Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Outline of the Book of Revelation (Interpreter's Bible, published 1957, Abingdon, Nashville TN

 I. The preface (1:1-3)


II. The letter corpus (1:4-3:22)

    A. Covering letter (1:4-20)

    B. Letters to the seven churches (2:1-3:22 )

    1. Letter to Ephesus (2:1-7) 

    2. Letter to Smyrna (2:8-11)

    3. Letter to Pergamum (2:12-17)

    4. Letter to Thyatira (2:18-29) 

    5. Letter to Sardis (3:1-6)

    6. Letter to Philadelphia (3:7-13)

    7. Letter to Laodicea (3:14-22)


III. Introductory visions (4:1-5:14) 

    A. Adoration of God in heaven (4:1-11) 

    B. Adoration of the Lamb of God (5:1-14)


IV. Seven seal visions (6:1-8:6)

    A. First seal: The white horse and its rider (6:1-2) 

    B. Second seal: The red horse and its rider (6:3-4)

    C. Third seal: The black horse and its rider (6:5-6) 

    D. Fourth seal: The pale horse and its rider (6:7-8)

    E. Fifth seal: Lament of the martyrs (6:9-11) 

    F. Sixth seal: Cosmic woes (6:12-17) 

    G. Interlude: Sealing of the martyrs (7:1-8)

    H. Interlude: The glorified martyrs in heaven (7:9-17) 

    J. Seventh seal: Preparation for the seven trumpet woes (8:1-6)


V. Seven trumpet woes (8:7-11:19) 

    A. First trumpet: Hail and fire (8:7)

    B. Second trumpet: Burning mountain falls into sea (8:8-9)

    C. Third trumpet: Blazing star falls into sea (8:10-11) 

    D. Fourth trumpet: Darkening of sun, moon, and stars (8:12) 

    E. Interlude: The eagle's warning (8:13) 

    F. Fifth trumpet: Plague of demonic locusts (9:1-12) 

    G. Sixth trumpet: Destroying horsemen from the Euphrates (9:13-21)

    H. Interlude: John eats the scroll of doom. (10:1-11) 

    J. Interlude: The two heavenly witnesses (11:1-14)

    K. Seventh trumpet: God's impending assumption of power (11:15-19) 


VI. Seven visions of the dragon's kingdom (12:1- 13:18) 

A. First vision: Heavenly mother and birth of heavenly Messiah (12:1-6) 

B. Second vision: Michael's victory over the dragon (12:7-9)

C. Third vision: Song of woe and rejoicing (12:10-12) 

D. Fourth vision: The woman and her other children (12:13-17) 

E. Fifth vision: The beast from the sea (13:1-4) 

F. Sixth vision: The beast exercises his authority (13:5-10)

G. Seventh vision: The beast from the earth (13:11-18)


VII. Seven visions of worshipers of the Lamb and worshipers of the beast (14:1-20) 

A. First vision: The martyrs and the Lamb on Mount Zion (14:1-5) 

B. Second vision: Angelic admonition to Worship God (14:6-7)

C. Third vision: Angel pronounces doom of Babylon (14:8) 

D. Fourth vision: Angelic condemnation of worshipers of the beast (14:9-12)

E. Fifth vision: Heavenly benediction of the martyrs (14:13)

F. Sixth vision: The Son of man and the harvest (14:14-16)

G. Seventh vision: The angel and the vintage (14:17-20) 


VIII. Seven visions of the bowls of God's wrath. (15:1-16:21)

A. Introduction: Preparation for the seven bowl plagues (15:1-16:1) 

B. First bowl: Plague of ulcers (16:2)

C. Second bowl: The sea turned to blood (16:3) 

D. Third bowl: Rivers and springs turned to blood (16:4-7)

E. Fourth bowl: Scorching heat of the sun (16:8-9) 

F. Fifth bowl: Darkness of the beast's kingdom (16:10-11)

G. Sixth bowl: Kings of the East assembled for Armageddon (16:12-16) 

H. Seventh bowl: Impending destruction of Babylon (16:17-21) 


IX. Seven visions of the fall of "Babylon" or Rome (17:1-19:10)

A. First vision: The harlot, Babylon the Great (17:1-6а)

B. Second vision: Interpretation of the harlot and the beast (17:66-18) 

C. Third vision: Angelic proclamation of Rome's fall (18:1-3) 

D. Fourth vision: Exultation and mourning over the fall of Rome (18:4-20)

E. Fifth vision: Millstone thrown into the sea and final dirge over the city (18:21-24) 

F. Sixth vision: Hymn of praise to God (19: 1-5)

G. Seventh vision: Marriage hymn to the Lamb and his bride (19:6-10)


X. Seven visions of the end of Satan's evil age and the beginning of God's righteous age (19:11-21:8)

A. First vision: The conquering Christ (19: 11-16) 

B. Second vision: Victory of Christ over the beast, the Antichrist (19:17-21)

C. Third vision: Satan bound and his rule suspended for a thousand years (20:1-3)

D. Fourth vision: The reign of Christ-the millennium (20:4-6)

E. Fifth vision: Gog and Magog defeated and Satan cast into the lake of fire, ending his age (20:7-10)

F. Sixth vision: Disappearance of heaven and earth, second resurrection, and general judgment (20:11-15)

G. Seventh vision: The new creation and God's eternal age (21:1-8)


XI. Supplementary scene: Description of the New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5) 

A. External appearance of the city (21:9-14)

B. Measurement of the city (21:15-17)

C. Composition of the city (21:18-21)

D. Divine glory of the city (21:22-27)

E. The new Garden of Eden with the river and tree of life (22:1-5)


XII. Epilogue (22:6-21)

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