Page 171 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

7). It is even possible it is a combination of the two genres. 220 Some have even said that it is prophecy in
which apocalyptic imagery is utilized. Those who affirm it as prophecy often see it as both future to John
at the time of writing and future to us currently. The early Church (AD 100-300), for example,
overwhelmingly viewed Revelation as the future - which would be after the writing of John. They called
this view, and many other related aspects, Chiliasm. Others hold the view that it is apocalyptic and was,
therefore, a veiled addressing of how Heaven and Earth would be brought together in Messiah. They
view it as a veiled message about the destruction of Rome and Caesar. Depending on your view of the
writing of Revelation, the Roman emperor was either Nero (AD 54-68), Galba (AD 68-69), Otho (part of
AD 69), Aulus Vitellius (also part of AD 69), Vespasian (AD 69-79), Titus (AD 79-81), or Domitian (AD 81-
96). Some view the book as a sequential laying out of events, while others view it as cyclical. Some view
it as purely spiritual, and others idealist. Rather than falling into the trap of assuming it must be
understood one way exclusively, it seems best to affirm that it is clearly prophetic and regularly utilizes
apocalyptic imagery.

Different types of Old Testament usage in Revelation as background:

There are multiple types of Old Testament usage in the book of Revelation. Some have pointed to
anywhere from 400 to over 500 instances of Old Testament usage in Revelation. Trying to understand
Revelation without understanding those references is difficult; it may be said to be like trying to
understand wedding customs in Southern Africa without any culture or history. You will understand
there is a wedding happening. You will be unlikely to understand the symbolism and imagery without
knowing the cultural background. In what follows, we will summarize four ways in which the Old
Testament is used in Revelation. This list is not exhaustive. It could be expanded upon both in detail and
scope. The goal is to help you categorize how the Old Testament is being used as you read Revelation.
OT allusions in Revelation:

Some usages of the Old Testament (hereafter “OT”) in Revelation may be understood as allusions. An
allusion is a figure of speech that references an event, individual, thing, or location. In this case, we are
focusing on an event, individual, thing or location in the Old Testament that is referenced in Revelation.
An example of this would be the throne room of Heaven in Revelation 4-5. In Isaiah 6, Yahweh is
described as seated on the throne in Heaven. Another example of an OT allusion is the locust swarm in
Revelation 9:7-11. In Egypt, locusts were a plague of judgment from God. In Joel 1, they represented
God’s judgment in an invading army before the ultimate Day of the Lord (1:4 and 1:15). It is also
understood as a form of judgment in 2 Chronicles 7:13-15. It is also a picture of being devoured (Nahum
3:15). Sometimes the focus of the locust reference is the scale of the judgment. In certain cases in
Scripture, it refers to large numbers as being “like locusts” or “like the locusts.”

Many other examples of allusions are found in Revelation. Gog and Magog are referenced in 20:9, which
is an allusion to Ezekiel 38:2. The river of life and the healing trees are mentioned in Revelation 22:1-3
and are an allusion to Ezekiel 47:1-12. Isaiah 11:1 and 11:10 promised a branch from the root of Jesse.
Revelation names Jesus as that branch/root in Revelation 5:5 and Revelation 22:16. The New Jerusalem
promised in Isaiah 65:18 is prophesied in Revelation 3:12 and 21:1-2. This city is the same New
Jerusalem the author of Hebrews kept encouraging his listeners to seek (Hebrews 11:9, 11:16, 12:22,
and 13:14).

220 Ibid., 427.

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