13. The Outline Analysis.

13. The Outline Analysis.Ithe prologue (or introduction): Ch. 1:1-3:221 The Superscription: Ch. 1:1-32 The Salutation: Ch. 1:4-83 The Introductory Vision: Ch. 1:9-204 The Seven Epistles: Ch. 2:1-3:22IIthe main apocalypse (or revelation proper): Ch. 4:1-22:51 The Vision of God on the Throne: Ch. 4:1-5:142 The Vision of the Seven Seals: Ch. 6:1-17, and 8:12b The Episode of the Sealed Ones: Ch. 7:1-173 The Vision of the Seven Trumpets: Ch. 8:2-9:21, and 11:14-193b The Episode of the Angel with the Book, and of the Two Witnesses: Ch. 10:1-11:134 The Vision of Conflict: Ch. 12:1-14:20[pg 049]5 The Vision of the Seven Vials: Ch. 15:1-16:12, and 16:17-215b The Episode of the Frog-like Spirits: Ch. 16:13-166 The Vision of Victory: Ch. 17:1-20:157 The Vision of the New Jerusalem: Ch. 21:1-22:5IIIthe epilogue (or conclusion): Ch. 22:6-211 The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ: Ch. 22:6-162 The Closing Testimony of John: Ch. 22:17-203 The Author's Benediction: Ch. 22:2114. The Literary Structure.The elaborate and artistic Literary Structure of the Apocalypse, the numerical symmetry of its parts, the parallelism of its visions, and the recurrent climaxes in its development, together unite to give it a unique place among the writings of Scripture; and a clear perception of these relations becomes a distinct aid to the better understanding of its message, for these belong to it as the outer robes which enfold its inner thought. The predominance of the number seven in the arrangement of its subject-matter throughout, especially the recurrence of formal series of sevens in the Epistles, Seals, Trumpets, and Vials, has commonly led to the conclusion that the book is somehow capable of division into seven parts fundamental to its structure. And although the failure of commentators to agree generally upon any lines of division yet proposed scarcely seems to support this opinion, yet the possible correctness and the general helpfulness of such a division is fully recognized. Any such division which we may make, however, is chiefly one of analysis, for the visions are continuous and develop without any distinctive break of prophetic view. The outline analysis given above divides the Visions, or main portion of the book, into seven parts, the Episodes being made parenthetical and subordinate, as their contents and connection serve to indicate; while the four subdivisions of the Introduction and three of the Conclusion taken together, form another seven. This general division, which is not an uncommon one, agrees in the main, though not in statement or in full detail, with that in thePulpit Commentary,57and is one of[pg 050]the most natural as well as the most helpful in bringing out the chief thought of the book. The carefully wrought out and remarkably suggestive division and subdivision into complete series of sevens, given in theModern Reader's Bible,58after the same manner as the Prophecy of Ezekiel, and the Rhapsody of Joel, is worthy of attentive consideration, though it may well be doubted whether such an extensive subdivision found place in the Apocalyptist's thought.59With discriminative literary insight the author of that work says, concerning the general outline of the book,“The seven visions of St. John's Revelation seem in the line of their succession to trace the figure of an arch, the keystone of the arch being the master-thought of the prophecy;... On either side of it [in the arrangement of the visions] III is closely parallel with V, and II with VI ... while I and VII are separate from the rest.... As always, literary form is here pointing to the deepest spiritual meaning”. The theme of the central vision according to this view, is“Salvation: the Kingdom of this World becoming the Kingdom of Christ”, which puts the purpose of the Christian warfare to the front, and has much to commend it; for the warfare is in order that the redemptive purpose of God may become effective and triumphant. There are reasons, however, in the scheme of the book which seem to place the main emphasis upon the warfare itself as leading to salvation, and that view has been accepted in this work. Following the fertile suggestion given above, though with a somewhat different conception of the theme of the several visions, we arrive at the following outline of the thought and plan of the chief part of the book,60viz:—IVIIIVIIVIIVII[Transcriber's Note: In the book, the above table had the following text for each of the seven sections; they are laid out here to make it look correct with modern readers.]IV—A Vision of Warfare—the Church-Historic World-Conflict of the Evil against the Just. (Ch. 12:1-14:20)III—A Vision of Threatening—the World's Punishment Threatened. (Ch. 8:2-9:21, and 11:14-19)V—A Vision of Judgment—the World's Judgment Executed. (Ch. 15:1-16:12, and 16:17-21)II—A Vision of Trial—the Church's Trial Foreshown. (Ch. 6:1-17, and 8:1)VI—A Vision of Vindication—the Church's Vindication Manifested. (Ch. 17:1-20:15)I—A Vision of Sovereignty—the Throne during Conflict. (Ch. 4:1-5:14)VII—A Vision of Triumph—the Throne after Victory. (Ch. 21:1-22:5)[pg 051]If we follow the natural order of the visions from I to VII, we find it to be one ofprogression, viz. from Sovereignty to Trial, then to Threatening, and on through Warfare, Judgment, and Vindication to Triumph, each being a separate step in advance: if we compare I with VII, II with VI, and III with V, we find the order to be marked byparallelism, viz. Sovereignty corresponding to Triumph, Trial to Vindication, and Threatening to Judgment, vision IV, that of Warfare, holding the balance between them: while if we regard the central vision in relation to the rest, we find the arrangement to be one ofclimax, vision IV forming the connecting link between I and VII, II and VI, and III and V, the visions preceding and following it forming an ascending and descending scale to and from the center, viz. that of Sovereignty leading through Warfare to Triumph, that of Trial through Warfare to Vindication, and that of Threatening through Warfare to Judgment. The movement of thought is thereby indicated to be from the throne challenged to the throne triumphant, from the church tried to the church vindicated, from the world threatened to the world judged, through a world-conflict which forms the acme of the dramatic purpose, and discloses the entire sweep of redemptive history as buttressed upon the eternal throne. The seven visions, according to this view, are not bound together by any temporal succession, but each displays a world-process complete in itself, and they are so arranged that the climax is reached at the center instead of the end, after the analogy of Hebrew poetry, the central vision furnishing the key to the interpretation of the whole.61The value of such an analytic interpretation, when sustained by the contents of the book, lies not alone in the help which it affords in penetrating the deeper purpose of the writer, and of the revelation made through him, but in the illuminative effect which, in a case like this, it throws upon the disputed question of unity; for if any such clearly marked and continuous current of thought can be shown to thread its way throughout the entire book, despite all by-currents and eddies, then the various theories of diverse or composite authorship cease to be credible except to pure theorists.[pg 052]15. The Literature.The Literature relating to this difficult book is very extensive, more works, strange to say, having been written on the Apocalypse which has been so imperfectly understood than upon any other part of Scripture, though many of them are now rightly regarded as of little value. A careful study of one or more of the leading authorities representing each of the current methods of interpretation will give a fair view of the whole field, and will serve to show that in many points there is essential agreement among all schools of thought, though for advanced work one's reading must necessarily cover a wider range, for the student should then know all the best that has been said upon the problems of the book. The most important qualification, however, for this difficult study is to approach the whole subject with an open mind and a fresh spirit of inquiry, resolved to be quite untrammelled by traditional interpretations, to investigate with scrupulous care the various points of view, and to apply with fearless courage all thewell-establishedresults of investigation, especially those of the later fruitful studies in Apocalyptic literature, which enable us to approach more nearly the viewpoint of the earliest readers of the book, but which yet remain to be duly correlated with our previous knowledge, being confidently assured that there is“light yet to break”for the earnest soul upon the deep things of the Apocalypse.It is not likely that any one commentary will prove entirely satisfactory to the thoughtful reader, owing to the wide variation of opinion upon many minor points among those holding the same general view. Milligan is very suggestive though not always convincing, for he is oftentimes too indefinite in interpretation to be satisfying to the reader, telling us that“no detail of historic events need be looked for”. His discussion of principles, however, is always illuminative, even when his application is not quite so clear; and not infrequently his work is of more value in showing the inconclusiveness of other views than in establishing his own. We are indebted to him, through the general