An easy summary of Revelation:

1. Letters to the Seven Churches

Do not compromise. Stay the course. Many will be led astray by the philosophy and cares of the world. They will do and think the thoughts of Satan.

2. Seven Seals

War, Economic Hardships, death and disease, martyrdom, then the end will come.

3. Seven Trumpets:

Decay of the planet. The earth, land, and sea are headed toward demise. The noticeable increase in earthquakes, floods and famines will not produce repentance in the masses.

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope"

Romans 8:20 (NIV)

4. The Woman and the Dragon

Satan will pursue the people of God in hopes of destroying them or convincing them to rebel against God.

5. The Beasts of the Sea and Earth:

Satan will empower anti-God governments and anti-Christ religions to move people away from Godly things and the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.

6. Seven Bowls of Wrath.

A repeat of the plagues of Egypt as a sign that God will give His people the ultimate deliverance.

At the end of each of these visions is the Second Coming of Christ:

The Seventh Seal

"I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."

Revelation 6:12-14 (NIV)

The Seventh Trumpet

"The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

'The kingdom of the world has become

the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,

and he will reign for ever and ever.'

And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

'We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,

the One who is and who was,

because you have taken your great power

and have begun to reign.

The nations were angry,

and your wrath has come.

The time has come for judging the dead,

and for rewarding your servants the prophets

and your people who revere your name,

both great and small—

and for destroying those who destroy the earth.'

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm."

Revelation 11:15-19 (NIV)

The Woman and the Dragon and the Dragon’s Beasts of the Sea

"I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, 'Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, 'Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.' The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia."

Revelation 14:14-20 (NIV)

Seven Bowls of Wrath

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'It is done!' Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found."

Revelation 16:16-20 (NIV)

What is shocking about Revelation 20?

We are shocked to discover the power we held in our hands all along!

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while."

Revelation 20:1-3a (NKJV)

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house."

Matthew 12:28-29 (NKJV)

"so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished"

Revelation 20:3b (NKJV)

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

James 5:16b (NIV)

"Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'"

Luke 10:17-20 (NKJV)

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,

And every tongue which rises against you in judgment

You shall condemn.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,

And their righteousness is from Me,'

Says the Lord."

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Revelation 20:4 (NKJV)

• Phylacteries: The Mark on hands (wrists) and forehead.

• Mark of the Beast: Doing the works and thinking the thoughts of the Dragon.

"Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Romans 6:4 (NKJV)

"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him,"

Colossians 2:13 (NKJV)

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"

Ephesians 2:4-6 (NIV)

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Matthew 16:18-19 (NIV)

The first resurrection is our new life in Christ.

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

John 5:24 (NIV)

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"

Ephesians 2:4-6 (NIV)

"Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."

Revelation 20:4b-5 (NKJV)

The Bible warns of this false sense of security: You may read your Bible and go to church but you are spiritually dead!

A tell-tale sign? Generosity and sacrifice are not the overarching values of your life.

"Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

Revelation 20:6 (NKJV)

This is not referring to the heavenly realm - this is “here” and “now.”

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

"And they sang a new song, saying:

'You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased for God

persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

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)

"Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear."

Philippians 1:12-14 (NIV)

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle."

Revelation 20:7-8a (NIV)

"The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 'Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.' Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."

Revelation 16:12-16 (NIV)

“Armageddon” is a transliteration of Har-Megadone, which means: the Mountain of Megiddo.

Problem: There is no Mountain of Megiddo

The valley of Megiddo and it is a choke point as you are traveling north/south through the land of Israel on the Mediterranean side and is the site of many battles between the people of God and those who wish to destroy them.

The battle concerns the imagery of Gog and Magog:

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle."

Revelation 20:7-8a (NIV)

Gog and Magog, Ezekiel 38-39, is the worst assault against God’s people in Old Testament History.

"Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army."

Revelation 19:19 (NIV)

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” 

Revelation 19: 13-15a (NIV)

"In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Revelation 20:8b-10 (NIV)

"I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”"

Revelation 6:12-14, 16-17 (NIV)

"The seventh angel sounded his trumpet….

The nations were angry,

and your wrath has come.

The time has come for judging the dead,

and for rewarding your servants the prophets

and your people who revere your name,

both great and small—

and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm."

Revelation 11:15, 18-19 (NIV)

"The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake."

Revelation 16:17-18 (NIV)

"The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people."

Revelation 16:19-21a (NIV)

Here is the shocking truth of Revelation: Today is the day of grace.

No matter what you have done, what’s been done to you, or how broken you are, or if you are responsible for the brokenness of someone else, today is the day of grace.

But judgment is coming. There is no middle ground; there are no unmarked people!

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."

Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)

One day, God puts his hand up and says, “This far no further!”

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:  King of Kings and Lord of Lords." 

Revelation 19:11-16

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 13:40-42 (NIV)

There are two kinds of books.

The book of merit: “And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in their books."

The book of life.

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