Compare to Daniel 10 where angel and Christ visit prophet to deliver detailed prophecy of the future.

Ephesus, desirable (30-100)

Christ: holds seven stars, walks in seven golden candlesticks

Commendation: discernment, doctrinal purity

Condemnation: left their first love

Counsel: remember, repent, do first works

Reward: eat of the tree of life

Smyrna, myrrh, sweet smelling savor (100-313)

Christ: first and last, was dead and is alive

Commendation: faithful in midst of tribulations

Counsel: be faithful unto death

Reward: crown of life, not be hurt of the second death

Pergamos, married, height, elevation (313-538)

Christ: has the sharp sword with two edges

Commendation: held fast name and faith where Antipas slain

Condemnation: doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitanes

Counsel: repent

Reward: eat hidden manna, white stone with new name

Thyatira, sweet savor of labor, sacrifice of contrition (538-1517)

Christ: eyes like flame of fire, feet like fine brass

Commendation: charity, service, faith, patience

Condemnation: last works more than first, Jezebel

Counsel: no other burden, hold fast until I come

Reward: rule nations with rod of iron, morning star

Sardis, prince or song of joy, that which remains (1517-1798)

Christ: has seven Spirits of God and seven stars

Commendation: have worthy names

Condemnation: have living name but dead

Counsel: strengthen what remains, remember, hold, repent

Reward: walk with Me in white, keep name in book

Philadelphia, brotherly love (1798-1844)

Christ: holy, true, has key of David, opens and no man shuts

Commendation: have a little strength, kept my word, not denied

Counsel: hold fast what you have that no man take your crown

Reward: made pillar, write on him name of God, city, new

Laodicea, judging of the people, just people (1844-)

Christ: Amen, faithful and true witness, beginning of creation

Condemnation: lukewarm, know not you are wretched, poor

Counsel: buy, be zealous and repent, open door and eat with Me

Reward: sit with Me in My throne

Sanctuary scene: God’s throne room

Elders and creatures are humans because redeemed from Earth

Sealed book opened

John weeps because closed book means no human history

It takes both Lion and Lamb to open book and guide history

White horse: early, conquering, pure church (30-100)

Red horse: martyred, but fighting, church (100-313)

Black horse: Spirit available, but Bible ignored, restricted (313-538)

Pale horse: inquisitions, crusades, indulgences, heresies (538-1517)

Martyrs: to be more martyrs after Reformation (1517-1844)

Second Coming: near, but not seen (will be repeated)

Signs old to us because of delay, but current for them

144,000: tribulation, return delayed until saints ready

Silence: prophetic half hour is about a week real time

Sanctuary scene: Angel at the altar of incense casts down censer

Trumpets call to battle or to worship or warn of danger

Below are pre, then post, 1844 interpretations of first 6 trumpets

Trumpet 1: fire mingled with blood; third trees and grass burned

Alaric’s Visigoths burn Rome first time; from northern Europe

Judgments against Jerusalem ending in its destruction

Trumpet 2: burning mountain; third sea to blood, ships destroyed

Vandals attack Rome from Mediterranean sea

Judgments in general against Roman Empire

Trumpet 3: Wormwood star; third of waters become deathly bitter

Attila’s Huns conquer Alps region of Roman empire

Judgments in general against Holy Roman Empire

Trumpet 4: third part of sun, moon, stars darkened

Odoacer deposes Romulus Augustulus in 476

Dark Ages of superstitions and heresies

Trumpet 5: Abaddon’s locusts from the bottomless pit

Rise of Islam against apostate Christianity, 1299 to 1449

Counter-reformation? Crusades? Secular atheism?

Trumpet 6: Euphrates angels and army released

Ottoman Empire, 1449 to 1840

End-time crises with Babylon

(Chapter 10: Rainbow Angel and bittersweet book of prophecy)

7th trumpet should end time, so 2300 day prophecy done

“taken Your power” is final coronation for Second Coming

(Chapter 11: Measuring the temple; two witnesses)

