Deborah_

The next section of the book is somewhat different from the preceding ones. It contrasts the destinies of two symbolic women: the “great prostitute” (Babylon) and the Bride of the Lamb (the Church). Babylon is to be found whenever and wherever the world idolises wickedness as a means to material gain. For wealth and power nearly always go together; and those who seek power are generally driven by greed! Revelation 17:1-19:10 John is taken away into the desert (the place of spiritual detachment and clarity of vision), so that he can see things as they really are. There is the Beast (worldly power) again - but this time it’s being ridden by (and is therefore under the control of) a woman who embodies the characteristics of Israel’s two arch-enemies, Tyre and Babylon. The woman is dressed as a prostitute, advertising all that is luxurious and glamorous; but in God’s eyes she is loathsome, because her wealth is the product of oppression. She is Babylon, the moral and spiritual corruptor of the human race and the bait with which Satan hooks so many of us (I Timothy 6:10). And those she cannot seduce (because of their faithfulness to Christ) she will do her utmost to destroy. It was the spirit of Babylon that animated Jezebel (see II Kings 9:7) and Herodias (see Mark 6:19) - two women who would stop at nothing to silence God’s prophets. This combination of wealth and power (“Beauty and the Beast”) is a recurrent feature of world history. Like Christ, the Beast lives, dies, and rises to live again - but unlike Christ (who lives for ever!), its final destiny is destruction. In John’s time, it was easily identified with Rome - the city that ruled over the whole of the known world, and was the first-century epicentre of paganism, political corruption, materialism and violence. The seven ‘kings’ (Revelation 17:10) could be Roman emperors, but are more likely to represent a succession of empires: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Greece have come and gone, Rome is currently mistress of the world, and another is still to come. The pattern will keep on repeating itself, because the spiritual undercurrents remain constant, but it will eventually culminate in the greatest world power of them all - the empire of the Antichrist and his allies. The combined forces of Babylon and the Antichrist will appear to be all-powerful - but the final victory will belong to God and His people (Daniel 7:18). Whatever religion people may claim to follow, it’s materialism that dominates every part of the world. And yet it carries within itself the seeds of its own destruction. For eventually the Beast will turn against the Prostitute and kill her - because when people become violent out of greed or envy, they very often end up destroying whatever it is they’re fighting over (Revelation 17:16,17). Rome collapsed after being torn apart by internal factions, and Babylon will also come to a an ignominious and grisly end. Babylon’s glory is temporary; she will be destroyed as completely as ancient Babylon was destroyed, never to be inhabited again, and all her decadent glamour will vanish away like a bad dream. So believers have no business being there! (Revelation 18:4)) If we want to escape the inevitable disaster, now is the time to leave! The original Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4) has long been dwarfed by the pile of Babylon’s sins (Revelation 18:5), and it’s time for her to get a dose of her own medicine! (Psalm 137:8) So entwined has the world become in Babylon’s tentacles that her demise will mean the end of life as we know it. ”Money makes the world go round”: nations and governments are obsessed with commerce, multinational companies pull the strings of power - and everything has become a commodity. But such unparalleled prosperity and opulent luxury for the favoured few comes at an enormous human cost - most obviously in the slave trade, but also in the oppression and exploitation of farmers and factory workers all over the world. And Babylon’s downfall, like the loss of ancient Tyre (see Ezekiel 27), will have catastrophic repercussions (Revelation 18:9-19). All those who have profited from her immoral trade will reel with anguish, knowing that their obscenely affluent standard of living can no longer be sustained. Everything that they’ve lived and worked for will go up in smoke, leaving them with nothing. It’s foolish to cling to what is doomed to destruction; we shouldn’t attach too much significance to the things that belong to the present age. One day, all will be gone forever: entertainment, industry, agriculture, social networks, and trade. All Babylon’s lights will go out when God flicks the switch… And when Babylon has gone for ever, the time will have come for the Bride to make her entrance (Revelation 19:1-10). She is none other than the Church – who must prepare herself for her wedding day by faithfulness and obedience, so that when her Bridegroom returns to claim her she will be revealed in glory and beauty (Ephesians 5:25-27). Like Cinderella, she can’t afford a wedding dress of her own; but her Prince will give her everything she needs for her adornment! (Revelation 19:8) In sharp contrast to Babylon’s lewd gaudiness, the Church’s ‘wedding dress’ will be plain and simple: white linen, which represents righteousness. Although this outfit is bestowed on her, she still has to dress herself - by performing good deeds. We are thus assured that the future belongs not to the godless world-system, but to Christ and His people. And what a wonderful future it will be! “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9)

