Revelation

Overview

G. K. Chesterton humorously quipped regarding Revelation, “Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.”¹ We are reminded at the outset that the book of Revelation has brilliance and beauty outshining any attempt to explain it.² John wrote Revelation to churches facing persecution and being tempted to compromise with Roman imperial power and cave in to the social pressures of pagan society. He calls upon these churches to stay faithful until the end, reminding them that God and Christ are sovereign over the evil they face. Believers should rejoice, despite persecution and discrimination from opponents, for they can be assured a place in the heavenly city since they are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. If they endure until the end, they will enjoy God and the Lamb forever. Ultimately, God will vindicate those who are his. Furthermore, God reigns over history, and his reign is expressed in his judgments unleashed on the earth. Those judgments will culminate in the final judgment, where the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire and the righteous will enter the new Jerusalem. God’s name will be honored and praised forever for vindicating the righteous and punishing the wicked.

Title

The title of the book comes from the first word in the Greek text: Revelation (Apokalypsis). The book is a revelation of Jesus Christ and from Jesus Christ (cf. comment on Rev. 1:1). Jesus Christ is the subject matter of the book; the book is thoroughly and strikingly Christological. At the same time, Jesus transmitted what was given to him to an angel, the angel passed it on to John, and John passed it on to the churches.

Author

The author identifies himself as John (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8) but doesn’t identify himself as an apostle. He informs us he wrote the letter from Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea opposite Miletus off the coast of modern-day Turkey. Various theories have been offered about authorship, but the most probable is that the book was written by either the apostle John or a certain “John the Elder.” Identifying the author as the apostle John is the most convincing, for several reasons. First, an author who didn’t mention his authority was probably a person of prestige and thus felt no need to refer to his office. The apostle John fits this description best. Second, the earliest and most common view among the church fathers (including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria) was that the apostle John wrote the book. Third, Eusebius of Caesarea identified the author as John the Elder based on Papias’s testimony (Ecclesiastical History 3.39.2–4), and this view has been endorsed by some prominent scholars today. Eusebius, however, probably misinterpreted Papias’s words, for Papias wasn’t speaking of two Johns. If we read Papias carefully, we see that John the Elder and John the Apostle were the same person, for Papias calls the apostles “elders.” Furthermore, Eusebius had personal reasons for wanting to distance the apostle John from Revelation, for he was biased against the book.

The most significant objection to apostolic authorship is the style of Revelation, which departs significantly from the style of the Gospel of John.³ The objection isn’t compelling, for the different style is explained by the apocalyptic genre of the work. Remarkable differences between the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation are surely present, but the simple Greek style of Revelation fits with what we find in the Gospel of John.⁴ Others have objected that the theology of Revelation contradicts John’s Gospel, for the former declares judgment on God’s enemies while the latter proclaims God’s love. The dichotomy erected is a false one, for judgment is threatened in the Gospel as well (John 3:36; 5:22, 29; 12:48), and Revelation promises salvation to those who repent and wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 3:19–21; 7:13–14; 9:20–21; 22:14). We also see some rather striking and unusual points of contact: Jesus in both books is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14; Rev. 19:13), the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36; Rev. 5:6; 19:7, 9; 21:9), and the Son of Man (John 1:51; 3:13, 14; Rev. 1:12–16). The simplest and most persuasive solution is that John the Apostle wrote the book of Revelation.

Date and Occasion

Scholars dispute whether Revelation was written in the 60s AD, when Nero reigned as emperor (AD 54–68), or in the 90s, when Domitian reigned (AD 81–96). Certainty is impossible, but a date in the 90s seems preferable for at least three reasons. First, Irenaeus is most plausibly interpreted as saying Revelation was written under Domitian, for he says, around the year AD 180, that the Apocalypse was seen near the end of Domitian’s reign (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.18.3; Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.30.3). Irenaeus’s close proximity to John gives his testimony credibility, for Irenaeus was a hearer of Polycarp (c. AD 70–160), and Polycarp was, according to tradition, discipled by John the Apostle. Second, though the matter is disputed, it is likely that pressure to worship the emperor increased under Domitian, and the contents of Revelation fit with such a reality. The scattered and sporadic persecution in Revelation accords with the evidence of Domitian’s reign. The persecution wasn’t state sponsored or official, but it was always threatened and sometimes broke out with ferocity, as table 9.1 shows.

TABLE 9.1: Indications of Persecution in Revelation

Third, Laodicea is described as a rich city (Rev. 3:14–21), but it suffered from an earthquake in AD 60–61, and a date in the 60s would have been too early for the city to have recovered its riches.

Revelation, then, was probably written in the 90s, to churches facing sporadic persecution from Rome, with a particular threat from the imperial cult. It is probable that Jews in their communities also discriminated against Christians and perhaps even reported them to the authorities (2:9; 3:9). Christians also faced local social pressures from trade guilds, which celebrated festivals for various gods and engaged in cultic practices; the failure of Christians to participate in such activities would have suggested that they were not good citizens. John wrote Revelation to encourage believers to endure until the final day, promising them they would enter the new Jerusalem if they continued to persevere in faith.

Genre and Literary Structure

The book of Revelation has a mixed genre, including epistolary and prophetic elements, though the apocalyptic character of the book especially stands out. The book is specifically identified by the author as a prophecy (1:3; 22:7, 9, 10, 18, 19; cf. 10:8–11), and it includes seven letters to churches (2:1–3:22). The epistolary character of the book indicates it was to be read orally in the churches in its entirety (1:3). Still, what characterizes the book most notably is its apocalyptic genre. But it is apocalypse merged with prophecy, so that the book is prophetic/apocalyptic, written to call the church to faith and action in perilous times. The apocalyptic genre wasn’t an innovation of John, for parts of Isaiah (24:1–27:13), Ezekiel (37:1–39:29), Daniel (7:1–12:14), and Zechariah (esp. 9:1–14:21) are apocalyptic. Jewish books written during the Second Temple period were also apocalyptic, including 1–2 Enoch, 2–3 Baruch, 4 Ezra, and the Apocalypse of Abraham. The apocalypse seminar of the Society of Biblical Literature studied the apocalyptic genre for a number of years and produced the following definition. Every word of the definition was doubtless debated and discussed carefully, since it is the product of a committee of experts on apocalyptic literature. This doesn’t mean the definition is flawless, yet we should pay close attention to a definition composed by experts in apocalyptic literature. They write,

Apocalypse is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another supernatural world. Apocalypse was intended to interpret present earthly circumstances in light of the supernatural world and of the future, and to influence both the understanding and the behavior of the audience by means of divine authority.⁵

A more popular and less technical way of putting it is as follows: Apocalypse is a supernatural unveiling of what is about to take place. A divine disclosure is given, usually by angels to some prominent person, in which God promises to intervene in human history, destroy evil, and bring his kingdom. We should add that apocalypses are given to encourage and strengthen those who are suffering to persevere and continue in the faith. Readers are encouraged to “hang on,” for they will triumph ultimately.

