A SHORT DISCUSSION OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

David Beatty
BI-209 Johannine Literature
Dr. Eugene Saunders
Canby Bible College
23 April 2015

The Revelation of Saint John the Divine is without a doubt the most prophetic of all the
books of the New Testament.1 Theologians have approached it from many different angles over
the past 20 centuries; in 1522 Martin Luther considered it to be neither apostolic nor prophetic
and, My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book. For me this is reason enough not to think
highly of it.2 Indeed, many Lutheran seminaries do not even teach eschatology. Even the
mighty John Calvin failed to include it among his prodigious literary output of biblical commentaries.3 Nonetheless, the book is sacred scripture and inerrant. It warrants serious study.
AUTHOR. Early Church Fathers and historians were unanimous in holding that the author was the Apostle John, son of Zebedee, brother of James (Mt. 10:2). Doubt based solely
upon the grammatical and literary differences between it and the Gospel and Letters of John did
not creep in until the 4th century.4 Most modern scholars agree that the Apostle John wrote
Revelation.
DATE. Dating the writing of Revelation can be important to supporting a particular view.
If John was writing prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70AD, then much of
the book can be seen to have occurred then (see the discussion on the preterist view). If John
was writing after 70AD, then the events he describes obviously do not apply to the now destroyed temple. Most scholars hold to one of three periods for the writing of Revelations. A majority (especially classical dispensationalists) hold to a date circa 95AD5 based largely upon the
writing of the early Christian historian Irenaeus.6 This is during the rule of Domitian (ruled 8196AD), the son of Vespasian and brother of Titus (who destroyed Jerusalem). Domitian was the
1

C Marvin Pate, Four Views on the Book of Revelation, Counterpoints (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1998), 11.
2
E. Theordore Bachmann, Luthers Works Volume 35: Word and Sacrament I (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1960), 398399.
3
R C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1998), 131.
4
Robert H. Gundry, A Survey of the New Testament: 4th Edition, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 506.
5
Op cit, Pate, 14.
6
Op cit, Sproul, 141-42.

twelfth Roman emperor, the first to be addressed as master and god (although he himself rejected the master bit) and was assassinated by palace officials largely over his drastic persecution of Roman nobility.7 Domitian firmly believed in the traditional Roman religion but tolerated
others.8 The early church historian Eusebius states that Jews and Christians were persecuted toward the end of his reign but no contemporary Roman or Greek historians mention this.9 Contemporary historians rather paint Domitian as a megalomaniac who persecuted everyone.10
A minority (especially preterists)11 hold that it was written during the rule and persecution of Christians of Nero and prior to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70AD. Nero
was the sixth Roman Emperor, was the first to persecute Christians, and this persecution is documented by many Roman historians.12 His name transcribed into Hebrew numbers equates to
666, the number of the beast.13 Early Christian historians state that Peter and Paul were both
executed by Nero.14 Many early Christians believed Nero was the Antichrist or would return as
such; indeed, a frightening rumor quickly arose that Nero had escaped death, recovered from his
wounds and was seen in the eastern portion of the Roman empire from which he would shortly
return to reclaim his throne and punish his enemies.15
A smaller minority hold that it was written during the reign of Vespasian (69-79AD).16
Vespasian led Roman forces during the First Jewish War before leading an army to Rome and
defeating rival claimants to the throne. However, there are no historical records of any Christian

Suetonius, Domitian, 13:2.

Brian W. Jones, The Emperor Domitian, (London: Routledge, 1992), 99.
9
Leonard L. Thompson, The Book of Revelation: Apocalypse and Empire (New York: Oxford, 1990).
10
Gordon Franz, The King and I The Apostle John and Emperor Domitian, Bible and Spade, (Spring 1999).
11
Op cit, Pate, 14.
12
Tacitus, Annals, 15.44; Suetonius, Nero, 16.2.
13
Op cit, Sproul, 187.
14
Eusebius citing Origen, Church History, 3.1; citing Tertullian, 2.25;
15
Gregory H. Harris, "The Wound of the Beast in the Tribulation," Bibliotheca Sacra (Oct-Dec 1999): 460-61
16
David Hersey, Dating the Book of Revelation, accessed April 21, 2015,
http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/david-hersey/dating-the-book-of-revelation/.
8

persecution under Vespasian or his son and successor, Titus and early Christian historians specifically absolve Vespasian of any persecution.17 Vespasians older brother, Flavius Sabinus,
became a Christian as did Flavius son (Vespasians nephew), Titus Flavius Clemens (who may
have been the author of the post-apostolic Epistle to the Corinthians and who was executed by
his cousin, Domitian in 95AD).18
PURPOSE. John writes to specifically encourage seven churches to remain faithful to
God and Christ in the face of what he predicts will be increasing persecution. The final battle
between God and the devil is imminent. The faithful are sealed against spiritual harm and will
soon be avenged when Christ returns and Gods people enter an eternity of blessing and glory.
AUDIENCE. John writes specifically to the seven churches in the province of Asia
(Rev. 1:4 NIV84). The Roman province of Asia was a relatively small area of modern southwest
Turkey encompassing some 40,000 square miles or about half the size of the state of Oregon.
There were certainly more than just seven churches in the province as is evident from Pauls six
letters to churches or people in Asia circa 50-62 AD (Colossae was about ten miles from
Laodicea) and there was a church in Hierapolis (Col. 4:13; Papias states the apostle Philip lived
there and Eusebius states Philip was martyred there in 80AD).19 In addition, early Christian
churches met most often in private homes (e.g. Col. 4:15).20 John must therefore be using the
term church in a plural sense as in the entire body of Christians in and around the named town.
These seven cities were the largest in the province. Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman Empire with some 500,000 people; Smyrna was an important port city with some 250,000

