In this episode, Gordon and Mark step into one of the most important books of the Bible—the book of Revelation. They begin by acknowledging how confusing this book can feel to many readers and explain their goal: to provide a beginner’s view of its purpose and framework so listeners can approach it with clarity and confidence. 

They introduce the four major viewpoints of Revelation—Preterism, Historicism, Futurism, and Spiritualism—noting that each viewpoint has its own set of followers.  Each viewpoint has its own pros and cons but the whole set of four justs adds to the confusion of the books message. 

The discussion highlights a consistent biblical pattern: prophecy is given and later fulfilled. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God has always worked this way, and Revelation continues that same pattern at the close of history. The purpose of the book, they emphasize, is “to tell us ahead of time the things which must happen to bring our world back to its intended state and to unite us back to God.” 

To make the complex narrative easier to grasp, Gordon and Mark present a swim lane metaphor, illustrating how Revelation interweaves sequential events with backstory explanations. This helps listeners picture the flow of information and how the different threads of prophecy overlap and connect. 

They then provide a high-level overview of Revelation: 

• The length of the Tribulation is seven years, with the Great Tribulation being the back 3.5 years.
• The Millennium occurs after the Tribulation week completes. 
• The Scroll represents God’s ultimate plan, and only Jesus is worthy to open it. 
• The Seal judgments summarize the activity of the Tribulation across the full seven years. 
• The Trumpet judgments describe an intensified period of discipline during the Great Tribulation, lasting 3.5 years. 
• The Bowl judgments align with the sixth Trumpet and mark the outpouring of God’s Wrath in its fullest sense at the end of the Great Tribulation. 
• Finally, Jesus returns to begin His rule and reign over the earth for a thousand years, fulfilling the promise of His Kingdom. 

By walking through these themes step by step, Gordon and Mark provide listeners with a framework to approach Revelation not with fear or confusion, but with a deeper understanding of God’s plan and His faithfulness to bring it to completion. 

Send us a text