1 Corinthians 13

⁹   For we ⁽²¹⁾ know in part and we prophesy in part;
¹⁰   but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
¹¹   When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
¹²   For now we ⁽²²⁾ see in a mirror dimly, but then ⁽²³⁾ face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also ⁽²⁴⁾ have been fully known.

When we are dealing with Prophecy we never really get the whole picture, but GOD does reveal some parts of it and in great detail in many different sections of the Bible. In my opinion GOD intentionally does this so that those who truly love him and his word will (have to) diligently seek through his scriptures to find the meaning of things. These are them who truly love the LORD.

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He ⁽¹⁾ reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.

KEY TO UNDERSTANDING REVELATIONS

There are 4 groups of 7 in the book of Revelations, 7 seals, seven trumpets, 7 vials (bowls), and seven thunders. GOD does not let us know what the 7 thunders are.

Revelation 10

³   And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
⁴   And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

I have learned that when we hear or read prophecy we must always search for the same prophecy in another part of the Bible. Reason for this is that, if we can find the same prophecy spoken in separate parts of the Bible, one will give greater detail than the other. I give examples at the end of this.

Lets go to the beginning of Revelations

Revelation 1

¹⁹   "Therefore ⁽⁶⁸⁾ write ⁽⁶⁹⁾ the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place ⁽⁷⁰⁾ after these things.

1. Which you have seen-past

2. The things, which are-present

3. The things, which will take place-future

So John wrote what he saw

Revelation 1

¹²   Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw ⁽⁴⁸⁾ seven golden lampstands;
¹³   and ⁽⁴⁹⁾ in the middle of the lampstands I saw one ⁽⁵⁰⁾ like ^[2] a son of man, ⁽⁵¹⁾ clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and ⁽⁵²⁾ girded across His chest with a golden sash.

¹⁵   His ⁽⁵⁵⁾ feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His ⁽⁵⁶⁾ voice was like the sound of many waters.

¹⁶   In His right hand He held ⁽⁵⁷⁾ seven stars, and out of His mouth came a ⁽⁵⁸⁾ sharp two-edged sword; and His ⁽⁵⁹⁾ face was like ⁽⁶⁰⁾ the sun shining in its strength.

JESUS gave John and us the meaning of the stars and lamp stands.

Revelation 1

²⁰   "As for the ⁽⁷¹⁾ mystery of the ⁽⁷²⁾ seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the ⁽⁷³⁾ seven golden lampstands: the ⁽⁷⁴⁾ seven stars are the angels of ⁽⁷⁵⁾ the seven churches, and the seven ⁽⁷⁶⁾ lampstands are the seven churches.

Then chpt. 2 Jesus starts to tell John the things that are. Jesus is telling John of the churches that John was familiar with. John at the time lived in Asia Minor, which included Turkey where john lived at the time.

So Jesus tells john to write to 7 Churches, which are in Asia Minor

This takes up chpt 2-3 this the time at hand, meaning this is the time in which John is living.

Now chpt 4 starts the future

Revelation 4
¹   After ⁽¹⁾ these things I looked, and behold, ⁽²⁾ a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, ⁽³⁾ like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "⁽⁴⁾ Come up here, and I will ⁽⁵⁾ show you what must take place after these things."

Now we are in the future

One of the keys to understanding the order of the book of revelations is to realize that the 6^th seal, the seventh trumpet, the seventh vial, math 24:29 and Ezekiel 38:18-22 are all the same event.

A lot of people will object to a lot of things that I have talked about so for. Because they don’t understand what I am going to talk about next.

If the 6^th seal, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh vial are the same event, which means the book of revelations, is not in “chronological” order as we or as I have always been taught.

Revelation 6-The Sixth Seal

¹²   I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great ⁽³⁵⁾ earthquake; and the ⁽³⁶⁾ sun became black as ⁽³⁷⁾ sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; ¹³   and ⁽³⁸⁾ the stars of the sky fell to the earth, ⁽³⁹⁾ as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. ^{14 (40)} The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and ⁽⁴¹⁾ every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵   Then ⁽⁴²⁾ the kings of the earth and the great men and the ^[3] commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;
¹⁶   and they ⁽⁴³⁾ said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him ⁽⁴⁴⁾ who sits on the throne, and from the ⁽⁴⁵⁾ wrath of the Lamb; ¹⁷   for ⁽⁴⁶⁾ the great day of their wrath has come, and ⁽⁴⁷⁾ who is able to stand?"

