SUMMARY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION By David Buck (October 18, 2009)

This paper is a summary chapter by chapter of the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is prophetical in nature and contains much symbolism which is most likely the reason that it is many times thought to be the most misunderstood book in the entire bible. Although many times misunderstood, this book is jam packed with theology. I hope that you will recognize this while reading my summary of each chapter.

CHAPTER 1

This is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place”. In this chapter, scripture reveals the writer of revelation to be John (the apostle) who, while in exile on the island of Patmos is called by God, while in the Spirit to write down what he see’s in a book and send it to the seven churches that are in Asia.

When John looked to see who was speaking to him he saw seven golden lampstands, which represent the seven churches (Rev. 1:20). In the midst of the seven lampstands he saw “one like a son of man” (Christ) who was clothed with a long robe (the clothing of a priest and judge) and a golden sash around his chest (representing Him as High Priest). His hair was white like wool, as white as snow (corresponding to Daniels vision of God in Dan. 7:9). His eyes were like a flame of fire (corresponding to Daniels vision of God in Dan. 7:9). His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace (representing Christ standing in the midst of the churches in divine and righteous judgment). His voice was like the roar of many waters (representing power and majesty). He held in his right hand seven stars which represent the seven angels or messengers of the seven churches. From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword (representing divine judgment). His face was like the sun shining in full strength (representing God’s glory).

CHAPTER 2

In this chapter it is time for John is to begin to write what he sees in a book and send it to the seven churches. These churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea”. In this chapter only the first four churches are addressed. The first letter is to the church in Ephesus who is commended by Christ for their labor, patience, intolerance of evil, and their detection of false teachers, but is condemned for leaving their first love (Christ). The second letter is to the church in Smyrna who is commended by Christ for their faithfulness in trial. The third letter is to the church in Pergamum who is commended by Christ for holding fast to Him, but is condemned because they also held to the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. The fourth letter is to the church in Thyatira who are commended by Christ for their works, faith, and love, but are condemned for tolerating the woman Jezebel who teaches fornication and sacrifice to idols.

CHAPTER 3

This chapter concludes the writings to the seven churches. In it the church in Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea are addressed. The fifth letter is to the church in Sardis who is condemned by Christ for acting alive but being dead. The sixth letter is to the church in Philadelphia who is commended and promised great victory. Last, is the letter to the church in Laodicea who is condemned for their spiritual blindness and warned to repent or face judgment.

CHAPTER 4

In chapter 4, the scene is in heaven. Here John sees a throne and one seated on the throne whose appearance was that of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. The one who was seated on the throne here was God, the Father. Surrounding the throne were twenty four thrones with twenty four elders seated in them. Before the throne were seven burning torches of fire, which were the seven Spirits of God (Holy Spirit). Then all around the throne, on each side were four living creatures (angels) who day or night never stop singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

CHAPTER 5

This chapter is full of emotion as there is a search of the universe for one who is worthy to open a scroll that is sealed with seven seals. Initially it appears to John that no one is worthy so he begins to weep. Then one of the elders tells him not to worry because the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David can open the scroll and its seven seals because he has conquered. Then John sees a lamb that appears to have been slain, he has seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. The lamb takes the scroll from the one who is seated on the throne and then immediately the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fall down to sing a new song. Additionally, thousands of angels and every living creature join in on this praise of the Lamb who is worthy.

CHAPTER 6

In Revelation 6, the Lamb begins to open the seven seals. The first seal was opened and John saw a white horse with a rider who had a bow, and a crown that was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer (representing the Anti-Christ). The second seal was opened and he saw another horse, bright red in color. The rider of this horse was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another, and he was given a great sword (representing war). When the lamb opened the third seal John saw a black horse whose rider had a pair of scales in his hands. He also heard a voice which said “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine” (representing famine). Then with the opening of the fourth seal John saw a pale horse and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him (representing death). They were given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill. When the fifth seal was opened, John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for their witness. They cried out for the Lord to avenge their blood on those who dwell on earth but were given white robes and told to wait a little longer. At the opening of the sixth seal a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black, and the moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell. After this everyone on earth hid themselves in caves and called to the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them from God.

