Iwan M. Whiteley 44 understandable proposition. Charles suggests that this is because ληνὸς in classical Greek was masculine60. It may be that the reader recognized this, but they would still look for a possible masculine antecedent because John has not directed the reader to look for classical precursors. Beale, following Laughlin, suggests that ‘…τὸν μέγαν appears to modify the masculine form of ληνὸς in Isa. 63:2… “I have trodden the winepress… and I will tread them in my anger…”’61. Although the personal pronoun is referring to the referent of the metaphor in Isaiah, this proposal to explain τὸν μέγαν is unlikely. A Hebrew suffix in Isaiah 63:3, referring to people does not appear to align itself comfortably with τὸν μέγαν, which appears to qualify the winepress. It is more likely that John is referring to σεισμὸς, the earthquake in 6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19. The evidence that τὸν μέγαν is referring to the earthquake can be seen in the next mention of earthquake (16:18-19), where earthquake and ‘wine of the fury of His anger’ are blended, showing that John considers them to be semantically related. It may be that the reader was not supposed to see the link until καὶ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας… τηλικοῦτος σεισμὸς οὕτω μέγας, 16:18-19. ὄγδοός (masc.), 17:11 refers to the man behind τὸ θηρίον (neut.); οὗτοι (masc.), 17:16 refers to the male leaders behind τὰ δέκα κέρατα… τὸ θηρίον62; λεγόντων (masc.), 19:1, 6 refers to the God speaking behind φωνὴν μεγάλην (fem.). The phrase is complicated because the text has blended God (φωνὴν μεγάλην cf. Exodus 19:16) with His people (ὄχλου πολλοῦ cf. Revelation 7:9). The case and number of λεγόντων refers to the blend of God and His people. τῆς καιομένης ἐν θείῳ (fem.), 19:20 refers to the θάλασσαν ὑαλίνην μεμιγμένην πυρὶ (15:2) concept behind τοῦ πυρὸς (neut.). 4. Collective nouns Sometimes, Revelation qualifies a singular collective noun with a plu- ral verb. However, this is not uncommon in the Greek NT generally. In 7:9, ἑστῶτες… περιβεβλημένους… are plural participles that qualify ὄχλος πολύς and in 13:4, προσεκύνησαν elaborates ἡ γῆ. Charles, A Critical, vol. II, 24. 60 Beale, The Book, 779; T. Laughlin, The Solecisms of the Apocalypse (Princeton 1902) 61 13. Also Beale, The Book, 886. 62