The Chronology of Revelation and its Cyclic Themes

The Chronology of Revelation and its Cyclic Themes

The book of Revelation is set up in mostly a chronological order but that chronology is a thematic chronology rather than a literal step by step chronology. This means that a specific subject is chosen and that subject is spoken of from a point A to point B timeline. Then the next theme is selected and its progression is explained from point A to point B. And then, so on, and so forth.

There are many interludes between the judgement sections, which are there to give more detailed explanation to the events that are happening. Think of the numbered judgments as a zoomed-out view of what is happening, while the interludes are a zoomed-in view of what is happening. The interludes tend to speak of the time during the previous judgements that were just spoken of, or they happen directly after those judgements.

From a literary perspective, the judgements serve to escalate the narrative, while the interludes are dips in that escalation. It gives this up and down emotional cycle to purposefully foster anticipation and curiosity to sustain the attention throughout the whole book. An example of this is the “half hour” in Revelation 8:1, which is not a literal half hour, but rather there for the purpose of building up anticipation for the things to soon come upon the world. In this way, the “half hour” is a sort of literary device to provide pacing. The same principle applies to when Babylon was destroyed in “one hour.” That is to say, it happened suddenly and swiftly, all at once.

The numbered seals, trumpets, and bowls could also be viewed at times as a literary device for the purpose of communicating escalating sufferings and judgment. Thus, their sequential numbers alone do not prove that they are chronological from one another. Other textual evidence will be required to prove that chronology.

Daniel 11 and Jesus’ Olivet Discourse have mirrored events from seals 1-5 in their accounts. From Daniel, events 1-4 are not in a strict chronological order. They are just general events that happen in a broken world filled with war and chaos. Daniel is the source text from where Jesus gets His Olivet Discourse, but when Jesus tells of the events to come, He puts them in a mirrored order as the seals that were later written in Revelation:

Mt 24:5 (False Christs and deception through influence) = Rev 6:1-2 (Seal 1 — white horse)

Mt 24:6 (Wars and rumors of wars) = Rev 6:3-4 (Seal 2 — red horse)

Mt 24:7 (Famines and earthquakes) = Rev 6:5-8 (Seals 3-4 — black and ashen horse)

Mt 24:9 (They will deliver you to tribulation) = Rev 6:9-11 (Seal 5 — Martyrs)

From here, it is difficult to say whether their listed order is intended to be chronological or not. The idealist view would see these events happening all throughout the course of human history since the first coming of Christ, that these are general events that happen continually in non-specific ways (as apposed to the Historicist view). If that is the case, then this means we are currently in the tribulation and have been ever since John wrote his book (1:9). The only thing left to wait for is the abomination of desolation and/or the celestial signs in the sky and the appearance of Christ.

However, from a futurist viewpoint, it is at the very least necessary for the antichrist to be revealed at the abomination of desolation or beforehand during the first seal, since Paul specifically says there will be a “man of lawlessness” before the coming of Jesus (2 Thess 2:3). Paul’s description of events fits the abomination of desolation narrative quite closely.

As for the rest of the numbered lists, the trumpets and bowls, I believe there is strong enough textual evidence to believe that these happen one after another chronologically. Though, I would not be dogmatic about the exact sequence of events when it comes to the real-world future application, nor do I think it is possible to know how quickly all of these events will happen once the sequences progress. However, I do believe that in real world application, we can expect to see escalating judgements and moments of interlude to give people time to repent.

The idealist view and the futurist view are not mutually exclusive. However, one interpretive choice that determines if you land more on one side or the other is how you interpret the numbers in Daniel and Revelation. Is there a literal 7-year tribulation? Are the numbers figurative to represent another literal period of time like days meaning years or weeks meaning Shabua cycles of 49-50 years? Or, are the numbers just symbolic for a general length of time or for the purpose of explaining things like perfection, completeness, etc.? As of today, I have not completely made up my mind on the numbers interpretation.