Now for the seven bowls - the outpouring of God's wrath. We have had glimpses of it in the sixth seal and the sixth trumpet, but now we are given a grandstand view. Revelation 15:5-16:21 Now we are shown how the end of the world will come about - not by a chance astronomical disaster or through the careless actions of human beings, but by God’s decree. His judgement will be executed by seven dazzling angels, whose gleaming white robes emphasise their utter purity and holiness. This is no outburst of bad temper on God’s part, but His perfectly just and righteous response to human sin. No longer is His terrifying holiness confined to a small dark room in an ancient city (where it can be ignored or avoided); it’s expanding to fill the whole universe! And Nature responds by acting as the mediator for His judgements, thus playing its part in the accomplishment of His purposes. Now that the time has come and the process of judgement has been initiated, nothing and no-one can stop it. The heavenly temple is sealed (Revelation 15:8): no more prayers will be heard, so there is no further opportunity for either intercession or repentance. And so the judgement begins. These plagues are strongly reminiscent of some of the plagues of Egypt (boils, blood, darkness, frogs and hail). They also closely parallel the trumpet warnings - except that this time the destruction is not partial, but total. The first three plagues strike the land, the sea and the fresh water, devastating every aspect of mankind’s environment. God’s coming has convulsed the natural world, and brought human life to ruin; but this is no more than the wicked deserve for what they have done to His people. With the onset of the fourth plague, people finally begin to acknowledge (as the Egyptians eventually did) that their troubles are the work of God - but instead of repenting, they blaspheme. Their hearts have become irreversibly hardened in hatred of God. The fifth plague is a direct attack on human civilisation (which has by now been completely taken over by the Beast). Like a global power cut, it paralyses the whole of society and plunges the world into chaos. At this point the normal social restraints break down; the sixth plague is global anarchy. The dragon and the beasts, in a final act of defiance against God, actively encourage the East to take up arms against the West. Each nation believes itself to be fighting for its own survival; they don’t realise that the End is imminent! In order not to be caught with our spiritual trousers down (Revelation 16:15), we must be living consistently holy lives (Romans 13:12,13). All around us, the rest of the world will descend into madness; and their armies will converge on the Middle East for the great battle that will bring human history to an end - the battle of Armageddon. But at that moment the seventh bowl will be emptied and the world will end. Babylon will implode under the weight of her own wickedness, the whole world will be shaken apart, and everything that doesn’t draw its life from God will disintegrate (Hebrews 12:26,27). Yet even as the world falls apart around them, people will still refuse to surrender to God. They remain stubbornly rebellious, all the way to Hell…

If i had been listening to this address I think I would have felt a bit uncomfortable. Saying that "Jesus wasn't perfect" seems to be the wrong way of putting it. Judging by the examples you've given, what the speaker actually meant was that Jesus didn't conform to other people's expectations - and maybe not to the speaker's expectations either! But none of the things listed were against God's Law. The bottom line is: Jesus was sinless (otherwise His death couldn't have saved us). We, of course, are not. That's why we need to ask for forgiveness regularly! But we are still commanded to imitate Jesus as far as we possibly can. And sometimes that will mean refusing to conform to the expectations of those around us.