circulation of his works, perhaps more than to any other writer, for the present prevalence of the symbolic view in the English speaking world, and hisLectures, and one or other of hisCommentaries, should be read by every student. Plummer, in thePulpit[pg 053]Commentary, will be found more satisfactory by the general reader, especially if he inclines to the symbolic interpretation, and there is, in fact, no better commentary for common use, though we may not agree with all his conclusions. To his wise and discriminative judgment the present author wishes to express a deep indebtedness. The short introduction to that volume, with its scholarly notes on manuscripts, versions, &c, will also be found very helpful to the busy student. Farrar, supporting the preterist view, gives the historical conditions of the Neronic period in a striking way, many of which are equally applicable to the whole latter part of the first century. Lee is especially valuable for the condensedrésuméof opinions concerning many obscure passages throughout the book, though the great diversity of views at times presented is apt to be confusing. Faussett is excellent from his point of view, ranking among the best premillennial interpreters. Seiss is also a popular authority with those who share the premillennial expectation, but his exegesis is often faulty, and his interpretation fanciful. Moulton'sModern Reader's Biblevol. John, is indispensable for its literary analysis and aid in gaining the general perspective, and should be in the library of every student. The Introduction to Revelation in theNew Century Bible, by C. A. Scott, gives an admirable and concise statement of the present status of opinion concerning the problems of the book, and the notes of the same volume are especially valuable for their references to Jewish Apocalyptic. This is the best small book for the use of the student who wishes to get an outline of the modern view concerning the incorporation of Jewish apocalypses. For those who are acquainted with the Greek text, Alford, Stuart, and Düsterdieck will be found quite helpful, even though they belong to a former generation, for each has a special excellency; but the late work of Swete, theApocalypse of St. John(1906), which is both thorough and scholarly, is indispensable for the critical use of the student in that it meets more fully the questions of modern inquiry and present discussion, and maintains a moderate view of the opinions now to the fore concerning the origin of the book. On the other hand Briggs'Messiah of the Gospels, and Moffatt'sHistorical New Testamentgive a good account of late theories of composite authorship and deserve attention. Also the able work of Moffatt on Revelation in the final volume of theExpositor's Greek Testament[pg 054]has been issued (1910), and deserves careful notice. The author adopts the modern critical view, that portions of the book have been incorporated from current apocalypses, and devotes considerable attention to source-criticism as an aid to interpretation, but too much time is given to pointing out what he regards as parallel thought in Greek, Roman, and Jewish writings, and this often has little interpretative value. The work is adapted to the ripe scholar rather than the earlier student, and though rejecting extreme views, it will not be found altogether satisfying to those of more conservative mind who believe that the Apocalypse is entitled to a primary rather than a secondary place among the books of Scripture. Another work awaited with much interest is the volume on Revelation in theInternational Critical Commentarywhich is in course of preparation by Charles, the eminent authority upon Apocalyptic.62This volume when issued will no doubt add much of value to the modern point of view, and serve to throw additional light upon the relations of Apocalyptic literature to this its greatest masterpiece. HisStudies in the Apocalypse(1913) serves to indicate the general line of interpretation to be expected, and it must be said that this is somewhat disappointing to the conservative reader, for it is highly critical. One naturally hesitates to disagree so widely with such an eminent scholar and distinguished apocalyptist as has been found necessary to do in the following pages; but it should be remembered that all Scripture is written for the world of men, and that the opinion of no one scholar or number of scholars can authoritatively determine the meaning of any part of it, but that rather the interpretation must be arrived at by a general consensus of opinion among men of learning and piety throughout the world. That this opinion, though now veering toward the critical view, will not be eventually sustained by more thorough research is the confirmed judgment of many scholars. But with it all there are many points of interpretation formerly in dispute that may now be regarded as already settled, their essential meaning in any case being substantially the same, and thus the book so long aglow with mysteries has virtually become every man's book in the light of intelligent interpretation.Finally, with special emphasis it should be said, that it is of prime importance for those who would understand[pg 055]the Apocalypse in its proper relations to Biblical thought, that a careful study should be made of the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah, Amos, Joel, and Habakkuk, together with the Book of Psalms, in connection with the Revelation, in order to catch the inner thought of the book; also of some portion of the Apocalyptic literature, particularly theBook of Enoch,63theApocalypse of Baruch, and theFourth Book of Ezra, for these will furnish the atmosphere of Jewish thought in which the Apocalypse was conceived, and will provide substantial aid in understanding the peculiarities of its literary form and the general spirit of the work, as well as in freeing the mind from the trammels of traditional interpretation. But, above all, we should not forget that the book of Revelation is a properly recognized part of canonical Scripture in practically the universal judgment of the entire Christian world, and that notwithstanding its many and persistent difficulties of interpretation, it is yet entitled to our earnest study and attentive thought as containing a living and abiding message from Almighty God, through his Son Jesus Christ our Lord to John the last of the apostles, and through him to the sin-burdened souls of men the world over.A few authorities are named below, which will be found sufficient to give most that is of value in interpretation for the general reader; others are referred to in the foot-notes. For a fuller list, especially of the older books, consult the Schaff-HerzogEncyclopaedia, or Smith'sDictionary of the Bible, art.“Revelation”; while for the later literature see Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible, and theEncyclopaedia Biblica.For the English Reader.Preterist View:—Farrar,Early Days of Christianity;Maurice,Lectures on the Apocalypse.Futurist View:—Faussett, inJamieson, Faussett, and Brown's Commentary.Seiss,Lectures on the Apocalypse.[pg 056]Progressivist View:—Wordsworth,Lectures on the Apocalypse;Barnes,Notes on the Book of Revelation.Symbolist View:—Milligan, inExpositor's Bible, and inPopular (International) Commentary;Plummer, inPulpit Commentary;Lee, inBible (Speakers') Commentary.For Critical Study.Preterist View:—Düsterdieck, inMeyer's Commentary;Stuart, inCommentary on the Apocalypse.Preterist View—Modern Critical:—Moffatt, inExpositor's Greek Testament;Swete,Apocalypse of St. John.Progressivist View—Modified Historical:—Simcox, inCambridge Greek Testament.Futurist View—Modified Historical:—Alford, inGreek Testament.For Recent Critical Views.Moffatt'sHistorical New Testament;Scott's“Revelation”, inNew Century Bible;Dean'sBook of Revelation;Alexander Ramsay's“Revelation and Johannine Epistles”, inWestminister New Test.;Briggs'Messiah of the Apostles;Barton, art.“The Apocalypse and Recent Criticism”, inAmer. Journ. of Theol., Apr. 1884;Porter, art.“Revelation”, in Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible;Bousset, art.“Apocalypse”, in theEncyclopaedia Biblica.Moffatt, art.“Wellhausen and Others on the Apocalypse”, in theExpositor, Mar. 1909;Charles,Studies in the Apocalypse;Charles,Revelation of St. John (I. C. C.);Beckwith,Apocalypse of John.[pg 057]For General Discussion.Fairbairn,On Prophecy;Bleek,Lectures on the Apocalypse;Vaughan,Lectures on the Revelation of St. John;Milligan,Lectures on the Apocalypse; andDiscussions on the Apocalypse;Scott,“Book of Revelation”, in thePractical Commentary;Stevens,Theology of the New Testament, Part VI;Ramsay,Letters to the Seven Churches;Introductions to the New Testamentby Salmon, Dods, Bacon, Jülicher, and others;Introductions to Revelationin the leadingCommentaries, and in theModern Reader's Bible, theNew Century Bible, theTemple Bible, and theModern American Bible; and the text of Revelation in theNew Translation of the New Testament, by Moffatt.[pg 058]The Text here given is that of theAmerican Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons, which is used by permission of the publishers.The arrangement of the text belongs to the present volume, and is offered as a contribution to the correct interpretation. This in itself is of the nature of a commentary, though no changes have been introduced into the body of the text. The paragraphs, however, have been changed, and many new paragraphs made, in order to emphasize the thought of the text.