However, I have come to understand the themes and progression of Revelation really well, and this is what I will be showing below. I will provide condensed summaries of the various events so that they can be conceptualized easier for the purpose of really seeing the order of events, while also providing short commentary and interpretation as we go along. In this article, you will be able to see and understand some of the themes of Revelation and how exactly the events overlap with one another. I will also do my best to provide as many sequential markers that I can find for each event and their proper placement based upon what happens before, what happens after, and how it may not be possible for the event to be placed somewhere else or to be a repeat of another event. Overall, my study will reveal how the Idealist interpretive framework falls short.

For theological term purposes, we can call the model I present here as the

Thematic-Chronological Model

The Seals

The first four seals (Rev 6) are their own thing as they have four horsemen. This is the tribulation, the birth pains of the earth, the wrath of mankind, and the wrath of the devil. The first seal of the white horse most likely represents the beast and the false prophet. They are the beasts that rise from the sea and from the land (Rev 13). They will be on the scene at this time gaining influence over the world and possibly forming military, political, and religious alliances.

The last three horses (seals 2-4) are war, famine, and death. It is one escalation upon another from the first horse, and they have a compounding effect.

The Fifth Seal is the martyrs, which I also believe to be the abomination of desolation. This is when the recapitulations start. Jesus said that before His Coming, lawlessness would increase. The Abomination of Desolation and shortly after it is where lawlessness explodes, and everyone will be required to pledge their allegiance to a false religious system or be killed. Many will give in to save their lives while forfeiting their souls. If people did not know who the antichrist was before, then they will know it here at the abomination of desolation (2 Thess 2:3).

The Appearances of Christ

The Sixth Seal is the Coming of Christ (Rev 6:12-17). This is when there is a great earthquake, the sun darkens, the moon turns bloodred, stars fall to the earth, and the sky opens up like a curtain (scroll) to see the heavenly throne room of God (Rev 1; 4-5; Dan 7:9-10, 13-14). The small and great flee to the mountains to hide, acknowledging that the wrath of the Lamb has come.

After this, Christ appears many other times in the visions. Though these appearances do not build off of the numbered trumpets and bowls, there are other close parallels to the sixth seal appearance, and I will show the main appearances of judgement below:

The Son of Man Comes Riding a White Cloud with His Angels as Reapers

Contextually, this judgement takes place after the seventh trumpet (Rev 11:15-19), after the beast from the sea and earth rise up (Rev 13), and right before an angel says, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great” (14:8), and a voice from heaven says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them” (14:13). The chapter after this one introduces the seven angels with the seven plagues/bowls (15:1). Therefore, this coming of Christ is the seventh and last trumpet. Revelation 11:17-18 indicates that this is when Christ begins reigning, which is also said to be the time that the dead will be judged, the believers will be rewarded, and those who destroy the earth with their sin will be destroyed (Isa 24:19-23).

Rev 14:14-20. Christ comes with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. He instructs the angels to lower down their sickles and reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe. After giving the order, they all reaped the earth together. Then an angel with a sharp sickle gathered the clusters of grapes and threw them into the wine press of God’s wrath. Then they smushed down on the grapes with their feet to make wine. This is the judgment of the city, Babylon the Great.

This appearance of Christ most closely correlates to Matthew 25:31-46 where it says “the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him,” and Matthew 13:18-30 where the angels reap the tares first and burn them up, then after that is done, they gather the wheat into God’s barn. It also refers back to Revelation 1:7 “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him…”

In this coming of Christ (Rev 14), it appears that the tares are harvested first, then after that, the grapes are harvested all in judgement. What comes next after this should be the harvest of the wheat (the believers). Paul also mentions the last trumpet, which I believe refers to this event (1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16). It is the gathering up of God’s people and the resurrection of the dead. This also seems to be the same event as Matthew 24:31, while verses 29-30 seem to describe the sixth seal. The golden crown on His head is also correlated with 11:17 where the twenty-four elders say, “You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign,” in contrast with the description of Christ in Revelation 1 where He is not seen wearing a crown.

