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The Revelation to John: Structure¹

Introduction
1:1-8
1. 1:1-3 John’s Preface and the 1st Beatitude (reading and hearing this book
2. 1:4-8 John greets the Seven Churches in Asia – Voice of the Lord God
Opening Vision
1:9-3:22
1. 1:9-20 I John (in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day) – Vision of One Like a Son of Man
2. 2:1-3:22 The Seven Letters, to Ephesus – Smyrna – Pergamum – Thyatira – Sardis – Philadelphia – Laodicea
1st Throne Vision
4:1-7:8
1. ²4:1-11 The One Sitting on the Throne and the 24 Elders
2. 5:1-14 The Lamb
3. 6:1-8 The first four Seals: the Four Horsemen
4. 6:9-11 The fifth Seal: the souls of Martyrs
5. 6:12-17 The sixth seal: signs of heaven, doom on earth
6. 7:1-8 Heavenly Interlude on earth: sealing of the 144,000 Servants of the Lord
2nd Throne Vision
7:9-11:14
1. 7:9-12 Song of Those who Came Through; the Angels’ Song of Praise
2. 7:131-17 Those in White Robes, explanation by one of the Elders
3. 8:1 Opening the seventh Seal – Silence in heaven
4. 8:2-5 The angel with the golden censer, the prayers of the saints
5. 8:6-12 The first four Trumpets
6. 8:13 Heavenly Interlude : the Eagle in Midheaven
7. 9:1-12 The fifth Trumpet, being the first Woe
8. 9:13-21 The sixth Trumpet, being the second Woe
9. 10:1-11 Heavenly Interlude: the Strong Angel with the Book for the Seer (The seven Thunders)
10. 11:1-14 The two Witnesses. Announcing the third Woe
3rd Throne Vision
11:15-13:18
[The seven visions of the Dragon]
1. 11:15-19 The seventh Trumpet: Hymn in heaven, the Elders giving thanks
2. 12:1-6 First vision of the Dragon: The Cosmic Woman and the Birth of her Son
3. 12:7-9 2nd Vision: Michael battling the Dragon
4. 12:10-12 3rd Vision: Hymn of Victory in heaven
5. 12:13-18 4th Vision: The Dragon battling on earth
6. 13:1-10 5th Vision: The first Beast
7. 13:1-14 6th Vision: The second Beast
8. 13:15-18 7th Vision: The Mark of the Beast – the Number 666
4th Throne Vision
14:1-20
[The seven visions of the Son of Man]
1. 14:1-5 The Lamb on Mount Zion with the 144.000
2. 14:6-7 The first Angel: the Eternal Gospel
3. 14:8 The second Angel, announcing Judgment on Babylon
4. 14:9-12 The third Angel, announcing Judgment on those who follow the Beast
5. 14:13 2nd Beatitude (Those who die in the Lord)
6. 14:14-16 The Son of Man reaping the earth with his sharp sickle
7. 14:17-20 The Angel with the Sickle and the Angel with Power over Fire
5th Throne Vision
15:1-16:16
[The seven angels with their bowls]
1. 15:1-5 The Sea of Glass and the Song of Praise of those Who Conquered
2. 15:6-8 The seven angels receive the seven golden Bowls
3. 16:1-11 The first five Bowls of Wrath poured out
4. 16:12-14 The sixth Bowl of Wrath poured out
5. 16:15 3rd Beatitude (Warning to be awake and to keep one’s garments)
6. 16:16 Assemblage at Armageddon
Interlude
16:17-18:24
[The seventh Bowl and the seven visions of doom]
1. 16:17-21 The seventh Bowl of Wrath poured out
2. 17:1-6 The World Harlot of Power
3. 17:7-18 The Angel interpreting her Appearance
4. 18:1-3 Woe on Babylon
5. 18:4-8 Another Angel warning the Believers
6. 18:9-20 Lament of Kings, Merchants and Seafarers
7. 18:21-24 The Angel with the Millstone, symbol of destruction
6th Throne Vision
19:1-20:15
[Seven Stages of Trial by Triumph and Judgement]
1. 19:1-10 “Hallelujah” after Babylon’s Fall – 4th Beatitude (Those called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
2. 19:11-16 The White Horseman triumphant
3. 19:17-21 Triumph over the Beast and its Vassals
4. 20:1-3 The Dragon chained
5. 20:4-6 The Thousand Years – 5th Beatitude (The First Resurrection)
6. 20:7-10 Satan’s Last Struggle and his Defeat
7. 20:11-15 The Last Judgment
Final Vision
21:1-22:7
[New Jerusalem]
1. 21:1-4 A New Heaven and New Earth
2. 21:5-8 God’s Promise
3. 21:9-17 The Heavenly City, Lay-out and Measurements
4. 21:18-21 The City’s Fundament, the twelve jewels and twelve gates
5. 21:22-27 The Residents of the City
6. 22:1-5 The River of the Water of Life and the Tree of Life
7. 22:6-7 Christ’s Coming – 6th Beatitude (To keep the words of this book)
Conclusion
22:8-21
1. 22:8-9 I John (affirming) – the Angel
2. 22:10-12 Voice of the Lord … “I am coming soon” – “Recompense”
3. 22:13 Voice of the Lord God
4. 22:14-15 7th Beatitude (Those with washed robes – Tree of Life and City)
5. 22:16-17 I Jesus – Voice of the Lord : “I have sent” – “Come”
6. 22:18-19 The Seer on the words of this prophecy
7. 22:20-21 Voice of the Lord : “Surely I am coming soon” – Prayer and Blessing

