowing from the throne (the Spirit; 22:1-2; Paul, 2018: 362).
6) Outcomes, values and final thoughts
An outcome of this study is a visual representation of John’s journey through his visionary cosmos and the Creation – New Order story told within Revelation. It is appropriate for John’s era and today but Revelation describes an apocalyptic (i.e. revelatory) scenario, so exactly how or when the prophesised events will unfold on the material earth is unknown. Whereabouts in history (i.e. on the spacetime continuum) an individual reader may be located is ambiguous – the Cross is the only fixed point in the model – so no attempt is made here to put modern names or time-scales to the characters or events.
The visionary cosmos consists of heaven’s throne-room and its environs and two versions of earth and the boundary with below-the-earth. The proposed macrostructure illustrates what happens after the Cross on the physical-spiritual earth: the opening of the seals facilitates the appearance of the ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse’ and they bring immediate and unending conquest, war, famine and social inequality, and death with them. The text indicates that war on earth intensified after the Cross because satan was ‘enraged’ at ‘those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus’ (12:12b, 12:17). Why this happens is because satan has been active on earth since time immemorial (12:9; biblical earth), and this will continue until the Final Judgement (20:10-15, 21:7-8).
The proposed macrostructure reconciles the literary paradoxes, abrupt transitions and repetitions in the story by recognising that they are the result of the single story-line stepping back in relative time at 4:2, 12:1, 12:13 and 15:1. This enables John to witness different perspectives of the story, as two dramas unfold across the cosmos (4:1-11:19 and 12:1-22:20a). The dramas are linked by eighteen time-parallels (which are like text parallels, but with a chronological component). There are three universal events in Revelation: the Cross (time-parallel 1); the fall of Babylon (time-parallel 10); and the Final Judgement (time-parallel 18). These events and the other time-parallels define the structure of the story. They suggest that John experienced a single vision – rather than multiple visions or that he imagined or was inspired to write Revelation.
This study proposes that the text spiral associated with the fall of Babylon and its aftermath (16:12-21:9) is superimposed upon the linear story-line. It follows John’s gaze as events unfold before him. This confirms that John experienced a single waking vision, so that he could record events while they were happening (10:4) – from visionary vantage points including: visionary Patmos (initially); in heaven’s throne-room (from 4:2 for an unspecified time, perhaps returning to Patmos); and near Jerusalem after John measures the Temple (from 11:3) until he is taken to the wilderness (17:1-3) and a high mountain (21:9-10).
The macrostructure is validated by comparing it with the Gospels, particularly Lk. 17 and Lk. 21/ Mt. 24-25/ Mk. 13 (see Towards … 6). They tell the same story of events in John’s era (‘present-age’; the era of the seals) and in the age-to-come (the trumpets and seals) (see Table 1 in Towards … 6).
Concerning the age-to-come, the text indicates that the eschaton (‘end times’ or ‘last days’) will begin when the censer is thrown to earth (8:5) and then the trumpets will sound their warnings (8:7-11:15).
Concerning the Parousia, Revelation indicates it will occur in three parts at an unknown and unexpected time (16:15; see also Lk. 17:24, Mt. 24:27). The first two appearances are confirmed by the Gospels but the Rider and the Great Battle are images from the Hebrew Bible. Christ is our king, protector, defender, saviour and judge, and the Parousia reflects his different roles. The appearance of Christ the Lamb on Mt Zion (14:1-5; time-parallel 8b) is a sign for all nations (Mt. 24:30a), before or about the time Babylon falls (14:8) – Babylon represents hedonistic society. Christ appearing on a cloud matches Gospel expectations (see 4 above; (time-parallel 13). Christ the Rider will appear (19:11-16) after Babylon falls (14:8, 16:17-21, 18:1-3; (time-parallel 14) and he will be the victor in the Great Battle on the physical-spiritual earth (19:17-21; (time-parallel 15; see 5 above).
In traditional terms, this study is a pre-millennial interpretation (i.e. Christ appears before the Millennium) that is also an eclectic (diverse or mixed) interpretation because the seal torments may have affected John’s generation (a Preterist interpretation) and the Parousia has not yet happened (a Futurist interpretation).
A value of this study lies in interpreting Revelation in a way that is appropriate for today, yet consistent with first century A.D. ideas of the cosmos. This study shows how a spatio-temporal analysis of Revelation uncovers a single story-line (macrostructure) that is a framework for scholars to use for their own interpretations, and for those who would like to know how locations and time-scales of recorded events in Revelation affects them (given that Revelation represents the Creation to New Order story-line – the short answer is: we don’t know, but there are guidelines).
