| Jesus' description of a future of judgment begins with the letters to the seven churches:
Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamum, Thyatira,
Sardis, Philadelphia,
and Laodicea. Although each letter addresses a specific church, its message
is also intended for the other six churches, and they all share the same literary pattern: a) the addressee, b) a description of
how Jesus identifies Himself, c) the expression of divine knowledge, d) commendation of the church's faithfulness, e) a verdict
of the church's failures, f) a command for correction, and g) a promise of things in heaven for Believers. |
| The third interlude (Rev 12:1
- 13:18 | note)
provides a chronological context to the book of Revelation by correlating it to Daniel's 69th week, anchored by the historical
event of Jesus Christ's birth and crucifixion, and the initialization of Daniel's 70th week with the emergence of the Antichrist
the Beast of the Sea. |
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Just before Jesus' birth, 1/3 of the angels in heaven follow Satan in preparation to assail Him
(Rev 12:1-4 | note). |
|
33 A.D. Jesus Christ is crucified; the Messiah is "cut off and has nothing"
(Dan 9:26). |
Daniel's 69th week has ended (Dan 9:25-26). |
Daniel's 69th week appears to be discontinuous with the 70th week for an indeterminate period of time. During this
time, these events occur:
1. Jesus' resurrection / ascension (Rev 12:5 |
note).
2. Jesus' work of atonement establishes His authority to disbar Satan and his evil angelic followers
from heaven (Rev 12:7-12 |
note).
3. God prevents Satan from empowering the Beast and restrains the emergence of the Antichrist
(2 Thes 2:3-10).
4. During this time, angry for his disbarment, Satan seeks retribution upon Messianic Jews
(note). Daniel's "flood" may mean that the retribution is
overwhelming or an actual flood when the time is near for the Antichrist
(Rev 12:15; Dan 9:26
| note). Thwarted in his revenge upon Messianic Jews, Satan
seeks retribution from all Believers (Rev 12:13-17). This marks the start
of tribulation, the persecution of one's faith in Jesus Christ (note)
(Matt 13:20-21; Mark 4:16-17).
5. The Beast from the Sea arises and receives Satan's power, throne and authority
(Rev 13:1-4 | note).
By God's plan and timing, the restraints on the Antichrist are removed (2 Thes 2:6-12).
Following the emergence of the Beast of the Seat, at some point, the Beast of the Earth arrives
(note).
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|
The Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and
its seven seals (Rev 5:1-14 |
note). |
|
The Antichrist will make a covenant of some sort with Believers
(note).
This marks the beginning of Daniel's 70th
week. (note)
Gentiles trample the outer court
of the Temple (Rev 11:2; Luke 21:24 |
note). |
Tribulation, the persecution of one's faith in Jesus Christ, started after Jesus was crucified. Messianic Jews
(note), Gentile Believers and new Believers begin to be martyred;
but, most will not die for their faith. (note)
This is
not the Great Tribulation. (note) |
Seal 1
(Rev 6:1-2)
(note) |
|
First living creature (note) commands
White horse
Rider with a bow is given a crown. |
|
People and nations go out to conquer each other. |
The 2 Witnesses begin their 3-1/2 year ministry (Rev 11:3-6
| note); it is before the desecration of the Temple.
Note: there is no explicit data that indicates that their ministry starts with the first seal; the data only indicates that
it started sometime after the initiation of Daniel's 70th week.
Messianic Jews, Gentile Believers, and new Believers
evangelize and continue to be martyred; but, most will not die for their faith. |
Seal 2
(Rev 6:3-4)
(note) |
|
Second living creature commands
Red horse
Rider is given a great sword and granted to take
peace from earth so that men would slay each other. |
|
Killing, murder and death |
Believers continue as in the first seal |
Seal 3
(Rev 6:5-6)
(note) |
|
Third living creature commands
Black horse
Rider with a pair of scales in hand |
|
Famine and food inflation |
Believers continue as in the first seal |
Seal 4
(Rev 6:7-8)
(note) |
|
Fourth living creature commands
Ashen horse
Rider with the name Death, with Hades in tow,
is given authority over 25% of the earth to kill by the sword, famine, disease, and wild animals. |
|
25% of the world's population dies by murder, starvation, disease and wild animals. |
Believers continue as in the first seal |
Seal 5
(Rev 6:9-11)
(note) |
|
Disembodied souls of Great Tribulation saints come from underneath the altar to receive their white robes.
