Bible study Topics

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                                                       The Revelation of Jesus Christ

                                                                  To John the Apostle

Introduction: 

Author: John, the Apostle

1.The author identifies himself as John four times(Rev 1:1, 4, 9, 22:8). 

2 The author uses several words that only John the apostle used in the Gospel of John and in the Epistles. He calls Jesus Christ the "Logos" which means the Word (see Rev.19:13; cp. Jn.1:1; 1 Jn.1:1). "The Word' is used nine times in the Gospel of John and four times in John's Epistles. He also calls Jesus Christ "the Lamb of God (see Rev 5:6; 6:1; 7:9-, 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:9; 21:22. Cp. Jn.1:36.) 

He uses the word "true" (alethinos) ten times in Revelation. John is the only person to use the word "tabernacle" (skenoo). He uses it four times in Revelation and once in the Gospel (Rev.21:3; cp. Jn.1:14). He is also the only one to refer to the spear thrust in Christ's side (Rev.1:7; cp. Jn.19:34).

3. The early church said that John the apostle was the author. Justin Martyr said so (A.O. 150). One of the early disciples of John was a man named Polycarp. When Polycarp began bis own ministry, he had a pupil or disciple named Irenacus (died A.D. 190}. Ireoaeus said that Polycarp taught that John the apostle was the author. There are many others who verify the same conclusion. 

DATE: Uncertain. Probably A.D. 95-96. 

Some hold to an early date during Nero's reign (around A.D. 68); others to a later date during Domitian's reign (around AD. 95-96). The early date is unlikely. The later date fits the circumstances much better. 

There are two major reasons for this. 

1. John had been exiled to a rocky island in the Mediterranean, the Isle of Patmos. As far as is known, he was not exiled by the emperor Nero. Nero's persecution was more personal and local. Nero had been accused of burning Rome during a state of madness. To divert attention away from himself, he accused the Christians in Rome, and he launched an attack against them. Thousands were martyred by the most inhuman methods imaginable. The point to note is that Nero did not exile believers, he killed them. But the emperor Domitian did exile them. Domitian's persecution was a legal policy of the state and much more widespread. He made a deliberate attempt to banish Christian believers from the empire. Thus, it is much more likely that John was exiled during Domitian's reign. 

2. The state of the churches pictured in Revelation differs from the church pictured by Paul in the 60's and 70’s. Revelation pictures the churches as having been in existence for decades. Ephesus had lost its first love (Rev.2:4). Sardis was dead (Rev.3:1). There is a stark difference between the churches of Paul's day and the churches in the day of the Revelation. This definitely points toward the later date. 

TO WHOM WRITTEN: 

"To the seven churches which are in Asia" (Rev.1:4; cp. 2:1 - 3:22).  The seven churches were:

Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Philadelphia 

Pergamos, Sardis, Laodicea

PURPOSE: 

John had three purposes for writing Revelation. 

1. The immediate purpose: to allow Jesus Christ to proclaim, "Behold, I come quickly." (Rev.2:16; 3:11; 12:7, 12, 20). The seven churches of Asia and their world needed a word of encouragement, of counsel, and of warning. 

2. The historical purpose: to allow Jesus Christ to proclaim to His followers and to the world of every generation, "Behold, I come quickly" (Rev.2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20). God knows that every generation needs a word of encourage­ment, of counsel, and of warning. 

3. The godly purpose: to give to the church and to the world "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Rev.1:1). This revelation is both the unveiling of the person of Jesus Christ as the central figure of history and the unveiling of the message of His heart. He is both the content and the unveiler of the revelation. 

What is the revelation of Jesus Christ? 

The revelation concerns “things which must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1). It concerns the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who alone is worthy to open and oversee… 

The Book of Destiny

The book of the future of the world

The book of God’s redemptive purpose. 

The picture painted by Revelation is that God takes an active part in the Revelation. God has some things to say about the future--some things to unveil, to uncover, to show to the church and to the world. 

It is His own godly purpose to unveil these events. By unveiling them, He is sending forth a word of encouragement to the world. But He is also sending forth a word of counsel and of warning. Man must heed the message of the great book of Revelation as well as be encouraged by it.

The Book of Revelation 

To the best of my knowledge, the Book of Revelation is the only book in the Bible that contains an inspired outline of the contents. "The things which thou hast seen" refers to the vision in Revelation 1. "The things which are" refers to Revelation 2-3, the special messages to the seven churches. "The things which shall be hereafter" covers the events described in Revelation 4-22. What John heard in Revelation 4:1 substantiates this interpretation.