Now for the other four visions... Revelation 14:1-15:4 There’s an alternative to the kingdom of the Beast - the Kingdom of God! The fourth vision (Revelation 14:1-5) is of Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem - which is where God’s people are assembled (Hebrews 12:22,23). The nation of Israel was preserved through 40 years of desert wandering (see Numbers 1:46; 26:51); and it will be the same for the Church. From the beginning of their salvation to its culmination, no-one who has been marked as belonging to Christ will be lost. On earth they may be suffering; but in heaven they’re singing the praises of their Redeemer (Isaiah 35:10). Their daily lives are characterised by consecration and commitment. Like David’s army (see I Samuel 21:4,5), they maintain themselves in a state of personal purity while waging war. But their holiness is not their own achievement; it’s all God’s doing! The fifth vision (Revelation 14:6-12) is of three angels, each with a very important message to deliver to the human race. The first is a very basic Gospel, calling on all the nations of the world to repent and give glory to their Creator. Not all have heard of Christ; but all are capable of acknowledging that they have a Maker on whom they depend, and that they should give Him due honour. The second message is a proclamation of Babylon’s doom, which has been a long time coming. The original Babylon may be dead and gone, but it represents all that is rich, strong, and self-reliant; and its corrupt and sensuous materialism still characterises the society in which we live. The third message is the judgement decreed for the followers of the Beast (who are the inhabitants of Babylon). All those who drink Babylon’s ‘wine’ of sinful indulgence will also have to drink from the cup of God’s wrath (Psalm 75:8). This is a warning to us: choose wisely! It’s better to be persecuted by the Beast in the present age than to be punished with the Beast in the age to come! Those who listen and respond to God’s word now are given a special blessing (Revelation 14:13). We are not to fear death, because it’s the doorway to the eternal rest that was foreshadowed by the weekly Sabbath (Hebrews 4:9-11). There we shall be free from all sin, temptation, sorrow, frustration and pain. And our service to Jesus will be rewarded with eternal blessedness. The sixth vision (Revelation 14:14-20) shows us how the kingdoms of the Beast and the Lamb will be separated at the end of the age (Matthew 13:41). Jesus is the Lord of the harvest, and when it’s ripe (a moment determined by God), He will gather His people in. But after the wheat harvest comes the grape harvest, because the wicked will also be ripe - for judgement! After believers have been taken out of harm’s way, unbelievers will be gathered together for destruction (see Isaiah 63:1-6). God’s judgement will take the form of a final great battle - and the carnage will be so terrible that it will be as if the armies are swimming in blood. In the final vision of this series (Revelation 15:1-4) the world as we know it is about to be destroyed; but the Church has been rescued, just as the Israelites were liberated on the night of God’s final plague on Egypt. And once again, the people of God will sing the song of Moses (see Exodus 15:1-18). The words may be different, but the theme is the same: God’s victory over the powers of evil, and the deliverance of His people. And just as Moses and the Israelites partied on the shore of the Red Sea after their escape from Egypt and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army, so we shall celebrate our redemption from the world and the final destruction of all wickedness. Truly we have a great, wonderful and all-powerful God!

The meek shall inherit the earth - but not until Revelation 21:7

How do you work out that they are on earth? They are no longer suffering hunger or thirst, for example. Also, in verse 11 it states that the angels were standing around the throne and falling on their faces before the throne. Do the angels zoom down to earth in order to worship? Doesn't make sense.

Why? That distinction makes no sense to me

Don't you know what it means to love Jesus??? Very true. Only Jesus gives us salvation, but most people put their trust in other things Exactly. Faith in a bridge is required every time you cross it. Faith leads to action (see James 2:14-26) You can have all sorts of reasons for trusting a bridge; but the acid test is whether you do cross it. And you can stand at the near end all day saying, "I trust the bridge and I know that if I cross it I'll be safe" - but it's the action that actually takes you to safety.

That song is being sung "before the throne", i.e. in heaven. So I doubt that anyone will know the words before getting there - it will be a new song, after all!

And of course, if you're preaching the gospel to someone, you would explain this. But there are people who haven't heard the gospel preached so clearly. It's possible to be saved simply by responding to the personality of Jesus and of loving Him. A common analogy of saving faith is that of getting on a plane. You want to go to New York (= be saved)? By getting on the plane, you demonstrate trust in the pilot and the plane to take you there (= trusting Jesus). But suppose you meet the Pilot, and he says, "Would you like to come on a journey with me?", and you say yes - without realising that New York is the destination? If you trust that the pilot knows best and you get on the plane, you will arrive in New York on the same flight as those who intentionally bought tickets for New York. It's being on the plane that "saves" you, not how or why you got on it.

According to my interpretation, the 144,000 are all Christians. So I am one of them - and so are you. And according to I Peter 2:9, we are God's kingdom of priests.

Now that's a big assumption, and I don't share it.

