Jet Ride through the Apocalypse

 I prepared this outline for my stalwart Bible study cohorts. We’re diving in this spring.

A. Meet the Author: Jesus Christ

1. Introduction 1.1-8
2. A Vision of Jesus 1.9-20

B. Letters to the Seven Churches 2.1-3.22

The churches were seven churches in cities of central Asia Minor (Turkey). Churches today may be like them. It is important to notice how each Letter varies from the Letter format:
• To the church at ___________
• Description of Jesus
• Commendation
• Criticism
• Let anyone who has an ear listen
• Gift promised

C. The Throne Room of Heaven-Despite the chaos on earth, calm ordered praise goes on in heaven. 4.1-5.14

1. A door stands open in heaven!
2. One seated on the Throne
3. Twenty four elders (12 tribes, 12 apostles)
4. Seven spirits (7= whole, the Holy Spirit?)
5. Four living creatures = all life on earth
6. Three reasons to praise God and the Lamb

i. For who God is 4.8
ii. For all that God created 4.11
iii. For God’s ransoming the saints 5.9-14

7. The Lamb that was slain (= Jesus) 5.1-8

i. Scroll (of history?)
ii. Seals are like old fashioned wax seals securing a legal document.

The (wax) seal judgments are the first of three series: seals, trumpets, drinking bowls (suggesting drunkenness, severe hangover). The judgments bear resemblance to the plagues that caused Egypt to let the Israelites go free. As the Lamb breaks each seal, a judgment occurs. The level of destruction tends to increase in the different series. The purpose of these terrifying events is to cause people to repent and be saved (see 9.20-21). 6.1-17

D. Before the seventh (wax) seal is broken, God protects the saints by sealing (anointing with oil, marking) them (see 2 Cor. 1.21-22). There are two groups of saints who endured the persecution:

1. 144,000 from Israel (12 x 12 x 1000) meaning a complete, very large number 7.1-8
2. A great multitude of Gentiles 7.9-14
3. God promises, the Lamb will shepherd these people, guide them to the water of life, and wipe every tear from their eye (7.15-17)

E. The breaking of the seventh (wax) seal begins the series of trumpet judgments.

1. The censer symbolic of the saints’ prayers is filled with fire that is cast on the earth. 8.1-5
2. The trumpets begin.

i. The first four trumpets 8.1-12
ii. The last three trumpets = the three woes (8.13)

3. Trumpets 5 and 6 = the 1st and 2nd woes

i. Trumpet 5 = 1st Woe: demonic locusts (devastating locust plagues of Near East, see Joel 2)
ii. Trumpet 6 = 2nd Woe: 1/3 of humankind killed by demonic army of 200 million
iii. People refuse to repent. 9.20-21

F. Interlude before 7th trumpet

1. Angel shouts, 7 thunders roar; John told to seal up or hide the message of the 7 thunders. No matter how much we know about the book, a lot remains a mystery. But the mystery is about to be fulfilled (10.7).
2. Like Ezekiel in the past (Ezek. 2.8), John is given a little scroll to eat (= digest, understand) which is symbolic of the message he must prophesy (= preach).
3. John measures the Temple and worshipers there (symbolic of protecting them).
4. Two witnesses prophesy (= preach) for about 3 ½ years, a brief time. They are like prophets of old, especially Elijah and Moses. They are killed by the beast from the bottomless pit. They lie on the street of the city where their Lord (Jesus) was crucified (Jerusalem), here called symbolically Sodom and Egypt. The world rejoices at their deaths; but after 3 ½ days (a very brief time) they are raised to life and taken up into heaven, causing terror on earth. An earthquake kills 7000 (7 = whole, 1000 = huge) people; the remaining people give glory to God. (see Josh 7.19 ff).
5. Seventh trumpet (= 3rd Woe) sounds. Loud voices in heaven praise God for God’s kingdom has now come.

G. The Messiah is born, the great war of good vs. evil kicks into high gear (12:1-17)

1. The pregnant woman clothed with the sun (= Mary, Israel) gives birth. A dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns (= Satan, Rome, Roman emperors) tries but fails to devour the child (the Messiah, Jesus), who is snatched up to heaven. The woman flees into shelter in the wilderness.
2. The angel Michael defeats the dragon, who makes war against the saints on earth.

H. The two beasts (12.17-13.18)

1. Beast rising from the sea (= peoples, see 17.15) is Rome. Head which received a mortal blow is Nero. A rumor raged in Rome that Nero would come back to life.
2. Beast rising from earth is the cult of emperor worship. Many Christians died because they refused to worship the emperor.
3. The number 666 may have two meanings.

i. 6 = evil; triple 6 = very evil
ii. Hebrew letters also can be numbers. Add the numeric value of the Hebrew letters for “Nero Caesar,” and you get 666.

I. The Lamb and the saints sing praises, while three angels announce the eternal gospel to earth’s inhabitants, and two harvests occur.

1. The Lamb’s host sing praise 14.1-5.
2. Angels proclaim the gospel, announce the fall of Babylon (= Rome); and the people who worship the beast are doomed to drink the wine of God’s wrath.
3. One like the Son of Man reaps the (grain?) harvest (positive?) 14.14-16.
4. Another angel harvests the grapes of wrath 14.17-20.

J. The bowl judgments are introduced. Ancient people drank wine from bowls and cups; those who drink from the cup or bowl of God’s wrath will have quite a hangover! (Nothing funny about it.)

1. As Moses’ sister Miriam sang in triumph over Egypt (Exo. 15), so the saints sing as God’s wrath reaches its horrifying climax. 15.1-4
2. Angels emerge from the temple or tent of witness, and receive the bowl judgments from the four living creatures.
3. Note the finality and totality of the first six bowl judgments.
4. The 6th bowl judgment dries up the river Euphrates. Rome feared enemies from the east.
5. Three foul spirits emerge from the mouth of the dragon and the two beasts. The second beast is called the false prophet. Through false signs the foul spirits assemble the armies at Armageddon, mount of Meggido. Israel fought many ancient battles at Meggido.
6. The seventh angel empties his bowl into the air; a loud voice from the temple cries, “It is done!” (compare “It is finished!” John 19.30). Babylon (= Rome) falls.
7. Lament for Babylon (see Jer 51.63) 18.1-24

K. The rider on the white horse, the Word of God, defeats the beasts.

1. Rejoicing in heaven 19.1-10
2. The Word of God leads the armies of heaven. 19.11-16.
3. Defeated, the beast and its armies become a carrion feast 19.17-21.

L. The 1000 years-symbolic or numerical?-and its aftermath. A great mystery of Revelation.

1. Satan locked in bottomless pit for 1000 years. 20.1-3
2. Those raised in the first resurrection reign with Christ for 1000 years. 20.4-6
3. Satan’s brief release and final defeat-thrown into the lake of fire, the second death. 20. 7-10
4. The great white throne judgment-two sets of books: one records our works, the other is the book of life. Anyone not found in the book of life thrown into the lake of fire.

M. The new heaven and new earth 21.1-22.5

N. Conclusion 22.6-21

If you wish to use this, acknowledgment of your source will be appreciated, as are your prayers for anyone foolish enough to tackle this work (myself not least).

Apocalypse / Handout #2 / © 2009 by John Hamilton