This document provides an outline and overview of the book of Revelation. It begins by describing the four typical ways Revelation has been interpreted: already fulfilled, a history from Jesus to the end, not yet fulfilled beginning in chapter 4, and idealist/symbolic. The document then examines the situation of the early church that John was writing to, noting they faced persecution but lacked clarity on God's plans. The main sections and symbols of Revelation are summarized. It describes seven churches that received letters with a consistent pattern of greeting, title of Christ, commendation, criticism, warning, and promise. Chapters 4-22 are divided into the seven seals, seven trumpets, the dragon/beasts, seven bowls,

1. Introductory Matters
The People to Whom the Book is Addressed
Throughout the years there have been four typical ways of viewing the book of
Revelation.
1. Already Fulfilled. All events of Revelation were fulfilled during the time of the
Roman Empire.
2. History of Time from Jesus until the end. Revelation is a panorama of church
history from the Apostolic era until the consummation.
3. Not Yet Fulfilled. Beginning with Ch 4, Revelation describes the future events
accompanying the end of the age.
4. Idealist. Revelation is not a representation of actual events, but is rather a
symbolic depiction of the spiritual warfare between good and evil.
It seems to me that each of these 4 ways has value for us but that we cannot simply
look at one as being primary. For example, it is clear that John was writing to a
group of people in the early church. Since this is true, obviously some of what he has
to say must have been fulfilled during that time. But we are not at that time and we
also believe that scripture can be applied to anyone, in any situation, in any time
(every tongue, tribe, people, and nation). Thus we also can see how the other
approaches add value to our understanding of Revelation today. To a certain extent
there is a series of descriptions of events that happened from the Apostolic period
until today but there are also clearly some parts that have yet to happen. One way to
view prophecy is to see each one with a series of fulfillments. There is quite often an
immediate fulfillment that happens during the time the events actually happened.
Then quite often there is a second or third (or more) fulfillment throughout the
ages. Thus, while we firmly believe that John’s message was for the people of his
time, and that fulfillment happened to a certain extent for them, we also firmly
believe that John has a message for us today.
So then how do we approach the book?
The Church’s Situation in John’s Day
First of all we need to look at the situation of the day.
As Hendriksen says, "A sound interpretation of the Apocalypse must take as it's
starting-point the position that the book was intended for believers living in John's
day and age." This is because first and foremost, everyone who writes a letter or a
book has an intended purpose. John himself is given his purpose by Jesus: 1:10-11 –
“I came under the Spirit's power on the Lord's day. I heard a loud voice behind me
like a trumpet, saying, ‘Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven
churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and
Laodicea.’” These are clearly churches that existed during that time, even though
they aren’t really around today anymore.

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So what was the situation in John’s day? Imagine if you will what things were like for
the early believers. The Gospel had been preached everywhere. This good news said
that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, Lord of heaven and earth; that Jesus was
crucified, died, and was buried; that Jesus rose from the dead; that Jesus reigns in
heaven; and that Jesus will destroy the ungodly kingdoms of the world and will set
up a perfect kingdom.
But there was a problem: Some believed and some didn't. As Morris says, "But
nothing happened." The Church remained small, the empire remained strong and
evil, oppression and injustice were everywhere, evil prospered, and the righteous
were persecuted.
So what of the message of the Good News? Was there any hope? Did we really
believe the right thing to begin with? Is God really going to defeat evil and establish
good? When is Jesus going to come back?
Morris says, “To a church perplexed by such problems Revelation was written. ... It
was sent to a little, persecuted, frustrated church, one which did not know what to
make of the situation in which it found itself. John writes to meet the need of that
church.”
Of course, if this is true, then the imagery and scenes in the book would need to be
understandable to the people of John’s time. As Morris again says, “The illustrations
which make the point are drawn from the contemporary Roman Empire, so that the
books is securely rooted in a given historical situation. But the principles set out in it
are of permanent validity. We see them in operation still.”
Purpose of Revelation
"To comfort the militant Church in its struggle against the forces of evil."
7:17-21; 21:4 God sees their tears
8:3,4 Their prayers are influential in world affairs
Their death is precious in His sight. In 15:2 we see that their final victory is
assured while in 19:2 we read that their blood will be avenged.
Their Christ lives & reigns forever & forever. In 5:7,8 we see that He governs
the world in the interest of His church. We also see, in 21:22 that He is coming again
to take His people to Himself in the marriage supper of the Lamb
Finally, 1:12-20 tells us that Christ is with us.
There is another purpose to this book. We also see throughout the book that the
sovereignty of God is being taught. This is not only so that the church is comforted in
the midst of its own struggles, but simply because God is sovereign!
Theme of Revelation
In reading Revelation, we also get the sense that "things are not what they seem."
From the perspective of the early church, they saw the sin, evil, and unrighteousness
in the world and wondered why they seemed so powerless. Revelation looks at the
various evil systems the world has and shows us what really lies behind them. For

