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Introduction: Revelation & the Prophets
The book of Revelation is often treated as if it introduced brand‑new symbols, brand‑new judgments, and brand‑new prophetic ideas. But nothing in Revelation is new. Every symbol, every judgment, every image, every phrase, and every pattern comes directly from the Old Testament prophets. Revelation is not a separate prophecy; it is the unsealing of prophecies already given.
Daniel was told:
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end…” Daniel 12:4 KJV
John was told the opposite:
“Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 22:10 KJV - see the matching bookend in Revelation 1:3 KJV
Revelation is where Daniel’s sealed book begins to be unsealed by the Lord. Even though the seals themselves are still unfolding with at least up to the fifth seal broken (martyrs over the past 2000 years) to date, we are not yet at the seventh seal whereby the scroll’s contents (trumpet/vial judgments) can begin to unfold – that will be the 7‑year tribulation yet to come.
The visions John sees are not new visions; they are the revealed meaning of what Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, and others already saw. Below is the basic pattern that ties Revelation back to the prophets & prophecies.
Revelation & the Prophets — Parallels
1. Revelation and Daniel
Scripture references: Daniel 2 KJV; Daniel 7 KJV; Daniel 8 KJV; Daniel 12:4 KJV; Revelation 5 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 13 KJV; Revelation 17 KJV
Daniel – saw the beasts, the horns, the kingdoms, the final ruler, the judgment, and the kingdom restored to the saints. But his book was sealed.
Revelation – opens the same scroll Daniel sealed. The Beast of Revelation comes from the same geography as Daniel’s kingdoms. The ten kings appear in both books. The final conflict is the same. Revelation simply shows the unsealed version of Daniel’s visions.
2. Revelation and Ezekiel
Scripture references: Ezekiel 1 KJV; Ezekiel 10 KJV; Ezekiel 38–39 KJV; Revelation 4 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 19 KJV
Ezekiel – saw the throne, the living creatures, the wheels, the glory of the Lord, the Gog‑Magog invasion, and the final restoration of Israel.
Revelation – shows the same throne room, the same living creatures, the same judgments proceeding from the throne, and the same final battle. John is seeing the unsealed version of what Ezekiel already recorded.
3. Revelation and Isaiah
Scripture references: Isaiah 2 KJV; Isaiah 13 KJV; Isaiah 24–27 KJV; Isaiah 34 KJV; Isaiah 65–66 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 14 KJV; Revelation 20–22 KJV
Isaiah – saw the Day of the Lord, the shaking of the heavens, the fall of the nations, the winepress of God’s wrath, the restoration of Zion, the new heavens and the new earth, and the eternal kingdom.
Revelation – shows the same Day of the Lord judgments, the same cosmic signs, the same winepress of wrath, the same restoration of God’s people, and the same new heavens and new earth. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic visions.
4. Revelation and Jeremiah
Scripture references: Jeremiah 25 KJV; Jeremiah 30–31 KJV; Jeremiah 50–51 KJV; Revelation 14 KJV; Revelation 16–18 KJV
Jeremiah – warned of the cup of God’s wrath poured out on all nations, the time of Jacob’s trouble, the restoration of Israel, and the fall of Babylon with all her merchants, idols, and sorceries judged.
Revelation – shows the same cup of wrath poured out, the same time of unparalleled trouble, the same restoration of God’s people, and the same final destruction of Babylon with her merchants, idols, and sorceries judged openly. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Jeremiah’s warnings.
5. Revelation and Joel
Scripture references: Joel 1–3 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 8–9 KJV; Revelation 14 KJV
Joel – saw the Day of the Lord, the darkened sun and moon, the outpouring of the Spirit, the gathering of the nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and the multitudes in the valley of decision as God judges the earth.
Revelation – shows the same cosmic signs, the same global gathering for judgment, the same harvest of the earth, and the same Day of the Lord events unfolding in their unsealed fullness. John is seeing the complete revelation of what Joel prophesied.
6. Revelation and Zechariah
Scripture references: Zechariah 1 KJV; Zechariah 3 KJV; Zechariah 5 KJV; Zechariah 12–14 KJV; Revelation 11 KJV; Revelation 12 KJV; Revelation 14 KJV; Revelation 19 KJV
Zechariah – saw the horses and riders, the measuring line, the high priest cleansed, the flying scroll, the woman in the ephah, the siege of Jerusalem, the Lord fighting for His people, and the Mount of Olives splitting when He returns.
Revelation – shows the same horses and riders, the measuring of God’s people, the cleansing and sealing of the servants of God, the judgments written in the scroll, the woman opposed by evil, the siege of Jerusalem, and the Lord returning to fight and reign. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Zechariah’s visions.
