Substantive editing sample 55:
Apocalypse themes

In religious text, an editor need not be an adherent of the author's belief system, but he or she must ensure that the result faithfully represents the author's religious tenets. Much religious writing employs extended metaphors and symbolism; and this piece, discussing the Book of Revelation, explores deep symbolic associations with liturgical themes and objects. I examined each scriptural reference to ensure its relevance to the discussion. I needed to research works outside the Bible as well, to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the author's points. To provide needed elaboration of unexplained assertions, I needed to move other parts of the author's manuscript into this piece. My revision involved inserting (and sometimes deleting) footnotes and their callouts and ensuring that they were assembled properly. The piece also needed extensive work on visual presentation (format)—including placement of figures—word choice, parallelism, usage, and general readability.

Note: The author of this piece was not a native English speaker. He very much appreciated the heavy commentary that explained my thinking behind the many suggested revisions. The highlighted comments elucidated for him many of the subtle peculiarities of American English.

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This sample is presented here with the author’s permission.

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Theme, Skeleton, Genre, Recapitulation, and Coherence The themes within the Apocalypse are in some way result of the binding text and context features in the analysis of the content of the Book of Revelation. There are three basic themes and few others of symbolic characters within these three themes. The basic themes are:37 God is in control, Jesus will return, and salvation is for all. The dominant symbolic themes within the other basic themes are: the messianic war (Rev 1, 16; 2, 12),38 the eschatological exodus (Rev 1: 5—6; 5:9—10),39 the justice and judgment of God (Rev 6:1—10, 10),40 the cosmic transformation and the new creation (Rev 1:10—20; 4, 5; 6:12—14, 17; 7:1, 2—17; 11, 16, 18; 19; 20:11, 21:1)41 and the heavenly temple and its liturgy. This liturgical theme is particularly relevant in the characterization of the Apocalypse. It relates specifically to different scenes: the appearance of the Lamb (Rev 5, 6), God’s sanctuary (Rev 3, 12; 7, 15; 11:1—2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15: 5—6, 8; 16:1, 17), the dwelling (Rev 13:6), the liturgical objects and furnishing such as the seven-branched lampstand or menorah (Rev 1:12—13, 20; 2:1, 5; 11:4), the divine throne guarded by the living creatures or cherubim (Rev 4:6—8), altar of incense (Rev 6:9; 8:3—5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7), the sea (Rev 4:6; 15:2), the altar (Rev 11:1; 16:7), the ark of the Covenant (Rev 11, 19), the harps (Rev 5, 8; 14:2; 15:2), the trumpets (Rev 8:2) and the libation bowls (Rev 15:7; 16:1). The words and actions of the Apocalypse are highly meaningful in the worshipping sense of the text in the temple at Jerusalem. These words and actions are: the opening and the reading of the scrolls, the holding of palms, the offering of incense at the time of prayer, the blowing of trumpets, the offering of the first fruits, the opening of the Sanctuary, the glorification in the Sanctuary, the libation with the bowls, the divine worship, the thanksgiving, and the acts of praising and singing of hymns. Thus, scenes and actions constitute the liturgical setting of the Apocalypse. All of them interact to frame the worshipping act and human-God communication. This is the liturgical act and carries a complex world of messages, interpretations, and implications over human beings. The conditions of proper interpretation of the Book of Revelation are subscribed to three basic implications. The first is the linear plot as described by Jon Paulien42 discharging any possible circular theory of recapitulation. In other words, there is an ordered fluency of the events and implied understanding: all events are subscribed as historical facts, one after the other. There is not a come back to change the plot. The second implication is the important role of the liturgy in great part of the Book of Revelation (Rev 8: 2—end). The third implication is the Parousia or the Day of the Lord or the Atonement Day in a “thousand years” at the reign of Christ (Rev 20: 4—6). These implications are added therefore to the framework of the Apocalypse as liturgical act. The literary structure, besides these scenes and implications, completes the central framework of the Apocalypse and its consolidation as a genre. Its structural skeleton points to elucidating variations specifying other trends and characterizing time and space typically as a fundamental referent frame. The structure is outlined by the texts43 that together into the context, constitute a final outcome and a paradigm of understanding. In the Book of Revelation, the study of genre becomes a central purpose in its comprehension and application. The of the Book of Revelation. The intensive study in the development of Ruiz’ graduate course is an inexhaustible resource.44 The most relevant feature that has brought my attention is the complex kaleidoscopical nature of the Book of Revelation. Vern Sheridan Poythress45 indicates this in his work on Rev 20: 1—6 and emphasizes the levels of communication: a) linguistic (under inspiration addressing the seven churches in Rev 13: 1—8); b) visionary (in the visionary experience in Rev 1: 10; 4: 2); c) referential (in the history of the beast in Rev 17: 9, 12); and d) symbolical (in transferring from symbol to history in the description of the beast, what the horns and the beast stand for, in Rev 13: 1—8). Poythress also distinguishes,46 still in a middle of controversies, the symbolic significance, and compares Rev 13: 1—8 with Rev 1: 1—13. Finally, Poythress mentions the literalism that relates to all those premillennialist claims, literally the first resurrection that neglects the central character of the God of the