followed by a comment, in each of the three woes is important: what John sees gives new perspective to what he hears.
It should be noted here, that there is a significant difference between the first four and the last three trumpets. In each case of the sounding of the first four trumpets, the angel is seen, the trumpet implicitly heard; and the consequence of the blast is seen (8: 7, 8, 10, 12). In contrast, the final three trumpets are introduced by an eagle seen (ei]don) and heard (h!kousa), calling out in a loud voice, “woe, woe, woe” (9:13). The blasts of the fifth and sixth trumpets follow immediately, but they exhibit a notably different pattern from the first four, in that the seeing and hearing (implicit, like the first four) is followed in each case by an author’s comment emphasizing the prophetic nature of the event. The 7th trumpet (11:15–19) is followed by an even more extensive passage — the appearance of two “great signs in heaven” (in both cases, w!fqh): the sun-clothed woman and the great red dragon (both in ch. 12).
Passage 5. Revelation 11:15–19: The 7th Trumpet
John hears the sound of the 7th trumpet and the worshippers in heaven, praising God for the coming of his reign. The vision of the Ark of the Covenant immediately follows, situating this passage in the presence of God: the imminent judgment originates from God himself. According to Aune,34 v. 8 juxtaposes the praise for the reign of God with the final judgment. Here, as in the previous worship-visions, the argumentative texture is embedded in the hymns (see 4:11; 5:9–10; 11:15–18; 15:2–4; 19:1–8).35 The vision itself provides the main point: “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ” (v. 15). The rationale is embedded within the hymn “we give thanks because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign” (v. 17).
Passage 6. Revelation 16:1–7: The First Three Bowls of God’s Wrath
This passage describes the pouring out of the bowls or vials of the first three of the final judgments. In the introduction (v. 1), John hears (h!kousa) the loud voice from the temple commanding the angels to pour out their bowls on the earth. Each angel pours (implicit sight) and the effect (again implicitly seen) is described. After the pouring by the third angel, John hears two voices affirming that God’s judgments are just: first, the angel of the waters (v. 5); second the voice of the altar itself (v. 7). These messages embedded in the hearing/seeing passage make a clear statement about the prophetic nature of the just and true judgments of God.
Passage 7. Revelation 19:1–21:8: God’s Judgment of the Wicked
This set of analogues is unique in that the hearing (the worshippers before the throne at the marriage supper of the Lamb) is followed by an extremely long adjunctive visual analogue — the impact of the reign of God: the white-horse rider wreaks defeat on the beast and his cohorts, Satan is consigned to the Lake of Fire, the wicked are condemned at the final white-throne judgment, and ultimately the New Heaven and New Earth are established. Quite clearly, this extensive analogue expands and describes not only the worship of God by those around the throne, but the main emphasis is on the effect of the prophetic establishment of the reign of God.
Passage 8. Revelation 21:9–22:5: God’s Reign
This is the final seeing/hearing analogue. In it, John implicitly hears the angel say, “come, I will show you . . .” (primary analogue). The vision of the Holy City follows (adjunctive analogue). Certainly, this description (what is seen) rather powerfully elaborates on the words of the angel (what is heard). In this ultimate analogue rests the cumulative rationale for the final prophetic revelation of the establishment of God’s reign.
Conclusion
We have identified two distinct patterns of the seeing/hearing motif in the Apocalypse of John. Quite clearly, John intends to convey something significant by these variations. Rhetorical analysis, particularly Humphrey’s study of argumentation within vision-reports, sheds light on John’s purpose in using these patterns — the visions provide the rationale for what is heard, by setting the “word” into the prophetic scenario. The eight special passages begin with the vision of the glorified Christ (ch. 1), the authoritative source of the entire message of Revelation. They proceed through the text, which elaborates the message of God’s judgment and reign, and culminates in the two final analogues which dramatically describe the impact and effect of God’s reign on the wicked and the ultimate establishment of the Kingdom with the righteous.
TABLES
| TABLE I – Total Uses of Hearing and Seeing | |||
| Reference | Greek | English Rendition (NIV) | |
| Chapter | Verse | ||
| 1 | 2 | ei}don | He testifies to everything he saw |
| 3 | o9i a0kou/ontej | Blessed are the ones who hear it | |
| 7 | o1yetai | Every eye will see him | |
| 10 | h!kousa | I heard a voice like a trumpet saying | |
| 11 | o9 ble/peij | What you see, write | |
| 12 | ble/pein | I turned to see the voice | |
| ei}don | I saw seven golden candlesticks | ||
| 17 | ei}don | I saw him | |
| 19 | a4 ei}dej | Write what you see | |
| 20 | ou3j ei}dej | The mystery of the seven stars which you saw | |
| 2–3 | 7 | a0kousa/tw | He who has ears let him hear[Repeated in vv. 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22] |
| 4 | 1 | ei}don | I saw a throne |
| h!kousa | The first voice I heard was as a trumpet | ||
| 5 | 1 | ei}don | I saw in the right hand |
| 2 | ei}don | I saw a strong angel | |
| 3 | ble/pein | [No one] could see inside it | |
| 4 | ble/pein | [No one] was found to look inside it | |
| 6 | ei}don | I saw in the midst of the throne | |
| 11 | ei}don kai\\ h!kousa | I saw and heard the voice | |
| 6 | 1 | ei}don | I saw the Lamb |
| h!kousa | I heard one of the four living creatures say | ||
| 2 | ei}don | I saw a white horse | |
| 3 | h!kousa | I heard the 2nd living creature say | |
| 5 | h!kousa | I heard the 3rd living creature say | |
| ei}don | I saw a black horse | ||
| 6 | h!kousa | I heard a voice | |
| 7 | h!kousa | I heard the voice | |
| 8 | ei}don | I saw a pale horse | |
| 9 | ei}don | I saw under the altar | |
| 12 | ei}don | I saw when he opened the 6th seal | |
| 7 | 1 | ei}don | I saw four angels |
| 2 | ei}don | I saw another angel | |
| 4 | h!kousa | I heard the number | |
| 9 | ei}don | I saw a great crowd | |
| 8 | 2 | ei}don | I saw the seven angels |
| 13 | ei}don kai\ h!kousa | I saw and heard an eagle | |
| 9 | 1 | ei}don | I saw a star |
| 13 | h!kousa | I heard a great voice | |
| 17 | ei}don | The horses I saw in my vision | |
| 20 | ble/pein / a0kou/ein | The idols which cannot see nor hear nor walk | |
| 10 | 1 | ei}don | I saw another strong angel |
| 2 | h!kousa | I heard a voice out of heaven | |
| 5 | o4n ei}don | The angel which I saw | |
| 8 | h!kousa | The voice I heard | |
| 11 | 9 | ble/pousin | the people…will gaze |
| 11 | tou\j qewrou=ntaj | Terror struck those who saw them | |
| 12 | h!kousa | They heard a great voice | |
| e0qew&rhsan | Their enemies looked on | ||
| 19 | w1fqh | The ark of the covenant was seen | |
| 12 | 1 | w1fqh | A great sign was seen in heaven |
| 2 | w1fqh | Another sign was seen | |
| 10 | h!kousa | I heard a great voice | |
| 13 | 1 | ei}don | I saw a beast |
| 2 | o4 ei}don | The beast which I saw | |
| 11 | ei}don | I saw another beast | |
| 14 | 1 | ei}don | I
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