Alan Gross
Well-Known Member
PROGRESSIVE RECAPITULATORY PARALLELISM
"Parallelism"
refers to the identification of Seven Parallel Visions in Sections of chapters in Revelation:
-ch 1-3
-ch 4-7
-ch 8-11
-ch 12-14
-ch.15-16
-ch 17-19
-ch 20-22
"Recapitulatory" refers to how each of these Sections of chapters is seen as being somewhat overlapping, with One Vision or Section recapitulating what another has said, but in a different way.
The Second Vision is a Section of chapters which reiterates, reemphasizes, reviews, and expands of the First Vision, etc.
Each and every one of these Visions and Sections of chapters
is by most thought to culminate with Christ's Return:
-ch 1-3....Describing the church age up to Christ's return
-ch 4-7.....Earth described with godly and ungodly people,
culminating with Christ's return,
-ch. 8-11...The ungodly are punished and the godly will triumph
-ch 12-14....Tracks Satan's activities and defeat
from creation until the return of Christ,
-ch.15-16....The judgment of the world,
-ch 17-19....False religions are created and gain influence,
but are finally destroyed
-ch 20-22....The final judgment against evil,
and a long description of the fate of the righteous.
"Progressive" refers to how new information is revealed in a different way each time the history of the world is tracked, and how we are helped understand events by being given different perspectives.
"For some, "progressive" also refers to the time periods described: that in the beginning they see more focus on this age and physical realities, but as we approach the end of Revelation, we get an increased focus on spiritual realities and the eternal state.
"Some have likened this to the waxing tide: waves splash in over the sand and quickly retreat, but with time, the tide advances the waves further and further up the shore.
"Thus PROGRESSIVE RECAPITULATORY PARALLELISM refers to the movement of thought through Seven Visions in Parallel Sections of chapters in Revelation which tell and retell the same story from different angles."
Notice each of the Seven Visions, in these Sections of chapters, and how Jesus is shown to Return, Once and for All, in blue bold.
With each Vision having its own depiction of Jesus Return, we know that all Seven Visions overlap on another and cover the same period of time.
Each Vision covers the Period of Time between Jesus' Ascension at His First Coming and Jesus' One and Only Return, at the End of Time, at His Second Coming.
There is, therefore, no warrant to justify or necessitate a view of Revelation, as following along in a straight chronological line from the first chapter, to the last, because it doesn't.
The Book of Revelation is structured hermeneutically, as follows;
...
SECTION ONE. Christ in the Midst of the Lamps (Rev. 1:1-3:22):
THE AGE OF THE CHURCH.
The lampstands represent the 7 churches; these are typical of all churches throughout this church age.
As in all of these sections, the narrative brings us to Christ’s return (3:20-22).
...
SECTION TWO. The Vision of Heaven and the Seals (Rev.4:1-7:17): THE CHURCH WILL BE TRIUMPHANT.
This is a picture of the entire Church triumphant and includes the first mention of the 144,000. Once again, the section closes in chapter seven with the return of Christ, but since the theme here is the Church triumphant, the focus is almost entirely on the saved.
....
SECTION THREE. The Seven Trumpets (Rev. 8:1-11:19):
THE WORLD WILL BE PUNISHED FOR ITS REJECTION OF GOD.
This section describes the affects of the Seven Trumpets on both those who reject God and upon the saved. Dark and fearful things affect the world in chapters eight and nine, whilst chapters ten and eleven focus on the Church.
Once again (as in all of the other sections), the narrative brings us to Christ’s return at the seventh trumpet (11:15).
The message is clear: terrible things will come upon a God-rejecting world but God’s own people will rejoice!
...
SECTION FOUR. The Persecuting Dragon (Rev. 12:1-14:20):
THE CHURCH MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION.
The woman and the Man-child are persecuted by the dragon and his helpers.
The section starts with a clear reference to the birth of our Saviour (12:5), the dragon threatens to devour the Man-child (Christ), but He is caught up to heaven, so the dragon now persecutes the ‘woman’ (the Church) through the agencies of the ‘beast’ and the ‘harlot.’
This is why Christians must expect persecution.
Yet again the section closes with the Second Coming
and with impending judgment (14:14-20).
...