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example, the Beast seems victorious [11:7-10] but in reality he is defeated [11:11,
15]. In fact, it is Christ who is the victor [1:18; 2:8; 5:9ff; 6:2; 11:15; 12:9ff; 14:1,14;
15:2ff; 19:16; 20:4; 22:3].
The Saints’ Prayers seem unheard [6:10] but in reality God answers their prayers
[8:3-5].
Believers seem defeated but in reality they reign on earth [5:10], in heaven [20:4],
and in the New Heaven & Earth [22:5].
Like the Beast discussed above, the Dragon seems to conquer [12:3]. However, in
reality he is conquered [20:10].
Likewise the False Prophet seems to conquer [13:11] but in reality is conquered
[19:20].
Babylon also seems to conquer [14:8] but in reality is conquered [18:2].
The second part of the theme comes out in 17:14, where we read, “They will go to
war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and
King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.”
Structure of the Book
1. Revelation 1: The Son of Man
2. Revelation 2-3: The Seven Churches
3. Revelation 4-7: The 7 Seals Opened
4. Revelation 8-11: The 7 Trumpets Sounded
5. Revelation 12-14: The Christ vs the Dragon and his Allies
6. Revelation 15-16: The 7 Bowls Poured Out
7. Revelation 17-19: Fall of the Dragon's Allies
8. Revelation 20-22: Victory Through Christ
Symbolism in Revelation
Revelation contains many different symbols, from numbers, to creatures, to visions,
to ideas. This makes the book very hard to understand at times. I really don’t want
to create a list of the various symbols used in the book and their meanings.
However, there are some key ideas and symbols that we can discuss and see how
John uses them in his writings.
Time. Shows the limitation of the hardship and persecution depicted here (and that
exists in the world around us today). It will not be endless!
Sitting on the Throne. The key element in this thematic net is the throne. The
concentration of “throne” in Revelation (45 times, compared to only 15 times in the
rest of the New Testament) is remarkable. Elisabeth S. Fiorenza wrote: -The major
theological motifs of Revelation are those of power and justice. The central
theological symbol of the book is the throne signifying divine or demonic power.
Sovereignty of God. A thematic macrostructure of God's sovereign rule ties together
the entire text through a system of lexical links.
The One Who Overcomes.

