Revelation is seen as the hardest and most complex book in the New Testament. But this book gives us one of the clearest and sharpest visions of God’s ultimate purpose for all of creation and the way that the powerful forces of evil will be defeated through Jesus and the victory of His followers.
Over the next weeks, we will journey through the book of Revelation. This book was not meant to be scary, avoided, or too difficult to read. It was written to believers in the first century who were under a lot of persecution from both inside and outside of the church. That’s encouraging to us because, as we’ll see and read, Revelation is not too difficult for us to understand and apply the truths to our own lives.
There are at least four main camps on how to interpret the book of Revelation. It is a book of symbolism and images mainly drawn from the Old Testament. We will not attempt to interpret every detail of the book, but we will talk about a couple of approaches on how to interpret passages as a whole, always keeping in mind the main point of this book- a revelation of who Jesus was, is, and will always be.
I encourage you to read Revelation for yourself, look at the resources listed, and consider the questions provided so you will be able to engage in conversations with your students. As always, if you have any questions about anything give me a call, text, or let’s grab coffee and talk about it.
“Blessed 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 1:3)
Resources:
Week 1- Intro
- AUTHOR: John possibly the apostle who wrote the Gospel of John. But also could be a different John called “John the elder.”
- DATE: Sometime between 65-95 AD
- GENRE: Falls into three categories
- Apocalypse- meaning revelation, disclosure, unveiling- the disclosure of unseen heavenly or future realities.
- Prophecy- The message given is one of comfort, warning, and rebuke. Jesus already won, so we are conquerors even in sufferings.
- Epistle (Letter)- This message is to be given to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. But it is also to be read by all Christians in every generation.
- THEMES:
- God- His character, nature, and attributes. How can Revelation help us know, love, trust, and obey Him better?
- Christ- His work and its results. How can Revelation help us know Him better? Jesus has already defeated Satan in His sacrificial death
- Ultimate reality- What is the universe’s true meaning and purpose?
- Power- Who has it, and who only seems to have it? Revelation shows the unseen spiritual war between God and Satan that is going on around us all the time
- Evil- Source and nature. Why do Christians suffer? The spiritual war continues as the Church continues to be attacked by persecution, false teachings, the allure of material affluence, and cultural approval.
- Kingdom of God- What is it really about?
- Our response- How should Christians respond to their situations in light of these truths? The visions both warn the Church to stay alert and encourage it to endure the sufferings because Christ will come again and bring in the new heaven and earth.
- APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
- What do you hope to get out of this study of Revelation?
- What are your expectations of this time as we study Revelation?
Week 2- Jesus (Revelation 1)
- THEME: Jesus revealed
- SUMMARY: All throughout the Bible, we see Jesus appear in different ways. For example, Jesus says "I am the..." seven times in the book of John (I am the Bread of Life, Light of the World, Good Shepherd, Resurrection and the Life, the Way/the Truth/the Life, the Door, and the Vine). What is your image of Jesus? In Revelation 1, Jesus shows Himself to John in a magnificent way. Why did Jesus reveal Himself in this way and why could this be encouraging to the churches receiving this letter?
- APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
- Jesus shows Himself as a warrior who fights on behalf of His Church. How is this encouraging to you?
Week 3- 7 Churches (Revelation 2-3)
- THEME: Letters to 7 churches
SUMMARY:
The New Testament is mainly comprised of letters to churches. Why does God choose to communicate to His people in this way? Perhaps it shows God's desire to be intimate with His Church. There are different ways to interpret the letters to the 7 churches:
- 7 represents completeness, so the letters are directed to every church, every believer, in every generation.
- Addressing the 7 specific churches mentioned.
As with the other New Testament letters, we should keep both perspectives in mind. Maybe each letter was written to a specific church, but the turths found are timeless because the word of God is living and active.
Read Revelation 2-3 and see the similarities and differences in each. How do the letters address the following:
- Title/Description of Jesus-
- Encouragement-
- Criticism-
- Counsel-
- "If not then..."-
- Promise to overcomers-
- How might the title/description of Jesus be important to this church?
- APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
- What do you think Jesus would say in a letter to our church? What would He say to you?
- Consider Jesus' counsel to each church, how would you like to respond in light of how you answered the question above?
Week 4- Jesus' Return (Revelation 22:6-21)
- THEME: Jesus is coming back to reign in bodily form.
- SUMMARY:
- APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
- There will come a time when every person will know who Jesus is. How does that encourage you to share your faith?
- What feelings and thoughts do you have about the truth that Jesus is coming back?
- What are things that you need to change in your own life as you prepare for Jesus' return?