A basic outline of the Apocalypse

[EugeneS]

The historicist scholar George Eldon Ladd says that the three cycles of judgment—seven seals, seven trumpets and seven last plagues—is the greatest mystery in the book of Revelation.

Scripture says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Proverbs 25:2.

If you read the book of Revelation straight through, you should notice two seemingly mysterious things:

(1) The world keeps coming to an end.
(2) As time progresses, the severity in each set of seven ‘final’ end-time judgments keeps escalating.

Here is a basic outline of the Apocalypse:

1. A Call To Overcome (Rev 1-3).
2. The Court Assembled (Rev 4-5).

3. The First Scenario (Rev 6).
4. The Second Scenario (Rev 7-11).
5. The Third Scenario (Rev 12-18).

6. The Court’s Final Judgment (Rev 19-20).
7. The Reward Of Those Who Overcome (Rev 21-22).

Here is my question. What do these three scenarios refer to?

Before I answer, let’s hastily display the literary structure of the vision of Amos 7:1-6, notice the “canceled conclusions” and mention, for emphasis, that Amos has three scenarios.

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, Forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen,” the Lord said.
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:

The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.

This is what He showed me: .... [a third scenario.]

The interpretation I am suggesting for the book of Revelation is this. The first scenario expresses the thought that an imminent return was possible for the Apostolic church. That conclusion was canceled and the prophetic drama shifts to a second scenario. The second scenario was the possible end of the world during the Millerite Movement in 1844. That possibility was also canceled as foretold in Scripture. We are now in the third and final scenario.

I propose that we debate the general outline of the book of Revelation and then move on to the multiple scenarios in the book of Daniel. Any questions?

 

[GraftMeIn]

I'm a little confused about the way you describe three different scenarios.

revelations 1:19 Write, therefor, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later.

this to me says that the things wrote about in revelations were
1- things that had already taken place
2- things that were taking place at that time
3- things that have not yet taken place

I guess I have always seen it as three different events, and not as scenarios. so i'm little confused about what you're talking about here.

 

[Auntie]

Originally posted by EugeneS

I propose that we debate the general outline of the book of Revelation and then move on to the multiple scenarios in the book of Daniel. Any questions?

This could take a while. (j/k)

Give us a little more info about the scenarios.

What Bible translation are you using?

 

[EugeneS]

GraftMeIn asked a terrific question. What am I talking about here?

1. A Call To Overcome (Rev 1-3).
2. The Court Assembled (Rev 4-5).

3. The First Scenario (Rev 6).
4. The Second Scenario (Rev 7-11).
5. The Third Scenario (Rev 12-18).

6. The Court’s Final Judgment (Rev 19-20).
7. The Reward Of Those Who Overcome (Rev 21-22).

Auntie_Belle_Um,

This is the basic outline of the book of Revelation no matter what translation you use. I study with the NASB. Here is a little more information about the scenarios.

Each scenario is a complete unit of prophecy, i.e., each scenario tells a story and reaches to an end of time.

The three scenarios emphasize one especially important feature: The gospel commission is fulfilled in each of them. The white horse of the first seal, the two ascending witnesses, and the three angels of Rev 14 all refer to the gospel being proclaimed with power and great glory just before the end of the world.

In each scenario, a percentage of the earth’s population is killed before the return of Christ: — In the first scenario: 1/4 of the earth are killed with "sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth" (6:8 ). — In the second scenario, a third of mankind is killed, by three plagues: fire, smoke & brimstone (9:17,18 ). — In the third scenario, the great river Euphrates, symbolizing all the wicked that support Babylon, is dried up (16:12 cf. 17:1,15).

There are remarkable parallels between the seven trumpet judgments and the seven last plagues.
There are remarkable parallels between the first scenario and the Olivette discourse.

Regarding the second and third scenario:

• Both scenarios refer to the cessation of Christ’s priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (8:5 /15:8 ).
• Both allude to the fact that none are lead to repent because His intercessory work is finished (9:20,21 /16:9,11).
• There are parallels in thunderings and lightning (more on that later).

My interpretation:

“Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). The longer God delays in pouring out His final judgments, the worse those judgments will be. That the second and third scenarios are so close in time naturally accounts for the similarity in the trumpets and vials. Their dissimilarity with the judgments that were to fall in the first century suggests that the end of the world was delayed far beyond that time.

The many links between the second and third scenario are all comprehended by the term “multiple scenarios.” If the world were scheduled to end in 1844 but for whatever reason God delayed the end for another 30, 60 or 160 years, wouldn’t you expect the final judgments to be similar?

Conclusion: The three scenarios are linked by their separation in time.

 

[TheBear]

This is a general heads-up, for preterists who continue posting in the Eschatology forum. Erwin has made it clear in this thread, that preterist views shall not be posted in the Eschatology forum.

If any preterists have any questions, please contact Erwin, Josephus or any of the staff.


Thank you,
John