Certain features characterize apocalyptic literature, the most important being its symbolic language. Some interpreters approach the book with what I call “newspaper eschatology,” interpreting Revelation through contemporary events. Such an approach, however, is arbitrary and inconsistent. It is arbitrary inasmuch as the interpretation changes as history marches on, as anyone knows who has followed this approach over the years. It is inconsistent inasmuch as the claim to take the book “literally” is contradicted by their own symbolic interpretations. No one actually follows a literalistic hermeneutic in reading the book. For instance, no one believes Jesus really has a double-edged sword in his mouth (Rev. 1:16). The symbolism of the book should produce humility in us as interpreters, for we must confess we don’t always know how to interpret the symbols. In any case, the most important background for interpreting the book is not the newspaper but the OT, for Revelation is infused with OT allusions. Virtually every line of the book echoes the OT witness. Hence, the fundamental reason some interpreters go astray is that they don’t anchor their reading of Revelation in the OT.

The symbolic nature of Revelation should be especially observed relative to numbers. Revelation uses the numbers four, seven, ten, twelve, and multiples of the same symbolically. Some dispensational interpreters have argued the book should be interpreted literally if possible, but such a stance is flawed, for saying we must interpret literally begs the question. We must recognize instead that authors may intend symbolism in their writings. The art of interpreting Revelation can’t be solved with a prefabricated rule about literal interpretation. Instead, we should interpret Revelation in accord with the genre used; if the language used is symbolic, we must interpret it in light of such symbolic conventions.

Other features of apocalypse include visions, angels, and otherworldly creatures. Often apocalypses are pseudonymous, but Revelation clearly stands apart, for the author identifies himself as John and doesn’t appeal to some famous person from the past. The following list summarizes some features of apocalyptic literature:

1. Historical dualism
2. Visions
3. Psuedonymity (Revelation excepted)
4. Symbolism
5. Numerology
6. Angelology
7. Demonology
8. Predicted woes

It is helpful in interpreting Revelation to distinguish four levels of communication.⁶ First is the linguistic level: the text itself, the words John wrote. Second are the visions John saw, recorded in the text. Third is the referential level, the historical referent of the visions. Fourth is the symbolic level, explicating via images the larger significance of the historical referent. One example should suffice. First, at the textual level John wrote about the beast (Rev. 13:1–8). Second, at the visionary level he presumably saw an actual beast that was quite horrible. Third, the referent to the beast is most likely the Roman emperor. Fourth, the Roman emperor may stand symbolically for any and all empires opposed to the one true God. I am not claiming that all four elements are present in every instance in Revelation, nor is it always easy to apply these four principles to what we find in the book. Still, the four levels have a heuristic value in assisting us as we attempt to interpret the book.

Theology of Revelation

The Reality of Evil

The message of Revelation won’t resonate with readers unless the evil opposing God is recognized. The prime mover of evil in the world is the Devil, or Satan. The nature of the Devil is communicated through the names he is given. He is identified as the “devil” (diabolos), meaning he accuses the people of God (2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10). The Devil is also called the “serpent” (ophis), which reaches back to Genesis 3 and recognizes the Devil as the one who tempted Eve (Rev. 12:9, 14, 15; 20:2)—which explains why he is called the “ancient serpent.” The Devil is also called a “dragon” (drakōn), representing a mythological monster and formidable enemy who hates and oppresses the people of God (12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4; 16:13; 20:2).⁷ Finally, the Devil is identified as “Satan” (satanas), the great adversary of God, Christ, and his people (2:9, 13, 24; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2, 7). “Satan” transliterates the Hebrew term for accuser/adversary, translated into Greek as diabolos in Zechariah 3:1–2. Hence it too may have the notion of accuser. Satan persecutes the people of God incessantly (Rev. 12:13–17). He even uses religion, if it accords with his purposes, and thus even a Jewish synagogue, insofar as it oppresses the church, is satanic (2:9–10; 3:9). Satan calls forth the beast (the Roman Empire), granting it authority to prosecute his war against the saints (13:1–18). Satan deceives the world, hindering it from seeing the love of God in Jesus Christ (12:9; 20:8, 10).

Satan doesn’t act alone. Indeed, the beast and the false prophet are part of the “unholy trinity” (16:13). One of the primary ways Satan works is counterfeiting and parodying the things of God. The dragon and the beast long above all else to be worshiped and praised, arrogating to themselves the glory belonging to God and the Lamb (13:4; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 20:4). In the case of the first beast, we have a parody of the resurrection, since it “dies” and returns to life (13:3), and hence the beast seems to be invincible, even speaking against God with impunity (13:4–5). This first beast, which is the Roman Empire and represents all human government opposed to God, is summoned by Satan from the sea (12:17–13:2) and comes from the abyss (11:7). The beast persecutes, kills, and discriminates against the people of God (11:7; 13:7, 16–17), exercising political power in the world (13:7). The second beast, the false prophet (13:11–18; 19:20), tries to impersonate the Lamb (13:11) and the Holy Spirit. The second beast is a parody of the Spirit in that he bestows glory on the first beast (13:14–15) and allegedly speaks divine words. The second beast stands for false religion, which, as Paul says, has the “appearance of godliness” but lacks its “power” (2 Tim. 3:5). The beast and the false prophet make war against God and Christ, resisting divine authority at every turn (Rev. 19:19–21).

