Creating an outline for a book of the Bible should come after one has studied the book, which is what I have done here. However, it has become commonplace in many Bible colleges, seminaries, and churches to begin the study of a biblical book by looking at an outline of the book’s contents. Outlines are beneficial in that they give the reader a decent sense of the contents and flow of the book. After many years of studying the book of Revelation, here is my outline of Revelation. This outline is from a Historic Premillennialist approach (click here for a summary of this approach). I hope my outline helps you better understand the book of Revelation.
I. Greetings (1:1–8)
A. The letter is a revelation and prophecy from Jesus (1:1–3)
B. Epistolary greeting (1:4–8)
II. John’s Commission to Write (1:9–20)
A. Commission for John to write what he sees and send it to the seven
churches (1:9–11)
B. John’s vision of Jesus (1:12–20)
III. Jesus’ Messages to the Seven Churches: Remain Faithful to Jesus
(2:1–3:22)
A. Ephesus. Challenges to faithfulness: persecution, false teaching,
lack of love for Jesus (2:1–7)
B. Smyrna. Challenges to faithfulness: persecution, poverty,
Satan (2:8–11)
C. Pergamum. Challenges to faithfulness: persecution, false teaching,
idolatry (2:12–17)
D. Thyatira. Challenges to faithfulness: false teaching, idolatry
(2:18–29)
E. Sardis. Challenges to faithfulness: apathy and abandoning the
Christian faith (3:1–6)
F. Philadelphia. Challenges to faithfulness: persecution from Jews
(3:7–13)
G. Laodicea. Challenges to faithfulness: going to Babylon the
Prostitute to obtain wealth (3:14–22)
IV. Vision of the Father on His Heavenly Throne Who Has Authority over All
Things (4:1–11)
V. Vision of the Worthiness of Jesus, the Lion-Lamb, to Open the Scroll
(5:1–14)
VI. Opening the Scroll that begins the Lamb’s Wrath on the Wicked (6:1–16)
A. Seals 1–4: war, strife, famine, death through sword, famine,
pestilence, and wild animals (opened at the ascension of Jesus and
continues until his return; 6:1–8)
B. Seal 5: those slain on account of the word of God cry to God for
vengeance (reveals the cry of God’s slain between ascension and
return of Jesus; 6:9–11)
C. Seal 6: preview of trumpet and bowl judgments (6:12–17)
VII. Interlude #1: The Protection and Security of God’s People from God’s
Wrath (7:1–17)
A. God places his seal on his people so that they are not harmed by his
wrath (7:1–8)
B. Vision of God’s people after God’s wrath is poured out and Jesus’
return, showing the eternal security that §VII.A promised (7:9–17)
VIII. Opening the Seventh Seal (8:1–5)
A. Seventh seal leads to trumpet plagues, showing trumpets are part of
the Lamb’s wrath (8:1–2)
B. Trumpet plagues and return of Jesus are a result of the saints’ cry
for vengeance first seen in Rev 6:10 (8:3–4)
C. Seventh seal previews the return of Jesus (8:5)
IX. Blowing of the Trumpets that Continues the Lamb’s Wrath on the Wicked
(8:6–9:21)
A. Trumpet plagues 1–6 poured out on the wicked just prior to Jesus’
return (8:6–9:19)
B. The wicked refuse to repent of their works: idolatry, murder,
sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft (9:20–21).
