Revelation

Outline

• I. Introduction — the revelation of Christ and the testimony of Jesus
• II. "The things which you have seen"
• A. Seven golden lampstands — the shining churches
• B. The Son of Man — the living Christ
• C. Seven stars — the bright messengers of the churches
• III. "The things which are" — the seven local churches
• A. The church in Ephesus — the church at the close of the initial stage
• B. The church in Smyrna — the church under persecution
• C. The church in Pergamos — the church married to the world
• D. The church in Thyatira — the church in apostasy
• E. The church in Sardis — the church in reformation
• F. The church in Philadelphia — the church in recovery
• G. The church in Laodicea — the church in degradation
• IV. "The things which are about to take place"
• A. The first section, giving a general view of the things to come, from Christ's ascension to eternity future
• 1. The scene around the throne in the heavens — only the Lion-Lamb (the victorious and redeeming Christ) being worthy to open the mystery of God's economy
• 2. The seven seals — the mystery of God's economy
• a. The first seal: a white horse and its rider — the preaching of the gospel
• b. The second seal: a red horse and its rider — the spread of war
• c. The third seal: a black horse and its rider — the increase of famine
• d. The fourth seal: a pale horse and its rider — rampant death
• e. The fifth seal: the cry of the souls underneath the altar — the prayer of the martyred saints from Paradise for vengeance
• f. The sixth seal: the shaking of the earth and heaven, the beginning of the great tribulation — a warning to earth's dwellers
• g. The visions inserted between the sixth and seventh seals
• 1) 144,000 of the twelve tribes sealed — the chosen Israelites preserved on earth
• 2) A great multitude serving God in the heavenly temple — the redeemed saints raptured to heaven to enjoy God's care and the Lamb's shepherding
• h. The seventh seal: seven trumpets brought in — the answer to the martyred saints' prayer in the fifth seal
• i. The scene in heaven after the opening of the seventh seal — Christ as the High Priest offering the prayers of the saints to God
• 3. The seven trumpets — the execution of God's economy
• a. The first trumpet: judgment on the earth
• b. The second trumpet: judgment on the sea
• c. The third trumpet: judgment on the rivers
• d. The fourth trumpet: judgment on the sun, moon, and stars
• e. The fifth trumpet — the first woe: judgment on men —Satan and Antichrist collaborating to torment men
• f. The sixth trumpet — the second woe: further judgment on men — two hundred million horsemen killing the third part of men
• g. The visions inserted between the sixth and seventh trumpets
• 1) Christ coming to possess the earth
• 2) John charged to prophesy again
• 3) The temple measured and the court cast out — the heavenly temple sanctified and preserved and the earthly one given to the Gentiles
• 4) The two witnesses — Moses and Elijah
• 5) A great earthquake — the third earthquake predicted in this book
• h. The seventh trumpet — the eternal kingdom of Christ, the third woe comprising the seven bowls, the judgment of the dead, the giving of the reward to the prophets, to the saints, and to the God-fearing people, and the destruction of the destroyers of the earth
• i. The scene in heaven after the trumpeting of the seventh trumpet — the temple opened and the ark seen
• B. The second section, giving details of the important things and the crucial matters covered in the first section
• 1. A woman who brings forth a man-child, and a great red dragon — Satan
• a. The woman in travail
• b. The great red dragon against the woman
• c. The man-child born and caught up to God and to His throne
• d. The woman fleeing
• e. War in heaven
• f. The triumphant shout in heaven
• g. The dragon persecuting the woman
• h. The dragon making war with the rest of the woman's seed
• 2. The two beasts
• a. The beast out of the sea — Antichrist
• b. The beast out of the earth — the false prophet
• 3. Three reapings
• a. The firstfruits of the believers before the great tribulation
• b. The eternal gospel in the great tribulation
• c. The fall of religious Babylon in the great tribulation
• d. The warning against the worship of Antichrist in the great tribulation
• e. The blessing of the martyrs in the great tribulation
• f. The harvest of the believers near the end of the great tribulation
• g. The gathering of the grapes (the evildoers) at the end of the great tribulation
• 4. The outpouring of the seven bowls
• a. The last seven plagues
• b. The praise of the late overcomers
• c. The scene in heaven before the outpouring of the seven bowls
• d. The first bowl: a malignant sore upon the worshippers of Antichrist
• e. The second bowl: the sea becoming blood
• f. The third bowl: the rivers and springs becoming blood
• g. The fourth bowl: the sun burning men with fire
• h. The fifth bowl: the kingdom of Antichrist becoming darkened
• i. The sixth bowl: the Euphrates dried up
• j. The vision inserted between the sixth and seventh bowls: the gathering at Armageddon
• k. The seventh bowl: the greatest earthquake and the great hail
• 5. Babylon the Great and her destruction
• a. The religious aspect
• 1) The great harlot
• 2) The interpretation of the woman and the beast
• 3) The destruction of the harlot by the beast
• b. The material aspect
• 1) The shout of Christ: «Babylon the Great is fallen»
• 2) The call for separation: «Come out of her»
• 3) Babylon's pride and destruction
• 4) The weeping over Babylon
• 5) The rejoicing in heaven
• 6) The declaration of Babylon's absolute destruction
• c. The praise in heaven
• 6. The marriage of the Lamb
• a. The praise of a great multitude
• b. The Lamb's marriage and His marriage dinner
• c. The spirit of the prophecy
• 7. The war at Armageddon
• a. Christ coming to tread the great winepress
• b. A great dinner
• c. The defeat and perdition of Antichrist and the false prophet
• 8. The imprisonment of Satan
• a. For one thousand years
• b. In the abyss
• 9. The millennial kingdom
• a. In the best resurrection
• b. With the priesthood and the kingship for one thousand years
• 10. The last rebellion
• a. The release of Satan
• b. The rebellion of the nations and their destruction
• c. Satan's perdition in the lake of fire
• 11. The judgment of the great white throne
• a. Earth and heaven fleeing away
• b. The unbelieving dead being judged
• c. The demons being judged
• d. Death and Hades being cast into the lake of fire
• e. The perdition of the unbelievers and demons in the lake of fire
• 12. The new heaven and the new earth
• a. The first heaven and the first earth having passed away and the sea being no more
• b. New Jerusalem coming down to the new earth
• c. The peoples on the new earth
• d. The sons of God in eternity
• e. The perished in the lake of fire
• 13. New Jerusalem
• a. The bride, the wife of the Lamb
• b. The holy city
• c. Her glory and appearance
• d. Her structure and measurement
• e. The enlarged temple
• f. Her light and lamp
• g. The nations around her
• 14. The river of water of life and the tree of life
• a. The river of water of life
• b. The tree of life
• 15. The blessings of God's redeemed in eternity
• a. No more curse
• b. Having the throne of God and of the Lamb
• c. Serving God and the Lamb
• d. Seeing the face of God and of the Lamb
• e. The name of God and of the Lamb being on their foreheads
• f. Being under the illumination of the Lord God
• g. Reigning forever
• V. Conclusion — the Lord's last warning and the apostle's last prayer