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Adultery & Prostitution as Spiritual Idolatry. Another surface element that binds the
text together is the use of words from the root porn to describe God's enemies. The
self-designated prophetess Jezebel refuses to repent of her “adultery” (2:21).
Babylon is the “prostitute” (17:1-5). The kings of the earth committed “adultery”
with the great “prostitute” (18:3,9). The concept of fornication is joined with dogs,
sorcerers, and liars in 22:15 . Each of these terms has a history of association with
the idea of doctrinal deviation, such as the use of “dogs” for heretics in Philippians
3:2. The deep notional structure in Revelation, therefore, is a concern for doctrinal
purity and its corollary, moral purity. These notions consolidate the prologue (1-3),
narrative sequence (4:1-22:7), and epilogue (22:8-21) into a single literary unit.
The Number Seven. Of the many numbers used in Revelation, perhaps the most
prominent is the number 7. It is commonly understood to refer to completeness. A
variety of lists of 7 things is included in the book, such as Spirits,
Angels/Messengers, Churches, Seals, Trumpets, Thunders, Bowls, etc.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 is the introduction to the entire revelation. John is introduced and we see
whom the story is about and whom it is for. Jesus is described in detail (very strange
and picturesque detail) and these details are referred back to throughout the book
as John seeks to identify the “Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb who was slain.”
The story is clearly for the church, both at the time of John and also during the
present time. Here we also see the question answered by the book, found in 1:5-6.
Jesus rules and made us to be a kingdom. “So where is the kingdom?” is the question
we must ask ourselves. We also ask ourselves the question “The church of John’s day
(and ours as well) needs “a reminder of the ultimate sovereignty of God and the
importance of continued loyalty and doctrinal integrity.”
“The problem is stated in 1:6: God made them (the recipients) a kingdom, but they
do not appear to reign in their present milieu.” How do they reconcile this obvious
difference between the declaration of God and their day-by-day experience?
We can divide the book into two sections. The first section describes the Church’s
persecution by the world and how God participates in protecting and avenging them,
ultimately becoming victorious over those who oppose Him and His church.
Chapters 2-3
Chapters 2-3 describe the present day of the church, from the time of the Apostles
until now (whenever that might be). Here we see a church that
So how do we interpret the phrase “to the angel of the church at … write?” MWhat is
meant by the word “angel?” A look at the book of Revelation and how it uses this
word shows us that in chapters 2-3, the term seems to indicate humans, while in the
rest of the book, the term seems to be more traditional and seems to refer to
heavenly beings. Perhaps, though, the kind of creature an angel is misses the point.
Perhaps it might be better to look at what “angel” means. The word “angel,” at its
core, refers to someone who does the will of someone else. Notice throughout the
book, angels do not take the initiative. Rather they follow the lead of the “one who

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sits on the throne.” They are in fact helpers – some for Jesus and some for Satan.
Thus, when we see this word used by Jesus in chapters 2-3, we can understand these
to be those who do the will of Jesus in the church, whether it is the pastor, the
leaders, the members, or whoever else might be available. Someone who is serving
the church in behalf of God.
Each letter follows a pattern that is common to all.
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism
5. Warning
6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Ephesus Verdict: In Danger
1. Greeting To the Messenger of the church in Ephesus
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1 These are the words of him who holds the seven
stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
3. I know ...
a. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know
that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those
who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You
have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have
not grown weary.
b. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the
Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
4. Criticism Thou hast left thy first love
5. Warning Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you
did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your
lampstand from its place.
6. Who has an ear ... He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches.
7. To him who overcomes ... I will give to eat of the tree of life which is in the
midst of the paradise of God
Group Assignment. Analyze and discuss one of the remaining 6 churches in
your group. Identify the different parts of the outline showing which verses
you are using. What is the verdict for the church? Is your church like the
church described in your group? Why or why not? Each group will present
their findings to the class.
Smyrna Verdict: ________________
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism

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5. Warning
6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Pergamum Verdict: ________________
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism
5. Warning
6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Thyatira Verdict: ________________
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism
5. Warning
6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Sardis Verdict: ________________
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism
5. Warning
6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Philadelphia Verdict: ________________
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism
5. Warning
6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Laodicea Verdict: ________________
1. Greeting
2. A Title of Christ -- from Ch 1
3. I know ...
4. Criticism
5. Warning

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6. He who has an ear.
7. To him who overcomes ...
Chapters 4-5
Chapters 4-5 describe the Ultimate Reality – those things that perhaps we forget on
earth but Jesus reminds us of in this revelation through John. In all of the things
described we must take note of the fact that it is God on His throne who remains at
the center of the entire creation. No matter how marvelous or spectacular are the
other things that are described, God Himself always remains at the center. This not
only provides hope for those Christians undergoing persecution, it also provides a
focus for all of our theological reflection – any theology that does not acknowledge
God as central and sovereign is suspect. Here is a picture of what the scene looks
like:

