2. THE HARMONIZATION OF REVELATION
The Book of Revelation
Revelation contains the most lengthy, most detailed, and most complete collection of prophetic scriptures found anywhere in the Bible. Unfortunately, these scriptures are also among the most difficult to understand and interpret correctly.
They are filled with such obscure symbolism and such confusing chronology that a literal interpretation is absolutely impossible. Therefore, the only hope of obtaining a correct interpretation of Revelation is to begin with some type of assumption about its symbolism and/or its chronology.
One of the most common assumptions about its chronology is that Revelation consists of a single, sequential account of the last days. But this assumption is quickly demonstrated to be false, at least in its most literal form.
Take any Bible you have (preferably a translation that you personally find easy to understand) and look at the Book of Revelation. There you will see that the vision begins after the death of Christ when John is on the island of Patmos (1:9) and progresses from that time into the future (4:1). But at the beginning of Chapter 12, in the very middle of the vision, there is a break in the chronology, as the scene shifts back to a time before the birth of Christ.
And this is not the only such break in the chronology. For example, in REV 7:1-8 there is a look backward in time to the sealing of one hundred forty-four thousand Israelites, in REV 11:15-19 a look forward to the judgment of the dead, in REV 14:14-20 a look forward to the reaping of the harvest, and in REV 17:1-18 a look backward to the seven-headed, ten-horned beast. These and other breaks in the chronology of Revelation illustrate just how difficult it is to adhere dogmatically to the single-account assumption.
As a result, most proponents of the single-account philosophy readily admit that the assumed linear chronology is interrupted from time to time by various intermissions or interludes. But once such exceptions to the chronology are admitted, it becomes a matter of opinion and/or debate as to how many such exceptions actually do occur and how their time frames relate to one another.
This is one of the primary reasons so many different interpretations of Revelation have existed throughout the ages. It is also why I believe that no general agreement will ever be reached by Christians adhering to this single-account philosophy.
Therefore, if we ever hope to reach some kind of general agreement about the correct interpretation of Biblical prophecy, it seems we should adopt a different philosophy of interpretation.
The Harmonistic Viewpoint
This book does just that. It is based upon the simple assumption that Revelation does not consist of a single, sequential account of the future, but rather seven parallel accounts that can be harmonized to form a unique, consistent picture of the last days. In order to facilitate our discussion of this philosophy of interpretation, let us adopt the following terminology:
harmonism - n. the assumption, theory, or belief that Revelation contains seven parallel accounts of the last days which can be integrated to form a single, consistent, and complete picture of biblical prophecy.
harmonist - n. a person who espouses harmonism.
harmonistic - adj. of or pertaining to harmonism.
harmonization - n. the process of integrating the seven accounts of Revelation into a single, consistent picture.
harmonize - v. to perform the harmonization process.
the Harmony - n. the integrated picture resulting from the harmonization process.
When I first encountered the idea that Revelation contained seven parallel accounts I found the thought extremely intriguing.[1] After all, the number seven occurs extensively throughout the Book of Revelation; so it would not be particularly surprising to find that the vision really did contain seven accounts. Furthermore, in Biblical numerology, the number seven indicates completeness.[2] So if Revelation really did tell the same story seven times, the numerological implication would be quite clear: the vision and its prophecies would be COMPLETE!
This means that no longer would it be necessary to integrate the prophecies of Revelation with all the other prophecies of the Bible to obtain a complete picture of Biblical prophecy of the end times. Revelation, by itself, would be an adequate source of information. And once Revelation had rendered the complete picture, all the other prophecies of the Bible would fall right in line, complementing and/or validating that picture.
To me this was a startling concept. Here we had a simple assumption that easily could be tested. If it were true, it had the potential to unlock all the hidden mysteries of Biblical prophecy. If it were false, very little time and effort should be required to prove it so.
What do you think? Is the harmonistic assumption true or false?
