A Deeper Dive Into the Book of Revelation - Part 10

A real key to understanding the book of Revelation is to realize that it is not written as one story in chronological order. Thanks to my former pastor, Dan Cummins, of Capitol Worship Ministry, I was able to see that the book of Revelation is divided in half. In his book, Until the Harvest, Dan explains that the first eleven chapters are written as a more general, chronological overview of events, and then the last eleven chapters fill in the details by focusing on particular topics or themes in each chapter. So, the story is written in *two *tellings, not just one continuous, chronological telling of the story.

There also seems to be a shift in emphasis from events in the first half of the book to characters in the last half of the book.

For example, in the first half of the book, we follow the events of the opening of the seven-sealed book and the sounding of the seven trumpets. In the last half of the book, we have chapters focused on the destinies of the Sun-Clothed Woman and her offspring, the Antichrist and the False Prophet, the Mother of Harlots, and the Bride of Christ.

I’ve written more about this important key to understanding Revelation in my blog article, The Book of Revelation is Divided in Half.

Book of Revelation Outline

Here is a basic outline of the book of Revelation with some of the symbolism interpreted.

It is easy to see in the outline that the book is divided in half because everything seems to come to a conclusion in chapter 11, but then everything seems to start again in chapter 12.

In chapter 11, the 7th trumpet sounds. The mystery is finished. The Great Tribulation ends. Jesus takes authority over the kingdoms of the world. It is time for the wrath of God to be poured out and for the dead to be judged.

Then in chapter 12, we see that the woman (the Church) is still on earth. The Great Tribulation is just beginning, and the Antichrist is just rising to power in chapter 13.

This can be very confusing until we realize that the book is divided in half between chapters 11 and 12, and that the story is told twice. The first telling is an overview with a general emphasis on events. The second half tells the story by going back and focusing on the characters and themes of this drama.

First Half of Revelation

**Chapter 1 **

  • Jesus appears to John on the Isle of Patmos, instructing him to write 7 letters to 7 churches.

Chapters 2 & 3

  • Letters to the 7 churches containing promises to individual Overcomers

**Chapter 4 **

  • John is caught up to the throne of God.

Chapter 5

  • The 7-sealed book is taken by the Lamb of God. (Daniel 12:4,9)

Chapter 6

  • The first 6 seals are opened. The 6th seal triggers a great earthquake and signs in the heavens. (See Joel 2:30-31.)

Chapter 7

  • Thousands of God’s bond servants from tribes of Israel are sealed in their foreheads on Earth. (Romans 9:27; Romans 11:5; Romans 11:13-27)

“And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.”—Romans 11:23 (NLT)

  • Multitude of Overcomers are standing before the throne of God and the Lamb.

**Chapter 8 **

  • 7th seal is opened.
  • Great Tribulation begins.
  • 7 trumpets are released. First 4 trumpets sound.

**Chapter 9 **

  • 5th and 6th trumpets sound.

**Chapter 10 **

  • Mighty angel comes down from Heaven, holding the little book.
  • 7 thunders utter their voices.
  • John eats the little book.

**Chapter 11 **

  • John measures the temple and those who worship therein (This prophetic act may determine the destinies of individual Christians during the Great Tribulation, as detailed in chapter 12.)
  • 2 witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days.
  • The 2 witnesses are killed and then resurrected after 3½ days.
  • 7th trumpet sounds. The mystery is finished (1 Cor 15:51-52). Great Tribulation ends.
  • “Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
  • Temple of God is opened in Heaven. God’s wrath is come. (Details in chapters 15-16)
  • Judgment of the dead (Details in chapter 20)

Second Half of Revelation

**Chapter 12 **

  • The destiny of the Church during the Great Tribulation. Believers are in three distinct groups: The Sun-Clothed Woman, The Man Child, and The Remnant. (The catching up of the Man Child group in verse 5 may correspond to the timing of the 6th seal being opened in chapter 6. The Remnant and the Man Child may correspond to the two groups in chapter 7.)
  • The Great Tribulation begins.

**Chapter 13 **

  • The rise of the Antichrist and the False Prophet

**Chapter 14 **

  • Harvest of the Firstfruits (Overcomers)
  • 3 angelic messengers are sent to Earth.
  • The Main Harvest of the Believers (The good seeds of Matthew 13:38), which signals the end of the Great Tribulation
  • The Harvest of those who will experience God’s wrath (The bad seeds of Matthew 13:38)

**Chapter 15 **

  • 7 angels are given 7 bowls containing the wrath of God.
  • Main Harvest of Believers is in Heaven, standing on sea of glass.
  • Temple opened in Heaven, signaling the release of God’s wrath
  • 7 angels with 7 bowls are released into the Earth.

**Chapter 16 **

  • First 6 angels pour out their bowls of God’s wrath.
  • Battle of Armageddon
  • 7th angel pours out the last bowl of God’s wrath.

Chapters 17 & 18

  • Babylon the Great (the false church) and the judgment that awaits her

**Chapter 19 **

  • Marriage of the Lamb
  • Jesus and Heaven’s armies do battle with Antichrist, the kings of the Earth, and their armies. (This may be the Battle of Armageddon mentioned in chapter 16.)
  • Antichrist and False Prophet are cast alive into the Lake of Fire.

**Chapter 20 **

  • Satan is bound for 1,000 years in bottomless pit.
  • The First Resurrection of the Overcomers who will rule and reign with Christ for 1,000 years
  • After 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth, Satan is loosed.
  • Battle of Gog and Magog (The final rebellion)
  • Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire forever.
  • The dead are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment.
  • Death and Hell are cast into the Lake of Fire.
  • Those not found in the Book of Life are cast into the Lake of Fire.

Chapter 21

  • New Heaven and New Earth
  • New Jerusalem

Chapter 22

  • Life in the New Jerusalem
  • Invitation to “Come”

An Overview of the Book of Revelation