Ithe prologue (or introduction): Ch. 1:1-3:221 The Superscription: Ch. 1:1-32 The Salutation: Ch. 1:4-83 The Introductory Vision: Ch. 1:9-204 The Seven Epistles: Ch. 2:1-3:22

Ithe prologue (or introduction): Ch. 1:1-3:22

1 The Superscription: Ch. 1:1-3

2 The Salutation: Ch. 1:4-8

3 The Introductory Vision: Ch. 1:9-20

4 The Seven Epistles: Ch. 2:1-3:22

IIthe main apocalypse (or revelation proper): Ch. 4:1-22:51 The Vision of God on the Throne: Ch. 4:1-5:142 The Vision of the Seven Seals: Ch. 6:1-17, and 8:12b The Episode of the Sealed Ones: Ch. 7:1-173 The Vision of the Seven Trumpets: Ch. 8:2-9:21, and 11:14-193b The Episode of the Angel with the Book, and of the Two Witnesses: Ch. 10:1-11:134 The Vision of Conflict: Ch. 12:1-14:20[pg 049]5 The Vision of the Seven Vials: Ch. 15:1-16:12, and 16:17-215b The Episode of the Frog-like Spirits: Ch. 16:13-166 The Vision of Victory: Ch. 17:1-20:157 The Vision of the New Jerusalem: Ch. 21:1-22:5

IIthe main apocalypse (or revelation proper): Ch. 4:1-22:5

1 The Vision of God on the Throne: Ch. 4:1-5:14

2 The Vision of the Seven Seals: Ch. 6:1-17, and 8:1

2b The Episode of the Sealed Ones: Ch. 7:1-17

3 The Vision of the Seven Trumpets: Ch. 8:2-9:21, and 11:14-19

3b The Episode of the Angel with the Book, and of the Two Witnesses: Ch. 10:1-11:13

4 The Vision of Conflict: Ch. 12:1-14:20

5 The Vision of the Seven Vials: Ch. 15:1-16:12, and 16:17-21

5b The Episode of the Frog-like Spirits: Ch. 16:13-16

6 The Vision of Victory: Ch. 17:1-20:15

7 The Vision of the New Jerusalem: Ch. 21:1-22:5

IIIthe epilogue (or conclusion): Ch. 22:6-211 The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ: Ch. 22:6-162 The Closing Testimony of John: Ch. 22:17-203 The Author's Benediction: Ch. 22:21

