The Sevens of Revelation

[John Young]

I've attached a picture of "the Sevens of Revelation". The general pattern of seven divided in half (3+4= 7) is common throughout the Book Of revelation. I welcome any discussion of the pattern here in this thread.

Edited February 17, 2023 by John Young

[Jerry]

Interesting list. The two halves of the tribulation period are spoken of six times as to their length (once in Daniel 12:7; then Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; and 13:5) - divided into 3 1/2 years each (not 3+4), and the Great Tribulation, spoken of by name in several places refers to the last half of this seven years: 42 months (of 30 days each, according to the Jewish calendar); 1260 days; a time (one year), times (2 years), and half a time.

Here are some other sevens that I have recorded in my Bible app from various sources:

7 blesseds:

 

Revelation 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14

 

7 names/titles of Jesus in chapter one:

 

1. Alpha and Omega

2. The Beginning and the Ending

3. The Lord

4. Which is, which was, and which is to come

5. The Almighty

6. The First and the Last

7. He that liveth and was dead... and is alive for evermore

 

Revelation 1:13-16 contains a sevenfold description of Jesus Christ.

 

Clarence Larkin lists these Seven Sevens:

 

1. The Seven Churches - Revelation 2:1-3:22

2. The Seven Seals - Revelation 6:1-8:5

3.  The Seven Trumpets - Revelation 8:7-11:19

4. The Seven Personages - Revelation 12:1-13:18

5. The Seven Vials - Revelation 15:1-16:21

6. The Seven Dooms - Revelation 17:1-20:15

7. The Seven New Things - Revelation 21:1-22:5

 

Each of the seven letters follows the same general format:

1) Name (of the church that particular letter is addressed to).

2) Its Description of Christ.

3) Commendation: What that church is praised for.

4) Warning: What that church is rebuked for.

5) Promise.

6) To The Overcomers.

7) Prophetic Application (As revealed in church history, found throughout the letter.)

 

The word “repent” (or a form of it) is used seven times in these letters to the churches:

 

Revelation 2:5 (x2), 16, 21, 22; 3:3, 19

 

Seven times the Lamb’s Book of Life is mentioned in Revelation:

 

Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19

 

Sevenfold praise in Revelation 5:12 and 7:12.

 

Seven kinds of men are mentioned in Revelation 6:15.

 

7 passages with this Greek word for woe/alas:

 

Revelation 8:13; 9:12; 11:14; 12:12; 18:10, 16, 19

 

The bottomless pit is referred to seven times in Revelation:

 

Revelation 9:1, 2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3

 

Clarence Larkin lists The Seven Personages:

 

First Person - The Sun-Clothed Woman - Revelation 12:1-2

Second Person - The Dragon - Revelation 12:3-4

Third Person - The Man-Child - Revelation 12:5-6

Fourth Person - The Archangel - Revelation 12:7-12

Fifth Person - The Jewish Remnant - Revelation 12:13-17

Sixth Person - The Beast Out Of The Sea - Revelation 13:1-10

Seventh Person - The Beast Out Of The Earth - Revelation 13:11-18

 

The mark is first mentioned in Revelation 13:16, but seven times it is referred to as the mark of the beast or his mark:

 

Revelation 13:17; 14:9 , 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4

 

Clarence Larkins lists The Seven Dooms:

 

First Doom - Ecclesiastical Babylon - Revelation 17:1-8

Second Doom - Commercial Babylon - Revelation 18:1-24

Third Doom - The Antichrist And The False Prophet - Revelation 19:20

Fourth Doom - The Antichristian Nations - Revelation 19:21

Fifth Doom - Gog and Magog - Revelation 20:8-9

Sixth Doom - Satan - Revelation 20:10

Seventh Doom - The Wicked Dead - Revelation 20:11-15

 

Jesus is called the Word seven times in the NT:

 

John 1:1 (x3)

John 1:14

1 John 1:1; 5:7

Revelation 19:13

 

Clarence Larkin lists The Seven New Things:

 

First New Thing - The New Heaven - Revelation 21:1

Second New Thing - The New Earth - Revelation 21:2-8

Third New Thing - The New City - Revelation 21:9-23

Fourth New Thing - The New Nations - Revelation 21:24-27

Fifth New Thing - The New River - Revelation 22:1

Sixth New Thing - The New Tree - Revelation 22:2

Seventh New Thing - The New Throne - Revelation 22:3-5

 

From FBF Bulletin -

 

What Will Not Be In Heaven:

 

1. No More Sea - Revelation 21:1

2. No More Separation - Revelation 21:4

3. No More Sorrow - Revelation 21:4

4. No More Sickness And Suffering - Revelation 21:4

5. No More Sanctuary - Revelation 21:22

6. No More Shadows - Revelation 21:25; 22:5

7. No More Sin - Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:3, 15

A list put together by me (based on a general comment made by my pastor, but he did not have any specifics, just that he had read a commentator state there were seven portrayals of Christ in Revelation) -

 

Jesus Christ is portrayed seven different ways in the book of Revelation:

 

1) The Son of Man in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, in Revelation 1:12-16.