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F = Father & His throne. At the center of all
1. Jasper
2. Carnelian
3. Emerald Rainbow
4. 4 Living Creatures
5. 24 thrones of elders
6. Thousands of Angels
7. All other creatures of the Universe
L = Lamb
7 Lampstands
Sea
Basic Outline of Chapters 4-7
1. The Church Exists with its various problems and blessings
2. God exists at the center of it all
3. God has a plan that only he knows
4. John weeps because God's plan cannot be carried out due to the unworthiness of all
creatures in creation!
5. The Lion/Lamb is Worthy to open, and thus begin, the plan of God!
6. The Seven Seals
Chapters 6-7
Chapters 6-7 describe the scroll and the 7 seals that need to be opened. It is
essential for us to know that each of the list of 7 things are all different perspectives
of the same events – that same time period as described in chapters 2-3, namely the
time period of the church, from the time of the Apostles until the present time. In
many ways these seals seem to describe natural events that cause death on the
world. What we learn here, however, that God’s plan in the midst of a dead and
dying world is to seal and save a people for himself. Throughout the 7 seals, we see
the continual hand of God in controlling and limiting those things that happen on the
earth. Each rider is “given” his power and authority, which implies that it is limited
and not eternal.
Chapter 7 describes the peak of this part of the book. Here we see that the sealing of
the 144,000 is one of the main focuses of John’s revelation. This helps us understand
one of his goals in providing an answer to the people of his day who have not yet
experienced the full promises of God. In response, John describes a key scene in
heaven – something that is discussed in other parts of the NT – namely the sealing of
God’s people. This sealing is not limited to a certain number of people, however. The
144,000 talked about in vv1-8 are seen to be a great multitude. This multitude,
although presented in “Israel” terms, in fact reflects and includes people from every
tribe, nation, language, and people. The seals are divided into 4 then 2 then 1.

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The Scoll and the 7 Seals
What does it represent? Hendriksen says, "The meaning is this: the closed scroll
indicates that plan of God unrevealed and unexecuted. If that scroll remains sealed
God's purposes are not realised. His plan is not carried out. To open that scroll by
breaking the seals means not merely to reveal but to carry out God's plan."
"If the scroll is not opened it means that there will be no protection for God's
children in the hours of bitter trial; no judgments upon a persecuting world, no
ultimate triumph for believers; no new heaven and earth; no future inheritance."
Morris agrees with Hendriksen and says, "The book is surely that which contains the
world's destiny, and its contents are revealed to us pictorially as the seals are
broken."
That is why John is so sad when he sees that no one can open the scroll. How then will
God's plan be carried out if no one can open it up and start the process? Finally a
champion is found! He is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David." But when
John sees the Lion he looks like a lamb that had been slain. Of course we know this is
Jesus since these are words that have been used to describe Jesus before.
So let’s look at the seals as the Lamb opens them.
Seal 1 White Horse
The rider on the white horse had the power to conquer. It is interesting to note that
here John uses a phrase “was given ...” to describe the authority by which the rider
was able to do his actions. This is a formula that John uses when he wants to talk
about the sovereign permission to do things that, from a human viewpoint, seem
contrary to God's character but nevertheless accomplish his will. These actors
include those coming from the abyss (9:1,3,5), the beast (13:5,7), and the false
prophet (13:14,15). The one seated on the throne is the only one who has real
authority.
Seal 2 Red Horse
The rider on the red horse has the power to take peace from the earth and to make
people kill each other. Some say that this means he has the power to persecute
Christians and certainly that is included here. However, it is important for us to see
this as happening to anyone who lives on the earth. Note also that any authority the
rider of the red horse has also been granted to him.
Seal 3 Black Horse
The results of the rider of the black horse’s activities result in the proclamation that
bread will cost so much that one day’s wages will be enough to feed only one man
for a day. However, note that other necessary food items such as oil and wine
abound! Some see this as referring to famine. Others see it as referring to inflation.
Regardless, it is something whose power is limited. Economic oppression is not
endless – God limits the power to a manageable amount.
Seal 4 Pale Horse