IIIthe epilogue (or conclusion): Ch. 22:6-21

1 The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ: Ch. 22:6-16

2 The Closing Testimony of John: Ch. 22:17-20

3 The Author's Benediction: Ch. 22:21

14. The Literary Structure.The elaborate and artistic Literary Structure of the Apocalypse, the numerical symmetry of its parts, the parallelism of its visions, and the recurrent climaxes in its development, together unite to give it a unique place among the writings of Scripture; and a clear perception of these relations becomes a distinct aid to the better understanding of its message, for these belong to it as the outer robes which enfold its inner thought. The predominance of the number seven in the arrangement of its subject-matter throughout, especially the recurrence of formal series of sevens in the Epistles, Seals, Trumpets, and Vials, has commonly led to the conclusion that the book is somehow capable of division into seven parts fundamental to its structure. And although the failure of commentators to agree generally upon any lines of division yet proposed scarcely seems to support this opinion, yet the possible correctness and the general helpfulness of such a division is fully recognized. Any such division which we may make, however, is chiefly one of analysis, for the visions are continuous and develop without any distinctive break of prophetic view. The outline analysis given above divides the Visions, or main portion of the book, into seven parts, the Episodes being made parenthetical and subordinate, as their contents and connection serve to indicate; while the four subdivisions of the Introduction and three of the Conclusion taken together, form another seven. This general division, which is not an uncommon one, agrees in the main, though not in statement or in full detail, with that in thePulpit Commentary,57and is one of[pg 050]the most natural as well as the most helpful in bringing out the chief thought of the book. The carefully wrought out and remarkably suggestive division and subdivision into complete series of sevens, given in theModern Reader's Bible,58after the same manner as the Prophecy of Ezekiel, and the Rhapsody of Joel, is worthy of attentive consideration, though it may well be doubted whether such an extensive subdivision found place in the Apocalyptist's thought.59With discriminative literary insight the author of that work says, concerning the general outline of the book,“The seven visions of St. John's Revelation seem in the line of their succession to trace the figure of an arch, the keystone of the arch being the master-thought of the prophecy;... On either side of it [in the arrangement of the visions] III is closely parallel with V, and II with VI ... while I and VII are separate from the rest.... As always, literary form is here pointing to the deepest spiritual meaning”. The theme of the central vision according to this view, is“Salvation: the Kingdom of this World becoming the Kingdom of Christ”, which puts the purpose of the Christian warfare to the front, and has much to commend it; for the warfare is in order that the redemptive purpose of God may become effective and triumphant. There are reasons, however, in the scheme of the book which seem to place the main emphasis upon the warfare itself as leading to salvation, and that view has been accepted in this work. Following the fertile suggestion given above, though with a somewhat different conception of the theme of the several visions, we arrive at the following outline of the thought and plan of the chief part of the book,60viz:—IVIIIVIIVIIVII[Transcriber's Note: In the book, the above table had the following text for each of the seven sections; they are laid out here to make it look correct with modern readers.]IV—A Vision of Warfare—the Church-Historic World-Conflict of the Evil against the Just. (Ch. 12:1-14:20)III—A Vision of Threatening—the World's Punishment Threatened. (Ch. 8:2-9:21, and 11:14-19)V—A Vision of Judgment—the World's Judgment Executed. (Ch. 15:1-16:12, and 16:17-21)II—A Vision of Trial—the Church's Trial Foreshown. (Ch. 6:1-17, and 8:1)VI—A Vision of Vindication—the Church's Vindication Manifested. (Ch. 17:1-20:15)I—A Vision of Sovereignty—the Throne during Conflict. (Ch. 4:1-5:14)VII—A Vision of Triumph—the Throne after Victory. (Ch. 21:1-22:5)[pg 051]If we follow the natural order of the visions from I to VII, we find it to be one ofprogression, viz. from Sovereignty to Trial, then to Threatening, and on through Warfare, Judgment, and Vindication to Triumph, each being a separate step in advance: if we compare I with VII, II with VI, and III with V, we find the order to be marked byparallelism, viz. Sovereignty corresponding to Triumph, Trial to Vindication, and Threatening to Judgment, vision IV, that of Warfare, holding the balance between them: while if we regard the central vision in relation to the rest, we find the arrangement to be one ofclimax, vision IV forming the connecting link between I and VII, II and VI, and III and V, the visions preceding and following it forming an ascending and descending scale to and from the center, viz. that of Sovereignty leading through Warfare to Triumph, that of Trial through Warfare to Vindication, and that of Threatening through Warfare to Judgment. The movement of thought is thereby indicated to be from the throne challenged to the throne triumphant, from the church tried to the church vindicated, from the world threatened to the world judged, through a world-conflict which forms the acme of the dramatic purpose, and discloses the entire sweep of redemptive history as buttressed upon the eternal throne. The seven visions, according to this view, are not bound together by any temporal succession, but each displays a world-process complete in itself, and they are so arranged that the climax is reached at the center instead of the end, after the analogy of Hebrew poetry, the central vision furnishing the key to the interpretation of the whole.61The value of such an analytic interpretation, when sustained by the contents of the book, lies not alone in the help which it affords in penetrating the deeper purpose of the writer, and of the revelation made through him, but in the illuminative effect which, in a case like this, it throws upon the disputed question of unity; for if any such clearly marked and continuous current of thought can be shown to thread its way throughout the entire book, despite all by-currents and eddies, then the various theories of diverse or composite authorship cease to be credible except to pure theorists.