visions in Rev 1: 12—16; 4: 1—5, 14. As a result of this conception putting together genre and text, we can consider with Poythress47 that the correspondence in Revelation between vision and context should be with less dogmatism. Studying text and context, the intertextuality is extremely important. It is so important that in the Apocalypse produces the claim that John is appropriating other writers’ texts.48 That is, adapting Apocalypse to his own context.49 John appears “modeling his book on Ezequiel”:50 Ezek 1 in Rev 4, Ezek 9—10 in Rev 7—8, Ezek 16, 23 in Rev 17, Ezek 26—27 in Rev 18, and Ezek 37—48 in Rev 20—22. By the same token, many commentators are impressed by the correspondence in the sequence in Ezek 37—48 (Moyise):51 the first resurrection (Rev 20: 5) with the revival of dry bones (Ezek 37: 21); the saints rule for thousand years (Rev 20: 4) with the reunited kingdom (Ezek 37: 21); Gog and Magog battle (Rev 20: 8) with (the same) Gog and Magog battle (Ezek 38: 2); the gorging of the birds (Rev 19: 21) with the (same) gorging of the birds (Ezek 39: 4); taken to high mountain (Rev 21: 10) with (the same) taken to high mountain (Ezek 40: 2); the city is measured (Rev 21: 15) with the temple is measured (Ezek 40: 5); the city full of God’s glory (Rev 21: 23) with the temple full of God’s glory (Ezek 43: 2); and river of life (Rev 22: 2) with (the same) river of life (Ezek 47: 12). Charles Homer Giblin52 underlines also within the literary trend in the Book of Revelation the recapitulation of themes, plots and focus, and the literary coherence. The recapitulation is the repetition in a specific pattern such as in the trumpet blasts in Rev 8: 6 through 11: 15 and the libation bowls in Rev 16: 1—21. The recapitulation is a central issue, says Giblin, as a “plot line of the vision and its progressive articulation.”53 An error is to “historicize” any piece of John’s vision. This interpretation in a clock time framework of calendar, centuries, eras, or periods of political or social predominance is a “fatal error.”54 John’s determination of time is typological, states Giblin, such as in the day of Lamb’s triumph for coming. Divisions should be used therefore, concludes Giblin, to provide focus on justice and earthly answer (for example, in the fifth, and sixth unsealing), to distinguish the signs of the First Day underway with the first four trumpets, from the last moment of tribulation with the three woes), within a specific narration (Rev 16: 1—21; 19: 11—21; 20: 1—10; 20: 11—21; 8) and also an explanation (Rev 17: 1—19; 19; 21: 9—22; 6: 8—11). 37 Archeological Study Bible: An Illustrated walk through Biblical History and Culture. NIV. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005, 2044. 38 Bauckham, “The Apocalypse as a Christian War Scroll” in The Climax of Prophecy, 210-237. 39 Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, “Redemption as Liberation.” In The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment (Philadelphia: Fortress Press), 68-81. 40 Allison A. Trites, “The New Testament Concept of Witness.” N. T. S. Monograph Series (31). Cambridge: CUP 1977, 156-158 41 Gale Z. Heide, “What is New About the New Heaven and the New Earth? A Theology of Creation from Revelation 21 and 2 Peter 3,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 40/1 (March 1977): 37-56. 42 Jon Paulien, “The Role of the Hebrew Cultus, Sanctuary and Temple in the Plot and Structure of the Book of Revelation.“ Andrews University Seminary Studies, 33, 2 (1995): 261. 43 Ralph J. Korner, “And I saw...” An Apocalyptic Literary Convention for Structural Identification in the Apocalypse.” Novum Testamentum, XLII, 2, (Koninklijke NV, Leiden 2000): 160-183. 44 Jean-Pierre Ruiz. Course New Testament Apocalyptic, THE 274. St. John’s University, Queens, New York: Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Summer 2012. 45 Poythress, Vern S., “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20: 1—6. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 36 (1993): 41-54. 46 Ibid., 43-48. 47 Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20: 1—6,” 54. 48 Steve Moyise, “Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures? Andrews University Seminary Studies, 40, 1 (2002): 3-21. 49 Rhoads, From Every People and Nation: 225. 50 Moyise, “Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures?” 6. 51 Ibid., 9. 52 Charles Homer Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 56 (1994) 1: 81-95. 53 Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” 9. 54 Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” 10.

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Theme, Literary: Theme, Skeleton, Genre, Recapitulation, and Coherence [Back on page 15 in the manuscript, you stated "Using a criterion of theme frequency and researching the documents most available to me, I selected four basic trends: (1) domination: tension and resistance, with thematic interrelationships based on reality; (2) ideology and interpretation (the 'crossing gap' between text and context, related primarily to content; (3) deconstruction {theopolitics and negativism} versus construction in an environment of positive and negative outcome; and (4) the literary approach to text and context, probably the approach most explored and therefore the central track underlying the other three trends)"--this subheading begins the discussion of trend number (4), so I think starting the subheading with the word Literary: is appropriate] The themes The literary themes within the Apocalypse are in some way result way a result of the binding text and context features in the analysis of the content of the Book of Revelation. There are three basic themes and few themes—God is in control, Jesus will return, and salvation is for all. is for all37—and a few others of symbolic characters within of symbolic character within these three themes. The basic themes are: God is in control, Jesus will return, and salvation is for all. [This was a very long (and rather muddy) paragraph, about "dominant symbolic themes" within the three "basic themes" you listed in the preceding paragraph. In my revision