It is important to take a few minutes to look at this map of the Book of Revelation before entering it. (Links to actual charts are provided below.) The Book of Revelation is divided into Six Parts, each containing a thread about the Seven Churches/Angels/Religions. All Seven Churches/Angels/Religions are repeated in each thread. We call this type of repetition "recursiveness">. That which is recursive is that which repeats - building upon itself. While each of the Seven Angels (Religions) appear in the same order each time they appear throughout the accounting of the events in the "end times" - each time they appear in a new thread it is in regards to a new theme, or the same theme in a different/new setting.
The Seven Angels first appear in the same order as the Manifestations of the seven major religions of the world appeared in their historical order. The accomplishment and shortcoming of each of the Seven Religions is listed.
the Seals of the Seven Religions are opened and the first events regarding each of the religions in the last days are revealed.
further is revealed about what happens with each of the Seven Angels (the Seven Churches - the seven religions) at the 'time of the end'.
Chapter 11, while in Part IV, overlaps into the Third Thread beause the 7th religion is needed to complete the thread - but the whole of Part IV is devoted to the 7th religion.
the same theme of the Seven Angels is repeated regarding the events in Islám, represented here as seven plagues.
again the same theme of the Seven Angels is repeated for the events in Islám, represented again regarding the seven plagues, which is also later applied in Chapter Eighteen in the fall of Babylon the Great.
the theme is about the seven Angels in regards to the fall of Babylon the Great.
Some may wonder if just one event is being described repeatedly or whether these are different events being described and the answer is that both concepts are true - which is sometimes difficult for a limited mind to comprehend. But let us look at some analogies.
Events happen in cycles. They repeat themselves. Spring, summer, fall, winter come year after year. To describe any one season is to describe something that will repeat itself. To describe any one year is to describe seasons that have occurred before and that will occur again.
We often observe a recursive theme in a musical composition. The melody reappears, although in variations, throughout a sonata. A very modern example is that of a hologram. One can look at a hologram from many sides and most amazing of all, if one breaks off a piece of a holographic crystal they will still see in that piece, although not so distinctly, the whole image.
This is the nature of the Book of Revelation. The whole image is about 'the time of the end' - the fulfillment of all the religions of God, but if one is to look at any one of the religions individually one sees that each have gone through their seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter and that each has a part of the image of the whole in that each has had to contend with the vials of plagues that have attacked the others.
Each of our lives, and the lives of religions, are different, but each of us goes through birth, childhood, puberty, adulthood, and perhaps parenthood and old age before we pass on. So, in the Book of Revelation we see the seven stages applied to each of the seven major religions of the world. Because of the time at which it was written, (prior to Islám which would be next religion to appear - and in preparation of the 'end of the age' which would then follow that) the Book of Revelation deals in large part with Islám and the end of the age.
While the Book of Revelation is divided into six parts and each part contains one of the six threads, there is often more to a part than just thread, and this is contained within adjacent chapters in that part.
These six parts are not apparent until one is aware of the recursiveness of the archetype theme regarding the Seven Churches, Seven Angels and Seven so forth.
Seven Major Religions
Chapters 1-3 contain the history of the Worlds Seven Major Religions and then
chapters 4-5 introduces how they will be unified into one religion and the announcement of two religions for the Time of the End which will make up the Nine United Religions.
Spiritual Challenges for The Seven Major Religions
in Chapter 6 and 7 describes the spiritual challenges that occur for each religion and how these must be resolved.
Spiritual Challenges applied to The Individual Major Religions
Chapters 8 and 9 explains how these will apply in particular to the first six of the Seven Prophetic Religions at the Time of the End and the Special Spiritual Challenge for Islám
describes the special spiritual challenges of Islám beginning with recognition of the Bábí Faith in Chapter 10.
Seven vials applied to Islam and the Most Clear Proof
Chapters 11-14 particularly applies the vials of the Seven Angels to Islám presenting Muhammad and Ali as an archetype for the Bábí and Bahá'í religions of fulfillment. This latter concept is further explored in the appendix on "The Most Conclusive Proof".
Catastrophes at The Time of The End
Chapter 15 deals further with end time catastrophes
Chapter 16 focuses on the role that Islám plays once again using Islám as an archetype for the vials and plagues that will befall Babylon
World Catastrophet and Promise of the Thousand Year Fulfillment
Tools for seeing other Threads are all to be found in the Verse Matrix which follows this map (description).
While the six threads about what happens to each of the churches, at the particular time associated with each thread, is the primary layout of the book as it were revealed by Jesus, there are also other threads that many will find of considerable interest. Indeed, the links on the left of the matrix table may prove to be the most interesting for many people as they look up about their own or another religion.
Islam, being the first religion to follow Christianity, has a large and prominent role in the Book of Revelation. It is dealt with in its own threads and even has one of the Five Parts of this book devoted to it.
Another important thread is the thread about Babylon the Great which is emphasized in Chapters 14, 16, 17, 18, and 19 along with special supplementary chapters from Daniel 11 (Appendix to Chapter 15 Afterword), Isaiah 47 (Appendix to Chapter 16 Afterword), Jeremiah 50 (Appendix to Chapter 17 Afterword), and Jeremiah 51 (Appendix to Chapter 18 Afterword).
Still another important thread is the Four Good Beast Thread found in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 19, with supplementary material from Daniel 7 (appended to Chapter 4 Afterword), and Ezekiel 1 (discussed in Chapter 4 Afterword), and especially Rev 4:7 as discussed in the Afterword.
Great care is taken in this book to disclose, demonstrate, highlight and explain the patterns of archetypes, recursiveness, and structure in the Book of Revelation.
In addition to the threads of verses as described above there are also a number of charts that simplify matters:
If one takes the few minutes required to examine each of these five tools, so that they know what each of them will do for them - they will have no problem in finding their way around the Book of Revelation, which is an amazing accomplishment, because throughout all the two thousand years since its Revelation, until now, none have been able to comprehend it. But the Book is NOW open for those who wish to understand.