17

Tertullian, Apologia, and Eusebius, Church History, in Ewan Macpherson, "Vespasian," The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912).
18
Flavia Domitilla, accessed April 21, 2015, http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6172-flavia-domitilla; The
First Epistle of Clement, accessed April 21, 2015, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/1clement-intro.html.
19
Eusebius, Church History, 3.31.4, Papias, Fragments from the Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord, VI.
20

Roger Gehring, House Church and Mission: The Importance of Household Structures in Early Christianity (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson, 2009), 144.

people; Pergamum, which had once been the capital of the province, had 150,000.21 There were
no doubt thousands of Christians in the area when John wrote. Alternatively, John may have intended the naming of only seven churches, and these particular churches, to be symbolic although there is no clear indication of this compared to other clearly symbolic portions of the text
(e.g. the seven stars and seven lampstands of 1:12 explained in 1:20). Johns (and, of course,
Gods) intended audience is critical to correctly understand the book. If the audience was chiefly
the 1st century church, one type of interpretation should be used. If the audience was chiefly
people living in the final days before the consummation of the kingdom of Christ22 then a different form of interpretation is appropriate. If the audience is the church of all ages, yet another
form of interpretation is warranted. Ascertaining the correct audience is beyond the scope of this
paper but that God intended for the book to be available to the 21st century Christian church is
obvious from the mere fact that He has insured that it survived as canon when so many other
texts did not.
LITERARY FORM. Revelation is a unique book in the Bible as a highly symbolic form
of writing known as apocalyptic. Apocalyptic literature was not uncommon in the 1st century
and several other Jewish and Christian writings are extant.23 Portions of several Old Testament
books are also apocalyptic in nature, but Revelation is the only book which is entirely so. John
was certainly familiar with the OT works and reuses many of the elements from Ezekiel, Zechariah, the Isaiah Apocalypse, and Daniel.24 It is also prophecy, a separate genre, as John specifically notes six times.25 Interpretation, then, was a focal issue in the Protestant Reformation26
21

Kenneth Harl, Population of the Roman Empire, accessed April 18, 2015,
www.tulane.edu/~august/H303/handouts/Population.htm
22
Op cit, Sproul, 132.
23
Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library) (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997), 778.
24
Ibid.
25
Ibid.

and it remains of critical importance today. Apocalyptic literature requires a special form of interpretation. It contains visions with many symbolic elements. Using visual imagery as well as
verbal promises and warnings, it weaves together into a poetic tapestry the themes of the whole
of Scripture.27
MAJOR INTERPRETATIONS. A dizzying variety of interpretations have been proposed
over the last 2000 years. Nonetheless, modern scholars present these four major views of the
entire book.
Idealism removes the symbolic nature of the images and removes all predictive value.28
It reduces the book to an image of the ongoing and continuous struggle between good and evil.
In its extreme form, idealism underlies the Manichaeism religion and heresy, with the Christian
church just one unit in the army of good. According to the idealist view, Revelation does not so
much forecast specific historical events as it does set forth timeless truths concerning the battle
between good and evil, which continues through the church age.29
Preterism holds that all or most of the events symbolically depicted in Revelation occurred in the 1st century AD, especially during the First Jewish War and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70AD. Extreme preterism holds that Revelation turns out to be mistaken: Jesus did not return quickly.30 Radical preterism sees all future prophecies of the New
Testament as having already taken place.31 While the events described by John are in the current past, they were in the future for the author and therefore prophetic. Moderate preterism

26

A. Skevington Wood, Luthers Principles of Biblical Interpretation, (London: The Tyndale Press, 1946), 6.
R C. Sproul, The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments,
2nd ed. (Orlando, Fla.: Ligonier Ministries, 2008), 1846.
28
Op cit, Gundry, 508.
29
Op cit, Pate, 129.
30
Ibid.
31
Op cit, Sproul, Jesus, 24.
27

still looks to the future for crucial events to occur.32 Most preterists mix their view with other
views such as idealism, historicism, or futurism.
Historicism holds that Revelation is a symbolic prenarration of church history from apostolic times until the second coming and the last judgment.33 Historicists attempt to place each
of the tribulations into a specific point in history with explanations of individual symbols varying widely among different scholars. For example, the locusts in 9:1-11 are variously described
as Vandals, Goths, Persians, Muslims, Christian heretics, and others.34 Historicists differ from
preterists in that not necessarily all the events described by John have yet occurred and that the
events are symbolic of a particular period in church history.
Futurism holds that the events John describes in Revelation are all or mostly in the current future. They were prophetic to John in the 1st century and they continue to be prophetic in
the 21st. Dispensationalism (both progressive and classical) falls into this category. Futurists
believe that the world will undergo a painful tribulation period immediately followed by the
return of Christ, Gods kingdom and the last judgment.
An additional and more focused set of views has to do with the interpretation of the 1000
years (millennium in Latin) of Revelation 20. Premillennialists hold that the events of Revelation 20 are sequential in nature, following the 21 tribulations of the seven seals, seven trumpets
and seven bowls. Christs return occurs after the tribulations and before His millennial reign.
Most premillennialists hold that there will be a future, literal, earthly millennial kingdom, and
that it will begin when Christ returns. The pre- indicates that Christ will return before the millennial kingdom is established.35

32

Op cit, Gundry, 508.

