47 An Explanation for the Anacolutha in the Book of Revelation 7. Further Complicated Anacolutha περιβεβλημένους, 7:9 is accusative when one would expect nomina- tive so as to relate to ὄχλος πολὺς (masc.). ὄχλος πολὺς is nominative because it follows ἰδοὺ.. Charles suggests that John made a mistake72. Aune suggests that περιβεβλημένους is accusative because it is the object of εἶδον, even though ἰδοὺ ὄχλος πολύς intervenes73. His proposal begs the question why ὄχλος πολύς is not accusative as well. The text appears to be written as a chiasm74: εἶδον (expects acc. object) καὶ ἰδοὺ (expects nom.) ὄχλος πολύς ὃν ἀριθμῆσαι… ἑστῶτες (nom.) ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου περιβεβλημένους (acc.) στολὰς λευκὰς The reason appears to be because ὄχλος πολύς refers to people coming back from exile (cf. Jeremiah 38:8 (LXX)). Such an event raises ques- tions regarding the relationship between the people and the land that they are returning to. Have the people reconciled to their God? The chiastic head emphasizes that the people have come back from exile and περιβεβλημένους στολὰς λευκὰς tells the reader that they are right with their God. Consequently one can ‘look’ at the people from two angles: ‘ἰδοὺ these people are returning [humilitated] exiles… εἶδον a restored and forgiven people’. It would be expected that βλεπόντων (gen.), 17:8 would be nominative to conform to οἱ κατοικοῦντες. However, the genitive formulates a bond between βλεπόντων and ‘ὧν οὐ γέγραπται…’75. This has the pragmatic effect of focusing on the fact that those who are amazed upon seeing the Beast most certainly do not have their names written in the book of life. 8. Ἀκούω + acc. + gen. 1:10-11 καὶ ἤκουσα ὀπίσω μου φωνὴν μεγάλην ὡς σάλπιγγος 11 λεγούσης Charles, A Critical, vol. I, 210. 72 Aune, Revelation, 429. 73 For more discussion on chiasms see John W. & Daniel B. McKinlay Welch, ed. Chiasmus 74 Bibliography (Provo 1998); I. Thomson, Chiasmus in the Pauline Letters (JSNT Supplement Series, 111; Sheffield 1995); J. Breck, The Shape of Biblical Language: Chiasmus in the Scrip- tures and Beyond (Crestwood 1994); N. Lund. Chiasmus in the New Testament (Peabody, MA 1992); J. Welch, Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures, Analyses, Exegesis (Hildesheim 1981). Similarly Aune, Revelation, 910. 75