New American Commentary Revelation - Section out of place?
I was curious if anyone has a printed copy of the NAC Revelation. I was going through Chapter 14 today and the first section comments on verses 1-5 and then ends. It seems to skip any comments on verses 6 and 7 and then starts again with section 8-13. In section 8-13 at the beginning you then see the comments on verses 6-7 which seems odd to me. Error in the file publisher sent over?
I am pasting what I am looking at here so you can see what i'm looking at
(4) The 144,000 in Heaven (14:1–7)
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Having fully identified malignant forces of evil in chaps. 12 and 13 as the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the land, John turns in chap. 14 to a discussion of God’s response to this diabolical attack. First, the intervention of God in the lives of his people is demonstrated in the reappearance of the 144,000 who were first introduced to the reader in chap. 7. Then the seer moves to the response of the living God in terms of the judgment of God on all those who by their own willful act have become the pawns of the malignant trinity. Interpreters who have argued that a futurist reading of the Apocalypse is of no comfort to Christians enduring persecution in the latter decade of the first century point to the future judgments of God as evidence that little comfort could have been derived in behalf of suffering first-century Christians. However, even those who see the book in preteristic or historical terms have to admit that the judgments in this chapter appear to be eschatological in nature. Far from failing to comfort, they do provide the promise of God’s ultimate hand of justice and his hand of providence in history, thus encouraging Christians in any era of persecution. The first-century readers would no doubt be fortified by the pictures of providence and justice unveiled in chap. 14.
14:1–5 Some interpreters have supposed that the 144,000 of chap. 14 is a different group than the 144,000 of chap. 7.175 This conclusion, however, seems ultimately unlikely. To the contrary, much greater information about these 144,000 is now provided. In chap. 7, the reader observes them as 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel and is informed that they received the seal of God on their foreheads. The seal, which is normally a mark of ownership, is also generally an indication of protection, though in some cases the sealing might be for judgment. In this case almost certainly protection is in view. In 7:9 and following, information is provided concerning those who are martyred for the cause of Christ, but this seems to be distinct from the 144,000 who are sealed for their protection. These 144,000, including 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, have a particular function via the tribulation period, which now is the focus of chap. 14.
As revealed in chap. 7, their Father’s name is written on their foreheads, indicating that they are especially chosen of God for their task. Furthermore, in v. 1, they are standing on Mount Zion. There are basically three possibilities for an understanding of this geographical setting. The first understanding is that of the allegorists, who would take this as having a spiritual meaning and therefore another referent to the fact that they belong to God.176 The second theory understands this Mount Zion to be a heavenly “Mount Zion,” the counterpart of the earthly one—only relieved of all the inadequacies associated with the earthly Mount Zion.177 The third view, most often held by futurists, is that Mount Zion is actually that portion of the holy city, Jerusalem, which is referenced as Mount Zion. One is not surprised to find these Jews active in the city of Jerusalem. The time once again is the period of the great tribulation, and no specific time is given within that general designation. The fact that John sees them on Mount Zion has more to do with the identity than it does with permanent residence or with their labor. To pursue their task they would almost certainly have had to move afield from Mount Zion, but they are here identified as standing on Mount Zion.
Verse 2 is interesting not only due to the phenomenon recorded but also because the distinction between heaven and earth is blurred in this passage, and John sees the totality of reality at once. The 144,000 are standing on Mount Zion sealed with God’s name on their foreheads and are therefore protected by him as heaven “strikes up the band” in recognition of their assignment. The sound that John hears from heaven is like that of the roar of rushing waters. On several occasions I have had the opportunity to stand at the foot of Iguaçu Falls where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina come together and also at Victoria Falls where Zambia and Zimbabwe meet. The deafening roar of the sound of those rushing waters precludes any communication that is less than a shout. This is exactly like the sound John hears from heaven. Grasping for words to describe what he hears, the apostle says it was like a peel of thunder. In the midst of this, he begins to hear what sounded like harpists playing their harps. Under normal circumstances one hears only a single harp or maybe two and that usually in the presence of a whole orchestra. The soothing music of a harp is in some contrast to the sound of the rushing waters or the peal of thunder, but out of all the cacophony of sound comes the harmonious and comforting notes of the harp. In a significant way John is being prepared for the twin messages of providence and justice about to unfold. On the one hand, God’s justice and judgment are overwhelming; but on the other hand, his providences as well as his justice are like the soothing and comforting tones of a choir of harps.