Ibid.
34
Ibid.
35
Op cit, Sproul, Jesus, 194.
33

Postmillennialists generally believe that Christ will return after the 1000 years. The period is either a future literal 1000 years or symbolic of an unspecified lengthy period that may
have already begun. Some hold that the entire world will convert to Christianity either prior to
the start of the millennium years or during it.36 Postmillennialism teaches that Christ will return
after (post-) the millennial kingdom concludes.37
Amillennialists hold that the 1000 years of Revelation 20 is entirely symbolic of an unspecified lengthy period (citing Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8) and that this period began either with
the ascension of Christ marking His present reign seated at the right hand of God38 or at Pentecost with the arrival of Gods kingdom on earth as indicated by the Holy Spirit. The current
spiritual millennial period will end with the return of Christ, a final battle between Jesus and the
devil, and the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth. Amillennialism teaches that
there will be no literal millennial kingdom. The prefix a- indicates a simple negation.39
It must be noted that there are a wide variety within all the views discussed here (for example, some amillennialists are preterists, holding that the millennium period ended with the
destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and that the world is currently in a postmillennium period
with the devil released from prison and currently deceiving the nations). Many scholars share a
view that is a mixture of two (or more) of the basic views and there are subtle differences that
cause almost violent confrontations between otherwise sane Biblical students. Christians on both
sides of a war can interpret scripture in a way that favors their cause (in the American Civil War,
a Southern pastor claimed, The Confederacy will be Gods peculiar people while a Northern

36

Op cit, Gundry, 509.

Op cit, Sproul, Jesus, 194.
38
Op cit, Gundry, 509.
39
Op cit, Sproul, Jesus, 194.
37

writer claimed that a Union victory would unleash the millennial glory).40 Entire denominations have sprung up around a particular interpretation. For example, the Seventh Day Adventists sprang out of the erroneous interpretation by William Miller that Christ would return by
March 21, 1844.41 In the 19th century, a majority of Protestants were postmillennialists.42 This
gradually changed with modernism, theological liberalism, new scientific theories (especially
Darwins natural selection and evolution), and dramatically changed in the horrors of trench warfare in World War One, a war with both Britain and Germany sending its soldiers to death with
the slogan, God is with us (Got mit uns).43 Suddenly it seemed as if Armageddon were happening in plain view in the fields of France and Belgium. The focus shifted away from arguing
about when Christ might be coming back to expanding the kingdom. Perhaps this is as it should
be.
INTERPRETIVE CONCLUSION. There can be only one correct interpretation of any
scriptural passage. Revelation is no different. However, to correctly interpret that most difficult
of books requires a complete and thorough knowledge of the entire Bible. Trying to understand
Revelation before you really know the rest of Scripture is like trying to understand the last chapter of an advanced chemistry book without ever having studied chemistry.44 With these caveats
in mind, a short hermeneutics is offered here.
On the balance of historic evidence, the date of Johns writing best fits the Neronic persecution of Christians from July 64 AD until the death of that tyrant on June 9, 68 AD. During this
period, an immense multitude of Christians were murdered at Neros command.45 This serves
40

Timothy P. Jones, Christian History Made Easy (Torrance, Calif.: Rose Pub., 2009), 160.
Ibid, 159.
42
Ibid, 158.
43
Ibid, 168.
44
Paul A. Bartz, Revelation Bible Study, I.2, accessed March 12, 2015,
www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/rev01.htm
45
Cornelius Tacitus, Annals (New York: Random House, 1942), 15.44.
41

as a starting point for interpretation. The audience is specifically the Christians of the seven major cities of the province of Asia and, as with all canonical scripture, to all Christians everywhere
in all times. Because Revelation is highly symbolic, most (if not all) of what is written must be
examined figuratively. Since God (and heaven) exists beyond earthly bounds of space and time,
all visions and images of God (and heaven) should be examined with that in mind. Chapter 4 is a
picture of the God on His throne in heaven. The 24 elders may represent the 12 tribes of Israel
(Old Testament) and the 12 apostles (New Testament). The lightning, rumblings and thunder are
representative of the Shekinah glory of God and repeated throughout Revelation (compare to
Exodus 19:13). The seven spirits may be the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3, Rev 5:6,
Isaiah 11:2). The four living creatures immediately invite comparison to Ezekiel 1:4-10 and
Isaiah 6:2, and may represent Gods omniscience. The scroll in chapter 5 may represent the
mortgage of the world (in ancient Greece, deeds were written on one side of a papyrus scroll and
then sealed; addenda such as a mortgage were then written on the back and resealed) and only
Jesus Christ, through His atoning sacrificial death, is qualified to redeem the world. The Lamb is
of course Jesus.
Chapter 6 encompasses the opening of the first six seals on the scroll. The first four seals
depict the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and, more than any other passage in the remainder
of the book may constitute specific events in human history. The first seal (conqueror on a white
horse) is a picture of a warrior (perhaps Vespasian) going forth to conquer. The first horseman
cannot be Christ (Christ already has a crown this horseman is given one; to include Christ as
one of the fulfillment of the seals (even the first) is too limiting).46 The second seal (warrior on
a red horse, perhaps Vespasians son, Titus who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple) is perhaps
a picture of the First Jewish-Roman War (accompanied by signs in heaven including Halleys
46

Op cit, Bartz, 6.3.

