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The Seventh Cycle tells us about the perfect, complete and final judgment!  We have had glimpses of it with each cycle ending with it and the sixth cycle dwelling on it, but now Revelation 20:11-21:8 gives us the climax.  Each cycle included a promise for the saints, sometimes only a verse or a portion of a verse but now it is several verses (Revelation 20:1-10).  So we have good news to hear that will bless us.  Good news about the present time and good news about the return of Jesus Christ.  Praise be to God!

The sixth cycle is one of the most graphic.  It is very appropriate for a word-vision to be graphic.  But it is not just graphic because of the white horse and its rider and the name on his head but as you read on you will find the robe of Christ is stained with the blood of His enemies and birds of prey are called to start circling for a feast!

The fifth cycle begins the third vision.  This vision, like the ones before, is marked with the phrase "in the Spirit" (Rev 17:3).  This time the vision is in the wilderness.  The vision is of the judgment of the great prostitute Babylon.  She is dressed like royalty and she is drunk on the blood of the saints -- those who witnessed to Jesus (the martyrs).  Here again the theme of witnessing to Jesus is front and center for the church.  By contrast, the prostitute is seducing the kings of the earth and their subjects -- this sexual immorality stands for the unfaithfulness of the people to God.  These are themes that have been prominent from the beginning of the book and especially in the seven letters where she reminds us of Jezebel and Balaam.  The connection with Jezebel is especially intentional when you compare Rev 2:21-22 with Rev 17:2.  This introduction twice includes the visionary formula "and I saw" (Rev 17:3, 6), both times refering to the same sight.

Babylon is a theme running throughout Scripture. 

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Here we will find the trumpet plagues intensified and talk of a battle at Har Magedon.  Things are really starting to heat up in the Revelation, though many of these ideas will yet be further developed and intensified as we continue onto future cycles.

The cycle opens with the normal vision marker: "And I saw..." (Rev 15:1).  It should remind you of the opening of the last cycle because both mention seeing a great sign in heaven (cf. Rev 12:1).  This time the sign is "seven angels with seven plagues."