Blog 028 - The Death Toll is Staggering
Posted on December 13, 2025

The Book of Revelation

Revelation 1 v 1-3 NIV
"The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw - that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blesssed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
 
Revelation Chap 1 v 1 - Chap 22 v 21 contains the revelation of Jesus Christ from start to finish. The message to the seven churches in chapters 2-3, whilst having a literal application for the early church in the first century, also contains a prophetic message for the church as a whole during the past 2,000 years.

How often do you read the Revelation?
Reading and studying scripture without the application of some guiding principles of interpretation could be likened to sailing a boat on the high seas without a rudder. When it comes to prophetic scripture, we might add the effects of a raging storm to this analogy! If we do not take a systematic and holistic approach to reading scripture; difficulties regarding interpretation will be exacerbated.
 
I have found the following basic principles particularly helpful when reading prophetic books such as Revelation:
 
Scripture interprets scripture:
This style of interpretation demands and assumes a systematic and holistic approach to reading the bible. It ensures that we make sound deductions based on an understanding of any verse, chapter or book within the context of the whole of the bible.
 
Literal interpretation:
If LITERAL sense makes GOOD sense, then seek no OTHER sense, lest you end up with NONSENSE. Very often, the literal interpretation of the plain text provides us with the simple truth and avoids unnecessary complexity.

Staggering Death Toll

I am conscious that at the time of writing this short article, there is conflict in Ukraine, Gaza and other parts of the world. The death toll of these recent conflicts is terrible, and will probably get worse, but I need to highlight that these conflicts, whilst devastating to those who are caught up in the mayhem, will pale into insignificance in a coming day when the Apocolipse begins to unfold.

Seven Seals - Seven Trumpets - Seven Bowls
During a seven year period called the Tribulation, otherwise known as "The time of Jacob's trouble", the population of the world will be decimated by war, famine, hate crimes, earth quakes, astrological events and other forms of judgment from God.
 
If we assume that a human population of circa 6 billion will remain on earth after the Rapture, earth's population will be reduced from 6 billion to less than 2 billion within a seven year period. Three billion people will die as the result of just two of the twenty-one individual judgments as outlined in Revellation, in the seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls of wrath.

Seal 4 - Revelation 6 v 7-8
In this single judgment, one quarter of mankind is killed. This equates to circa 1.5 billion people - 1,500 million souls. e.g.  one quarter of 6 billion is 1.5 billion.

Trumpet 6 - Revelation 9 v 15
In this single judgment, one third of mankind is killed. This equates to circa 1.5 billion people - 1,500 million souls. e.g. from the remaining 4.5 billion, less one third is 1.5 billion and this leaves 3 billion, many of whom will be killed as a result of the other 19 judgments.
 
I have written this article because my daily prayers for my family, friends and neighbours, includes the urgent desire for an awakening in our generation for the return of the Lord Jesus. Brothers and sisters, we need to pray earnestly and cry out to God for an awakening in these last days so that many more people will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus before these terrible events begin to unfold.

Jesus is coming soon! Do you believe this? 
Revelation 22 v 20
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.