Seven Feasts

Some aspects of Wes Howard-Brook and Anthony Gwyther’s Unveiling Empire: Reading Revelation Then and Now (Bible & Liberation) are silly, but there is a lot of very helpful material on the book of Revelation. For instance, the authors point out that there are seven worship scenes in the book, and neatly chart them. Seven worship moments suggests a connection with the seven feasts of Leviticus 23, and the matches are fairly good. Also, there are rough connections with the days of creation.

1. Sabbath: Links with the worship of Revelation 4, the initial vision of the enthroned Father and the continuous worship of the enthroned elders.

2. Passover: Obviously link with the worship of the Lamb in Revelation 5. Lamb as mediator/firmament.

3. First sheaf: This links with the worship of the multitude in Revelation 7, the firstfruits of humanity in God’s presence. The first sheaf replicates Day 3 of the creation.

4. Pentecost: Connection with the worship of Revelation 11:15-18, where the 24 elders praise God for His power and enthronement. Sinai/Pentecost phenomena like lightning, earthquake, and thunder occur (v. 19). On Day 4, Yahweh created the rulers of the heavens.

5. Trumpets: Revelation 14:1-5, where the 144,000 sing a new song before the throne. Their voids are like the sound of waters and thunder, and they are playing harps; the replicate the trumpet-voice of the Lord. A swarm of 144,000 fits with Day 5.

6. Atonement: Revelation 15:2-4 occurs just after the bowl angels appear, as the angels prepare for the final Day of Atonement rites. The saints are now standing on the firmament-sea, positioned above the sky like the Lamb Himself, having become part of the firmament. They sing of Moses and the Lamb. They are the new Adamic humanity.

7. Booths: After the fall of Babylon, the great multitude sings that the Lord has judged and avenged the blood the saints, and that the wedding supper is about to begin (19:1-8).