A Synopsis of the Book of Revelation

By Vernon Gruver

Who can comprehend the majestic powers of the mind of God in that by the word of his grace the heavens and the earth came into existence. The creation of the heavens and the earth and all that are therein, was the first of his magnificent display of the unsearchable riches of his glory.

However, the work of the God of all spirits and living beings is not finished. When the end comes to his first, the second will be far more glorious. That is, the new heavens and the new earth will come down from the throne of his glory.

He gives a marvelous comparison from his first creation to the second. The last of God's certified and attested transcript, that is, the book of Revelation will clearly define the fulness and prophetic mind of God.

The comparisons for the bible student in this discourse are as follows:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Revelation 21:1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth.

Genesis 1:10 The gathering of the waters he called the sea.
Revelation 21:1 And the sea is no more.

Genesis 1:5 The darkness he called night.
Revelation 21:25 There shall be no night there.

Genesis 1:16 God made the great lights the sun and the moon.
Revelation 21:23 The city has no need of the sun nor moon.

Genesis 2:17 In the day you shall eat thereof you shall surely die.
Revelation 21:4 Death shall be no more.

Genesis 3:16 I will greatly multiply your pain.
Revelation 21:4 Neither shall there be pain anymore.

Genesis 3"17 Cursed is the ground for your sake.
Revelation 22:3 There shall be no more curse.
Genesis 3:1-4 Satan appears as the deceiver of mankind.
Revelation 20:10 Satan disappears forever.

Genesis 3:22-24 They were driven from the tree of life.
Revelation 22:2 The tree of life re-appears.

Genesis 3:24 They were driven from God's presence.
Revelation 22:4 They shall see his face.

Genesis 2:10 Man's earthly home was by a river.
Revelation 22:1 Man's eternal home will be beside a river.

Full of imagery, symbols and signs:

Chapters:

1.   Deity
2.   Spirit realm
3.   Natural world
4.   Earthly kingdoms
5   Culture and society
4.   Religions
7.   Locales
8.   Persons
9.   Attire
10. Physical anatomy
11. Vegetation and agriculture
12. Mineral kingdom
13. Animal kingdom
14. Social intercourse: trade and commerce
15. Literature
16. Music and musical instruments
17. Pharmacists
18. Time and eternity
19. Numbers and math
20. Number 7 = ocurring 27 times = completeness
21. Three: Father-Son-Holy Spirit; faith-hope-love
Three means = complete and ordered whole. Found 10 times in Revelation

An overview of the book of Revelation:

A well designed handbook for the serious bible student.

Author: Jesus Christ the Son of God
Received by: the apostle John the disciple whom Jesus loved
Written: A.D. 95-96
Key verses: 1:19; 19:11-16

Table of Contents:

Chapter one: pictures of Christ.

Be blessed if you read, hear and keep my words.
As the moon is the faithful witness to reflect the light of the sun, so is Christ the faithful witness to reflect the light of God.
The glorified Christ.
The command to write unto the seven churches.

Christs' revelation to John and the seven churches, 1:1-3.
The blessings of Christ, 1:1-3.
Blessed if you read, hear and keep, 1:3.
The faithful witness of God, 1:5.
Message and its destination, 1:4-6.
The seven spirits of God, 1:1-4.
The titles of Jesus, 1:4-6.
What Jesus did for men, 1:4-6.
Christs' second coming, 1:7.
What Christ really is, 1:8.
Here John is in the kingdom or the church, 1:9.
John is in the spirit on the Lord's day, 1:10-11.
The divine message, 1:12-13.
Pictures of the risen Christ, 1:14-28.
The churches of Christ and their angels, 1:20.

Chapter two: letters to the seven churches.

Worthy of mention is the fact that one or more of these seven letters will apply to all churches of the Lord today.

Smyrna was the only church of these four of whom the Lord did not have any negative thing to say about them.

The loveless church at Ephesus, 2:1-7.
The poor rich church at Smyrna, 2:8-11.
Satan's throne in the church at Pergamos, 2:12-17.
The church of Jezebel at Thyatira, 2:18-29.