The Word of God Comes Riding on a White Horse with a Sword in His Mouth

Rev 19:11-19. Christ, the eternal word of God, comes to bring judgement to the beast and the kings of the earth who are gathered together against Him for the battle of Armageddon. He just finished bringing judgement to Babylon the great. Symbolically, He stepped on that city like grapes and tread the wine press of God’s wrath. That’s why His robe is dipped in blood (Isa 63:3). It is the blood of His enemies. Armies are following Him on white horses, and He is appearing here to take dominion over all the earth by utterly destroying the beast and the false prophet by the lake of fire, and slaying their armies with the sword of His mouth. The armies were utterly consumed in defeat, symbolized by the birds eating up their flesh. This also symbolized a sacrifice God prepared as a feast of justice and vindication for those who suffered, were martyred, and unjustly treated (Ezek 39:17; Rev 6:10). With the crushing of Babylon the Great to make wine and the cutting up of the Armageddon armies, there is a complete feast of both bread and wine for the wedding banquet. The birds are the guests in the wedding banquet and they feast themselves on the flesh and blood of God’s enemies.

The appearance of Christ here most closely resembles the descriptions in Revelation 1. But in contrast to that chapter, He is seen here with many more symbols of authority for His dominion over the earth, even greater authority than when He is seen riding the white cloud with His angels. Here, He is wearing many (diadems) crowns on His head (19:12). The symbolic picture here communicates Christ is taking away the dominion from the kings of the earth and from the devil, as they were previously seen as wearing diadems (cf. 12:3; 13:1).

During the Sixth Seal: The Sealing of the 144,000 on Earth and the Great Multitude in Heaven

Before the trumpets start, this event takes place. The specific reason for this is when we compare the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1-3 and the fifth trumpet judgement of the bottomless pit where the sealed individuals are protected in 9:1, 4. This, combined with the fact that all the rest of the trumpet judgements are harming the earth and the sea, places the Revelation 7 interlude before any of the trumpet judgments start. Therefore, Revelation 7 cannot begin before the seven trumpets start. However, it is still possible that the interlude could be a flashback happening during one of the seals. Though, I think that is unlikely.

However, I think that we can at least conclude that part or all of the people from the great multitude in heaven had come out of the great tribulation and were given white robes were the martyrs in seal 5. The connection for this is that they died, and that’s why they are in heaven now. Additionally, both accounts mention the white robes. It may also be reasonable to assume that this interlude is the completion of the number of martyrs dying before God answers their prayer to bring vengeance, which will happen (the vengeance) in the trumpet and bowl judgements.

If the great multitude in Revelation 7 is a flashback for the timeline between the fifth to sixth seal, then it is also be reasonable to conclude that the sealing of the 144,000 happens during that time as well.

Luke 21:36 says, “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

This indicates that faithful believers will endure through tribulation at least up until the Coming of the Son of Man, as they will “stand” before Him. Therefore, I also conclude that the Revelation 7 interlude does not happen anytime before the appearance of the Son of Man at the sixth seal. Thus, it is the most likely case that the interlude happens during or after the sixth seal but before the trumpets.

Trumpets 1-4 and Bowls 1-4

The lower numbered trumpets and bowls (1-4) escalate upon one another and have a compounding effect. They are also thematically paralleled:

• The first pours out onto the earth

• The second pours out onto the sea

• The third pours out on the rivers and springs

• The fourth pours out on the sun

Here they are in more detail:

First Trumpet – Hail and fire, mixed with blood
A third of the trees and earth were burned up, along with all the green grass (8:7).

First bowl poured out on the earth
Loathsome and malignant sores on people who worshipped the beast and his image.

Second Trumpet – Mountain on fire thrown into the sea
A third of the sea became blood, and a third of all sea life died, along with a third of the ships (8:9).

Second bowl poured out on the sea
The sea became like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

Third Trumpet – A great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch
A third of the waters from rivers and springs became wormwood (bitter), and many died from drinking it (8:10-11).

