The Revelation to John
Best known parts:
The Eschatological Woes
Portrayed 3 Times: in Cycles of 7 Plagues
• 7 Seals (Rev 6)
• 7 Trumpets (Rev 89; 11.15-19)
• 7 Bowls (Rev 1516)
The Cloisters
Apocalypse
The Left Behind Parts of Revelation
•Visions of God’s Glory
•The Worship of God in Hymns
as Creator
as Redeemer
as Ruler of All
•The Hope for a Better World in
which God Rules over all
Subtext:
Revelation: Beloved by Artists and Musicians
Revelation: the Most Illustrated
Book of the Bible
Artistic Representations of Revelation:
To Remember
The Cloisters Apocalypse (ca.132030)
The Flemish Apocalypse (ca. 14001425)
Jan van Eijk, Altarpiece St. Bavo
Cathedral , Ghent ca. 1432
Albrecht Dürer, Apocalypse (1511)
William Blake (1757-1827)
Robert Roberg (b. 1943): The River of
the Water of Life
Two Central Themes
•The Kingdom (Rule) of God
at the Present Time (Rev 4)
at the Eschaton (Rev 21-22)
•The Two Advents of Christ
as Jesus: the Suffering Lamb (Rev 5)
as Triumphant Warrior who reigns
in the Eschaton (Rev 19-22)
The Hymns of Revelation
*Revelation 4.8,11: Holy Holy, Holy
*Revelation 5.9-13: Worthy is the Lamb
Revelation 7.11-17
*Revelation 11.15-18: He will reign for ever and ever
Revelation 12.10-12
(Revelation 14:13: Who from their labors rest)
Revelation 15.3-4
Revelation 16.5-7
*Revelation 19.1-8 Hallelujah!
(Revelation 19:16: King of Kings
and Lord of Lords)
(Revelation 21.3-4--poetry)
Outline of the Revelation to John
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction: John’s Vision
7 Letters to 7 Churches
The Kingdom of God in Heaven
7 Seals: 7 Plagues
7 Trumpets: 7 Plagues
Rev 10-14:
Interlude: Christians in the Present
Rev 15-16:
7 Bowls: 7 Plagues
Rev 17-19.10:
Lady Babylon
*Rev 19.11-20.5: Christ’s Second Coming; the
Millennium; Final Defeat of Satan
*Rev 21-22.5:
Lady Jerusalem-- Kingdom of God:
Rev 1:
Rev 2-3:
*Rev 4-5:
Rev 6-9:
over ALL: new heaven and new earth
• Rev 22.6-21:
Conclusion
The Revelation to John:
Part I: Revelation 1-11
Albrecht Dürer, 1511
The Four Horsemen of Rev 6
Revelation 1: John on Patmos
• Revelation 1.9: “I John, your
brother, who share with you
in Jesus the persecution and
the kingdom and the patient
endurance was on the island
called Patmos because of
the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus.”
Vision of the exalted Christ
Revelation 1.12-20
• John Sees the Son of
Man amidst 7
Golden Lampstands
• Christ addresses the
7 churches of
Western Turkey
• Description echoes
Old Testament texts:
Dan 7.13; 10.5-9
Bamberg Apocalypse, ca. 1000
I AM: Christ as Alpha and Omega
Revelation 1:17 [John tells of his vision of the glorified Christ]
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he
placed his right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid;
I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead,
and see, I am alive for ever and ever; and I have the keys of
Death and of Hades.”
Revelation 22:12-13 [Christ speaks]: “‘See, I am coming soon;
my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.’
The Central Vision
Revelation 4-5
God and the Lamb
Revelation 4
John is Snatched up to
Heaven to see God’s
Heavenly Throne Room
A Vision of the Kingship =
Kingdom of God
God is Worshipped by 24
elders and countless
throngs of angels
The Cloisters Apocalypse, 1320-30
God’s Kingdom celebrated in Hymn #1: Rev 4.8 &11
7 Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living
creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. . . 8 And the four living
creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and
inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy,
the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.’
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks
to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated
on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and
ever; they **cast their crowns** before the throne, singing,
11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’
Old Testament Background of
Hymn . . .
Isaiah 6:2-3: “In the Year that Uzziah died, I saw the
Lord sitting on a throne. . and the hem of his throne
filled the temple.. Seraphs were in attendance above
him … And one called to another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory”
. . . And Later Echoes:
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God
Almighty! [Rev 4:8: Isa 6:3]
Early in the morning our song
shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and
mighty!
God in three Persons,
blessèd Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints
adore Thee,
Casting down their golden
crowns around the glassy
sea; [Rev 4:10]
Cherubim and seraphim falling
down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and
evermore shall be. [Rev
4:8]
The Episcopal Hymnal 362
(Recasts Rev 4 and Isaiah 6)
Holy, holy, holy! though the
darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is
none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and
purity.
William Blake
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God
Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy
Name, in earth, and sky,
and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and
mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd
Trinity!
