Find all of the OT allusions in Revelation!

NOTE: This has been superceded by a post in GT! So go and add your thoughts there. It should be a fun opportunity to study out Revelation, and give a welcome relief from divisive issues there.


http://www.christianforums.com/t2312933-help-find-ot-allusions-in-revelation.html#post19955329





It fascinates me that John put so many Old Testament references in Revelation, as well as allusions to the New Testament and other books not even found in the Bible.

I think it would be fun to collect as many as we can find! Often times they can give great insights into the meaning of the text. When he puts in OT allusions it is clearly because he intends to suggest something. And reading that passage can really make things easier to understand. See my first reply for some examples..I hope to add more later of course.

Please post the text in Revelation, followed by the source of the reference. I will try to check back and make a chapter by chapter list! (I tried to start this at a different forum, but they just don't have the activity this place does. )

Then if you have ideas on why he might have included it, or any insights it gives, put those too! I think we will have fun going over the possibilities, and can learn a lot. And it is using scripture to interpret itself!

List by chapter!


Chapter #

1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7

7: 2-3 (Seal of God, Ezekiel 8,9)
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8
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9
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10
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11


11: 2 (42 months, Daniel times, times and half a time, etc. Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:17)

11: 4 (lampstands, Zechariah 4, two olive trees and a lampstand, two annointed)

11:5 (Reference to Elijah's ministry, fire destroying, 2 kings 1 (though from mouth instead of heaven..., and also to shutting up the rain...1 kings 17-19 etc. There are also references to Moses' ministry, water to blood, Exodus 7, and to the plagues in general. )


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12
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13
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14
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15
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16
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17
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18
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19
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20
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21
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22

One of my favorite examples is in reference to the seal of God and the mark of the beast. One of the key allusions is to the vision of Ezekiel in chapters 8 and 9. Here we see an account of the false worship of the Israelites, practiced by the leaders, in the temple itself. God pronounces judgement on them, and in the vision that Ezekiel sees this judgement is immediate. It foreshadows the actual judgement brought about during the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon.

Here is the key part of the passage as it regards the Seal of God.

EZE 8:17 He said to me, "Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them."

EZE 9:1 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, "Bring the guards of the city here, each with a weapon in his hand." 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

EZE 9:3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."

EZE 9:5 As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.

Click to expand...

As you notice the imagery of a mark in the forehead of those who are faithful to God was already seen here. And it is clear from the vision and subsequent fulfillment of the vison that

a. the mark is not a literal mark
b. The mark is a sign of loyalty to God, and grieving over apostasy and false worship.

The vision was in fact fulfilled literally by the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Those who trusted in God were clearly told to surrender, and those who did would be spared.

In revelation we likewise see God placing a sign of loyalty on those who are faithful to Him amid widespread apostasy. The remnant concept was well firmly anchored in the OT where God had a group that were faithful to Him.

Compare the above vision with this of John's in Revelation 7. Again we see the idea that those who are spared are those who receive the Seal of God.

Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."

Click to expand...

The mark of the beast is likewise the sign of loyalty to false worship. In fact we see in Revelation a false trinity (dragon, beast, false prophet), a false lamb (lamb-like beast), a false worship and a false seal, which is the Mark of the Beast.

The seal appears to be a sign of one who is completely loyal to God in all things and who grieves and lament over all of the detestable things done in the land.



One chapter I am not quite sure about yet are those in Revelation 11. It is packed with them.

Lists:

7: 2-3 (Seal of God, Ezekiel 8,9)

11: 2 (42 months, Daniel times, times and half a time, etc. Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:17)

11: 4 (lampstands, Zechariah 4, two olive trees and a lampstand, two annointed)

11:5 (Reference to Elijah's ministry, fire destroying, 2 kings 1 (though from mouth instead of heaven..., and also to shutting up the rain...1 kings 17-19 etc. There are also references to Moses' ministry, water to blood, Exodus 7, and to the plagues in general. )

These give strong hints as to the nature of these witnesses, but what are we to make of them?

Anyway, you get the idea, add your own insights!

Just bumping this since I re-posted the thought in GT, in order to get more traffic.
add your thoughts!