The elaborate and artistic Literary Structure of the Apocalypse, the numerical symmetry of its parts, the parallelism of its visions, and the recurrent climaxes in its development, together unite to give it a unique place among the writings of Scripture; and a clear perception of these relations becomes a distinct aid to the better understanding of its message, for these belong to it as the outer robes which enfold its inner thought. The predominance of the number seven in the arrangement of its subject-matter throughout, especially the recurrence of formal series of sevens in the Epistles, Seals, Trumpets, and Vials, has commonly led to the conclusion that the book is somehow capable of division into seven parts fundamental to its structure. And although the failure of commentators to agree generally upon any lines of division yet proposed scarcely seems to support this opinion, yet the possible correctness and the general helpfulness of such a division is fully recognized. Any such division which we may make, however, is chiefly one of analysis, for the visions are continuous and develop without any distinctive break of prophetic view. The outline analysis given above divides the Visions, or main portion of the book, into seven parts, the Episodes being made parenthetical and subordinate, as their contents and connection serve to indicate; while the four subdivisions of the Introduction and three of the Conclusion taken together, form another seven. This general division, which is not an uncommon one, agrees in the main, though not in statement or in full detail, with that in thePulpit Commentary,57and is one of[pg 050]the most natural as well as the most helpful in bringing out the chief thought of the book. The carefully wrought out and remarkably suggestive division and subdivision into complete series of sevens, given in theModern Reader's Bible,58after the same manner as the Prophecy of Ezekiel, and the Rhapsody of Joel, is worthy of attentive consideration, though it may well be doubted whether such an extensive subdivision found place in the Apocalyptist's thought.59With discriminative literary insight the author of that work says, concerning the general outline of the book,“The seven visions of St. John's Revelation seem in the line of their succession to trace the figure of an arch, the keystone of the arch being the master-thought of the prophecy;... On either side of it [in the arrangement of the visions] III is closely parallel with V, and II with VI ... while I and VII are separate from the rest.... As always, literary form is here pointing to the deepest spiritual meaning”. The theme of the central vision according to this view, is“Salvation: the Kingdom of this World becoming the Kingdom of Christ”, which puts the purpose of the Christian warfare to the front, and has much to commend it; for the warfare is in order that the redemptive purpose of God may become effective and triumphant. There are reasons, however, in the scheme of the book which seem to place the main emphasis upon the warfare itself as leading to salvation, and that view has been accepted in this work. Following the fertile suggestion given above, though with a somewhat different conception of the theme of the several visions, we arrive at the following outline of the thought and plan of the chief part of the book,60viz:—

[Transcriber's Note: In the book, the above table had the following text for each of the seven sections; they are laid out here to make it look correct with modern readers.]

IV—A Vision of Warfare—the Church-Historic World-Conflict of the Evil against the Just. (Ch. 12:1-14:20)

III—A Vision of Threatening—the World's Punishment Threatened. (Ch. 8:2-9:21, and 11:14-19)

V—A Vision of Judgment—the World's Judgment Executed. (Ch. 15:1-16:12, and 16:17-21)

II—A Vision of Trial—the Church's Trial Foreshown. (Ch. 6:1-17, and 8:1)

VI—A Vision of Vindication—the Church's Vindication Manifested. (Ch. 17:1-20:15)

I—A Vision of Sovereignty—the Throne during Conflict. (Ch. 4:1-5:14)

VII—A Vision of Triumph—the Throne after Victory. (Ch. 21:1-22:5)

If we follow the natural order of the visions from I to VII, we find it to be one ofprogression, viz. from Sovereignty to Trial, then to Threatening, and on through Warfare, Judgment, and Vindication to Triumph, each being a separate step in advance: if we compare I with VII, II with VI, and III with V, we find the order to be marked byparallelism, viz. Sovereignty corresponding to Triumph, Trial to Vindication, and Threatening to Judgment, vision IV, that of Warfare, holding the balance between them: while if we regard the central vision in relation to the rest, we find the arrangement to be one ofclimax, vision IV forming the connecting link between I and VII, II and VI, and III and V, the visions preceding and following it forming an ascending and descending scale to and from the center, viz. that of Sovereignty leading through Warfare to Triumph, that of Trial through Warfare to Vindication, and that of Threatening through Warfare to Judgment. The movement of thought is thereby indicated to be from the throne challenged to the throne triumphant, from the church tried to the church vindicated, from the world threatened to the world judged, through a world-conflict which forms the acme of the dramatic purpose, and discloses the entire sweep of redemptive history as buttressed upon the eternal throne. The seven visions, according to this view, are not bound together by any temporal succession, but each displays a world-process complete in itself, and they are so arranged that the climax is reached at the center instead of the end, after the analogy of Hebrew poetry, the central vision furnishing the key to the interpretation of the whole.61The value of such an analytic interpretation, when sustained by the contents of the book, lies not alone in the help which it affords in penetrating the deeper purpose of the writer, and of the revelation made through him, but in the illuminative effect which, in a case like this, it throws upon the disputed question of unity; for if any such clearly marked and continuous current of thought can be shown to thread its way throughout the entire book, despite all by-currents and eddies, then the various theories of diverse or composite authorship cease to be credible except to pure theorists.