Comet, a massive thunderstorm, earthquakes and chariots and warriors in the sky),47 and lasted
seven years (from 23 July, 66AD until the fall of Masada on 8 April 73AD).48 The third seal
(rider on a black horse) is perhaps a picture of the pillaging that accompanied Romes conquest
of Judea. The fourth seal (Death on a pale horse followed by Hades) is perhaps a picture of the
death of 1.3 million people49 out of a total Judean population of perhaps 4.5 million50 - or about
one quarter of the population (the earth is a common term for the land of Israel).51 This ends
the ride of the four horsemen of the apocalypse and signifies a major change in Johns vision:
henceforth, it is difficult to assign a historical event to any particular image. Some interpreters
see the first four seals as fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse (recorded in all three synoptic Gospels) wherein Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple.52 Calvin opined that, in that great
prophecy, the disciples mistakenly assumed that the destruction of the temple coincided with the
return of Christ and the end of the world. While the world certainly ended for the Jews killed in
Jerusalem on that fateful Sunday in August of 70AD, it plainly continues to exist.
The fifth seal may represent the martyrs killed under Nero, the sixth seal announces that
the great day of wrath of God and Christ has begun accompanied by a great earthquake causing
displacement of every mountain and island, a future event that effects all of mankind.
The remainder of the book of Revelation is outlined in the appendix. It is open to any
number of competing and conflicting interpretations, most colored by the predisposition of the

47

Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 6.5.3 in The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, (Peabody,
MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008), 742; Cornelius Tacitus, The Histories, trans. Kenneth Wellesley, (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972), 5.13, 279.
48
2452 days or 6 years, 8 months and 17 days. The temple was destroyed on Sunday, 3 August 70 AD 1472 days
after the war began. Jerusalem was finally destroyed on Sunday, 31 August 70AD 1501 days after the war began
and 1202 days after Vespasian invaded Galilee.
49
Ibid, 748. Josephus here states 1.1 million, Usher of Lipsius counts 1.3 million during the entire war up to 70AD.
50
Op cit, Harl. There were about 6.5 million in Palestine in 300 AD.
51
Adam Maarschalk, the Earth as a Common Reference to Israel in Revelation, February 9, 2010, accessed
April 22, 2015, http://kloposmasm.com/2010/02/20/the-earth-as-a-common-reference-to-israel-in-revelation-part-3/.
52
Op cit, Sproul, Jesus, 27-48.

10

interpreter and many intentionally self-serving. Indeed, many have tried their hands at it, but
until this very day they have attained no certainty. Some have even brewed into it many stupid
things out of their heads.53 No further attempt will be made here to contribute to the confusion.
Any serious attempt to interpret Revelation must take into account all the eschatological writings
of the Bible and is beyond the scope of this paper. Since no one knows the future, who can tell
someone what is to come?54
What is clear is that Christ has yet to return in the same way you have seen Him go into
heaven (Acts 1:11; cf 1 Thess 4:16-17, Luke 21:27, Rev 1:7, Rev 19:11-16), evil still exists in
the world (and thus the devil has clearly not been thrown into the lake of burning sulfur), and
death continues to haunt the earth (Gods promise in Gen 3:19 remains in force and Rev 20:14
remains in the future). In the meantime, But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father55 and Christians remain under orders to go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.56 The conclusion to the book of Revelation is clear Christ wins in the end!
Hallelujah!

53

Martin Luther, 1546 introduction to the book of Revelation quoted in Paul A. Bartz, Revelation Bible Study, accessed March 12, 2015, www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/rev01.htm
54
Ecclesiastes 8:7 NIV84.
55
Matthew 24:36 (cf Mark 13:32,
56
The Great Commission at Matthew 28:19.

