There are many reasons why Revelation should not be treated as an exclusively chronological timeline of events. There is some chronology, but there are also a lot of intertwined visions with overlaps.
For instance the Beast from the Sea in chapter 13 is the Roman empire. But the Whore riding the Dragon in chapter 17 with it's seven kings is also a depiction of the same Roman empire.
Next, the vision of the Woman with the 12 Stars (chapter 12) is about (true) Israel giving birth to Jesus and being persecuted by the dragon (devil/Roman Empire). It ENDS with the Woman being kept safe for 1260 days.
The Vision of the Two Witnesses (chapter 11) STARTS with a period of 42 months or 1260 days.
Whatever your interpretation is of the Vision of the Two Witnesses (chapter 11), it happens AFTER that of the Woman with the 12 Stars (chapter 12), but it is written BEFORE it.
There are many repetitions.
Another reason is that there are many repetitions of the same event.
Babylon is destroyed 3 to 4 times in 14:8, 16:19, 18:2, 18: 8-21.
In 14:14 the son of men appears on the clouds. In 16:15 Jesus comes as a thief in the night, and in 19:11-16 Jesus comes on a horse to tread the wine press. But that wine press was already tramped in 14:20.
So Jesus comes three times and treads the wine press twice?
The Wedding of the Lamb appears in 19:6-9 and in 21:2,9 the New Jerusalem is called the bride.
The eighth king of Babylon receives power for only one hour in 17:12. In 18:10,16,19 Babylon is destroyed in one hour.
All such repetitions are not recurring events, but describe the same thing in different places.
There are many cross-references
Also there are many small cross-references to other parts of Revelation that intend to connect those parts.
In 8:10 a star falls from heaven which is a reference to the devil being thrown out of heaven in 12:9.
In 13:5 the beast from the sea was given authority to make war for forty-two months. The 42 months refer to 11:2 where the Woman with the 12 Stars is kept safe for that period.
In fact all the instants of 3.5 times, 42 months, 1260 days refer to each other.
In 11:7 it says that the "beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them."
This is referring to 13:7: "It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."
And to 17:8: "The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction."
And to 20:3: "and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time."
In 14:10 anyone who worships the beast will be tormented with fire and sulfur (figure of speech of the second death). This refers to the lake of fire in 20:10,14,15. Are we going to have two final judgments or are both talking about the same event?
In 16:14-15 the kings of the earth are gathered to make war (Armageddon). So it does in 19:19 and 20:8 (Gog-Magog). Are we getting three Final Wars? Or just one?
In 21:2 and 9 the New Jerusalem is called the bride of the Lamb. This refers to 19:7-8. We are not going to have two weddings, are we?
For instance the Beast from the Sea in chapter 13 is the Roman empire. But the Whore riding the Dragon in chapter 17 with it's seven kings is also a depiction of the same Roman empire.
Next, the vision of the Woman with the 12 Stars (chapter 12) is about (true) Israel giving birth to Jesus and being persecuted by the dragon (devil/Roman Empire). It ENDS with the Woman being kept safe for 1260 days.
The Vision of the Two Witnesses (chapter 11) STARTS with a period of 42 months or 1260 days.
Whatever your interpretation is of the Vision of the Two Witnesses (chapter 11), it happens AFTER that of the Woman with the 12 Stars (chapter 12), but it is written BEFORE it.
There are many repetitions.
Another reason is that there are many repetitions of the same event.
Babylon is destroyed 3 to 4 times in 14:8, 16:19, 18:2, 18: 8-21.
In 14:14 the son of men appears on the clouds. In 16:15 Jesus comes as a thief in the night, and in 19:11-16 Jesus comes on a horse to tread the wine press. But that wine press was already tramped in 14:20.
So Jesus comes three times and treads the wine press twice?
The Wedding of the Lamb appears in 19:6-9 and in 21:2,9 the New Jerusalem is called the bride.
The eighth king of Babylon receives power for only one hour in 17:12. In 18:10,16,19 Babylon is destroyed in one hour.
All such repetitions are not recurring events, but describe the same thing in different places.
There are many cross-references
Also there are many small cross-references to other parts of Revelation that intend to connect those parts.
In 8:10 a star falls from heaven which is a reference to the devil being thrown out of heaven in 12:9.
In 13:5 the beast from the sea was given authority to make war for forty-two months. The 42 months refer to 11:2 where the Woman with the 12 Stars is kept safe for that period.
In fact all the instants of 3.5 times, 42 months, 1260 days refer to each other.
In 11:7 it says that the "beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them."
This is referring to 13:7: "It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."
And to 17:8: "The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction."
And to 20:3: "and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time."
In 14:10 anyone who worships the beast will be tormented with fire and sulfur (figure of speech of the second death). This refers to the lake of fire in 20:10,14,15. Are we going to have two final judgments or are both talking about the same event?
In 16:14-15 the kings of the earth are gathered to make war (Armageddon). So it does in 19:19 and 20:8 (Gog-Magog). Are we getting three Final Wars? Or just one?
In 21:2 and 9 the New Jerusalem is called the bride of the Lamb. This refers to 19:7-8. We are not going to have two weddings, are we?
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