By The Water
Revelation has 22 chapters and 404 verses. In the King James text that is 11,995 words, which takes about 1 hr to read at an ordinary pace of 200 words a minute — 22 chapters of visions — and seven letters to real churches at the start.
Revelation in numbers
| Chapters | 22 |
|---|---|
| Verses | 404 |
| Words (KJV) | 11,995 |
| Reading time at 200 wpm | 1 hr |
| Testament | New Testament |
| Type of writing | Apocalyptic letter |
| Author | John, writing from the island of Patmos |
| Place in the Bible | Written to seven real churches in what is now western Turkey |
Counted from the King James text in the By The Water app, not estimated. See the same figures for all 66 books.
Revelation is the book people most want to understand and most often abandon. It helps enormously to know two things before starting. First, it is a letter: chapters 2 and 3 address seven named churches with specific, unflattering, practical criticism. Second, it is written in the symbolic style of Daniel and Ezekiel, where numbers and beasts carry meaning rather than reporting events.
Sincere Christians read the middle of the book in genuinely different ways — as describing the first century, the whole of church history, the end, or some combination. Anyone who tells you the meaning of every symbol is certain is overselling. What the book itself insists on is much simpler and is stated repeatedly: the empire is not in charge, the Lamb is, and faithfulness under pressure is worth it.
It ends where Genesis began, which is the best argument for reading the whole Bible in order at least once: a garden, a river, a tree of life, and God living with people. The first pages and the last pages describe the same thing.
Key chapters in Revelation
- Revelation 1 — The vision that opens the book.
- Revelation 2–3 — Seven letters to seven real churches.
- Revelation 4–5 — The throne room, and the Lamb.
- Revelation 12 — The woman, the dragon and the child.
- Revelation 21–22 — A new heaven and a new earth, and the tree of life.
Read Revelation in a week
Split by verse count rather than by chapter, so the days come out even — no more than about 10 minutes on the heaviest day. Print it, or tick it off on screen.
| Done | Day | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Revelation 1–2 | |
| Day 2 | Revelation 3–6 | |
| Day 3 | Revelation 7–10 | |
| Day 4 | Revelation 11–13 | |
| Day 5 | Revelation 14–17 | |
| Day 6 | Revelation 18–19 | |
| Day 7 | Revelation 20–22 |
Where Revelation falls in a one-year plan
If you are reading the whole Bible in 2027, here is when you reach Revelation in each of the four plans on this site — computed from the plans themselves, with 2027 dates.
| Plan | When you read Revelation | Reading days |
|---|---|---|
| Bible in a Year | Days 335–364 (Wed, Dec 1 to Thu, Dec 30) | 22 days |
| Chronological | Days 361–365 (Mon, Dec 27 to Fri, Dec 31) | 5 days |
| Cover to Cover | Days 361–365 (Mon, Dec 27 to Fri, Dec 31) | 5 days |
| New to the Bible | Days 361–365 (Mon, Dec 27 to Fri, Dec 31) | 5 days |
Each plan is printable in full: compare all four reading plans.
Paper plans work — until you miss a day
A printed plan is a good start. The trouble usually comes in February: a busy week, three unticked boxes, then six, and the plan quietly ends. By The Water has this exact plan built in, and it is designed for the days life gets in the way.
- Today's reading, readyOpen the app and today's chapters are waiting on the Today tab. No hunting for where you left off.
- Every chapter tracked and savedEach chapter you read is checked off and saved to your account, so a new phone doesn't mean starting over.
- See how far you've comeA progress ring shows how much of the Bible you've read, and how far through the current book you are.
- A finish date that moves with you“Started Jan 2027 · Estimated finish: Dec 2027” updates as you read, so you always know where you stand.
- Miss a day without falling apartThe plan picks up at your next unread chapter, not a calendar date — so a missed week never becomes a wall of overdue readings.
- Reminders and streaksA daily reminder at the time you choose, and a reading streak to keep you coming back.
Free to start: the reading plans, progress tracking, streaks and reminders are all free in the app.
Nearby books
- The Book of James — 5 chapters, 12 min
- The Book of Ephesians — 6 chapters, 15 min
- The Book of Romans — 16 chapters, 47 min
- All 66 books — chapters, verses and reading time
- How long does it take to read the whole Bible?