Chapter three: letters to the seven churches continued.

Philadelphia was the only of these three of whom the Lord said nothing bad of them.
The church at Laodicea was the only one of the seven of whom the Lord had nothing good to say about.

Tombstone territory named for the church in Sardis, 3:1-6.
The church of the open door was at Philadelphia, 3:7-13.
The church that made Christ sick was Laodicea, 3:14-22.
Promise to the overcomers of the seven churches, 3:21.

Chapter four: the throne of God.

God in heaven receiving worship.

The throne of God, 4:1-6.
The song of praise, 4:7-8.
God, Christ, the creator, 4:9-11.

Chapter five: worthy is the lamb.

The opening of the seven - sealed book.
Christ only is worthy to open the book.

The scroll in the hand of God, 5:1.
God's book of destiny, 5:2-4.
The Lion of Judah and the root of David, 5:5.
The Lamb of God, 5:6.
Music in heaven, 5:7-14.
The prayers of the saints, 5:8.
The new song, 5:9.
The song of the living creatures and the elders, 5:9-10.
The song of the angels, 5:11-12.
The song of the whole creation, 5:13-14.

Chapter six: the execution of judgment.

The rider of the pale horse and the one who followed as a giant vacuum sweeper are personified as Death and Hell (Hades).
The murdered saints given white robes.
Saints tested by divine delays.

The opening of the seals, 6:1.
The four horses and their riders, 6:1-8.
The white horses of conquest, 6:1-2.
The blood-red horse of strife, 6:3-4.
The black horse of famines, 6:5-6.
The pale horse of pestilence and death, 6:7-8.
Souls of the martyrs, 6:9-11.
The shattered universe, 6:12-14.
The time of terror, 6:15-17.

Chapter seven: the militant and triumphant church.

God's protection of his chosen people.
The innumerable number of redeemed Gentiles.

Rescue and reward, 7:1-3.
The winds of God, 7:1-3.
The number of the faithful, 7:4-8.
The glory of the martyrs, 7:9-10.
The praise of angels, 7:11-12.
Washing from sin, 7:13-14.
Service in glory, 7:15.
The bliss of the saved, 7:16-17.

Chapter eight: the power of God.

Prayers of the saints.
Opening of the seven seals.

The angels with trumpets, silence and thunder, 8:1-6.
Letting loose the elments, 8:7-12.
Flying eagle, 8:13.

Chapter nine: impending judgments.

The key of the bottomless pit (abyss).

Unlocking the abyss, 9:1-2.
The locust, 9:3-12.
The horseman of vengance, 9:13-21.

Chapter ten: down but not out.

Announcement of the mighty angel.
Little book. Sweet as honey to the mouth = stomach becomes bitter.

Do not utter what is in the book, 10:1-4.
The end, 10:5-7.
The messenger of God, 10:8-11.

Chapter eleven: the measuring rod given.

Measuring the temple.
The two witnesses.

Measure the temple, altar and those who worship, 11:1-2.
The two witnesses, 11:3-6.
Dead bodies bodies brought to life, 11:7-13.
Forcast of things to come, 11:14-19.

Chapters twelve: The radiant woman.

Birth of the male child.
Satan tries to destroy the child.
War broke out in heaven.
Satan cast out of heaven into the earth.

The pregnant woman, 12:1-2.
The hatred of the dragon, 12:3-4.
Snatching away the child, 12:5.
Flight into the desert, 12:6.
Satan the enemy, 12:7-9.
Song of the martyrs, 12:10-12.
The attack of the dragon, 12:13-17.

Chapter thirteen: The evil trinity.

Spiritual weapons.
#666; the number six is equal to our thirteen. That is, triple times bad.

The devil and the beast, 13:1-5.
Insult to God, 13:6-9.
The faith of the saints, 13:10.
The second beast; mark of the beast; number of the beast, 13:11-18.

Chapter fourteen: Judgment is coming.