7. Revelation and Amos
Scripture references: Amos 1–2 KJV; Amos 5 KJV; Amos 8 KJV; Amos 9 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 8 KJV; Revelation 14 KJV
Amos – saw the Lord roaring from Zion, the shaking of the land, the darkened sun at noon, the famine of hearing the words of the Lord, the judgment of the nations, and the restoration of the fallen tabernacle of David.
Revelation – shows the same roaring judgment from heaven, the same global shaking, the same darkened sun, the same severe judgments on the nations, and the same final restoration under the reign of Christ. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of what Amos declared.
8. Revelation and Micah
Scripture references: Micah 1 KJV; Micah 3–5 KJV; Micah 7 KJV; Revelation 11 KJV; Revelation 12 KJV; Revelation 19–20 KJV
Micah – saw the Lord coming down to tread upon the high places of the earth, the nations gathered against Zion, the birth of the ruler from Bethlehem, the remnant preserved, the overthrow of the wicked, and the Lord reigning in righteousness.
Revelation – shows the same divine descent in judgment, the same global assault against God’s people, the same Messiah ruling the nations, the same preservation of the faithful remnant, and the same final overthrow of the wicked before the kingdom is established. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Micah’s prophecies.
9. Revelation and Nahum
Scripture references: Nahum 1–3 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 18–19 KJV
Nahum – saw the Lord as a jealous avenger, slow to anger yet great in power, judging violent and oppressive nations, overwhelming them with flood and fire, exposing their shame, and bringing their pride to an end.
Revelation – shows the same righteous vengeance, the same overthrow of violent world powers, the same burning judgment, the same exposure of wickedness, and the same final end of arrogant kingdoms. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Nahum’s warnings.
10. Revelation and Habakkuk
Scripture references: Habakkuk 1–3 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 13–14 KJV; Revelation 19 KJV
Habakkuk – saw the rise of a ruthless power, the perplexity of the righteous as evil seemed to triumph, the Lord’s assurance that judgment would surely come, the proud condemned, the just living by faith, the earth filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, and the Lord coming in radiant power to crush wickedness.
Revelation – shows the same rise of a blasphemous world power, the same testing of the saints, the same certainty of divine judgment, the same fall of the proud, the same call for patient faith, the same global revelation of God’s glory, and the same triumphant coming of the Lord in power. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Habakkuk’s vision.
11. Revelation and Zephaniah
Scripture references: Zephaniah 1–3 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV; Revelation 14–16 KJV; Revelation 19–20 KJV
Zephaniah – saw the Day of the Lord as a time of global distress, the sweeping judgment on all nations, the consuming fire of God’s jealousy, the punishment of the proud, the purification of a remnant, and the Lord reigning in the midst of His people after judgment.
Revelation – shows the same worldwide Day of the Lord, the same outpouring of wrath, the same fiery judgments, the same fall of the proud and wicked, the same preservation of a faithful remnant, and the same final reign of the Lord among His redeemed. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy.
12. Revelation and Malachi
Scripture references: Malachi 1–4 KJV; Revelation 1 KJV; Revelation 14 KJV; Revelation 19–22 KJV
Malachi – saw the Lord’s people refined, the proud and wicked judged, the book of remembrance written, the Sun of righteousness rising with healing, the wicked burned as stubble, and the Lord coming suddenly to His temple before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Revelation – shows the same refining of God’s people, the same judgment of the proud and wicked, the same heavenly records opened, the same healing and light from the Lamb, the same fiery judgment on the ungodly, and the same sudden appearing of the Lord in glory. John is seeing the unsealed fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy.
13. The Gospels: Jesus (YeshuaH)
Scripture references: Matthew 24 KJV, Mark 13 KJV, Luke 17 KJV (parts of), Luke 21 KJV
Matthew, Mark, and Luke – false christs, false prophets, false teachers; wars & rumors of wars; famines, pestilences, earthquakes, tsunamis (sea and the waves roaring), volcanoes (fire, brimstone, and pillars of smoke); disease, death. These are also God's "four sore judgments" (more on this below).
Revelation – the four colored horses & their riders in Seals 1-4, and the martyrs of Seal 5, all of which are still going on today, nearly 2000 years later, with intensity and perplexity!
The Unified Testimony of Scripture
Jesus Himself confirmed that everything written in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms pointed directly to Him — His first coming, His ministry, His suffering, His resurrection, His kingdom, and His return. Revelation is not a new message; it is the culmination of all that was already written.
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”
Luke 24:44 KJV
Key Symbols in Revelation and Their Prophetic Meaning
Revelation uses symbols already defined in the Old Testament, and Scripture interprets Scripture with perfect consistency. The following summary shows how these terms are used and what they mean within the prophetic framework established by the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, and the words of Jesus.
