Revelation is a Copy of Ezekiel

[Yo Mama]

Revelation & Ezekiel
http://www.rightlydividingtheword.co...nd_ezekiel.htm

The books of Revelation and Ezekiel are basically the same books written with the same biblical imagery. In most cases they prophesy about the same time period, and they deal with the same events. This comparison is easy to prove by simply reading the book of Revelation along side the book of Ezekiel. This comparison quickly reveals that both these books deal with the same destruction of Jerusalem, and they both end with the same symbolic picture of the establishment of God's New Jerusalem (Church Kingdom) in the earth. We can see from these comparisons that most of the book Ezekiel dealt with events relevant to John's day; however, it does contain some prophecies that were relevant to Ezekiel's day. The following chart compares Revelation with Ezekiel:

The Throne-Vision: (Revelation 4, Ezekiel 1)

The Book: (Revelation 5, Ezekiel 2-3)

The Four Plagues: (Revelation 6:1-8, Ezekiel 5)

The Slain Under the Altar: (Revelation 6:9-11, Ezekiel 6)

The Wrath of God: (Revelation 6:12-17, Ezekiel 7)

The Seal on the Saint's Foreheads: (Revelation 7, Ezekiel 9)

The Coals from the Altar: (Revelation 8, Ezekiel 10)

No More Delay: (Revelation 10:1-7, Ezekiel 12)

The Eating of the Book: (Revelation 10:8-11, Ezekiel 2)

The Measuring of the Temple: (Revelation 11:1-2, Ezekiel 40-43)

Jerusalem and Sodom: (Revelation 11:8, Ezekiel 16)

The Cup of Wrath: (Revelation 14, Ezekiel 23)

The Vine of the Land: (Revelation 14:18-20, Ezekiel 15)

The Great Harlot: (Revelation 17-18, Ezekiel 16, 23)

The Lament Over the City: (Revelation 18, Ezekiel 27)

The Scavengers' Feast: (Revelation 19, Ezekiel 38)

The First Resurrection: (Revelation 20:4-6, Ezekiel 37)

The Battle with Gog and Magog: (Revelation 20:7-9, Ezekiel 38-39)

The New Jerusalem: (Revelation 21, Ezekiel 40-48)

The River of Life: (Revelation 22, Ezekiel 47)

[Yo Mama]

Revelation's Parallel Use of the Sequence of Ezekiel: Part One
http://planetpreterist.com/content/r...ekiel-part-one

Revelation contains a number of allusions to the book of Ezekiel. For example, the similarities between the throne scenes at the beginning of each book (Ezek. 1; Rev. 4) are well recognized. Most commentators also acknowledge that the end of Revelation (Rev. 21-22) has a number of points of correspondence to the end of Ezekiel (Ezek. 40-48). While these parallels (and others) are well recognized, it may be that Ezekiel's influence is more systematic and pervasive than is generally thought; Ezekiel may actually provide an outline that Revelation follows. Ian Boxall writes the following on this:

The influence of the Book of Ezekiel on the last book of the Christian Bible is indisputable. It can be detected most obviously in the many allusions to and echoes of the Old Testament writing, permeating virtually every chapter of Revelation. Isolating these allusions with precision is not always straightforward, given John's stubborn refusal to actually quote Old Testament texts, and his tendency to evoke a range of texts from across the prophetic corpus in the same passage. Nevertheless, few would deny Ezekiel's role as at least one dominant source for the seer of Patmos. The 4th edition of the UBS Greek New Testament, for example, lists no less than 84 allusions and verbal parallels to Ezekiel in the Apocalypse, spread across every chapter except 12-13. More recent scholarship, however, has not been content with exploring verbal connections between the two works. A number of scholars, notably Albert Vanhoye [1962], Jeffrey Marshall Vogelgesang [1981], Michael Goulder [1981], and Jean-Pierre Ruiz [1989], have argued that this influence even extends to the structural level, and (though disagreeing to the extent of this phenomena) that Revelation follows Ezekiel's order.[1]

Looking at the chart that Boxall supplies (see below), he is definitely onto something here. The overall sequence of Revelation does indeed parallel the sequence of Ezekiel (Note, the italicized portions are original to Boxall and indicate chapters he sees as being out of sequence.)[2]

