The book of Revelation is that it is filled with images and allusions to the Old Testament that readers today may not be familiar with. In other posts, I noted three Old Testament books that Revelation draws upon heavily: Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. These are not the only Old Testament books that stand in the background of Revelation. In light of the prominent use of the number 7 in the book of Revelation, in this post I want to note 7 other books of the Old Testament that you should be familiar with in order to better understand the message and meaning of Revelation.

Isaiah
Daniel and Ezekiel clearly seemed to be the top books in terms of influence on Revelation, but I debated whether Zechariah or Isaiah stands as number 3. Since Isaiah is much larger than Zechariah, I determined that Zechariah has a high “per capita” influence on Revelation and thus is number 3 on my list, but that does not diminish the significant influence of Isaiah on Revelation.

Many scholars think that the reference to the seven spirits of God in places like Revelation 1:5 draws upon the description of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2 is sevenfold: “The Spirit of the (1) Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of (2) wisdom and (3) understanding, a Spirit of (4) counsel and (5) strength, a Spirit of (6) knowledge and (7) of the fear of the Lord.” This connection also shows how the “seven spirits” is a description of a single Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

Another connection to Isaiah is in Revelation 4-5, as John’s encounter in the heavenly throne room is reminiscent of Isaiah 6. While the creatures parallel what Ezekiel sees in terms of their faces and number, their cry is what we see in Isaiah 6:3 (“Holy, holy, holy”) as well as the fact that they have six wings. Both passages also feature descriptions of awe in the presence of God as well as the unworthiness that God’s messengers feel in His presence. In Revelation 5, John sees Jesus as the slain Lamb, which could also point back to the image of God’s suffering servant in Isaiah 53 who was led like a lamb to slaughter.

Another part of Revelation that draws extensively upon Isaiah is the vision of the new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21-22. This recalls what Isaiah describes in Isaiah 65-66; the hope given here is not one that is radically new but rather fleshes out the hope that had been promised in light of the coming of Christ. Revelation also draws upon the imagery of Isaiah in proclaiming judgment, as the pronouncement of the fall of Babylon (Revelation 14:8 and 18:2) echoes Isaiah’s proclamation that “Babylon is fallen” in Isaiah 21:9. 

There are other subtle connections between these books. In the book of Isaiah (see 40:28; 41:4; 44:6; 48:12), God describes Himself as the “first and the last,” a title that distinguishes God above the idols that the people were worshipping. Jesus describes himself the same way in Revelation (see 1:17 and 22:13). This link shows that Revelation is clearly showing Jesus to be God Himself; we are not to worship idols but God alone, so we are called not just to believe or trust in Jesus but also to worship Him. Another more subtle link is the image of the “key of David,” as it occurs in both Isaiah 22:22 and Revelation 3:7; Jesus is the promised one from the line of King David who has ultimate authority over all things.

Genesis
The book of Genesis is foundational for understanding the Bible as a whole, and there are some special connections to Genesis in Revelation. First and foremost is the reference to the tree of life in Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 22:2, 14, 18. The vision of the new heavens and the new earth in Revelation is really a return to Eden, restoring what was lost while also building upon it in exciting ways. The promise that there will “no longer be a curse” (Revelation 22:3) points back to the curse that comes on creation in Genesis. The various judgments upon the earth spoken about in Revelation also function in many ways as “de-creations,” pointing to how sin unravels creation and God’s judgment is undoing the created order to restore something better. 

Terms and images used in Revelation also point back to Genesis. There is a reference to Sodom in Revelation 11:8, using the imagery of the city that was condemned and destroyed in Genesis 19 in describing the opposition to God’s witnesses. The image of Jesus as the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5) draws upon Jacob’s words to his son Judah (Genesis 49:10), showing Jesus to be the one from that line who would bring restoration. 

Exodus
Some of the most prominent connections between Exodus and Revelation are found in the parallels between the things that happen when the trumpets are blown (Revelation 8-11) and bowls are poured out (Revelation) and the plagues that befall Egypt before the Israelites left. Water turns to blood in the second trumpet (8:8) and in the second and third bowls (16:3-4) just as the Nile turns to blood (Exodus 7:20). Boils came upon the Egyptians (Exodus 9:10), and painful sores come upon those who worship the beast (Revelation 16:2). The fifth bowl is darkness (Revelation 16:10), just like the ninth plague (Exodus 10:21-23). The first trumpet (Revelation 8:7) and final bowl (Revelation 16:21) have hail, which was the seventh plague (Exodus 9:24). The eighth plague was locusts (Exodus 10:1-20), and there are locusts in the fifth trumpet that torment and harm those who aren’t sealed by God (Revelation 9:1-11). 