Let's find out.[3]
Overview of the Harmony
The Harmony Matrix
Turn to the front flyleaf of this book and look at the Harmony of Revelation depicted there in matrix form.[4] Inside the matrix are cells containing scriptural references to chapters and verses in the Book of Revelation. Along the top of the matrix are listed the seven accounts of Revelation. Along the left side of the matrix are the seven distinct time periods mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Included within each of the seven time periods are one or more topics associated with that particular period.[5] The second and last rows of the matrix refer to the Introduction and the Conclusion of Revelation, respectively. The rest of the matrix is a seven by seven array containing scriptural references telling where each of the seven accounts describes what happens in each of the seven time periods.
The Seven Accounts
Let us begin our survey of the Harmony of Revelation by considering the seven accounts. A quick look at the Harmony Matrix on the front flyleaf of this book shows that the Book of Revelation can be divided into the following natural divisions, partitions, or accounts:
|
Revelation |
Account No. |
Associated With |
|
1:1-20 |
|
Introduction |
|
2:1-3:22 |
I |
The Seven Churches of Asia |
|
4:1-8:1 |
II |
The Opening of the Seven Seals |
|
8:2-11:19 |
III |
The Seven Trumpets of Judgment |
|
12:1-15:4 |
IV |
The Apocalyptic Animals |
|
15:5-16:21 |
V |
The Vials of the Wrath of God |
|
17:1-19:21 |
VI |
The Great Harlot, Babylon |
|
20:1-22:5 |
VII |
The Heavenly Kingdom of God |
|
22:6-22:21 |
|
Conclusion |
Therefore, except for the Introduction and Conclusion, Revelation really does consist of seven natural divisions whose boundaries are clearly discernible. Furthermore, these seven divisions may be interpreted as parallel, chronological accounts[6] that can be integrated into a single, consistent picture of the last days.[7]
Although this result was expected -- even eagerly and hopefully anticipated -- it is still quite amazing. In fact, I am convinced that such a result could not have been obtained unless God had intended for the Book of Revelation to be interpreted this way.
But this anticipated result is not the only amazing consequence of the harmonization of Revelation. There are other consequences even more amazing and totally unexpected.
The Focal Passages
For example, the original harmonistic assumption implies that all seven of Revelation's accounts should focus on the same period of time, namely, the last days. In other words, the fact that all seven accounts are assumed to be in parallel, suggests that all seven accounts should emphasize the same time period.
After all, this is what the four Gospels do. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all focus their attention on the same time period; namely, the three-and-a-half year ministry of Christ that occurs at the end of his life. Yes, certain Gospels mention events before this time period and all mention events afterward.[8] Nevertheless, the primary focus of all four Gospels is on the same three-and-a-half-year period of history.
But this is not true for the seven accounts of Revelation. Each of Revelation's accounts focuses its attention on a particular period of time that generally differs from the others. Yes, the seven accounts are parallel. Yes, all seven mention events that occur outside their respective focal periods. Nevertheless, each account focuses its attention primarily upon one and only one distinct period of time.
Since there are seven accounts, there are seven focal passages. But again, contrary to expectation, there are not seven distinct periods of time focused upon, there are only five. This is because two of the accounts focus their attention upon the same time period as two other accounts.
The seven focal accounts and the five focal time periods are described below.
The first account (Churches) focuses its attention on the period of time immediately following John's vision. This time period is usually called the Church Age, but I have chosen to call it the Day of Salvation because the Harmony of Revelation asserts that essentially every person in all of history (past, present, or future) who ever attains salvation does so during this period of history.[9]
The second account (Seals) focuses on the period of time immediately following the Day of Salvation. I have called this period the Day of Sin because evil prevails throughout the earth during this period of time like never before or afterward.
The third account (Trumpets) focuses on the period of time immediately following the Day of Sin. I have called this period the Day of Death because of the extensive death and destruction that occurs throughout this time period.
The fourth account (Animals) spans the whole gamut of time from eternity past to eternity future. Nevertheless, it focuses its attention primarily on the same Day of Sin as mentioned previously.
