Many find Revelation extremely hard to understand because they are confused with all the symbolism, overlaps, inserts, and descriptions. Some have decided it is just prophecy of future events, not really important for salvation, so they have pushed it aside in their studies. Since it is a revelation from Yeshua the Christ, given to His church, I think every follower of Christ would want to know what His message is. To begin this study it is important to know that after the personal messages to the seven churches of Asia the actual prophecy begins in chapter six with the seven seals. As we look at these seven seals we find that they are an overview of the age in which we live at present, and starts during the early church period, at the apostles time and ends at the end of the chapter with "For the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" The seven seals have within them:

These events are listed inside the covers of different events, ie the first of seven trumpets does not appear except in the seventh seal, the first woe is found in the fifth trumpet, the second woe is found in the sixth trumpet and the last or third woe is found in the last, seventh trumpet.

Seal: To summarize:

These six seals are an outline of events leading up to the last and seventh seal which ushers in the day of Yahweh’s wrath. We will later find inserts that fill in many details of what happens during these six seals, and later into the third woe within the seventh seal, during the great day of the Lord (his wrath).

Rev. 7:1-9 explains the sealing and naming of the twelve tribes of Israel, 12,000 to a tribe. In Rev. 7:9-17 John sees another group which "came out of great tribulation" and was cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

In Rev. 8:1-6 we reach seal number seven where we find the introduction of the seven trumpets.

Rev. 8:7-13 explains events taking place at the beginning of and during the first four trumpets.

Rev. 9:1-11 introduces the first of the three woes. The first woe is found in the fifth trumpet.

Rev. 9:12-21 to Rev. 11:13. The second woe is a much longer woe. It is found in the sixth trumpet.

Rev. 11:14 introduces the third woe, much longer still, which is in the seventh and last trumpet. This woe extends to the end of the last trumpet, which includes the seven plagues of Yahweh’s wrath which are listed in Rev. 16:1-21 and climaxes in Rev. 19:11-21.

These scriptures take us through the seven seals, the overview outline of the events taking place in our age up to and through the wrath of Yahweh.

In order to follow this story flow the reader must read all the scriptures as given.

Next we go to the inserts that fill in many details of what is taking place in the world during this time span.

In the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11) we see a large number of Yahweh’s servants and their brethren who had been killed, who were told they had to wait to be avenged until others, like themselves, would also be martyred.

In the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17) there’s a great earthquake, the sun turns black and the moon turns red. The stars of heaven fall to the earth in great amounts. The heavens roll back and every mountain and island moves. Kings of the earth and great men hide in dens and caves wanting to die from fear. During this same seal (6th)--(Rev. 7) the tribes of Israel are sealed and a great multitude is saved during the great tribulation, which shows us there is great tribulation and martyrdom in the fifth and sixth seals.

During the seventh and last seal (Rev. 8) horrible and terrifying calamities attack one third of the earth and the elements of the heavens.

In this same seal (Rev. 9) men are tormented with something like poisonous insects, but could it be germ warfare, atomic bombs, etc.? A world war breaks out with two hundred million soldiers fighting, killing one third of mankind.

In the same seal (Rev. 10) John hears things in heaven he is not allowed to write about. He is told soon time (this age) will be no longer. And he would prophesy again before many nations.

In this same 7th seal (Rev. 11) the court of the temple of Yahweh will be overrun by Gentiles for the three and a half years that the two witnesses preach to the world. They are killed and resurrected to life. A great earthquake follows, causing one tenth of the city to fall and seven thousand people die as a result.

In Rev. 12 we have an insert, a thumbnail history of the nation of Israel and Yeshua’s life and death. We see Satan, the accuser of the saints, cast to the earth, and his persecution of Israel and to those who keep the commandments of Yahweh, who have the testimony of Christ.

In Rev. 13:1-9 we find another insert describing Satan’s world-ruling political power, referred to as "the Beast" who is given power over the whole world to murder the saints and any who will not worship as he decrees.

Then the Beast’s cohort, Satan’s religious system, (Rev. 13:11-18) lead by a "man of sin" begins to perform magical feats, by the power of Satan, that deceives people into thinking he is Yahweh. He then forces, as many as are fooled, into taking the mark of the Beast. Those who refuse to be seduced will be executed.

John, in vision sees (Rev. 14:1-5) another group, 144,000 spiritual virgins, who were "redeemed" from among men, "being the first fruits unto Yahweh and to the Lamb". Then John sees three angels (messengers?) preaching a warning message to every nation on earth NOT to take the mark of the Beast All the while the angels are predicting the fall of Babylon (false religion) and proclaiming any who take the mark will find themselves in the middle of the wrath of Yahweh (the seven last plagues). This all is taking place BEFORE the seven last plagues of Yahweh’s wrath, but within the last trumpet.

An appeal and encouragement is given to the saints to be patient and they are promised that their deaths will be a great blessing (Rev. 14:12-14).

The two harvests of the earth (Rev. 14:14-20) are symbolic of the martyred saints in the first harvest and the wicked in the second harvest. Christ will claim the first for his own, and the other group will be cast into the winepress of the wrath of Yahweh (the seven last plagues) of which chapter fifteen introduces.

We now enter into the very last stages of the end of this age. Christ has claimed his own, those who are martyred by the wicked, and in Rev. 16: he unleashes his seven stages of wrath upon the rest of wicked mankind. In verse 16 is the only mention of the "battle of Armageddon" that so many speculate about, fearing that it is right around the corner, when it actually does not occur until the very end of this age, the last of the seven plagues of Yahweh’s wrath. This battle is followed with the greatest earthquake that has ever happened with a storm, with a conservative estimate of sixty-five pound hailstones pounding the earth.

Rev. 17:1-11 is another descriptive insert of the union of the two super powers of the world, and how they are in confederation, ruling and deceiving the world. (Rev. 17:12-18 explains about ten existing countries who have not supported the Beast power, whom Yahweh uses to destroy Satan’s religious system. They hate this religious power, and join the Beast (for military strength?) so they can proceed to totally destroy the powerfully wealthy religious city.

In Rev. 18 we see how the destruction of this powerful commercial city affects the nations that have become wealthy trading and doing business with her. Verse 23-24 shows how she became wealthy.

Rev. 19 describes how the armies of the Beast and the ten nations go against the Word of Yahweh (Yeshua) in hopes of defeating him. But he comes as a warrior, followed by a great angelic army, crying out to the fowls of the air, "come, gather together unto the supper of the great Yahweh, eat the flesh of all men!" The Beast, the False Prophet, and those who worshipped and received the mark of the Beast were defeated and cast into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. The rest were slain and their flesh fed to the fowls of the air.

This is the sad ending of our age which ends with chapter 19. But we read in Rev. 20:4 and 6, "And I saw thrones and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and I saw souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yeshua, and for the word of God which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death has no power but they shall be priests of Yahweh and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.