Giancarlo Biguzzi, «The Chaos of Rev 22,6-21 and Prophecy in Asia», Vol. 83 (2002) 193-210

Interpreters of the Apocalypse agree that in Ap 22,6-21 disorder reigns and that, most of all, various voices in these verses interfere with one another, without care for rules which would produce a proper development. Therefore, chaos is undeniably in the text. But it is equally true that with some ease one can discern in the text an articulation in three strophes: the first and the third speak of the revelation received by John and of the transmission of that revelation to the churches by means of John’s book, while the second is concerned with the ethical life and its eschatological reward. All this reveals the anxiety of John about a relaxation of vigilance on the part of the churches of Asia, so that John consequently insists on the imminence of the eschatological Coming and labors to show the legitimacy of the demands of his book, especially before the eyes of his ‘brother-prophets’. It is the framework of their prophetic style, probably charismatic like that of the prophets of 1 Cor 14, which allows us to make sense of the interference and injection of various voices in these verses of the johannine Apocalypse; we find a similar style in certain other verses at the beginning and in the body of John’s book.

Secondly, neither is his book fragmentary, nor in particular is Rev 22, 6-21 chaotic, considering its distinguishable strophes, the lucid and coherent flow of thoughts, and its persuading force, which are certainly not the product of extemporaneity and improvisation.

        One could therefore compare John of Patmos to Paul. In the same way Paul referred back to the Damascus event in order to claim apostolicity, similarly John appeals to his mystical experiences, which, however, were exposed to the suspicion of subjectivism. Consequently, as Paul did not disdain boasting ‘according to the flesh’ (2 Cor 11,18), so John was trying to prove his own prophetic charism having recourse to the charismatic language which probably was sought after as a proof of indisputable pneumaticity in Asia as it was in the Pauline Corinth. That is why he transmits the appeal to hearing the voice of the Spirit to every one of the seven churches: ‘... let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (2,7 etc.).

        In any case, John is in trouble, and tries to bridge over the distance he feels from the churches and their leaders. He certainly had some following in the Christian communities, for example in Ephesus or Smyrna or Philadelphia, yet no text of Revelation permits one to say that he felt some brother-prophet close to his own position. The prophetess Jezebel went so far, that after previous ineffective invitations to repent (‘I gave [e!dwka] her time to repent, but she...’[2,21]), only shock therapy was left. As far as the other prophets are concerned, perhaps John sees some hope still²³, since he still calls them ‘brothers’ and addresses to them the exacting word of Christ about the churches of 22,16²⁴.