Revelation Bible Study

Chapter 1

1. Introduction to the First Three Chapters

a. These chapters are different from the rest of the book in that theyre not specifically
a prophecy, though they do contain prophetic elements
b. The first three chapters are an introduction of sorts for the rest of the book
i. John has a vision of Jesus, who commissions him to write a letter to 7
churches

2. Vs. 1-3 The Introduction

a. 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the
things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his
servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus
Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of
this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it,
for the time is near.
b. An Introduction
i. This is the only part of Revelation thats not written from Johns perspective,
leading many to believe he didnt write this part.
ii. Many believe this part is an introduction to Johns original letter that the
church in Ephesus added after receiving it. John served in Ephesus, so we
assume that church took the most active role in preserving this letter and
spreading its message and could have added this introduction as something
of a seal of approval.
1. Preterists say that Ephesus added this introduction after they received
the letter
2. Others say they added it after John died
c. Six Levels of Delivery
i. The revelation originates with God
ii. God gave the revelation to Jesus
iii. Jesus made it known to his angel
iv. The angel spoke to John
v. John bore witness to the churches
vi. The churches preserved it
vii. We get to read it today
d. The book is clear that the things it foretells are expected to happen soon
i. things that must soon take place (vs. 1)
ii. the time is near (vs. 3)
iii. If God thought it important enough to mention twice in the introduction that
the things are happening soon, it probably means theyre happening soon. If
the events wouldnt happen for thousands of years, He wouldnt have been
so adamant that the time is near.
e. the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ
i. These concepts are used repeatedly throughout the book
ii. testimony = marturia (Greek) = eventually this word came to mean a
martyr, someone who gave his life for his testimony, but the original meaning
is as a witness who saw something and told about it, like in a court of law.
 1. A testimony gives witness to something seen and heard and known as
fact
2. Background: Roman Persecution
a. Revelation was written during a time of persecution against
Christians in the Roman Empire.
b. During times of persecution, people were put on trial for their
testimony, their witness of what they had seen and heard
c. The church dealt with three types of people in times of
persecution
i. A Martyr someone who stuck to their testimony and
never backed down, eventually being killed for what they
said was true
ii. A Lapse someone who recanted their testimony on fear
of death
1. It was a very real problem in the early church to
figure out what to do with lapses who wanted to
come back into fellowship with the church family
after persecution. Should they receive them back?
Or were they barred for life because they had
recanted?
iii. A Confessor someone who stuck to their testimony, was
prepared to die, but somehow escaped death
1. Polycarp was a confessor he was burned alive but
the flames didnt touch him.
2. John the Apostle was a confessor he was tried for
his faith and sentenced to death by being dipped in
boiling oil, but the oil didnt harm him. He escaped
death, but the Romans in anger exiled him to the
island of Patmos
iii. John equates the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ with each
other
1. Throughout Revelation, he uses these two as a way to talk about
preaching the Gospel
f. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy
i. When John wrote Revelation, people didnt have their own copies of it (or
much of any literature at all). There were no printing presses, so every copy
had to be written by hand. Generally, each church would have someone
whose job it was to read the different letters out loud, so all could hear.
g. Blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is
near.
i. The writer pronounces a blessing on the ones who hear and keep what is
written. This doesnt mean those who hear and preserve what is written but
those who hear and do, obey what is written.
1. This means that this isnt just a book of predictions to remember, but
that there are commands within this book that should be obeyed. If
you obey them youll be blessed, but if you dont you wont be blessed.
ii. The writer then reiterates the fact that the time is near, stating emphatically,
Youll be blessed if you hear and obey, for the time is near. In other words,
Because the time is near, youll be blessed if you hear these words and obey
them.
 1. Something critical, a terrible judgment of God, is going to happen soon
that will bring calamity upon many, but if you hear and obey the
warnings of this book you will be blessed in the midst of it.