Third bowl poured out into the rivers and springs
The rivers and springs became like blood. This is vengeance for the people previously spilling out the blood of the saints and prophets. Now they get to drink blood, and they deserve it.

Fourth Trumpet – The sun, moon, and stars were struck
A third of all these were made dark so that both day and night would not shine for a third of each (8:12).

Fourth bowl poured out upon the sun
The sun scorched men with fire and fierce heat. They blasphemed God “who has the power over these plagues,” but they did not repent to give God glory.

A great flying eagle proclaiming, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” (8:13). That is, trumpet 5, 6, 7. These are the three last woes of judgement.

Although the trumpets and bowls are thematically paralleled, they do not describe the exact same time event. Rather, they are continuations on the timeline of the same events. The bowls are intensifications that happen later in time from the trumpets. This means that all 7 trumpets must happen first before the bowls are poured out. All seven bowls are contained within the seventh trumpet (Rev 11:15; Rev 16).

The trumpets cannot be the same events because that would create contradictions in the text like: the sun, moon, and stars going dark while at the same time people are scorched with intense heat from the sun. Or, a third of every living in the sea dying while at the same time, every living thing in the sea dies. For this reason, they have to be sequential events.

The Fives: Allegiance to God vs. Allegiance to the Beast

Note: I am not sure if the fifth seal should be placed here for the purpose of this article, as it is more of a contrast rather than a parallel that intensifies. Nonetheless, I have found a thematic contrast between them which seems related.

The Fifth Seal is the martyrs and which I also believe is the abomination of desolation. Jesus said that before His Coming, lawlessness would increase. The Abomination of Desolation and shortly after it is where lawlessness explodes, and everyone will be required to pledge their allegiance to a false religious system or be killed. Many will give in to save their lives while forfeiting their souls. If people did not know who the antichrist was before, then they will know it here at the abomination of desolation (2 Thess 2:3).

The fifth seal contrasts…

The Fifth Trumpet (Rev 9:1-12). This is where the bottomless pit opens up to release a swarm of locusts. These locusts are actually a horde of demons who will go throughout the earth to torment people (but not those who are sealed by God). The demons are dressed in battle attire because they will be the inspiration behind the idea to make war against God and Jerusalem by gathering together armies from the east for the battle of Armageddon (which will come later).

Think of it like this: sometime after the abomination of desolation, people who pledge their allegiance to the beast are basically brain-washed. They’re under the spiritual and mental influence of evil spirits. They’re demon-possessed, bent on killing all who worship Jesus. However, their possession is also tormenting to themselves to the degree that they wished they could die but are unable to.

Here between the fifth trumpet and fifth bowl is where the judgement intensifications appear.

The fifth trumpet becomes…

The Fifth Bowl (Rev 16:10-11). This bowl is poured out on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom becomes darkened and they receive painful sores. This is likely the effect of the demonic torment combined with an event related to the sun from the previous bowl. This event alludes to the three days of darkness in Exodus 10:21–29.

From the fifth seal to the fifth bowl, there is a contrast between allegiance to Christ and allegiance to the devil. Those who choose to remain faithful to Christ will be martyred for their faith and will inherit immortality, while those who choose allegiance to the devil will receive excruciating torment from the devil, shortly extend their lives, but will come to their end. The devil gives grand promises at the beginning, but they are empty promises. The devil never gives anything for free—there is always a price. Worshipping the beast will only lead to escalated suffering and losing yourself in the process. Combine that with making yourself an enemy of God—you will have the worst fate of all. There is no winning and there is no gaining. There is only short-lived gratification, and losing it all.

During the Sixth Trumpet: The Two Witnesses (Rev 11:1-14)

This vision is a zoomed-in view of what is happening around this time.