11

Bibliography

Bachmann, E. Theodore, ed. Luthers Works Volume 35: Word and Sacrament I. Philadelphia:
Fortress, 1960.
Barker, Kenneth, General Editor. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
Company, 1985.
Bartz, Paul A. Revelation Bible Study. Accessed March 12, 2015.
www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/rev01.htm
Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference
Library). New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.
Burkett, Delbert. An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Eusebius. Church History. Accessed April 20, 2015. www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.i.html.
Flavia Domitilla. Accessed April 21, 2015. http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6172-flaviadomitilla.
Franz, Gordon. The King and I The Apostle John and Emperor Domitian, Bible and Spade,
Spring 1999.
Gehring, Roger. House Church and Mission: The Importance of Household Structures in Early
Christianity. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2009.
Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament: 4th Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.
Harl, Kenneth. Population of the Roman Empire. Accessed April 18, 2015.
www.tulane.edu/~august/H303/handouts/Population.htm
Harris, Gregory H. "The Wound of the Beast in the Tribulation," Bibliotheca Sacra (Oct-Dec
1999), 460-61
Jensen, Irving Lester. Jensen's Survey of the New Testament: Search and Discover. Chicago:
Moody Press, 1981.
Jones, Brian W. The Emperor Domitian. London: Routledge, 1992.
Jones, Timothy P. Christian History Made Easy. Torrance, Calif.: Rose Pub., 2009.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. 2nd ed. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
Kolb, Robert, and Timothy J. Wengert, eds. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.
12

Maarschalk, Adam the Earth as a Common Reference to Israel in Revelation. February 9,

2010. Accessed April 22, 2015. http://kloposmasm.com/2010/02/20/the-earth-as-a-commonreference-to-israel-in-revelation-part-3/.
Macpherson, Ewan. "Vespasian." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Accessed 21 Apr. 2015 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15379a.htm.
Papias. Fragments From the Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord. Accessed April 20, 2015.
www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/papias.html.
Sproul, R C. The Last Days According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1998.
Sproul, R C. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version, Containing the Old and
New Testaments. 2nd ed. Orlando, Fla.: Ligonier Ministries, 2008.
Suetonius. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Accessed April 2, 2015.
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Domitian*.html#15.
Tacitus, Cornelius. Annals. New York: Random House, 1942.
Tacitus, Cornelius. The Histories. Translated by Kenneth Wellesley. The Penguin Classics. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972.
The First Epistle of Clement. Accessed April 21, 2015.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/1clement-intro.html.
Thompson, L.L. The Book of Revelation: Apocalypse and Empire. New York: Oxford, 1990.
Walther, C F W. Law and Gospel: How to Read and Apply the Bible. Translated by Christian C.
Tiews. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 2010.
Wood, A. Skevington. Luthers Principles of Biblical Interpretation. London: The Tyndale
Press, 1946.

13

APPENDIX
OUTLINE OF REVELATION
I. Introduction (1:1-8)
A. Title and means of revelation (1:1-2)
B. A blessing on the public reader and audience (1:3)
C. Greeting (1:4-5a)
D. Doxology (1:5b-6)
E. Statement of theme (1:7-8)
II. Christ the Royal Priest Tending Seven Lampstands (Churches) and Holding Seven Stars (Angels or Messengers of the Churches) (1:9-20)
III. The Seven Messages to Churches in Asia (2:1-3:22)
A. A message to the church in Ephesus (2:1-7)
B. A message to the church in Smyrna (2:8-11)
C. A message to the church in Pergamum (2:12-17)
D. A message to the church in Thyatira (2:18-29)
E. A message to the church in Sardis (3:1-6)
F. A message to the church in Philadelphia (3:7-13)
G. A message to the church in Laodicea (3:14-22)
IV. The Heavenly Court (4:1-5:14)
A. The worship of God by four living creatures and 24 elders (4:1-11)
B. Christ the Lamb declared worthy to take a scroll with seven seals; further praise to
God and the Lamb (5:1-14)
V. The Plagues of the Tribulation (6:1-16:21)
A. The Lamb opens the scroll with seven seals (6:1-8:5-5)
1. The first four seals the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, announced by the
four living creatures (6:1-8)
a. The first seal: a conquering archer king on a white horse (6:1-2)
b. The second seal: a warrior with a sword on a fiery red horse (6:3-4)
c. The third seal: a rider with scales on a black horse (6:5-6)
d. The fourth seal: Death riding an ashen pale horse followed by Hades bringing
war, famine, pestilence and wild beasts over one fourth of the earth (6:7-8)
2. The fifth and sixth seal (6:9-14)
a. The fifth seal: martyrs under the altar cry for vengeance and are given white
robes and told to wait for their number to be complete (6:9-11)
b. The sixth seal: great earthquake, black sun, blood moon, falling stars, sky
rolled up like a scroll, every mountain and island removed, great day of the
wrath of God and Lamb has come (6:12-14)
3. Interlude: mankind hides, 144,000 sealed, a great multitude in white robes (6:157:17)
a. The great day of wrath has come all mankind hides in caves (6:15-17)
b. Four angels commanded by a fifth to withhold judgment until the servants of
God are sealed (7:1-3)
c. 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel sealed with the seal of God (7:4-8)
d. An innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language
wearing white robes stand before the Lamb praising God (7:9-10)