3. Vs. 4-6 The Greeting

a. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him
who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before
his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins
by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
b. John to the seven churches that are in Asia
i. With the introduction added by Ephesus done, John begins his letter like a
typical epistle.
ii. Seven churches at the time of writing, we know of at least ten churches in
Asia (Troas, Colossae, and Hierapolis in addition to those addressed here),
and there were perhaps others we simply dont know about.
1. John addresses only seven churches instead of all ten. Why? Because
seven suggests completion, wholeness. He probably uses the number
seven as a way of saying, to all the churches
c. He freed us from our sins by His blood
i. Modern translations that use Textus Receptus (a Greek New Testament from
the 1500s compiled by Erasmus, who didnt have a Greek copy of Revelation)
all write washed us of our sins, but older, better manuscripts in the original
Greek all say freed us from our sins, a clear allusion to Exodus.
1. The ESV and Orthodox translations are based on older Greek
manuscripts and therefore say freed, but KJV, NKJV, Cornilescu, and
Fidela are based on Textus Receptus
d. Made us a kingdom, priests to His God
i. Older, better original Greek manuscripts all say a kingdom of priests
e. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and
from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful
witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
i. Most epistles say simply, Grace to you and peace from God the Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ but John does better by including the whole Trinity.
ii. him who is and who was and who is to come God the Father, Yahweh
iii. the seven spirits who are before His throne the Holy Spirit
1. The seven spirits of God are mentioned 3 times in Revelation
2. Its not exactly clear what these seven spirits of God are (Revelation
4:5 says theyre the seven torches of fire around the throne of God,
and Revelation 5:6 says theyre the seven eyes on the Lamb)
a. Most scholars assume its a term for the Holy Spirit (In Isaiah
11:2, there are seven different names used for the Holy Spirit)
3. Using the number seven is perhaps symbolic of the wholeness and
unity of God, the entirety of His Spirit
iv. Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of
kings Jesus
1. John is writing to churches being persecuted for their faith, and these
three titles of Jesus would provide encouragement to them in their
suffering:
 a. Faithful Witness Hes a martyr who never recanted, which
would encourage the churches to not give up on their witness, to
be faithful as Jesus was faithful, even to the point of death. If
Jesus made it, you can too!
b. Firstborn of the Dead What an encouragement for those who
lost loved ones to martyrdom, or those facing the possibility of
martyrdom. Jesus was martyred but rose from the dead, as the
firstborn, meaning that there will be others who will also rise
from the dead. Death didnt hold Jesus, and it wont hold us
either.
c. Ruler of the Kings of the Earth To the suffering church, facing a
hostile government that seemed all-powerful, they needed to
know that Jesus was still in control, that He is sovereign above
all the rulers.