Revelation 11-The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵   Then the ⁽³⁶⁾ seventh angel sounded; and there were ⁽³⁷⁾ loud voices in heaven, saying, "⁽³⁸⁾ The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of ⁽³⁹⁾ His ^[3] Christ; and ⁽⁴⁰⁾ He will reign forever and ever." ¹⁶   And the twenty-four elders, who ⁽⁴¹⁾ sit on their thrones before God, ⁽⁴²⁾ fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷   saying, "We give You thanks, ⁽⁴³⁾ O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to ⁽⁴⁴⁾ reign. ¹⁸   "And ⁽⁴⁵⁾ the nations were enraged, and ⁽⁴⁶⁾ Your wrath came, and ⁽⁴⁷⁾ the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your ⁽⁴⁸⁾ bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, ⁽⁴⁹⁾ the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." ¹⁹   And ⁽⁵⁰⁾ the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and ⁽⁵¹⁾ the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of ⁽⁵²⁾ lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a ⁽⁵³⁾ great hailstorm.

Revelation 16-Six Vial

¹⁷   Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon ⁽⁵⁰⁾ the air, and a ⁽⁵¹⁾ loud voice came out of the ⁽⁵²⁾ temple from the throne, saying, "⁽⁵³⁾ It is done."
¹⁸   And there were flashes of ⁽⁵⁴⁾ lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was ⁽⁵⁵⁾ a great earthquake, ⁽⁵⁶⁾ such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. ^{19 (57)} The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. ⁽⁵⁸⁾ Babylon the great was ⁽⁵⁹⁾ remembered before God, to give her ⁽⁶⁰⁾ the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. ²⁰   And ⁽⁶¹⁾ every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. ²¹   And ⁽⁶²⁾ huge hailstones, about ^[3] one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men ⁽⁶³⁾ blasphemed God because of the ⁽⁶⁴⁾ plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.

How can the mountains that back in chpt 6 already fled away if there are none how can they flee again in chpt 16 these have to be the same events. And when do these happen at what time

Lets go back a moment

Revelation 16

¹⁶   And they ⁽⁴⁷⁾ gathered them together to the place which ⁽⁴⁸⁾ in Hebrew is called ^{[2] (49)} Har-Magedon.

Then verse 17 we go into the sixth vial

Now let’s move on to

Matthew 24

²⁹ "But immediately after the ⁽³⁵⁾ tribulation of those days ⁽³⁶⁾ THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND ⁽³⁷⁾ THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

According to JESUS the events of the sixth seal happen immediately after the tribulation.

But wait a minute John wrote that this is the wrath of GOD in the sixth seal.

Most teach that the tribulation is the wrath of GOD.

JESUS says no it is not.

The question is then what is the tribulation?

Let’s take a look at Revelation 12

Revelation 12

⁷   And there was war in heaven, ⁽¹⁹⁾ Michael and his angels waging war with the ⁽²⁰⁾ dragon. The dragon and ⁽²¹⁾ his angels waged war, ⁸   and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. ⁹   And the great ⁽²²⁾ dragon was thrown down, the ⁽²³⁾ serpent of old who is called the devil and ⁽²⁴⁾ Satan, who ⁽²⁵⁾ deceives the whole world; he was ⁽²⁶⁾ thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰   Then I heard ⁽²⁷⁾ a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the ⁽²⁸⁾ salvation, and the power, and the ⁽²⁹⁾ kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the ⁽³⁰⁾ accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. ¹¹   "And they ⁽³¹⁾ overcame him because of ⁽³²⁾ the blood of the Lamb and because of ⁽³³⁾ the word of their testimony, and they ⁽³⁴⁾ did not love their life even when faced with death. ¹²   "For this reason, ⁽³⁵⁾ rejoice, O heavens and ⁽³⁶⁾ you who dwell in them. ⁽³⁷⁾ Woe to the earth and the sea, because ⁽³⁸⁾ the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only ⁽³⁹⁾ a short time."

13 And when the ⁽⁴⁰⁾ dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted ⁽⁴¹⁾ the woman who gave birth to the male child.¹⁴   But the ⁽⁴²⁾ two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly ⁽⁴³⁾ into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for ⁽⁴⁴⁾ a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

Time, Times, half Time…3 1/2 yr. Period. There are many references in the Bible to a 3-½ yr. period when the antichrist will loose his wrath upon the earth.