15. The Literature.The Literature relating to this difficult book is very extensive, more works, strange to say, having been written on the Apocalypse which has been so imperfectly understood than upon any other part of Scripture, though many of them are now rightly regarded as of little value. A careful study of one or more of the leading authorities representing each of the current methods of interpretation will give a fair view of the whole field, and will serve to show that in many points there is essential agreement among all schools of thought, though for advanced work one's reading must necessarily cover a wider range, for the student should then know all the best that has been said upon the problems of the book. The most important qualification, however, for this difficult study is to approach the whole subject with an open mind and a fresh spirit of inquiry, resolved to be quite untrammelled by traditional interpretations, to investigate with scrupulous care the various points of view, and to apply with fearless courage all thewell-establishedresults of investigation, especially those of the later fruitful studies in Apocalyptic literature, which enable us to approach more nearly the viewpoint of the earliest readers of the book, but which yet remain to be duly correlated with our previous knowledge, being confidently assured that there is“light yet to break”for the earnest soul upon the deep things of the Apocalypse.It is not likely that any one commentary will prove entirely satisfactory to the thoughtful reader, owing to the wide variation of opinion upon many minor points among those holding the same general view. Milligan is very suggestive though not always convincing, for he is oftentimes too indefinite in interpretation to be satisfying to the reader, telling us that“no detail of historic events need be looked for”. His discussion of principles, however, is always illuminative, even when his application is not quite so clear; and not infrequently his work is of more value in showing the inconclusiveness of other views than in establishing his own. We are indebted to him, through the general circulation of his works, perhaps more than to any other writer, for the present prevalence of the symbolic view in the English speaking world, and hisLectures, and one or other of hisCommentaries, should be read by every student. Plummer, in thePulpit[pg 053]Commentary, will be found more satisfactory by the general reader, especially if he inclines to the symbolic interpretation, and there is, in fact, no better commentary for common use, though we may not agree with all his conclusions. To his wise and discriminative judgment the present author wishes to express a deep indebtedness. The short introduction to that volume, with its scholarly notes on manuscripts, versions, &c, will also be found very helpful to the busy student. Farrar, supporting the preterist view, gives the historical conditions of the Neronic period in a striking way, many of which are equally applicable to the whole latter part of the first century. Lee is especially valuable for the condensedrésuméof opinions concerning many obscure passages throughout the book, though the great diversity of views at times presented is apt to be confusing. Faussett is excellent from his point of view, ranking among the best premillennial interpreters. Seiss is also a popular authority with those who share the premillennial expectation, but his exegesis is often faulty, and his interpretation fanciful. Moulton'sModern Reader's Biblevol. John, is indispensable for its literary analysis and aid in gaining the general perspective, and should be in the library of every student. The Introduction to Revelation in theNew Century Bible, by C. A. Scott, gives an admirable and concise statement of the present status of opinion concerning the problems of the book, and the notes of the same volume are especially valuable for their references to Jewish Apocalyptic. This is the best small book for the use of the student who wishes to get an outline of the modern view concerning the incorporation of Jewish apocalypses. For those who are acquainted with the Greek text, Alford, Stuart, and Düsterdieck will be found quite helpful, even though they belong to a former generation, for each has a special excellency; but the late work of Swete, theApocalypse of St. John(1906), which is both thorough and scholarly, is indispensable for the critical use of the student in that it meets more fully the questions of modern inquiry and present discussion, and maintains a moderate view of the opinions now to the fore concerning the origin of the book. On the other hand Briggs'Messiah of the Gospels, and Moffatt'sHistorical New Testamentgive a good account of late theories of composite authorship and deserve attention. Also the able work of Moffatt on Revelation in the final volume of theExpositor's Greek Testament[pg 054]has been issued (1910), and deserves careful notice. The author adopts the modern critical view, that portions of the book have been incorporated from current apocalypses, and devotes considerable attention to source-criticism as an aid to interpretation, but too much time is given to pointing out what he regards as parallel thought in Greek, Roman, and Jewish writings, and this often has little interpretative value. The work is adapted to the ripe scholar rather than the earlier student, and though rejecting extreme views, it will not be found altogether satisfying to those of more conservative mind who believe that the Apocalypse is entitled to a primary rather than a secondary place among the books of Scripture. Another work awaited with much interest is the volume on Revelation in theInternational Critical Commentarywhich is in course of preparation by Charles, the eminent authority upon Apocalyptic.62This volume when issued will no doubt add much of value to the modern point of view, and serve to throw additional light upon the relations of Apocalyptic literature to this its greatest masterpiece. HisStudies in the Apocalypse(1913) serves to indicate the general line of interpretation to be expected, and it must be said that this is somewhat disappointing to the conservative reader, for it is highly critical. One naturally hesitates to disagree so widely with such an eminent scholar and distinguished apocalyptist as has been found necessary to do in the following pages; but it should be remembered that all Scripture is written for the world of men, and that the opinion of no one scholar or number of scholars can authoritatively determine the meaning of any part of it, but that rather the interpretation must be arrived at by a general consensus of opinion among men of learning and piety throughout the world. That this opinion, though now veering toward the critical view, will not be eventually sustained by more thorough research is the confirmed judgment of many scholars. But with it all there are many points of interpretation formerly in dispute that may now be regarded as already settled, their essential meaning in any case being substantially the same, and thus the book so long aglow with mysteries has virtually become every man's book in the light of intelligent interpretation.Finally, with special emphasis it should be said, that it is of prime importance for those who would understand[pg 055]the Apocalypse in its proper relations to Biblical thought, that a careful study should be made of the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah, Amos, Joel, and Habakkuk, together with the Book of Psalms, in connection with the Revelation, in order to catch the inner thought of the book; also of some portion of the Apocalyptic literature, particularly theBook of Enoch,63theApocalypse of Baruch, and theFourth Book of Ezra, for these will furnish the atmosphere of Jewish thought in which the Apocalypse was conceived, and will provide substantial aid in understanding the peculiarities of its literary form and the general spirit of the work, as well as in freeing the mind from the trammels of traditional interpretation. But, above all, we should not forget that the book of Revelation is a properly recognized part of canonical Scripture in practically the universal judgment of the entire Christian world, and that notwithstanding its many and persistent difficulties of interpretation, it is yet entitled to our earnest study and attentive thought as containing a living and abiding message from Almighty God, through his Son Jesus Christ our Lord to John the last of the apostles, and through him to the sin-burdened souls of men the world over.A few authorities are named below, which will be found sufficient to give most that is of value in interpretation for the general reader; others are referred to in the foot-notes. For a fuller list, especially of the older books, consult the Schaff-HerzogEncyclopaedia, or Smith'sDictionary of the Bible, art.“Revelation”; while for the later literature see Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible, and theEncyclopaedia Biblica.For the English Reader.Preterist View:—Farrar,Early Days of Christianity;Maurice,Lectures on the Apocalypse.Futurist View:—Faussett, inJamieson, Faussett, and Brown's Commentary.Seiss,Lectures on the Apocalypse.[pg 056]Progressivist View:—Wordsworth,Lectures on the Apocalypse;Barnes,Notes on the Book of Revelation.Symbolist View:—Milligan, inExpositor's Bible, and inPopular (International) Commentary;Plummer, inPulpit Commentary;Lee, inBible (Speakers') Commentary.For Critical Study.Preterist View:—Düsterdieck, inMeyer's Commentary;Stuart, inCommentary on the Apocalypse.Preterist View—Modern Critical:—Moffatt, inExpositor's Greek Testament;Swete,Apocalypse of St. John.Progressivist View—Modified Historical:—Simcox, inCambridge Greek Testament.Futurist View—Modified Historical:—Alford, inGreek Testament.For Recent Critical Views.Moffatt'sHistorical New Testament;Scott's“Revelation”, inNew Century Bible;Dean'sBook of Revelation;Alexander Ramsay's“Revelation and Johannine Epistles”, inWestminister New Test.;Briggs'Messiah of the Apostles;Barton, art.“The Apocalypse and Recent Criticism”, inAmer. Journ. of Theol., Apr. 1884;Porter, art.“Revelation”, in Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible;Bousset, art.“Apocalypse”, in theEncyclopaedia Biblica.Moffatt, art.“Wellhausen and Others on the Apocalypse”, in theExpositor, Mar. 1909;Charles,Studies in the Apocalypse;Charles,Revelation of St. John (I. C. C.);Beckwith,Apocalypse of John.[pg 057]For General Discussion.Fairbairn,On Prophecy;Bleek,Lectures on the Apocalypse;Vaughan,Lectures on the Revelation of St. John;Milligan,Lectures on the Apocalypse; andDiscussions on the Apocalypse;Scott,“Book of Revelation”, in thePractical Commentary;Stevens,Theology of the New Testament, Part VI;Ramsay,Letters to the Seven Churches;Introductions to the New Testamentby Salmon, Dods, Bacon, Jülicher, and others;Introductions to Revelationin the leadingCommentaries, and in theModern Reader's Bible, theNew Century Bible, theTemple Bible, and theModern American Bible; and the text of Revelation in theNew Translation of the New Testament, by Moffatt.[pg 058]The Text here given is that of theAmerican Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons, which is used by permission of the publishers.The arrangement of the text belongs to the present volume, and is offered as a contribution to the correct interpretation. This in itself is of the nature of a commentary, though no changes have been introduced into the body of the text. The paragraphs, however, have been changed, and many new paragraphs made, in order to emphasize the thought of the text.