4. Vs. 7 Coming with the Clouds

a. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who
pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
b. Theme for Revelation this is something of a theme statement for the book
i. The most common interpretation people give for this verse is that its
obviously a reference to the Second Coming, but this is not necessarily the
right interpretation
c. Behold, he is coming with the clouds
i. This is not necessarily a term referring to the Second Coming
ii. Figurative use of Jesus coming in Revelation 1-3 This does not mean His
literal appearance
1. Revelation 2:5 Jesus warns the church in Ephesus that if they dont
repent, He will come and remove their lampstand. In other words,
Repent or Ill close your church. Well, that church is gone. Its been
gone for a long time. So clearly Jesus did come and remove their
lampstand. He wasnt, clearly, referring to His Second Coming because
when Jesus comes, that church wont be there. Instead, this is referring
to how He figuratively came and got rid of the church because they
didnt repent.
2. Revelation 2:16 Jesus warns the church in Pergamum to repent or He
will come and fight against those in the church teaching heresy. Again,
there is no longer a church in Pergamum, so clearly Jesus did come and
fight against them, but not in a literal sense.
3. Revelation 2:25 Jesus tells the church in Thyatira to hold fast until He
comes to them. There is no longer a church in Thyatira, so Jesus cant
come to them any longer. This cant, then, be referring to His Second
Coming but must be referring to some sort of figurative coming of
Jesus to comfort and rescue them.
4. Revelation 3:3 Jesus warns the church in Sardis to repent or He will
come like a thief. Again, this church is gone, so Jesus wont be able to
come to them for His Second Coming. Clearly, however, Jesus did come
to them as a thief, because the church is not there anymore. Its a
figurative coming.
 5. Revelation 3:11 Jesus tells the church in Philadelphia that He is
coming to them soon. There is some evidence that this church still
exists, so this could in theory be referring to His Second Coming,
except or the fact that Jesus says Hes coming soon, which would
mean He must be referring to some other sort of figurative coming,
because 2000 years later is not soon.
6. Revelation 3:20 Jesus tells the church in Laeodicea that He will come
to those who open the door to Him. We all assume this means a
figurative coming, not the literal Second Coming, that Jesus will send
His Spirit to come and dwell with them.
iii. Jesus spoke of His coming in a figurative sense in the Gospels
1. Matthew 10:23 Jesus sends out His disciples to preach the Gospel,
and he warns them to hurry, because you will not have gone through
all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes
a. Jesus is telling them the Son of Man will come before theyve
preached in all the towns of Israel.
b. It wouldnt take 2000 years to preach in all of Israels towns, so
Jesus cant possibly be referring to His Second Coming He
must be referring to His coming in some other, figurative sense.
2. Matthew 16:28 Jesus tells His disciples, there are some standing
here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in
his kingdom.
a. All those disciples are dead, they tasted death, so Jesus cant be
referring to His Second Coming, which hasnt yet happened
Again, He must be referring to His coming in some other,
figurative sense.
3. Matthew 24:30,34 (Olivet Discourse) Jesus tells His disciples, Then
will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the
tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory this generation
will not pass away until all these things take place
a. This sounds exactly like Revelation 1:7
b. Both Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 are echoing a prophecy
in Zechariah 12:10 about the tribes of Israel mourning when
they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall
mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child
c. Jesus clearly states that the generation of those Hes speaking
with, His disciples, will see all these things take place
i. If this generation would see these things, He cant be
talking about His Second Coming, which hasnt happened
yet though its been over 2000 years.
iv. These references to the Son of Man coming (Revelation 1:7, Matthew 10:23,
16:28, 24:30-34) cant possibly be about the Second Coming but must be
about something else, some sort of figurative coming of Jesus in that
generation. What could it be?
1. Some say Matthew 16:28 is about the Transfiguration, but this cant be
true because Jesus makes the same prediction again after the
Transfiguration in Matthew 24 and Revelation 1
v. Coming with the Clouds means Gods Judgment
1. The Old Testament used the expression coming with the clouds as a
term for God bringing divine judgment on a nation
 2. Isaiah 19:1 Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to
Egypt
a. This is a prophecy about the Assyrian invasion of Egypt in the 8 th
century BC, when God judged Egypt by sending invasion
b. God didnt literally ride clouds or visibly come to Egypt. This is
figurative language to describe His judgment coming
3. In Revelation 1:7 (and Matthew 10:23, 16:28, and 24:30-34), Jesus is
talking about some sort of divine judgment that He was going to bring
in that generation
d. all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him
i. This, again, echoes the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10, which is about all the
tribes of Israel mourning
ii. tribes = Greek phule = almost always translated as the 12 tribes of Israel
1. So, we can pretty safely assume this is a reference to the 12 tribes of
Israel, not to all peoples of the earth
iii. earth = Greek ge = translated either earth or land
1. Here, it makes more sense to translate it as land, because the earth
is not divided into tribes but nations (hence, the Bible often refers to
all the nations of the earth), but lands are divided into tribes (ie.
Israel is divided into the 12 tribes)
iv. Its very possible that a more accurate translation of these verses would be,
All the 12 tribes of the land (ie. the land of Israel) will mourn which is
exactly what they did when Jerusalem fell to the Romans
e. Is Jesus here referring to His Second Coming? Not likely
i. The figurative use of coming in Revelation means its not an actual physical
visitation
ii. The expectation that Jesus disciples would live to see this event means it
would have happened many years ago
1. If we want to take Jesus words seriously in Matthew, then he clearly
wasnt talking about His Second Coming here but some other event
that happened in their lifetime.
iii. The fact that this event seems to affect specifically the 12 tribes of Israel and
not the whole earth means its probably not His Second Coming, which would
affect everyone
f. Is Jesus here referring to the fall of Jerusalem? Very possible
i. The fall of Jerusalem happened in 70 AD, the same generation as the original
disciples
ii. The fall of Jerusalem happened before some of the disciples tasted death
iii. The fall of Jerusalem happened before the disciples reached every city in
Israel with the Gospel
iv. The fall of Jerusalem specifically effected the 12 tribes of Israel (the land)
v. Apocalyptic literature uses figurative language to talk about natural events,
like talking about the fall of Jerusalem as Jesus coming with the clouds
vi. The idea of God coming with the clouds is used in the Old Testament to talk
about the judgment of God on a nation, and the fall of Jerusalem seems a
pretty clear judgment of God on Israel
vii. Revelation clearly uses the idea of Jesus coming in a figurative sense, so the
logical thing to assume is that its also meant figuratively here.
g. Does this mean that there is no Second Coming of Jesus?
i. Not at all.
 ii. Other places in the Bible that are not symbolic apocalyptic literature (like the
Gospels, Acts, and Pauls epistles) are clear that there will be a Second
Coming but these verses in Revelation arent referring to it