Revelation 13

5 There was given to him a mouth ⁽⁴⁾ speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for ⁽⁵⁾ forty-two months was given to him.

Revelation 11
²   "Leave out the ⁽¹⁾ court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for ⁽²⁾ it has been given to the nations; and they will ⁽³⁾ tread under foot ⁽⁴⁾ the holy city for ⁽⁵⁾ forty-two months.

Revelation 11
³   "And I will grant authority to my two ⁽¹⁾ witnesses, and they will prophesy for ⁽²⁾ twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in ⁽³⁾ sackcloth."

Revelation 12
⁶   Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for ⁽¹⁾ one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

There are many other references to this time period.

Lets move on to

Ezekiel 38

¹⁸   "It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "that My fury will mount up in My ⁽³³⁾ anger.
¹⁹   "In My ⁽³⁴⁾ zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great ⁽³⁵⁾ earthquake in the land of Israel. ²⁰   "⁽³⁶⁾ The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the ⁽³⁷⁾ mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. ²¹   "I will call for a ⁽³⁸⁾ sword against him on all My mountains," declares the Lord GOD. "⁽³⁹⁾ Every man's sword will be against his brother. ²²   "With pestilence and with blood I will enter into ⁽⁴⁰⁾ judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with ⁽⁴¹⁾ hailstones, fire and brimstone.

Now one thing that I must point out, everyone has heard of the mark of the Beast, Yes….well the events that we just went over happen after the mark of the beast.

Because the first vial is for the ones that have taken the mark of the beast

Revelation 16-1^st Vial

¹   Then I heard a loud voice from ⁽¹⁾ the temple, saying to the ⁽²⁾ seven angels, "Go and ⁽³⁾ pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." ²   So the first angel went and poured out his bowl ⁽⁴⁾ on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant ⁽⁵⁾ sore on the people ⁽⁶⁾ who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

As we can conclude from this is that revelations is not in chronological order but in an order of three different versions of the same events with a little added in each time told.

Take for instant

Babylon is fallen

Revelation 14
⁸   And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "⁽¹⁾ Fallen, fallen is ⁽²⁾ Babylon the great, she who has ⁽³⁾ made all the nations drink of the ⁽⁴⁾ wine of the passion of her immorality."

Revelation 18
²   And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "⁽¹⁾ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She ⁽²⁾ has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every ⁽³⁾ unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.

Revelation 6
¹   Then I saw when the ⁽¹⁾ Lamb broke one of the ⁽²⁾ seven seals, and I heard one of the ⁽³⁾ four living creatures saying as with a ⁽⁴⁾ voice of thunder, "Come."
²   I looked, and behold, a ⁽⁵⁾ white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and ⁽⁶⁾ a crown was given to him, and he went out ⁽⁷⁾ conquering and to conquer. ³   When He broke the second seal, I heard the ⁽⁸⁾ second living creature saying, "Come."
⁴   And another, ⁽⁹⁾ a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to ⁽¹⁰⁾ take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.    When He broke the third seal, I heard the ⁽¹¹⁾ third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a ⁽¹²⁾ black horse; and he who sat on it had a ⁽¹³⁾ pair of scales in his hand. ⁶   And I heard something like a voice in the center of the ⁽¹⁴⁾ four living creatures saying, "A ^[1] quart of wheat for a ^[2] denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and ⁽¹⁵⁾ do not damage the oil and the wine." ⁷   When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the ⁽¹⁶⁾ fourth living creature saying, "Come." ⁸   I looked, and behold, an ⁽¹⁷⁾ ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name ⁽¹⁸⁾ Death; and ⁽¹⁹⁾ Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, ⁽²⁰⁾ to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Zechariah 6
¹   Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, ⁽¹⁾ four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. ²   With the first chariot were ⁽²⁾ red horses, with the second chariot ⁽³⁾ black horses, ³   with the third chariot ⁽⁴⁾ white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong ⁽⁵⁾ dappled horses. ⁴   Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, "⁽⁶⁾ What are these, my lord?" ⁵   The angel replied to me, "These are the ⁽⁷⁾ four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth,
⁶   with one of which the black horses are going forth to the ⁽⁸⁾ north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the ⁽⁹⁾ south country. ⁷   "When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to ⁽¹⁰⁾ patrol the earth." And He said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth. ⁸   Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, "See, those who are going to the land of the north have ⁽¹¹⁾ appeased My wrath in the land of the north."

I hope in some way this has given you reference points in order to understand how to line up the events in Revelations.

May GOD Bless you!!!!