I have given each of the symbolic themes its own paragraph, and I found much of the content for these paragraphs elsewhere in the manuscript] The dominant Among the dominant symbolic themes within the other basic the three basic themes are: the messianic are: The messianic war The justice and judgment of God [your second dominant symbolic theme was the "eschatological exodus," referring to Rev 1:5–6 and 5:9–10, and citing Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, “Redemption as Liberation (Rev 1:5–6 and 5:9–10),” in The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment (Philadelphia: Fortress Press), 68–81, but the essence of those scriptural verses were about Jesus being the "firstborn from the dead" who has "made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father" and about elders with harps singing about how Jesus purchased men with his blood and are bringing every nation "to be a kingdom" and to "reign on the earth"... which you did not explain--and after our email exchange on this, you agreed to drop this "dominant symbolic theme" as well as the Schüssler Fiorenza citation] The cosmic transformation and the new creation The heavenly temple and its liturgy The messianic war (Rev 1, 16; 2, 12)38 the eschatological exodus (Rev 1: 5—6; 5:9—10) [see my revision of these scriptural references] war (Rev 1:16; 2:12)38 is introduced with a vision of the divine warrior, identified by a sharp two-edged sword coming out of its mouth (cf. Is 11:14). The risen Christ will use this sword to fight the unrepentant follower of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:15–16) before the final battle to strike the nations (Rev 19:15) and slaughter the armies of His opponents (Rev 19:21). [I found this material related to the messianic war on page 41 of the manuscript; is it all right that I moved it here, which seems a more suitable place? I edited it to conform with standards and to be consistent with the rest of the manuscript.] The justice and judgment of God (Rev 6:1—10, 10)40 God (Rev 6:1–10, 10)39 [what do you mean by the second "10" here? all of chapter 10?] is a dominant symbolic theme intimately linked with the theme of witness. The Book of Revelation itself is “the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1–2). The divine judgment starts with the edicts and warnings within the messages to five of the seven churches (Rev 2–3). Before the judgment begins, the Lamb must break all seven seals. The breaking of the first four seals is in Rev 6:1–2; the second, third, and fourth horsemen (Rev 6:3–8) imply divine judgments involving murder, oppression, war, famine, and disease in a way that recalls the Isrealites’ fearsome punishment when they broke God’s law (Lev 26:14–46; Dt 28:15–69; Jer 29:17–19; Ezek 5:1–17). Then the world will groan, expecting the great day of divine anger and judgment (Rev 6; 12). A plan of the salvation of many of God’s people will follow (Rev 7:1–17). There is a gradual intensification of God’s judgments announced by the seven trumpets and the bowl plagues (Rev 8:2–11, 14; 15:1–16; 17). The final justice of God is seen when the New Jerusalem is descending from God out of heaven; it is described as the dwelling of God among mankind (Rev 20:3–4) and the reward for his servants (Rev 11:18; 22:3–4). God’s justice and judgment is a pervasive theme throughout the Book of Revelation. [I found this material related to the justice and judgment of God on page 32 of the manuscript; is it all right that I moved it here, which seems a more suitable place? I edited it to conform with standards and to be consistent with the rest of the manuscript.] The cosmic transformation and the new creation (Rev 1:10—20; 4, 5; 6:12—14, 17; 7:1, 2—17; 11, 16, 18; 19; 20:11, 21:1) is [I assume in addition to individual verses, you are referring to all of chapters 4, 5, 11, 16, 18, and 19; actually I found the material related to the cosmic transformation and the new creation on page 39 of the manuscript, and I assume that it is all right that I moved it here, which seems a more suitable place. (again, I edited it to conform with standards and to be consistent with the rest of the manuscript). For one thing, the scriptural references were more focused (and I did check each one, correcting as necessary). The citation to Heide appears at the end of the paragraph.] creation is a dominant symbolic theme originating with the post-exilic Hebrew prophets (Is 24–27; 56–66; Hag 22:7). (See Figure 21.) [This is the figure you captioned "The new creation: A scene from the Iraq War." I will continue to monitor the numbering and placement of these figures through the production process (and during the monitoring process I am highlighting in yellow); if any figure does not appear on the same page or the facing page of the text referring to it (which is the best layout, but not always possible), I will ensure a page reference is added] The cosmic imagery is a symbolization of the profound transformation of “the first heaven and the first earth” into “the new heaven and the new earth,” which is biblical language for God dwelling among men and the consummation of God’s promises (Rev 21:1). After the first vision of the risen Christ in the midst of the seven lampstands (Rev 1:10–20), there is an ascent “in spirit” to the throne of God toward a perspective of the future (Rev 4–5). Then Christ, represented as the Lamb, takes a sealed scroll from God and proceeds to break the seals. After the Lamb breaks the last scroll, the dissolution of “the first heaven and the first earth” assumes the apocalyptical form of “the Day of the Lord” (Rev 6:12–14). The dramatic events are displayed; angels at the four corners of the earth restrain the winds (Rev 7:1; see Figure 22) [this is the figure you captioned "Angels restraining the four winds."] to prepare those to be saved from the great day of divine anger (Rev 6:17; 7:2–17). After the breaking of the seven seals comes the series of seven trumpet blasts announcing the judgments manifested by falling heavenly bodies (Rev 8–9; see Figure 23) [This is the figure you captioned "Falling bodies."]