If John’s era was the time of the seals and of the ‘great tribulation’ (7:9-17), the present author and readers may be living in the time of the silence-of-the-seventh seal (8:1), which may represent the ‘the times of the Gentiles’ (Lk. 21:24) – as have the vast majority of Revelation’s readers over the intervening centuries. John warns his readers that Christ’s appearance will be unexpected and (once begun) events in the eschaton will move swiftly. Whether living with the seals, Silence or in the eschaton, John warns everyone to live in such a way that we are prepared for the coming of Christ in our present circumstances (3:3, 16:15) – and we all face the Final Judgement (20:10-15, 21:7-8).
Through the centuries, there are those who erroneously, believe the eschaton is imminent for them but, as time inevitably progresses towards the age-to-come, will we actually know when it’s here? Jesus warned about false prophets and false christs and, in the age-to-come, people will be living ordinary lives, like in the times of Noah (Lk. 17:26-27, Mt. 24:37-39) or Lot (Lk. 17:28-33), with hedonism and ‘the worries of this life (…) like a trap’ (Lk. 21:34-35). The torments associated with the four seal horsemen continue today as conflict, famine, financial instability, pandemics, climate change, earthquakes and cosmic disturbances. For many today these torments are severe – and it seems like every generation is challenged by Babylon’s role in its lives in the modern era.
The torments associated with the first four seals, trumpets and bowls are similar in nature but not purpose. The Gospels indicates that there was ‘this generation’ who witnessed the rejection of Christ (Lk. 17:25) and ‘this generation’ who will witness the Parousia (Lk. 21:29-33, Mt. 24:32-36, Mk 13:28-32; see Table 1 in Towards … 6). In the interpretation in this study, one generation experienced the first four seal (immediate post-Cross) tribulations and there will be just one Parousia-generation who will experience the Day of God’s Wrath (the torments of the seven bowls). The trumpets sound warnings or announcements that the Day of God’s Wrath and the Parousia are near but their duration and the intervals between them is unknown. This is especially true for the impact of the torments associated with the first four trumpets.
Once the fifth trumpet sounds and the abyss opens (9:1-12/ 13:1-10; time-parallel 2), the proposed macrostructure indicates that satan’s two main beasts will arise and events in the eschaton will unfold very quickly. The abyss beast’s authority from the dragon/ satan is limited to ‘forty-two months’ (13:5-7) and the ten kings only have authority as kings, along with the abyss beast as the eighth king, for one hour (17:11-13). Babylon falls in an hour (18:10, 18:17-19) and she is ruined by plagues, famine and fire in a single day (18:8). An hour or a day, even forty-two months, is representative of very short, limited times. This is consistent with the Gospels but will those present at the time notice the changes?
The macrostructure illustrates anticipated events in the eschaton, three of which may be more noticeable than others once the censer empties and the trumpets start sounding (8:2-7); the setting up of the image of the beast and its impact on the biblical earth (13:14-18; time-parallels 3 to 8); the sign in the skies (heaven’s environs) of the seven plague angels with the bowls full of God’s wrath (15:1; time-parallel 5); and the testimonies, murder and morbid celebration, resurrection and ascension of the ‘two witnesses’ (in Jerusalem, 11:8) and the city’s collapse with 7000 fatalities on the physical-spiritual earth (11:3-13; time-parallels 5 to 6). These last events will occur after the sixth trumpet sounds (9:13-11:14). Revelation is apocalyptic (i.e. revelatory) literature, so exactly how or when the prophesised events will unfold on the material earth depends upon how Scripture is understood. More will be understood when the seven thunders speak, just before the seventh trumpet sounds (10:3-7; time-parallel 4).
Revelation and the Gospels outline past and future events, and history from Creation to the Cross is briefly alluded to in 12:1-18, but for the Silence/ times-of-the-Gentiles generations (probably most people), it is the message of Revelation that should concern us. John’s emphasis is on the role of the Messiah and humanity’s ongoing need to repent and endure the inevitable suffering. Revelation’s over-view of past and future history ‘ought to both comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comforted’ (Jauhiainen, 2003b: 117) because it demonstrates Christ’s presence from Creation and the hope and vindication of God’s people. This supports the idea that Revelation strengthened John’s community and later communities with the assurance that Christ has already assumed his authority (at the Cross; 5:7-14, 12:10) and he will come again – rather than with an emphasis on God’s plan for history or what one (probably future) generation will experience.
As a final thought, at the beginning of the book of Revelation, seven messages were written to the Christian congregations (2:1-3:22). An equivalent message to the present-day congregations would most likely include John’s repeated pleas for people to be aware, repent and endure patiently and, above all, to remain faithful to God and the Lord Jesus, his Messiah. John entreats us to be prepared for Christ’s appearance, whenever it may happen, and to remember that individuals who are victorious will not be hurt in the final judgement.
Page updated 29 September 2025