New Testament
Revelation
22 chapters
Start reading: Revelation 1About this book
Revelation is a vision given to John on the island of Patmos, written as a letter, a prophecy and an apocalypse, a style full of symbols that its first readers would have recognized. It opens with Christ speaking to seven churches, praising, correcting and promising. John is then taken into heaven, where God is worshiped on the throne and the Lamb who was slain is found worthy to open the scroll. Seals, trumpets and bowls follow, along with visions of conflict between God's people and the powers that oppose him, including the dragon, the beast and Babylon. The book ends with Christ's victory, the defeat of evil, a new heaven and earth, and God dwelling with his people. Christians read its images in different ways, some focusing on the first century, some on history and some on the end, but nearly all agree on its central message: the Lamb wins, so his followers can endure and worship faithfully.
- Author
- John, who was exiled on Patmos; traditionally identified with the apostle John, though some scholars propose another John.
- Date
- Most scholars place it in the 90s AD under Domitian; a minority argue for the late 60s.
- Audience
- Seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, facing pressure, compromise and persecution.
Themes
The Lamb who is worthyFaithful endurance under pressureGod's justice over evilWorship of the one on the throneNew creation and God with his people
Outline
- 1:1–3:22Christ and the seven churches
- 4:1–5:14The throne and the Lamb
- 6:1–11:19Seals and trumpets
- 12:1–14:20The dragon, the beast and the Lamb's people
- 15:1–19:21The bowls, Babylon's fall and Christ's return
- 20:1–20:15The thousand years and final judgment
- 21:1–22:21New heaven, new earth and the invitation
Key verses
Chapters of Revelation
- 1Revelation 1John identifies his book as a revelation of Jesus Christ, given to show his servants what must soon take place, and blesses those who read and heed it.
- 2Revelation 2Christ addresses four of the seven churches, each time saying he knows their works.
- 3Revelation 3Christ speaks to the last three churches.
- 4Revelation 4John is invited through an open door in heaven and sees a throne with one seated on it, glowing like jasper and carnelian, encircled by a rainbow like an emerald.
- 5Revelation 5In the right hand of the one on the throne is a scroll sealed with seven seals, and no one in heaven or on earth is found worthy to open it, so John weeps.
- 6Revelation 6The Lamb opens the first six seals of the scroll.
- 7Revelation 7Before the winds of judgment are released, four angels hold them back while another angel seals the servants of God on their foreheads: one hundred forty-four thousand from the tribes of Israel, twelve thousand from each.
- 8Revelation 8When the Lamb opens the seventh seal there is silence in heaven for about half an hour.
- 9Revelation 9The fifth trumpet opens the abyss and releases smoke and locust-like creatures, led by a king called Abaddon or Apollyon, who torment people who lack God's seal for five months, though they cannot kill them.
- 10Revelation 10John sees a mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over his head and a face like the sun, holding a small open scroll.
- 11Revelation 11John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple and told to leave out the outer court, which is given to the nations for forty-two months.
- 12Revelation 12John sees a great sign in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars, about to give birth, while a huge red dragon with seven heads waits to devour her child.
- 13Revelation 13John sees a beast rise from the sea with ten horns and seven heads, receiving power and authority from the dragon.
- 14Revelation 14John sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with 144,000 who bear the Father's name on their foreheads and sing a new song that only they can learn, described as pure and following the Lamb wherever he goes.
- 15Revelation 15John sees another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels holding the seven last plagues, which complete God's wrath.
- 16Revelation 16A loud voice tells the seven angels to pour out the bowls of God's wrath on the earth.
- 17Revelation 17An angel shows John the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed adultery.
- 18Revelation 18Another angel with great authority lights up the earth and announces that Babylon the Great has fallen, having become a home for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit because all nations drank her immoral wine.
- 19Revelation 19A great multitude in heaven shouts hallelujah, praising God for true and just judgments on the great prostitute.
- 20Revelation 20An angel seizes the dragon, binds him for a thousand years and locks him in the abyss so he cannot deceive the nations.
- 21Revelation 21John sees a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth have passed away and there is no more sea.
- 22Revelation 22The angel shows John the river of the water of life, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the city, with the tree of life on each side bearing fruit each month and leaves for the healing of the nations.