A Study Outline Of Revelation

A Study Outline of

REVELATION

Town of Skala, Isle of Patmos

by

James M. Booth

? 2009

James M. Booth

Zion, IL 60099

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction...................................................................................................i ¨C iii

I. The Struggle on Earth ¨C The Church Persecuted

Section 1 ¨C Christ in the Midst of the Lampstands

Chapter 1 ¨C The Revelation of Jesus Christ ....................................1-1 ¨C 1-2

Chapters 2; 3 ¨C The Letters to the Seven Churches....................... 2;3-1 ¨C 2;3-7

Section 2 ¨C The Book with Seven Seals

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

4 ¨C The Throne Scene .......................................................4-1 ¨C

5 ¨C The Lamb .....................................................................5-1 ¨C

6 ¨C The First Six Seals .......................................................6-1 ¨C

7 ¨C An Interlude..................................................................7-1 ¨C

4-2

5-4

6-5

7-4

Section 3 ¨C The Seven Trumpets of Judgment

Chapter 8 ¨C The Seventh Seal and the First Four Trumpets ...........8-1 ¨C 8-5

Chapter 9 ¨C First and Second Woes: Fifth and Sixth Trumpets .......9-1 ¨C 9-5

Chapter 10 ¨C The Angel, Seven Thunders, The Little Book............ 10-1 ¨C 10-3

Chapter 11 ¨C The Measured Temple and The Two Witnesses....... 11-1 ¨C 11-4

The Third Woe: The Seventh Trumpet ...................... 11-5 ¨C 11-6

II. The Deeper Spiritual Background

Section 4 ¨C The Woman and the Man Child

Chapter 12 ¨C The Woman, The Dragon, The Man Child................. 12-1 ¨C 12-4

Spiritual War in Heaven............................................. 12-5 ¨C 12-6

The Persecution of the Woman ................................. 12-6 ¨C 12-7

Chapter 13 ¨C The Beast out of the Sea........................................... 13-1 ¨C 13-5

The Beast out of the Earth......................................... 13-6 ¨C 13-7

Chapter 14 ¨C The Lamb on Mount Zion .......................................... 14-1 ¨C 14-2

Angels¡¯ Warning, A Voice from Heaven..................... 14-2 ¨C 14-4

Harvest and Vintage of the Earth .............................. 14-5 ¨C 14-6

Section 5 ¨C The Seven Bowls of Wrath

Chapter 15 ¨C The Seven Angels Introduced ................................... 15-1 ¨C 15-3

Chapter 16 ¨C Bowls of Wrath Involving Nature ............................... 16-1 ¨C 16-2

Bowls Involving Moral and Political Corruption.......... 16-3 ¨C 16-7

CONTENTS

Section 6 ¨C The Fall of the Great Harlot and Beasts

Chapter 17 ¨C The Harlot Identified.................................................. 17-1 ¨C 17-4

The Mystery of the Woman and Beast Revealed ...... 17-4 ¨C 17-7

The Harlot Further Identified...................................... 17-7 ¨C 17-8

Chapter 18 ¨C Fallen, Fallen is Babylon ........................................... 18-1 ¨C 18-3

The Earth Weeps over Babylon................................. 18-3 ¨C 18-4

Silence in Babylon..................................................... 18-5 ¨C 18-5

Chapter 19 ¨C Victory! The Harlot¡¯s Fall and Judgment .................. 19-1 ¨C 19-3

The Warrior-King ....................................................... 19-3 ¨C 19-5

The Great Supper...................................................... 19-6 ¨C 19-6

The Defeat of the Beast and False Prophet .............. 19-6 ¨C 19-7

Section 7 ¨C The Judgment upon the Dragon

The New Heaven and Earth

Chapter 20 ¨C Satan Bound and the Thousand Years ..................... 20-1 ¨C 20-7

The Final Judgment................................................... 20-7 ¨C 20-10

Chapter 21 ¨C All Things New .......................................................... 21-1 ¨C 21-3

The New Jerusalem .................................................. 21-3 ¨C 21-6

Chapter 22 ¨C The New Jerusalem (cont.) ....................................... 22-1 ¨C 22-2

Epilogue .................................................................... 22-3 ¨C 22-6

Chart No. 1 ¨C Four World Empires

Chart No. 2 ¨C Comparison of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13

Chart No. 3 ¨C The Victory of Christ

Chart No. 4 ¨C Roman Emperors 1st Century A. D.