The second and third visions: the two beasts come onto the stage! Revelation 13 In the second vision (Revelation 13:1-10), the sea represents humanity as a whole: restless, chaotic, and unstable. Out of it, summoned by the dragon, comes a massive and terrifying Beast, like the four beasts of Daniel’s vision (whose characteristics it combines - including all their heads and horns) (see Daniel 7:2-7). It appears to represent worldly power, which operates according to devilish principles. The Beast’s seven heads indicate that it has many ‘incarnations’: political fashions come and go, but the same potential for tyranny underlies them all, and the overthrow of one overlord merely makes way for the next. In whatever form it takes, the Beast opposes God’s way of righteousness and claims absolute authority over human behaviour. Its final climactic manifestation will be the Antichrist, who will not only exceed all other rulers in his blasphemous arrogance, but will gain control over the whole world (II Thessalonians 2:3,4). But the true Church can never be allied with the Beast! Thus the world is divided into two camps: those who worship the Beast, and those who follow the Lamb. There will be no salvation and no future for those who follow the Beast; they are doomed to slavery and death. Christians are safe - but only if we keep ourselves separate from the world-system. We mustn’t even use the methods of the Beast! We are called not to violent rebellion, but to patient endurance. The third vision (Revelation 13:11-18) reveals that the Beast is not alone. Most tyrannies are underpinned and legitimised by some kind of false religion or ideology, which is a Satanic beast in its own right! John’s first readers were only too well aware of the growing power and influence of the imperial cult in Asia Minor. But the second beast has taken many other forms since then - some bearing a superficial resemblance to Christianity. However, it’s a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), and it draws people away from God and into the secular world-system. Satan does his work of deception by copying what God does. So the first Beast will be presented as the saviour of the world, in a deliberate parody of Christ. And the second beast will perform convincing miracles that will mimic the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus the dragon and the two beasts form a kind of alternative, unholy trinity. But the only people who will be deceived will be those who have in their hearts already rejected the true God. Those who refuse to worship the Beast will be vilified and ostracised. For just as God’s people are ‘labelled’ with the seal of the Spirit (see Revelation 7:3,4), so the followers of the Beast are ‘labelled’ with the name of the Beast. The two marks are mutually exclusive, so it will be obvious whose side each person is on! Eventually, only those who conform will be able to operate in the public sphere, and so the truth will be forced into hiding. Christians therefore need wisdom - and we need it first and foremost in order to discern those occasions when the state has crossed the line and become demonic. The Beast is not named, because it has so many manifestations, but its name can be represented by a number (under the rules of Hebrew gematria). In John’s day, 666 almost certainly stood for Nero Caesar – but it also stands for every other tyrant in the history of the world. “One of the lessons of church history is that the letters of anyone’s name can add up to 666 if you try hard enough.” (S Holmes) But in fact, “666” isn’t the clue to the puzzle but the answer! “6” is one less than ‘7” (the “perfect” number); it’s therefore appropriate to use it (in triplicate) to represent Satan’s unsuccessful attempt to rival the Triune God.

The link states: "The AORIST tense always conveys a single, discreet action (i.e. simple aspect). This is the more common tense for referring to action in the past." The verb in Revelation 6:17 is in the aorist tense (not the imperfect!) and therefore refers to past, completed action. In English: "the day of wrath has come". And if something has come, then it is here now. Now it's the day of wrath that has come, and it's the coming of the day that's complete - the wrath itself isn't over and done with but is in the process of being worked out in the course of the day, which is why the people of the earth are trying to hide from it. "The aorist is not a past action. The aorist has no tense." Read the article more carefully. In the indicative mood, the aorist is a tense, as is shown by the extra 'e' on the front of it (which indicates past action). It's only in the other moods (the subjunctive, the infinitive, the imperative) that this statement applies. In Rev 6:17, the verb is in the indicative, and so it does indicate past action.

I believe in Hell, yes. Of course coming to faith is equivalent to being saved. But faith isn't something intellectual - it's trust in the person of Jesus. You can trust in Him and be saved by Him without understanding all the ins and outs of Christian theology. As Paul said to the jailer, if you believe in Jesus you will be saved. Whether or not you understand all about sin and Hell.

Do you think that people become Christians only out of fear? Some of us become followers of Christ because we have met Him and discovered that He loves us - and an experience of that love is sufficient for us to turn from our idols and worship Him. Later on we discover that we had been going to Hell and He has saved us from that fate - which is an added bonus, but not the reason for us coming to faith in the first place.

I found that very interesting - an interpretation I've never come across before. Another interpretation I've seen (a rather "oddball" one) is that John is describing astronomical information from the time of Christ's birth. The woman and the dragon are constellations (Virgo and Draco, next to each other in the sky), and a meteor shower appears to come from the dragon's tail (verse 4). The author reckoned that a comet (the "star" seen by the wise men) appears from within the constellation of Virgo to signify Christ's birth. It hasn't changed my mind that the woman represents Israel. The "birth-pains of the Messiah" would have been the thought uppermost in the minds of John's first readers. The One who will rule the nations is a reference to Psalm 2. He must be the Messiah, because Christians are "the rest of the woman's offspring" (verse 17). I don't see why verse 17 should be describing two distinct groups of people, rather than just one.

