Revelation contains a series of visions, each of which functions like a different camera angle looking at the same event. Therefore, the order in which the various visions contained in Revelation are recounted by John does not necessarily reflect the order of historical occurrence of the reality those visions symbolize.[20] This is what is known as “recapitulation,” in which the same basic pattern is repeated in a variety of formulations.[21] Put more simply, the visions were arranged topically, not chronologically.
