Book of Revelation - Outline

Outline

1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ
   1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is communicated to John of Patmos through prophetic visions. (1:1-9)
   2. John is instructed by the "one like a son of man" to write all that he hears and sees, from the prophetic visions, to Seven churches of Asia. (1:10-13)
   3. The appearance of the "one like a son of man" is given, and he reveals what the seven stars and seven lampstands represent. (1:14-20)
2. Messages for seven churches of Asia
   1. Ephesus: From this church, those "who overcome are granted to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." (2:1-7)
      1. Praised for not bearing those who are evil, testing those who say they are apostles and are not, and finding them to be liars; hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans; having persevered and possessing patience.
      2. Admonished to "do the first works" and to repent for having left their "first love."
   2. Smyrna: From this church, those who are faithful until death, will be given "the crown of life." Those who overcome shall not be hurt by the second death. (2:8-11)
      1. Praised for being "rich" while impoverished and in tribulation.
      2. Admonished not to fear the "synagogue of Satan," nor fear a ten-day tribulation of being thrown into prison.
   3. Pergamum: From this church, those who overcome will be given the hidden manna to eat and a white stone with a secret name on it." (2:12-17)
      1. Praised for holding "fast to My name," not denying "My faith" even in the days of Antipas, "My faithful martyr."
      2. Admonished to repent for having held the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel; eating things sacrificed to idols, committing sexual immorality, and holding the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans."
   4. Thyatira: From this church, those who overcome until the end, will be given power over the nations in order to dash them to pieces with the rule of a rod of iron; they will also be given the "morning star." (2:18-29)
      1. Praised for their works, love, service, faith, and patience.
      2. Admonished to repent for allowing a "prophetess" to promote sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
   5. Sardis: From this church, those who overcome will be clothed in white garments, and their names will not be blotted out from the Book of Life; their names will also be confessed before the Father and His angels. (3:1-6)
      1. Admonished to be watchful and to strengthen since their works haven't been perfect before God.
   6. Philadelphia: From this church, those who overcome will be made a pillar in the temple of God having the name of God, the name of the city of God, "New Jerusalem," and the Son of God's new name. (3:7-13)
      1. Praised for having some strength, keeping "My word," and having not denied "My name."
      2. Admonished to hold fast what they have, that no one may take their crown.
   7. Laodicea: From this church, those who overcome will be granted the opportunity to sit with the Son of God on His throne. (3:14-22)
      1. Admonished to be zealous and repent from being "lukewarm"; they are instructed to buy the "gold refined in the fire," that they may be rich; to buy "white garments," that they may be clothed, so that the shame of their nakedness would not be revealed; to anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they may see.
3. Before the Throne of God
   1. The Throne of God appears, surrounded by twenty four thrones with Twenty-four elders seated in them. (4:1-5)
   2. The Four Living Creatures are introduced. (4:6-11)
   3. A scroll, with seven seals, is presented and it is declared that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, from the "Root of David," is the only one worthy to open this scroll. (5:1-5)
   4. When the "Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes" took the scroll, the creatures of heaven fell down before the Lamb to give him praise, joined by myriads of angels and the creatures of the earth. (5:6-14)
4. Seven Seals are broken off
   1. First Seal: A white horse appears, whose crowned rider has a bow with which to conquer. (6:1-2)
   2. Second Seal: A red horse appears, whose rider is granted a "great sword" to take peace from the earth. (6:3-4)
   3. Third Seal: A black horse appears, whose rider has "a pair of balances in his hand," where a voice then says, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (6:5-6)
   4. Fourth Seal: A pale horse appears, whose rider is Death, and Hades follows him. Death was granted a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (6:7-8)
   5. Fifth Seal: "Under the altar," appeared the souls of martyrs for the "word of God," who cry out for vengeance. They are given white robes and told to rest until the martyrdom of their brothers is completed. (6:9-11)
   6. Sixth Seal: (6:12-17)
      1. There occurs a great earthquake where "the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon like blood" (6:12).
      2. The stars of heaven fall to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up (6:13-14).
      3. Every mountain and island is moved out of place (6:14).
      4. The people of earth retreat to caves in the mountains (6:15).
      5. The survivors call upon the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, so as to hide them from the "wrath of the Lamb" (6:16).
   7. Interlude: The 144,000 Hebrews are sealed.
      1. 144,000, from the twelve "tribes of Israel," are sealed as servants of God on their foreheads. (7:1-8)
      2. A great multitude stand before the Throne of God, who come out of the Great Tribulation, clothed with robes made "white in the blood of the Lamb" and having palm branches in their hands. (7:9-17)
   8. Seventh Seal: Introduces the seven trumpets (8:1-5)
      1. "Silence in heaven for about half an hour" (8:1).
      2. Seven angels are each given trumpets (8:2).
      3. An eighth angel takes a "golden censer," filled with fire from the heavenly altar, and throws it to the earth (8:3-5). What follows are "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake" (8:5).
      4. After the eighth angel has devastated the earth, the seven angels introduced in verse 2 prepare to sound their trumpets (8:6).
5. Seven trumpets are sounded (Seen in Chapters 8, 9, and 12).
   1. First Trumpet: Hail and fire, mingled with blood, are thrown to the earth burning up a third of the trees and green grass. (8:6-7)
   2. Second Trumpet: Something that resembles a great mountain, burning with fire, falls from the sky and lands in the ocean. It kills a third of the sea creatures and destroys a third of the ships at sea. (8:8-9)
   3. Third Trumpet: A great star, named Wormwood, falls from heaven and poisons a third of the rivers and springs of water. (8:10-11)
   4. Fourth Trumpet: A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened creating complete darkness for a third of the day and the night. (8:12-13)
   5. Fifth Trumpet: The First Woe (9:1-12)
      1. A "star" falls from the sky (9:1).
      2. This "star" is given "the key to the bottomless pit" (9:1).
      3. The "star" then opens the bottomless pit. When this happens, "smoke from like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky darkened by the smoke from the Abyss" (9:2).
