Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 57:2 (NA 2006)
Article: A Search For Cohesion In The Book Of Revelation, With Specific Reference To Chapter One
Author: Iwan Whiteley

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A Search For Cohesion In The Book Of Revelation, With Specific Reference To Chapter One1

Iwan Whiteley

The lack of consensus on any specific issue in the book of Revelation demonstrates that it is a difficult work to understand. This thesis is founded upon the Greg Beale’s study. He has made significant gains in the understanding of Revelation. His analysis of the use of Daniel in Revelation shows not only that Revelation referred to specific passages, but also that one could narrow down the reference to a specific version of the Old Testament. Further reading of Beale’s work demonstrates that he does not extrapolate this precision into other areas of the study of Revelation. His precise analysis of the use of Daniel does not lead to the same consistency in his analysis of other OT references. There is a tendency to identify OT themes rather than specific references. Also, although Beale makes a serious attempt to explain the very challenging linguistic features in this book, yet cohesion is not found to an extent that would be expected from the presence of discrete references. Beale is the victim of his own thesis because his work establishes that when an interpreter is unable to gain clarity in Revelation, then this is the failure of the interpreter, not the original author.

This thesis consists of six chapters: chapter one provides a hermeneutical framework to interpret the text so as to obtain cohesion within it. ‘Cohesion does not concern what the text means; it concerns how the text is constructed as a semantic edifice.’2 A discourse is written in such a way that it interacts with itself. This cohesion can only be obtained if interpreters adjust their world-view to that of the author’s. One common problem in interpreting Revelation is that the word ‘allusion’ is used to describe the relationship between Revelation and its antecedent texts. The choice of ‘allusion’ is problematic because the

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relationship established between the works is vague. Many commentators show little sensitivity to the OT texts that Revelation uses. A better word to define the relationship is ‘reference’ because such language recognises that the interpreter has the responsibility to import information from the antecedent works, leading to cohesion.

Discourse contains an internal chronology: both the underlying interpretational framework and the text itself develop: they are ‘in a constant state of flux-, of augmentation, of modification, of radical trans-formation.’3 This is why this thesis begins at

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