| Outline and Notes |
Audio Recordings and Charts |
Overview and 1:1-8
The
book opens in the form of a letter, and then introduces John
to someone who is eternal, and yet who is still to come. These two
features reappear, in inverse order, at the end of the book in the Epilog.
The central body of the book consists of four visions that John saw.
In each he is said to be "in the Spirit" (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). |
Introduction to the Revelation | Charts
1:1-4,
The Title of the Book | Charts
1:4-6,
The Revelation as a Letter
| Charts
1:7-8,
Promised Coming
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First Vision "In the Spirit":
1:9-3:22, Seven Letters to the Churches
These letters outline conditions in the churches of Asia Minor at the
time John wrote. Note the prevalence of the temptation to idolatry,
resulting from the pressure to worship the Roman emperor and from the
influence of the trade guilds.
This vision, describing the church in John's day, corresponds
structurally with the fourth and last vision, describing the church, the
Bride of Christ, as she will appear when the Lord returns. |
1:9-10,
The Lord Appears to John | Charts
1:10-16,
The Lord and the Candlesticks | Charts
1:17-20,
Final Introduction to the Letters | Charts
1:20-2:1,
Introduction to Ephesus | Charts
2:1-3,
Ephesus: Praise, Criticism, Exhortation | Charts
2:4-7,
Ephesus: Criticism, Exhortation | Charts
2:7-8,
End of Ephesus and Start of Smyrna | Charts
2:8-11,
Smyrna: Satanic Attack | Charts
2:12-17,
Pergamos: Satan's Seat | Charts
2:17-20,
Manna, White Pebble, and Thyatira | Charts
2:20-23,
The Lord Searches Thyatira | Charts
2:24-3:1,
Overcomers in Thyatira and Failure in Sardis | Charts
3:2-4,
First Aid for an Ailing Church | Charts
3:5-6,
Promises to Sardian Overcomers | Charts
3:7-8,
Praise for Philadelphia | Charts
3:8-11,
Promises to Philadelphia | Charts
3:12-14,
From Philadelphia to Laodicea | Charts
3:14,
The Lord's Introduction to Laodicea | Charts
3:14-18,
More to Laodicea | Charts
3:18-22,
Conclusion to the Seven Letters | Charts
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Second Vision "In the Spirit":
4:1-16:21, Three Cycles, each with Seven Judgments
These judgments on earth and its inhabitants prepare for the
judgments on Satan and his colleagues, described in the third vision.
4:1-8:5, Seven Seals:
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4:1,
John Visits the Heavenly Court | Charts 4:1-3
4:1-5,
Thrones, Elders, and Noise | Charts
4:5-8,
Lamps, Creatures, and Worship | Charts
4:8-11,
Praise from Angels and Men | Charts
5:1-5,
The Sealed Scroll | Charts
5:5-8,
The Prevailing Lamb | Charts
5:8-9,
Prayers and Songs of the Elders | Charts
5:9-14,
The Worthy Lamb | Charts
5:12,
Praise from Thousands of Angels | Charts
5:12-14,
Universal Worship | Charts
6:1,
Introduction to the Seals | Charts
6:1-6,
The Four Horsemen | Charts
6:6-9,
Famine, Death, and Martyrs | Charts
6:9-10,
Keep the Word, Have the Testimony | Charts
6:10-11,
The Martyrs' Prayer for Vengeance | Charts
6:12-7:1,
The Sixth Seal: Important, Impotent People | Charts
7:2-8,
Two Groups of Saints | Charts
7:9-12,
Those who can Stand | Charts
7:13-16,
The Saints in Heaven | Charts
7:16-8:1, Promises for Saints in Heaven | Charts
8:2-5,
Heavenly Background of the Sixth Seal | Charts
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8:6-11:19, Seven Trumpets
The seventh seal expands to reveal the more intense judgments of the Seven Trumpets.
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8:6-8,
Overview of the Seven Trumpets | Charts
8:8-13,
Trumpets Two through Five | Charts
9:1,
Fifth Trumpet: Locusts from the Abyss | Charts
9:2-6,
Locusts from Exodus and Joel | Charts
9:6-12,
From Locusts to Horses | Charts
9:13-15,
The Altar and the Character of God | Charts
9:14-21,
Demon Horses from the Euphrates | Charts
10:1-3,
The Little Book: Echoes of Daniel and Ezekiel | Charts
10:4-11,
The Mystery: The Gospel of Judgment | Charts
10:11-11:2,
The Divided Temple | Charts
11:2-4,
The Two Olive Trees and Candlesticks | Charts
11:4-7, The Two Witnesses? | Charts
11:8-13,
The Great City and the Two Witnesses | Charts
11:14-19,
The Seventh Trumpet | Charts
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12-16, Seven Vials (Bowls)
Just as the seventh seal expands into the seven trumpets, the seventh trumpet
expands into the seven bowls.
