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Brief Summary of Revelation 1–9
Revelation 1 The Introduction: Scene:
Earth. Time: Past (ca. 95 AD).
John introduces the book of prophecy with
an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the Revelation. John was exiled
on the island of Patmos when Jesus sent and communicated the vision of things
which must soon take place. John is commanded to write and send the book to the
seven churches in Asia.
Revelation 2-3 Messages to the Angels of the Seven Churches
in Asia:
Scene: Earth. Time: Present (to original
readers in Asia).
Jesus sends a unique message to each of
the seven churches in the western part of the Roman province of Asia: Ephesus,
Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The cities are listed in the order of the geographical circuit that the
messenger of the book would naturally travel as he delivered the letters.
Revelation 4–5 Prelude of Praise:
Scene: Heaven. Time: Future (Onset of the Great
Seven-Year Tribulation which will complete the present age, conclude with
Jesus’ return, and usher in the Millennium).
Revelation 4-22 records events that will
take place in the future. Three consecutive periods of judgment lead to the
second return of Jesus Christ: 7 Seals; 7 Trumpets; and, 7 Bowls. A prelude of
praise in heaven precedes the onset of each three sets of 7 consecutive
judgments. Revelation 4-5 records the initial heavenly prelude of praise that
will precede the opening of the 7 Seals of judgment in Revelation 6, ushering
in “a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the
world until now, nor ever will” (Matt 24:21).
Revelation 6 Seven Seal Judgments
Scene: Earth. Time: Future (Chronology moves
forward.)
The seven seals contain the
judgments of the Great Tribulation, concluding with the return of Jesus. The
seventh Seal contains the seven Trumpet judgments, and the seventh Trumpet
judgment contains the final seven Bowl judgments. The Trumpet and Bowl
judgments are all contained within the seventh Seal, unfolding consecutively
through the seven-year Tribulation Period. Through judgment, Jesus becomes King
of all the nations.
Revelation 6 records John’s
vision of the Lamb breaking the first 6 of 7 Seals:
§
Seal #1: First
Apocalyptic Horseman (White Horse): Conqueror
§
Seal #2: Second
Apocalyptic Horseman (Red Horse): Removes Peace
§
Seal #3: Third
Apocalyptic Horseman (Black Horse): Famine
§
Seal #4: Fourth
Apocalyptic Horseman (Ashen Horse): Death & Hades (over ¼ killed)
§
Seal #5: Cries
of the Martyrs for Judgment and Vengeance
§
Seal #6: Earthquake,
Blackened Sun, Blood-like Moon, Falling Stars, Split Sky, Moving Mountains and
Islands, Hiding Men, Great Day of Wrath
The seventh seal remains
unbroken at the end of Revelation 6. Before the Lamb breaks the seventh seal
(Rev 8), the foreheads of 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel are sealed.
Rev 7:1-8
Sealing of 144,000 from 12 Tribes of Israel: Scene: Earth.
Time: Future.
The
angels are commanded to refrain from harming the earth, sea, or trees until the
bond-servants of God are sealed on their foreheads with the seal of the Living
God. The 144,000 include 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Rev
7:9-17 Prelude of Praise by Multitude in Heaven: Scene: Heaven. Time: Future.
Before the Lamb breaks the
7th Seal, containing the 7 Trumpets and 7 Bowls, there is a prelude of praise
in heaven by a great, countless multitude from every nation, tribes, peoples,
and tongues. The multitude, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their
hands, stands before the throne and before the Lamb as they cry, “Salvation to
our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (7:10). The heavenly court
responds in worship. One of the elders explains to John that the multitude
came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, made white in the
blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 8–9 Trumpet Judgments
Scene: Earth. Time: Future (Chronology moves
forward, Second Half of Tribulation)
After the sealing of 144,000 from the twelve tribes of
Israel and a prelude of praise by a great multitude in heaven, the Lamb breaks
the seventh seal. In response, heaven is silenced for half an hour. The seventh
seal contains the seven trumpets, the second of three 7-judgment series that
are consecutively released during the Great Tribulation. The seven bowls are
contained in the seventh trumpet. The seven trumpets are contained in the
seventh seal. When the Lamb breaks the seventh seal, He is actually initiating
the seven trumpets. Once the seventh seal is broken, the seven trumpet
judgments occur consecutively. Revelation 8–9 records the consecutive release
of six of the seven trumpet judgments.
o
Trumpet
#1: Hail, Fire (upon earth)
o
Trumpet
#2: Burning Mountain (upon sea)
o
Trumpet
#3: Wormwood (upon waters)
o
Trumpet
#4: Sun, Moon, Stars (upon heavens)
o
Trumpet
#5: Demonic Locusts (upon people)
o
Trumpet
#6: Horsemen (upon people)
o
Trumpet
#7: Announces 7 Bowls
Introduction to Revelation 10–15:
Transition from Trumpets (8–9) to Seals
(16)
Scenes: Earth (10-14) and Heaven (15) Time: Future
Just as chapter 7, which deals with the
144,000 sealed Israelites and great multitude from all nations, serves as a
transition between the Seal and Trumpet judgments, Chapters 10–15 serve as a
transition between the Trumpet and Bowl judgments. The interlude provides
background information pertaining to significant people, places, and events
during the Great Tribulation without advancing chronologically through the
judgment series.