. After the libation of the seven bowls, a tremendous earthquake (Rev 6:12; 11:19; 16:18) causes “the first earth” to disappear (Rev 16:18–20). A destructive hail indicates the precipitation of “the first heaven” (Rev 16:21). Then, when the final judgment arrives (Rev 20:11) and there is no more sea (Rev 21:1), those who were destroying the Earth will themselves be destroyed (Rev 11:18). The following negative realities will be no more: Babylon (Rev 19:2–3), death and Hades (Rev 20:14; 21:4), the devil (Rev 20:10), the Beast and the false prophet (Rev 19:20) and their followers (Rev 14:9–11), unrepentant reprobates (Rev 21:8–27; 22:15), the sea (as opposed to heaven) (Rev 21:1), sorrow, mourning, and pain (Rev 21:4), and every curse (Rev 22:3).40 A final dominant symbolic theme is the heavenly temple and its liturgy. This liturgical theme is particularly relevant in the characterization of the Apocalypse. It relates Apocalypse; it relates specifically to different scenes: the appearance of the Lamb (Rev 5, 6) Lamb (Rev 5; 6), God’s sanctuary (Rev 3, 12; 7, 15; 11:1—2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15: 5—6, 8; 16:1, 17) [see my revision of these references] sanctuary (Rev 3:12; 7:15; 11:1–2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5–6, 8; 16:1, 17), the dwelling (Rev 13:6), the liturgical (Rev 13:6), such liturgical objects and furnishing such as and furnishings as the seven-branched lampstand or lampstand, or menorah (Rev 1:12—13, 20; 2:1, 5; 11:4) menorah (Rev 1:12–13, 20; 2:1, 5; 11:4), the divine throne guarded by the living creatures or creatures, or cherubim (Rev 4:6—8), altar cherubim (Rev 4:6–8), the altar of incense (Rev 6:9; 8:3—5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7) incense (Rev 6:9; 8:3–5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18; 16:7), the sea (Rev 4:6; 15:2), the altar (Rev 11:1; 16:7), [your "the altar" is essentially a repetition of "the altar of incense" (two items earlier), and here you repeated Rev 16:7; I consolidated the two items under "the altar of incense" and added (from here) Rev 11:1] the ark of the Ark of the Covenant (Rev 11, 19) Covenant (Rev 11:19), the harps (Rev 5, 8; 14:2; 15:2) harps (Rev 5:8; 14:2; 15:2; see Figure 24), [This is the figure you captioned "The seven harp-playing angels."] the trumpets (Rev 8:2) and (Rev 8:2), and the libation bowls (Rev 15:7; 16:1). [let's put a paragraph break here] The words and actions of the Apocalypse are highly meaningful in the worshipping sense of the text in the in the sense of worship in the temple at Jerusalem. These words and actions are: the opening and the reading of the scrolls, the holding of palms, the offering of incense at the time of prayer, the blowing of trumpets, the offering of the first fruits, the opening of the Sanctuary, the glorification in the Sanctuary, the the sanctuary, the glorification in the sanctuary, the libation with the bowls, the divine worship, the thanksgiving, and the thanksgiving, the acts of praising and singing praising, and the singing of hymns. Thus, scenes hymns. All these scenes and actions constitute the liturgical setting of the Apocalypse. All of Apocalypse; all of them interact to frame the worshipping act and human-God communication. and communication between humans and God. This is the liturgical act ["worshipping act" "liturgical act"--so many "acts" make for awkward, rather confusing prose, since the "liturgical act" is really the "liturgy"] and carries a complex world of The liturgy embodies a complex combination [OK? a "liturgical act" cannot "carry" a "world" of anything] of messages, interpretations, and implications over human beings implications for proper human conduct. [OK? "implications over human beings" is obscure] The conditions of proper conditions for a proper interpretation of the Book of Revelation are subscribed to three Revelation require three [is "require" what you mean? "are subscribed to" is unclear] basic implications. basic implications: [I created a bulleted list here, introduced by the preceding sentence (a numbered list would be appropriate only if there is a significance with each of the numbers, and the order was crucial--and each item would be referred to later by number)] The first is the linear The linear plot as described by Jon Paulien42 discharging Paulien,41 discharging any possible circular theory of recapitulation. In other words, there is an ordered fluency of the events and implied and an implied understanding: all events understanding: All events are subscribed as are described as historical facts, one after the other. There is not a come back to is no episodic repetition and enlargement to change the plot. [is this what you mean? I gathered that from researching Paulien, p. 261, available on the Web] The second implication is the important The important role of the liturgy in great part of the liturgy in most of the Book of Revelation (Rev 8: 2—end) Revelation (Rev 8: 2–end). The third implication is the Parousia or The Parousia, or the Day of the Lord or Lord, or the Atonement Day in a “thousand years” at the years” in the reign of Christ (Rev 20: 4—6). Christ (Rev 20:4–6) (see Figure 25). [This is the figure you captioned "Parousia."] These implications are added therefore to are essential to the framework of the Apocalypse as liturgical as a liturgical act. The literary structure, besides these scenes and implications, completes the central framework of the Apocalypse and its consolidation as a genre. Its structural skeleton points to elucidating variations specifying other trends and characterizing time and space typically as a fundamental referent frame. The structure is outlined by the texts43 that together into the texts42 that, together with the context, constitute a final outcome and a paradigm of understanding. In the Book of Revelation, the study understanding. The study of genre becomes a central purpose in its comprehension in the comprehension and application. The of application of the Book of Revelation. The intensive study in the development of Ruiz’ graduate of Ruiz’s graduate course is course43 is an inexhaustible resource.44 The resource. The