The Literature relating to this difficult book is very extensive, more works, strange to say, having been written on the Apocalypse which has been so imperfectly understood than upon any other part of Scripture, though many of them are now rightly regarded as of little value. A careful study of one or more of the leading authorities representing each of the current methods of interpretation will give a fair view of the whole field, and will serve to show that in many points there is essential agreement among all schools of thought, though for advanced work one's reading must necessarily cover a wider range, for the student should then know all the best that has been said upon the problems of the book. The most important qualification, however, for this difficult study is to approach the whole subject with an open mind and a fresh spirit of inquiry, resolved to be quite untrammelled by traditional interpretations, to investigate with scrupulous care the various points of view, and to apply with fearless courage all thewell-establishedresults of investigation, especially those of the later fruitful studies in Apocalyptic literature, which enable us to approach more nearly the viewpoint of the earliest readers of the book, but which yet remain to be duly correlated with our previous knowledge, being confidently assured that there is“light yet to break”for the earnest soul upon the deep things of the Apocalypse.

It is not likely that any one commentary will prove entirely satisfactory to the thoughtful reader, owing to the wide variation of opinion upon many minor points among those holding the same general view. Milligan is very suggestive though not always convincing, for he is oftentimes too indefinite in interpretation to be satisfying to the reader, telling us that“no detail of historic events need be looked for”. His discussion of principles, however, is always illuminative, even when his application is not quite so clear; and not infrequently his work is of more value in showing the inconclusiveness of other views than in establishing his own. We are indebted to him, through the general circulation of his works, perhaps more than to any other writer, for the present prevalence of the symbolic view in the English speaking world, and hisLectures, and one or other of hisCommentaries, should be read by every student. Plummer, in thePulpit[pg 053]Commentary, will be found more satisfactory by the general reader, especially if he inclines to the symbolic interpretation, and there is, in fact, no better commentary for common use, though we may not agree with all his conclusions. To his wise and discriminative judgment the present author wishes to express a deep indebtedness. The short introduction to that volume, with its scholarly notes on manuscripts, versions, &c, will also be found very helpful to the busy student. Farrar, supporting the preterist view, gives the historical conditions of the Neronic period in a striking way, many of which are equally applicable to the whole latter part of the first century. Lee is especially valuable for the condensedrésuméof opinions concerning many obscure passages throughout the book, though the great diversity of views at times presented is apt to be confusing. Faussett is excellent from his point of view, ranking among the best premillennial interpreters. Seiss is also a popular authority with those who share the premillennial expectation, but his exegesis is often faulty, and his interpretation fanciful. Moulton'sModern Reader's Biblevol. John, is indispensable for its literary analysis and aid in gaining the general perspective, and should be in the library of every student. The Introduction to Revelation in theNew Century Bible, by C. A. Scott, gives an admirable and concise statement of the present status of opinion concerning the problems of the book, and the notes of the same volume are especially valuable for their references to Jewish Apocalyptic. This is the best small book for the use of the student who wishes to get an outline of the modern view concerning the incorporation of Jewish apocalypses. For those who are acquainted with the Greek text, Alford, Stuart, and Düsterdieck will be found quite helpful, even though they belong to a former generation, for each has a special excellency; but the late work of Swete, theApocalypse of St. John(1906), which is both thorough and scholarly, is indispensable for the critical use of the student in that it meets more fully the questions of modern inquiry and present discussion, and maintains a moderate view of the opinions now to the fore concerning the origin of the book. On the other hand Briggs'Messiah of the Gospels, and Moffatt'sHistorical New Testamentgive a good account of late theories of composite authorship and deserve attention. Also the able work of Moffatt on Revelation in the final volume of theExpositor's Greek Testament[pg 054]has been issued (1910), and deserves careful notice. The author adopts the modern critical view, that portions of the book have been incorporated from current apocalypses, and devotes considerable attention to source-criticism as an aid to interpretation, but too much time is given to pointing out what he regards as parallel thought in Greek, Roman, and Jewish writings, and this often has little interpretative value. The work is adapted to the ripe scholar rather than the earlier student, and though rejecting extreme views, it will not be found altogether satisfying to those of more conservative mind who believe that the Apocalypse is entitled to a primary rather than a secondary place among the books of Scripture. Another work awaited with much interest is the volume on Revelation in theInternational Critical Commentarywhich is in course of preparation by Charles, the eminent authority upon Apocalyptic.62This volume when issued will no doubt add much of value to the modern point of view, and serve to throw additional light upon the relations of Apocalyptic literature to this its greatest masterpiece. HisStudies in the Apocalypse(1913) serves to indicate the general line of interpretation to be expected, and it must be said that this is somewhat disappointing to the conservative reader, for it is highly critical. One naturally hesitates to disagree so widely with such an eminent scholar and distinguished apocalyptist as has been found necessary to do in the following pages; but it should be remembered that all Scripture is written for the world of men, and that the opinion of no one scholar or number of scholars can authoritatively determine the meaning of any part of it, but that rather the interpretation must be arrived at by a general consensus of opinion among men of learning and piety throughout the world. That this opinion, though now veering toward the critical view, will not be eventually sustained by more thorough research is the confirmed judgment of many scholars. But with it all there are many points of interpretation formerly in dispute that may now be regarded as already settled, their essential meaning in any case being substantially the same, and thus the book so long aglow with mysteries has virtually become every man's book in the light of intelligent interpretation.