In v. 3, they “sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.” The pronoun “they” raises a question about the actual singers. Was the song being sung in heaven and being taught to the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth, or are the 144,000 singing it? The matter can be argued either way, but apparently the 144,000 are the antecedent for “they,” and the 144,000 are singing this new song. This song was unique to the 144,000; no one else was able to learn the song. The strange limitation seems not to be a limitation of ability but rather of appropriateness. Their unique assignment from God is such that only they appropriately employ the lyrics of this beautiful song. Although they are on Mount Zion, the closeness of the throne, the four living creatures, and the 24 elders are noted so that they hear the intonation of the anthem. In chap. 7, doubtless that 144,000 should not be identified as angels but rather as humans in that they are said to be Jews, each one belonging to one of the 12 tribes of Israel. That now becomes even more explicit in that they are specifically identified as the object of redemption. These 144,000 have been redeemed from the earth.178
Additional information is provided about these remarkable men in vv. 4–5. This information provided about these 144,000 redeemed from the earth includes the fact that (1) they have not defiled themselves with women; (2) they were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and to the Lamb; (3) they are notable for their truthfulness and for their general blamelessness. The evident peculiarities in these verses focus on the fact that they are said to be “virgins,” and they are offered as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. The Greek word parthenos most often refers to a mature, young woman who has not yet been intimately involved with a man. However, there are cases where the word parthenos has an expanded use, which may extend to men. This possibility leads to two conceivable understandings. Some have argued that this passage should be taken in a spiritual manner, simply referencing the fact that these 144,000 are pure in their general spiritual virginity.179 Against this interpretation, however, is that there are considerably less specific ways to express this idea than this verse’s descriptive phrase “did not defile themselves with women.” Also the verse speaks of their blamelessness, amōmoi, before God; that expression alone would be enough to cover their general sanctification without the additional statement relating to celibate lifestyle.180
Consequently, one is driven to a conclusion that these 144,000 are in fact celibate and therefore properly presented here as parthenoi or virgins.181 Within itself this is not so surprising since the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 mentions that he personally wishes all Christian men could be in this state in which he finds himself being unmarried and probably never married (1 Cor 7:8). Jesus also spoke of eunuchs who had made themselves such for the kingdom of God and commends this kind of commitment (Matt 19:12). Even one of the reasons provided by the apostle Paul, namely, that a married man must care for the things of his household and please his wife where the unmarried man may devote himself totally to the things of God seems germane to the discussion here.
These 144,000 are living during the great tribulation in the most troubled times in the history of the earth. For them to have family concerns would only seriously complicate God’s assignment to them. So apparently the 144,000 constitute an order of men who choose to abstain from marriage in order to give themselves wholly to the task that is before them during the great tribulation. The one feature of this interpretation that troubles some is the nature of the expression that they “did not defile themselves with women” and they had “kept themselves pure,” all of which seems to cast marriage in something of a negative light. But, as the author of Hebrews has well noted, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure” (Heb 13:4). This judgment is sustained by the entire witness of Scripture, including the Genesis account of creation where the author makes clear that the purpose of God in creating Adam and Eve was that they should be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. It is impossible to conclude that God’s purpose could ever be construed as wrong. Rather the seer is here indicating that not only are these 144,000 unmarried but they have also maintained their deportment in such a way as not to defile themselves with women and have kept themselves pure. Rather than constituting a negative pronouncement about marriage, the degree to which they have kept themselves holy for God is underscored.
The expression that they are “firstfruits [aparchē] to God and the Lamb” poses an exegetical problem to the interpreter. Thomas notes that the word represents a contribution without any connotation of a larger harvest to follow in two out of three occurrences of aparchē, which is used 66 times in the Septuagint.182 Consequently, he believes the emphasis should not be so much on “firstfruits” as on “contribution.”183 While that is certainly true, the events belonging to the end time do provide reason for the understanding of many interpreters that these are merely the first of many to come. The position of this interpreter is that the periods of the great tribulation and the millennium belong to an era subsequent to that of the church age. These events inaugurated by the return of Christ for the church are divided into the seven-year tribulation and the 1,000-year millennial reign, but they together constitute the “end times.” The description of life during the millennium seems to be one in which the earth is not only repopulated after the terrifying years of the tribulation but is also a time in which multitudes will come to Christ. Hence these firstfruits uniquely protected of God in the great tribulation are the firstfruits unto God of the coming response to him that will occur during the millennial reign of Christ.
One final consideration regarding the 144,000 is the expression, “They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” This expression more than any other provides information about the character of these disciples. In the end to be a Christian is to be “a little Christ.” Certainly this means one who is redeemed and regenerate, but the church often forgets that a decision to follow the Lord is a part of that commitment. The 144,000 are characterized by their faithfulness in following Christ.
