Study The Church

Revelation Outline

Chapters = Description

1 = Introduction

2-3 = Letters to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

4 = John taken to Heaven and sees a Throne in Heaven.

5 = The Scroll and the Lamb = John sees a scroll with 7 seals but does not see anyone worthy to open it. He weeps. Then he hears that Jesus (The Lamb) is worthy to open the seals.

6-22 = Prophecy

Centers on three 7’s: 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls.

6 = Jesus opens six of the seals: four riders (white, red, black, pale horses = 4 seals)(6:1-8), the souls of the martyrs under the altar (fifth seal)(6:9-11), and the shaking of the structure of the world (sixth seal)(6:12-17).

7 = A break or pause: the sealing of the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel (7:1-8), and the great band of martyrs before the throne of God. They all worship God (7:9-17).

8 = With the opening of the 7th seal (8:1) there begins a second group of 7 trumpets (8:2-11:19). The first 4 trumpets (8:7-12) signify destruction to 1/3 of earth, sea, sun, moon, and stars. An eagle warns of the next three trumpet blasts (8:13).

9 = The 5th trumpet where John sees “locusts” (9:1-12) and the 6th trumpet (9:13-21) where 1/3 of humans are killed by an army of 200 million soldiers.

10 = In an interlude, John—who is once more on the earth—receives two visions (10:1-11:14): an angel descends from heaven who promises that in the days of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God will be fulfilled, and gives to the John a small opened book which lies in his hand and tells him to eat it.

11 = John measures the Temple, and he hears the prophecy from the two witnesses who appear as preachers and are put to death by the animal from the abyss but they come back to life and are raised to heaven (11:1-14).

The 7th trumpet (11:15-19) proclaims songs of praise, the appearance of the Ark of the Covenant in the heavenly Temple, but also cosmic disaster.

12 = A long break occurs in Chapters 12-14. A woman with a child is threatened by the dragon, the child is taken up to God (12:1-6), Michael (an archangel) defeats the dragon (12:7-12), which continues to pursue the woman but fails. “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (12:13-17)

13 = Two animals emerge; the first, from the sea, is fatally wounded in the head but is healed and persecutes the Christians. The second, from the land, is the companion of the first beast and makes everyone worship the first beast; he also performs miracles (13:11-17).

The number of the first animal, which is the number of a man, is 666 (13:18).

14 = By contrast there appear the vision of the Lamb and of the 144,000 who have been sealed (14:1-5) and the announcement and the carrying out of judgment (14:6-20).

15-16 = Even the third group of 7, the 7 bowl visions (Chapters 15-16), with the horrible plagues which are poured out upon the earth one after another, does not yet bring the end.

17-19 = Only with the fall of Babylon (17:1-19:10) begins the divine judgment which leads to the concluding triumph of the eternal Lord of history: the judgment of the harlot of Babylon and the animal (17) with the lament over the fall of Babylon (Ch. 18) and the joy in heaven (19:1-10).

19-22 = The coming of Christ and the end (19:11-22:5): the victory of Christ, on a white horse and whose names are King of kings and Lord of lords, over the Satan and his followers (19:11,21); Satan cast in the “pit” for 1000 years; the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth, and the judgment over Satan, who yet let loose and again defeated in battle (20:1-10), the judgment of the world (20:11-15), and the heavenly Jerusalem (21:1-22:5).

The conclusion (22:6-21) contains the confirmation of the Apocalypse (the book of Revelation) as a prophetic witness of divine truth and a repeated promise of the 2nd coming of Christ.