The outer court of the temple has been given to the nations to tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. This is the same amount of time the beast is also given authority from the dragon to act against the saints to make war with them and overcome them (13:1-10). The two witnesses will prophecy for twelve-hundred and sixty days. After this time of their prophesying, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them and kill them. Then 3.5 days later, the breath of life from God will enter into them, they will stand on their feet, and then go up to heaven in a cloud. In that hour, there will be a great earthquake in Jerusalem so that a tenth of the city will be destroyed and 7,000 people will die. This is the second woe out of three woes. The resurrection of the two witnesses’ echoes Jesus’ resurrection. It also alludes back to Ezekiel 37 where God’s breathe entered into the dry bones so that they came to life and stood on their feet, which means they came up out of their graves.

The beginning of the two witnesses prophesying happens before the beast comes out of the abyss. But then in the latter time of their prophesying, the beast will come up out of the abyss to kill the two witnesses in Jerusalem, and they resurrect with the earthquake. This is called the second woe. The first woe is the opening of the abyss where all the demons like locusts come out (9:1-12). Note, the word “bottomless” pit (abyssos), is the same Greek word for “abyss.” The army from the East begins the second woe and they kill a third of mankind. Then the second woe finishes after the earthquake in Jerusalem. Also, the beast that comes up out of the abyss is the same beast that comes up out of the sea (13:1). The sea is often associated with abyss.

The holy city being trampled under foot for forty-two months (3.5 years), alludes back to Daniel 12:7 which says that “it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” This would also place the two witnesses in Jerusalem during this period. This means that the abomination of desolation event is the kick-start day of the witnesses 3.5-year prophetic ministry. This also means that if the “tribulation” is 7 years, that would put the death of the two witnesses at the end of the 7 years. Conceptually, this makes perfect sense with the timing of their resurrection. It aligns with other Scriptures for when the resurrection of the dead is supposed to take place—at the end.

In conclusion of the two witnesses: their prophetic ministry begins half-way through the tribulation time-period of Revelation, and ends at the end of that tribulation period.

The Sixes: Christ Comes for Wrath While the Armies of the East Declare War Against the Lamb

Note: I am not sure if the sixth seal should be placed here for the purpose of this article, as it is more of a contrast rather than a parallel that intensifies. Nonetheless, I have found a thematic contrast between them which seems related.

The Sixth Seal is the Coming of Christ (Rev 6:12-17). This is when there is a great earthquake, the sun darkens, the moon turns bloodred, stars fall to the earth, and the sky opens up like a curtain to see the heavenly throne room of God (Dan 7:9-10, 13-14). The small and great flee to the mountains to hide, acknowledging that God’s wrath has come.

The sixth seal later pans the camera the opposite direction…

The Sixth Trumpet. It is the Armies from the East rising to war to kill a third of mankind (Rev 9:13-21). They are bound at the great river Euphrates (which does not mean it dries up at this time. That happens later. Thus, it is in the process of drying up). There are too many in this army to count (myriads and myriads, 200 million). It is implied from the previous trumpet that the demons who came out from the bottomless pit were behind the execution of all this bloodshed. Also, since the Euphrates isn’t said to have dried up yet, this isn’t an army headed towards Jerusalem. At least, not in this scene.

The sixth trumpet later turns into…

The Sixth Bowl. This bowl is poured out on the Euphrates River to dry up the water so that the kings from the east could pass through (Rev 16:12-16). The dragon, beast, and false prophet spew out demonic spirits of rebellion, deception, and delusion throughout the world to gather everyone together to make war against God at the place called, “Har-Magedon.”

At the sixth seal, everyone is afraid at the appearance of Christ. At the sixth trumpet, people have lost their minds and given themselves over to demonic spirits because they refused to worship God. They kill a third of mankind, which probably includes Christians, Jews, and anyone else who refuses to pledge allegiance to their false religion/beast system. Then after this, they become completely delusional, as they feel emboldened to fight against Christ now. Whoever is living in this time must choose who they are going to serve: Christ or the devil. There is no middle-ground. Here at the sixth bowl, the armies and kings of the earth come war against the appearance of Christ that they were once terrified over. Here is the battle of Armageddon.