(Rev 7:14 | note) |
|
This approximates the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week: a) Antichrist desecrates the Temple
(Rev 13:5-10; Dan 9:27), and
b) False Prophet demands that all worship the Antichrist and have the mark of the Antichrist
(Rev 13:11-18).
The Great Tribulation began sometime before
this seal (note). |
Believers continue as in the first seal |
Seal 6 begins
(Rev 6:12-17)
(note) |
Interlude 1
(note) |
John hears that the 144,000 bond servants (note)
are from "every tribe" of the sons of Israel (Rev 7:4-8).
A great
multitude of tribulation saints, wearing white robes, are worshiping and praising God and His Son
(Rev 7:9-17). |
Four angels, standing at the four corners of earth, "to whom it was granted to harm the
earth and the sea" are told not to "harm the earth or the sea or the trees" until the bond servants of God have been sealed
(Rev 7:1-3). |
|
The 2 Witnesses are active in ministry.
The 144,000 chaste Messianic Jewish bond servants of God are
being sealed with Jesus' and His Father's name (Rev 7:1-3;
14:1-5).
Believers continue as in the first seal. |
Seal 7 (Rev 8:1-6)
(note) |
30 minutes of silence before the 7 angels standing before God receive their trumpets.
Smoke of the
incense with the prayers of the martyred saints go up before God.
An angel takes the censer, fills it with fire
from the alter and throws it down to earth. |
|
Thunder, lightening, 1 earthquake |
The 2 Witnesses are active in ministry.
The bond servants of God are being sealed with Jesus' and His
Father's name (Rev 7:1-3, 14-15).
Believers continue as in the first
seal. |
Trumpet 1
(Rev 8:7)
(note) |
The angel with the first trumpet sounds. |
One of the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth throws hail and fire mixed with blood
to earth. |
A third of the earth, including a third of the trees and all of the grasses, is burned up. |
The 2 Witnesses and the 144,000 bond servants are both active in ministry.
Messianic Jews, Gentile
Believers, and new Believers evangelize and continue to be martyred; but, most will not die for their faith. |
Trumpet 2
(Rev 8:8-9)
(note) |
The angel with the second trumpet sounds. |
One of the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth throws something like a great mountain burning
with fire into the sea. |
A third of the sea turns to blood, killing a third of all sea creatures and destroying a third of all sea ships. |
Believers continue as in the first trumpet |
Trumpet 3
(Rev 8:10-11)
(note) |
The angel with the third trumpet sounds. |
One of the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth throws a great star burning like a torch called
Wormwood. |
A third of all fresh water becomes bitter and kills many. |
Believers continue as in the first trumpet |
Trumpet 4
(Rev 8:12)
(note) |
The angel with the fouth trumpet sounds. |
One of the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth strikes a third of the sun, a third of the
moon, and a third of the stars. |
A third of a day is without sunlight and a third of the night is without any light from the moon or stars. |
Believers continue as in the first trumpet |
|
|
Eagle: woe, woe, woe (note) to those
who dwell on the earth because of the remaining trumpets (Rev 8:13). |
|
Believers continue as in the first trumpet |
Trumpet 5
(Rev 9:1-12)
(note) |
The angel with the fifth trumpet sounds.
This is the first woe.
An angel, given the
key to the abyss, goes to earth to open the bottomeless pit. |
|
The smoke from the opened pit, like a great furnace, darkens the sun.
Locusts, with the stinging tails
of scorpions, come out and were instructed: a) not to hurt the grass, nor any green thing, nor tree, b) not to hurt the 144,000
sealed bond servants, c) not to kill anyone that they sting but their sting can torment for five months.
