What is seen, what you've seen and what will happen afterward: the three parts of the Book of Revelation, the vision, the situation in the seven churches and the events in chapters 6-22.
Each of the seven letters to the churches follow the same pattern: address; description of the exalted Christ; blame/and or praise for the church addressed; threat/or admonition; final exhortation and promise to all Christians.
Ephesus
To the angel of the church of Ephesus:"'The one that holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands, I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. But you have this in your favor, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the garden of God."'
Smyrna
To the angel of the church of Smyrna: The first and last, who once died but came to life: "'I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan. Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you in prison, that you may be tested and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor shall not be harmed by the second death."'
Pergamum
To the angel of the church of Pergamum: ": The one with the sharp two-edged sword: I know that you live where Satan's throne is, and yet you hold fast to my name and have not denied your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was martyred among you, where Satan lives. Yet I have a few things against you. You have some people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the Israelites; to eat food sacrificed to idols and to play the harlot. Likewise, you also have some people who hold to the teaching of the Nocolatains. Therefore, repent. Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white
amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it."'
Thyatira
To the angel of the church of Thyatira: "'The Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished brass: "'I know your works, your love, faith, service, and endurance, and that your last works are greater than the first. Yet I hold this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, who teaches and misleads my servants to play the harlot and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her harlotry. So I will cast her on a sickbed and plunge those who commit adultery with her into intense suffering unless they repent of her works. I will also put her children to death, thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds and that I will give each of you what your works deserve. But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira who do not uphold this teaching and know nothing of the so-called deep secrets of Satan: on you I will place no further burden, except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come. To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed, just as I received authority from my father. And to him I will give the morning star. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'
Sardis
To the angel of the church of Sardis: "'The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you. However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'
Philadelphia
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia: The holy one the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, I know your works (behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close). You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the assembly of Satan who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying, behold I will make them come and worship at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to
come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown. The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the spirit says to the churches.
Laodicea
To the angel of the church in Laodicea: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God's creation, I know your works, I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything, and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
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THE SEVEN SEALS, TRUMPETS AND PLAGUES
The First Six Seals: I watched while the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures cry out in a voice like thunder, "Come forward." I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider had a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode forth victorious to further his victories. When he broke open the second seal, I heard the second living creature cry out, "Come forward." Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And he was given a huge sword. When he broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature cry out, "Come forward." I looked, and there was a black horse, and its rider held a scale in his hand. I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures. It said, "A ration of wheat costs a day's pay, and three rations of barley cost a day's pay. But do not damage the olive oil or the wine." When he broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature cry out, "Come forward." I looked, and there was a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades accompanied him. They were given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and plague, and by means of the beasts of the earth. When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. they cried out in a loud voice, "how long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been. Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth and the whole moon became like blood. The stars in the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs shaken loose from the tree in a strong wind. then the sky was divided like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. The kings of the earth, the nobles, the military officers, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid themselves in caves and among mountain crags. They cried out to the mountains and the rocks, "fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come and who can withstand it?" Rev 6:1-17
The 144,000 Sealed: After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on land or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea. Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the Israelites twelve thousand were marked from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the Tribe of Gad, twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand were marked from the tribe of Benjamin. Rev 7:1-8.
Triumph of the Elect: After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
Then one of the elders spoke up an said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." he said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "For this reason they stand before God's throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev 7:9-17
SYMBOLISM AND MEANING OF REVELATION CHAPTERS 6 AND 7
This chapter provides a symbolic description of the contents of the sealed scroll. The breaking of the first four seals reveals four riders. The first rider (of a white horse) is a conquering power, the second (red horse) a symbol of bloody war, the third (black horse) a symbol of famine, the fourth (pale green horse) a symbol of Death himself, accompanied by Hades (the netherworld). The breaking of the fifth seal reveals Christian martyrs in an attitude of sacrifice as blood poured out at the foot of an altar begging God for vindication, which will come only when their quota is filled; but they are given a white robe symbolic of victory. The breaking of the sixth seal reveals typical apocalyptic signs in the sky and the sheer terror of all people at the imminent divine judgment. An interlude of two visions precedes the breaking of the seventh seal, just as two more will separate the sixth and seventh trumpets. In the first Vision, the elect receive the seal of the living God as protection against the coming cataclysm. The second vision portrays the faithful Christians before God's throne to encourage those on earth to persevere to the end, even to death.