most relevant feature that has brought my feature brought to my attention is the complex kaleidoscopical nature complex kaleidoscopic nature of the Book of Revelation. Vern Sheridan Poythress45 indicates Sheridan Poythress44 indicates this in his work on Rev 20: 1—6 and emphasizes Rev 20:1–6, and he emphasizes the levels of communication: [I created another (much easier to read) bulleted list here, introduced by the preceding sentence (a numbered list would be appropriate only if there is a significance with each of the numbers, and the order was crucial--and each item would be referred to later by number); also note that each item can begin with a lowercase letter because none of the items are a complete sentence--in fact, they are an extension of the lead-in sentence] a) linguistic linguistic (under inspiration addressing the seven churches in Rev 13: 1—8) in Rev 13:1–8); b) visionary visionary (in the visionary experience in Rev 1: 10; 4: 2 visionary experiences in Rev 1:10; 4:2); c) referential (in the history of the beast referential (in the history of the Beast in Rev 17: 9, 12 in Rev 17:9, 12); and d) symbolical symbolical (in transferring from symbol to history in the description of the beast, what the Beast, what the horns and the beast stand the Beast stand for, in Rev 13: 1—8 in Rev 13:1–8). Poythress also distinguishes,46 still distinguishes,45 still in a middle of controversies, the symbolic significance, and compares Rev 13: 1—8 with Rev 1: 1—13 significance of the book, and he compares Rev 13:1–8 with Rev 1:1–13. Finally, Poythress mentions Finally, he mentions the literalism that relates to all that underlies all those premillennialist claims, literally the first resurrection that neglects resurrection, which neglects ["neglects"?? I don't understand] the central character of the God of the visions in Rev 1: 12—16; 4: 1—5, 14 in Rev 1:12–16; 4:1–5:14. [(1) There is no verse 14 in chapter 4... After some research, I realized you did not mean chapter 14 (in its entirety), but you were extending the citation from Rev 4:1 all the way to 5:14; (2) You needed some elaboration on your points here from Poythress's work, so I moved relevant text you had on page 49 of the manuscript to this place, editing it as needed] The centrality of the visions in these texts points to God as Lord and Judge of history, the Alpha and the Omega, the Creator and Consummator. The seals, the trumpets, and the bowls emanate from God’s throne, His angels, and His temple. The dragon, the Beast, and the false prophet are counterfeits of the Trinity. This is therefore a central symbolism of a theophany overflowing to the vision of God.46 [I inserted this footnote callout here] God filling all with His glory (Rev 21:23) is the theophanic norm rather than the exception in the optimal interpretation of the Revelation that maximizes the literal level while collapsing the symbolic level.47 [I inserted this footnote callout here] As a result of this conception putting together genre and text this combining of genre and text, we can consider with Poythress47 that with Poythress48 that the correspondence in Revelation between vision and context should be with be asserted with less dogmatism. Studying text When we study text and context, the intertextuality is extremely important. It is so important that in the Apocalypse produces the claim that Apocalypse we might infer that John is appropriating other writers’ texts.48 writers’ texts.49 [is this what you mean?] That is, adapting That is, John is adapting Apocalypse to his own context.49 John own context.50 John appears “modeling appears to be “modeling his book on Ezequiel”:50 Ezek on Ezequiel”:51 Ezek 1 in Rev 4, Ezek 9—10 in Rev 7—8, Ezek 16, 23 in Rev 17, Ezek 26—27 in Rev 18, and Ezek 37—48 in Rev 20—22 Ezek 9–10 in Rev 7–8, Ezek 16, 23 in Rev 17, Ezek 26–27 in Rev 18, and Ezek 37–48 in Rev 20–22. By the same token, many commentators are impressed by the correspondence in the sequence in Ezek 37—48 (Moyise):51 the in Ezek 37–48 (Moyise52): the first resurrection (Rev 20: 5) with resurrection (Rev 20:5) with the revival of dry bones (Ezek 37: 21); the bones (Ezek 37:1–14); [the dry bones are revived earlier than verse 21] the saints rule for thousand saints rule for a thousand years (Rev 20: 4) with years (Rev 20:4) with the reunited kingdom (Ezek 37: 21); Gog kingdom (Ezek 37:21); Gog and Magog battle (Rev 20: 8) with Magog battling (Rev 20:8) with (the same) Gog and Magog battle (Ezek 38: 2); the Magog battling (Ezek 38:2); the gorging of the birds (Rev 19: 21) with birds (Rev 19:21) with the (same) gorging of the birds (Ezek 39: 4); taken to birds (Ezek 39:4); being taken to high to a high mountain (Rev 21: 10) with mountain (Rev 21:10) with (the same) taken same) being taken to high mountain (Ezek 40: 2); the mountain (Ezek 40:2); the city is measured (Rev 21: 15) with city being measured (Rev 21:15) with the temple is measured (Ezek 40: 5); the temple being measured (Ezek 40:5); the city full of God’s glory (Rev 21: 23) with glory (Rev 21:23) with the temple full of God’s glory (Ezek 43: 2); and river glory (Ezek 43:2); and the river of life (Rev 22: 2) with life (Rev 22:2) with (the same) river of life (Ezek 47: 12) life (Ezek 47:12). (See Figure 26.) [This is the figure you captioned "The river of life."]