Finally, with special emphasis it should be said, that it is of prime importance for those who would understand[pg 055]the Apocalypse in its proper relations to Biblical thought, that a careful study should be made of the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah, Amos, Joel, and Habakkuk, together with the Book of Psalms, in connection with the Revelation, in order to catch the inner thought of the book; also of some portion of the Apocalyptic literature, particularly theBook of Enoch,63theApocalypse of Baruch, and theFourth Book of Ezra, for these will furnish the atmosphere of Jewish thought in which the Apocalypse was conceived, and will provide substantial aid in understanding the peculiarities of its literary form and the general spirit of the work, as well as in freeing the mind from the trammels of traditional interpretation. But, above all, we should not forget that the book of Revelation is a properly recognized part of canonical Scripture in practically the universal judgment of the entire Christian world, and that notwithstanding its many and persistent difficulties of interpretation, it is yet entitled to our earnest study and attentive thought as containing a living and abiding message from Almighty God, through his Son Jesus Christ our Lord to John the last of the apostles, and through him to the sin-burdened souls of men the world over.

A few authorities are named below, which will be found sufficient to give most that is of value in interpretation for the general reader; others are referred to in the foot-notes. For a fuller list, especially of the older books, consult the Schaff-HerzogEncyclopaedia, or Smith'sDictionary of the Bible, art.“Revelation”; while for the later literature see Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible, and theEncyclopaedia Biblica.

For the English Reader.

Preterist View:—

Farrar,Early Days of Christianity;Maurice,Lectures on the Apocalypse.

Farrar,Early Days of Christianity;

Maurice,Lectures on the Apocalypse.

Futurist View:—

Faussett, inJamieson, Faussett, and Brown's Commentary.Seiss,Lectures on the Apocalypse.

Faussett, inJamieson, Faussett, and Brown's Commentary.

Seiss,Lectures on the Apocalypse.

Progressivist View:—

Wordsworth,Lectures on the Apocalypse;Barnes,Notes on the Book of Revelation.

Wordsworth,Lectures on the Apocalypse;

Barnes,Notes on the Book of Revelation.

Symbolist View:—

Milligan, inExpositor's Bible, and inPopular (International) Commentary;Plummer, inPulpit Commentary;Lee, inBible (Speakers') Commentary.

Milligan, inExpositor's Bible, and inPopular (International) Commentary;

Plummer, inPulpit Commentary;

Lee, inBible (Speakers') Commentary.

For Critical Study.

Preterist View:—

Düsterdieck, inMeyer's Commentary;Stuart, inCommentary on the Apocalypse.

Düsterdieck, inMeyer's Commentary;

Stuart, inCommentary on the Apocalypse.

Preterist View—Modern Critical:—

Moffatt, inExpositor's Greek Testament;Swete,Apocalypse of St. John.

Moffatt, inExpositor's Greek Testament;

Swete,Apocalypse of St. John.

Progressivist View—Modified Historical:—

Simcox, inCambridge Greek Testament.

Futurist View—Modified Historical:—

Alford, inGreek Testament.

For Recent Critical Views.

Moffatt'sHistorical New Testament;

Scott's“Revelation”, inNew Century Bible;

Dean'sBook of Revelation;

Alexander Ramsay's“Revelation and Johannine Epistles”, inWestminister New Test.;

Briggs'Messiah of the Apostles;

Barton, art.“The Apocalypse and Recent Criticism”, inAmer. Journ. of Theol., Apr. 1884;

Porter, art.“Revelation”, in Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible;

Bousset, art.“Apocalypse”, in theEncyclopaedia Biblica.

Moffatt, art.“Wellhausen and Others on the Apocalypse”, in theExpositor, Mar. 1909;

Charles,Studies in the Apocalypse;

Charles,Revelation of St. John (I. C. C.);

Beckwith,Apocalypse of John.

For General Discussion.

Fairbairn,On Prophecy;

Bleek,Lectures on the Apocalypse;

Vaughan,Lectures on the Revelation of St. John;

Milligan,Lectures on the Apocalypse; andDiscussions on the Apocalypse;

Scott,“Book of Revelation”, in thePractical Commentary;

Stevens,Theology of the New Testament, Part VI;

Ramsay,Letters to the Seven Churches;

Introductions to the New Testamentby Salmon, Dods, Bacon, Jülicher, and others;

Introductions to Revelationin the leadingCommentaries, and in theModern Reader's Bible, theNew Century Bible, theTemple Bible, and theModern American Bible; and the text of Revelation in theNew Translation of the New Testament, by Moffatt.

The arrangement of the text belongs to the present volume, and is offered as a contribution to the correct interpretation. This in itself is of the nature of a commentary, though no changes have been introduced into the body of the text. The paragraphs, however, have been changed, and many new paragraphs made, in order to emphasize the thought of the text.

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