COMPARISONS IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION The Book of the Revelation is compiled around a system of SEVENS Seven lampstands Revelation 1 Seven stars Revelation 1 Seven angels Revelation 1 Seven Spirits Revelation 1 Seven letters to Seven Churches Revelation 2-3 Seven seals Revelation 6-8 Seven trumpets Revelation 8-11 Seven bowls (vials; cups) Revelation 15-16 Seven blazing torches Revelation 4 A Lamb with Seven Horns and Seven Eyes Revelation 5 Seven thunders Revelation 10 Seven thousand killed Revelation 11 A red dragon with Seven horns and Seven crowns Revelation 12 A leopard-like beast with Seven heads Revelation 13 Seven angels (another group) Revelation 15 A scarlet colored beast with Seven heads Revelation 17 Seven mountains Revelation 17 Seven kings Revelation 17 Seven Blessed s in the Book of the Revelation Revelation 1:3 Revelation 14:13 Revelation 16:15 Revelation 19:9 Revelation 20:6 Revelation 22:7 Revelation 22:14 Blessed is he who reads Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord Blessed is he who watches Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book Blessed are those who do His commandments Fifty-SEVEN times the word seven is used in the Book of the Revelation. The holy Scriptures begin with the seven days of a new beginning, then concludes with a book wrapped in sevens concerning the ultimate destiny of Earth s end. In the number seven we find totality, completeness, fulness; i.e. seven days of the week, seven distinct dispensations, seven colors in the rainbow, seven notes in music. 1
Significance of other numbers: 3 Numerical signature of Yehovah: The Tri-unity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 4 Numerical signature of nature: The compass: North, South, East, West Four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter; Elements: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire 7 3 plus 4: Numerical signature of totality, completeness, fullness 12 3 times 4: Numerical signature of Yehovah s people 10 Numerical signature of worldly power The Book of the Revelation is divided into three sections according to Revelation 1:19: Rev 1:19 19 Write the things :which you have seen, :and the things which are, :and the things which will take place after this. Which You Have Seen: The Vision of Yeshua Revelation 1:11-18 Before the Throne in Heaven with 1) the seven Spirits of Yehovah and also 2) with the One Who Is, Who Was, and Who IS to come States He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last Standing in the middle of the seven golden lampstands Holding the seven angels (stars) of the Churches in His right hand His hair as white as snow, His eyes like a flame of fire His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace Girded as a judge His countenance was like the sun shining His voice as of a trumpet and as the voice of many waters Out of His mouth proceeds a sharp two-edged sword He is holding the keys of Hades and of Death Character of Yeshua within the Churches Revelation 2 and 3 Ephesus He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands Smyrna These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life Pergamum These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword Thyatira These things says the Son of Yehovah, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass Sardis These things says He who has the seven Spirits of Yah and the seven stars Philadelphia These things says He who is holy, He who is true Laodicea These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of Yehovah 2
And the Things Which Are: THE CHURCH AGE and COMPARISONS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES Scripture Reference Rev. 2:1-7 Rev. 2:8-11 Rev. 2:12-17 Rev. 2:18-29 Rev. 3:1-6 Rev. 3:7-13 Rev. 3:14-22 Church Period Ephesus Smyrna Pergamum Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea Type of Church Apostolic Persecuted Ritualistic Pagan Dead Favored Lukewarm Years 33-100 100-312 312-606 606-1520 1520-1750 1750-1900 1900-rapture Commends I know your: works; labor; patience; hate the deeds of the Nicolaitians works; tribulation; poverty works; holding fast to His name and to faith works; love; service; faith; patience works; a few who had not defiled their garments works; little strength; kept His Word and did not deny His name; persevered NOTHING Condemns: left first love those who say they are Jews, but are not where you dwell; false doctrines of Balaam and Balk; doctrine of Nicolaitians teaching of Jezebel the depths Satan; compromise dead; works not completed and perfected before Yehovah NOTHING lukewarm; wretched; miserable; poor; blind; and naked Counsels: remember; repent; and do first works fear not; and be faithful repent hold fast what you have watch; strengthen; remember; hold fast; repent hold fast what you have buy refined gold and white raiment; anoint eyes; be zealous and repent Overcomers will eat of the tree of life crown of life; not be hurt by second death hidden manna; and a white stone with new name on it millennial leadership; and the Morning Star white raiment; name found in Book of Life; named confessed in Heaven will become a pillar; name of Yehovah, name of Yah s City, and the Son s name inscribed on him will sit with Yeshua on His throne Clearly this prophetic Book of the Revelation is given to the Church, the Called Out Ones, the Ekklesia. For after each letter to each Church, it concludes the same way: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev 2:7 Rev 3:6 Rev 2:11 Rev 3:13 Rev 2:17 Rev 3:22 Rev 2:29 Then in the very last chapter of the Book of the Revelation, we will read, concerning the entire book: Rev 22:16 16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." 3
And The Things Which Will Take Place After This: Revelation 4-22 1 4
Alignment of Daniel s Vision with John s Vision of Revelation 13 John saw the interpretation of Daniel s vision in reverse order. Daniel saw the empires that were to come from his day forward; and, John saw the empires which had been; and the one that still existed in his day. Yet, both men viewed forward to the final and last empire that is yet to come out of the Roman Empire which was represented to both men as a ghastly beast. Let us, once again, visually compare: DANIEL, who was lived during the Babylonian and beginning of the Medo-Persian Empires: Saw the four beasts in this order First Beast - Lion BABYLONIAN Second Beast - Bear MEDO-PERSIAN Third Beast - Leopard GREEK Fourth Beast - Dreadful and Terrible ROMAN (coming out of) JOHN, who was living during the Roman Empire: Saw the beast in this order (coming out of) ROMAN Beast - Beast with 10 horns GREEK Leopard - Body of Leopard MEDO-PERSIAN Bear - Feet Like a Bear BABYLON Lion - Mouth like a Lion Of John s beast, he saw it as one creature; because as each empire came into existence of power over the preceding one, that empire would assimilate itself into the population, integrating its own standards within three areas: politically economically and in their religious practices and standards Though the population would, through time, conform to the prevailing standards brought in by a new governing empire, the influence of the preceding empire remained within. So by the time John was viewing the beast, with the four attributes of Daniel s individual beasts, what was present in John s beast was the culmination of all four empires and their influence upon mankind. 2 5
The Endnote that follows is needed with an explanation. I have no problem accrediting those whose work I use. But when I put together, as I did on the preceding pages, the complete work actually becomes a hodgepodge from a little here and a little there this idea mixed with that idea. It literally becomes a unified work effort of Believers coming together to make a complete and finished presentation. Endnotes: 1. The Book of Revelation; Clarence Larkin; Copyright 1919, Erwin W. Moyer Company; various informative facts Chapter 1 Tim LaHaye; Revelation Unveiled; Chart idea came from page 24 Halley s Bible Handbook; Twenty-Fourth Edition, Copyright 1965 by Halley s Bible Handbook, Inc.; various informative facts from pages 683-708 2.Alignment of Daniel s Vision with John s Vision of Revelation 13, Part 1; page 4 6