SECTION FIVE. The Seven Bowls (Rev. 15:1-16:21):
FINAL JUDGMENT.
These seven sections progressively reveal a little more and now the entire focus is on the final judgment of this world, and Armageddon is mentioned (16:16). Indications are strong (as we will learn later in this article) that the seven bowls and seven trumpets refer to exactly the same events but from somewhat differing perspectives;
Christ returns at the seventh bowl and seventh trumpet.
...
SECTION SIX. The Fall of Babylon (Rev. 17:1-19:21):
BABYLON’S CONFUSION FINALLY REMOVED FROM THE WORLD.
The current Babylonian system is why people are currently blinded to spiritual truth and worship money, commerce and various satanic ideologies:
Darwinism, Marxism, Pantheism (modern ‘environmentalism’ is clearly pantheistic), and all the false religions.
Babylon said (and currently still says) that people can freely be wealthy and prosperous at the expense of others and that these people can have a religion of their choice to appease their souls;
Babylon masked the truth about God and gave people a religion of their minds;
Babylon truly offered a self-earned justification, bedecked in deceptive luxury, moreover, it may even be observed in modern evangelicalism.
This section shows when Babylon will finally be destroyed for her evil works of deception.
We again find the return of Christ occurring (19:11), these regular returns of Christ confirm that these are parallel sections, not consecutive occurrences!
...
SECTION SEVEN. The Great Consummation (Rev. 20:1-22:21):
GOD’S KINGDOM SPREADS FROM HEAVEN TO THE EARTH
AND TO THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!
The final section which reveals such great spiritual truth begins by going back to the start of the Church age to show how Satan has been restricted during this age.
We even see the saints in heaven awaiting the resurrection (20:4-5), then we learn more about a final great military battle and the final destruction of the beast, false prophet and Satan himself (20:7-11), next we are presented with an amazing glimpse of the Great White Throne of Judgment when everybody who has ever lived must stand before God! (20:11-15).
Yet it does not even finish there: God has even allowed us a symbolic glimpse into the New Jerusalem and the New Heavens and New Earth (chapters 21-22).
See also: The Seven Visions again here:
He cometh with clouds . . . .
"Parallelism"
refers to the identification of Seven Parallel Visions in Sections of chapters in Revelation:
-ch 1-3
-ch 4-7
-ch 8-11
-ch 12-14
-ch.15-16
-ch 17-19
-ch 20-22
"Recapitulatory" refers to how each of these Sections of chapters is seen as being somewhat overlapping, with One Vision or Section recapitulating what another has said, but in a different way.
The Second Vision is a Section of chapters which reiterates, reemphasizes, reviews, and expands of the First Vision, etc.
Each and every one of these Visions and Sections of chapters
is by most thought to culminate with Christ's Return:
-ch 1-3....Describing the church age up to Christ's return
-ch 4-7.....Earth described with godly and ungodly people,
culminating with Christ's return,
-ch. 8-11...The ungodly are punished and the godly will triumph
-ch 12-14....Tracks Satan's activities and defeat
from creation until the return of Christ,
-ch.15-16....The judgment of the world,
-ch 17-19....False religions are created and gain influence,
but are finally destroyed
-ch 20-22....The final judgment against evil,
and a long description of the fate of the righteous.
"Progressive" refers to how new information is revealed in a different way each time the history of the world is tracked, and how we are helped understand events by being given different perspectives.
"For some, "progressive" also refers to the time periods described: that in the beginning they see more focus on this age and physical realities, but as we approach the end of Revelation, we get an increased focus on spiritual realities and the eternal state.
"Some have likened this to the waxing tide: waves splash in over the sand and quickly retreat, but with time, the tide advances the waves further and further up the shore.
"Thus PROGRESSIVE RECAPITULATORY PARALLELISM refers to the movement of thought through Seven Visions in Parallel Sections of chapters in Revelation which tell and retell the same story from different angles."
Notice each of the Seven Visions, in these Sections of chapters, and how Jesus is shown to Return, Once and for All, in blue bold.
With each Vision having its own depiction of Jesus Return, we know that all Seven Visions overlap on another and cover the same period of time.