Now we come to the first of a series of 7 visions. If there is an overall theme, it seems to be the conflict between God and Satan that rumbles through the universe - and the choice that we have to make between them. Revelation 11:19-12:17 In Israel’s religious calendar, the Feast of Trumpets was followed by the Day of Atonement (when the sanctuary was opened). After the blowing of all the trumpets, John is able to see into the heavenly temple (of which the earthly temple in Jerusalem was a copy), right into the Most Holy Place. The Ark of the Covenant symbolised God’s holy presence; but it was also the focal point of His mercy and grace. As such, it forms the context for a series of seven visions, which explain the nature of the conflict between good and evil that characterises our present age. The first of these visions (Revelation 12) is a re-telling of the Christmas story from a heavenly viewpoint. The woman is the nation of Israel; the twelve stars stand for the twelve tribes (see Genesis 37:9,10). As a descendant of Eve (see Genesis 3:15), she suffers what the Jews called ‘the birth pains of the Messiah’ - the centuries of anguish endured by Israel as she waited for the coming of her King (see Micah 5:3; Isaiah 26:17). For she has a terrifying and immensely powerful Enemy: Satan, the dragon, whose evil intention is to frustrate God’s purposes. All through history he has tried to corrupt and destroy God’s people, and he also tried to destroy the Messiah who came from Israel. In earthly history, this has been manifested in many ways, from Pharaoh trying to kill baby Moses (Exodus 1:22) to Herod trying to kill baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13). And who could be more vulnerable than a pregnant woman and a new-born baby? But Satan was foiled: Jesus escaped premature death, completed His mission and went back into heaven. The Jews, having fulfilled their main purpose, were once again forced into exile - but are still under God’s care and protection. The earthly conflict has its counterpart in heaven, where war has been raging between the devil’s army and the army of God under the command of the archangel Michael (the guardian of God’s people). The dragon was the one who initiated the Great Rebellion in the beginning (Genesis 3:1). But from the moment of Jesus’ death, he and all his followers (both angelic and human) have been on the defensive. And when the Lamb ascended triumphantly to heaven, Satan was forced to descend unceremoniously to earth! (John 12:31) He is now barred from access to God’s throne room and can no longer accuse God’s people (see Zechariah 3:1,2; Romans 8:33,34). Christ’s death has robbed Satan of his power, by removing the basis for his accusations (Colossians 2:13-15). And we’re not just passive spectators; we also participate in Satan’s overthrow, by putting our faith in Jesus and standing firm against the devil’s attacks. We may be persecuted; we may be martyred; but our salvation is utterly secure! And so we’re already able to celebrate Christ’s great victory, even while we continue to suffer in this life. For although Satan and his hosts have been comprehensively defeated in the heavenly realms, the war on earth is not yet over. Satan can still wreak havoc in this world; and his rage is all the greater because he knows that he can’t win! Meanwhile, Israel disappears into the wilderness for the duration of the Gospel age. It’s a place of testing, but also a place of supernatural provision - and relative safety. And she hasn’t been abandoned by God; in fact, it’s there that she will eventually re-discover Him (see Hosea 2:14,15). Satan continues to wage war against the Jewish people, but finds his attempts to destroy them continually frustrated. He therefore concentrates his efforts on persecuting Christians.

A census is when you count a large group of people. The people in Revelation 7 are most definitely being counted, so this is a census. That's why I put the word in quotation marks Except that (if you read the whole story going back to Judges) they didn't. Dan's very first idol was stolen from an Ephraimite. And it was an Ephraimite king, Jeroboam, who introduced idolatry into the Kingdom of Israel. Perhaps that's the reason why Ephraim is left out...

I think it's confusing because people from different church traditions use these terms differently. "Regeneration" is technically what happens when we're born again - the Spirit gives us new life. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is probably something different, even though it may happen at the same time. Pentecostals use it to describe an overwhelming experience of the Spirit, usually connected with speaking in tongues or other spiritual gifts.