Due to the fact that everyone is fleeing in terror from the wrath of the Lamb in the sixth seal and then the sixth trumpet and bowls describe people being bold against Christ, it would be a contradiction for any interpreter to believe that all the sixes are the same event. Since, fleeing people hiding cannot at the same time be building an army or making war with myriads and myriads of people. For this reason, these events have to happen at different points in time.

The Sevens:

The Seventh Seal is All Seven Trumpets (Rev 8)
The Seventh Trumpet is All Seven Bowls (Rev 11:15; Rev 16)

The seventh seal and seventh trumpet do not have any judgements in themselves when they are activated. Instead, there is a heavenly scene interlude before the judgements begin. Unless, Rev 11:19 is judgement on the earth, which involves lightning, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. But it could also be there as language to communicate the presence of God coming to judge.

The Seventh Trumpet (Rev 11:15-19) takes place before Babylon the great is destroyed (Rev 14). The seventh trumpet is a declaration of victory before it happens, and everything that comes after it is judgment and reclamation of dominion. This means that the seventh trumpet brings the destruction of Babylon the great through the angels who are reapers. This is the symbolic heavenly scene. The seventh trumpet alludes to the time when the walls of Jericho fell down through loud shouts and trumpet blasts (Josh 6). Babylon the great is destroyed by internal violence and plagues of pestilence, mourning, and famine (Rev 17:16; 18:8, 21).

The seventh seal contains the seven trumpets which contains…

The Seventh Bowl (Rev 15:1; 16:17-21) brings natural disaster acts of God and supernatural acts of God as destruction upon Babylon the Great, the Armies and Kings from the East (Armageddon), the Beast, and the False Prophet (Rev 19:11-21). All these are destroyed by the wrath of God, while the Dragon (Satan), is bound for a thousand years in the abyss (down past Hades to Tartarus), and the Beast worshippers go to prison in Hades while they wait for the final judgment. (compare Isa 24:21-23 and Isa 27:1).

After the battle of Armageddon, there are no flashbacks in chapter 20, since only the devil is put in prison and comes back out, while the beast and false prophet do not. Chapter 20 continues chronologically with thematic summaries of events which span from the time from the beginning to the end of the thousand years.

Why Armageddon is not the Gog and Magog final battle

Revelation 16:12–16 describes the sixth bowl, where demonic spirits proceed from the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to gather the kings of the earth for the battle at Armageddon. In the battle itself (Rev 19:19–21), the beast and the false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire, where they are permanently destroyed. After this, only the dragon (Satan) remains, while the text does not include him as being thrown into the lake of fire at this time with the others. Instead, the devil is bound and imprisoned in the abyss for a thousand years (Rev 20:1–3). When he is released, he gathers the nations for the battle of Gog and Magog (Rev 20:7–9). Because the beast and the false prophet never reappear after Armageddon—and because they are central players to what the battle of Armageddon actually is—and are explicitly said to already be in the lake of fire when Satan is finally cast there (Rev 20:10)—the battle of Armageddon and the battle of Gog and Magog cannot be the same event. Armageddon involves all three evil figures, while Gog and Magog involve only one: the dragon.

Daniel also mentions that the beast will be slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning fire while the dominion of all the beasts are taken away (Dan 7:11-12). This is translated as his dominion being taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever so that all the kingdoms of the earth will be given to the saints, and in which all dominions will serve and obey God (Dan 7:26-27). Thus, the final battle of Gog and Magog cannot involve the beast who had been destroyed by fire. Daniel 7 is prophesying about all dominions being taken away from the earth (Armageddon), while the “extension of life” that is “granted to them for an appointed period of time” means during the time of the Millennium, they will continue existing, but without any authority.

All of this means that the Armageddon battle and the Gog and Magog battle are not a recapitulation of one another from chapters 19-20. They are separate battles and happen at separate times.

Revelation 20-22

Revelation 20 ends with the final judgement after the thousand years are completed and then progresses into chapter 21 to describe the new heaven and new earth without any death, mourning, or pain. This is when the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven and unites to earth at the end of the thousand years. The “it is done” statement in verse 6 indicate that once these things happen, it is the end and fulfillment of God’s promises and prophecies, and a new beginning. It is the summing up of all things in Christ. It is also a message to the present audience that these things are sure to happen because God has purposed for them to happen.