Revelation 1------------------Ezekiel 1

Revelation 4------------------Ezekiel 1

Revelation 5------------------Ezekiel 2

Revelation 6------------------Ezekiel 5-7

Revelation 7:1-2-------------Ezekiel 7:2-3

Revelation 7-8---------------Ezekiel 9-10

Revelation 10----------------Ezekiel 2-3

Revelation 10-13------------Ezekiel 11-14 (echoes)

Revelation 11:1-2-----------Ezekiel 40

Revelation 13:11-18--------Ezekiel 14

Revelation 17----------------Ezekiel 16, 23

Revelation 18----------------Ezekiel 26-28

Revelation 19:11-21--------Ezekiel 29, 32 (39)

Revelation 20:1-3-----------Ezekiel 29, 32

Revelation 20:4-6-----------Ezekiel 37

Revelation 20:7-10----------Ezekiel 38:1-39:20

Revelation 20:11-15---------Ezekiel 39:21-29

Revelation 21-22------------Ezekiel 40-48

When one examines Boxall's chart, it is clear that Revelation borrows heavily from both the content and sequence of Ezekiel. Given this, it is instructive to look at the subject of Ezekiel in helping to shed light on the subject of Revelation. Before I start, it should be noted that, while Revelation does indeed follow the sequence of Ezekiel, Revelation itself is not laid out in a strict linear fashion. For example Revelation 6:12-17 shows the "great day" of the Lord (v. 17; cf. Matt. 24:29-31). In Revelation 12:1-5, however, we are shown Satan being cast out of heaven at Jesus' ascension (cf. John 12:31-32). Just because Revelation 12 comes after Revelation 6, that does not necessarily mean the events of chapter 12 happen after the events of chapter 6. Revelation has a number of recapitulations; that is, a number of times the narrative brings one to the day of the Lord and then backs up and discusses similar themes that again bring one to the day of the Lord. This explains why the day of the Lord is already being shown in chapter 6. Notice how chapter 7 backs up and shows the sealing of God's servants (v. 3) just prior to the great tribulation; it then skips ahead and shows God's people having victoriously come through the tribulation (vv. 9-14; cf. Luke 21:16, 18).

EZEKIEL 1-10
In Ezekiel 1 the prophet sees four living creatures (with faces like a man, lion, ox, and eagle) in the context of God on his throne in heaven. This is what John sees (with some variations) in Revelation 4. In Ezekiel 2, the prophet is told he is being sent ". . . to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation . . ." (v. 3). Ezekiel is given a scroll with writing on the inside and on the outside that is full of lamentations and woe for Israel (Ezek. 2:9-10). The same kind of two-sided scroll is shown in Revelation 5 (vv. 1-7). Both Ezekiel and John are instructed to eat their respective scrolls; both scrolls are said to be sweet "like honey" (Ezek. 3:1-4; Rev. 10:8-11).

In Ezekiel 4 the famine resulting from the sixth-century BC siege of Jerusalem is portrayed; it would become so bad that basic foodstuffs would be measured by weight (Ezek. 4:7-17). The same measuring of foodstuffs by weight is shown in Revelation 6:5-6; this famine would be the result of the first-century siege of Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 5 the prophet is told that four plagues would be brought on Jerusalem: "So I will send against you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you . . ." (Ezek. 5:17). These plagues correspond to Revelation's second seal (a great sword), the third seal (famine) and the fourth seal (death by "sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth") Revelation 6:3-8 NASB. It should be noted that the Greek word gē is often better translated as "Land" in Revelation (i.e., the land of Israel) rather than "earth." Also note that in Ezekiel 5 the manner of the destruction of Jerusalem is described: it is said that one third would be destroyed by famine and pestilence, one third by the sword and one third would go into captivity (v. 11). Compare this with the threefold division of the great city (where Jesus was crucified, Rev. 11: in Revelation 16:17-21.

In Ezekiel 6 God talks of how he would scatter Israel's slain "among their idols around their altars" (v. 13). In an inversion of this, the fifth seal of Revelation shows the slain of God's people protected under the altar in heaven. They ask how long it will be before God judges those who dwell on the Land—they are told they will not have to wait much longer (Rev. 6:9-11). In Ezekiel 7 the day of God's "wrath" has arrived on Jerusalem and the land of Israel. This is paralleled in the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17) where we are told, ". . . the great day of His wrath has come . . ." (v. 17). Revelation tells us that men would hide in caves at this time and beg for the mountains to fall on them in an attempt to hide from God's wrath (Rev. 6:15-16). This is the day of the Lord that Jesus said would come on Jerusalem and the generation that rejected him (Luke 23:29; cf. Josephus, The Jewish War 6, 7, 3).