Chapter 10 introduces an angel, perhaps Michael the archangel,
who announces the 7th trumpet, which contains the seven final Bowl judgments
leading to the return of Christ.
Chapter 11 records John’s measurement of the temple of
God and the altar, then it introduces the two witnesses who prophesy for 1,260
days (42 months) of the Great Tribulation. At the end of 3 ½ years, the two
witnesses die and their bodies are displayed for 3 ½ days before they are
brought back to life and ascend into heaven.
Chapter 12 is often considered the most symbolic chapter
in the Bible. Five of seven major tribulation personages are identified: (1)
the woman clothed with the sun=Mary/Judah (2) the red dragon (7 heads, 10
horns, 7 diadems)=Satan; (3) a male child=Christ; (4) Michael/angels; and (5)
offspring of woman persecuted by the dragon=Israel.
Chapter 13 introduces the final two of seven major
tribulation personages: (6) beast out of the sea=Antichrist; and, (7) beast out
of the earth=false prophet.
Chapter 14 reveals the Lamb standing on Mount Zion and
the worship of the 144,000 who have the name of the Lamb and the name of His
Father written on their foreheads. After a prelude of praise, angels announce
fallen Babylon and the reaping of the earth.
Chapter 15 records a heavenly prelude of praise in
preparation for the final series of judgment. Those who had been victorious
over the beast and his image sing the Song of Moses and Song of the Lamb. One
of the four living creatures gives to the seven angels seven golden bowls full
of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever, and the temple is filled with
smoke from the glory of God and from His power.
STUDY QUESTIONS:
Rev. 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under
her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and
she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to
give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and
behold, a great red dragon having
seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And
his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was
about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child,
who is to rule all the nations with a
rod of iron; and her child was caught
up to God and to His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where
she had a place prepared by God, so that
there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
1.
Describe the great sign that appeared in
heaven. (12:1-2) (D) Who does the woman symbolize? Who is her child?
2.
Describe the second sign that appeared in heaven. (12:3-4) (D) Explain
the symbolism of the dragon, seven heads, ten horns, and seven diadems.
3.
What does the dragon’s tail sweep away? Where are they? Where does he
sweep them? Why does the dragon stand before the woman? (D) What do the stars
represent? (O) Why does the dragon want to devour the child? (12:3-4)
4. To whom does the woman give birth? What is
the child to rule? What happens to the child? (12:5)
5. Where does the woman flee? For what purpose
does God prepare a place for her? How long is she to be nourished? (D) Explain
this time period. (12:6)
6. What
do you learn about God from Rev. 12:1-6? How could this transform your life?
Rev. 12:7 And there was war in
heaven, Michael and his angels
waging war with the dragon. The
dragon and his angels waged
war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was
no longer a place found for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and
Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels
were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of
His Christ have come, for the accuser
of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day
and night. 11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 “For
this reason, rejoice, O heavens
and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having
great wrath, knowing that he has only
a short time.”
1.
Where was the war? Who was waging the
war? Who was not strong enough? (12:7-8)
2.
Describe the great dragon. Where was he thrown? Who does he deceive? Who
was thrown down with him? (12:9)
3.
What does the loud voice in heaven say has come? Why has it come?
(12:10)
4. Why did they overcome the accuser of our
brethren? (12:11) What did they not love even when faced with death? (12:12)
5. Why are the heavens and those who dwell in
them told to rejoice? Why is woe spoken to the earth and the sea? What does the
devil know? (12:12)
6. What
do you learn about God from Rev. 12:7-12? How could this transform your life?
Rev. 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the
earth, he persecuted the woman
who gave birth to the male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to
the woman, so that she could fly into
the wilderness to her place, where she
was nourished for a time
and times and half a time, from the
presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent
poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he
might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But
the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the
river which the dragon poured out of his
mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and
went off to make war with the
rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
1.
What does the dragon do when he sees that
he is thrown down to the earth? Who does he persecute? Who is the child? (12:13)
2.
What is given to the woman? For what purpose? (12:14)
3.
What does the serpent pour out of his mouth? For what purpose? (12:15)
4. Who helped the woman? How? (12:16)
5. Describe the dragon’s response. Against whom
does the dragon make war? Describe them. (12:17) (D) Who are the rest of her
children?
6. What
do you learn about God from Rev. 12:13-17? How could this transform your life?
Write a prayer response to Revelation 12.
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