The fifth account (Vials) focuses on the succeeding Day of Death, also mentioned previously.
The sixth account (Babylon) focuses on the period of time immediately following the Day of Death. I have called this period the Day of the Lord because it is the day that Jesus Christ returns in power and glory, the day that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.[10]
The seventh account (Heaven) focuses on the new heaven and the new earth following the Day of the Lord. I have called this time period the Day of Eternity because it lasts forever.
All of this information (including the focal passages) is summarized in the following table:
|
Account No. |
Account Name |
Focal Passage |
Time Period |
|
I |
Churches |
2:1-3:22 |
Day of Salvation |
|
II |
Seals |
6:1-11 |
Day of Sin |
|
III |
Trumpets |
8:5-11:14 |
Day of Death |
|
IV |
Animals |
13:1-18 |
Day of Sin |
|
V |
Vials |
16:1-16 |
Day of Death |
|
VI |
Babylon |
19:1-21 |
Day of the Lord |
|
VII |
Heaven |
21:1-22:5 |
Day of Eternity |
Because these seven focal passages contain information emphasized in the seven accounts of Revelation, I have distinguished them from the other passages in the Harmony Matrix by coloring their cells black.[11]
The Seven Days of Revelation
But the five focus days are not the only periods of time mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Accounts IV and VII refer to events that occurred during the life of Christ, and Account IV refers to events occurring before the time of Christ. In other words, Revelation also refers briefly to two other distinct periods of history; namely, the period of time covered by the Old Testament and the period of time covered by the New Testament. In the Harmony Matrix, I have called these two distinct periods of history the Day of Preparation and the Day of Christ, respectively.
When these two days are added to the five mentioned previously, we see that from the harmonistic point of view God divides time into seven distinct periods of history. I have called these time periods days because there are seven of them and seven days constitutes one complete week. Then Revelation's complete description of time constitutes one complete week of time spanning the whole gamut of time from eternity past through eternity future.
However, the Book of Revelation does not focus its attention equally on all seven days of this week. It stresses only the last five days.[12] Furthermore, these last days of the week in Revelation are exactly the same last days as those mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.[13]
Perhaps I should not have been surprised to find that Revelation divided all of time into seven distinct days, but I was. Perhaps I should not have been surprised to find that Revelation concentrated its attention primarily on the last five of those seven days, but I was. Perhaps I should not have been surprised to find that the Holy Bible began with the seven days of Creation and ended with the seven days of Revelation, but I was.
In other words, I was utterly amazed to discover that the harmonistic interpretation of Revelation revealed a beautiful symmetry[14] to the whole Bible that otherwise would have remained a hidden mystery.
But why should God divide all of time into seven days? And why should he hide this mystery within the structure of the Book of Revelation? And why should the harmonization of Revelation uncover this mystery? After all, the division of time into seven distinct days really has nothing to do with the chronology of what actually happens during those days.
The Gospel in Picture Form
I believe the reason that God inserted this mystery into the structure of the Book of Revelation is so that we may have confidence that the harmonistic interpretation of Revelation is how God intended for the Book to be interpreted.
Without these seven days, the Harmony of Revelation would not form a seven-by-seven matrix as pictured on the front flyleaf of this book. Instead, it would be like a typical Harmony of the Gospels, consisting of an arbitrarily long list of correlated events.
But when the seven days of Revelation are combined with the seven accounts of Revelation, a square matrix does result. And the cells within this matrix -- some being empty (light gray), some containing non-focal passages (dark gray), and some containing focal passages (black) -- produce a geometrical pattern which actually portrays the Gospel of Jesus Christ in pictorial form!
Although this pictorial description has absolutely nothing to do with what the Harmony predicts about the future, it does provide us with convincing evidence that the Harmony Matrix is not just a product of chance or an artificial attempt to integrate seven fictitious accounts. We can be confident that the seven accounts are real and that they have been harmonized correctly because any errors in our procedure would have rendered a different pattern with a different interpretation.