Each Vision covers the Period of Time between Jesus' Ascension at His First Coming and Jesus' One and Only Return, at the End of Time, at His Second Coming.
There is, therefore, no warrant to justify or necessitate a view of Revelation, as following along in a straight chronological line from the first chapter, to the last, because it doesn't.
The Book of Revelation is structured hermeneutically, as follows;
...
SECTION ONE. Christ in the Midst of the Lamps (Rev. 1:1-3:22):
THE AGE OF THE CHURCH.
The lampstands represent the 7 churches; these are typical of all churches throughout this church age.
As in all of these sections, the narrative brings us to Christ’s return (3:20-22).
...
SECTION TWO. The Vision of Heaven and the Seals (Rev.4:1-7:17): THE CHURCH WILL BE TRIUMPHANT.
This is a picture of the entire Church triumphant and includes the first mention of the 144,000. Once again, the section closes in chapter seven with the return of Christ, but since the theme here is the Church triumphant, the focus is almost entirely on the saved.
....
SECTION THREE. The Seven Trumpets (Rev. 8:1-11:19):
THE WORLD WILL BE PUNISHED FOR ITS REJECTION OF GOD.
This section describes the affects of the Seven Trumpets on both those who reject God and upon the saved. Dark and fearful things affect the world in chapters eight and nine, whilst chapters ten and eleven focus on the Church.
Once again (as in all of the other sections), the narrative brings us to Christ’s return at the seventh trumpet (11:15).
The message is clear: terrible things will come upon a God-rejecting world but God’s own people will rejoice!
...
SECTION FOUR. The Persecuting Dragon (Rev. 12:1-14:20):
THE CHURCH MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION.
The woman and the Man-child are persecuted by the dragon and his helpers.
The section starts with a clear reference to the birth of our Saviour (12:5), the dragon threatens to devour the Man-child (Christ), but He is caught up to heaven, so the dragon now persecutes the ‘woman’ (the Church) through the agencies of the ‘beast’ and the ‘harlot.’
This is why Christians must expect persecution.
Yet again the section closes with the Second Coming
and with impending judgment (14:14-20).
...
SECTION FIVE. The Seven Bowls (Rev. 15:1-16:21):
FINAL JUDGMENT.
These seven sections progressively reveal a little more and now the entire focus is on the final judgment of this world, and Armageddon is mentioned (16:16). Indications are strong (as we will learn later in this article) that the seven bowls and seven trumpets refer to exactly the same events but from somewhat differing perspectives;
Christ returns at the seventh bowl and seventh trumpet.
...
SECTION SIX. The Fall of Babylon (Rev. 17:1-19:21):
BABYLON’S CONFUSION FINALLY REMOVED FROM THE WORLD.
The current Babylonian system is why people are currently blinded to spiritual truth and worship money, commerce and various satanic ideologies:
Darwinism, Marxism, Pantheism (modern ‘environmentalism’ is clearly pantheistic), and all the false religions.
Babylon said (and currently still says) that people can freely be wealthy and prosperous at the expense of others and that these people can have a religion of their choice to appease their souls;
Babylon masked the truth about God and gave people a religion of their minds;
Babylon truly offered a self-earned justification, bedecked in deceptive luxury, moreover, it may even be observed in modern evangelicalism.
This section shows when Babylon will finally be destroyed for her evil works of deception.
We again find the return of Christ occurring (19:11), these regular returns of Christ confirm that these are parallel sections, not consecutive occurrences!
...
SECTION SEVEN. The Great Consummation (Rev. 20:1-22:21):
GOD’S KINGDOM SPREADS FROM HEAVEN TO THE EARTH
AND TO THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!
The final section which reveals such great spiritual truth begins by going back to the start of the Church age to show how Satan has been restricted during this age.
We even see the saints in heaven awaiting the resurrection (20:4-5), then we learn more about a final great military battle and the final destruction of the beast, false prophet and Satan himself (20:7-11), next we are presented with an amazing glimpse of the Great White Throne of Judgment when everybody who has ever lived must stand before God! (20:11-15).
Yet it does not even finish there: God has even allowed us a symbolic glimpse into the New Jerusalem and the New Heavens and New Earth (chapters 21-22).
See also: The Seven Visions again here:
He cometh with clouds . . . .
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