Revelation: Prophecy & Numbers
Eleven overlapping and interlocking textual segments in the GNT manuscript of the book of Revelation cover seven of the most important end time themes:
- The churches.
- The Antichrist system, history and person.
- The unrepentant nature of evil in the face of punishing catastrophe.
- Babylon.
- The other sheep.
- God’s reign and the new creation.
- God’s promise he will make all things right.
All these segments have similar numeric features showing they are all part of the one prophecy. The numeric total is divisible by 7. Every other word, or every other letter is divisible by 7, and the first and last letters of each word form totals that are both divisible by 7. These numeric features follow the description of Revelation 1:8.
| Revelation verse | Number of | Total | Word position | Letter position |
Letter of word | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Words | Letters | Odd | Even | Odd | Even | First | Last | |
| 2:9 | 3:11 | 729 | 3354 | 247394 | 122129 | 125265 | 120210 | 127184 | 37751 | 68159 |
| 3:1 | 21:3 | 7747 | 36496 | 2527357 | 1277078 | 1250279 | 1268666 | 1258691 | 393029 | 556493 |
| 6:2 | 13:4 | 2942 | 13964 | 991081 | 487711 | 503370 | 497205 | 493876 | 157164 | 202286 |
| 6:11 | 21:2 | 6310 | 29846 | 2042754 | 1010156 | 1032598 | 1014985 | 1027769 | 324261 | 425691 |
| 7:1 | 16:10 | 3861 | 18287 | 1301923 | 656626 | 645297 | 643531 | 658392 | 206129 | 273854 |
| 9:6 | 16:11 | 3042 | 14313 | 1018465 | 507241 | 511224 | 512342 | 506123 | 157969 | 218169 |
| 12:17 | 17:9 | 1959 | 9243 | 636167 | 315896 | 320271 | 311060 | 325107 | 100828 | 145488 |
| 17:4 | 18:18 | 814 | 3877 | 238532 | 118300 | 120232 | 118805 | 119727 | 35434 | 48132 |
| 19:4 | 22:15 | 1780 | 8314 | 591325 | 290302 | 301023 | 299362 | 291963 | 90468 | 130186 |
| 19:5 | 22:15 | 1757 | 8200 | 582778 | 297171 | 285607 | 294612 | 288166 | 89509 | 126210 |
| 21:4 | 21:6 | 75 | 309 | 23996 | 11046 | 12950 | 12108 | 11888 | 3430 | 7168 |
| Coloured cells are divisible by 7, and or 13. Place mouse over each cell to see an explanation, the verse referred to, or the break down of the numbers into factors. | ||||||||||
Approximate graphical representation of each text segment within the book of Revelation. (Each pixel is one verse.) The blue line is 404 pixels, the length of the entire book. The black lines are the text segments where numeric features are found. The green line shows the distance from the beginning of the book.
The Church In The End Times
First Segment
I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9)
I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. (Revelation 3:11)
Second segment
And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. (Revelation 3:1)
and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; (Revelation 21:3)
Two numeric segments deal with the church in the book of Revelation. What they cover or do not cover reveal more about the church in the end times. Together, the two text segments include six of the seven churches. The first segment does not cover Ephesus (the first of the seven) and it does not cover Laodicea (the last of the seven). The second segment covers the last three churches: Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Although churches
are not mentioned after the third chapter, the numbers in these two segments assure us there will be churches up to the last part of the book. It is also reassuring that six of the seven are included.
Starting at Revelation 2:9, the first segment begins with the church at Smyrna, but leaves out the name. By leaving out the name, the entire numeric section becomes applicable even to churches today.
Why does the first segment omit the first and last churches? Because there is a very human tendency to worship the church itself. The numbers make it clear the church is not eternal like God, nor first and last like God. It is not to be worshiped. Nevertheless, the first segment ends with encouragement to hold fast.
Those who are faithful will be rewarded.
The church at Ephesus is left out of both text segments. Jesus said they had lost their first love. Not only were they just going through the motions, they had stopped doing the original works they once had (Revelation 2:5). Without love, their new efforts would be useless (1 Corinthians 13:2). The text segment follows Jesus warning that he would remove this church if they did not change.
The second segment covers even fewer churches, but it does cover the last three, and the entire segment concludes with God dwelling with humanity. This indicates the end of the churches will work out. Believers should take Jesus' encouragement to heart to hold fast what they received.
This second segment begins with a dead church, but ends with the living God. With God all things are possible, even the resurrection of a dead church. But it is up to the individual believer to conquer.