(5) The Announcement of the Demise of Babylon (14:8–13)
8 A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Still another angel now enters the panorama of the seer, and this angel, wafted along in midair, is the harbinger of the eternal gospel to be proclaimed to those who live on the earth, including every nation, tribe, language, and people. This vision is an example of many reasons more and more scholars deny that the book of the Revelation is strictly speaking a book of apocalyptic genre. The genre of apocalypse seldom includes the gospel message, and yet the good news of salvation in Christ and of the sacrifice of the Lamb on behalf of all people occurs repeatedly on the pages of what must be described more accurately as a prophecy. Notable here is the fact that the gospel is called an “eternal gospel” (v. 6). The word “eternal” (aiōnion) is used to describe God himself.184 As such, clearly a writer could focus on unending perpetuity with this word. While there will come a day when no one else will be able to respond to the gospel even in the eternal state, the good news of salvation in Christ will be a perpetual reminder of the love of God in the hearts of those who live with him in the eternal city. The universality of the availability of the gospel is here stated and is to be proclaimed to all who live on the earth irrespective of national entity, tribe, language, or people group.
However, the eternal gospel of v. 6 must be understood in light of v. 7. The urgency of this final appeal of the eternal gospel is based on the need for men to fear God and give him the glory, and that is particularly true because the hour of God’s judgment has come. Men are called upon to worship him who is the Creator God. There is a sense in which Gen 1:1 is the most important verse in the Bible. The simple statement, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” establishes not merely the origin of all things but as such establishes both the ownership and the purposes of him who is the Creator. If that verse is unreliable and does not represent the truth about human origins, then all moral and spiritual mandates are rendered tentative at best and are little more than personal (existentialism) or community (postmodernism) ethic and spirituality. If, on the other hand, God is the Creator and owner of all that exists, then the only appropriate response of any human is to worship God, fear him, and give him glory.
Since the focus of the material in the heart of the book of Revelation is essentially the tribulation on earth, the situation is more pressing than ever. The judgments already revealed in the opening of the seven-sealed scroll and the sounding of the seven trumpets will soon be followed by the outpouring of the bowls of God’s wrath. Judgment is at hand, but even in judgment God is merciful and loving; and this fact is poignantly portrayed in the angel’s crossing the heavens once again with the eternal gospel for all who live on the earth.
In v. 8 a second angel follows and announces the fall of Babylon the Great. This Babylon made all nations drink of the “maddening wine of her adulteries.” This revelation anticipates the rich imagery to follow in chaps. 17–19 where an unusually large amount of discussion is devoted to “Babylon the Great.” The expression “fallen” is an aorist active indicative form of the Greek verb piptō meaning “fall.” Its doubling or repetition is no scribal error but rather serves to underscore or put an exclamation point to this announcement. The aorist indicative in this case may be what is known as a futuristic or proleptic aorist, which views an action, while future, as so certain that one can speak of it as complete. Or it might be viewed as a case of the culminative or effective aorist (i.e., an aorist tense that views the action from the point of view of its results).185 If “fallen” is a futuristic aorist, then the author is emphasizing the inevitability of its demise. If culminative, then the author has anticipated the end of Babylon portrayed in chaps. 16–18.
Patterson, P. (2012). Revelation. (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.) (Vol. 39, pp. 284–291). Nashville, TN: B&H.
Comments
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You are right
Mattillo .The commentary on verses 6 and 7 follow after (5) The Announcement of the Demise of Babylon (14:8–13), when they should be following after (4) The 144,000 in Heaven (14:1–7). The verses do seem to be out of place and need to be corrected as the commentary on verses 6 and 7 should be following right after verse 5 in this section - (4) The 144,000 in Heaven (14:1–7).
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At least someone else agrees with me on this so I know i'm not crazy
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If anything is "out of place" it would be the section heading along with the scripture portion. The actual "commentary text" flows correctly and covers verses 6 & 7 before proceeding to commentary on verse 8.---(Edit: Which you correctly point out. I see that now after re-reading the first portion of your post. [:$])
I do not have the NAC for LOGOS but do have it for another Bible software and the order of the text appears the same for me as it does for you. I would therefore surmise that this is how the printed version appears as well (it is not just LOGOS).
As far as "Fixing it" goes, they may not be allowed to change anything. If this is how the original content (the text) appears in what LOGOS was supplied, that may very well be how they also have to present it. They (LOGOS) are not content editors but rather simply providing the "same" content in a different media, digital rather than print .
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It does seem that publisher is at fault here Roy. Logos would then have to get in touch with the publisher and notify them of this error.
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