Revelation 0

Johnsaidthathewaswritingto believers inthesevencongregationsinAsia. HeprayedthatGodwouldblessthem. Hesaidthat Christ iscomingtojudgerebelliouspeopleandtostarttoruleasking.

ChristappearedtoJohnandcommissionedhimtowritedownthevisionthathewasabouttogivehimandtosendittothesevencongregationsinAsia.

Christ exhorts the congregation at Ephesus to repent and to begin again to love him and each other.

Christ exhorts thecongregationat Smyrna nottofearwhattheywillsuffer, buttotrustinhim, eveniftheymustdiebecausetheytrustinhim.

Christ exhorts thecongregationat Pergamum tostoplisteningtowhatthe Nicolaitans teach.

Christ rebukesthecongregationat Thyatira for tolerating ateacherwhoencouragessexualimmoralityandeatingfoodofferedtoidols. Hewarnsthosewho participate inthesethingsthathewillpunishthemunlesstheyrepent, andhe exhorts therestofthememberstoremainloyaltohim.

Christ exhorts the congregation at Sardis to wake up and repent. But the members who are worthy will live with him.

Christ exhorts thecongregationat Philadelphia tocontinuetoobeyhiswordandtobefaithful; hepromisesthatsomeJewswillacknowledgethathelovesthecongregation, andhealsopromisesthathewillkeepthecongregationfromspiritualharmduringtheperiodoftesting.

Christ exhorts thecongregationat Laodicea torepentoftheirneglectoffellowshipwithhimandoftheirfailuretoaccepthisprovisionfortheirspiritualneeds. Hewaitstorestorefellowshipwithanymemberofthecongregationwhowillrespondtohiscall.

A throne was in heaven with someone sitting on it. He was in the midst of every creature and object in heaven. The elders and the living creatures worshipped him as God, the mighty Creator.

When the Lamb took the scroll from the one on the throne, the whole created universe worshipped him who is the worthy Redeemer. The 24 elders and the four living creatures acknowledged that he alone was worthy to open the seals on the scroll.

When the Lamb opened each of the first four seals of the scroll, each of the four living creatures called forth a mounted horseman who brought judgment to people on the earth.

WhentheLambopenedthefifthseal, thesoulsofdead believers appealedtoGodtojudgethosewhokilledthem, butGodtoldthemtorestabitlonger.

WhentheLambopenedthesixthsealofthescroll, the upheaval intheskyandontheearthcausedalltherebelliouspeopleonearthtohidebecausetheyknewGod’stimetojudgepeoplehadcome.

An angel came up from the east and commanded the four angels stationed in four directions to continue restraining the destructive winds until angels had sealed God’s servants.

ThetriumphantcrowdstoodbeforethethroneinheavenandacknowledgedthatGodandtheLambhadrescuedthem. Thentheangels, theelders, thelivingcreatures, andahugecrowdofpeopleworshippedGodandpraisedhim.

OneoftheeldersexplainedtoJohnaboutthesaintswhoaredressedinwhiterobes.

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, it thundered, lightning flashed, and the earth shook.

Thesuccessivetrumpetblastsbyeachofthefirstfourangelsresultedingreat catastrophes ontheearthandinthesky.

Aneagleannouncedthatrebelliouspeopleonearthwouldsuffergreatly.

When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, locusts with stings like scorpions appeared on the earth and attacked rebellious people.

Whenthesixthangelblewhistrumpet, athirdoftherebelliouspeopleonearthdied. Buttherestoftherebelliouspeopledidnotrepentoftheirfalseworshiporoftheirevilpractices.

John saw a mighty angel coming down out of heaven and holding a small open scroll. When the angel shouted, it thundered several times, but a voice from heaven prohibited John from recording what the thunder said. The angel affirmed that the living Creator of the universe would no longer delay in completing what he planned for his creation.

TheheavenlyvoicetoldJohntotaketheopenscrollfromtheangelandeatit. Whenhehadeatenit, hewascommandedbyGodtoprophesyagainaboutallpeople.