The Antichrist System & Person
And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Revelation 6:2)
Men worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? (Revelation 13:4)
Recognizing the Antichrist system, and the person of the Antichrist is extremely important to avoid Satan's deceptions. It is a part of escaping the lies that enslave the world. Jesus told us to be watchful and pray that we might escape this enslavement (Luke 21:36). This is a command. Being watchful is to be like the Berean Christians, to test and check in order to discover the truth (Acts 17:11). This doesn't just apply to scripture, but to the world as well, politics, sociology, history, education, science, medicine, business... (1 Corinthians 2:15)
This numeric segment clarifies how the Antichrist system began. It began with the first seal. The rider on a white horse has a bow, a long distance weapon. Europeans conquered the world with superior firepower in the form of guns. And today there are missiles and rockets. A crown was given to him, and 13:4 makes it clear where this crown came from. It did not come from God. It came from Satan.
European kings invented divine right
to give themselves a false cloak of authority to do whatever they wanted. The great age of European exploration became the age of conquest, exploitation, and expropriation. By claiming to be Christian they claimed they had a duty to enlighten and rule those they labeled as savages. It was an arrogant assumption of superiority falsely derived from religion, culture, history, technology, science and race (1 Corinthians 13:12). Success does not mean God’s blessing or approval (Genesis 4:19-24). Recognize it for what it is and where it came from, the devil.
Unrepentant Evil
First Segment
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. (Revelation 7:1)
The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was in darkness; men gnawed their tongues in anguish (Revelation 16:10)
Second Segment
And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death will fly from them. (Revelation 9:6)
and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores, and did not repent of their deeds. (Revelation 16:11)
The behaviour of the Antichrist system and those in it is to refuse repentance. No matter how catastrophic the punishment, it refuses to change. Pain, illness, darkness and anguish only cause these people to curse God. They refuse to see the truth. They refuse to believe there is anything wrong with them. They prefer attacking those who cherish truth, righteousness, and God’s word (see below).
Babylon Mother Of Harlots
First Segment
Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:17)
This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; (Revelation 17:9)
Second Segment
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; (Revelation 17:4)
and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, What city was like the great city? (Revelation 18:18)
While Jesus has the church as his bride, the beast has his alliance with Babylon. Unlike the one to one nature of Jesus and his bride, Babylon is a fornicator and whore. She is her own god and worships herself. She shifts her allegiance as the kings (heads) and cities (mountains) rise and fall through history.
She sells the idea of being best, and it is all without God. As a result everything ends up twisted into perversion. Democracy is emasculated because money is the true power. Evil is called exciting. Abuse is considered love. Freedom is experiencing everything physical not caring about morals. And passion is considered living
, overruling reason. What is praised among men is an abomination to God (Luke 16:15).
Babylon's fall is ordained because there is no true faithfulness between the Antichrist and his anti-church bride (16:6, 17:6, 18:24). The beast wants all worship for itself and its true master Satan. Crushing Babylon is the Antichrist's means to silence any dissent, and gathering all humanity under its own cause. Their hope is to be as strong as iron, but as seen in Daniel's vision everything has a very weak foundation (Daniel 2:33).
The Other Sheep
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Revelation 6:11)
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; (Revelation 21:2)
One of the twenty-four elders asked John, Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?
John is uncertain, and says, Sir, you know.
(Revelation 7:13-14) Unless this is a different group, John was told back in 6:11 these were those who had died in the great tribulation.
Whether these two groups were different groups, or were the one and the same does not change the fact that John did not recognize them. They were not Christian. If these two groups were different, this demonstrates the wide reach of God’s grace. There are more people in heaven than just Christians. And if these two groups were the same, John still doesn't recognize them because they are not Christians.
Since no church is mentioned, and the only qualification is that these people resisted the Antichrist, they are the other sheep
that Jesus mentioned (John 10:16). The numeric segment of text does not cover their tribulation. What matters is their end. In heaven they are given white robes and rest. (Jesus' righteousness is imputed to them.) They are being invited to the marriage of the Lamb and his bride, and they will see the new Jerusalem.
God’s Reign & A New Creation
First Segment
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying,Amen. Hallelujah!(Revelation 19:4)
Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:15)
Second Segment
And from the throne came a voice crying,Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.(Revelation 19:5)
Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:15)
These two text segments are practically the one and the same. Like two witnesses, their testimony agrees (Deuteronomy 17:6). God has ensured through the numbers that the end of human history is clear and confirmed.
The longer version has one additional verse. The odd and even positioned letters are divisible by seven. In the shorter version, the odd and even positioned words are divisible by seven. Taken together one might say words and letters both worked out.
The segments begin with praise for God, and end with those who will be forever excluded from God. Seven types of sinful people are excluded: dogs (most likely homosexuals), sorcerers (drug-makers), fornicators, murderers, idolaters, lovers of lies, and those who practice lying. These people will not praise God and reject the eternal gospel (Revelation 14:6).
God’s Promise
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
And he said to me,It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment.(Revelation 21:6)
The events in Revelation are terrible, but God never leaves his people without comfort. No matter how devastating the disaster, or evil the reaction of unbelievers, God promises to make everything right. This worn out world will pass away. There will be no tears, no fears, no death, no mourning, and no pain in the new world God is creating for his people. God has offered life to any who is willing to acknowledge him.