Interestingly, the boils and the locusts seem to be part of the plagues that only affect the Egyptians, and these parallels in Revelation specifically note that it does not affect the people of God as it only affects those who are following the beast. The plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1-14) also has a parallel in that frog-like spirits come out of the mouth of the dragon, beast, and false prophet in the sixth bowl in Revelation 16:13. The number and nature of these parallels do not seem coincidental but intentional. The fact that the order is varied and not all of the plagues appear indicates that this is not a complete repetition of history, but the links show that these signs are not just random but meant to recall past events and situations. 

A further connection between the events of Exodus and Revelation is how the Song of Moses that was sung in Exodus 15 is referenced in Revelation 15:2; God is once again delivering His people from the enemies who oppress them and leading them into a land of promise. In fact, God not only describes the city that opposes his witnesses in Revelation 11:8 as Sodom (as noted above) but also as Egypt, further linking the opposition to His people with the opposition they faced at that time. When God led His people out of Egypt, He called them to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), and the Lamb redeems people from every tribe and nation and language in order to be a kingdom of priests (Revelation 5:9-10). Just as the Passover lamb was sacrificed in the Old Testament, now the Lamb of God has been sacrificed to transform people. Finally, the description of God as the one who is, was, and is to come (Revelation 1:4) recalls the name God gives to Moses in Exodus 3:14 (“I AM WHO I AM”); God is the always existing and eternal one. 

Numbers
Because a large part of the book features a census, we are tempted to skip over the book of Numbers but Revelation does not. Just as we saw God’s people counted in that book, so we see a count of God’s people in Revelation 7. The number 144,000 should not be viewed as a small figure but one that is both large and perfect, and the numbering of them could be an allusion back to the numbering of God’s people there. In addition, the letter to the church in Pergamum mentions that people hold the teaching of Balaam (Revelation 2:14), referencing a figure we read about in Numbers 22-24. Since Balaam lived almost 1500 years before that letter was written, it seems unlikely that the people were actually being influenced by his teaching. Rather, it’s that the same sorts of false teaching and deceptive practices that he advocated for back have parallels in the first century; history has a way of rhyming. 

1 Kings
The letter to Thyatira mentions a woman named Jezebel that the church is tolerating (Revelation 2:20). While this could be the name of a particular woman at that time, it seems more likely that it is using the name of a figure from the book of 1 Kings – the wicked queen who opposes Elijah and spreads sinful teachings in Israel. Knowing who Jezebel is helps us to understand what is being said to this church and once again stands as a reminder of the similarities in what threatens and tempts God’s people throughout the ages. The description of the church as a witness to God in Revelation 11 also recalls the way Elijah witnesses to God in the midst of opposition.

Joel
Joel is considered a “minor” prophet in light of the short-length of the book bearing his name, but a couple of details of that short book can help us understand what is going on in the trumpets of Revelation 8-11. In Joel 2:1, trumpets are sounded as a wake-up call to people, calling for them to repent. The trumpets in Revelation 8-11 have a similar function, calling for the people to repent (but, as it notes, they do not). Joel’s prophet also speaks about the coming of locusts as a sign of judgment, which we also find in the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9:7. Scholars debate on whether the locusts in Joel’s time were physical locusts or an army to come; either way, they point to destruction of crops that leads to famine and their arrival was meant to provoke repentance ahead of the ultimate day of judgment.

Zephaniah
Another minor prophet that stands in the background of Revelation in a couple of ways is Zephaniah. His prophecy speaks about the undoing of creation and the cosmos when God pours out His judgment and comes to be with His people (see Zephaniah 1), which is similar to what we see in Revelation in the bowl judgments that then precede the arrival of the kingdom. In addition, Zephaniah 1:7 speaks about silence in the presence of God when He comes in final judgment, which is similar to what we read in the seventh seal of Revelation 8:1.

We Could Go on……
There are more words and ideas from other books in the Old Testament that appear in Revelation – such as the reference to one who will rule with an iron rod in Revelation 12:5 (quoting Psalm 2:9) – but I will end this post and this series of posts about “parts of the Old Testament one should know to understand Revelation” here. It’s my hope that this post and the others opens up new insights in Revelation and makes the book a little less mysterious. In many ways, the “key” to unlocking its message has already been given to us in the rest of the Bible, and this book serves as the capstone of Scripture by weaving together its various parts and showing how it all points to Jesus, both what He has done and what He will do some day. As we await that day, let us not only read the and understand it but also heed its message so that we may stand as his faithful and true witnesses.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible translations are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.