In Ezekiel 9 a mark is put on the foreheads of the righteous in Jerusalem just before judgment goes forth on the Land. This parallels Revelation 7, where God's people are marked on their foreheads with his seal (v. 3) right before the great tribulation occurs (v. 14). It should be noted that while there is some universalization here (i.e., the judgments of the great tribulation would come on the whole inhabited earth, cf. Rev. 10:11; 16:10), these judgments would focus on the dwellers on the Land (Rev. 3:10; cf. Dan. 11:40-12:7; Matt. 24:15-21). In Ezekiel 10 an angelic figure takes coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatters them over Jerusalem. This is paralleled in Revelation 8:3-5 where an angel takes coals from the altar and casts them to the earth.

EZEKIEL 10-20
In Ezekiel 12 (vv. 17-28) the prophet is told that the judgment on Jerusalem and the Land will not be postponed any longer. This parallels Revelation 10:1-7 where we are told that there "should be delay no longer" when the seventh trumpet sounds (vv. 6-7). The seventh trumpet is sounded in Revelation 11:15-18; it results in the kingdom of this world becoming the kingdom of God at the destruction of those who were (morally) destroying[3] the Land (Rev. 11:15-18 NASB; cf. Dan. 7:21-27; 12:7).

In Ezekiel 13 God denounces the false prophets of Israel who see visions of peace for Jerusalem "when there is no peace" (v. 16). In Ezekiel 14 God tells the elders of Israel that those who set up idols in their heart will be punished. This parallels Revelation 13, where the beast from the Land (later referred to as a "false prophet" Rev. 16:13; 19:20) sets up an idol and requires the dwellers on the Land to worship it (vv. 11-18). Boxall notes that "the false prophet [of Rev. 13:11-18] who leads astray and encourages idolatry encompasses a number of themes found in Ezekiel 14 (e.g., Ezek 14:3-7, 9, 11). Indeed Ezekiel 14:15 speaks explicitly of God sending wild animals/ beasts through the land."[4]

In Ezekiel 15 God says that he will burn Jerusalem just as wood from a grapevine is burned, and will make the Land desolate (vv. 6-8). This is paralleled in Revelation 14 where an angel with power over fire commands the vine of the Land to be gathered. That Revelation is not just following the sequence of Ezekiel but is also retaining its essential meaning here is shown in the distance that the blood from the resulting judgment covers. Revelation 14:20 says the blood from this judgment covers a distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs—the north to south length of the Land.[5] Thus, like Ezekiel, Revelation is speaking of the destruction of the vine of the land of Israel, not some supposed vine of the earth (See Is. 5 and Matt 21:33-45 for the vineyard motif as a picture of Israel.)

Ezekiel 16 speaks of the harlotries of Jerusalem (i.e., her going after the gods and ways of the Gentiles, vv. 15-32). God proclaims that her lovers would turn on her and burn her with fire (vv. 35-43). This is exactly what happens to harlot Babylon in Revelation 17-18; the beast she is committing whoredom with (Rome), turns on her and destroys her with fire (Rev. 17:11-18). In Ezekiel this speaks of the sixth-century BC destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. In Revelation this speaks of the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Titus (cf. Dan. 9:26-27).

EZEKIEL 20-28
Ezekiel 23 also speaks of the harlotries of the nation of Israel. In this chapter Jerusalem (the capital of the southern kingdom) and Samaria (the capital of the northern kingdom) are pictured as harlot sisters of one mother (the nation of Israel). In Revelation 17:5 we are shown this "mother of harlots." In Ezekiel 22 Jerusalem is referred to as "the bloody city." This is paralleled in Revelation where harlot Babylon is said to be drunk of the blood of the saints and martyrs (Rev. 17:6), and that she is guilty of all the righteous blood shed on the Land (Rev. 18:24). This is the same bloodguilt that Jesus proclaimed against the leaders of Jerusalem in Matthew 23:29-37.