      4. From out of the smoke, locusts who are "given power like that of scorpions of the earth" (9:3), who are commanded not to harm anyone or anything except for people who were not given the seal on their foreheads (from chapter 7) (9:4).
      5. The "locusts" are described as having a human appearance (faces and hair) but with lion's teeth, and wearing "breastplates of iron"; the sound of their wings resembles "the thunderings of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" (9:7-9).
   6. Sixth Trumpet: The Second Woe (9:13-21)
      1. The four angels bound to the great river Euphrates are released to prepare two hundred million horsemen.
      2. These armies kill a third of mankind by use of three plagues: fire, smoke, and brimstone.
   7. Interlude: The little scroll. (10:1-11)
      1. An angel appears, with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, having an opened little book in his hand.
      2. Upon the cry of the angel, seven thunders utter mysteries and secrets that are not to be written down by John.
      3. John is instructed to eat the little scroll that happens to be sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach, and to prophesy.
      4. John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
      5. Outside the temple, at the court of the holy city, it is treaded by the nations for forty-two months.
      6. Two witnesses prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. (11:1-14)
   8. Seventh Trumpet: The Third Woe that leads into the Seven bowls (11:15-19)
      1. The temple of God opens in heaven, where the ark of His covenant can be seen. There are lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
6. Events leading into the Second Woe
   1. A woman "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars" is in labor with a male child. (12:1-2)
   2. A great, fiery red, seven-headed dragon drags a third of the stars of heaven with his tail, and throws them to the earth. (12:3-4)
   3. The dragon waits for the birth of the child. However, when born, it is caught up to God's throne while the woman flees into the wilderness for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (12:5-6)
   4. War breaks out in heaven between Michael and the Dragon, identified as the Devil, Satan.(12:9) After a great fight, the Dragon and his angels are cast out of heaven for good, followed by praises of victory for God's kingdom. (12:7-12)
   5. The Dragon engages to persecute the Woman, but she is given aid to evade him. Her evasiveness enrages the Dragon, prompting him to wage war against the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (12:13-17)
   6. A seven-headed leopard-like beast emerges from the sea, having one mortally wounded head that is then healed. By the Dragon, he is granted power and authority for forty-two months. (13:1-5)
   7. The Beast of the sea blasphemes God's name, wages war against the Saints, and overcomes them. (13:6-10)
   8. Another beast appears, but from the earth, having two horns like a lamb and speaking like a dragon. He directs people to make an image of the beast, breathing life into it, and forcing all people to bear "the mark of the Beast," "666" or in one source "616." (Rev 13:11-18)
7. Events leading into the Third Woe
   1. The Lamb stands on Mount Zion with the 144,000 "firstfruits" who are redeemed from earth. (14:1-5)
   2. The proclamations of three angels. (14:6-13)
   3. One like the Son of Man reaps the earth. (14:14-16)
   4. A second angel reaps "the vine of the earth" and throws it into "the great winepress of the wrath of God... and blood came out of the winepress... up to one thousand six hundred furlongs." (14:17-20)
   5. The temple of the tabernacle, in heaven, is opened. (15:1-5)
   6. Seven angels are given a golden bowl, from the Four Living Creatures, that contains the wrath of God. (15:6-8)
   7. Seven bowls are poured onto Earth:
      1. First Bowl: A "foul and loathsome sore" afflicts the followers of the beast. (16:1-2)
      2. Second Bowl: The sea turns to blood and everything within it dies. (16:3)
      3. Third Bowl: All fresh water turns to blood. (16:4-7)
      4. Fourth Bowl: The sun scorches the Earth with intense heat. (16:8-9)
      5. Fifth Bowl: There is total darkness and great pain in the Beast's kingdom. (16:10-11)
      6. Sixth Bowl: Preparations are made for the final battle between the forces of good and evil. (16:12-16)
      7. Seventh Bowl: A great earthquake: "every island fled away and the mountains were not found." (16:17-21)
8. Aftermath of Babylon the Great
   1. The great harlot who sits on many waters: Babylon the Great. (17:1-18)
   2. Babylon is destroyed. (18:1-8)
   3. The people of the earth mourn Babylon's destruction. (18:9-19)
   4. The permanence of Babylon's destruction. (18:20-24)
9. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
   1. A great multitude praises God. (19:1-6)
   2. The marriage supper of the Lamb. (19:7-10)
10. The Millennium
    1. The beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. (19:11-21)
    2. Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. (20:1-3)
    3. The resurrected martyrs live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. (20:4-6)
11. After the Thousand Years
    1. Satan is released and makes war against the people of God, but is defeated. (20:7-9)
    2. Satan is cast into the lake of burning sulfur. (20:10)
    3. The Last Judgment: the wicked, along with death and Hades, are cast into the lake of fire. (20:11-15)
12. The New Heaven and Earth
    1. A new heaven and new earth replace the old. There is no more suffering or death. (21:1-8)
    2. God comes to dwell with humanity in the New Jerusalem. (21:2-8)
    3. Description of the New Jerusalem. (21:9-27)
    4. The river and tree of life appear for the healing of the nations. The curse is ended. (22:1-5)
13. Conclusion
    1. Christ's reassurance that his coming is imminent. Final admonitions. (22:6-21)