This section is the heart of the book of Revelation.

There is a change from the normal pattern in Relation here.  They seem to form a series – problems of the church – Stresses  - God has a plan of victory and has defeated the evil enemy.  Satan was thrown down from Heaven to earth.  His terror is real but temporary in the big picture.  He knows this!  Here, the entire story of Christ is revealed in this perfect series of seven visions or signs.  He has triumphed over evil and the ultimate intimidation of evil – death.  Satan is now on the warpath attacking all who claim to hold to this Jesus theory of victory.  The persecution of the church of Jesus Christ is a direct result of this evil vs. holy conflict. John has and is continuing to reveal the root cause of this conflict, and by doing so, is preparing the church to stand firm against the attacks it is and will continue to have waged against her.  This persecution is very real and effective, but God is victorious in the end and destroys His enemies and rewards His faithful followers.  The stage is set for this final outplay of evil vs. good, and Chapters 12-14 introduce the cast of players who take the major roles in this final confrontation.