Chapter 73 Parenthetical Sections
The six middle parts of the eight parts of Revelation have parenthetical sections. Why does Revelation have that? It serves to provide information on a concept that needs to be further elaborated. It sometimes also provides a chiasm that would otherwise not have been there. This phenomenon is well established in the second section of Revelation, the Seven Seals.
After the sixth seal where the Second Advent is described, the question is asked “Who shall be able to stand (at the Second Advent)?”
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
As an answer to that question, Rev 7 follows where the two harvests are described: The harvest of the 144 000 in the first eight verses and the harvest of great multitude from verse 9 on. These two groups of people will be able to stand through the wrath of Christ when the plagues are poured out and at the Second Advent. The 144 000 will already be with Christ, coming with Him at the Second Advent as the armies of heaven (chapter 14). Chiastic to this is the two harvests of the impenitent described in Rev 14’s second half (chapter 55). Only after Rev 7 comes the seventh seal in Rev 8:1 which is the whole of the Seven Trumpets.
Analysing the other major parts of Revelation, we see that the Seven Churches do not have a parenthetical part because the seventh Church follows right after the sixth. However, we see this phenomenon again in the third section, the Seven Trumpets. The first six Trumpets are described in Rev 8 and 9, but the seventh Trumpet, the Close of Probation, only appears in Rev 11:15-19. The seventh Trumpet is the climax of the Seven Trumpets and is so important that it could be considered the focus of all of Revelation. After the first six Trumpets have been described, we find a warning in Rev 10 where Christ, standing on the land and sea, declares that when the seventh Trumpet sounds, time will be no more – there will be no more grace or probation:
Rev 10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
The activities and experience of the 144 000 are then described. They bring the last warning to the World, the Three Angels’ Messages, calling mankind to turn to the real creator God, and avoid being coerced into false worship.
Chiastic to the parenthetical part of the Seven Seals which is the two harvests of the righteous, is the two harvests of the impenitent, the parenthetical section of the fourth part of Revelation (Beasts and Angels). The structure of the fourth part of Revelation is not as clear as those preceding because the components are not numbered like the Churches, Seals and Trumpets. Closer study reveals that it works the same. The fourth part has six subsections, a parenthetical part, and the climax of the section on Beasts and Angels is the fifth part in its entirety, repeating the pattern of the seventh Seal being all of the Trumpets. The fifth part is the Seven Last Plagues.
After the sixth Plague, which is the drying up of the Euphrates, there is a short parenthetical section briefly describing the unification effort by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, then the promise of the Second Advent, and finally the preparation for Armageddon:
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The sixth section on Babylon is again unnumbered, and a study shows the six subsections describing Babylon and her demise. Then a parenthetical section is seen, and the climax is the whole of the Millenium, because it is the transition from an even numbered descriptive part to the seventh (odd numbered) chronological part (previous chapter). In parentheses, if you please, the finality of the demise of Babylon is described:
Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The seventh major part of Revelation, the Millennium, is the last part that has a parenthetical section. Between the sixth and the seventh subsections is a description of the descent of the New Jerusalem and how it will be on the New Earth after the new creation:
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Without an understanding of the structure of Revelation and the parenthetical sections, Rev 21 is confusing with its repetitions. The New Jerusalem descending from heaven as the bride of Christ is described twice. The first time it is the parenthetical section of the Millennium, and the second, the eighth and last major part of Revelation on the New Jerusalem.
Understanding the structure of Revelation provides a mind map that slots the prophecies into their rightful places. May God bless you as you ponder these details.
The six middle parts of the eight parts of Revelation have parenthetical sections. Why does Revelation have that? It serves to provide information on a concept that needs to be further elaborated. It sometimes also provides a chiasm that would otherwise not have been there. This phenomenon is well established in the second section of Revelation, the Seven Seals.
After the sixth seal where the Second Advent is described, the question is asked “Who shall be able to stand (at the Second Advent)?”
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
As an answer to that question, Rev 7 follows where the two harvests are described: The harvest of the 144 000 in the first eight verses and the harvest of great multitude from verse 9 on. These two groups of people will be able to stand through the wrath of Christ when the plagues are poured out and at the Second Advent. The 144 000 will already be with Christ, coming with Him at the Second Advent as the armies of heaven (chapter 14). Chiastic to this is the two harvests of the impenitent described in Rev 14’s second half (chapter 55). Only after Rev 7 comes the seventh seal in Rev 8:1 which is the whole of the Seven Trumpets.
Analysing the other major parts of Revelation, we see that the Seven Churches do not have a parenthetical part because the seventh Church follows right after the sixth. However, we see this phenomenon again in the third section, the Seven Trumpets. The first six Trumpets are described in Rev 8 and 9, but the seventh Trumpet, the Close of Probation, only appears in Rev 11:15-19. The seventh Trumpet is the climax of the Seven Trumpets and is so important that it could be considered the focus of all of Revelation. After the first six Trumpets have been described, we find a warning in Rev 10 where Christ, standing on the land and sea, declares that when the seventh Trumpet sounds, time will be no more – there will be no more grace or probation:
Rev 10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
The activities and experience of the 144 000 are then described. They bring the last warning to the World, the Three Angels’ Messages, calling mankind to turn to the real creator God, and avoid being coerced into false worship.