. Charles Homer Giblin52 underlines also within Giblin also underlines within the literary trend in the Book of Revelation the recapitulation of themes, plots and focus, and the literary coherence. The coherence.53 The recapitulation is the repetition in a specific pattern such pattern, such as in the trumpet blasts in Rev 8: 6 through 11: 15 and in Rev 8:6 through 11:15 and the libation bowls in Rev 16: 1—21. The in Rev 16:1–21. The recapitulation is a central issue, says Giblin, as a “plot line of the vision and its progressive articulation.”53 An error is to “historicize” any articulation.”54 To “historicize” any piece of John’s vision. This interpretation in a clock time framework vision would be an error. Any interpretation in a clock-time framework of calendar, centuries, eras, or periods of political or social predominance is a “fatal error.”54 John’s error.”55 John’s determination of time is typological, states Giblin, such as in the day of Lamb’s of the Lamb’s triumph for coming. [either "triumph" or "coming" but not both] Divisions triumph. Divisions should be used therefore, concludes should be used, concludes Giblin, to provide focus on justice and earthly answer (for earthly concerns [right?] (for example, in the fifth, and sixth unsealing), to fifth, and sixth unsealings), to distinguish the signs of the First Day underway with the first four trumpets, from the last moment of tribulation with the three woes), within a specific narration (Rev 16: 1—21; 19: 11—21; 20: 1—10; 20: 11—21; 8) [I reordered the references here in biblical book order (chapter 8 comes before 16:1-21); there is no 20:11-21 (chapter 20 ends with verse 15)] and also an explanation (Rev 17: 1—19; 19; 21: 9—22; 6: 8—11) [I reordered the references here in biblical book order (6:8-11 comes before 17:1-19); there is no 17:1-19 (chapter 17 ends with verse 18)] narration (Rev 8; 16:1–21; 19:11–21; 20:1–10) and also with an explanation (Rev 6:8–11; 17; 19; 21:9–22). 37 Archeological Study Bible: An Illustrated walk through [capitalization in titles should conform to Chicago Manual even if the actual title treats capitalization differently] Illustrated Walk through Biblical History and Culture. NIV. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005, 2044 Culture, NIV (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 2044. [I am assuming you are referring to page 2044 in this work--"2044" looks like a future year] 38 Bauckham Richard Bauckham, “The Apocalypse as a Christian War Scroll” in Scroll,” in The Climax of Prophecy, 210-237 Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (New York: T. & T. Clark, 2005), 210–37. [the citation is to chapter 8 in Bauckham's book (the entire book cited in footnotes 1, 5, and 25), but it is not necessary to designate the chapter number in this footnote (the page range suffices)] 39 Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, “Redemption as Liberation.” In The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment (Philadelphia: Fortress Press), 68–81. 40 39 Allison A. Trites, “The New Testament Concept of Witness.” N. T. S. Monograph Series (31). Cambridge: CUP 1977, 156-158 Trites, The New Testament Concept of Witness, Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 31 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1977), 156–58. 41 40 Gale Z. Heide, “What is New About the [capitalization in titles should conform to Chicago Manual even if the actual title treats capitalization differently] Heide, “What Is New About the New Heaven and the New Earth? A Theology of Creation from Revelation 21 and 2 Peter 3,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 40/1 (March 1977): 37-56 Society 40, no. 1 (March 1977): 37–56. 42 41 Jon Paulien, “The Role of the Hebrew Cultus, Sanctuary and Sanctuary, and Temple in the Plot and Structure of the Book of Revelation.“ Andrews University Seminary Studies, 33, 2 (1995): 261 Revelation,“ Andrews University Seminary Studies 33, no. 2 (1995): 261. [this work is not listed in your bibliography] 43 42 Ralph J. Korner, “And I saw...” An Korner, “‘And I saw...’ An Apocalyptic Literary Convention for Structural Identification in the Apocalypse.” Novum Testamentum, XLII, 2, (Koninklijke NV, Leiden 2000): 160-183. Apocalypse,” Novum Testamentum 42, no. 2 (2000): 160–83. 44 43 Jean-Pierre Ruiz. Course New Testament Apocalyptic, THE 274. St. John’s University, Queens, New York: Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Summer 2012 Jean-Pierre Ruiz, “New Testament Apocalyptic,” course THE 274, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, St. John’s University, Queens, NY, Summer 2012. 45 44 Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20: 1–6,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 36 (1993): 41-54 Vern S. Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20: 1—6. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36 (1993): 41–54. 46 45 Ibid., 43-48 Ibid., 43–48. 46 [Inserted footnote] Ibid., 52. 47 [Inserted footnote] Ibid. 47 48 Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20: 1—6,” 54 Ibid., 54. 48 49 Steve Moyise, “Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures? Andrews University Seminary Studies, 40, 1 (2002): 3-21 Scriptures?” Andrews University Seminary Studies 40, no. 1 (2002): 3–21. 49 50 Rhoads, From David Rhoads, ed., From Every People and Nation: 225 Nation: The Book of Revelation in Intercultural Perspective (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 225. 50 51 Moyise, “Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures?” 6. 51 52 Ibid., 9 Ibid., 9. 52 53 Charles Homer Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” Catholic Apocalypse.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 56 (1994) 1: 81-95 Quarterly 56, no. 1 (1994): 81–95. 53 54 Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” 9 Ibid., 9. [footnote 53 (was footnote 52) and the bibliography gives this work a page range of 81-95. Page 9 falls out of that range (is it possible the relevant information was within pages 81-95 of Giblin?)... in any event, a footnote is required, because you are providing an actual quote from Giblin--just not on page 9 of that issue of Catholic Biblical Quarterly] 54 55 Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” 10 Ibid., 10. [footnote 53 (was footnote 52) and the bibliography gives this work a page range of 81-95. Page 10 falls out of that range (is it possible the relevant information was within pages 81-95 of Giblin?)... in any event, a footnote is required, because you are providing an actual quote from Giblin--just not on page 10 of that issue of Catholic Biblical Quarterly]

Result
The figure callouts are still highlighted in yellow because their placement and whether a page reference is needed must be monitored during the production (post-edit) process. Also there are two outstanding issues still unresolved from the first pass: the last two footnotes.
Click to go to the next sample in the series.