In Ezekiel 24:15-22 the sixth-century BC destruction of the Temple is likened to the death of Ezekiel's wife. This is paralleled in Revelation 17-18 with the death of harlot Babylon. The harlot claims she is still a wife (a queen), but with the death of her Husband (Jesus), she became a widow (Rev. 18:7-8). As I mentioned earlier, the subject of Revelation is that of two women/cities who are two wives who represent the two covenants (Gal. 4:21-31). The death of the harlot in Revelation is the death of God's old covenant wife (cf. Ezek. 16:32); she was destroyed in the AD 70 burning of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The death of a wife as a symbol of the destruction of the Temple is a crucial parallel between Ezekiel and Revelation. Interestingly enough, Jewish tradition tells us that the death of theses two wives/temples happened on the exact same day—the 9th of Av (586 BC/AD 70). Looking at Boxall's chart, he makes no connection here. This is probably because he sees harlot Babylon as being related to Rome, not Jerusalem.[6] I think he is missing a central parallel here. I would thus add Ezekiel 24 to chapters 26-28 in Boxall's chart as being parallels to Revelation 18; this continues the sequence nicely.

In Ezekiel 26-28 there are lamentations over the fall of Tyre. This is paralleled in the lamentations over the fall of harlot Babylon in Revelation 18:9-20. In Ezekiel 27 the fall of Tyre is likened to the sinking of a ship that loses its merchandise (v. 34); this merchandise is listed in verses 12-24. In Revelation 18 the merchandise of harlot Babylon is similarly listed (vv. 12-13); the merchants who supplied these goods mourn their economic loss at the city's destruction (vv. 9-20). At first glance this looks like a shift in subject, as there is seemingly little connection between the merchandise of a pagan city like Tyre and the merchandise of the Temple. Those familiar with the Temple would have seen connections here, however. First, Jerusalem has already been likened to a pagan city in Revelation 11:8 (i.e., Sodom, cf. Ezek. 16:46, 49). Second, it was the king of Tyre who helped build the first Temple—compare its merchandise (2 Chronicles 2:11-16) with that of harlot Babylon.[7] The merchandise listed in Revelation 18:12 consists of materials used in the Temple buildings and garments of the high priest; the merchandise listed in verse 13 consists of materials used in the sacrifices and offerings. Added to all this, the only currency allowed in the Temple was that of Tyre.[8] Thus, the mourning over the lost commerce of Tyre finds a parallel in the mourning over the lost commerce of the Temple.

The merchandise of harlot Babylon in Revelation 18 is also influenced by Ezekiel 16. In that chapter harlot Jerusalem is portrayed as being dressed in the furnishings of the tabernacle, her "food" consisting of items used in the sacrifices (vv. 10-13). This parallels the harlot Babylon being dressed in the furnishings of the Temple and garments of the High Priest (Rev. 17:4; 18:16), her "merchandise" consisting of these items as well as those used in the sacrifices (Rev. 18:12-13).

In part two I will continue examining the parallel sequence between Ezekiel and Revelation. I will also explore in a bit more depth the degree to which Revelation is retaining the basic meaning of Ezekiel. To read part two go here:
http://planetpreterist.com/content/reve ... n-mckenzie

[Yo Mama]

Revelation's Parallel Use of the Sequence of Ezekiel: Part Two
http://planetpreterist.com/content/r...uncan-mckenzie

This is part two of a two part series. To read part one go here:
http://planetpreterist.com/content/reve ... l-part-one

In this series I am commenting on a very interesting chart produced by Ian Boxall that looks at parallels between Ezekiel and Revelation [Ian Boxall, The Revelation of Saint John, Black's New Testament Commentaries General Editor: Morna D. Hooker, (Peabody MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006), 255].

Revelation 1-----------------Ezekiel 1

Revelation 4-----------------Ezekiel 1

Revelation 5-----------------Ezekiel 2

Revelation 6-----------------Ezekiel 5-7

Revelation 7:1-2------------Ezekiel 7:2-3

Revelation 7-8 --------------Ezekiel 9-10

Revelation 10----------------Ezekiel 2-3

Revelation 10-13------------Ezekiel 11-14 (echoes)

Revelation 11:1-2-----------Ezekiel 40

Revelation 13:11-18--------Ezekiel 14

Revelation 17----------------Ezekiel 16, 23

Revelation 18----------------Ezekiel 26-28

Revelation 19:11-21--------Ezekiel 29, 32 (39)