Chiastic to the parenthetical part of the Seven Seals which is the two harvests of the righteous, is the two harvests of the impenitent, the parenthetical section of the fourth part of Revelation (Beasts and Angels). The structure of the fourth part of Revelation is not as clear as those preceding because the components are not numbered like the Churches, Seals and Trumpets. Closer study reveals that it works the same. The fourth part has six subsections, a parenthetical part, and the climax of the section on Beasts and Angels is the fifth part in its entirety, repeating the pattern of the seventh Seal being all of the Trumpets. The fifth part is the Seven Last Plagues.
After the sixth Plague, which is the drying up of the Euphrates, there is a short parenthetical section briefly describing the unification effort by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, then the promise of the Second Advent, and finally the preparation for Armageddon:
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The sixth section on Babylon is again unnumbered, and a study shows the six subsections describing Babylon and her demise. Then a parenthetical section is seen, and the climax is the whole of the Millenium, because it is the transition from an even numbered descriptive part to the seventh (odd numbered) chronological part (previous chapter). In parentheses, if you please, the finality of the demise of Babylon is described:
Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The seventh major part of Revelation, the Millennium, is the last part that has a parenthetical section. Between the sixth and the seventh subsections is a description of the descent of the New Jerusalem and how it will be on the New Earth after the new creation:
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Without an understanding of the structure of Revelation and the parenthetical sections, Rev 21 is confusing with its repetitions. The New Jerusalem descending from heaven as the bride of Christ is described twice. The first time it is the parenthetical section of the Millennium, and the second, the eighth and last major part of Revelation on the New Jerusalem.
Understanding the structure of Revelation provides a mind map that slots the prophecies into their rightful places. May God bless you as you ponder these details.
Chapter 73 Parenthetical Sections
The six middle parts of the eight parts of Revelation have parenthetical sections. Why does Revelation have that? It serves to provide information on a concept that needs to be further elaborated. It sometimes also provides a chiasm that would otherwise not have been there. This phenomenon is well established in the second section of Revelation, the Seven Seals.
After the sixth seal where the Second Advent is described, the question is asked “Who shall be able to stand (at the Second Advent)?”
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
As an answer to that question, Rev 7 follows where the two harvests are described: The harvest of the 144 000 in the first eight verses and the harvest of great multitude from verse 9 on. These two groups of people will be able to stand through the wrath of Christ when the plagues are poured out and at the Second Advent. The 144 000 will already be with Christ, coming with Him at the Second Advent as the armies of heaven (chapter 14). Chiastic to this is the two harvests of the impenitent described in Rev 14’s second half (chapter 55). Only after Rev 7 comes the seventh seal in Rev 8:1 which is the whole of the Seven Trumpets.
Analysing the other major parts of Revelation, we see that the Seven Churches do not have a parenthetical part because the seventh Church follows right after the sixth. However, we see this phenomenon again in the third section, the Seven Trumpets. The first six Trumpets are described in Rev 8 and 9, but the seventh Trumpet, the Close of Probation, only appears in Rev 11:15-19. The seventh Trumpet is the climax of the Seven Trumpets and is so important that it could be considered the focus of all of Revelation. After the first six Trumpets have been described, we find a warning in Rev 10 where Christ, standing on the land and sea, declares that when the seventh Trumpet sounds, time will be no more – there will be no more grace or probation:
Rev 10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
The activities and experience of the 144 000 are then described. They bring the last warning to the World, the Three Angels’ Messages, calling mankind to turn to the real creator God, and avoid being coerced into false worship.
Chiastic to the parenthetical part of the Seven Seals which is the two harvests of the righteous, is the two harvests of the impenitent, the parenthetical section of the fourth part of Revelation (Beasts and Angels). The structure of the fourth part of Revelation is not as clear as those preceding because the components are not numbered like the Churches, Seals and Trumpets. Closer study reveals that it works the same. The fourth part has six subsections, a parenthetical part, and the climax of the section on Beasts and Angels is the fifth part in its entirety, repeating the pattern of the seventh Seal being all of the Trumpets. The fifth part is the Seven Last Plagues.
After the sixth Plague, which is the drying up of the Euphrates, there is a short parenthetical section briefly describing the unification effort by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, then the promise of the Second Advent, and finally the preparation for Armageddon:
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The sixth section on Babylon is again unnumbered, and a study shows the six subsections describing Babylon and her demise. Then a parenthetical section is seen, and the climax is the whole of the Millenium, because it is the transition from an even numbered descriptive part to the seventh (odd numbered) chronological part (previous chapter). In parentheses, if you please, the finality of the demise of Babylon is described:
Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The seventh major part of Revelation, the Millennium, is the last part that has a parenthetical section. Between the sixth and the seventh subsections is a description of the descent of the New Jerusalem and how it will be on the New Earth after the new creation:
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Without an understanding of the structure of Revelation and the parenthetical sections, Rev 21 is confusing with its repetitions. The New Jerusalem descending from heaven as the bride of Christ is described twice. The first time it is the parenthetical section of the Millennium, and the second, the eighth and last major part of Revelation on the New Jerusalem.
Understanding the structure of Revelation provides a mind map that slots the prophecies into their rightful places. May God bless you as you ponder these details.
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