21:5-8 are a personal message to the audience in the present day while holding within their minds that future time to come. It is the directions on how to inherit these things or how to forfeit these blessings by rejecting Christ and being destroyed by the lake of fire.

21:9 is a flashback to transition the narrative back to before the thousand-year time begins, since it purposefully points back to that angel who had the seven last plagues. John is urged to come follow the angel in the vision to see what is present in that vision “the bride” (before the battle of Armageddon), and what is also connected with the previous verses in the last vision referring to the New Jerusalem, “the wife of the Lamb” (after the thousand years). In other words, verse 10 begins the transition to see what the bride looks like before the thousand years begin and during those thousand years which then culminate to the end of those thousand years. This interpretation is consistent with how Revelation 20 was written in its chronological thematic summaries. Revelation 21:10-27 and into the next chapter simply repeats that same pattern.

From this understanding, 21:22-27 could be interpretated as the time during the Millennial reign of Christ where there are other nations present among the earth bringing gifts to God. Unbelievers are also present on the earth at this time but are unable to enter into the holy city. Alternatively, verse 27 could be speaking in an instructional manner to the present audience saying that if they want to inherit the eternal blessings of heaven on earth, then they need God’s salvation. However, I think it is referring to the Millennial kingdom era.

Chapter 22 speaks of the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb with the tree of life to bring healing to the nations. This is the life of God’s presence flowing out to the people of God which then overflows to the nations of the world to bring healing during the Millennial kingdom, as God is in the process of restoring all things that submit to His cleansing work. During the Millennium, there is no curse in Jerusalem though other people and nations have the possibility of being cursed. But during this time, the reversal of the curse that starts in Jerusalem will spread throughout the world to reverse the curse until all that can be restored has been restored. Then at the end of the Millennium, there will be no curse at all in the whole earth, as God’s final judgement will come to put an end to the last rebellion of Gog and Magog, and the final judgement will remove all the former things of evil, death, and suffering.

22:10-21 are a personal message from Jesus to the present audience in light of these future realities to come.

Verses 14-15 are an exhortation to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus now so that when that day comes, you may inherit these blessings. However, if you do not believe in Jesus to be transformed by Him, then you will not enter into that heavenly city. I believe that the ones “outside” are those who perish now without believing, as they will never enter into that city. When the time comes, these people outside are also those who will exist on earth as unbelieving sinners during the Millennial reign of Christ, but because of their refusal to submit to Christ, they will remain in spiritual darkness, which will likely also be a place on earth that is physically dark as well to a degree. However, when the thousand years are complete, final judgement will come, and there will be no more opportunity for repentance, as all previous things will pass away.

The last two section below cover the intertextual timeline surrounding the beast, the two witnesses, the 144,000, Babylon, and the appearance of the Son of Man in the long interlude section. My observations on these things may or may not be helpful to your study, so just consider the section below as extra material.

The Beast that Comes up out of the Abyss + The Long Interlude

Revelation 11:7 says that when the two witnesses “have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.” Their death happens at the second woe, which is before the third woe of the seventh trumpet. But before we can see the seven last plagues (bowls) from the last trumpet, there is a long interlude. There is something that the prophetic vision wants us to see before we move on...

The interlude begins with chapter 12, giving us a kaleidoscope of history of the war that has been going on between the seed of the woman (Israel) and the seed of the devil (the dragon). Israel gives birth to Christ while the devil tries to kill Him but He is resurrected into heaven. The devil rebels and is thrown out of the heavenly courts to the earth to continue deceiving the world with great wrath because he knows his time is short. Then, since the devil can’t kill or persecute Christ, he persecutes Israel. But Israel is given a place of refuge by God to be delivered from the mouth of the dragon. But this infuriated the dragon, so he “went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (12:17). That is, the universal church.

