The Theater and Revelation Understanding the ancient theater can help us to understand Revelation 4–5. This passage introduces a divine drama and highlights the significance of God’s agent (the Messiah) in world history. This passage also sets the stage for the great drama of the book, which is about the world, the reality of judgment, and the victory that comes through the Lamb. In these chapters, a series of tableaus (scenes) is used to communicate the message. The passage opens by describing God on his heavenly throne (4:1-3). In the ancient theater, a divine persona was placed in a central box or throne high above the stage. This actor clarified the significance of each scene for the audience through positive and negative comments or solved dilemmas in the script when they became too complex for the characters on stage to handle. Similarly, readers of Revelation should watch for scenes where God or his messengers interpret or intervene to advance the message. The ancient drama took place on the stage below the divine figure. Between the stage and the audience, an orchestra of speakers voiced the emotional climate of the play. In Revelation, the four living creatures ha...