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12:1-5,
The Woman and the Dragon | Charts
12:3-6,
The Dragon and the Woman's Seed | Charts
12:6-7,
War in Heaven | Charts
12:7-12,
Satan Cast Out of Heaven | Charts
12:13-17,
The Woman's Wings and the Serpent's Flood | Charts
13,
Introducing the Two Beasts | Charts
13:1-4,
The Beast out of the Sea | Charts
13:4-11,
It was Given; the Beast out of the Earth | Charts
13:12-18,
The Work of the False Prophet | Charts
14:1-4,
A Glimpse of the Coming Kingdom | Charts
14:4-5,
Qualifications of the 144,000 | Charts
14:6-8,
The Messages of the Three Flying Angels | Charts
14:8-12,
Babylon's Bar and Grill | Charts
14:12-13,
Patience leads to Happiness | Charts
14:14-20,
The Final Harvests | Charts
15:1-3,
Introduction of the Bowl Angels | Charts
15:3-8,
The Smoke-Filled Temple | Charts
16:1-21,
The Bowl Judgments | Charts
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Third Vision "In the Spirit":
17:1-21:8, Defeat of Satan's System
Corresponding to the judgments on the earth in the second vision,
the third vision describes the defeat of the system that Satan has
erected to advance his kingdom.
17:1-19:10, Fall of the Great Whore
Babylon, notorious in the OT prophets for her addiction to idolatry and
her influence in corrupting Israel, here represents the apostate church,
whom the Antichrist uses to advance his purposes, before destroying
her.
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17-21 intro,
Introducing Babylon, the Great Whore | Charts
17:1-3,
The Woman Rides the Beast | Charts
17:4-7,
The Woman's Clothing and its Meaning | Charts
17:8-14,
The Beast, the Woman, and the Kings | Charts
17:14-18,
The Kings Turn Against the Woman | Charts
18:1-4,
Introduction to Babylon's Funeral | Charts
18:4-6,
Commands to Judge Babylon | Charts
18:7-13,
Introduction to Babylon's Mourners | Charts
18:9-19,
Three Parallel Laments | Charts
18:20-19:1,
A Final Command and Doom from Heaven | Charts
19:1-3,
Voices Praising Babylon's Conqueror | Charts
19:4-7,
The Chief Musician and his Choir | Charts
19:7-10,
The Marriage of the Lamb | Charts
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19:11-21:8, The Lord's Return and Defeat of His Enemies
In swift succession, the antichrist and his false prophet, then Satan
himself, and finally the unbelievers who have followed them, are cast
into the lake of fire.
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19-21 intro,
The Rider on the White Horse | Charts
19:11-14,
Details of the Rider's Appearance | Charts
19:15-18,
The Messiah Resumes his Glory | Charts
19:19-20:3,
Defeat of the Beast, and Binding of Satan | Charts
20:4-10,
The Millennium and the Last Battle | Charts
20:11-15,
The Great White Throne | Charts
21:1-2,
Transition from Judgment to New Jerusalem | Charts
21:2-6,
God's Relations with His People | Charts
21:7-10,
The Final Exam, and the Bride of Christ | Charts
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Fourth Vision "In the Spirit":
21:9-22:5, The Bride of Christ
In contrast with the state of the church
in the first vision (weak, tempted
with idolatry, under attack), we now see her glorious future condition,
victorious over the forces of Satan, glorious and without sin.
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21:10-13,
Gates and Foundations of the City | Charts
21:14-20,
Jeweled Foundations | Charts
21:20-21,
Who Wears Jewels? (No audio available) | Charts
21:22,
The City that Never Sleeps | Charts
21:22-27,
Fulfillment of Isaiah 60 | Charts
22:1-3,
Return to Eden | Charts
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22:6-21,Epilog
Like the opening verses, we hear
from the eternal and yet coming one, and close the overall letter to the
churches that is the Revelation. |
22:3-5; Intro to Epilog,
The Final Contrast and the Final Speaker | Charts
22:6-11,
The Urgency Alternation | Charts
22:7-12,
Roadsigns to the End | Charts
22:12-13,
Judged according to Works | Charts
22:7b-15, Beatitudes and John's Blunder | Charts
22:16-17, First Testimony: Three Invitations | Charts
22:18-21, Final Testimonies and Ending | Charts
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Summary of the Revelation
This concluding study surveys our final conclusions about the entire book.
Study Questions on the Revelation
These
questions allow students to work their way through the book,
discovering many of the insights spelled out in the exposition.
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1-22, Concluding Summary | Charts
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