14

e. All the angels worship God (7:11-12)

f. An elder explains the multitude have come out of the great tribulation (7:1314)
g. A hymn of explanation and promise (7:15-17)
4. The seventh seal: silence in heaven, seven angels given seven trumpets, the golden
censer (8:1-5)
a. Silence in heaven for about a half hour (8:1)
b. Seven angels are given seven trumpets (8:2)
c. Another angel offers prayers of the saints to God with a golden censer (8:3-4)
d. The angel hurls the golden censer to earth thunder, rumblings, lightning, an
earthquake (8:5-5)
B. Seven angels sound seven trumpets (8:6 14:20)
1. The first trumpet: hail and fire mixed with blood burns up a third of the earth,
trees, and grass (8:7)
2. The second trumpet: something like a fiery mountain turns a third of the sea into
blood killing a third of sea creatures and destroying a third of all ships (8:8-9)
3. The third trumpet: a great fiery star named Wormwood turn a third of all water on
land bitter killing many people (8:10-11)
4. The fourth trumpet: a third of the sun, moon and stars turn dark, a third of the day
and a third of the night is without light (8:12)
5. Interlude: a flying eagle announces the remaining trumpets as three woes to the
inhabitants of the earth (8:13)
6. The fifth trumpet: a fallen star (Lucifer) is given a key to the Abyss; smoke;
destroying angel commands locust-scorpions (lamassu) (9:1-12)
a. The star opens the Abyss (9:2)
b. Smoke darkens the sun and sky (9:2)
c. Locusts the size of horses (lamassu) with scorpion-like power torment only
those without the seal of God for five months (9:3-10)
d. The angel of the Abyss (Destroyer) as king of the lamassu; the first woe is
past (9:11-12)
7. The sixth trumpet: horns on golden altar command sixth angel to release the four
angels bound at Euphrates; four angels lead 200 million cavalry to kill a third of
mankind (9:13-21)
a. Horns on golden altar command sixth angel to release four other angels bound
at the Euphrates River (9:13-15)
b. Description of 200 million cavalry of the four angels (9:16-17)
c. A third of mankind is killed by fire, smoke and sulfur from the mouths of the
horses and injured by the horses snake-tails (9:18-19)
d. Remaining mankind refuses to repent of idolatry, murder, magic arts, sexual
immorality, theft. (9:20-21)
8. Interlude: a mighty angel; seven thunders; John is commanded to measure the
temple of God and count the witnesses there; two witnesses (10, 11:1-14)
a. a mighty angel with a little scroll shouts with the voice of seven thunders,
John commanded not to write down the message, angel announces no further
delay and impending accomplishment of Gods mystery, John eats the little
scroll, John commanded to prophesy (10:1-11)

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b. John commanded to measure the temple of God excluding the outer (Gentile)
court; Gentiles will trample on the holy city for 42 months (11:1-2
c. Two witnesses will prophesy for 1260 days after which the beast from the
Abyss will kill them; their bodies lie in the great city for 3 days; God revives
them and they ascend into heaven (11:3-12)
d. Severe earthquake destroys a tenth of the city and kills 7000 people, survivors
give glory to God; second Woe ends (11:11-14)
9. The seventh trumpet: the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of Jesus
Christ; 24 elders worship God; Gods temple in heaven is opened; a woman gives
birth to a male child and is taken up to heaven before a red dragon can devour
him; woman sheltered by God in the desert for 1260 days; war in heaven between
Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels; dragon loses his place in
heaven and is hurled to earth; loud voice in heaven announces salvation and the
kingdom of God, dragon pursues the woman on earth but she escapes, dragon
makes war against the rest of the womans children who obey God; the beast from
the sea and men worship it for 42 months; beast from the land forces everyone to
receive a mark; the Lamb and 144,000 stand on Mount Zion; three angels
announcements; one like a son of man is commanded by an angel from the temple
to harvest the earth; an angel is commanded by another angel to gather the grapes
and throw them into the winepress of Gods wrath (11:15 14:20
a. Loud voices in heaven proclaim that the kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of God and Christ (11:15)
b. 24 elders fall from their thrones and worship God announcing in a hymn that
the time has come for judging the dead and for destroying those who destroy
the earth (11:16-18)
c. Gods temple in heaven is opened showing the ark accompanied by lightning,
rumblings, thunder and a great hailstorm (11:19)
d. A sign appears in heaven: a pregnant woman clothed with the sun and with the
moon under her feet with a crown of 12 stars (12:1-2)
(1) Another sign appears in heaven: a red dragon, that ancient serpent called
the devil, with 7 heads and 10 horns and 7 crowns on his heads sweeps a
third of the stars out of the sky with his tail and flings them to earth, and
prepares to devour the womans child (12:3-4)
(2) The woman gives birth to a son who is to rule the nations with an iron
scepter; the child is snatched up to God and to his throne (12:5)
(3) The woman flees into the desert and is cared for by God for 1260 days
(12:6)
e. War in heaven; Michael and his angels war against the dragon and his angels;
the dragon loses his place in heaven; the dragon is hurled to earth with his
angels (12:7-9)
f. A loud voice in heaven proclaims in a hymn salvation and the coming of the
kingdom of God but woe to the earth and sea because the devil has fallen and
he knows his time is short (12:10-12)
g. The dragon pursues the woman who is given wings like an eagle to fly to the
place prepared for her in the desert beyond the devils reach where she is
cared for a time, times, and half a time (12:13-16)