Here following Christoph Rau, in his article on the Structure of the Revelation to John, in Ich sah den Himmel aufgetan, pp 37-52 (ed. Johannes Lauten), Urachhaus, Stuttgart 2006.
“After this” which means “After these things”, indicates a beginning after a longer interval in time. See for instance 4:1, 7:1, 7:9, 15:5, 18:1 and 19:1.

Literature
In Alfred Heidenreich, The Book of Revelation (Floris Books, Edinburgh, 1977) there has been posthumously published a series of lectures held by him in 1968, the year before his death in 1969, on the invitation of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain. A translation of The Revelation to John by Heidenreich has been added. Rudolf Frieling, in the last chapter of his Christianity and Reincarnation (Floris Books, Edinburgh 1977, pp 90-117) describes “Human Evolution in the Apocalypse of John”, with the intention to see what it has to say about mankind’s Christian progress.

September 13, 2011/0 Comments/by CCNA

Cosmic Lights

The universe offers us two kinds of cosmic light—the sun by day, and the stars by night. The one is all round and full, shining everywhere equally, with its great embracing light joining everything visible in its benevolent glow. The other is all distant sparkling points, individual, distinct, and separated in the cold darkness from one another.

When the Community of Christians was founded on the earth, these two kinds of light were brought into a new world-historical connection. For each of us is distinct, in our own space, with our own perspective, experiencing aloneness and the dark as we strive and suffer, regret and rejoice, learn and love. This is how we evolve, becoming ourselves and more enlightened on our path. But human history moves forward as well, through the destiny of communities to which everyone belongs by birth, by upbringing, by choice. And through communities, something greater than the individual can work, for better or for worse.

Eighty years ago, a free religious community, without rules or dogma, came into being, to be worthy of modern individuals and of the Spirit at work in our time in community-building ritual.

The Act of Consecration of Man, said Rudolf Steiner, is more real than anything in Nature. It will outlast everything material. As an eternal sun, it generates spiritual community, blessing and nurturing our common human essence, consecrating human beings on either side of the threshold in divine deed.

Our life weaves between these two forms of light—the sparkle of individual destiny and the destiny of the Christ-centered community, shining through, in, and around us. So may we together play a crucial benevolent role in the history of community life and world evolution.

September 13, 2011/0 Comments/by CCNA

Essays and Articles

Easter Sunday

The magnificent meaning and significance of Easter is to overcome matter and death! Easter is also always mankind’s victory over heaviness and inertia.

And this is true even if we do it in a completely unconscious way. Whenever we try to overcome heaviness and inertia, we bring the spirit of Easter to the world.

Some families have begun an Easter tradition of walking to a spring to obtain Easter water. They start very early in the morning before sunrise. They have to agree beforehand to be absolutely quiet on their way until they scoop the water from the spring. Beginning this practice meant for all who took part in it, an overcoming of this sense of heaviness and inertia. They had to get up very early, at an unusual time, and hold back their usual flow of words. Both mean overcoming the pull of convenience.

But there are other situations where we try to overcome these feelings of inertia and paralysis. Every morning, when we get up, we need inner power to straighten ourselves up and overcome our body’s stiffness and affinity for gravity.

There is also an inner inertia when we have to do things we do not enjoy doing. Each and every one of us knows our own inertia. But when we have enough strength and do what is necessary, we can experience a wonderful sense of completion and support. Then we may get help from another side, perhaps what we asked for long time.

On Easter Sunday morning, when the women were on their way to the tomb with their aromatic spices, they needed great strength and power to overcome their mourning and fear, for what they anticipated seeing at the tomb. And they said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” And when they then looked at the large stone in front of the tomb, they saw that it had already been rolled to the side. The help was there when they needed it.

And the people who went to the spring on Easter morning may have experienced the joy of a wonderful sunrise, which they would never have seen, had they been asleep. Or they may have had a special encounter with an animal and heard noises that nature produces around us before they started their daily activities. All this happened, because they overcame the paralysis of convenience.

Perhaps, after a long silence, people use their words more carefully. And if they repeat such an experience, they may get an important thought and impulses for a question that they have lived with for a long time.

Easter is a wonderful celebration each year, but Easter can also be with us every day if we allow it and become aware of help from the spiritual side, once we overcome the weight of inertia.

April 22nd, 2006

September 13, 2011/0 Comments/by CCNA