Revelation 20:1-3-----------Ezekiel 29, 32

Revelation 20:4-6-----------Ezekiel 37

Revelation 20:7-10----------Ezekiel 38:1-39:20

Revelation 20:11-15---------Ezekiel 39:21-29

Revelation 21-22------------Ezekiel 40-48

EZEKIEL 29-40
In Ezekiel 29-32 the judgment of Egypt is described. This would be "the day of the Lord" (Ezek. 30:2-4). God would disperse the Egyptians "among the nations" at this time (v. 26). Revelation 19 parallels this as it shows the ultimate day of the Lord happening at the beast's destruction of harlot Babylon (Rev. 19:11-21; cf. 16:13-16)—it should be noted that Revelation equates Jerusalem with Egypt (Rev. 11:. Ezekiel 29:5 and 32:1-4 (as well as 39:17-20) say that the dead would be food for the beasts of the earth and birds of the air at this time. In Revelation 19:21 the birds of the air are gathered for just such a grisly feast. Ezekiel's day of the Lord would be "a time of doom for the nations" (Ezek. 30:3 NASB). Revelation shows this as being the time of the fall of the "cities of the nations" (Rev. 16:19) as kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord at the AD 70 destruction of those who were morally ruining the Land (Rev. 11:15-18; cf. Luke 19:11-27).

In Ezekiel 32:2 Pharaoh is likened to "a dragon in the seas" (ESV, NRSV). The word used here for dragon (Heb. tannim) can mean serpent, dragon or monster (note, the Septuagint uses the Greek word for dragon here—drakōn). In verses 18-32 this dragon/serpent is consigned to the Pit. This is paralleled in Revelation 20 where an angel lays ". . . hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and cast him into the bottomless pit . . . (Rev. 20:2-3).

In Ezekiel 33, Ezekiel learns that the city of Jerusalem has fallen and that the Land is a desolation (vv. 21-33). This is what Revelation portrays in the fall of harlot Babylon in Revelation 17-19, the AD 70 desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple (Rev. 18:19). Ezekiel says that this would be the time of the end of the wicked shepherds of Israel (Ezek. 34:1-10) and that there would be a judgment, as God would gather his people and "judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats" (Ezekiel 34:17). This parallels the judgment found in Revelation 20:11-15.

It should be noted that my position sees the throne scene judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 as part of the throne scene that is begun in Revelation 20:4. Compare Daniel 7:9-10, where thrones are put in place (cf. Rev. 20:4), at the same time that God is seated and books are opened (cf. Rev. 20:12).[see endnote 1 on this] Thus, I see Revelation 20:4-6 and 11-15 as part of the same judgment which commences at the AD 70 beginning of the millennium, not at its end. This is shown in Matthew 25 where the judgment of the sheep and goats happens at the beginning of the full establishment of the kingdom reign, not at its end (Matt. 25:31-46). I thus propose the following amendment to the latter part of Boxall's chart:

Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15--------Ezekiel 34, 37

Revelation 20:7-10---------------Ezekiel 38-39

Revelation 21-22-----------------Ezekiel 40-48

Boxall takes the majority view that the judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 happens after the millennium. To make the sequence of Ezekiel fit the judgment of Revelation, however, he skips over the judgment of sheep and goats of Ezekiel 34 and substitutes Ezekiel 39:21-29, which is more of a generic outpouring of God's wrath on Gog (cf. Ezek. 38:18-23). Notice how Ezekiel 34 talks about God gathering his people (vv. 11-13) and them being safe from predatory beasts at this time (vv. 23-28). This imagery is used elsewhere in the OT for the time commonly known as the millennium (cf. Is. 11:6 ff.).

Boxall ties the resurrection of Israel in Ezekiel 37 with the resurrection at the beginning of the millennium in Revelation 20:4-6. This makes sense and continues the parallel sequence between the two books. In Ezekiel 38-39 the invasion of Israel by "Gog of the land of Magog" (Ezek. 38:2) is shown. This parallels the "Gog and Magog" invasion of Revelation 20:7-10. Notice the condensing of Ezekiel here: Revelation employs two verses (Rev. 20:8-9) in alluding to two chapters in Ezekiel (38-39).