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h. The enraged dragon went off to make war against the rest of the womans
offspring, those who obey Gods commandments and hold to the testimony of
Jesus and the dragon stood on the seashore (12:17-13:1a)
i. A beast like a leopard with feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion with 10
horns, 7 heads (one with a fatal wound that has healed) and 10 crowns on his
horns arises from the sea; the dragon gave the beast its throne, power and
authority for 42 months (13:1b-3a)
(1) The whole world follows the beast (13:3b)
(2) Men worship the dragon and the beast (13:4)
(3) The beast utters blasphemies, wars against the saints and conquers them, is
given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation, all
inhabitants of the earth whose names are not in the book of life worship
the beast for 42 months (13:5-10)
j. A second beast with two horns like a lamb and a voice like a dragon arises
from the earth, exercises all authority on behalf of the first beast and makes all
the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast (13:11-12)
(1) The second beast performs miraculous signs deceiving inhabitants of the
earth (13:13-14a)
(2) The second beast orders an image of the first beast to be set up and
breathes life into it and causing all who refuse to worship the image to be
killed (13:14b-15)
(3) The second beast forced everyone to receive a mark (which is the name or
number of the beast - 666) on his right hand or forehead (13:16-18)
k. 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth, who did not defile
themselves with women, who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, who were
purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb,
and bearing the name of the Lamb and his Fathers name written on their
foreheads, are seen standing on Mount Zion before the throne, the four living
creatures and the elders, singing a new song known only to them (14:1-5)
l. Another angel, flying, proclaims the gospel to every nation, tribe, language
and people in a loud voice, calling them to worship God for the hour of His
judgment has come (14:6-7)
m. A second angel follows announcing the fall of Babylon the Great (14:8)
n. A third angel follows announcing that if anyone worships the beast and his
image and receives its mark he will drink Gods wrath, tormented with
burning sulfur; the saints are called to patient endurance (14:8-12)
o. A voice from heaven commands John to write blessed are the dead who die
in the Lord from now on and the Spirit announces that they will rest (14:13)
p. One like a son of man, seated on a cloud with a golden crown and a sickle is
commanded by an angel coming out of the temple to reap a harvest from the
earth (14:14-16)
q. Another angel coming out of the temple with a sharp sickle is commanded by
the angel in charge of the altar fire to gather clusters of grapes from the earth
and throw them into the winepress of Gods wrath where they are crushed
outside the city (14:17-20)
C. Seven angels release the seven last plagues from seven bowls to complete Gods

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wrath (15:1 16:21)

1. Prelude the victorious saints and the arrival of the seven bowls of wrath (15:116:1)
a. Those who have been victorious over the beast and his image stand beside
something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, playing harps and singing the song
of Moses (15:1-15:4)
b. The temple is opened and seven angels with seven plagues dressed in clean,
shining linen with golden sashes around their chests come out (15:5-6)
c. One of the four living creatures gives the seven angels bowls filled with the
wrath of God and the temple is filled with smoke from the glory of God and no
one can enter the temple until the plagues were completed (15:7-8)
d. A loud voice from the temple commands the seven angels to pour out the bowls
upon the earth (16:1)
2. The first bowl is poured out on the land: ugly and painful sores break out on the
people who have the mark of the beast and had worshipped it (16:2)
3. The second bowl is poured out on the sea: the sea is turned to blood and
everything in it dies (16:3)
4. The third bowl is poured on the rivers and the springs: they are turned to blood,
the angel in charge of the waters declares in a hymn the judgments to be just and
the altar responds (16:4-7)
5. The fourth bowl is poured out on the sun: it scorches people who respond by
cursing God and refusing to repent (16:8-9)
6. The fifth bowl is poured out on the throne of the beast: its kingdom is plunged
into darkness, men gnaw their tongues in agony, curse God and refuse to repent
(16:10-11)
7. The sixth bowl is poured out on the Euphrates: its water dries up (16:12)
8. Interlude: three evil spirits of demons came out of the mouths of the dragon, beast
and false prophet, perform miraculous signs, and gather the kings of the whole
world to battle at Armageddon on the great day of God (16:13-16)
9. The seventh bowl is poured out into the air (16:17-21)
a. A loud voice from the temple announces it is finished! accompanied by
lightning, rumblings, thunder and a severe earthquake unlike any ever before
(16:17-18)
b. The great city is split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed
(16:19a)
c. God gives Babylon the Great the cup filled with the wine and fury of His
wrath (16:19b)
d. Islands flee and mountains disappear (16:20)
e. Hailstones weighing 100 pounds fell upon men who then curse God (16:21)
VI. The Fall of Babylon and Mysteries Explained (17:1 18:24)
A. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls carries John in the Spirit into the
desert and shows him a woman, the great prostitute who sits on many waters, who
committed adultery with the kings and inhabitants of earth, dressed in purple and
scarlet with a gold cup filled with abominable thing with a title on her forehead,
seated on a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names with 7 heads and 10 horns.
The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints who bore testimony to Jesus (17:1-

