Revelation

An Outline

Bible books contents
Author/date       Interpretation      Key    Outline

Author and date

The book of Revelation itself identifies the writer as being John Rev.1:1-2, but the question is: which John? Was it the apostle or another John? Revelation also tells us that this John was suffering on the Isle of Patmos for the Gospel's sake Rev.1:9 but beyond that the book doesn't say much else about him.

So we turn to the writings of the 'church fathers'.  It seems that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of John the Apostle.  People like Justin Martyr c 160AD,  Irenaeus  c. 180 AD,  Tertullian c. 207 AD  and so  on write of Revelation as being written by the Apostle.

The dating of the book  is disputed. Most would put it at the end of  the first century  at the time of the Domitian persecution; whereas others date it before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. This being favoured by those who follow the preterist interpretation .

Interpretation

Revelation is a difficult book  to understand and a very controversial book at that, and it could be said that there are many interpretations as there are Christians! The various interpretations can be  put into one of four groups, though it must be stressed that  within each there are many differences of viewpoints, and some may even take elements of other interpretations. The groups are, in alphabetical order:

Futurist  
They believe that the major part of the book  has its fulfilment in the future, usually in a period of time between the rapture and the millennium.
  
Historical
They believe that the book covers the whole of church history  from  the  NT  times down until the end of the age.

Idealist
They do not believe the events in the book are actual historical events, past or future,  but rather they are to be spiritualised.

Preterist
They believe that the major part of the book was fulfilled in the first century, especially at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70


The key

The key verse is, in fact, the opening phrase!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Rev. 1:1

The book is simply about the revealing of the Lord Jesus; and He is revealed in many ways, for example in chapters two and three He reveals Himself  to the seven churches that are appropriate to their individual condition.


Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Rev. 1:19

Some commentators make much on this verse, so a comment would not be out of place here. We must remember that Jesus spoke this to John in the first century, so the things that are hereafter are the things after the time of John's  writing of this book.



Outline



Section
 Ref.
 Subsection
 Notes
The Glorified Christ
 Ch.1
Introduction                                          
1:1-11
Description of the glorified Christ
 1:12-20


Messages to the 7 churches
Ch.2-3
Church
 Summary of message
 Ref.
Ephesus
No love
 2:1-7
Smyrna
 No earthly treasure
 2:8-11
Pergamos
 No separation
 2:12-17
Thyatira
 No discipline
 2:18-29
Sardis
 No Life
 3:1-6
Philadelphia
 No condemnation
 3:7-13
Laodicea
 No knowledge
 3:14-22

see also


summary chart
 The Worthy Christ
 Ch. 4-5
OT vision of heaven                        
4:1-11
NT vision of heaven
5:2-14

see also

Lamb on the Throne
The 7 seals
 Ch. 6-8:6
I
 The White horse conquering
 6:1-2
II
 The Red horse with the sword
 6:3-4
III
 The Black horse with a balance
 6:5-6
IV
 The Pale horse  the name of the rider: Death and Hell
 6:7-8
V
 The souls slain for the Word of God under the altar.
 6:9-11
VI
 A great earthquake leading to the day of the wrath of the Lamb.
 6:12-17

The seal of the living God; the 144,000 and the multitude no man can number
 7:1-17
VII
 Silence in heaven for the space of half an hour
 8:1


The 7 trumpets
 Ch. 8:2-11:19

7 angels given 7 trumpets, the prayers of the saints ascended up to God.
 8:3-5
I
 Hail and fire with blood; third of the trees and grass burnt
 8:6-7
II
 Great mountain burning cast into the sea; third part of the sea became blood.
 8:8-9
III
 Star, called Wormwood,  fell from heaven upon the third part of the rivers and the fountains of waters  third part became Wormwood.
 8:10-11
IV
 Third part of the Sun, Moon and stars smittten ; day did not shine for  third part of the daylikewise the night.
 8:12

Angel prclaiming three woes.
 8:13
V
 WOE 1:  Star falls from heaven, key to bottomless pit given; locusts on the earth
 9:1-12
VI

WOE 2: Four angels, bound in the Eurphrates,
loosed ; large army of horsemen ; the power is in their mouth and tails.		 9:13-21
The little book
 10:1-11
The two witnesses
 11:1-14



VII
 Voices proclaiming the kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ
 11:15-19


The Sun clothed Woman
 Ch. 12
 WOE 3:  see 12:12
The woman gives birth
 12:1-6
War in heaven                                                                          
12:7-12
Dragon cast unto the earth
 12:13-17


The two Beasts
 Ch.13
The beast from the sea.                                                      
13:1-10
The beast from the earth
 13:11-18


The Lamb on Sion and two harvests
 Ch.14
The Lamb on Mount Sion                                                   
14:1-8
The harvest of the earth
 14:9-16
The harvest of the vine of the earth
 14:17-20



See also

The lamb on Sion
7 Angels and 7 Plagues
 Ch. 15
  Seven angels having the seven last plagues
The 7 vials
 Ch. 16
I
 Upon the earth; grievous sore upon those who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image.
 16:1-2
II
 Upon the sea; it became blood every soul died in the sea.
 16:3
III
 Upon the rivers and the fountains ; they became blood.
 16-4-7:
IV
 upon the sun, and it scorched men with fire.
 16:8-9
V
 Upon the seat of the beast.
 16-10-11
VI
 Upon the river Euphrates.  Kings of the east prepared; the spirits of devils gathering men for the great day of God Almighty.
 16:12-16
VII
 Upon the air. The great city divided; great Babylon judged
 16:17-21


The Scarlet Clothed Woman
 Ch.17-18
The great whore: Mystery Babylon
 17:1-18
Babylon is fallen
 18:1-24


The Triumphant  Christ
 Ch.19-20
The Word of God on a White horse: King of kings and Lord of lords
 19:1-21
The great white throne
20:1-14


The New Heaven and Earth
 Ch.21
 The new heavens, new Earth  &  New Jerusalem
The Last invitation of the Bible.
 Ch.22
 a)  Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely
b) Even so come Lord Jesus!


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