Abaddon /
Apollyon is the angel king of the abyss. |
Active in ministry, the 2 Witnesses are not threatened by the stinging locusts, because they have the power to
destroy them (Rev 11:5-6).
The 144,000 bond servants are immune
to the stinging locusts and continue to serve God.
Susceptible to the stinging locusts, Messianic Jews, Gentile
Believers, and new Believers evangelize and continue to be martyred; but, most will not die for their faith. |
Trumpet 6
(Rev 9:13-21)
(note) |
An angel blows trumpet 6, and a voice from the alter instructs the angel with the sixth trumpet to release
the 4 angels bound at the Euphrates.
This is the second woe
(note). |
|
A third of mankind was killed by three plagues emitted by horses: 1) fire, 2) smoke, and 3) brimstone.
The
four bound angels were limited to kill 1/3 of the population leaving at most 50% of the original population before the tribulation
began.
The survivors of the plagues were unrepentant (Rev 9:20-21). |
2 Witnesses slain by the fallen angel from the abyss (Rev 11:7). |
| Seal 6 continues (Rev 6:12-17) |
Interlude 2 |
The apostle John hears a voice from heaven to take the book from the strong angel standing on earth
and eat it (Rev 10:1-11). |
A strong angel goes down to earth from heaven with a little book in hand. "There will be delay no
longer." |
|
The bodies of the 2 Witnesses are not allowed to be buried and in 3-1/2 days, they are raptured causing fear among
the public (Rev 11:8-12).
In the hour of the rapture of the 2 Witnesses,
lightening, thunder, a great earthquake and a great hailstorm occurs. The great earthquake topples 1/10 of Jerusalem, kills 7
thousand, and may have caused some to come to faith (Rev 11:13).
Believers who would have died for their faith have passed away by the end of the period of the sixth trumpet
(Rev 9:20-21).
The Great Tribulation ends.
(note) |
Trumpet 7 (Rev 11:15-19)
(note) |
An angel blows trumpet 7, and loud voices in heaven cry, "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of
our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
The Temple of God in heaven opens. |
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|
After the seventh trumpet is blown, the 144,000 bond servants are seen in heaven
(Rev 14:1-5). |
|
The 144,000 sealed bond servants sing an exclusive song to God before the 4 living creatures and
elders (Rev 14:1-5). |
Angel #1 flies preaching the eternal gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue
(Rev 14:6-7; Matt 24:14).
Angel #2 follows declaring that Babylon has fallen. (Rev 14:8)
Angel #3 follows and warns those who have the mark of the Antichrist of their doom. "Blessed are those who die in the
Lord from now on!" (Rev 14:9-11) |
|
If there are any new surviving Believers, they will pass away when Jesus reaps
(1 Thes 4:16-17). |
Jesus reaping begins
(note) |
|
Jesus comes in the cloud and swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped
(Rev 14:14-16). This is the second coming of
Jesus Christ (note) |
|
Rapture: the souls of all saints of all time are gathered and clothed with white robes in the Temple of God in
preparation for the Wedding Banquet (1 Cor 15:50-53;
1 Thes 1:10; 4:16-17;
Rev 6:11; 19:7-8). |
Angels reaping begins
(2 Thes 1:7-10)
(note) |
The tribulation saints are holding harps and singings praises to God.
The temple of the tabernacle of
testimony opens and the 7 angels with the seven plagues come out and are given 7 golden bowls full of God's wrath. The 7 plagues
are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished (Rev 15:1-8). |
The reaping by the angel is the third woe
(note). |
|
|
Bowl 1 (Rev 16:1-2)
(note) |
The first angel goes and pours his bowl on the earth. |
|
Loathsome and malignant sores developed on people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. |
|
Bowl 2 (Rev 16:3)
(note) |
The second angel goes and pours his bowl into the sea. |
|
The sea became blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. |
|
Bowl 3 (Rev 16:4-7)
(note) |
The third angel goes and pours his bowl into the rivers and springs of water. |
|
The rivers and springs of water became blood. |
|
Bowl 4 (Rev 16:8-9)
(note) |
The fourth angel goes and pours his bowl upon the sun. |
|
The sun scorched men with fierce heat.