Map ¨C The Seven Churches of Asia

Summary ¨C The Seven Churches of Revelation

Bibliography

-i-

INTRODUCTION

This relatively brief study outline with questions and comments is designed to be an

introduction to the book of Revelation. It is hoped the student will gain a feeling for

apocalyptic writings which are found in Revelation. Apocalyptic literature is a type of

writing containing symbols and visions. The book of Daniel is a good beginning in

the study of apocalyptic literature. The first six chapters of Daniel contain some of

the best known Old Testament stories: Daniel and the three Hebrew children in

Babylon; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace; Belshazzar and the

handwriting on the wall; Daniel in the lions den. Beginning in chapter seven apocalyptic writings are introduced and continue throughout the remainder of the book.

Apocalyptic writings encouraged God¡¯s people in times of severe persecution and

prepared them for possible future trials. There are three Old Testament apocalyptic

books: Ezekiel and Daniel who wrote in the days of Babylonian exile, 605-539 B. C.,

and Zechariah who prophesied during the Persian era after the return from Babylonian captivity, 520 B. C. to an indefinite date. The only apocalyptic book In the New

Testament is Revelation which was written by the apostle John during the first century A. D. In the four gospel accounts, Acts, and the inspired letters, truth is imparted by words to the mind. In apocalyptic writings, words paint a picture. The picture is not the message; rather the interpretation of the picture is the message.

For a better understanding of Revelation, the student is urged to compare various

interpretations offered by scholars and to consult different translations of the Bible.

This study is prepared from the New King James Version. Each question can be

answered from the Biblical text or the comments offered at the end of each lesson

METHODS OF INTERPRETATION OF REVELATION

Various schools of interpretation of Revelation have evolved throughout the Christian era. Five different methods of interpretation are classified below.

? Futurist. The book describes events which immediately precede the second

coming of Christ.

? Continuous Historical. The book foretells events from John¡¯s writing to the

end of time.

? Philosophy of History. The symbols and pictures described represent forces

rather than real events and peoples.

? Preterist. The book was written and fulfilled in John¡¯s day.

? Historical Background. The book was written for people in John¡¯s day with

principles applicable to the end of time.

This outline is based primarily on the Historical Background interpretation with the

belief that Revelation was written during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian,

A. D. 81-96. The purpose of the book was to give encouragement to Christians at

that time to remain faithful regardless of the severity of their persecutions, even to

their physical death. However, some of the prophecies are yet to be fulfilled, and the

principles of faith, steadfastness, truth and righteousness remain valid for all time.

- ii -

THE THEME

The theme of the book is the victory of Christ. ¡°These will make war with the Lamb,

and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and

those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful¡± (Rev. 17:14). There pictured is a spiritual war between Good and Evil, between Christ and his saints and

Satan and his allies. In the end, Christ and the righteous are victorious, while Satan

and his followers are utterly defeated and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to

be tormented day and night. See Chart No. 3, The Victory of Christ.

SYMBOLISM OF NUMBERS1

In Revelation numbers have a symbolic significance which is consistent with the

symbolic language used to describe a picture which in turn must be interpreted for

the intended meaning. Thus the numbers do not necessarily have a numerical

value, but rather suggest a concept or spiritual truth. For this study, consider the following numbers and their symbolic significance:

? One¨Crepresents unity;

? Two¨Crepresents strength as two witnesses, or disciples sent out two by two;

? Three¨Ca Divine number as in the Godhead;

? Four¨Ca world number as the four corners of the earth;

? Six¨Ca human number, incomplete or imperfect, less than seven;

? Seven¨Ca complete or perfect number as seven days in a week;

? Ten¨Crepresents complete power as ten horns or diadems;

? Twelve¨Ca religious number as twelve tribes or twelve apostles.

DIVISION OF THE BOOK2

I. The Struggle On Earth: The Church Persecuted By the World. The Church Is

Avenged, Protected, and Victorious, Chapters 1-11

(1) Christ in the midst of the Seven Golden Lampstands, 1-3.

(2) The Book with Seven Seals, 4-7.

(3) The Seven Trumpets of Judgment, 8-11.

II. The Deeper Spiritual Background: The Christ (and the Church) Persecuted By

the Dragon (Satan) and His Helpers. Christ and His Church Are Victorious,

Chapters 12-22:

(4) The Woman and the Man-Child Persecuted by the Dragon and His

Helpers (the Beasts and the Harlot), 12-14.

(5) The Seven Bowls of Wrath, 15, 16.

(6) The Fall of the Great Harlot and of the Beasts, 17-19;

(7) The Judgment upon the Dragon (Satan) followed by the New Heaven and

Earth, New Jerusalem, 20-22.

1

For a detailed discussion of the numbers used in Revelation, see Homer Hailey, Revelation (Grand

Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979), pp. 41-48.

2

The following outline of the book is from W. Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids:

Baker Book House, 1970), p. 30.

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