Israel was the people of God in the Old Testament. The Church (Jewish and Gentile) is the people of God now (Galatians 6:15,16). In Revelation 7 we have a group of people who are "servants of God" - so they are either the whole church or a group within the church. Then they are "sealed" - and we know that all Christians are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13,14). The "Twelve Tribes" was a common expression for the whole nation of Israel (even though there were in fact 13 tribes, and after the Exile there were effectively only three). The list of tribes in Revelation 7 is "incorrect" (Manasseh was a subdivision of Joseph, and Dan is missing completely), and each one has the same "perfect" number of members. This hardly supports a literal census; it makes sense as a metaphorical one. Given that 12 is a highly significant number in the history of God's people (12 tribes, and 12 apostles), if you wanted to invent a number to stand for the whole church, 12 x 12 x 1000 would be pretty logical.

Revelation 10 & 11 Between the sixth and seventh trumpets (as between the sixth and seventh seals) there are two other visions showing the same situation from the point of view of God’s people. Disasters and calamities are a rather crude means of communication; but God also speaks verbally, through human messengers. John sees an angel carrying a scroll (Revelation 10:1); its contents are no secret, so it must be the message of the Gospel. Its proclamation draws a response from the ‘seven thunders’ - but John is forbidden to record what they say. Some information is withheld from us; we have to remember that our knowledge of God’s purposes is incomplete! In the true prophetic tradition (see Ezekiel 2:8-3:3), John is then instructed to eat the scroll - to absorb God’s word and make it part of his own being. He is promised that it will be good to eat, and he’s not disappointed! Like all those who belong to God, he takes delight in God’s word; but to proclaim it in the face of opposition, and to live it out in the face of persecution, often brings more bitterness than joy. Nevertheless, John can no longer be a mere observer; he’s now an active participant in God’s purposes. There’s a sense of urgency, because we’re already in the Last Days; the End could come at any moment! (Revelation 10:5-7) The second vision (Revelation 11:1-14) shows how bitter the task of bearing witness can be. John is commanded to ‘measure’ God’s Temple (the Church), and specifically to differentiate the holy from the profane. Only true believers (those who worship in the sanctuary) are to be counted as God’s people. For the Church is under siege: it’s surrounded by a hostile world, and from time to time that world attempts to invade it. The 42 months (or 1260 days) is 3½ years – apocalyptic ‘code’ for the duration of this present age, a time of suffering and persecution, during which the enemies of God’s people appear to have the upper hand. During this period, the Gospel will be preached to the hostile and unbelieving world (represented by Sodom and Egypt) by two ‘witnesses’, dressed as mourners (perhaps to imply that their message is a call to repentance). They probably represent the Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 15:26,27). The world will rage against them, but their testimony won’t be silenced until the end of the present age. Then, as the End draws near, the Antichrist will initiate a wave of such intense worldwide persecution that the Church will be destroyed altogether. Unbelievers will rejoice at this - but their triumph will be short-lived! Every time in history that the Church has been crushed and pronounced dead (e.g. in Maoist China), it has bounced back after a short time, stronger than ever. On this final occasion, the Church’s revival will coincide with the return of Christ to rescue His people before judgement falls on the wicked. But when their faithful witness – even to the point of death – has been vindicated so dramatically by God, there will be many last-minute conversions. Jericho was given six days of trumpet warnings; the seventh was the day when it was suddenly and totally destroyed (see Joshua 6:1-5). It will be the same for the world when the seventh trumpet sounds: it won’t be a warning but a proclamation of Christ’s victory. John isn’t shown this event, but he hears the hosts of heaven celebrating it. Earthly kingdoms come and go - and at the End, all will vanish as if they had never been. But God’s Kingdom is universal and eternal (Daniel 2:44). After this cataclysmic event, His rule will never be challenged again.

It's in the nature of the book that John has written - it's an "apocalyptic book" and that type of literature (of which there are many examples from the period he was writing in) is stuffed full of symbolism. This is neither "scriptural" nor "doctrinal" but general background knowledge. John makes many many allusions to Old Testament passages, and this is just one of them. The circumstances of the original census help us to interpret the passage in Revelation. Here is the Church, each individual numbered (the actual number is symbolic - the point is that it is a number!). We are travelling through the wilderness of this world, organised for a spiritual battle. And when we reach the promised land (and the census is done again), we shall all be accounted for. (Revelation 14:1)

1) No. 2) The visions in chapters 7, 10 & 11 are parenthetical (they interrupt the sequences of the seals and the trumpets). I think the visions in chapters 12-14 form a series of their own, because there are seven of them.

I don't follow your reasoning here. An aorist verb indicates past, completed action. As we would say in English, "the day of wrath has come." In other words, it has already arrived - where from the verb do you get the idea that it is yet to occur?