The Seven Trumpets: When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. And I saw that the seven angels who stood before God were given seven trumpets.
The Gold Censer: Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with burning coals from the altar, and hurled it down to the earth. There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The First Four Trumpets: The seven angels who were holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. When the first blew his trumpet, there came hail and fire mixed with blood, which was hurled down to the earth. A third of the land was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all green grass. When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a large burning mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the creatures living in the sea dies, and a third of the ships were wrecked. When the third angel blew his trumpet, a large star burning like a torch fell from the sky. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The star was called "Wormwood," and a third of all the water turned to wormwood. Many people died from this water, because it was made bitter. When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun, a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them became dark. The day lost its light for a third of the time,as did the night. Then I looked again and heard an eagle flying high overhead cry out in a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe! to the inhabitants of the earth from the rest of the trumpet blast that the three angels are about to blow!"
The Fifth Trumpet: Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the Earth. It was given the key for the passage to the abyss. It opened the passage to the abyss, a smoke came up out of the passage like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the passage. Locusts came out of the smoke onto the land, and they were given the same power as scorpions of the Earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the Earth or any plant or any tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them but only to torment them for five months; the torment they inflicted was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. During that time these people will seek death but will not find it, and they will long to die but death will escape them. The appearance of the locusts was like that of horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, and they had hair like women's hair. Their teeth were like lions' teeth, and they had chest like iron breastplates. The sound of their wings was like the sound of many
horse-drawn chariots racing into battle. They had tails like scorpions, with stingers; with their tails they had power to harm people for five months. They had as their king the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon. The first woe has passed, but there are two more to come.
The Sixth Trumpet: Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the gold altar before God telling the sixth angel who held the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the bands of the river Euphrates. So the four angels were released, who were prepared for this hour, day, month, and year to kill a third of the human race. The number of cavalry troops was to hundred million;I heard their number. Now in my vision this is how I saw the horses and their riders. They wore red, blue, and yellow breastplates, and the horses' heads were like heads of lions and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur. By these three plagues of fire, a third of the human race was killed. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like snakes, with heads that inflict harm. The rest of the human race, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, to give up the worship of demons and idols made from gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic potions, their unchastity, or their robberies.
The Angel with the Small Scroll: I saw another mighty angel come down from Heaven wrapped in a cloud, with a halo around his head; his face was like the sun and his feet were like pillars of fire. In his hand he held a small scroll that had been opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and then he cried out in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices, too. When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write it down; but I heard a voice from Heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken, but do not write it down." Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to Heaven and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created Heaven and Earth and sea and all that is in them, "There shall be no more delay. At the time when you hear the seventh angel blow his trumpet, the mysterious plan of God shall be fulfilled, as He promised to his servants the prophets.'
Then the voice that I had heard from Heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, "Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey." I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.
The Two Witnesses. Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and I was told "Come and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in it. But exclude the outer court of the temple; do not measure it, for it has been handed over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months. I will commission my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the Earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the Earth with any plague as often as they wish.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which has the symbolic names "SODOM" and "EGYPT," where indeed their Lord was crucified. Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried. The inhabitants of the Earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the Earth.
But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from Heaven say to them, "Come up here." So they went up to Heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on. At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell in ruins. Seven thousand people were killed during the earthquake, the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of Heaven. The second woe has passed, but the third is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet: Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in Heaven saying, "The Kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to His Anointed, and He will reign forever and ever." The twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones before God prostrated themselves and worshiped God and said: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were. For you have assumed your great power and have established your reign. The nations rages, but your wrath has come and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the hold ones and those who fear your name, the small and the great alike and to destroy those who destroy the Earth."