Woman — represents Israel, specifically Jerusalem, the covenant people who are repeatedly portrayed as the Lord’s wife (Ezekiel 16 KJV; Hosea 1–3 KJV; Revelation 12 KJV; Revelation 17–18 KJV).
The great city / that great city — always Jerusalem, the city “where also our Lord was crucified” (Revelation 11:8 KJV).
Babylon / Sodom / Egypt / Aholibah / Ariel / the Bloody City / the Faithless Wife / the Rebellious House / the City that Kills the Prophets / the Cup of Trembling / the Furnace of Affliction / the Whorish Woman / the Harlot — symbolic names describing Jerusalem’s spiritual condition in rebellion (Isaiah 1:10 KJV; Ezekiel 16 KJV; Ezekiel 23 KJV; Isaiah 29 KJV; Ezekiel 22 KJV; Matthew 23:37 KJV; Zechariah 12:2 KJV; Revelation 11:8 KJV; Revelation 17–18 KJV).
The 10‑horned beast — a coalition of 10 Middle Eastern nations with flags that consist of all four colors of the horses of Revelation 6 KJV (white, red, black, pale/green), the final Gentile empire of Daniel’s fourth beast (Daniel 7 KJV; Revelation 13 KJV; Revelation 17:12 KJV).
The little horn — a new, smaller political entity arising among the 10, not originally a nation, which becomes the Antichrist power (Daniel 7:8 KJV; Revelation 17:11 KJV). I suspect this is “Palestine” — though not yet a nation, it has all four colors of the horses of Revelation 6 KJV and is supported by the 10‑horn nations with the same colors in their national flags.
The colors of the horses — correspond to the dominant colors of the flags of the nations surrounding Israel (white, red, black, pale/green), matching the four sore judgments (Ezekiel 14:21 KJV; Zechariah 6 KJV; Revelation 6 KJV).
The beast — not Rome, not the USA, not Europe, but the revived Middle Eastern empire that “was, and is not, and shall ascend” (Revelation 17:8 KJV), excluding Rome because Rome was the power in John’s day.
The harlot / the woman riding the beast — Jerusalem in apostasy, playing the harlot with the nations (Ezekiel 16 KJV; Hosea 2 KJV; Revelation 17 KJV).
The cup / golden cup — Jerusalem as the cup of trembling and judgment (Jeremiah 51:7 KJV; Zechariah 12:2 KJV; Revelation 17:4 KJV).
The remnant — the purified survivors of Israel who turn to the Lord during Jacob’s Trouble (Isaiah 10:20–22 KJV; Zechariah 13:8–9 KJV; Revelation 12:17 KJV).
The Lamb — Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb slain and risen (Exodus 12 KJV; Isaiah 53 KJV; John 1:29 KJV; Revelation 5 KJV).
The sealed — the 144,000 of Israel only, sealed for protection on earth during the Day of the Lord judgments (Revelation 7:1–8 KJV; Revelation 14:1–5 KJV). They are entirely distinct from the pre‑tribulation raptured saints and the mid‑tribulation raptured saints, with a unique role that is currently a mystery.
The Lamb’s wrath — forewarned of in Revelation 6:16–17 KJV, but not actually beginning until Revelation 8:1 KJV, which initiates the trumpet judgments. The pre‑tribulation raptured saints of Revelation 7:9–17 KJV are already in heaven before the Lamb’s wrath begins.
The wrath of God — forewarned of in Revelation 15:1 KJV and Revelation 15:7 KJV, but not actually beginning until Revelation 16:1 KJV, which initiates the vial judgments. Revelation 15:1–4 KJV is a continuation of Revelation 14:14–16 KJV, showing the mid‑tribulation raptured saints already in heaven before God’s wrath begins.
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My understanding is: a 7-year-tribulation period that will end at the conclusion of the 2000 years "church age" (age of grace), where the church/bride is raptured (caught up) BOTH pre-tribulation AND pre-wrath (Revelation 7:9-17 KJV) just prior to the "wrath of the Lamb" beginning at the trumpet judgments; half way into the tribulation period the "tribulation saints" are caught up (Revelation 14:14-15:4 KJV) just prior to the "wrath of God" beginning at the vial judgments.
The 7-year tribulation (7th Seal - once it's broken and the judgments read and enacted) consists of: the trumpet judgments (3-1/2 years); followed by the vial judgments (3-1/2 years ... these are the "contents" of the scroll that Jesus is showing to John.
Right now, as of this blog post, we are ... in the 5th Seal (2000 years worth of martyred saints have died for the Lord's name sake, and the four seals that came before it) ... heading to the rapture at the breaking of the 6th Seal ~ here's to hoping that'll be soon & very soon, Maranatha King Jesus!
Links / Resources
Blue Letter Bible — King James Version
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/
Compiled with the help of MS Copilot AI
https://copilot.microsoft.com/