Literary: Theme, Skeleton, Genre, Recapitulation, and Coherence The literary themes within the Apocalypse are in some way a result of the binding text and context features in the analysis of the content of the Book of Revelation. There are three basic themes—God is in control, Jesus will return, and salvation is for all37—and a few others of symbolic character within these three themes. Among the dominant symbolic themes within the three basic themes are: The messianic war The justice and judgment of God The cosmic transformation and the new creation The heavenly temple and its liturgy The messianic war (Rev 1:16; 2:12)38 is introduced with a vision of the divine warrior, identified by a sharp two-edged sword coming out of its mouth (cf. Is 11:14). The risen Christ will use this sword to fight the unrepentant follower of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:15–16) before the final battle to strike the nations (Rev 19:15) and slaughter the armies of His opponents (Rev 19:21). The justice and judgment of God (Rev 6:1–10, 10)39 is a dominant symbolic theme intimately linked with the theme of witness. The Book of Revelation itself is “the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1–2). The divine judgment starts with the edicts and warnings within the messages to five of the seven churches (Rev 2–3). Before the judgment begins, the Lamb must break all seven seals. The breaking of the first four seals is in Rev 6:1–2; the second, third, and fourth horsemen (Rev 6:3–8) imply divine judgments involving murder, oppression, war, famine, and disease in a way that recalls the Isrealites’ fearsome punishment when they broke God’s law (Lev 26:14–46; Dt 28:15–69; Jer 29:17–19; Ezek 5:1–17). Then the world will groan, expecting the great day of divine anger and judgment (Rev 6; 12). A plan of the salvation of many of God’s people will follow (Rev 7:1–17). There is a gradual intensification of God’s judgments announced by the seven trumpets and the bowl plagues (Rev 8:2–11, 14; 15:1–16; 17). The final justice of God is seen when the New Jerusalem is descending from God out of heaven; it is described as the dwelling of God among mankind (Rev 20:3–4) and the reward for his servants (Rev 11:18; 22:3–4). God’s justice and judgment is a pervasive theme throughout the Book of Revelation. The cosmic transformation and the new creation is a dominant symbolic theme originating with the post-exilic Hebrew prophets (Is 24–27; 56–66; Hag 22:7). (See Figure 21.) The cosmic imagery is a symbolization of the profound transformation of “the first heaven and the first earth” into “the new heaven and the new earth,” which is biblical language for God dwelling among men and the consummation of God’s promises (Rev 21:1). After the first vision of the risen Christ in the midst of the seven lampstands (Rev 1:10–20), there is an ascent “in spirit” to the throne of God toward a perspective of the future (Rev 4–5). Then Christ, represented as the Lamb, takes a sealed scroll from God and proceeds to break the seals. After the Lamb breaks the last scroll, the dissolution of “the first heaven and the first earth” assumes the apocalyptical form of “the Day of the Lord” (Rev 6:12–14). The dramatic events are displayed; angels at the four corners of the earth restrain the winds (Rev 7:1; see Figure 22) to prepare those to be saved from the great day of divine anger (Rev 6:17; 7:2–17). After the breaking of the seven seals comes the series of seven trumpet blasts announcing the judgments manifested by falling heavenly bodies (Rev 8–9; see Figure 23). After the libation of the seven bowls, a tremendous earthquake (Rev 6:12; 11:19; 16:18) causes “the first earth” to disappear (Rev 16:18–20). A destructive hail indicates the precipitation of “the first heaven” (Rev 16:21). Then, when the final judgment arrives (Rev 20:11) and there is no more sea (Rev 21:1), those who were destroying the Earth will themselves be destroyed (Rev 11:18). The following negative realities will be no more: Babylon (Rev 19:2–3), death and Hades (Rev 20:14; 21:4), the devil (Rev 20:10), the Beast and the false prophet (Rev 19:20) and their followers (Rev 14:9–11), unrepentant reprobates (Rev 21:8–27; 22:15), the sea (as opposed to heaven) (Rev 21:1), sorrow, mourning, and pain (Rev 21:4), and every curse (Rev 22:3).40 A final dominant symbolic theme is the heavenly temple and its liturgy. This liturgical theme is particularly relevant in the characterization of the Apocalypse; it relates specifically to different scenes: the appearance of the Lamb (Rev 5; 6), God’s sanctuary (Rev 3:12; 7:15; 11:1–2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5–6, 8; 16:1, 17), the dwelling (Rev 13:6), such liturgical objects and furnishings as the seven-branched lampstand, or menorah (Rev 1:12–13, 20; 2:1, 5; 11:4), the divine throne guarded by the living creatures, or cherubim (Rev 4:6–8), the altar of incense (Rev 6:9; 8:3–5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18; 16:7), the sea (Rev 4:6; 15:2), the Ark of the Covenant (Rev 11:19), the harps (Rev 5:8; 14:2; 15:2; see Figure 24), the trumpets (Rev 8:2), and the libation bowls (Rev 15:7; 16:1). The words and actions of the Apocalypse are highly meaningful in the sense of worship in the temple at Jerusalem. These words and actions are: the opening and the reading of the scrolls, the holding of palms, the offering of incense at the time of prayer, the blowing of trumpets, the offering of the first fruits, the opening of the sanctuary, the glorification in the sanctuary, the libation with the bowls, the divine worship, the thanksgiving, the acts of praising, and the singing of hymns. All these scenes and actions constitute the liturgical setting of the Apocalypse; all of them interact to frame the worshipping act and communication between humans and God. The liturgy embodies a complex combination of messages, interpretations, and implications for proper human conduct. The conditions for a proper interpretation of the Book of Revelation require three basic implications: The linear plot as described by Jon Paulien,41 discharging any possible circular theory of recapitulation. In other words, there is an ordered fluency of the events and an implied understanding: All events are described as historical facts, one after the other. There is no episodic repetition and enlargement to change the plot. The important role of the liturgy in most of the Book of Revelation (Rev 8: 2–end). The Parousia, or the Day of the Lord, or the Atonement Day in a “thousand years” in the reign of Christ (Rev 20:4–6) (see Figure 25). These implications are essential to the framework of the Apocalypse as a liturgical act. The literary structure, besides these scenes and implications, completes the central framework of the Apocalypse and its consolidation as a genre. Its structural skeleton points to elucidating variations specifying other trends and characterizing time and space typically as a fundamental referent frame. The structure is outlined by the texts42 that, together with the