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The rider of the pale horse is given power to kill by sword, famine, plague, wild
animals. But even though he is called Death and is joined by Hades, his power, too, is
limited. Notice that only ¼th of the world and no more. Some also see this as
applying to the persecution of Christians however, since death comes to all men it is
best to see this too as applicable to all on the earth.
These first 4 seals are a view of the world as we see it. People conquering and being
conquered, war and peace, death and dying, sickness and tragedy, famine, plague,
and other hardships abound. One thing we can learn from reading this prophecy is
that all of the power given to these things – things that seem so powerful to us today
– is in fact given. Evil has no power of it’s own. Death has no power of it’s own. The
situation of our life has no power of it’s own. The one seated on the throne is the
only one with authority to do anything. So what then does that mean for believers?
Let’s take a look at the last 3 seals as God’s plan continues to be revealed.
Seal 5 Souls of those killed
Here is where we see the difference with other apocalyptic works and where we see
the hope for the church! Most other writings of this type focus on judgment and
punishment. Here John adds hope for his readers, who are in the midst of death,
persecution, and hardship. Here we see the question that is on everyone’s lips:
“What about us oh God? Have you forgotten?” The souls of those who have been
martyred cry out to God for justice. God does give an answer here. He promises to
act once the time is right. This means there is hope because the death and
persecution are limited and not endless! And the answer is only a seal away (see
Seal 6)! In Seal 6 we see the punishment on the wicked.
Seal 6 The end of the world!
The Wicked Punished
Note that here the Lamb is the one who has wrath. At the beginning of the seals he is
the one who has been slain. Now at the end of time we see him as being the judge. I
guess this is part of being the lion of the tribe of Judah!
“Who every heard of a lamb being angry? What a terrible thought -- the gentlest of
all God's creatures being angry! It is the wrath of love, the wrath of sacrificial love
which, having done the absolute utmost for us and our salvation, tells us as nothing
else could the certainty with which evil awaits its doom at the hand of God.”
Torrance/Morris, 108-109
In this account of the end of the world, notice how there are two groups of 7 that are
talked about. Since 7 is the number of completeness we can see here that this
judgment is complete.
The first group of 7 is things: Earthquake, Sun, Moon, Stars, Heavens, Every
Mountain, and Every Island. This is a complete breakup of the cosmic system. But
note 7:3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the
foreheads of the servants of our God." There is hope in the midst of destruction, at
least for those who are sealed.

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The second group of 7 is classes of people: Kings, Princes, Generals, Rich, Mighty,
Slave, and Free. Here we see that “No enemy of God, no matter what his position in
society, will escape the terrors.”
Here also is much hope for those believers who are caught in this time. An angel
arrives “from the east ...” East is a significant Bible word.
Ge 2:8 Eden was in the east
Ez 43;2 Glory came to the Temple from the east
Mt 2:1-2 Wise men came frm the east
Mt 2:1-2 Messiah would come from the east
And what happens is indeed a blessing since John describes the sealing or securing
of the 144,000. This is a wonderful promise for the future. 7:16 says, “Never again
will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,
nor any scorching heat.” The sealing is in effect a protection against the 4 winds
being held back by the 4 angels.
So of course the question we all have is, “Who are the 144,000?” Note that the list
includes 12,000 each from 12 tribes of Israel. Note, however, that Dan is missing
from the list and Joseph in mentioned instead of his son Ephraim. Three verses can
help us with this:
7:9 talks about “a great multitude that no one can number.” These are the people
John sees immediately after the sealing so this group must be the group that is
sealed. They are described as being “from every nation, tribe, people, and language.
No one was able to count how many people there were.”
14:1-5 discusses the 144,000 at length. John says, “I looked, and the lamb was
standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with him who had his name
and his Father's name written on their foreheads. Then I heard a sound from heaven
like the noise of raging water and the noise of loud thunder. The sound I heard was
like the music played by harpists. They were singing a new song in front of the
throne, the four living creatures, and the leaders. Only the 144,000 people who had
been bought on earth could learn the song. These 144,000 virgins are pure. They
follow the lamb wherever he goes. They were bought from among humanity as the
first ones offered to God and to the lamb. They've never told a lie. They are
blameless.”
Clearly this is describing believers. The assurance for John’s readers is that they
have been sealed and that those sealed will be protected when the time comes.
Seal 7 The 7 Trumpets
Seal 7 leads to the 7 Trumpets. This ties the two together that we can see they are
describing the same series of events from a different perspective. The seals revealed
the plan of God. The trumpets sound the warning of God to the world – that God will
intervene in the world’s affairs so that He is glorified.