Bornkamm, Günther. “Die Komposition der apokalyptischen Visionen in der Offenbarung Johannis.” Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 36 (1937): 132-149. Reprinted in Studien zu Antike und Christentum: Gesammelte Aufsätze II, 204-22. Beiträge zur evangelischen Theologie, 28. 3rd ed. München: Chr. Kaiser Verlag, 1970.
Bornkamm’s article is an important, but, unfortunately, rarely used essay about the composition of Revelation. Bornkamm points to some very important aspects of John’s narrative technique, e.g., that John often describes the same event twice (indeed, some times more than twice). The second occurrence adds information that was omitted and thus assumed in the first. An example would be 14:14-20 and 19:11ff. Because of this narrative technique, it is justified to interpret a given passage in the light of later parallel passages.
For a Danish presentation of this aspect of Bornkamm’s essay, see my Fortælleteknikker i Johannes’ Åbenbaring.
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