The phenomenon of residual orality in the organization of macrostructure of the book of Revelation

This dissertation analyses how the phenomenon of residual orality has influenced the author of the apocalyptical book of Revelation to organize his textual discourse. I aimed to analyse how the interdependence of residual orality (context of situation) and Christian apocalyptical discourse within the first century (context of culture) contributed to the formation of the macrostructure of the book of Revelation. To achieve my objective, I have used the method of discourse analysis to discover how choice implied meaning in the organization of the macrostructure of Revelation. This discovery was possible because I focused the analysis around the four tenets of the methodology of analysis: production and interpretation of discourse; analysis beyond the sentence; analysis of the social function of the language; and analysis of cohesiveness. As a result, the thesis of this dissertation is that the author intended that the ‘visions’ should be understood to be intercalated and recapitulative. Furthermore, the author organized his discourse in Revelation around a prelude, three major divisions of the text, and an epilogue. Moreover, the result of the thesis is that there are seven major divisions within the three major divisions of Revelation. It is through the textual development of theological themes, allusions, and old shared traditions in Revelation that the thesis concludes that the discourse in Revelation achieves its climax with the eschaton of new heaven and earth