 

2) The Lamb in the midst of the throne, in Revelation 5:5-7.

 

3) The mighty Angel setting His feet on the earth and the sea, in Revelation 10:1-6.

 

4) The Son of Man on the cloud, in Revelation 14:14-16.

 

5) The Rider (the Word of God) on the white horse, in Revelation 19:11-16.

 

6) The Judge on the Great White Throne, in Revelation 20:11-12.

 

7) The Temple and the Light of it in the New Jerusalem, in Revelation 21:22-23

 

[John Young]

In addition to 3+4 =7, 3*4=12 is interesting note but I don't think its a pattern that is used.

[Jerry]

Yes, that is a pattern we do see here and there in the Word of God. For example, I was just reading about Elijah (1 Kings 18:32-35) on Mount Carmel and that he dug a trench and filled it with barrels of water - four at a time for three times.

[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

 

. . . consider that the Spirit of God is introduced to the churches at the beginning of the letter as ‘the seven Spirits.’ Why is He called ‘the seven Spirits?’ ‘Seven’ figuratively symbolizes God and ‘Spirits,’ being plural, shows His omnipresence. This, we discover, is the beginning of a pattern of the numbers in Revelation having meaning.

. . . 

 7

‘John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne’ (Rev. 1:4).

Meaning:

- qualitative fullness, completeness, or totality

- 7 = 3 + 4

- God + creation = perfection

- “very good”

- 7 = God’s number in relation to creation

- mimicking perfection, e.g., 7 heads on the beast

Allusion:

- days of creation

- days of the week

- day God rested

- Sabbath rest

Interpretation:

- ‘the seven churches’ represent God’s complete Church

. . . 

Those who hold to a literal view of the book of Revelation have many objections to numerology being used throughout the book. However, consistency in interpretation of the numbers in Revelation is in favor of an allegorical approach, because every number in Revelation is meant to be allegorically understood and explained even if a literal meaning was also used. For example, the literal ‘seven churches in the province of Asia’ also represent the entire Church. In contrast, those who hold to a literal view are not consistent as they are forced to concede that several numbers are only symbolic. For example, ‘the seven spirits of God’ (Rev. 3:1) is never literal.

Taken from my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism: A guide to better understanding the Last Days and the End Times.

Available in part in a blog post, Taking Issue with Futurism – Interpreting Revelation Part 1.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Dr. Robert S. Morley

[BrotherTony]

9 hours ago, Dr. Robert S. Morley said:

 

. . . consider that the Spirit of God is introduced to the churches at the beginning of the letter as ‘the seven Spirits.’ Why is He called ‘the seven Spirits?’ ‘Seven’ figuratively symbolizes God and ‘Spirits,’ being plural, shows His omnipresence. This, we discover, is the beginning of a pattern of the numbers in Revelation having meaning.

. . . 

 7

‘John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne’ (Rev. 1:4).

Meaning:

- qualitative fullness, completeness, or totality

- 7 = 3 + 4

- God + creation = perfection

- “very good”

- 7 = God’s number in relation to creation

- mimicking perfection, e.g., 7 heads on the beast

Allusion:

- days of creation

- days of the week

- day God rested

- Sabbath rest

Interpretation:

- ‘the seven churches’ represent God’s complete Church

. . . 

Those who hold to a literal view of the book of Revelation have many objections to numerology being used throughout the book. However, consistency in interpretation of the numbers in Revelation is in favor of an allegorical approach, because every number in Revelation is meant to be allegorically understood and explained even if a literal meaning was also used. For example, the literal ‘seven churches in the province of Asia’ also represent the entire Church. In contrast, those who hold to a literal view are not consistent as they are forced to concede that several numbers are only symbolic. For example, ‘the seven spirits of God’ (Rev. 3:1) is never literal.

Taken from my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism: A guide to better understanding the Last Days and the End Times.

Available in part in a blog post, Taking Issue with Futurism – Interpreting Revelation Part 1.

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[Dr. Robert S. Morley]

I posted a lot from my resources to assist with the topic. The references I gave allow those who want more on the topic to know where they can go. It would be unfair to overload the forum and post more than I have.