The evil permeating the world is also represented by Babylon (14:8; 16:19; 17:1–19:5). Babylon is the city of Rome (17:18), but it also represents what Augustine called the “city of man,” opposed to the “city of God.” Babylon is a harlot, a wicked and brazen witch. The people of the earth join her harlotry by forsaking the one true God (17:2). Her detestable idolatry manifests itself in her fierce opposition to the people of God, the spilling of the blood of God’s saints (17:6; 18:24; 19:2), and her lust for economic security. Babylon is drunk with the blood of those who belong to God. And it is not as if only a few participate in her prostitution—nations, merchants, and kings join to enjoy the riches of the godless system (18:3). The city of man lives for luxury and comfort, but its day of comfort and joy will be short-lived (18:9–24).

Evil rules over all who don’t belong to Jesus Christ. Instead of worshiping and praising God and the Lamb, they have yielded their devotion to the dragon, the beast, and Babylon (13:8, 12). They are often called “the earth dwellers” (hoi katoikountes epi tēs gēs; cf. 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 17:2, 8), which functions as a technical term for unbelievers who live on the earth. These “earth dwellers” live for this world instead of the coming new creation, and their names are not inscribed in the book of life (17:8). The earth dwellers are deceived by the false prophet and so give themselves to the beast (13:14). They get in bed with Babylon (17:2) and hence put to death God’s people and rejoice when saints are slain (6:10; 11:10). Hence they will be judged (8:13).

The Suffering of the Saints

The evil dominating the world leads to the suffering of the saints—the people of God. Texts mentioning such suffering are found in a table under Date and Occasion, above. It should be underscored that Revelation was written to suffering churches, to Christians who faced implacable opposition from the government and society. It wasn’t written to believers who merely had an academic interest in prophecy. Jesus Christ called them to be ready to die for his sake (2:10); amid great suffering they were summoned to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ (11:3–14). Christians were being slain because of their testimony about Jesus Christ and faithfulness to the Word of God (20:4), and Revelation makes it plain that believers will be put to death until Jesus returns. The unholy trinity hates the people of God and tries to destroy them through discrimination and persecution. The church in Revelation is described as a martyr church. It doesn’t follow that every believer will actually be slain by those who oppose God, but every genuine believer will be persecuted and hated by the world (cf. 2 Tim. 3:12).

Call to Perseverance

Linked to the suffering of believers is the call to persevere until the end. In the face of great evil they must not buckle under pressure to compromise with Rome. After recounting the rise of the beast and his resistance to God, John declares, “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints” (Rev. 13:10). John reminds his readers of the judgment to be meted out on those who worship the beast; they will experience God’s unending wrath and torment (14:9–11). The impending judgment summons believers to perseverance: “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (14:12). In every one of the letters to the seven churches, believers are called to “conquer,” or overcome (2:7, 11, 17, 25–26; 3:5, 12, 21). Overcoming isn’t optional for believers. John isn’t saying that those who overcome will get a special reward above and beyond eternal life. Instead, only those who overcome will eat from the tree of life (2:7). Only those who overcome will conquer the second death—the lake of fire (2:11; 20:14). Only those who overcome will have their names inscribed in the book of life and wear white garments (3:5). Overcomers will inherit the promises, but those who don’t overcome will experience the second death (21:8). Hence, the call to overcome is a matter of utmost seriousness; life and death are at stake!

Those who stay morally awake and alert until the end will receive the garments of salvation (16:15). Those who belong to the Lamb are “called and chosen and faithful” (17:14). Those whose names are written in the book of life are judged according to works (20:11–15), works indicating that they belong to God. Revelation 12:17 describes believers as “those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

The call to persevere should not, however, be interpreted as works-righteousness. The water of life is given freely to those who thirst (21:6; 22:17). But those who drink freely at the fountain of grace demonstrate that they have slaked their thirst by continuing to follow Christ to the end. As 12:11 says, “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

The Sovereignty of God

In a world where evil resists God and his Christ so that God’s people are harassed, reviled, imprisoned, and slain, the question of God’s sovereignty isn’t merely an academic matter. God declares at the outset and conclusion of Revelation that he rules over history, for he is the “Alpha and the Omega” and the “beginning and the end” (1:8; 21:6). Nothing that happens to God’s people comes as a surprise, nor is it outside his sovereign control. God reigns over all history as the one “who is and who was and who is to come” (1:4, 8). John clearly draws on Exodus 3:14 and declares that God rules over the present, past, and future.

The sovereignty of God is expressed powerfully in chapter 4, which functions as an introduction to the remainder of the book after the letters to the churches in chapters 2–3. John allows us to peek into heaven itself, where God as the ever-holy one sits on his throne, ruling over all. The word “throne” plays a major role in Revelation, forty times referring to God’s or Christ’s throne. John wants his readers to know that God reigns and rules in heaven, for he is the creator of all (4:11), and the Creator is clearly sovereign. Here John reflects the theology of the OT, where God’s sovereignty as Creator is part of the warp and woof of its testimony.

Revelation’s portrayal of God’s sovereignty is no mere abstraction. What is striking and astonishing is God’s rule over the evil inflicted by the beast and the false prophet. John repeatedly tells readers the authority wielded by the beast and the false prophet “was given” (edothē) them by God (13:5, 7, 14, 15), including activities like blaspheming God and murdering believers. God’s goodness and holiness are not besmirched, as if he were evil (4:8), even though he rules over the evil unleashed in the world. The passive verb indicates God permitted evil to be done. It must be noted that God didn’t do these evil deeds; they were the actions of the beast and false prophet. Yet they would have no authority to do such evil unless granted it from above (cf. John 19:11). Nevertheless, evil finally implodes and destroys itself from within. The beast and ten kings will finally turn against the harlot, Babylon, and utterly destroy her (Rev. 17:16). The hatred and destruction inflicted on Babylon stem from the beast and his cronies, yet God fulfills his purposes in these events (17:17). He even “put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose” (17:17).

God’s sovereignty reminds believers they can take comfort in their sufferings. Even if they don’t understand fully why they are suffering, they are assured that God is working out his purposes and plans in the evil intrigues of those opposed to him. Even though the evil they face is painful and agonizing, believers can trust their wise Father who watches over them. Satan and the beast aren’t running out of control in their evil machinations; God always remains the sovereign one who rules over all things.

