UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

The very first thing a student of the Bible needs to know is that, while all previously fulfilled Bible prophecy has been fulfilled literally, it was not until the fulfillment that many of the prophecies made sense.  For instance, Isaiah 7:14 declared the Messiah would be born of a virgin, and yet when it actually happened, He was accused of being "illegitimate" (John 8:41).  Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Daniel 9:26 refer to Messiah being killed, and yet, until the Resurrection, even the Lord's disciples failed to comprehend Christ's two Advents (Luke 24:13-53; Acts 1:1-11; Zech. 14:4; etc.). 

The same is true of the prophecies recorded in the Book of Revelation.  While it is clear that we are able to comprehend much of what is written of John's vision, it is quite likely that we lack understanding of the majority of its "mysterious images."  For instance, what do you suppose the writer saw when he described the "locusts" (Rev. 9:3-10)?  We might guess, but is that really a good method of studying the Word of God?  No.

Revelation 1:19 is the key to understanding the outline of the book.  John wrote:  "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."  The past is described in chapter one; the present is described in chapters two and three; and the future is described in chapters four through twenty-two.  John saw Jesus as He is.  John saw the seven churches as they were in his day.  And John saw what was in store for Israel once the Church was no longer in the picture - the seven year Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev.  6 - 18; etc.). 

Notice also that the book is written in chronological order.  The Church is not mentioned after chapter three.  The seven year Tribulation period (a.k.a. Time of Jacob's Trouble - Jer. 30:7; and Daniel's Seventieth Week - Dan. 9:27) follows John's subtle description of the Rapture of the Church in Revelation 4:1.  Chapters four and five are parenthetical events which occur in heaven, apart from earthly time.  There are other examples of un-timed events, all occurring in heaven (Rev. 7:1-17; 10:1 - 11:14; 12:1 - 14:20; 16:13-16; 17:1 - 19-10).  And of course, the last two chapters describe the new heaven and the new earth; I think it is fair to say that time is no longer an issue after Christ's one thousand year Millennial Reign as described in chapter twenty.

To summarize, the sequence of event which will occur on earth are:  the Church Age (Ch. 2-3); the Rapture (Ch. 4:1); the Tribulation (Ch. 6 - 18); the Second Coming of Christ (Ch. 19); the Millennium (Ch. 20).  Because God exists outside of time, those events described as taking place in heaven are not describing events in a chronological manner, as there is no chronology in timelessness. 

At least this is how I understand Revelation.

But you need to be Bereans and not take my word on it!