Let me show you what I mean.
Identifying the Pattern
In order to identify the geometrical pattern inside the Harmony Matrix, we need to hide all the non-geometrical information contained therein. We do this by constructing a miniature version of the Harmony Matrix with the scriptural references removed.
Fig. 2.1. The Harmony Matrix
Along the top of this miniature seven-by-seven matrix are the seven accounts of Revelation. Along the side are the seven days of Revelation. Each of the small cells in this miniature matrix corresponds to one of the cells in the larger Harmony Matrix found on the front flyleaf of this book. The cells are colored the same here as in the larger Harmony Matrix so that there should be no confusion.
As you can see, this miniature version of the Harmony Matrix contains a pattern -- a geometrical arrangement of colored cells uniquely related to one another so as to form a figure or design which you may or may not find interesting or meaningful.
Take a careful look at this checkerboard pattern to see if you can discern any meaning to it at all.
No? Well, I couldn't either the first time I looked at it. So I looked again, and again, and again.
Why did I keep on looking? Because the design was so tantalizing.
I could almost recognize some meaningful arrangement within the matrix, but not quite.
Then -- more than five years after I started looking -- I suddenly realized that I was not looking at a single pattern, but rather at a combination of two patterns!
I eventually discovered that if I inverted the matrix and separated the two patterns from one another, then each of the patterns took on tremendous significance. One of the patterns depicted the cross of Calvary and the other showed the path of salvation. Taken together they illustrated pictorially the complete Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In other words, the Harmony Matrix illustrated in Fig. 2.1 contains the information to illustrate pictorially that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sacrificed his life on a cross while bearing our sins so that whoever turns from his wicked way and trusts in Jesus will experience a new life which leads ultimately to eternal life in heaven with the triune God.
I know it is hard to believe that this simple seven-by-seven matrix contains so much detailed information. But keep on reading and see if you don't agree.
Identifying the Components
In order to extract all of this information, we need to invert and dissect the Harmony Matrix. We can invert the Harmony Matrix simply by reversing the order of time. This places future events above past events.[15] When this is done, the following matrix results.
Fig. 2.2. The Harmony Matrix (Inverted).
Then we can dissect this matrix into the following two components:
Fig. 2.3. The Two Components of the Harmony Matrix.
In Fig. 2.3, matrix (a) is the same inverted Harmony Matrix as shown in Fig. 2.2. Matrix (b) is the horizontally symmetrical part of matrix (a). And matrix (c) is everything else. Therefore, if we add matrices (b) and (c) we get (a). [16]
We will see later why matrix (b) is called the Universal component of the Harmony Matrix and matrix (c) is called the Worldly/Heavenly component.
The Cross of Calvary
In order to understand the pictorial implications of the Harmony Matrix, let us begin by analyzing its first component matrix, namely, matrix (b) of Fig. 2.3. Do you see that it is a perfect seven by seven square? Since the number seven means complete in Biblical numerology,[17] this seven by seven square must represent something that is completely complete. Do you see how this matrix could represent everything that exists in the universe?[18] This is why we refer to matrix (b) as the Universal component of the Harmony Matrix?
Now, can you see that the predominant feature inside this
Universal matrix is a gray cross 
symbolizing death by crucifixion?
Hanging on that cross, can you see a trinity of black cells 
representing the Holy Trinity of God[19]? And can you see how the second of those
three black cells 
represents Jesus Christ, the second person of
the Holy Trinity? And can you see how that cell is located in the exact center
of the universal matrix
, showing that Jesus Christ is the center of all creation?
Now notice the two white cells located on either side of the
Jesus cell 
. Can you see
how these white holes (or deficiencies in the otherwise perfectly gray cross)
could symbolize sin? Then, can you see how this sin is attached to Jesus
Christ?
And, finally, can you see how the complete pattern of gray, black, and white cells in the Universal matrix shows pictorially that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a cross while bearing the sins of the universe?