God Protects His People

In saying that God protects his people, I am not saying God prevents them from suffering. We have seen their intense suffering—believers are not spared even from death. Still, the Devil and the beast cannot do anything to the saints apart from the will of God. Even amid the storm, God superintends history. Indeed, the most frightening thing isn’t martyrdom but the wrath of God. When his judgments are unleashed on the world, when the wrath of God and the Lamb are unveiled, no wicked person will be able to stand (6:16–17). Indeed, no one is “worthy” (axios; 5:2, 4) to be saved in and of himself (cf. “The Cross of Christ,” below). Here we observe how God protects believers from his wrath. Immediately after asking who can withstand God’s wrath (6:17), the author records the sealing of the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel (7:1–8). I argue in my comments on that passage that the 144,000 stand for all believers throughout history, both Jews and Gentiles. The main point of the passage is that it is the 144,000 who are sealed and protected by God from the day of wrath. Yes, believers will suffer, but their suffering is temporary, and they will be spared from God’s eschatological wrath on the final day. The interpretation of 11:1 is also quite difficult, but the measuring of God’s temple, altar, and those who worship there refers likely to the protection of God’s people. Even though they suffer persecution (11:2), they are in God’s hands and are shielded by him.

This same truth is expressed with a variety of symbols in Revelation. The 144,000 have the name of the Lamb and the Father on their foreheads (14:1). The name inscribed on the forehead means they belong to God and are under his protection (cf. 3:12). Similarly, the woman in chapter 12 (cf. comments) is another way of describing the people of God. She is “nourished” by God in the wilderness for 1,260 days (12:6; cf. 11:3). The 1,260 days are equivalent to forty-two months (11:2; 13:5) or “time, and times, and half a time” (12:14), equal to three and one-half years, a span we read about elsewhere in Revelation. I suggest in the commentary that this period refers to the entire period between the resurrection and second coming. During this time period believers will be trampled and persecuted (11:2; 12:15–16), for the beast will be exercising his authority and blaspheming God (13:5). Still, even though the church is in the wilderness, God will protect and nourish his own (12:6), just as he protected Israel in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. The woman (the church of Jesus Christ) will be sustained on the wings of an eagle (12:14; cf. Ex. 19:4), and will be helped (Rev. 12:6) and not be overwhelmed (12:16). God thus exercises his sovereignty and love in shepherding his people during their sojourn in the wilderness. The church will be persecuted but will be delivered and preserved. She will be kept from the hour of testing striking the earth (3:10), not by being removed from the earth but by the grace of God sustaining her (cf. John 17:15; 1 Pet. 1:5).

God’s Justice in Judgment

Revelation speaks much about the judgment of God, and the reader of the previous sections understands better why this is the case. Satan and his cohorts have rejected God, turned against truth, justice, and love, and pursued the saints with murderous intent. The earth dwellers have cast their lot with the prostitute Babylon instead of with the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Judgment will be meted out on those who have prostituted themselves, allying themselves with the city of man rather than the city of God.

Nor are believers exempt from the threat of judgment. The letters in chapters 2–3 warn of judgment if the churches don’t repent. God is impartial in judgment, pouring out his wrath on all who reject him. Judgment is featured especially in Revelation in the seals (6:1–17; 8:1–5), trumpets (8:6–9:21; 11:15–19), and bowls (16:1–21). It is not my purpose to rehearse these judgments in detail here. I would suggest (cf. comments on these passages) that God’s judgments stretch from the resurrection to the last day, culminating in the final judgment. The earth will finally be harvested like grapes trod in the winepress (14:17–20). The images of judgment are apocalyptic and all-encompassing. The judgment will leave no stone unturned—the entire world of earth, sky, and sea will be affected. The judgment is an expression of the wrath of God and the Lamb (6:16–17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15).

The final judgment is often introduced with a massive earthquake (6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19; 16:18). Thunder and lightning are unleashed on the world (8:5; 11:19; 16:18). Battering hail descends from heaven (11:19; 16:21), and God’s temple is opened (11:19; 15:5). The entire cosmos falls apart (6:12–14), and the sky splits apart like a scroll (6:14). The islands and mountains of the world lose their moorings (6:14; 16:20). Even earth and heaven flee when God comes to judge (20:11). These are all pictures of the end—of the dissolution of the old creation. John doesn’t write literally but tries to convey the indescribable horror of the final judgment and God’s wrath with vivid pictures of the world descending into chaos. The sixth seal (6:12–17), the seventh trumpet (11:15–19), and the seventh bowl all designate the end (16:17–21). After the judgment, the “kingdom of the world” will become the “kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (11:15). Then God’s judgment will be “done” (16:17). It seems that the seals, trumpets, and bowls overlap one another in increasing intensity so that the bowls represent both the time near final judgment and final judgment itself.

God’s judgments, as noted earlier, represent his sovereignty and indeed his goodness. Evil won’t finally triumph over God and his holiness. The world has been besmirched and devastated by evil ever since Adam and Eve, but evil won’t last forever. Its day is coming. Some wonder if God’s judgments are righteous, but John pauses to emphasize that they are indeed righteous. God is just, giving the wicked what they deserve, for they shed the blood of God’s saints (16:5–7). John realizes readers might wonder if fierce judgments are truly warranted, so he declares several times the righteousness of God’s judgments. Before the final bowl judgments are poured out, John says, “Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!” (15:3). The punishment fits the crime—the slaying of God’s people (18:20–24). Or, as 19:2 says, “His judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” The justice for which martyrs plead will finally be meted out (6:10). People are judged according to their works (20:11–15), and hence the judgment is fair and equitable. People are receiving recompense for what they have done (22:12). No one unclean can enter the city (21:27); those outside the gates are those who have given themselves to evil (22:15).

Hence, the saints don’t question God’s judgments but praise him for them. Those in heaven and on earth exclaim, “Hallelujah!” (19:1, 3). The saints cry out “Hallelujah” as the smoke of Babylon “goes up forever and ever” (19:3), for evil has been destroyed and they have been vindicated. The final judgment lasts forever, for those who worship the beast (14:9) are “tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (14:10). The judgment cannot be restricted to annihilation, for it isn’t just the smoke ascending forever. Instead, those punished are tormented forever—“They have no rest, day or night” (14:11). They will experience conscious punishment in the lake of fire, the second death, where the Devil, the beast, and the false prophet find their eternal home (19:20; 20:10), for the second death is the lake of fire (20:14).

