“Blessed is he who reads and those who

hear the words of this prophecy, and keep

those things which are written in it, for the

time is near.”

Seven Statements about Jesus Christ and

His Followers

“…Jesus Christ, (1) who is the faithful

witness, (2) the firstborn from the dead, (3)

and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To (4) him who loves us (5) and has freed

us from our sins in his blood,

(6) and made us to be a kingdom and

priests to serve his God and Father—to

him be glory and power for ever and ever!

Amen.

“(7) Look, he is coming in the clouds, and

every eye will see him, and those who

pierced him, and all the peoples of the

earth will mourn because of him…”

INTERPRETATIONS: 7 churches that existed

around 95 AD; 7 Church eras; 7 attitudes that

exist at any time in the Church.

Rev. 2:1-7: Ephesus

Rev. 2:8-11: Smyrna

Rev. 2:12-17: Pergamos

Rev. 2:18-29: Thyatira

Rev. 3:1-6: Sardis

Rev. 3:7-13: Philadelphia

Rev. 3:14-22: Laodicea

John sees a scroll with seven seals and

hears a song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to

open its seals,

John’s Vision of God’s Throne

because you were slain, and with your

blood you purchased men for God from

every tribe and language and people and

nation.

John’s Vision of God’s Throne

You have made them to be a kingdom and

priests to serve our God, and they will reign

on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10 NIV).

John’s Vision of God’s Throne

Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, by Viktor Vasnetsov. Painted in 1887. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

The First Seal The Second Seal The Third Seal The Fourth Seal

Matthew 24:3-5,

23-28

Matthew 24:5-8 Matthew 24:7 Matthew 24:7

Revelation 6:1-2 Revelation 6:3-4 Revelation 6:5-6 Revelation 6:7-8

Counterfeit Religion

Image courtesy of United Church of God

Jesus Christ

Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

The Four Horsemen

• 1st Seal: False Religion

• 2nd Seal: War

• 3rd Seal: Famine

• 4th Seal: Disease

5th Seal: Religious

Persecution

Matthew 24:9 (10-14)

Revelation 6:9-11

The Tribulation Begins

Matthew 24:15-21

Revelation 13 Matthew 24:15-22,

Luke 21:20-24

Revelation 12 Revelation

11:1-11

Rise of the

Beast Power

Abomination of

Desolation and the

invasion of Jerusalem

Part of the Church

taken to its “place in

the wilderness”

The Two

Witnesses

Revelation 13: Rise of the

beast power.

Daniel 2: Before the

Second Coming of Christ

there will be a revival of the

Roman Empire.

There are two beasts in

Revelation 13. One represents

a political power, the other a

religious power.

The mark of the beast is 666.

These two powers rule on the

earth for 42 months or three

and a half years.

Luke writes that Jerusalem

will be “trampled” until the

“times of the Gentiles are

fulfilled.”

Revelation 11:1-2: The

“times of the Gentiles” will

be forty two months or three

and a half years.

Matthew 24:15-22:

Abomination of Desolation.

Luke 21:20-24: Luke’s

account show that this

involves the invasion of

Jerusalem.

Revelation 12: The

“woman” in this prophecy is

sometimes considered to be

Mary. Others consider it to

symbolize Jewish

Christians.

Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts

Theology Library, Candler School of Theology,

Emory University.

The woman actually represents

the people of God. In the first

verses she represents ancient

Israel. After the resurrection of the

child, Jesus Christ, she then

represents the Church.

At the “end time” the Church is

protected from Satan for “time,

times and half a time” or three and

a half years. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts

Theology Library, Candler School of Theology,

Emory University.

The True People of God: Revelation 12 The False Church: Revelation 17-18

Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts

Theology Library, Candler School of Theology,

Emory University. Image courtesy of United Church of God

Revelation 11: The two witnesses tell

people to repent and stand against the

beast power for “one thousand two

hundred and sixty days…” or three and a

half years.

They will finally be killed and their bodies

lie in the streets of Jerusalem. People from

all over the world will see their dead bodies

and rejoice.

The two witnesses will be resurrected after

three and a half days.

Revelation 13 Matthew 24:15-22,

Luke 21:20-24

Revelation 12 Revelation

11:1-11

Rise of the

Beast Power

Abomination of

Desolation and the

invasion of Jerusalem

Part of the Church

taken to its “place in

the wilderness”

The Two

Witnesses

Revelation 7 introduces two groups of

people who turn to God during the

Tribulation.

Revelation 7:1-8: The 144,000 Israelites

who are sealed with God’s Spirit.

Revelation 7:9-17: The great multitude or

people from all nations who are converted

during the “great tribulation” (notice verse

14).

The Sixth Seal: Signs in Heaven

Matthew 24:29

Revelation 6:12-17

The Seventh Seal: The Day of the Lord

Revelation 8:1-6: The Seventh Seal

consists of Seven Trumpets

The Day of the Lord

Isaiah 34:1-8 : The Day of the Lord

possibly lasts for one year

First Trumpet (Rev. 8:6-7): Hail and Fire, a third of

all trees and green grass destroyed.

Second Trumpet (Rev. 8:8-9): One third of sea

becomes blood, one third of sea creatures die, one

third of ships destroyed.

Third Trumpet (Rev. 8:10-11): Third part of fresh

water turns bitter.

Fourth Trumpet (Rev. 8:12): Atmosphere

deteriorates so that one third of light is filtered out.

The Last Three Trumpets also known as the Three

Woes

Fifth Trumpet (Rev. 8:13-9:12): First Woe: Beast

power brings about world war.

Sixth Trumpet (Rev. 9:13-21): Second Woe: Asia

becomes involved in the war. Two witnesses killed

(Rev. 11:1-19).

Seventh Trumpet Third Woe: comprised of Seven

Vials (Rev. 10:5-7; 11:15-19; 15:6-8).

1. Sores (Rev. 16:1-2).

2. Mass death of sea creatures (Rev. 16:3).

3. Fresh water turned to blood (Rev. 16:4-7).

4. Sun scorches earth (Rev. 16:8-9).

5. Darkness (Rev. 16:10-11).

6. Euphrates River dries up, Asiatic armies and remaining

beast armies converge on Megiddo (Rev. 16:12-16).

7. Great earthquake and hail, Babylonian system

destroyed (Rev. 16:17-21; Rev. 17-18).

The Return of Jesus and Resurrection of the Saints

Matthew 24:31, Revelation 20:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thess. 4:13-18

The Return of Jesus Christ and Destruction of the Beast Power

Zechariah 14:1-15

Matthew 24:29-30

Revelation 19

Binding of Satan and the Establishment of the Kingdom

of God on the Earth

Revelation 20:1-6

Images courtesy of United Church of God

The Millennium

Revelation 20

The Great White Throne Judgment

Revelation 20

New Jerusalem: God’s Throne Comes to the Earth

Revelation 21-22