Bible Study: Outline of Revelation - the "sevens"

     Not everyone can agree what all the symbols of Revelation mean. But all can see there is a great deal of structure to the entire book. Below is an outline of chapters 6-16. This is not the only way to view the structure of these chapters, but I hope it is a helpful way. If you want to better understand this wonderful book, then you must have some way of putting together the pieces in your own mind.

Each seventh opens the next set of seven

 

seal 1 – white horse

seal 2 – red horse

seal 3 – black horse

seal 4 – pale horse

seal 5 – souls under the altar

seal 6 – great earthquake

  * interlude – 144,000 & great multitude (7:1-17)

seal 7 – silence, then trumpets

       trumpet 1 – hail & fire mixed with blood

       trumpet 2 – mountain thrown into sea

       trumpet 3 – star Wormwood

       trumpet 4 – third of the sun, moon, stars struck

       trumpet 5 – plague of locusts

       trumpet 6 – release of four angels

         * interlude – angel with little scroll & two witnesses (10:1-11:14)

       trumpet 7 – judgements & rewards

             bowl 1 – ugly & painful sores

             bowl 2 – sea turns to blood

             bowl 3 – rivers & springs become blood

             bowl 4 – sun scorches people

             bowl 5 – darkness

             bowl 6 – Euphrates river dries up

             bowl 7 – earthquake

* A special thank you is in order to one of my teachers at Crowley's Ridge College for teaching me more about Revelation and helping me piece it together. Thank you Dr. Larry Owen!