The Deity of Christ

One of the striking features in Revelation is its extraordinarily high Christology. It rivals the Gospel of John—perhaps another indication that John is the author. One parallel with the Gospel of John leaps out, for Jesus is called the “Word of God” (19:13), echoing the Gospel of John, in which Jesus is the “Word” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is also identified at the outset as the “ruler of kings on earth” (Rev. 1:5), showing he shares the same rule and sovereignty as God. Three times Jesus identifies himself as the “first and the last” (1:17; 2:8; 22:13), and in the latter verse he also says “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Only Yahweh is the first and last (cf. Isa. 44:6; 48:12), and elsewhere in Revelation God declares that he himself is the “Alpha and the Omega” (Rev. 1:8)—thus Jesus shares the stature of God as the sovereign one over all. The Roman Empire does not ultimately rule over the saints. Instead, Jesus rules over the kings of the earth, thus they cannot do anything apart from his will. Believers can put their entire trust in him, for he is “Faithful and True” (19:11).

The sovereignty of Jesus and therefore his divinity pervade the book. Jesus comforts the suffering church by affirming that he holds the “keys of Death and Hades” (1:18). He also holds the seven stars in his hands (2:1), ruling over the angels of the seven churches. When Jesus opens a door, no one can shut it; when he shuts the door, no one can open it (3:7). Chapter 5 emphasizes that no one is “worthy” to open the seven-sealed book except Jesus Christ. In other words, the key to history and to the history of redemption is Jesus Christ.

We find astonishing parallels between God and the Lamb, indicating that the Lamb is equal to God. Sinners beg to be hidden from the presence of God on the throne, but they also plead to be spared from the “wrath of the Lamb” (6:16). Salvation is attributed both to God and to the Lamb (7:10). The divine stature of Jesus is apparent when John says, “The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water” (7:17). Psalm 23 says Yahweh is the shepherd, leading his own to quiet waters (Ps. 23:1–2), and John assigns the same role to the Lamb, demonstrating that he is Lord of all. We are also told that the Lamb is “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Rev. 17:14; cf. 19:16), again showing Jesus enjoying the same sovereignty as God. The apostles belong to the Lamb (21:14), and both God and the Lamb are the new temple (21:22). Similarly, the new creation is illumined by both God and the Lamb (21:23; 22:5). The river of life comes from both God and the Lamb (22:1), and God and the Lamb both sit on the throne (22:3). The equivalent status of God and the Lamb is strikingly apparent. The kingdom of the world is given to the Lord and to the Christ (11:15; cf. 20:6). Just as God as Creator is worshiped in chapter 4 (4:9–11), so Christ as Redeemer is worshiped in chapter 5 (5:9–14). Just as God is worthy (4:11), so the Lamb is worthy (5:9, 12).

Jesus is the beginning and head of the new creation (3:14), the living one, the resurrected Lord (1:18; 2:8). Jesus’ rule is due not only to his divinity but also to his humanity. Jesus fulfills the promise of the Davidic covenant (cf. 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalms 89; 132) as the root of David (Rev. 5:5; cf. Isa. 11:1, 10). As the Davidic king, he will rule the world with an iron rod (Rev. 12:5; cf. Ps. 2:9), and when he comes again he will destroy God’s enemies (Rev. 19:11–21).

Jesus is also the glorious Son of Man, as we see from the stunning vision in chapter 1 (Rev. 1:12–18). As the Son of Man, he is a human being, for he has died and risen (1:18). But he is also divine, for his hair is white (1:14), just as Yahweh’s is (Dan. 7:9). His glory is so great that John faints in his presence (Rev. 1:17).

The Cross of Christ

Revelation doesn’t depart from the witness of the remainder of the NT: the glory of the person of Jesus Christ is revealed also in his sacrifice on the cross. John emphasizes in arresting ways the centrality of the cross. In chapter 4 we see God as Creator worshiped in the heavenly throne room. We find in chapter 5 God holding a sealed book that no one is worthy to open. John weeps, for if no one can open the book, no one can be saved and God’s purposes for human beings will be unrealized. But then John is told that the Lion from the tribe of Judah “has conquered” and can open the seals (5:5). When John looks, however, he sees not a Lion but a slain and risen Lamb (5:6), indicating that Jesus conquered through his suffering, through his death on the cross. Peace and justice were accomplished not by overwhelming force but through suffering love.

God intended human beings to become kings and priests—kings to rule the world for God and priests to mediate his blessing to the world. Christ through his blood redeemed human beings and made them such kings and priests, so that the goal for which he made human beings would be realized (5:9–10). People will enter the heavenly city only if their robes are white (3:4–5, 18; 7:9, 13; 19:14), but the robes become white in a surprising way—through the red blood of the Lamb shed for them (7:14). Robes don’t normally become white by being reddened, but these robes do!

Chapter 12 depicts war in heaven between Satan and his angels and Michael the archangel and his angels. Satan was evicted from heaven, losing his platform for accusing human beings. But how do we explain Satan’s defeat, and why can he no longer lodge accusations against humans? The answer is found again in the blood of the Lamb (12:11). Satan is conquered (cf. 5:5!) and defeated because of the death of Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus’ death, believers have no fear of condemnation, having been cleansed of their guilt through the cross. No accusation can stand against them, for the Lamb has redeemed them from their sins.

We have seen in chapters 5 and 12 (pivotal chapters in Revelation) that victory and triumph come only through the cross. And the book begins this way as well. John declares that Jesus “freed us from our sins by his blood” (1:5). We see here again that human beings are liberated to serve as priests and kings (1:6). The fundamental need for human beings is forgiveness, by which they are cleansed and restored to their proper function. All praise is given to the Lamb for such restoration, as we hear in the resounding words of the angels, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (5:12).

