2. Time Line of Revelation—What is it?
The time line for the Book of Revelation starts
at the beginning of the Christian Age ("things which must shortly come to pass,"
Revelation 1:1). The Book concludes with the end of our age and the establishment of the
New Jerusalem on earth when "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4).
Just as Chapters 2 and 3 deal with the seven-stage history of the Christian Church,
later Chapters (6-11) reveal the seven-stage history of the church with seven seals and
seven trumpets. The historical events fit the prophecies perfectly with the development of
the apostasy. The final judgment of the last days is described in Chapters 14-19. And the
wonderful Kingdom of Christ and his Bride is in the concluding Chapters 20-22.
I. Introduction (Ch.
1)
II. Throne Scene
(Chs. 4 & 5)
A.
God is worthy
) The eternal purpose of
God (Ch. 4)
B. Jesus is worthy
) Lamb opens seven
seals of scroll (Ch. 5)
III. Seven-staged View of Christian Age (Chs.
2,3,6,7,8-11)
A. Seven seals of scroll opened (Chs. 6 & 7)
B. Seven letters to angels (Chs. 2
& 3)
C. Seven trumpets (Chs. 8-11)
IV. Christian Age Overviews (Chs. 12 &
13)
A. Man Child Born; Dragon Cast
out of Heaven;
Woman Flees to Wilderness 1260 Days
(Ch. 12)
B. Leopard Beast receives power
to persecute 1260 days;
Two-horned Beast and Image of Beast persecute at end
of age. (Ch. 13)
V.
Final Judgment Period
— The Harvest (Chs. 14-19)
A. Harvest of true and false vines (Ch. 14)
B. Seven last plagues (Chs. 15
& 16)
C. Scarlet Beast and judgment of
great harlot (Ch. 17)
D. Details of destruction of
Christendom (Chs. 18 & 19)
VI.
Kingdom Portrait (Chs. 20-22)
A. Binding of Satan for 1,000 years; the resurrections
(Ch. 20)
B. The New Jerusalem (Chs. 21
& 22)