CHAPTER 7

After the opening of six of the seven seals John saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back four winds, so that no wind would blow. He then saw another angel who called out with a loud voice to the four angels not to harm the earth, sea, or trees until God’s servants had been sealed on their foreheads. Those sealed were 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Then John saw a great multitude of every nation that no one could number standing before the throne and before the Lamb. These are believers who came out of the great tribulation.

CHAPTER 8

This chapter begins with the opening of the seventh seal. When it was opened by the Lamb there was silence in heaven for about a half hour. Then John saw seven angels stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Then he saw another angel who offered the prayers of the saints before God. Then that angel took a censer, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Then, the first angel blew his trumpet which brought hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it was thrown upon the earth. This burned up a third of the earth, trees, and all of the green grass (judgment on vegetation). Next the second angel blew his trumpet and something like a great mountain which was burning with fire was thrown into the sea turning a third of the sea blood, killing a third of the living creatures in the sea, and destroying a third of the ships (judgment on the sea or earth). The third angel blew his trumpet and a great star named Wormwood fell from heaven on to a third of the rivers and on the springs of water killing many people because it turned the water bitter (judgment on man). The fourth angel blew his trumpet and a third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck so that their light would be darkened (judgment deals with the heavens). Then John heard an eagle warning of the severity of the final three trumpets which have yet to sound.

CHAPTER 9

This chapter begins with the sounding of the fifth trumpet. When the angel sounded the fifth trumpet John saw a star fall from heaven to earth, and he was given a key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. The fallen star is Satan who opened the bottomless pit and released locusts that were given power, not to kill, but only to torment those without the seal of God on their foreheads for five months. Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet and four angels (fallen) who were bound at the great river Euphrates were released to kill a third of mankind. Thousands of troops were released to kill a third of mankind by their fire, smoke, and sulfur. Even after all of this those who were not killed refused to repent.

CHAPTER 10

Chapter ten begins with the introduction of a mighty angel who held an open scroll in his hand. A voice from heaven told John to go and take the scroll from this angel, so he did. The angel then said to John “take and eat it: it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” So John took the scroll and ate it and it was as the angel told him it would be. The scroll represents the word of God.

CHAPTER 11

In this chapter John is told of two witnesses (thought to be Elijah and Moses), which will have authority and will prophesy for three and a half years. They will be given power to pour fire out of their mouth, and to control rainfall during the days of their prophesying. They will also have the power to turn water into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague. When their work is finished they will be killed by the beast in the same place where the Lord was crucified (Jerusalem). Their lifeless bodies will be on public display for three days and the people of the world will rejoice over their death. Then at the end of the three days, a breath of life from God will enter them causing them to stand on their feet. At that moment they were called and snatched up to heaven in a cloud. After this, there was a great earthquake causing a tenth of the city to fall and seven thousand people to be killed. Those who survive will be terrified and give glory to God after witnessing these events.

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet and there was great worship in heaven following the declaration of God’s reign over the kingdom of the world. God's temple in heaven was then opened and the Ark of the Covenant was seen there, and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

CHAPTER 12

This chapter begins with John seeing a great sign in heaven. He saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of stars. She was pregnant and gave birth to a male child, who is to rule all the nations. This child was caught up to God and the woman fled to a place prepared by God where she will be taken care of for three and a half years. The male child is Christ and the woman is the nation Israel.

Then there was a war in heaven between Michael and his angels and the dragon (Satan) and his angels. Satan and his angels were defeated, then thrown down to earth and those in heaven rejoiced. When Satan saw that he had been thrown down to earth he went after the woman who gave birth to the male child, but could not capture her so he became furious and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring (believers).

CHAPTER 13

At this time John saw two beasts. The first one rose out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns, and blasphemous names on its head’s. On one of its head’s it had a mortal wound that had been healed. He had been given great power and authority from the dragon and the whole earth followed him and worshipped the dragon because of this. This beast was allowed to use this authority for forty-two months. During this period God’s name was blasphemed and the saints were persecuted.