5. Vs. 8 Jesus is God

a. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who
is to come, the Almighty.
b. the Alpha and the Omega
i. These were the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so its like Hes
saying, I am the A and the Z, or in other words, Im everything.
ii. Isaiah uses similar language when talking about God (Yahweh) in Isaiah 41:4,
44:6, and 48:12, calling God, the first and the last
c. who is and who was and who is to come
i. In verse 4, John sends greetings on behalf of the Father, Yahweh, using this
same title.
d. the almighty
i. In the Old Testament, only God the Father, Yahweh, is called the Almighty.
e. Who is speaking here?
i. God the Father The titles used are titles only used for God the Father in the
Old Testament, leading readers to believe this is probably God the Father
speaking
ii. Jesus A little investigation shows this is actually Jesus speaking, making a
clear statement that He is God, that He and the Father are one
1. In Revelation 1:17, the one speaking calls Himself, the first and the
last (a direct quote of Isaiah, leading us to believe the speaker is God
the Father), but then He says, I died, and behold I am alive
forevermore. God the Father, Yahweh, never died. The Holy Spirit
never died. The only one of the trinity that ever died was Jesus. Clearly
in verse 18 Jesus is speaking and is equating Himself with God the
Father.
2. A title applied only to God the Father in verse 18 is clearly applied to
Jesus so in verse 8 the similar titles to those used in verse 18 are
probably also applied to Jesus meaning its Jesus speaking here
meaning that these titles which are only applied to God the Father,
Yahweh (the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the one who is
and who was and who is to come, the almighty), are now applied to
Jesus which is an unmistakable statement that Jesus is God, that He
and the Father are one.
f. Revelation, more than any other book, shows unmistakably that Jesus is God yet it
also shows unmistakably that the two are distinct.

6. Vs. 9-11 John Explains What Happened

a. 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the
patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of
the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,
and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, "Write what you see in
a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to
Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
 b. John explains what happened, how he got this vision
i. He was preaching the Gospel and wouldnt recant of his testimony
ii. So the Romans exiled him to Patmos
1. Patmos a rocky island off the coast of Turkey, where prisoners went to
break rocks
iii. And then Jesus appeared to him in a vision and told him to write a book
c. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day
i. What does this mean?
1. on in Greek can also be translated unto
2. the Lords Day is a term used only here in the New Testament but
often in the Old Testament and often by the early church
3. In the Old Testament the Lords Day always refers to a day of
judgment
a. So some people teach that John was writing, I was carried by
the Holy Spirit into the future, up unto the time of the Lords
final judgment or up unto the time of the soon-coming
judgment, the fall of Jerusalem
4. In the early church the Lords Day always refers to Sunday, the day
the Christians would gather to worship God
a. So some people say John was simply worshiping God on Sunday,
as was the usual custom, when he had this revelation of Jesus
ii. I think John was simply worshiping God on Sunday when he had his
experience
d. to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to
Philadelphia and to Laodicea
i. Jesus tells John to write the vision and send it to the seven churches, starting
with Johns home church of Ephesus
ii. If you look on a map, the order of their naming is very logical. Its a normal
route that a delivery person would use to go from one church to the next,
starting in the southwest and moving north, then east, then south.
1. The order of writing of this list is probably the same order in which the
churches received the letter