The Centrality of Worship

One of the striking themes of Revelation is worship. It isn’t my purpose here to examine this theme in any detail. We simply want to observe its prominence, for we have seen most of these themes elsewhere. The majesty and holiness of God as Creator are featured in chapter 4, the angels responding with worship and praise. The worship of God here echoes the worship of the seraphim in Isaiah 6, giving praise to God as thrice holy (Isa. 6:1–3). Similarly, in Revelation 5 all of creation worships and praises Jesus as the Lion and the Lamb, the one who has redeemed his people and opened the book with seven seals. In 7:10–12 angelic powers give praise to God and to Lamb for the salvation of the great multitude. The twenty-four elders fall face down and worship God for commencing his reign, rewarding his saints, and judging those who are evil (Rev. 11:16–18). Those who triumph over the beast also sing the song of Moses (15:2–4), showing the salvation in Jesus Christ fulfilling old covenant promises. They praise God for his awesome works, rule over all, righteous and true ways, and holiness. God alone is acknowledged as the holy one, the one before whom all will bow because of his righteousness. God is also praised for his righteous judgment on those who practice evil. The saints and angels voice their praise to God for judging the harlot, Babylon (18:20; 19:1, 3, 4). God is praised for his justice, salvation, glory, and power. The saints are full of praise because God’s kingdom has come and the marriage of the bride has occurred (19:5–8).

Finally, on two occasions Revelation insists that only God is to be worshiped (19:10; 22:8–9). John was tempted to worship a glorious angel, but such worship is reserved for the one true God alone. Restricting worship to God constitutes further evidence for the deity of Jesus Christ, for John, as we saw above, clearly teaches that Jesus is to be worshiped, and hence it follows that Jesus Christ shares in the divine identity.

The Wonder of the New Creation

Believers in Jesus Christ are promised they will enjoy the new creation, the new heaven and new earth, the heavenly Jerusalem. The future glory promised to believers is described in a variety of ways, and it is important to recognize the symbolism of the language. For instance, those who enter the new creation will worship God in his temple day and night (7:15). Believers will be a “pillar in the temple” (3:12). Yet there isn’t a temple in the new creation, for the Lord and the Lamb are its temple (21:22). In 21:1–22:5, John often alludes to the temple described in Ezekiel 40–48, yet he says there is no temple. Thus we see the temple prophesied in Ezekiel 40–48 wasn’t intended to predict the future building of a literal temple. It represented the dwelling place of God, and at the consummation of history the entire universe—the entire heavenly city—is God’s dwelling place. The precious gems in the heavenly city also remind us of the tabernacle and temple (Rev. 21:10–11, 19–21). The city is a perfect cube (21:16), like the Most Holy Place in the temple (1 Kings 6:20), showing that the city is God’s residence, his dwelling place. The most important aspect of the new creation is fellowship with God. He dwells with his people so that they can see his face and revel in his presence forevermore (Rev. 21:3; 22:4).

The pain and sorrow of the present world will be erased forever, for God will make everything wondrously new (7:17; 21:4–5). Thus it makes sense that those who die in the Lord from now on are blessed (14:13). The saints will slake their thirst in the new creation in the fountain of living waters (7:17; 21:6). The new creation is described as a wedding feast, the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7–10). The wedding will be consummated, and the saints’ joy will be “inexpressible and filled with glory,” for the city will radiate with the glory of God (1 Pet. 1:8; Rev. 21:10–11). The city is safe and impregnable, having a high wall (Rev. 21:12)—no one can attack those within. The language is clearly symbolic, however, for the gates of the city are also always open (21:25); there is no use for a wall if the gates are always open! But the high wall and open gates communicate the same truth: the residents of the city cannot be harmed by anything; the city is secure from any and every marauder.

The city consists of the one people of God throughout the ages, having the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on its gates and the twelve apostles on its foundation stones (21:12–14). The city is founded on the teaching of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20) and consists of all believers everywhere. The number twelve is clearly symbolic. The city is 12,000 stadia long (Rev. 21:16), and the wall is 144 (12 × 12) cubits high (21:17). Remarkably, John tells us that this is the measurement of an angel but that no one knows how angels measure! Thus we have another indication of John writing symbolically, not literally.

The beginning of God’s creation in Genesis is reflected in the end: there is a tree of life in the city for healing (22:2), but this does not imply that people will need healing, for there are no diseases there. The tree of life symbolizes the perfect wholeness the saints enjoy in the city. The nations bring their glory into the city (21:24–25)—everything beautiful and lovely from the present creation will be in the new creation. Still, what makes the city so desirable is God himself and the Lamb, for they are the light of the city and the light of our lives (21:23).

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Revelation concludes the story of the Bible. God created Adam and Eve to rule the world for him, in dependence upon him. In doing so they would reflect his glory and beauty. Adam and Eve, however, turned against God and arrogated to themselves glory and honor belonging to the Creator. They worshiped the creature (themselves) rather than the Creator, violating God’s command. As a result the world was plunged into sin, and death followed as a consequence of sin.

Still, God promised salvation would come through the offspring of the woman (Gen. 3:15). This promise of salvation was then channeled through one man and one nation: Abraham and Israel. God promised offspring, land, and universal blessing to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3). The promises took a long time to be fulfilled, both in Abraham’s life and in the nation. By the time of the exodus Israel was exploding as a nation, thus the promise of offspring was being fulfilled. God liberated Israel from Egyptian slavery under Moses and entered into a covenant with them. Israel regularly violated the covenant, but God graciously brought them into the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership.

Israel was poised to experience universal blessing, but they started walking backward. In the days of the judges they began living like the Canaanites they had dispossessed. Still, God continued to forgive them when they repented, and Saul was crowned as their first king. Would he be the king through whom blessing would come? Instead, Saul’s career mirrored Israel’s. At first he seemed to be the answer to Israel’s problems, but he turned away from following the Lord and pursued his own inclinations. The Lord had promised blessing would come through a king (e.g., Gen. 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10; Num. 24:17), but it was apparent Saul was not that king.

A king after God’s own heart was anointed: David. David was dramatically different from Saul, for he followed the Lord, obeying him even when suffering unjustly at Saul’s hand. God promised David’s dynasty would last forever, and the universal blessing promised to the world would come through David’s son. The blessing couldn’t come through David, as great as he was, for he showed himself to be a sinner. Neither was Solomon the final promised king, for his heart was bewitched by idols in his later years. Indeed, the promised blessing for Israel wasn’t secured under any of the kings of Judah or Israel. Instead, the north and the south both defected from the Lord and ended in exile—in 722 and 586 BC, respectively.

What happened to the promise? Israel was going backward. They weren’t even in their own land! God promised through the prophets that a “day of the Lord” was coming when he would save his people and judge the wicked. The covenant with David would be fulfilled, and his salvation and righteousness would be revealed to all peoples. A new exodus, a new covenant, a new creation, and a new David would come.