Measure consistency and advancement of true worshipers

Two witnesses are Old and New Testaments and their messages

Proscribed during French Revolution

Trumpet 7: Coronation, judgment, mystery of God finished

Parallels Daniel 7 judgment and Daniel 8 sanctuary cleansing

Sanctuary scene: temple opened in heaven to reveal ark–11:19

1) Wonders in heaven–12:1-12

First exile to darkness then earth; Jude 1:6; 2Pt 2:4, 19; Gen 3:1-15

War after ascension after cross is second casting out; Jn 12:31-32

2) Persecution on earth–12:13-17

Obedient believers obstacle to world rule; Mt 4:9; 5:19; 2Th 2:4

1260 days is divided phase of fourth empire

What happens when dry earth becomes saturated? see ch.13b

3) Blasphemous beast–13:1-10

Crowns move from 7 heads to 10 horns–pagan to “Christian”

Satan’s goal is uncontested worship, even if indirect

Wound healed is church-state power returning

4) Dragonlamb beast–13:11-18

Arises at end of 1260 in sparse region, religio-political freedom

Like first, corrupted by power and demands global worship

5) 144,000 follow the Lamb on Mount Zion–14:1-5

Same as ch.7; spiritual Zion now (Heb 12:22)

6) Three angels with messages–14:6-13

Everlasting gospel explains eternity past to eternity future

Judgment hour is day of atonement followed by Christ’s return

Worship the Creator points to Sabbath truth hated by devil

7) Son of man reaps the two harvests–14:14-20

All are ripe/perfect saint or sinner

Sanctuary scene: victory song; temple filled with smoke

Plague 1: vial poured on earth, grievous sore

Plague 2: vial poured on sea, becomes blood; every creature dies

Plague 3: vial poured on fountains and rivers; they shed blood

Plague 4: vial poured on sun; men scorched, blaspheme, repent not

Plague 5: vial darkens beast’s seat; blaspheme, repent not

Plague 6: vial dries Euphrates; three frogs; Armageddon

Plague 7: vial into air; it is done; signs; Babylon falls

Sanctuary scene: scapegoat blamed in the wilderness–17:1-6

1) Whore-beast explained–17:7-18

8 mountains from Egypt to healed Holy Roman Empire

All offered and rejected true gospel

2) Final condemnation, strong voice; Babylon is fallen–18:1-3

3) Final invitation, loud cry; come out of her My people–18:4-8

Last great warning and invitation of three angels’ messages

4) Babylon destroyed: economy, transport, entertainment–18:9-24

5) Victory celebration–19:1-10

6) Christ rides white horse–19:11-16

Saints reaped into the air to ever be with their Lord

7) First death of wicked–19:17-21

All humans on earth now dead, burned by first lake of fire

Sanctuary scene: scapegoat confined to the wilderness–20:1-3

Millennium not mentioned anywhere else

Imprisoned, but not killed; wanders for a while before death

1) Saints judge for 1000 years–20:4-6

Judgment between good and evil done before Christ returned

Saints now judge amounts of punishment; Dan 7:22; 1Cor 6:3

2) Wicked resurrected at end of 1000 years–20:7-10

Satan’s solitary confinement ends, but still condemned in prison

3) Second death of all evil and evildoers–20:11-15

Death destroyed; second lake of fire’s destruction is permanent

Judged according to works; see Never Again studies

4) Earth made new–21:1-4

5) Promise for the faithful–21:5-8

6) Outside New Jerusalem–21:9-26

7) Inside New Jerusalem–21:22-22:5

Old throne room becomes museum outside city; Rev 7:15

Final blessing, invitation, warning–22:6-21

Satan wants to control the whole world

Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Eph 2:2) prince of this world

Mt 4:9; Job 1:8-10) wants uncontested control

Gen 3:1; Rev 12:9; 13:2) full disclosure backfires

Satan must get humans to eliminate true saints (salt)

1Kin 3:16-28) humans must get humans to reveal themselves

Mt 5:46-47) even sinners can be nice to each other

Jn 18:28; 2Tim 3:5; Rev 11:2) hypocrites appear good to humans

Humans must enforce laws to expose inward spirituality

Dan 3; 6) religious laws that exposed saints

Dan 7:25) anti-God, not just immoral, law must be made

Rev 7:3; 12:17, 14:1, 12) only true saints keep all God’s laws

Rev 13:16-17) political/cultural laws block commerce with saints

Which law divides cultures and is broken by “good” people?

Ex 20:8-11; Heb 4:9; Rev 1:10) Sabbath is still seal/pinnacle

Ex 31:13; Judg 13:7; Eze 20:12) Sabbath is secret source of power

Rev 18:4; Gen 19:26) saints out of Babylon and sin out of saints