X. Interlude #2: Ministry and Destiny of the Church until Jesus’ Return
(10:1–11:13)
A. Mandate upon John to prophesy and confirmation of John as prophet
(10:1–11)
B. Destiny of the Church between Jesus’ ascension and return, the 3.5
years (11:1–13)
1. Eternal security of saints from Satan & Sea Beast after
death (11:1)
2. Persecution of saints on earth between Jesus’ ascension and
return, the 3.5 years (11:2)
3. The church will testify to the world about Jesus between
Jesus’ ascension and return, the 3.5 years (11:3–6)
4. After the 3.5 years, the Beast will kill the church
(11:7–10)
5. Preview of Jesus’ return, which coincides with the
resurrection & rapture of saints and destruction of “the
great city,” which is Babylon (11:11–13)
XI. Blowing of Seventh Trumpet (Part 1): Preview of Jesus’ Return (11:14–19)
XII. Interlude #3: Revealing of the Unholy Trinity (666) Who Operates between
Jesus’ Ascension and Return, the 3.5 years (12:1–14:20)
A. The ascension of Jesus to the throne of God resulted in the casting
out of Satan from the presence of God and Satan’s war on the saints
(12:1–17)
B. Satan raises up his messiah, who is an angelic being depicted as a
sea beast, to deceive the entire world to worship him (the sea
beast) and to wage war against the saints from the ascension of
Jesus to the return of Jesus (13:1–10)
C. Satan raises up another beast (the land beast) who is an angelic
being and goes throughout the world deceiving the world to worship
the sea beast in imitation of the Holy Spirit (13:11–18)
D. Preview of Jesus’ Return (14:1–20)
1. The security of the saints. In contrast to the followers of
the Beast who have the mark of the Beast, the followers of
the Lamb have the Lamb’s seal (14:1–5)
2. Warnings to the Beast Followers (14:6–11)
a. Fear God because his judgments have come (14:6–7)
b. Babylon will fall (14:8)
c. The Beast worshippers will be tormented forever in
the Lake of Fire (14:9–11)
3. Encouragements to the Lamb Followers (14:12–13)
a. Persevere (14:12)
b. Your works follow you into death (14:13)
4. Preview of the Return of Jesus (14:14–20)
a. Jesus will “reap” (gather) his followers (14:14–16)
b. Jesus will destroy his enemies (14:17–20)
XIII. Blowing of Seventh Trumpet (Part 2): The Seven Trumpet Plagues Lead to
the Bowl Plagues, Showing that the Bowls are Part of the Lamb’s Wrath
(15:1–8)
XIV. Pouring out of the Bowl Plagues that Continues the Lamb’s Wrath on the
Wicked (16:1–21)
A. Bowl plagues 1–5 poured out on the wicked just prior to Jesus’
return (16:1–11)
B. Sixth bowl prepares the way for the Beast and the armies of the
world to battle against Jesus at his return (16:12–16)
C. Seventh bowl previews Jesus’ return and the destruction of Babylon
(16:17–21)
XV. The Destruction of Babylon the Prostitute, which is the Beast’s City
(17:1–19:5)
A. Identity of Babylon: she is the city of the Beast that exists in the
heavenly realm and is the one that gives rise to all prostitute
cities in the earthly realm (17:1–18)
B. The destruction of Babylon recounted that happens at Jesus’ return
(18:1–19:5)
XVI. Preview of Eternal Union between Jesus and his People in the New
Jerusalem (19:6–10)
XVII. The Return of Jesus and His Destroying of the Beast, the False Prophet,
and their Armies (19:11–21)
XVIII. The Millennial Reign of Christ with all his Saints after Jesus’ Return
(20:1–10)
A. Satan is bound so that he cannot deceive those who survived the war
(20:1–3)
B. All the saints rise and reign with Jesus over those who survived the
war (20:4–6)
C. Satan is released to deceive the nations again (those who survived
the war) and is defeated and cast into the Lake of Fire (20:7–10)
XIX. Judgment of the Wicked (20:11–15)
XX. Appearance of the New Jerusalem and the Eternal Dwelling of God with His
People (21:1–22:5)
A. Appearance of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth, and God
dwelling with his people forever (21:1–8).
B. Description of the New Jerusalem (21:9–22:5)
1. The New Jerusalem houses all the people of God (21:9–21)
2. The Father and Son dwell in the New Jerusalem and are its
temple, indicating its purity and holiness (21:22–27)
3. God’s people will see God’s face and serve him forever
(22:1–5)
XXI. Concluding Exhortations (22:6–21)
A. The words of this prophecy (i.e., Revelation) are true and reliable
(22:6–9)
B. Prepare now and ensure that you will enter the New Jerusalem by
being faithful to Jesus (22:10–21)