Then God's temple in Heaven was opened, and the Ark of His Covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and violent hailstorm.
SYMBOLISM AND MEANING OF REVELATION CHAPTERS 8-11
The breaking of the seventh seal produces at first silence and then seven symbolic disasters, each announced by a trumpet blast, of which the first four form a unit as did the first four seals. A minor liturgy is enclosed by a vision of seven angels. Then follow the first four trumpet blasts, each heralding catastrophes modeled on the plagues of Egypt affecting the traditional prophetic third of the Earth, sea, fresh water, and stars. Finally, there is a vision of an eagle warning of the last three trumpet blasts.
Wormwood: an extremely bitter and malignant plant symbolizing the punishment God inflicts on the ungodly. Woe! Woe! Woe!: each of the three woes pronounced by the angel represents a separate disaster. The final woe, released by the seventh trumpet blast, includes the plagues in chapter 16. The fifth trumpet heralds a woe containing elements from the eighth and ninth plagues of Egypt, but specifically reminiscent of the invasion of locusts. The four angels: they are symbolic of the destructive activity that will be extended throughout the universe. Blue literally means "hyacinth-colored." Yellow literally "sulfurous." An interlude in two scenes precedes the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The first vision describes an angel astride sea and land like a colossus, with a small scroll open, the contents of which indicate that the end is imminent. The second vision is of the measuring of the temple and of two witnesses, whose martyrdom means that the kingdom of God is about to be inaugurated. The seven thunders are God's voice announcing judgment and doom, where thunder, as the voice of Yahweh, is praised seven times. Heaven and Earth and sea are the three parts of the universe. No more delay.
The mysterious plan of God literally means "the mystery of God," then end of the present age when the forces of evil will be put down, and the establishment of the reign of God when all creation will be made new. The small scroll was sweet because it predicted the final victory of God's people; it was sour because it also announced their sufferings.
The two witnesses, wearing sackcloth symbolizing lamentation and repentance, cannot readily be identified. Do they represent Moses and Elijah, or the Law and the Prophets or Peter and Paul? Most probably they refer to the universal church, especially the Christian martyrs, fulfilling the office of witness. The two olive trees and the two lampstands, the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord; the imagery is taken from Zec 4:1-3, 11-14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubabel and Joshua. These stories are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (Ex 7:17-20) and of Elijah, who called down fire from Heaven (1 Kings 18:36-40; 2 Kings 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1)
The beast from the abyss, the Roman emperor Nero, who symbolizes the forces of evil, or the Antichrist.
"Sodom" and "Egypt" are symbols of immorality and oppression of God's people, where indeed their Lord was crucified, not geographically but the symbolic Jerusalem that rejects God and his witnesses.
The seventh trumpet proclaims the coming of God's reign after the victory over diabolic powers.
Revelation holds all the keys to the end of time as we know it. If we are to understand the imminent coming of Jesus Christ, then we are to study Revelation in it's entirety to pull from it what we are to prepare ourselves for and to be able to recognize the signs that Jesus is prepared to intervene in this world and bring us back to salvation. I believe that we are already in the beginnings of some of the signs where Revelation outlines the beginning "signs." I believe the seven churches represent certain Christians and how they have conducted their lives and what is to become of them. We should begin to cleanse our souls, repent for our sins and be ready to meet our Savior in all His resplendent glory. Do not find yourself unprepared for the coming of Jesus Christ by closing your eyes and ears to world conditions or by being distracted by worldly pressures and worldly pursuits and worldly love, that you become unaware that this great event is taking place. Rededicate yourself to the principles and laws of the Bible, do not be lead astray by the Beast (false prophets, false messiahs, false churches, false religious doctrines) and realign yourself spiritually for everlasting life and all the good things God promises those of us who persevere until the very end, in New Jerusalem.
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