In review, we can summarize the basic characteristics of this book as follows:

It is a Christ-centered book. To be sure, all Scripture speaks of the Saviour; but the Book of Revelation especially magnifies the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ. The book is, after all, the revelation of Jesus Christ and not simply the revelation of future events.

It is an "open" book. John was told not to seal the book (Rev. 22:10) because God's people need the message it contains. Revelation can be understood, despite the fact that it contains mysteries that may never be comprehended until we meet at the throne of God. John sent the book to the seven churches of Asia Minor with the expectation that, when it was read aloud by the messengers, the listening saints would understand enough of its truths so as to be greatly encouraged in their own difficult situations.

It is a book filled with symbols. Biblical symbols are timeless in their message and limitless in their content. For instance, the symbol of "Babylon" originates in Genesis 10-11, and its meaning grows as you trace it through Scripture, climaxing with Revelation 17-18. The same is true of the symbols of "the Lamb" and "the bride." It is exciting to seek to penetrate deeper into the rich meanings that are conveyed by these symbols.

It is a book of prophecy. 

This is definitely stated in Revelation 1:3; 22:7, 10, 18-19; note also 10:11. The letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor dealt with immediate needs in those assemblies, needs that are still with us in churches today; but the rest of the book is devoted almost entirely to prophetic revelations. It was by seeing the victorious Christ presented that the persecuted Christians found encouragement for their difficult task of witnessing. When you have assurance for the future, you have stability in the present. John himself was suffering under the hand of Rome (Rev. 1:9), so the book was born out of affliction.

It is a book with a blessing. 

We have already noted the promise in Revelation 1:3, as well as the six other "beatitudes" scattered throughout the book. It is not enough simply to hear (or read) the book; we must respond to its message from the heart. We must take the message personally and say a believing "Amen!" to what it says. (Note the many "Amens" in the book: Rev. 1:6-7, 18; 3:14; 5:14; 7:12; 19:4; 22:20-21.)

It is a relevant book. 

What John wrote about would "shortly come to pass" (Rev. 1:1) because "the time is at hand" (Rev. 1:3). (Note also Rev. 22:7, 10, 12, 20.) The word shortly does not mean "soon" or "immediately," but "quickly, swiftly." God does not measure time as we do (2 Peter 3:1-10). No one knows when our Lord shall return; but when He begins to open the seals of the scroll (Rev. 6:1ff), events will occur with speed and without interruption.

It is a majestic book. 

Revelation is the book of "the throne," for the word throne is found forty-six times throughout. This book magnifies the sovereignty of God. Christ is presented in His glory and dominion!

It is a universal book. 

John saw nations and peoples (Rev. 10:11; 11:9; 17:15) as part of God's program. He also saw the throne room of heaven and heard voices from the ends of the universe!

It is a climactic book. 

Revelation is the climax of the Bible. All that began in Genesis will be completed and fulfilled in keeping with God's sovereign will. He is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending" (Rev. 1:8). What God starts, He finishes!

But before visiting the throne room of heaven, we must pause to listen to "the Man among the lampstands" as He reveals the personal needs in our churches and in our own hearts. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!"

Bible Exposition Commentary -

  BOOK OF REVELATION OUTLINE  

  (adapted from Jon Paulien) 

I THE PROLOGUE (1:1-8) 

The chain of revelation (1:1-3) 

Trinitarian greeting and doxology (1:4-6) 

Eschatological announcement (1:7,8) 

II THE SEVEN CHURCHES (1:9 - 3:22) 

Introductory Vision: Christ in the midst of the  seven golden 

lampstands (1:9-20)  John on Patmos (9-11) 

Vision of Christ (12-20) 

The letters to the seven churches (2:1 - 3:22) 

Ephesus, the passionless church (2:1-7) 

Smyrna, the persecuted church (2:8-11) 

Pergamon, the tolerant church (2:12-17) 

Thyatira, the compromising church (2:18-29) 

Sardis, the dead church (3:1-6) 

Philadelphia, the missionary church (3:7-13) 

Laodicea, the arrogant church (3:14-22) 

III THE SEVEN SEALS (4:1 - 8:1) 

Introductory Vision: The Enthronement of the Lamb (4:1 - 5:14) 

