Several years ago, while an undergraduate student at BYU, I took a New Testament class from Dr. Steven Robinson. Dr. Robinson was a doctor of biblical studies who had worked with the Dead Sea Scrolls, led religion departments at two Christian universities and was a widely read author with many publications.
One particular class was titled, "Apocalyptic Revelation, Jewish Symbolism and the Revelation of St. John the Divine." What follows are my notes from that class on the final book of the New Testament.
First, the Revelation of St. John the Divine is like a play. Whether played out on Broadway, in community theatre, or at the local high school, a play does not change. The actors may change, but the characters do not, nor do the events of the play.
In a similar fashion, many of the same events occur in each dispensation. For example, Revelation 11:8, speaking of a prophecy that refers to two prophets lying dead in the street, reads, "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." Sodom, Egypt and Jerusalem have a very striking similarity: Each was the Babylon of its dispensation. In theatrical terms, these three cities were the actors that played the role of "Babylon" in the play.
The important point to understand is that the events described in Revelation don't necessarily refer to one particular event, but rather describe a recurring cycle that plays itself out in each dispensation.
Viewed from this perspective, we can see additional characters in our play include Zion, the woman, the deliverer, the whore, and others. As with Babylon, each of these and the other characters is played by a different actor in each dispensation-- Zion, as a second example, has been the cities of Enoch, Jerusalem, and Independence. The actors are new, but the story is still much the same in each dispensation.
John writes by way of introduction in Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." We might say, "The time is now," or, "Hey, Stupid, this is what is happening right now all around you." This, along with the apocalyptic nature of the revelation described, suggest there is much more symbolic than concrete, and present than future being explained.
John writes by way of introduction in Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." We might say, "The time is now," or, "Hey, Stupid, this is what is happening right now all around you." This, along with the apocalyptic nature of the revelation described, suggest there is much more symbolic than concrete, and present than future being explained.
For a final example of the grand play, Revelation 11 contains the prophecy of the two prophets that will die in the streets and rise after 3 1/2 days. But pay close attention to how these prophets are described in Revelation 11:6, "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." Sound familiar? Keeping the Jewish context in mind, didn't Elijah have power to shut heaven so it didn't rain? Didn't Moses turn water to blood and smite the earth with numerous plagues?
Interestingly, Moses and Elijah often appear together, most often symbolizing the Aaronic and Mechizedek priesthoods, respectively. In addition, 3 1/2 is a symbolic number that represents a time when Satan has power to reign on Earth. Using these symbols, we could also read that the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods will die, leaving a period of time when the devil will rule.
If you need a smack on the forehead here, this sounds a lot like an apostasy. And, as the two prophets rise after 3 1/2 days, each apostasy ends with the return of priesthood keys and authority to the earth. In a final return to the theatre analogy, though the story is often the same, there have been repeated apostasies and restorations throughout time-- none exactly the same, but always very similar.
If you need a smack on the forehead here, this sounds a lot like an apostasy. And, as the two prophets rise after 3 1/2 days, each apostasy ends with the return of priesthood keys and authority to the earth. In a final return to the theatre analogy, though the story is often the same, there have been repeated apostasies and restorations throughout time-- none exactly the same, but always very similar.
Here's a few other notes on Hebraic symbolism-- freebies, if you will. I'll try to keep this part brief, but I'm interested to hear what anyone thinks about the book Joseph Smith once called the easiest to understand.
Eyes = Wisdom
Horns = Power
Wings = Mobility
12 = Priesthood or Power
24 = 2 x 12, or two powerful beings/persons (Revelation 4:4, 11:16)
144,000 = 12 x 12 x 12 a whole lot of times…. A lot of people, God’s elect
7 = Perfection
6 = Satan, Imperfection
666 = Antichrist-- almost but not 7
40 = Purification/Preparation (How many people spent 40 days in the wilderness....)
3 ½ = A time when Satan is in charge, his reign
Horns = Power
Wings = Mobility
12 = Priesthood or Power
24 = 2 x 12, or two powerful beings/persons (Revelation 4:4, 11:16)
144,000 = 12 x 12 x 12 a whole lot of times…. A lot of people, God’s elect
7 = Perfection
6 = Satan, Imperfection
666 = Antichrist-- almost but not 7
40 = Purification/Preparation (How many people spent 40 days in the wilderness....)
3 ½ = A time when Satan is in charge, his reign