7. Vs. 12-17 Jesus Appears

a. 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw
seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of
man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs
of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of
fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was
like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his
mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full
strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right
hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last
b. in the midst of the lampstands
i. Where is Jesus? In the midst of the lampstands, identified in verse 20 as the
churches
ii. If you want to see Jesus, if you want to hear His voice, look to the church.
Thats where His presence is.
c. one like a son of man
 i. This phrase can be translated two different ways: a son of man or the Son
of Man, and no one really knows which way its supposed to be
ii. one like a son of man
1. Daniel also described the man in his visions this way (Daniel 7:13)
2. This means someone who looked like a human
iii. one like the Son of Man
1. Its interesting that John wouldnt say, I saw the Son of Man. John had
lived with Jesus and served with Jesus. If he saw Him he would
recognize Him, but here he says, I saw someone who looked like Him.
a. Does this mean that it wasnt actually Jesus but His angel that
He sent on His behalf (Revelation 1:1)?
b. Does this mean that it was Jesus but in a new glorified state that
John wasnt familiar with?
d. The Mans Description
i. Almost exactly the same description as for the man that Daniel saw in Daniel
10
1. Most likely, this is the same man
ii. The sash is different in Daniel its around his waist, but in Revelation its
across his chest
1. Some say this is a symbol of Jesus authority, because some evidence
shows that perhaps Roman officials of high standing wore sashes high
up on their chest.
2. Others say this is a symbol of how Jesus finished everything on the
cross and in a sense isnt working anymore (with his sash loose and
thrown over his shoulder), but before the cross, during Daniels time,
He was working (with his loins girded, the sash around his waist
holding up his robe)
3. Ultimately, we dont really know why theres a difference
e. Symbolic Nature of Jesus Appearance
i. We need to remember that this is a vision, that most likely there was not a
literal man standing in front of John with a sword coming out of his mouth and
a face shining like the sun. Its a prophetic experience, so the appearance is
symbolic, just like the appearance of Jesus as a lamb is symbolic of His nature
as savior
1. The sword coming from His mouth represents the word of God
2. Hair white as wool represents old age, wisdom, purity
3. Eyes like fire He has a piercing gaze that sees everything
4. Feet like bronze unbreakable Later, He uses His feet to tread grapes
and bring judgment. Bronze feet would symbolize unbreakable
judgment on the wicked.
5. Long white robe to his feet priests wore this (a long robe is
impractical for everyone else, who wore short robes so they could
work) Jesus is the High Priest
6. Holds 7 stars in his hand symbolizing how Jesus holds all the
churches in his hands (Revelation 1:20 says that the stars symbolize
the angels of the churches)

8. Vs. 18 Jesus Has the Keys of Death and Hades

a. and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of
Death and Hades.
 b. Who are Death and Hades?
i. Death and Hades become important characters in Revelation
1. Fourth horseman is Death, followed by a runner named Hades
2. At the end, both of them are thrown into the lake of fire
ii. Death when you stop living
iii. Hades the place where the dead go in Greek religion, the grave
iv. Death and Hades represent the great enemy of man the wages of sin,
something God never intended to be in His creation but brought on by the
cunning of Satan
c. What does it mean that Jesus has the keys of Death and Hades?
i. Keys open locks, so Jesus has the power to open the gates of Hades and let
you out of death
ii. Only Jesus determines who will live or die, who will be in Hades or not
iii. Only Jesus determines who goes to Heaven or Hell
iv. Only Jesus has authority over life and death

9. Vs. 19 - Write it Down

a. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to
take place after this.
b. Jesus gives something of an outline for the book of Revelation
c. Three Categories of Things to Write:
i. Things he has seen what hes seen in the vision up to this point (ch. 1)
ii. Things which are contemporary things in his day (ch. 2-3, the current state
of the churches)
iii. Things which must take place (shortly in original Greek) future things that
will happen after the vision (ch. 4-22)
1. Revelation 4:1 Come up here, and I will show you what must take
place after this. showing a clear jump to the third category of things
that John must write down

10. Vs. 20 The Symbols Explained

a. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven
golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the
seven lampstands are the seven churches.
b. This is one of the few times when the symbols are directly explained, but these
explanations arent always so helpful
c. the seven lampstands are the seven churches
i. OK, that makes sense and is easy to understand
d. the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches
i. OK, thats a bit more weird
ii. What are the angels of the churches?
1. Probably not angels as we think of them
a. Jesus directs each of the prophecies to the angel of the
church, not to the church directly (Ch. 2-3)
b. This would be a very convoluted way for God to communicate. If
He wanted His angels to know something, why would He tell
Jesus to tell an angel to tell John to tell the angels? Why not just
tell the angels directly?
2. Probably either pastors or readers of the churches
a. angel = Greek aggelos = messenger
 i. This is the normal Greek word for any kind of messenger,
whether a heavenly messenger (an angel) or a human
one
ii. Most commentators agree that aggelos here should be
translated messengers instead of angels
b. The seven angels, then, are seven messengers, which could
possibly mean pastors, readers, or some other person in the
church whose role was to deliver news to the congregation
3. Ultimately, no one really knows what these angels of the churches
are

11. Next Time

a. After this introduction, we head into the 7 mini-letters that Jesus sends to each of
the 7 churches, the only letters we know of that were written directly from Jesus.