The Two Advents of Christ
First Coming:
Christ as Lamb of God
His Sacrificial Death
Revelation 5
Second Coming
Christ Comes for Final
Defeat of Evil
And to Establish the
Kingdom of God
Revelation 19:11-22:5
Revelation 5: The Lion of Judah Appears
before God as a Lamb and Receives Worship
• He Is Worthy to Open the
Scroll = the
Eschatological Plan of
God
• Sacrificial Death of Christ
as Initial Victory over
Satan
• Revelation 5: A Key to
the Action of the Book
The Cloisters Apocalypse, 1320-30
FIRST VICTORY OF LAMB CELEBRATED IN HYMN #2:
REVELATION 5: 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many
angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the
elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of
thousands, 12 singing with full voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honour and glory and blessing!’
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under
the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might
for ever and ever!’
14 And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell
down and worshipped.
HANDEL’s MESSIAH
#2 “Worthy is the lamb that was slain,
and hath redeemed us to God by his blood,
to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength,
and honour, and glory, and blessing.”
#3 “Blessing and honour, glory and power
be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. (Rev
5:12-13)
“Amen” (Chorus) "And the four living
creatures said 'Amen!"
The Adoration of the Lamb
Jan van Eijk, Altarpiece St. Bavo Cathedral , Ghent ca. 1432
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.
Episcopal
Hymnal 439
Wondrous Love
Reflects
Rev 5 and
Rev 1.17; 22:13
REVELATION 5 and The Rest of Revelation
The Sacrifical Death of Christ Begins the Final Events
•Battle between Good and Evil begins in Earnest:
Cross as Preliminary Victory (Rev 5)
•Eschatological Woes:
Plagues on Earth (Rev 6-9; 15-16)
•Battles: Michael and Satan (Rev 12);
Lamb and followers vrs. the Beast (Rev 13-14)
******
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST (Rev 19): Completes the
Final Events
•Final Defeat of Satan
•Resurrection and Judgment of All People
•The New Jerusalem/ the Lake of Fire
Revelation: Part II
Revelation 12-22: The Last Battle
Victory of Good over Evil
The Cosmic Battle
Saint Michael Battles Against Satan
• Revelation 12
• Michael = the Chief of
the 7 Archangels
• He Throws Satan=the
Dragon out of Heaven
Cloisters Apocalypse, 1320-30
Satan Attacks the Woman
Revelation 12.1-6:
The Woman Clothed
with the Sun = Mother
of the Messiah
Revelation 12:13-17
Excluded from Heaven
Satan Works Mischief
on Earth
Attacking the Woman
clothed with the Sun a
with a Flood of Water
Cloisters Apocalypse, 1320-30
Revelation 13
The Beast from the Sea
The Roman Emperor as Agent of Satan
Completion of God’s Plan
for Salvation and Judgment
Revelation 19:11-22:5
Second Coming of Christ
As Rider on a White Horse
Final Defeat of Evil and Death
Resurrection of the Dead
The Last Judgment
The Kingdom of God =
the New Jerusalem
The Flemish Apocalypse (ca. 1400-1425)
The Second Coming of Christ
REVELATION 19:11-16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there
was a white horse! Its rider is called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are
like a flame of fire, and on his head are
many diadems; and he has a name
inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and
his name is called The Word of God. . . . 15
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations, and he will
rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the
wine press of the fury of the wrath of God
the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh
he has a name inscribed, **‘King of kings
and Lord of lords’.**
FINAL VICTORY OF CHRIST
CELEBRATED IN HYMNS #3 AND #4
Hymn #3: Revelation 11:15-16
Hymn #4: Revelation 19:1-8
Elders Singing
Cathedral Door
Hymn #3 Revelation 11:15-16
ANTICIPATES THE FINAL VICTORY OF REVELATION 19
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices
in heaven, saying,
‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of
our Lord and of his Messiah [Christ]
and he will reign for ever and ever.’
16 Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on
their faces and worshipped God, 17 singing,
‘We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty,
who are and who were,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.’
Hymn #4: Revelation 19:1-7
1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,
saying,
‘Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power to our God,
2 for his judgements are true and just;
he has judged the great whore
who corrupted the earth with her fornication,
and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’. . .
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped
God who is seated on the throne, saying,
‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ . . .
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of
many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come.
Handel’s Chorus
Combines verses from three parts of Revelation
Revelation 19:6 (a Hymn); 11:15 (a Hymn);
19:16 (Description of Christ at his Second Coming)
Hallelujah! [Rev 19:6]
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
The kingdom of this world is become [Rev 11:15]
the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever.
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. [19:16]
Forever and ever. Hallelujah!
The Saints take Part in the
Victory of Christ
Message of Revelation:
Christians are called to
Faithful Witness to Christ
And to Follow him in Suffering
Revelation 14:13: ”And I heard a voice
from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed
are the dead who from now on die in the
Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest
from their labours, for their deeds follow
them.’”
