The Summary of the Book of Revelation
The literary genres of the book of Revelation are an Apocalypse, a Prophecy, and an Epistle (or Letter). The Disciple/Apostle John,who followed Jesus Christ and witnessed His crucifixion, authored it.
John wrote Revelation while a prisoner on the Island of Patmos, approximately 85-95 A.D. Its purpose is to give encouragement and hope for all Christians to continue watching for the return and triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It also is to warn of the Final Judgment that nonbelievers will endure on that Last Day.
John wrote that Revelation is special because,
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (1:3).
Chapters 1-3 – John describes the details of the setting as he received this revelation (unveiling of truth). John was elderly and imprisoned on the Island of Patmos when he received an apocalyptic vision from an angel.
With this vision he was instructed to write to seven churches about what he had seen.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter (1:19).
This is the pattern that is followed by John. He describes of the seven churches their qualities and/or their weaknesses and failings (such as Sardis and Laodicea).
Chapters 4-20 – John depicts what he sees in his vision about the Spiritual Realm. He describes Jesus Christ as the “Slain Lamb” who is the only one able to open the book with 7 seals.
Aside from the 5th seal, each will bring a judgment upon the populace of the Earth. The 7th seal introduces 7 angels who each possess 7 trumpets, another series of daunting judgments.
Incredibly, after the 6th trumpet in which 1/3 of the Earth’s population is killed, John claims,
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not
worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk (9:20).
After this, John receives visions of which include the antichrist and Satan who is aware of his looming end.
Next, John describes 7 more angles that will each carry 7 bowls of plagues to be poured onto the Earth.
Again, amazingly, while hail is raining from heaven during the 7th plague, humankind does not repent but instead,
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of
the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great (16:21).
These fierce plagues demonstrate the wrath of God’s holy judgment upon the still wicked Earth.
John describes the eternality of Hell, the final resting place of the unbelieving.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (19:20).
We also see that,
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (20:10).
Chapters 21-22 – John writes the last of the cannon of Scripture. Here he describes the New Heaven and the New Earth. In it is the holy city of the New Jerusalem.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea (21:1).
There will no longer be any crying or tears, pain, mourning, or death because,
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (21:4).
Only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life can enter this place to live eternally with Jesus Christ who sits on His throne.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (22:17).
And Jesus promises that,
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
last.
Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right
to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie (22:12-15).