Christ told John to count his worshipers from the nations, and he appointed two witnesses to prophesy to the nations for a limited time. When they finished witnessing, the beast from the underworld killed them, causing the nations to enjoy temporary victory. God resurrected his witnesses, took them to heaven, and punished the nations. Survivors feared and acknowledged God as awesome.

Whentheseventhangelsoundedhistrumpet, voicesfromheavendeclaredthattheLordGodandhisMessiahnowgoverneveryone, andtheeldersdeclaredthatthetimehadcomeforGod’sfinaljudgment. Withtheheavenlysanctuaryopen, lightningflashed, thunder reverberated, theearthshook, andlargehailfell.

When a royal woman gave birth to a royal son, she fled to safety and care in a place in the wilderness that was prepared by God.

TherewasabattleinheaveninwhichMichaelandhisangelsfoughtthedragon. Thedragonandhisangelswerethrownoutofheaventoearth. AloudvoicefromheavendeclaredthevictoryandthesovereigntyofGod, andlamentedthe tragic strugglecomingtopeopleonearth.

Whenthedragonpursuedthewomanwhohadgivenbirthtoason, hewasthwarted, sohepreparedtofightagainstherotheroffspring.

A beast rose from the ocean. It received power and authority from the dragon. Everyone worshipped it; that is, all people whose names were not recorded in the book of life worshipped the beast for 42 months.

Anotherbeastappeared, havingthesameauthoritytorulepeoplethatthefirstbeasthad, anditcausedpeopleonearthtoworshipthefirstbeast. Peoplemadeanimageofthefirstbeast, andthebeasthadeveryonekilledwhorefusedtoworshiptheimage. Itcausedallpeopletobemarkedwiththenameofthefirstbeast. Thenumberofthebeast’snameis 666.

John saw the Lamb standing on Zion Mountain with 144,000 redeemed people, who were marked with God’s seal. They were singing a new song that only the redeemed could sing.

AnangelannouncedthatafterGodjudgedandthendestroyedthewickedcities symbolized asBabylon. Anotherangeldeclaredindividualjudgmentonworshipersofthebeast, whosymbolizestheheadofthisworldpower. Thesaintsarecalledtoremainsteadfast.

SomeoneliketheOnewhocamefromheavensatonacloud, holdingasharpsickle. Anangelfromthesanctuarycommandedhimtoharvesttheearth. Anotherangelwascommandedtoreapfruitthatgrowsonvines. HethrewthefruitthatheharvestedintotheplacewhereGodangrilycrushespeoplelikeawinepresscrushesgrapes. Whenthewinepresswastrodden, theflowwaslikeafloodofbloodontheearth.

John saw in the sky a marvelous sign of the seven angels who were responsible for inflicting people with the seven last plagues.

JohnsawthosewhohadbeenvictoriousoverthebeastrespondtoGod’sjudgmentofrebelliouspeopleonearthbysingingpraisetoGodforhismightydeliveranceandrighteousjudgment.

Johnsawangelsbeinggiventhesevenbowlsofjudgmentintheheavenlysanctuary, whichbecamefilledwiththesmokeofGod’s unapproachable glory.

Four angels emptied their judgment bowls.

Twomoreangelsemptiedtheirjudgmentbowlsontheearth. DemonsgatheredarmiestofightagainstGod. ButJesuswarnedhispeopletowatchfaithfullyforhis imminent coming. Thebattlewasreadytobeginat Armageddon.

Aftertheseventhangelemptiedhisbowl, Godpunishedtheveryevilcity symbolized byBabylon, anddestroyedothercities, andterribledisastersfollowed.

One of the seven angels offered to show John how God will punish the very evil city represented by a prostitute, with whom the rulers of people on earth have been seduced to act immorally and idolatrously.

WhentheangeltookJohntoawilderness, hesawanimmoralwomanwhowasdrunkwiththebloodofGod’speople. ThesightcausedJohnto react withgreatbewilderment.