context, constitute a final outcome and a paradigm of understanding. The study of genre becomes a central purpose in the comprehension and application of the Book of Revelation. The intensive study in the development of Ruiz’s graduate course43 is an inexhaustible resource. The most relevant feature brought to my attention is the complex kaleidoscopic nature of the Book of Revelation. Vern Sheridan Poythress44 indicates this in his work on Rev 20:1–6, and he emphasizes the levels of communication: linguistic (under inspiration addressing the seven churches in Rev 13:1–8); visionary (in the visionary experiences in Rev 1:10; 4:2); referential (in the history of the Beast in Rev 17:9, 12); and symbolical (in transferring from symbol to history in the description of the Beast, what the horns and the Beast stand for, in Rev 13:1–8). Poythress also distinguishes,45 still in a middle of controversies, the symbolic significance of the book, and he compares Rev 13:1–8 with Rev 1:1–13. Finally, he mentions the literalism that underlies all those premillennialist claims, literally the first resurrection, which neglects the central character of the God of the visions in Rev 1:12–16; 4:1–5:14. The centrality of the visions in these texts points to God as Lord and Judge of history, the Alpha and the Omega, the Creator and Consummator. The seals, the trumpets, and the bowls emanate from God’s throne, His angels, and His temple. The dragon, the Beast, and the false prophet are counterfeits of the Trinity. This is therefore a central symbolism of a theophany overflowing to the vision of God.46 God filling all with His glory (Rev 21:23) is the theophanic norm rather than the exception in the optimal interpretation of the Revelation that maximizes the literal level while collapsing the symbolic level.47 As a result of this combining of genre and text, we can consider with Poythress48 that the correspondence in Revelation between vision and context should be asserted with less dogmatism. When we study text and context, the intertextuality is extremely important. It is so important that in the Apocalypse we might infer that John is appropriating other writers’ texts.49 That is, John is adapting Apocalypse to his own context.50 John appears to be “modeling his book on Ezequiel”:51 Ezek 1 in Rev 4, Ezek 9–10 in Rev 7–8, Ezek 16, 23 in Rev 17, Ezek 26–27 in Rev 18, and Ezek 37–48 in Rev 20–22. By the same token, many commentators are impressed by the correspondence in the sequence in Ezek 37–48 (Moyise52): the first resurrection (Rev 20:5) with the revival of dry bones (Ezek 37:1–14); the saints rule for a thousand years (Rev 20:4) with the reunited kingdom (Ezek 37:21); Gog and Magog battling (Rev 20:8) with (the same) Gog and Magog battling (Ezek 38:2); the gorging of the birds (Rev 19:21) with the (same) gorging of the birds (Ezek 39:4); being taken to a high mountain (Rev 21:10) with (the same) being taken to high mountain (Ezek 40:2); the city being measured (Rev 21:15) with the temple being measured (Ezek 40:5); the city full of God’s glory (Rev 21:23) with the temple full of God’s glory (Ezek 43:2); and the river of life (Rev 22:2) with (the same) river of life (Ezek 47:12). (See Figure 26.) Charles Homer Giblin also underlines within the literary trend in the Book of Revelation the recapitulation of themes, plots and focus, and the literary coherence.53 The recapitulation is the repetition in a specific pattern, such as in the trumpet blasts in Rev 8:6 through 11:15 and the libation bowls in Rev 16:1–21. The recapitulation is a central issue, says Giblin, as a “plot line of the vision and its progressive articulation.”54 To “historicize” any piece of John’s vision would be an error. Any interpretation in a clock-time framework of calendar, centuries, eras, or periods of political or social predominance is a “fatal error.”55 John’s determination of time is typological, states Giblin, such as in the day of the Lamb’s triumph. Divisions should be used, concludes Giblin, to provide focus on justice and earthly concerns (for example, in the fifth, and sixth unsealings), to distinguish the signs of the First Day underway with the first four trumpets, from the last moment of tribulation with the three woes), within a specific narration (Rev 8; 16:1–21; 19:11–21; 20:1–10) and also with an explanation (Rev 6:8–11; 17; 19; 21:9–22). 37 Archeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk through Biblical History and Culture, NIV (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 2044. 38 Richard Bauckham, “The Apocalypse as a Christian War Scroll,” in The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (New York: T. & T. Clark, 2005), 210–37. 39 Allison A. Trites, The New Testament Concept of Witness, Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 31 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1977), 156–58. 40 Gale Z. Heide, “What Is New About the New Heaven and the New Earth? A Theology of Creation from Revelation 21 and 2 Peter 3,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40, no. 1 (March 1977): 37–56. 41 Jon Paulien, “The Role of the Hebrew Cultus, Sanctuary, and Temple in the Plot and Structure of the Book of Revelation,“ Andrews University Seminary Studies 33, no. 2 (1995): 261. 42 Ralph J. Korner, “‘And I saw...’ An Apocalyptic Literary Convention for Structural Identification in the Apocalypse,” Novum Testamentum 42, no. 2 (2000): 160–83. 43 Jean-Pierre Ruiz, “New Testament Apocalyptic,” course THE 274, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, St. John’s University, Queens, NY, Summer 2012. 44 Vern S. Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20: 1—6. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36 (1993): 41–54. 45 Ibid., 43–48. 46 Ibid., 52. 47 Ibid. 48 Ibid., 54. 49 Steve Moyise, “Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures?” Andrews University Seminary Studies 40, no. 1 (2002): 3–21. 50 David Rhoads, ed., From Every People and Nation: The Book of Revelation in Intercultural Perspective (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 225. 51 Moyise, “Does the Author of Revelation Misappropriate the Scriptures?” 6. 52 Ibid., 9. 53 Charles Homer Giblin, “Recapitulation and the Literary Coherence of John’s Apocalypse.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 56, no. 1 (1994): 81–95. 54 Ibid., 9. [footnote 53 and the bibliography gives this work a page range of 81-95. Page 9 falls out of that range (is it possible the relevant information was within pages 81-95 of Giblin?)... in any event, a footnote is required, because you are providing an actual quote from Giblin--just not on page 9 of that issue of Catholic Biblical Quarterly] 55 Ibid., 10. [footnote 53 and the bibliography gives this work a page range of 81-95. Page 10 falls out of that range (is it possible the relevant information was within pages 81-95 of Giblin?)... in any event, a footnote is required, because you are providing an actual quote from Giblin--just not on page 10 of that issue of Catholic Biblical Quarterly]