The Gospels reveal that Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the promises made to Abraham and David. Most of Israel in Jesus’ day didn’t recognize him as the Messiah, but he was the son of David, the Son of Man of Daniel 7, and the servant of the Lord of Isaiah 53. He was God’s true Son. Still, the promises were fulfilled in an astonishing way. Jesus the Christ was slain for the sin of his people and raised for their justification (cf. Rom. 4:25). As the rest of the NT makes plain, salvation belongs to those who put their trust in Jesus Christ, who give their lives to him. The Epistles unpack theologically what Jesus Christ has done for his people and what it means to live to the glory of God after the great saving work accomplished by Jesus Christ.

The book of Revelation is a fitting consummation to the story. John teaches us that good will triumph and evil will be dethroned. Jesus conquered sin, death, and Satan through his cross and resurrection, but the church in this world still faces these foes, and often it seems that Satan and evil have triumphed. Revelation teaches that evil will not finally conquer. Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Lord, and he rules over all. His kingdom will come in its fullness, and his purposes will be realized. Those who oppose him will regret it, for they will be dethroned and judged. The pleasures of Babylon and idolatry are short-lived. Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and those who give themselves to worshiping them and the things of this world will be judged. Victory is sure; Satan will soon be crushed under Jesus’ feet (cf. Rom. 16:20). Hence the suffering church must take courage and endure to the end. They must keep trusting and relying on the Lord. They must remember that the Lamb who was slain also rules over all. Those who persevere will receive the final reward, for the new creation is most certainly coming, and the bliss and joy of those who know the Lord and the Lamb will never end. Jesus is coming again, and all his promises will come to fruition.

Preaching from Revelation

Too often those who preach from Revelation have used it as a prophecy chart, which is alien to the message of the book. They have fallen into the trap of newspaper eschatology instead of biblical eschatology. Unfortunately, those who don’t follow such an approach have often gone to the other extreme and avoided preaching from Revelation altogether, but such an approach is equally mistaken, for God has given us the book for our instruction in edification and holiness.

Revelation is a recursive book, meaning the same themes are examined again and again. We don’t have a linear story that begins in chapter 1 and ends in chapter 22. The story begins and ends a number of times, and hence preachers must be sensitive to the literary structure of the book when proclaiming it. Still, there is great benefit in preaching through the entire book. If one uses this approach, I would suggest taking large chunks of the text in each sermon. For instance, when I preached the book I preached twenty-seven messages.

Another way to preach the book is via the themes presented above. For instance, one could do a series on worship, the cross of Christ, God’s judgments, the seven letters to the churches, the need to persevere, etc. We want to impress on our churches that the theology of Revelation fits the rest of the NT. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of what is prophesied in the OT, and the fulcrum of history is the cross. Those who give themselves to Jesus Christ and persevere to the end will be saved. Conversely, those who give themselves over to evil will be judged.

When we untangle the apocalyptic language in the book, we don’t find anything radically new in the message of Revelation. All the themes in the book are present elsewhere in the NT. Still, this isn’t to say the genre is dispensable. We want to communicate the genre in our preaching, for the apocalyptic genre arrests us and transports us from our present existence, reminding us of a world to come—a world beyond our senses. The apocalyptic genre reminds us that awesome issues are at stake, showing us that evil is lurid and dreadful while goodness is beautiful and beyond our imagination. Apocalypse seizes our imaginations and hearts, transporting us to another world—the world awaiting the faithful. In our preaching we should try to capture the transcendent message of the book and underscore the life-and-death issues at stake.

It is also helpful to preach Revelation because it is the culmination of the story of the Bible. Hence, when we preach Revelation we should show our hearers that it is infused with OT themes and allusions. The book doesn’t depart from the OT witness but fulfills it. Finally, in preaching Revelation we preach Jesus Christ: the book reveals him (1:1; cf. comment), and any faithful preaching of the book will feature Jesus as the crucified and risen one. In other words, we preach Revelation well only if we proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Interpretive Challenges

The symbolism of Revelation presents interpretive challenges, and probably no other book in the NT is more disputed interpretively than Revelation. Four different interpretive approaches have played a major role in the history of the church, as represented in table 9.2 in a simplified way.

TABLE 9.2: Interpretive Approaches to Revelation

The preterist view argues that Revelation was mainly or entirely fulfilled in the first century. The strength of this view is how it takes seriously the historical context in which Revelation was birthed. John wrote Revelation to readers in the first century, and the book addressed their concerns, hopes, and fears. The preterist view can be divided into liberal and evangelical camps. Those who are liberal theologically maintain that Revelation promised Jesus would come soon and destroy the Roman Empire, but these promises were not actually fulfilled, and hence John got it wrong. Most evangelical preterists, on the other hand, maintain Revelation was written before AD 70 and the events prophesied in Revelation are fulfilled mainly in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The liberal preterist view, though it rightly sees the historical context in which Revelation was written, fails to understand the nature of biblical prophecy, in which contemporary fulfillment anticipates a future and final fulfillment. It also wrongly asserts that biblical writers have erred, and such a theological judgment should be rejected for a variety of reasons that can’t be detailed here.

The evangelical preterist view has several problems. First, it demands that the book was written before AD 70, yet most scholars and the preponderance of the evidence suggest a date in the 90s. The most common evangelical preterist view is precarious, for the book must be written before AD 70 for its interpretation to succeed. Second, the events recorded by Josephus concerning Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70 are often forced upon Revelation by preterists, instead of their interpreting the text more naturally. Third, evangelical preterists identify Jerusalem as Babylon, but we have no other instance where Jerusalem is called Babylon, whereas elsewhere Babylon designates Rome (cf. 1 Pet. 5:13). Finally, the evangelical preterist view reads the book in terms of the destruction of Jerusalem but doesn’t handle well the many texts that speak universally, in which judgment is not limited to Babylon but encompasses the entire world.

The historicist view reads the book of Revelation as if it were a prophecy of the entirety of church history. Such a reading was especially popular in classical dispensationalism and was applied especially to the letters in chapters 2 and 3. Almost all dispensational interpreters today, however, have abandoned this approach, and few scholars support it, for church history must be forced to fit into the seven letters, or the rest of Revelation for that matter. It seems that this view survives in only a few circles.

