Page 177 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Student Textbook

Isaiah 25:8
“He will swallow up death forever; the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the
reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 65:19
“I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of
weeping and the cry of distress.”

As you can see, without the OT the meaning of these passages can be understood in general, but the
richness of the culture and history of Israel seeking her Messiah would be missing. The symbolism of
Babylon of old being crushed as evidence that God will crush the Babylon of the Jewish world in John’s
time and the ultimate Babylon of the antichrist would be missed. The proof of future victory over the
Great Babylon was the victory of God over the last Babylon, and the one present (Rome) during the
letters writing. There is never a problem in scripture with a prophecy having multiple fulfillments. The
smaller one showcases the truth of its ultimate fulfillment. Isaiah refers to a woman in the courtroom
and says this child shall be called God with us and will be a sign. Matthew then picks up that language
and applies it to Christ stating that ultimately the prophecy is fulfilled in Christ, God with us. The
prophecy was literally fulfilled as it was stated and then ultimately fulfilled by Christ. Revelation then
takes it a step further saying that God will physically dwell among His people in the future kingdom and
eternal state. Looking for quotations and citations of the OT will significantly enhance your
understanding of aspects of Revelation. As Ranko Stefanskovic says in his commentary on Revelation,

“The prophecies of Revelation are especially built on the greatest and key events from
sacred history: the creation, the flood, the exodus, God’s covenant with David and the
exile to Babylon. These events are intended to build the readers faith on the grounds
that God’s acts of salvation in the future will be very much like God’s acts of salvation in
the past.” 210

Possible Old Testament thematic echoes in Revelation:

It is also possible that there are what I will refer to as thematic echoes. Similar terminology is used by
others such as Beale and Paulien. 211 An “echo” is a conceptual reference that is not a quote, citation, or
an allusion with a specific word. In current thought an example of a potential echo would be the temple
motif. In this motif the temple structure is seen in throughout Scripture. There is an outer court, an
inner court, and the Holy of Holies where God dwells. In the Garden of Eden there is the outside world,
the garden itself and then the center of the garden where God dwelt is seen as a foreshadowing of the
heavenly temple. Then an earthly temple is built that resembles the heavenly temple. In this temple God
dwells with His people. There is an outer court, inner court and a Holy of Holies where God dwells. In
Revelation this terminology is offered as a continuing theme. The New Jerusalem is a city with an
outside area. The nations can come to God and worship in the city. There is also a Holy of Holies where
God dwells in the city. It is interesting that the Holy of Holies is a cube in Exodus 38:9-20, the new

210 Ranko Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Berrien Springs: Andrews
University Press, 2002), 19.
211 de Waal, K. (2013). Principles and criteria for the use of the Old Testament in the book of Revelation. Journal of
Asia Adventist Seminary, 16(1), 69-85.
https://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=theo_papers

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