66 - Revelation

TLDR: The revelation of Jesus Christ: letters to seven churches, visions of throne and Lamb, seals and trumpets and bowls, the fall of Babylon, and the new Jerusalem. "He is coming with the clouds." "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Overarching Storyline

Prologue; vision of the Son of Man (ch. 1). Seven letters (ch. 2–3). Throne; Lamb; seals (ch. 4–6). Trumpets (ch. 7–9). Little scroll; two witnesses (ch. 10–11). Dragon, beasts; bowls (ch. 12–16). Babylon; marriage of the Lamb (ch. 17–19). Millennium; final judgment; new Jerusalem (ch. 20–22).

Bible Project: Revelation overview.

Pegs for Memorizing This Book

• Person: John; Jesus (Lamb, Rider); dragon, beast, false prophet.
• Image: Throne, scroll, seals, trumpets, bowls, bride, new Jerusalem.
• Number: 7 (churches, seals, trumpets, bowls); 22 (chapters).
• Phrase: "Alpha and Omega"; "Worthy is the Lamb"; "Come, Lord Jesus" (22:20).

Highlights

• Revelation 1:7 — Look, he is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him.
• Revelation 5:12 — Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.
• Revelation 21:1 — New heaven and new earth; first heaven and first earth had passed away.
• Revelation 21:4 — No more death or mourning or crying or pain.
• Revelation 22:20 — Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

(Link to verse entries and meditations as added.)

Before and After

• Before: Jude; Revelation closes the canon with a vision of Christ's return and the new creation.
• After: The Bible ends; the church lives in the "already and not yet" until He comes.

Place in the Overarching Biblical Story

Hope and warning. Christ is King; the dragon and the beasts will fall; the bride will be with the Lamb. The book has inspired worship (hymns from ch. 4–5, 21–22) and varied interpretation; the central message is that God wins and His people are secure.

Interesting Facts

• Apocalyptic — Symbolic language; numbers (7, 12, 666) and images (beasts, Babylon) have been interpreted historically, futuristically, and symbolically.
• Seven churches — Real congregations in Asia Minor; the letters also speak to the church in every age.