The idealist view understands Revelation in broad categories, seeing in Jesus Christ the triumph of God and the defeat of the Devil and God’s enemies. Interpreters have been attracted to this approach, for it isn’t guilty of the arbitrary readings littering the history of the church. The idealist approach rightly sees the main message of the book, but it has been criticized for being too general and vague. Almost all would agree with the general message it detects in the book, but some of the gritty details in the book are sacrificed.

The futurist view is probably the most popular in evangelical circles today. The last century has been dominated by dispensational futurist readings, where Israel is sharply distinguished from the church and Revelation 4–22 takes place after the rapture of the church. Much of Revelation, then, records (according to this view) what happens in the seven years of tribulation before the second coming of Christ, his millennial reign on earth, and the coming of the new heavens and the new earth. Not all futurists, however, are dispensationalists. In recent years major commentaries have been written by scholars such as Robert Mounce, George Eldon Ladd, and Grant Osborne from a futurist stance, but none of these scholars is dispensational. It will become apparent in the course of the commentary why I reject a dispensational reading of the book, but space is lacking to interact with that view here. Only two problems with the dispensational view should be noted here. First, there is no evidence that the church is raptured before chapter 4. Such a reading must be imposed upon the text. Second, the sharp distinction between Israel and the church postulated by dispensationalists cannot be supported by a careful reading of Revelation.

Not all futurists, as noted above, are dispensationalists, for many today identify themselves as historic premillennialists, inasmuch as a number of early church fathers who were not dispensational believed in a future millennial reign of Christ on earth. The futurist view rightly sees the book relating to the end of history, but in some instances it falls prey to speculation and dangerous fantasies. In popular circles (e.g., the writings of Hal Lindsey and the novels of Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins)⁸ speculation runs rampant, and the meaning of Revelation is subverted by modern agendas. Still, the futurist approach reminds us that God reigns over history and will fulfill his promises in the future.

The approach taken in this commentary is a combination of the preterist, idealist, and futurist views. Revelation was written to churches in the first century, who understood and were edified and challenged by the book. The idealist view rightly sees the prophecies as consisting of patterns and correspondences, so that what was prophesied relates both to the first century and to all churches throughout history until God consummates his purposes and plans. I will argue that the patterned or correspondence character of the prophecy helps us see how the words of Revelation spoke to the first century, the church throughout history, our time, and the end of the ages. At the same time, an idealist view must also incorporate the future into its reading, for John forecasts also the denouement of God’s purposes in history.

Outline

I will argue in the commentary that Revelation has a recursive structure. In other words, the book often comes to the end of history (e.g., 6:12–17; 7:15–17; 11:15–19; 14:1–5, 14–20; 16:17–21) and begins again. Hence, the book isn’t like most epistles, with a logical structure that is unfolded. Nor is it a linear book like Genesis, which proceeds in chronological order. Interestingly, though the genre is entirely different, the book in some ways reminds us of 1 John, in which John articulates themes and then circles back to reflect on them again, continuing this method throughout the letter.

1. I. Introduction (1:1–20)
   1. A. Prologue: (1:1–8)
   2. B. Vision of the Son of Man (1:9–20)
2. II. Letters to the Seven Churches (2:1–3:22)
   1. A. Ephesus (2:1–7)
   2. B. Smyrna (2:8–11)
   3. C. Pergamum (2:12–17)
   4. D. Thyatira (2:18–29)
   5. E. Sardis (3:1–6)
   6. F. Philadelphia (3:7–13)
   7. G. Laodicea (3:14–22)
3. III. Visions in the Throne Room (4:1–5:14)
   1. A. God as the Holy Creator (4:1–11)
   2. B. The Lamb as Redeemer (5:1–14)
4. IV. The Seven Seals (6:1–8:5)
   1. A. The First Six Seals (6:1–17)
   2. B. Interlude (7:1–17)
      1. 1. Sealing of the 144,000 (7:1–8)
      2. 2. Salvation of an Uncountable Multitude (7:9–17)
   3. C. The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets (8:1–5)
5. V. The Seven Trumpets (8:6–11:19)
   1. A. The First Four Trumpets: Cosmic Destruction (8:6–13)
   2. B. Fifth Trumpet: Demonic Locust Plague (9:1–12)
   3. C. Sixth Trumpet: Demonic Cavalry (9:13–21)
   4. D. Interlude (10:1–11:14)
      1. 1. Renewed Call to Prophesy (10:1–11)
      2. 2. Temple Protected (11:1–2)
      3. 3. Two Witnesses Empowered, Killed, and Vindicated (11:3–14)
   5. E. The Seventh Trumpet: Kingdom Come! (11:15–19)
6. VI. Signs in Heaven and on Earth (12:1–14:20)
   1. A. The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon (12:1–6)
   2. B. War in Heaven: The Devil Expelled (12:7–12)
   3. C. The Woman: Persecuted and Protected (12:13–17)
   4. D. Two Beasts (13:1–18)
   5. E. The 144,000 on Mount Zion (14:1–5)
   6. F. Three Angels (14:6–13)
   7. G. Two Harvests (14:14–20)
7. VII. The Seven Bowls from the Sanctuary (15:1–16:21)
   1. A. The Sanctuary and the Song (15:1–8)
   2. B. The Seven Bowls (16:1–21)
8. VIII. The Judgment of Babylon and the Wedding of the Bride (17:1–19:10)
   1. A. The Harlot Babylon Destroyed (17:1–18)
   2. B. The Declarations of Two Angels (18:1–8)
   3. C. Lamentation over Babylon’s Fall (18:9–19)
   4. D. Rejoicing over Babylon’s Fall (18:20–19:5)
   5. E. Rejoicing over the Marriage of the Lamb (19:6–10)
9. IX. The Triumph of God in Christ (19:11–20:15)
   1. A. Defeat of the Beast, the False Prophet, and Their Adherents (19:11–21)
   2. B. Reigning with Jesus for a Thousand Years (20:1–6)
   3. C. The Last Battle (20:7–10)
   4. D. The Last Judgment (20:11–15)
10. X. The New Heavens and New Earth (21:1–22:5)
    1. A. All Things New (21:1–8)
    2. B. The Bride and the Holy City (21:9–22:5)
11. XI. Epilogue (22:6–21)

A simplified structure of Revelation is presented in table 9.3.

TABLE 9.3: A Simplified Structure of Revelation