This is when the stage is set for the beast to rise up.

Since the devil knows his time is short, he has another plan. In chapter 13, the dragon stands on the sand of the seashore while we see in the vision a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns, seven heads, and ten diadems (crowns) on his ten horns. The dragon transferred his power and throne to the beast, and gave the beast great authority over all the people of the earth. People began worshipping the dragon, the beast, and his image. The beast spoke arrogant blasphemies against God, and made war with the saints to overcome them.

The ten-horned beast is the same beast Daniel saw in his visions.

Then another beast rose up from the earth (the false prophet). He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. That is, he is a counterfeit religion that speaks blasphemies against Christ. This beast performs signs of fire from heaven to deceive everyone. He forces those who do not worship the beast or his image or else be killed and unable to buy or sell.

Then we turn to chapter 14 where we see the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb, which is a direct contrast to the dragon inspired beast and those who take the mark of the beast. One group worships the true God — the other worships a counterfeit.

Next comes an eternal gospel message declared from heaven to every nation, tribe, and language. It is a message of repentance of the soon coming judgment upon Babylon the great.

Then a warning is given of utter destruction and torment for anyone who worships the beast and his image because of the plagues that will soon fall upon the earth.

Then an encouragement is given for all those who are martyred for refusing to worship the beast and his image, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them” (14:13).

This is when the Son of Man appears sitting on a white cloud with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in His hand. He has come with His angels to reap the harvest of the earth. They tread the wine press of the wrath of God, smushing people like grapes from Babylon the great, those who worship the beast and his image.

This concludes chapter 14, and in which chapter 15 begins by introducing the seven last plagues.

There is also another heavenly scene. In this scene, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, are seen in the glory of God’s presence singing the deliverance song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. There is sort of an Exodus from Egypt theme in it. All these details seem to indicate that these were martyred believers who were victorious in the sense that they did not cave in to fear to abandon their faith in God despite all the persecution against them. 14:13 indicates that this is likely the case, that they died and went to heaven.

Then chapter 16 gives us all seven bowls of wrath, culminating in a preview of the Armageddon battle to come in chapter 19. Armageddon here in chapter 16 is the sixth bowl. The destruction of Babylon the great is the seventh bowl, along with the destruction of the beast, false prophet, and Armageddon armies.

What chronological information can we ascertain from the narrative flow of these chapters?

It looks like the beast rises up on the earth shortly after the resurrection of Christ. However, it is also possible that chapter 12 is somewhat chronologically disconnected to chapter 13 since we hold to the view that Revelation is mostly thematically chronological, not logically chronological. Thus, it is possible for the starting point of chapter 13 to overlap the summary of the devil’s work in chapter 12. It is also possible for the beast to rise up at a time much later than after Christ’s resurrection. Since the description of the beast that John gives matches many of the descriptions that Daniel gives, I conclude that beast begins as ancient Rome when they defeated the Greeks, and was the same beast in John’s day. However, I do not believe ancient Rome is the 10-headed beast. That comes later as a resurrection of all the past beast kingdoms coming up against God. I also believe that the false prophet represents false religion, especially Islam.

One of the main time-indicators we have for all of this is in chapter 14 where we see what appears to be the 144,000 in heaven with Jesus because maybe they were martyred at this point because of refusing to take the mark of the beast. We previously saw that they were sealed by God from His wrath in chapter 7, and they were also on earth during that time. Their sealing happens before the trumpet judgments, and probably during or right after the sixth seal.

Babylon the great is also introduced here as a place and/or people group that exist during the same time as the beast and the 144,000.

The 144,000 are sealed before the destruction of Babylon the great.

The mark of the beast requirement happens before Babylon is destroyed.

The Son of Man’s appearance here also happens before Babylon is destroyed.

The two witnesses exist and are killed during the beast’s reign.

Though Revelation does not specifically say when the beast rises up, it can be inferred that it is after Jesus rises from the dead, and it extends up until Armageddon.

I’m not sure how helpful all this information is, but those are my observations.