The
Revelation of Jesus Christ is a prophesy book that God shows to John the Apostle. It was written to seven
churches but is for all Christians throughout the Church Age. Most Protestants believe the book is sequential but the themes run parallel and overlap.
Seals,
trumpets,
bowls and other topics begin at different times but end with lightning, thunder, great hail and earthquakes at the end of the
Tribulation. See
Revelation Views. Each topic's time grows shorter as they spiral down to the
Second Coming.
Revelation Outline - Sequential: Past, Present, Future
1. Past: Jesus Christ - Revelation 1
2. Present: Christ and His Churches - Revelation 2-3
3. Future: Visions of Heaven and Earth - Revelation 4-22
Write the things which you have seen, the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter (
Revelation 1:19).
Revelation Timeline - Topics Spiral Down
Most history books are not written as a list of sequential events but are divided between topics and then go in sequence. For example, World War II was a massive event with a beginning, middle and end but historians divide by topic: beginnings, Western European front, Eastern European front, Atlantic War, Pacific War, African front, Italian front, D-Day invasion, final eastern, western battles to Germany, final Japan battles, nuclear bombs, war trials, aftermath of war. Then topics are sequential by time.
Revelation goes by topic: churches, seals, trumpets, Tribulation, Antichrist's rule, bowls, Mystery Babylon, Armageddon and the Tribulation ends with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Then each topic is described sequentially. The Church Age last the longest at ~1993 years and the Second Coming is one day. The Tribulation is seven years, Antichrist rules 3½ years, seven bowls and Mystery Babylon is less than 3½ years. Armageddon takes longer to gather the world's armies than to fight the war. Later when seals and trumpets are understood, they last much longer than seven years of Tribulation. From seals to Armageddon, topics spiral down to the Second Coming.
1. Prolog - Revelation 1:1-9
2. Jesus & His Churches on Earth - Revelation 1:10-20, 2:1-29, 3:1-22
l Vision of Jesus Christ - Revelation 1:10-20
l Seven Churches - Revelation 2:1-29, 3:1-22
* Church Age ends at the Rapture - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
3. Judgment from Heaven - Revelation 4:1-11 , 5:1-14, 6:1-17, 7:1-17, 8:1-8:5
l Vision of the Throne - Revelation 4:1-11
l The Scroll & the Lamb - Revelation 5:1-14
l 1st-6th Seals - Revelation 6:1-17
l 144,000 Sealed & Great Multitude - Revelation 7:1-17
* 144,000 are sealed before the Tribulation - Revelation 7:2-3
l 7th Seal - Revelation 8:1-5
* Seals end at the Second Coming
4. Seven Trumpet Judgments - Revelation 8:6-13, 9:1-21, 10:1-11, 11:1-19
l Seven Trumpets - Revelation 8:6-13, 9:1-21, 11:15-19
* Rapture occurs between 5th and 6th Trumpet - Revelation 9:12-14
l Little Scroll - Revelation 10:1-11
* Tribulation begins at the Little Scroll - Revelation 10:10-11
l 3rd Jewish Temple and Two Witnesses - Revelation 11:1-14
l 7th Trumpet - Revelation 11:15-19
* Trumpets end at the Second Coming - Revelation 10:7, 11:15, 19
5. Satan's Attack on God's People - Revelation 12:1-17, 13:1-18
l Woman, Child and Dragon - Revelation 12:1-17
* First Coming - Mary, Jesus vs Herod the Great
* Rapture - Child caught up - Revelation 12:5
* Second Coming - Israel, Church vs Dragon (Satan) - Revelation 12:6
l Dragon, Beast, 2nd Beast - Revelation 13:1-18
* Antichrist leads the Beast, False Prophet leads the 2nd Beast
(Great Tribulation: 3½ years, 42 months or 1260 days)
* Reign ends at the Second Coming - Revelation 19:19-20
6. God's Victory over Satan's Forces - Revelation 14:1-20
l The Lamb and 144,000 - Revelation 14:1-5
l Three Angels - Revelation 14:6-13
l Harvest of the Earth - Revelation 14:14-20
* The Harvest (Armageddon) ends at the Second Coming - Revelation 14:19-20
7. Seven Bowel Judgments - Revelation 15:1-8, 16:1-21, 17:1-18, 18:1-24
l Seven Plagues - Revelation 15:1-8
l Seven Bowels - Revelation 16:1-21
* Bowls end at the Second Coming
> 7th Bowl - Revelation 16:17-18, 20-21
l Mystery Babylon - Revelation 17:1-18
l Fall of Babylon - Revelation 18:1-24
* Mystery Babylon ends at the Second Coming - Revelation 18:1-2
8. Judgment on Earth - Revelation 19:1-21, 20:1-15
l Second Coming - Revelation 19:1-21
* Seals, Trumpets, Bows, Antichrist's rule end at the Second Coming
l Millennium Reign of Jesus Christ - Revelation 20:1-15
* Death and the grave end after the Millennium - Revelation 20:13-15
9. Jesus and His Church in the New Earth - Revelation 22:1-27, 22:1-5
l New Heaven & Earth - Revelation 21:1-27, 22:1-5
10. Epilog - Revelation 22:6-21