Albrecht Dürer, 1511
The Lamb on Mount Zion
With the Faithful Christians
For All the Saints
Episcopal Hymnal 287
Combines several texts from Revelation
Alludes to Revelation 14:13; 19:1-8; 2:10-11; 21:21
For all the saints, who from their labors rest (Rev 14:13)
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia! (Rev 19:1-8)
REVELATION 14:1, 12- 13 (compareRev 6:9-11)
1 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion!
And with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand who had
his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads . . .
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep
the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed
are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the
Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labours, for their deeds follow
them.’
For All the Saints, Stanza 2
O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
(Rev 2:10-11)
Alleluia, Alleluia!
REVELATION 2:10-11
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware,
the devil is about to throw some of you into prison
so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will
have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give
you the crown of life. 11 Let anyone who has an
ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed
by the second death.
For All the Saints, Stanza 3
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
REVELATION 21:22-23 THE
NEW JERUSALEM
Light
22 I saw no temple in the city,
for its temple is the Lord God
the Almighty and the Lamb. 23
And the city has no need of sun
or moon to shine on it, for the
glory of God is its light, and
its lamp is the Lamb.
Jerusalem
Light
Hildesheim
Germany
Jerusalem Light
Cathedral, Aachen
For All the Saints, Stanza 4
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song, (Rev 19:1-8)
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
REVELATION 19:6
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like
the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals,
crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
For All the Saints, Stanza 5
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
(Rev 21:21)
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia! (Rev 19:6)
REVELATION 21: THE NEW
JERUSALEM
19 The foundations of the wall of the
city are adorned with every precious
stone . . . 21 And the twelve gates
are twelve pearls, each of the gates
is a single pearl, and the street of the
city is pure gold, transparent as
glass.. . .
The Flemish Apocalypse (ca. 1400-1425)
For all the saints, who from their labors rest (Rev 14:13)
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia! (Rev 19:1-8)
O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold. (Rev 2:10-11) Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song, (Rev 19:1-8)
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong. Alleluia!
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
(Rev 21:21)
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia! (Rev 19:6)
Revelation 21-22: The New Jerusalem
The Establishment of the Kingdom/ Kingship
of God: A Perfect State of Affairs
• “And I Saw the holy city,
the new Jerusalem coming
down From Heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband.” [Rev
21:1]
• Relates to Rev 4: Worship
of God in Heaven
• Compare The Lord’s
Prayer:“Thy Kingdom
Come, on earth (Rev 2122) as it is in Heaven (Rev
4-5).”
Cloisters Apocalypse
The New Jerusalem: The Navarre Beatus, 12th Century
Revelation 21:16 The city lies foursquare,
its length the same as its width. . . .
The New Jerusalem: Zion, City of our God
Episcopal Hymnbook 522
Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.
The Flemish Apocalypse (ca. 1400-1425)
Glorious Things of Thee
are Spoken. Stanza 2
See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.
The river of the water of life, Robert
Roberg
1991-95
Revelation 22
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing
from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city.
On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its
fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. . . . the
throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will
see his face. . . 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for
the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.
William Blake: Jerusalem
from “A Preface to Milton” (ca. 1804)
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
Sources of Blake’s Poem “Jerusalem”
Revelation 5:6-13; 19:11-16; 21:1-4, (apocryphal story of Jesus); 2 Kings 2:11
The text of the poem was inspired by an apocryphal story that
Jesus, while still a young man, accompanied by Joseph of
Arimathea, came to the English town of Glastonbury. This is
linked with an idea from the Book of Revelation that describes
a Second Coming in which Jesus establishes a new Jerusalem.
The Christian Church in general, and the English Church in
particular, often used Jerusalem as a metaphor for heaven. It is
a place where love is universal and all is well in contrast to the
'dark satanic mills'. The term "dark satanic mills", which
entered the English language from this poem, is most often
interpreted as referring to the early industrial revolution and its
destruction of nature.
Interpretation of Blake’s “Jerusalem”
Blake had a strong interest in social and political reform. Often he
cloaked his social idealism and political statements in Protestant mystical
allegory. This poem expresses his desire for radical change without overt
sedition. It is followed in the preface by a quotation from Numbers ch.
11, v. 29: “Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets.” Some
of Blake's biographers have concluded that he believed in the legend of a
visit of Jesus to England, but he may not have intended such a literal
interpretation. Instead the poem may say that that there may, or may not,
have been a divine visit when there was briefly heaven in England, but
that was then; now we should accept the challenge to create such a
country once more. It has thus inspired soldiers and anyone else with a
social conscience.
This interpretation of Revelation 21-22 has something in common with
post-millennialist interpretation (found for example in early days of
America), the belief that humans must build a New Jerusalem before
Christ would return.
William Blake/ Jerusalem
Set to Music by Charles Parry
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
The Lord’s Prayer
Thy Kingdom Come, on earth (Rev 21-22)
as it is in Heaven (Rev 4-5).
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.”