TheangelrevealedthemeaningofwhatJohnhadseen, identifying asruling entities boththebeastwhichamazedpeopleandhissevenheadsandtenhorns, andtheangeldeclaredthattheywouldbeovercomebytheLambanddefeated. Theangel identified theprostituteas representing theveryevilcitythatdominatespeople, andhedeclaredthatitwouldbedestroyed.

A powerful angel descended from heaven and announced that the cities represented by Babylon were about to be completely destroyed because of their immorality and idolatry.

JohnheardJesustellGod’speopletofleefromthosecities.

Jesussentencedthecities represented byBabylontodestruction.

Earth’skings, merchants, and maritime tradersmournedthelossofthosecities.

AllofGod’speoplearecalledtorejoicebecauseGodhaspronouncedjudgmentonthecities represented byBabylon.

After the destruction of Babylon, John heard a huge crowd praising God for saving his people and announcing the marriage of the one who is like a lamb.

GodwillabundantlyblessthepeoplewhohavebeeninvitedtocelebratethemarriageoftheLamb. OnlyGodshouldbeworshipped. Allhisservantsareonanequalbasis.

JohnsawheavenopenandsawtheonewhomhedescribedasKingofkingsandLordoflordsmountedonawhitehorse.

Anangelinvitedall flesh-eating birdstofeastonthefleshofpeoplewhowouldbekilledbytheRideronthewhitehorse. WhenthebeastandthefalseprophetgatheredkingswiththeirarmiestofightagainsttheRiderandhisarmy, thebeastandthefalseprophetwerethrownintothe lake offire. TheRiderkilledrebelliouspeoplewithhissword, andthebirds gorged themselvesontheirflesh.

John saw an angel coming down from heaven. He seized, bound, and imprisoned the dragon for 1,000 years.

Johnsawthethronesofthe martyrs wholivedagainandhadauthoritytojudgepeople. Those martyrs arethefirstpeoplewhomGodwillcausetoliveagain. Theywillreignwith Christ duringthe 1,000 years.

WhenSatanisreleased, hewilldeceivethenationsinordertoassemblethemtofightagainstGodandhispeople. Godwillsendfiretoburnuptherebelliousnations. HewillcauseSatantobethrownintothe lake offireforeverlastingpunishment.

John saw a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem, the city where God will dwell permanently with his people.

Goddeclaresthathehasmadeeverythingnewandhasaccomplishedeverythingheintendedtodo. Hedeclareshimselftobethebeginningandtheend, andsohewillgiveabundanteternallifetoallwhoseekhim, butwillpunishallthewickedinthe lake offire.

OneofthesevenangelswhohadthesevenbowlsofferedtoshowJohntheBrideoftheLamb.

AnangelshowedJohnthecityofGod, theNewJerusalem, thatwascomingdownoutofheavenfromGod, shiningwithhisglory, havingahugewallwithtwelvegatesandtwelvehugefoundationstones.

Theangelguidemeasuredthecityanditswall.

Johndescribedthecompositionofthecity, itswall, itsfoundations, itsgates, anditsstreet, emphasizing thegreatvalueofeachpart.

God will cause there to be abundant life in the city, his servants will worship him face-to-face, no one will be there whom God would curse, and his servants will reign forever and ever.

Godrevealedtohisservantshismessageinwhichheshowedthemwhatmusthappensoon.

John attested thathehimselfhasheardandseenallthesethings. Hewastoldtotellotherswhathasbeenrevealedtohimbecauseitsfulfillmentwasnear, andeveryoneshouldbeready.

JesusannouncedthathehadsenthisangeltobearwitnesstothecongregationsaboutallthatJohnhadseen. Jesus authoritatively identified himselfastheDescendantofKingDavidandasthe Messianic MorningStar.

God’sSpiritandtheBrideinviteallwhodesiretodrinkthelivingwatertocomeanddrink, andtheyinviteallwhohearthat invitation toextendittoothers.

Jesuswarnedaboutwhatwouldhappentoanyonewhoaddstothemessageofthisbookorwhotakesawayanypartofitsrevelation.

Jesusdeclaresthatheiscertainlycomingsoon.

JohncloseswithaprayerthatJesuswillcontinuetoblessallGod’speople.