The Outline
The basic outline of this book is easy to determine. Our Lord Himself gave it to John in a vision. In Revelation 1:19, our Lord instructs John:
Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
How do we correlate what John was instructed to write with what he did, in fact, write? It is not very hard at all! The first thing John was to write about was what he had seen. What he had already seen up to the point of the instruction was the vision of the Lord that is found in 1:9-20. This then is the first major point in the outline. Then in chapter 4:1, John is told this:
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
What follows in chapter 4 to the end is what will take place after these things and is the third major point in the outline. What is found between these two sections then must be the second major point or the things that are.
The three major divisions are the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. The “things which he had seen” is the vision of the Lord in chapter 1, verses 9-20. The “things which are” make up the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. The “things, which shall take place after these things,” comprises the largest section, chapter 4 through chapter 22 verse 5, dealing with the Tribulation Period, the kingdom and the new heavens and the earth. John then adds a title and introduction in verses 1 through 8 of chapter 1 and a conclusion in verses 6 through 21 of the last chapter, chapter 22.
This is then the broad outline of the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ:
| I. | Title and Introduction (Rev. 1:1-2) |
| II. | The Things Which You Have Seen (Rev. 1:9-20) |
| III. | The Things Which Are (Rev. 2-3) |
| IV. | The Things Which Shall Be After These Things (Rev. 4:1-22:5) |
| V. | The Conclusion (Rev. 22:6-21) |
For those who are more visually oriented and who prefer the chart form (as is this writer), the following is offered:
The Structure
Whereas the outline of the book is very easy to discern, the structure of the book is far more difficult, especially when one is considering the most extensive section, The Things Which Shall Be After These Things (Rev. 4:1-22:5). To a large degree, how one interprets the text will determine one’s view of the structure. Those who employ an allegorical hermeneutic have a multitude of possible structures, but the more literal the method of interpretation becomes, the narrower the choices of structure there are. If words do not mean what they say but have a deeper underlying or hidden meaning, a person can erect whatever structure he or she can conceive since the person determines the meaning of those words, but if words mean what they say, a student of the passage is constrained by those words.
The general principle which I follow and which I am convinced should be followed in the study of all Scripture is that we are to understand a passage in an ordinary, literal, historical sense. This is not to say we are not to recognize normal figures of speech used by those that wrote, nor are we to disregard the genre of the literature itself. That being said, the fact that this book is considered to be apocalyptic literature does not mean we should take everything in as symbolic. Not at all! As a general rule, we should understand something literally unless it is specifically stated to be symbolic or is a common symbol used elsewhere and widely understood as such by the readers of that day. That, at least, will be the approach taken here.
Since John, apart from his title and introduction and his conclusion to the book, simply recorded the visions as they were revealed to him, the structure is not something carefully thought out and crafted by him to convey a message but is rather determined by the content of those visions.
In the first section where John was instructed to write, The Things Which You Have Seen (Rev. 1:9-20), there is no question to the structure. John simply gives the background to the vision of the Lord and then records the vision for us. In the second section, The Things Which Are (Rev. 2:1-3:22), there is also little question about structure. John records seven separate letters, one after the other, to seven literal churches in existence in his day. The letters also follow a general pattern as well.
When we come to the third section, The Things Which Shall Be After These Things (Rev. 4:1-22:5), there are more questions. Among the commentators that take a normal, historical, literal approach, there are many different views on the structure of this book in chapters 4 through 19. Many of the early commentators took a general chronological approach with events occurring, one after another, from beginning to end. First, there were the seal judgments, then the trumpet judgments concluded by the bowl judgments. These repeated sets of seven raised many questions with some authorities. Why have three series of judgments? An approach that has been popular recently is to see these three series as occurring concurrently. Each series takes us through the seven years of the Tribulation, but each stresses a different aspect of God’s judgment on Israel and the nations of the earth.
It is best, I am convinced, to take the former view of a general chronological progression from the end of the church age and the beginning of the Tribulation Period with the rapture in Rev 4:1 to the conclusion of the Tribulation Period with the destruction of the Beast and False Prophet and their armies in Rev 19:11 and following. This is how it was revealed to John and how he recorded it. What tends to confuse the understanding is that the action takes place in two different theaters or stages. There are events taking place in heaven in God’s throne room; concurrently, there are events occurring on the earth.
One question that always comes up is this. Will we, present-day believers, have to go through the time of testing known as the Tribulation? The answers given vary because of different opinions on when an event known as the Rapture takes place. This event is spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, tells us a time is coming when several things will take place. First, a trumpet will sound, and the Lord will descend from Heaven. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ (died as believers) will rise (be resurrected, given new perfect physical bodies). Next, we who are alive and remain (living believers) will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air to be with Him forever. From other passages of the New Testament, we know we shall be instantly changed; our present physical and spiritual bodies will be perfected and transformed.
The debate is when this event, the Rapture, occurs. There are some who believe it will occur at the end of the Tribulation Period (post-tribulational view), meaning that we today as believers can look forward to suffering through this terrible time coming upon the earth. Others believe the Rapture will take place in the middle of the Tribulation Period (mid-tribulational view). This means we as believers today might experience the first three and one-half years but miss the last three and one-half years that are much worse. Finally, there are those that believe that the Rapture will take place immediately before the Tribulation Period (pre-tribulational view). We, believers today, will not experience any of the events of the seven years of judgment upon the earth, having been taken from the earth before these times start.