Conflict between the Lamb and his enemies.
144,0000
12,000 in each tribe.
12 tribes.
Ancient Old Testament worship of God.
Opening up of world wide mission.
Everlasting gospel.

The Father's own, 14:1.
The song only God's people can learn, 14:2-3.
The virgins; follow the Lamb; redeemed, 14:4-5.
The worship to God, 14:6-7.
The fall of Babylon, 14:8.
Doom of those who deny Christ, 14:9-12.
Rest for the Christians, 14:13.
Harvest of Judgment, 14:14-24.

Chapter fifteen: The wrath of God.

Early victors.
The seven angels.
Golden bowls.

Victors of Christ, 15:1-2.
The song, 15:3-4.
Avenging angels, 15:5-7.
The glory of God, 15:8.

Chapter sixteen: The battle of Armageddon.

The bowls of wrath.

The wrath of God, 16:1-11.
Forces from the east, 16:12.
Unclean spirits; false prophets; Armageddon, 16:13-16.
War, 16:17-21.

Chapter seventeen: the fall of the great harlot.

Doom of Babylon the great harlot.
The Lamb overcomes.

Woman on the beast; city of prostitution; the fall of Rome, 17:1-3.
The great whore, 17:4-5.
Drunken with the blood of saints, 17:6.
Names not in the book of life, 17:7-11.
Purpose of the world and of God, 17:12-18.

Chapter eighteen: utter destruction of the great harlot.

Doom of Babylon the great harlot continued.

Doom of Rome, 18:1-3.
Come out of Rome, 18:4-5.
Doom of pride, 18:6-8.
Rome's judgment, 18:9-24.

Chapter nineteen: God in control.

The victory.
Marriage of the Lamb.
Christ the bridegroom.
Christ overcome enemy by the sword of the Holy Spirit.

Praising God, 19:1-10.
The conquering Christ, 19:11.
God's word in action, 19:12-13.
God's wrath, 19:14-16.
Doom of ememies, 19:17-21.

Chapter twenty: the binding of Satan.

Satan loosed.
The blessed saints of God.
First resurrection.
Doom of Satan, the beast and the false prophet.
The ultimate end of Satan. Death and Hell (Hades) cast into the lake of fire the second death.
The final judgment.

The thousand year reign, 20:1-3.
Judgment, 20:4-5.
Witnesses of Christ, 20:6.
Final struggle, 20:7-10.
Final judgment, 20:11-15.

Chapter twenty one: all things new.

The new heaven and new earth.
Lamb's wife, the church of Christ who wears his name.
New Jerusalem coming down from heaven..
Sure foundation.
Spiritual temple.
Who's who in hell.

New Jerusalem, 21:1-2.
Fellowship with God, 21:3-4.
All things new, 21:5-6.
Glory and shame, 21:7-8.
The city of God, 21:9-27.

Chapter twenty two: paradise restored.

Tree of life.
River of life.
Removal of the curse.
Twelve fruits.
Leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations.
No night = no moon.
No day = no sun.
Lord God is its light.
Last promise from Christ.
Last invitation. The church of our dear Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit say come.
Last warning.
There is more.

River and tree of life, 22:1-2.
Final words, 22:6-9.
Time is near and past, 22:10-11.
Claims of Christ, 22:12-13.
Accepted and rejected, 22:14-15.
Jesus the bright and Morning Star, 22:16.
Great invitation, 22:17.
Do not add nor subtract from the words written in this book, 22:18-19.
The last words, 22:20-21.

There are seven blessings in Revelation:

Blessed is he that reads this prophecy. 1:3
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. 14:13
Blessed is he that watches (for the Lord is coming). 16:15
Blessed are those bidden to the Lamb's marriage supper. 19:9
Blessed is he that has part in the first resurrection. 20:6
Blessed is he that keeps the words of this book. 22:7
Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb. 22:14

This synopsis was prepared by:


Dr. John Stacy
Wendell Tenison
Vernon Gruver

© 2009 by Vernon Gruver

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