The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation

Steve Moyise examines the relationship between the new context that John provides for his allusions, and their context in the Old Testament. For example, did John choose texts to meet the needs of the recipients, or did his meditation on the scriptures give him a unique insight into their situation? Some hold that local knowledge led to John’s choice of texts, whereas others believe that Revelation is a midrash on Daniel. Moyise contends that both of these perspectives are one sided through a study of John’s use of Ezekiel. John based a number of his incidents on Ezekiel, in much the same order. Nevertheless, there are also major discontinuities, such as his denial of the very thing—the temple—that Ezekiel 40-48 is all about. To do justice to John’s use of the Old Testament requires an interactive model, which involves the use of scripture at Qumran and the concept of intertextuality. Moyise shows John to be a master of combining and juxtaposing images.