EZEKIEL 40-48
The parallels between Ezekiel 40-48 and the New Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21-22 are well recognized by most commentators. In Ezekiel 40:1-3 the prophet is taken to a high mountain and shown what looks to be a city. In Revelation 21:10, John is taken to a high mountain and shown the New Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 40:3-42:20 an angelic figure measures the Temple. This parallels Revelation 21:15-17 where an angel measures the New Jerusalem. It should be noted that there is a striking difference between Ezekiel and Revelation here. Ezekiel goes into elaborate detail on the measurements of the new Temple. In contrast, John does not see a Temple in the New Jerusalem; rather, "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Rev. 21:22). Actually, the New Jerusalem is a giant temple; it is cubed shaped (Rev. 21:16-17) just as the Holy of Holies of the Temple was cube shaped (1 Kings 6:20). Thus, the angel in Revelation measuring the city parallels the angel of Ezekiel measuring of the Temple. It should be noted that John has briefly used the motif of measuring the Temple earlier in Revelation (in Rev. 11:1-2); this was out of sequence and is thus italicized in Boxall's chart.

In Ezekiel, the prophet is told that the city is the dwelling place of God with his people (43:7; 48:35), which parallels what John is told about the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:3). The respective cities both have twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on them (Ezek. 48:30-34; Rev. 21:12-13). The Temple in Ezekiel has healing waters that flow out of it (Ezek. 47:1-11); there are trees on both sides of the river that have leaves for food and healing (v. 12). This parallels Revelation where the river of life flows from the throne of God and the Lamb in the New Jerusalem; the tree of life is on both sides of the river, it has leaves for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1-2).

It should be noted that the New Jerusalem of Revelation is not a cube-shaped city that God's people will live in; rather, the city is the bride. Notice, that when John is told that he will be shown the bride, what he is shown is the New Jerusalem (21:9-10). A physical structure (a city) is being used here as a symbol to portray the totality of God's people, just as God's people are likened to a physical structure (a temple) in Ephesians 2:19-22—notice that both "structures" are built on the foundation of the apostles (Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14).

The picture of the New Jerusalem coming to earth as a bride at this time (Rev. 21:1-2) continues the narrative of God's marriage to his people in Revelation 19:1-9. Thus, the New Jerusalem coming to earth is not subsequent to the AD 70 beginning of the millennium, it is concurrent with it; that is, it is another picture of the AD 70 full establishment of the kingdom of God. This explains why the new heaven and earth is often described in the OT with images that are associated with the millennium (e.g. Is. 65:17-25). The regeneration of the new heaven and earth is the time of the full establishment of God's kingdom (cf. Matt. 19:28 with Luke 22:28-30; the time of the regeneration and the time of the kingdom are synonymous).

As I mentioned in part one, Revelation is not laid out in a strict linear fashion; just because a given section comes after another one, that does not necessarily mean it is talking about subsequent events. For example, Revelation 11:7-19, talks about the beast and the great tribulation. Revelation 12 then goes back to the time of the ascension of Jesus (vv. 1-5) and the subsequent AD 30-70 spiritual exodus of God's people (vv. 6-17). Note that Satan is thrown to the earth unbound (not into the abyss) at this time (at AD 30, v. 9; cf. John 12:31-32); also note that God's people need protection from Satan (vv. 13-17) until the end of a time and times and half a time (v. 9; a time period which ends at AD 70, cf. Dan. 7:25; 12:7). Revelation 13 then returns to the topic of the beast and the great tribulation.

SUMMARY OF EZEKIEL AND REVELATION
Ezekiel is a book written by a prophet in exile (in Babylon). The subject of Ezekiel is the soon coming judgment (in the sixth-century BC) on the unfaithful land of Israel. This judgment culminates with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which is likened to the death of a wife (chapters 2-24). At this time God would judge the surrounding nations (chapters 25-32). A restoration of Israel is then promised (chapters 33-39) and a new order is described (chapter 40-48).

Revelation is also a book written by a prophet in exile (on Patmos).[2] The subject of Revelation is the soon coming judgment (at AD 70) on the unfaithful Israel, the dwellers on the Land. Like Ezekiel, the judgments of Revelation culminate with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (chapters 5-18), which is similarly likened to the death of a wife (God's unfaithful old covenant wife). At this time God would judge the nations of the world (chapter 19), as the kingdoms of this world fully became the kingdom of God (chapter 20; cf. Rev. 11:15-18; 16:19).[3] A restoration of (true) Israel (cf. Rev. 3:9) would happen at this time and the new order is described (chapters 21-22). In contrast to Ezekiel's prophecy, this was something that was soon to happen when John wrote (Rev. 22:6-12).