The Path of Salvation
Now, look at the second component of the Harmony Matrix,
namely, matrix (c) of Fig. 2.3. Can you see that the upper right border of this
matrix forms an inverted ell 
containing all the cells in the Harmony
Matrix of Day 7 (Eternity) and Account VII (Heaven)? So, do you see how this
seven by seven heavenly ell could represent the completely perfect[20] eternal heaven where God resides?
In fact, do you see the trinity of dark cells 
within this heavenly ell, symbolizing the
presence of the triune God? And can you see that the central cell of that
trinity 
represents the second person of the Godhead,
namely, Jesus Christ, the Son of God? And can you see that the central cell is
darker than the other two cells, showing that all honor and glory belong to
Jesus? And can you see that the Jesus cell is located at the center of heaven,
just as Jesus was previously shown to be at the center of the universe? And,
can you see how this central point in the heavenly ell can represent the
entrance to heaven, confirming Christ’s claim to be the doorway to eternal life
(JOH 10:7-9)?
Now, look at the four by six rectangle 
located immediately
below the heavenly ell. According to Biblical numerology[21]
the number four means world and the
number six means man. So, do you see
how this four by six rectangle could represent the world of man? And now do you see which part of the complete square
matrix symbolizes the physical universe, which part symbolizes the perfect
heaven where God abides, and which part symbolizes anything else that may exist
in reality? And do you see why the matrix (c) is called the Worldly/Heavenly
component of the Harmony Matrix?
Do you see the two white cells 
located in opposite corners of the worldly
rectangle? Do you see how these two white holes (or deficiencies in the
otherwise perfect light gray background) could represent sin? Do you see how
this illustrates that the world of man contains sin?
Now, do you see the six black cells 
forming a zigzag path
across the world of man? Do you see how these six black cells can be combined
with the seventh black cell in the heavenly ell to illustrate the complete path
of salvation that leads through the world of man to eternity in heaven? Can you
see that the zigzag in this path turns away from the nearest sin cell toward
the cell at the very center of the whole seven by seven square matrix? Can you
see that the path then turns to go straight up the diagonal of the square
matrix to the center of the heavenly ell?
Do you remember from our discussion of the heavenly ell that the cell at its center represents Jesus Christ? And do you remember from our discussion of the Universal matrix that the cell at the center of the whole seven by seven matrix also represents Jesus Christ?
So finally, do you see how the two component of the Harmony Matrix when taken together show: (1) that the path of salvation requires us to turn away from sin and accept Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sins; (2) that once we truly encounter Christ, we are given a new life perfectly directed toward heaven; (3) that our new life begins and ends with Christ; and (4) that when we leave this world of man, we enter heaven, to live eternally with the triune God. In other words, can you see within the geometrical pattern of the Harmony Matrix a complete illustration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?[22]
Identifying the Source
Isn't this amazing?
The geometrical pattern within the Harmony of Revelation contains the information to construct two symbolic pictures: one of the cross of Calvary and the other of the path of salvation. When these two symbolic pictures are put back together, they tell the complete story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How can all of these remarkable relationships possibly exist within the Harmony of Revelation unless the harmonistic interpretation of Revelation is what God intended when he sent John the vision?
Certainly, everything mentioned above cannot be a matter of pure coincidence. Surely some of these things must have been planned.
But planned by whom? Certainly not by John, the recipient of the vision. All he did was record what he saw. Certainly not by me, the harmonizer of the accounts. All I did was point out what had already been there for almost two thousand years.[23]
No, the planning had to be done by the Source of the vision -- by the One who did the revealing -- by God himself.
But for what purpose? I believe these patterns were put there to provide us who live in the last days with the definite assurance that this particular interpretation of Revelation really is correct. What other reason could there be?
In any case, doesn't the evidence make you wonder? And aren't you the least bit curious about what kind of future this unique model of eschatology actually predicts?
If so, then let's take a careful look at the complete Harmony of Revelation, beginning with Sunday and considering each of its chronological passages in full detail.