The second beast had come out of the earth and it had two horns like a lamb but spoke like a dragon. It also had the same authority as the first beast and led the people of the earth to worship the first beast. This beast performed many great signs by which he deceived the people of earth and forced all to be marked on their right hand or forehead with the mark of the beast (number of its name is 666) so that no one could buy or sell unless they had this mark. This beast is known as the False Prophet.

CHAPTER 14

In this chapter John saw the Lamb with 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. They were redeemed as the first fruits for God and they were seen as blameless. Then he saw an angel who said to those on earth: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come”. Then a second angel said “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality”. A third angel said, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb”.

Then John saw one like a son of man seated on a white cloud, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out and called with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud:

“Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.” (Rev. 14:15-19)

CHAPTER 15

In this chapter, John sees seven angels with seven plagues. They are clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. They were given seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was permitted to enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were all finished.

CHAPTER 16

Then John heard from a voice in the temple “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” Then the first angel poured out his bowl and sores were placed on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing in the sea died as a result. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness and people gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed God. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Then John saw, three unclean (demonic) spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These spirits went to the kings of the world to gather them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. The place that they gathered for war is called Armageddon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, said:

“It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Rev. 16:17b-21)

CHAPTER 17

Chapter 17 begins with John being shown the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk (Rev. 17: 1-2). When John saw the woman she was seated on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names. She had seven heads and ten horns and was arrayed in purple and scarlet. She was adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. On her head was written “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” This woman was drunk with the blood of the saints.

CHAPTER 18

Now, John sees the Fall of Babylon the Great. In just one hour she was laid to waste. The reaction to her fall is that of weeping and mourning by the merchants of the earth because there would be no one to buy their goods anymore. Then a mighty angel picked up a large stone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more”.


CHAPTER 19

This chapter begins with the marriage of the Lamb to His bride, the church who has made herself ready and was clothed in fine linen (representing the righteous deeds of the saints). After the marriage, John saw heaven open and then saw a white horse with its rider who was called Faithful and True (Christ), who comes in righteousness to judge and make war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and His robe is dipped in blood. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron. Following Him were the armies of heaven, also on white horses.

Then an angel called to all birds flying overhead to come and gather to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, small and great. Then the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies came together to war against Christ and His army. The first and second beast were captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire. Those left were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse.

CHAPTER 20

Then John saw an angel come down from heaven with a key and a great chain to the bottomless pit in his hand. This angel captured Satan, bound him, and threw him into the pit for a thousand years. After the thousand years, he will be released for a little while to deceive. Then was the first resurrection, where those who did not receive the mark of the beast or worship him or his image came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. After the thousand years were ended, Satan was released to deceive the nations whose number is like the sand of the sea. Those deceived surrounded the camp of the saints to battle but God sent fire down from heaven to consume them, and the Devil was thrown into the lake of fire to join the first and second beast to be tormented forever.

Then John saw the great white throne judgment take place. This is where the dead were judged according to what they had done. After this judgment those judged are thrown into the lake of fire which is the second death.

CHAPTER 21

Then John saw a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. He heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God”. Then an angel came to John and carried him away in the Spirit and showed him the great city, which came down from heaven. John saw no temple there because it was not necessary because the temple is the Lord and He was with the people of the great city. There was also no sun or moon because the glory of God gives the city its light and its lamp is the Lamb. John saw gates to the city which will never be shut by day and there will be no night. Only those written in the Lambs book of life will ever enter the city.

CHAPTER 22

In this final chapter of Revelation, scripture reveals that no longer will there be anything accursed. God and the Lamb will be with the servants and they will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their written on their foreheads and they will reign forever.

Be ready, Christ is coming soon and blessed is anyone who keeps the words of this prophecy. He is told not to seal up the words of this prophecy because Jesus has sent His angel to John to testify to him about these things for the churches.

This chapter concludes with a warning telling all who hear the words of this prophecy that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this wonderful book of prophecy is revealed to John so that the church may be strengthened to resist the Devil until the time when Christ returns. Revelation provides the church much to look forward to, as they get a glimpse of what the scene in heaven will look like. It also warns those who are not in Christ that their fate is grim if they do not repent and turn to Christ. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31).