They blasphemed God and did not repent. |
|
Bowl 5 (Rev 16:10-11)
(note) |
The fifth angel goes and pours his bowl on the throne of the Antichrist. |
|
The Antichrist's kingdom became darkened, and people gnawed their tongues because of pain.
They
blasphemed the God of heaven, and did not repent of their deeds. |
|
Bowl 6 (Rev 16:12)
(note) |
The sixth angel goes and pours his bowl on the great river Euphrates. |
|
The Euphrates river dried up and prepared for the kings from the east. |
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3 demons, one from Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet go out to the kings of the world
to gather them at Armageddon (Rev 16:13-16;
Matt 24:42-44; 1 Thes 5:1-3). |
|
| Seal 6 ends
(Rev 6:12-17) |
Bowl 7 (Rev 16:17-21)
(note) |
The seventh angel goes and pours his bowl into the air (Rev 16:17-21). |
|
"It is done!" Lightening, thunder and a great earthquake causing every island to move and the mountain could
not be found. Babylon split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell
(Rev 16:19).
Seal 6: There was a great earthquake and every
mountain and island were moved out of their place. The sun became black, the moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky
fell to the earth. The sky was split apart, and everyone hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains in fear
(Rev 6:12-17). |
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And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell upon people, and they blasphemed God because of the
plague of the hail (Rev 16:21). |
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| Interlude 4 |
|
Jesus Christ calls out "come out of her my people" as He pronounces God's judgment of Babylon and the lament
that would result from its fall by those ignorant of the living God (Rev 18:1-20). |
|
One of the angels that dispensed a bowl of God's wrath explains the personification and significance of Babylon
and an overview of the human kings that Satan will use in their futile war against Jesus Christ
(Rev 17:1-18).
A strong angel tosses the millstone
(note)
into the sea as a metaphor of Babylon's destruction (Rev 18:21-24). |
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Jesus reaping ends |
Great multitude in heaven, 24 elders, and 4 living creatures express halleujahs.
The marriage of the Lamb
and the marriage supper has come (Rev 19:1-10). |
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Angels reaping ends |
|
Jesus Christ appears on a white horse leading the armies of heaven
(Rev 19:11-19).
An angel standing in the sun calls on all birds to
feast (Rev 19:17-18). |
The Antichrist and the kings of the earth are assembled at Armageddon and war commences
(Rev 19:19). |
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The Antichrist and False Prophet are seized and tossed into the lake of fire and the rest were killed
(Rev 19:20-21).
Jesus Christ treads the wine press of the fierce wrath
of God (Rev 19:15). This marks the end of Daniel's 70th week
(note).
Satan is bound in the abyss for 1000 years
(Rev 20:1-3) |
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Resurrection #1: the souls of martyrs and tribulation saints are joined with glorified bodies and reign with Jesus
Christ for 1000 years (Rev 20:4-6).
They reign over fallen angels. |
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Satan is released (Rev 20:7-8) to deceive the fallen angels and
surround the saints. Fallen angels following Satan are destroyed by fire from heaven, and Satan is thrown into the lake of fire
(Rev 20:9-10).
The first heaven and first earth pass away. |
Resurrection #2: Remaining Believers, whose souls are in heaven, are resurrected with glorified bodies. Non-Believers,
whose souls are in hell, are resurrected without glorified bodies (Rev 20:12-13). |
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People of resurrection #2 are judged before the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15).
Believers are judged and rewarded (Rev 20:12).
Non-Believers, death, and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:13-15). |
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New Jerusalem, the tabernacle of God, leaves heaven so that God can dwell among His people, His kingdom
of priests of resurrected saints (Rev 21:2-7).
Does Third Heaven now include the New Earth? |
|
New Earth is without any sea, and New Heaven is without any sun or moon
(Rev 21:1, 23; 22:5) |
New Jerusalem is the heavenly Holy of Holies where resurrected Believers are in the presence of God
(Rev 21:3-7) with rights to the tree and water of life
(Rev 21:6; 22:2, 14, 17-19). |