 General scene of worship (4:1-11) 

A heavenly crisis (5:1-4) 

Resolution of the crisis (5:5-7) 

Perpetual celebration of results (5:8-14) 

The Opening of the Seven Seals with Previews (6:1 - 8:1) 

The white horse--victorious conquest (6:1-2) 

The red horse--war (6:3-4) 

The black horse--famine (6:5-6) 

The pale horse--pestilence (6:7-8) 

The cry of the martyrs (6:9-11) 

The final eschatological events, (6:12 - 7:17) 

Destruction of the wicked by the wrath of the Lamb (6:12-17)

Salvation of the Tribulation Righteous:144,000 sealed saints (7:1-8) 

An innumerable multitude (7:9-17) 

Silence in heaven (8:1) 

THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2 - 11:18) 

Introductory Vision: A view of trumpets, the altar of incense and the 

end of intercession (8:2-6) 

The sounding of the seven trumpets (8:7 - 11:18) 

A plague falls to earth--hail and fire (8:7) 

A burning mountain sinks into the sea (8:8-9) into the sea (8:8-9) 

A polluting star falls on the rivers and springs (8:10-11) 

A plague partially darkens the heavenly bodies (8:12) 

Announcement of three further woes (8:13) 

A scourge of darkness and locusts arises from the Abyss to attack  

unsealed humanity (9:1-11) 

Transition from first to second woe (9:12) 

Preparation for the eschatological battle (9:13 - 11:13) 

The wicked: Four angels at the Euphrates release an army of two  

hundred million horsemen to destroy a third of humanity 9:13-21) 

The righteous: The little book (10:1-11) and the two witnesses (11:1-13) 

Transition from second to third woe (11:14) 

The mystery of God is finished (10:7); Christ claims His everlasting 

Kingdom (11:15-18) The Ark of the Covenant is seen (11:19) 

THE WRATH OF SATAN (12:1 - 15:4) 

The showing of seven signs (12:1 - 15:4) 

The woman, the dragon and the remnant (12:1-17) 

The beast from the sea (13:1-10) 

The beast from the earth (13:11-18) 

The 144,000 with the Lamb on Mt. Zion (14:1-5) 

The three angel's messages (14:6-13) 

The harvest of the earth (14:14-20) 

The righteous grain is harvested (14:14-16) 

The wicked vintage is crushed outside the city (14:17-20) 

The saved beside the sea of glass sing the song of Moses and the    

Lamb (15:1-4) 

THE WRATH OF GOD (15:5 - 18:24) 

Introductory Vision: 

God's glory fills the heavenly tabernacle; no one  

can enter it (15:5 - 16:1) 

The pouring out of the seven censer-bowls (16:2-21) 

A plague strikes the earth--boils (16:2) 

A plague strikes the sea--blood (16:3) 

A plague strikes the rivers and springs--blood (16:4-7) 

A plague strikes the sun--burning heat (16:8-9) 

A plague of darkness on the throne of the beast (16:10-11) 

The great river Euphrates dries up (16:12-16) 

The wicked: demonic spirits gather the kings for 

Armageddon (16:13-14,16) 

The righteous: conditions for blessing (16:15) 

Pronouncement of Destruction: earthquake and great hail (16:17-21) 

The Doom of Babylon (17:1 - 18:24) 

The harlot in the wilderness (17:1-6) 

The beast destroys the harlot (17:7-18) 

The destruction of the Great City (18:1-24) 

THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF EVIL (19:1 - 20:15) 

Introductory Vision: 

Celebration in heaven over Babylon's fall (19:1-10) 

The Final End (19:11 - 20:15) 

The Word of God on the white horse (19:11-16) 

An angel gathers the flesh-eating birds (19:17-18)  

The battle of Armageddon (19:19-21) 

The wicked defeated (19:19) 

The righteous victorious (19:20-21) 

The dragon thrown back into the abyss (20:1-3) 

Enthroned with Christ (20:4-6) 

The Defeat of Satan (20:7-10) 

The last Judgment (20:11-15) 

THE NEW JERUSALEM (21:1 - 22:5) 

Introductory Vision: 

The New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8) 

The New Jerusalem (21:9 - 22:5) 

Description of the New Jerusalem (21:9-27) 

The city's source of life (22:1-5) 

THE EPILOGUE (22:6-21) 

The book validated (6-19) 

Closing Benediction (20-21)