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.

(18,20), since it has no introducing formula and cannot be part of the seamen’s dirge.

        Chaotic voices exist then in every part of Rev. Consequently, it becomes necessary to ask why John loses the thread of his argument so frequently or interrupts it deliberately; he who, for example in the great sequences of 1,9–3,22, or 4,1–8,1 and 21,9–22,5 proves to be the most enthralling narrator of all the NT, even more than Luke in the Acts.

2. Müller’s hypothesis, Rev 22,6-21 and 1 Cor 14

        U.B. Müller suggested that v. 16,15 and the epilogue could be set in the frame of prophetic and charismatic praxis of the early churches²². That praxis is known to us only through the rules given to the Corinthian charismatics by Paul, and actually some details of 1 Cor 11 and 1 Cor 14 confirm Müller’s hypothesis.

        First of all 1 Cor 11,4.5 supplies evidence of alternating prayer and prophecy in the meetings of house-churches in Corinth. 1 Cor 14 adds to prayer and prophecy also apocalypse, knowledge, didache (vv. 6-7a), psalm, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of it (v. 26). Second, as to the prophecy, the Corinthian prophets wanting to speak were so numerous that Paul had to limit their speeches to two or three, otherwise the community would be confused, and not at all edified (1 Cor 14,29-33). Third and most importantly, Paul puts the case of a prophet speaking when suddenly a revelation is given to someonewho is listening to him while seated (e)a_n de_ a!llw| a)pokalufqh=| kaqhme/nw|,