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6a)
B. The angel explains the mystery to John (17:6b-18)
1. The beast will come out of the Abyss, astonish the inhabitants of the earth whose
names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world and
be destroyed (17:8)
2. The 7 heads are the 7 hills upon which the woman sits and also 7 kings, five of
whom have fallen, one is and the other has yet to come but will remain for a little
while (17:9-10)
3. The beast is an 8th king (17:11)
4. The 10 horns are 10 kings who will receive authority for one hour along with the
beast and give their authority to the beast; they will make war against the Lamb
and his chosen followers but be overcome (17:12-14)
5. The waters upon which the woman sits are peoples, multitudes, nations and
languages (17:15)
6. The beast and the 10 horns will ruin the woman and burn her with fire,
accomplishing Gods purpose (17:16-17)
7. The woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (17:18)
C. The fall of Babylon is announced (18:1-24)
1. An angel with great authority announces the fall of Babylon the Great and lists its
sins with a mighty voice in a hymn (18:1-3)
2. Another voice from heaven recites a hymn, calling my people to come out of
Babylon in order to avoid its punishment and lists its further sins and announces
that God will judge her with fire (18:4-8)
3. The kings of the earth lament the fall of Babylon in a hymn (18:9-10)
4. The merchants of the earth lament the fall, listing the goods now gone, mourning
in a hymn (18:11-17a)
5. Sea captains and sailors lament the fall of Babylon in a hymn (18:17b-20)
6. A mighty angel throws a large stone into the sea and announces the fall of
Babylon and lists further sins in a hymn (18:21-24)
VII. The Triumphant Return of Christ (19:1-21)
A. A great multitude in heaven praise God and celebrate the destruction of the great
prostitute (19:1-3)
B. The 24 elders and four living creatures worship God (19:4)
C. A voice from the throne commands all to praise God (19:5)
D. A great multitude praise God and announce the wedding of the Lamb (19:6-8)
E. Johns escorting angel commands him to record the wedding blessing (19:9-10)
F. The descent of Christ (19:11-16)
1. Jesus followed by the armies of heaven appear on white horses (19:11-16)
2. An angel calls the birds to gather for a feast upon the flesh of the defeated (19:1718)
G. Defeat of the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies (19:19-21
1. The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gather (19:19)
2. The beast and false prophet are captured and thrown into the lake of burning
sulfur (19:20)
3. The kings and their armies are killed and the birds feast (19:21)
VII. The Kingdom of Christ and God (20:1 22:5)

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A. Satan bound for 1000 years (20:1-6)

1. An angel binds the dragon (20:1-2)
2. The angel threw the dragon into the Abyss and locks and seals him in (20:3)
3. Judges are given authority and seated on thrones (20:3).
4. The first resurrection: the souls of those who had not worshipped the beast nor
received its mark come to life and reign with Christ a thousand years (20:4-6)
B. Satans doom (20:7-10)
1. Satan will be released when the thousand years are over (20:7); the rest of the
dead come to life at the end of the thousand years (20:5)
2. Satan deceives the nations and gathers them for battle (20:8)
3. The nations surround the camp of Gods people and the city He loves (20:9a)
4. Fire from heaven destroys the nations (20:9b)
5. The devil was thrown in the lake of burning sulfur to be tormented forever (20:10)
C. The dead are judged (20:11-15)
1. John sees a great white throne and him who is seated thereon (20:11)
2. The dead stand before the throne; books are opened (20:12a)
3. The book of life is also opened and the dead are judged (20:12b-13)
4. Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (20:14)
5. Anyone not found in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire (20:15)
D. The new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem (21:1 22:5)
1. A new heaven and earth appear (21:1)
2. The new Jerusalem descends out of heaven from God (21:2)
3. God dwells among His people and there is no more death or mourning or crying
or pain (21:3-4)
4. A proclamation from he who is seated on the white throne (21:5-8)
a. He makes everything new (21:5)
b. The thirsty drink from the water of life (21:6)
c. They who overcome will gain the inheritance (21:7)
d. A list of those who will be cast into the lake of burning sulfur (21:8-9)
5. The new Jerusalem described (21:10-27)
a. Shone with the glory of God (21:11)
b. 12 gates each engraved with the name of a tribe of Israel (21:12-13)
c. High city wall with 12 foundations, bearing the names of the 12 apostles
(21:14)
d. One of the angels with the 7 bowls measured the city (21:15-17)
e. Description of the city walls (21:18-20)
f. Description of the city gates (21:21)
g. God and Christ as the new temple and light, the nations will walk by it and the
kings and nations of the earth will bring their splendor into it (21:22-26)
h. Nothing impure will ever enter it, only those whose name is written in the
Lambs book of life (21:25-27)
6. The river of life (22:1-5)
a. River of the water of life flowing from the throne of God (21:1-2a)
b. Tree of life standing on each side of the river (21:2b)
c. No more curse; throng of God and the Lamb, His servants will worship Him,
see His face and have His name on their foreheads (21:3-4)

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d. No night, nor need for any light and they will reign forever (21:5)
VIII. Valediction (22:6-21)
A. Trustworthiness of the words of the things that must soon occur (22:6)
B. Jesus declares His imminent arrival and blesses those who keep the words of the book
(22:7)
C. Johns assertion to his authorship (22:8a)
D. John attempts to worship his angel guide but is again rebuked and told to worship
God (22:8b-9)
E. John commanded not to seal the book because the time is so near there is not time for
people to change (22:10-11)
F. Jesus again announces His imminent arrival, declares who will receive His reward,
and affirms the book (22:12-16)
G. An invitation to follow Christ (22:17)
H. Johns final warning not to alter the book (22:18-19)
I. Jesus announces His imminent arrival for a third time (22:20a)
J. Johns final blessing to Gods people (22:20b-21)

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