THE UNIVERSALIZATION OF EZEKIEL'S MESSAGE IN REVELATION
It is hard to deny that Revelation has major parallels with Ezekiel. Even if a literary influence can be demonstrated between the two books, however, that does not necessarily prove a similar authorial intent. That is, just because it can be shown that Revelation is heavily influenced by the sequence of Ezekiel, that does not necessarily indicate that John is retaining the same basic meaning.[4] For example, in Ezekiel 9:4, God's people are marked on their foreheads right before God's judgment is poured out on Jerusalem. In Revelation 7:1-3 God's people are marked on their foreheads right before his judgment is poured out on the land and sea (land and sea have the connotation of Jew and Gentile in Revelation, cf. Rev. 13:1, 11). Thus, Revelation is to some degree universalizing the message of Ezekiel. The judgments of Revelation do not just come on the Jerusalem; they also come on the whole Roman Empire (cf. Rev. 16:10-11).

While there is some universalization of Ezekiel's message in Revelation, Revelation still retains the essential meaning of Ezekiel. Beale writes the following along these lines:

It is tempting to conclude that John does not handle the OT according to its original contextual meaning when he universalizes. Vanhoye's evaluation, however, is plausible [A. Vanhoye "L' utilisation du livre d' Ezéchiel dans l' Apocalypse," Biblica 43 (1962) 436-76]. He says that while the universalization is motivated by the Christian spirit to explain redemptive fulfillment, it is not contrary to the OT sense. Although the author certainly makes different applications and executes developments beyond those of his OT predecessors, he stays with the same interpretive framework and is conscious of being profoundly faithful to the overall parameter of their message . . . [Thus,] although John creatively reworks the OT and changes its application, his pictures retain significant points of correspondence with the OT context and express salvation-historical principle of continuity.[5]

The marking on the forehead in Revelation 7:1-8 is just prior to the great tribulation; all the tribes of Israel are sealed (v. 4). In Revelation 7:9-14, however, we see that it is a great multitude from all nations who have been (spiritually) protected through this "great tribulation" (v. 14). Thus, Israel in Revelation 7 is being universalized to all believers (cf. Rev. 2:9; 3:9), something that is shown in other parts of the NT (cf. Luke 2:34; Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 3:28-29; 1 Peter 2:1-10; etc.). While the judgments of the great tribulation would come on the whole Roman Empire (Rome almost fell in AD 69)[6], they would focus on the dwellers on the Land (Rev. 3:10). While the definition of "saint" in Revelation is universalized to all believers in Jesus (Rev. 13:5-7; cf. Dan. 7:25), the focus of the Antichrist is still on the dwellers on the Land (Rev. 13:, those who were about to go into captivity (v. 10). At AD 70 there would ". . . be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people [the Jews]. And they [would] fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations . . . (Luke 21:23-24). This emphasis on the judgment of Israel in Revelation is shown by the fact that the blood from the destruction of the vine of the Land covers the length of Palestine (Rev. 14:18-20), not the Roman Empire.

That the great tribulation (which is what much of Revelation is showing) focuses on the judgment of Israel can be seen in other parts of Scripture. Daniel 7:21-27 shows the Antichrist overcoming the saints (i.e., the Jews) for three-and-a-half years. This was the last half of Daniel's seventieth week; it would end with the destruction of the Temple (Dan. 9:26-27). This would be the time of the Antichrist's attack against Jerusalem (Dan. 11:40-12:13).

The teaching that the focus of the great tribulation would be on the Jews is continued in the NT. While Jesus said there would be trouble in the nations at this time (Matt. 24:6-8), it was specifically those "in Judea" who would need to flee the coming of the Antichrist and the great tribulation (Matt. 24:15-28; cf. Dan. 9:27). This focus on Israel is shown again in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 where it is said that the Antichrist would capture the Temple and be worshipped there.

While there is definitely a universalization of Ezekiel's message in Revelation, the essential meaning is retained. Revelation is a book about the AD 70 judgment and destruction of the land of Israel, followed by the judgment of the nations as God's kingdom is fully established. At that point there would be a spiritual gathering and renewal of true Israel as God marries his New Jerusalem bride (Rev. 19:1-9; cf. Matt 22:1-10) at the full establishment of the new covenant order (Rev. 21:1-2). Thus, Revelation not only follows the sequence of Ezekiel, it also retains its basic meaning.