In our previous study we were examining Chapter 13 of Revelation, however in truth we had not in reality completed our study of this chapter, we merely finished the chapter according to how it is commonly ended at Verse 18 in our bibles. Chapter 13 does not end at Verse 18, but closes at the end of Verse 5 of Chapter 14.
It is clear that the chapter division here is in the wrong place.
The reason being is that Chapter 14 is a harvest chapter -- the FIRST chapter which deals with the harvest exclusively, and the first chapter in *the second section of Revelation (Chapters 14-19) dealing only with the harvest period. How strange, then, to begin the harvest section of Revelation with the Church complete! And yet Rev 14:1 has the Church complete with the Lord on Mount Zion. It is true; of course, that the Church is completed during this period (during the harvest); but this period does not begin with the Church completed.
The first five verses of Chapter 14 show those with the PROPER mark on their foreheads — the over-comers. It completes the story of Chapter 13. If this were not so, Chapter 14, about the Harvest, would have the Church complete at the beginning of the Harvest instead of at its end.
Keep in mind that that both the punctuation and the chapter divisions found in our bibles today are of recent times, the original text as it was written employed neither of these.
“The chapter divisions commonly used today were developed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton. Langton put the modern chapter divisions into place around A.D. 1227. The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 was the first Bible to use this chapter pattern. Since the Wycliffe Bible, nearly all Bible translations have followed Langton's chapter divisions.”
“The Hebrew Old Testament was divided into verses by a Jewish rabbi by the name of Nathan in A.D. 1448. In 1555 Robert Estienne (a printer), also known as Stephanus, was the first to divide the New Testament into standard numbered verses. Stephanus essentially used Nathan's verse divisions for the Old Testament.
Since that time, beginning with the Geneva Bible, the chapter and verse divisions employed by Stephanus have been accepted into nearly all the Bible versions.” Nevertheless, there is no authoritative basis for the divisions.” These divisions have merely been retained, principally for their convenience of reference. The reader, however need not be governed by these arbitrary divisions.
As far as punctuation is concerned, there are many schools of thought, as far back as 250 B.C. to a school of thought that a group called the Masoretes added vowels and punctuation around or after 500 A.D. Neither the original Greek nor Hebrew had punctuation.”
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*The second section of Revelation
The Book of Revelation can be broken down into FIVE sections.
At the beginning (1:1-8) is a small section that serves as an introduction to the entire prophecy.
At the end (22:6-21) is another small section that serves as an epilogue to the entire prophecy.
Between these two small sections, are three larger sections, which we call sections 1 through 3, and which serve to detail in advance all of the history since the ending of the Jewish Age.
Section 1 (1:9-14:5) gives FIVE views of the entire Gospel Age (including the Harvest).
Section 2 (14:6-19:21) gives FIVE views focusing exclusively on the Harvest Period.
Section 3 (20:1-22:5) gives FIVE views of the Millennium (all having at least some connection to the Gospel Age Harvest).
For a more in-depth look at the construction and breakdown of Revelation see “How to study the book of Revelation”, Part 8
In our next post we will begin with our look at the first five verses of Chapter 14 and see how they relate to what we had previously been studying in Chapter 13. As we did before we will first take a look at these as they are explained in the New Albany classes Notes on Revelation and then follow up with the same as explained in Brother Shallieu’s book “The Keys of Revelation”. Any other additional references will likewise be noted.
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