This study assumes the last view to be correct. It is supported by more evidence from the rest of Scripture than do the other views and also fits the picture of the events here in Revelation much better than do the others. John, in chapter 4:1, himself is a picture of the church (present-day believers) being taken up to heaven after the events of chapters 2 & 3 (The Church Age) and the before the beginning of events in chapters 4 and following (The Tribulation Period).
From Chapter 4 through chapter 19, events occur, and our view is shifted first from one stage then to the other. Events occur in heaven, in God’s great throne room, and events also take place on earth. It is similar to a novel in which an author takes two different characters in different places and alternates back and forth between them until finally they are brought together in a later chapter.
If a person reads through chapters 4 through 19, taking the events taking place in heaven, putting them all together, he or she will quickly recognize that what is taking place is a coronation ceremony, in which our Savior assumes the position He is rightfully due, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all the creation of God.
The sequence of events in these chapters is, for the most part, chronological. The events taking place in the heavenly throne room proceed in chronological order, and the events taking place on earth also take place in chronological order. What complicates this picture, and what has been often overlooked, in fact, what has been almost impossible for readers to conceive prior to the last 75 years or so, is that the time flow on these two stages takes place at two different rates. The events in heaven take place over a few hours or days at the most, while the events on earth require seven years. Now, this might seem impossible or illogical at first glance, but it is quite possible, and it is very logical. The laws of physic, as far as we now understand them, tell us that time is linked with the other dimensions of space. The laws of relativity tell us that the rate of the flow of time depends on the relative speed of the objects involved. The speeds involved are not speeds we deal with in our everyday lives but speeds approaching the speed of light. At slower speeds, this effect is unnoticeable.
The classic example given is, if it were possible to take a space ship and accelerate to a speed approaching that of light, travel away from the earth and then back, one would find while only a few days have passed on board the ship, months or years would have passed on earth, depending on the exact speed and direction of the space ship. Fantastic as this seems, the principle has been demonstrated scientifically.
If Heaven, God’s throne room, is to be found in the dimensions of time and space as is this earth, the relative rate of time flow of each would be determined by their speeds relative to each other. Moreover, if Heaven is not located in the same dimensions of space-time as this earth, which is most likely the case, then certainly the rate of time flow on this stage or theater would not be dependent upon the rate of time flow upon the earth and certainly could differ. Therefore while it might seem strange that a short period passes in Heaven while seven years pass on earth, but it is, in fact, a very reasonable phenomenon.
Briefly, the scene in the heavenly theater is a coronation ceremony in which Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the rightful heir and king of the earth. Our Lord steps forth to take the title deed to the earth. After He opens this document by breaking the seven seals on it, seven trumpets are blown, heralding Him as the Messiah. Following the trumpet fanfare, the announcement is made that “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” When the temple in heaven is opened, the Messiah sits crowned, holding a sickle representing His coming judgment when He returns to the earth. From the temple, seven angels come to receive the seven bowls, which represent the last judgments prior to the return of the King to earth to defeat the usurper Satan. These are poured out, and at the conclusion, the throne room breaks into glorious praise. Heaven then opens, and the King leads forth His armies to conquer His kingdom.
The scene on the earthly stage covers a much longer period, seven years (360 day years). It begins after the rapture with a man, the Antichrist, coming to power and beginning to conquer other nations. This initiates a world war (WWIII?) with all the results that accompany war, famine, disease and death. A great earthquake rocks the whole earth. During this period and the years to follow, many people come to faith, but most of these are martyred. There are tremendous meteorite strikes upon the earth. One-third of the planet is wreaked with devastation and death. Demonic plagues, unknown before this time, first torture then kill the earth’s populace. Up to this point, a major portion of the earth’s population has died, at the very least, one-half of it. During these beginning years, God places His special protection on a select group of Jewish believers, keeping them from Satan’s power.
Then at the mid-point of the Tribulation, Satan is forced out of heaven and confined to the earth. The war against him has started in heaven. He indwells the Antichrist and, through him, takes total control of the earth. He kills the two prophets of God who have witnessed to the world for the first three and one-half years. However, they are quickly resurrected and are taken up into heaven. Satan consolidates his power, and although he is unable to touch the special group protected by God, the 144,000, he tries to exterminate the remaining believers on the earth and almost succeeds. Again physical judgments fall upon the world, but the world does not repent or turn to God. Satan, through the Antichrist, brings the armies of the world to Israel, to the valley of Megiddo. He also, at this time, destroys the center of a world religion that has been established in the rebuilt city of Babylon. He probably does this with a massive nuclear weapon. It is at this point with Israel about to be wiped out that the true King returns from Heaven to the earth. With only a word, He defeats Satan and the armies of the world and sets up His perfect and righteous kingdom for a thousand years.
The following chart is offered to summarize this structure. The events transpiring in heaven are separated from those on earth by a heavy, jagged line to underscore the difference in the rate of the passage of time in the two theaters of action.
