Revelation: God of Justice Lord of Glory

Here’s the about statement I read in the video:
Revelation unveils to us the true nature of reality as a cosmic struggle. It shows how God will bring the struggle to completion by dealing with the problem of evil, transforming creation, and dwelling with humans. In light of this uncovered reality, Revelation shows how we can join in the victory by resisting evil and faithfully witnessing to Jesus.

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 1: Revelation 2-3

Before we begin, let’s think about our starting point. What do you already know about Revelation? What do you feel about this book? What kind of interpretations have you heard for how to understand Revelation? What do you think of them?

1. From the first 11 verses, what can you tell about the Author, Audience, and Date (you’ll be able to find a location, and then we’ll use the author and location to talk about date)?
2. What indications of genre can you find in verses 1-4? Two helpful notes—first, this book actually belongs to three genres! Second, the word “revelation” in verse 1 is apokalupsis in Greek—what genre uses the English form of that word?
3. What important number do you notice in this chapter? Where can you find it? Highlight it in purple every time it occurs in the text, beginning in v. 4.
4. In verses 12-20, who does John see? How is he described? Where do you think these descriptors come from? (Consult Exodus 19:16-19; Daniel 7: 9-14; Daniel 10:4-6; Isaiah 49:2 and/or Heb. 4:2 for ideas). In verses 13-15, underline and number each point of description of this figure, beginning with “like a son of man” as 1—how many are there?

If you like annotating, I have also marked:
Orange–testified, testimony, witness
Dark Red–throne, king, kings, kingdom

If you missed the live class, or prefer to watch online, here is the video:

You can also watch the Tuesday version of the Lesson 1!

Bonus! We didn’t have enough time in class to thoroughly cover Apocalyptic Literature. This video covers where it appears in Scripture, the nine features of Apocalyptic Literature, and how they relate to Revelation.

Key Verse: ​

​When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

Revelation 1:17-18

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 2: Revelation 2-3

1. From last week’s lesson, what are Revelation’s genres? How do these inform how we should read the book? What did you take from the vision of the exalted Christ?
2. What different ways of interpreting Revelation have you heard of? What do you think of these different ways?
   Consider how we might decide how a portion of Scripture should be interpreted. What do you notice happening in Revelation 1:20, 12:9, and 19:8 (don’t worry about the alarming elements of the latter two—we’ll understand them when we get there!)?
3. As you read the seven letters, underline the text of each according to the following.
   – Red: Greeting
   – Orange: Jesus and his description
   – Yellow: Statement of Knowing — Commendation
   – Green: Accusation — Condemnation
   – Blue: Warning — Instruction
   – Purple: He who has an ear…
   – Violet: Him who overcomes
   What do you notice across all the letters?
   How is Jesus described in each, and where have we heard these already? What kinds of instructions do you hear? What kinds of things are promised to those who overcome?
4. What are some of the problems in these churches? If you had to place yourself in one of the congregations, which would it be? Which commendation feels like it fits you? Which accusation or condemnation?

Check out this map of the seven churches. Notice the location of Patmos too!
We will use this handout on Ways of Interpreting Revelation in class.

If you missed the live class, or prefer to watch online, here is the video:

You can also watch the Tuesday version of Lesson 2.

Key Verse: ​

​​”He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Revelation 3:21

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 3: Revelation 4-5

1. From last week’s lesson, what did we learn about the ways to interpret Revelation? What principle can we return to when we want to know how to interpret a book or passage? What did you take away from the Letters to the Seven Churches?
2. Make a drawing of the scene in heaven in Chapter 4 (just a stick-figure sketch! If you hate the idea of drawing, make a list instead). What is at the center? What is around it? What is the overall impact of this scene?
3. What elements of the throne room scene come from previous throne room scenes in Scripture? Consult Exodus 19:16-19, 24:9-11; Isaiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 1:1-28, 10:20, and Daniel 7:9-14 for ideas (if you have limited time, look at Isaiah 6:1-4 and Ezekiel 1).
4. What events happen in Chapter 5? What do you think the meaning of the scroll (or book) and its seals might be? Who is worshiped by the end of this scene?

You can also watch the Tuesday video for Lesson 3 here.

If you like annotating, I suggest the following. Continued from week 1:

• Purple—the number 7 (and number lists of seven items)
• Orange—testified, testimony, witness
• Dark Red—*throne, king, kings, kingdom, reign
  *Check out how many times throne comes up this week! What does that mean to us?

New for this week:

• Green—Creature, created, earth, the number 4 (and number lists of four items)
• Blue—Church, Israel, the number 12, the number 24

Key Verse: ​

​​…“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

Revelation 5:12

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 4: Revelation 6:1-8:1

1. From last week’s lesson, what was most meaningful to you about the scene of the throne room of heaven from Revelation 4? How would you explain why the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll in Revelation 5?
2. Read Zechariah 1:7-17 and 6:1-15. Zechariah was a prophet during rebuilding after Judah’s exile. What are the four horses/chariot teams doing? What is being promised in these two visions? How do these passages relate to the first four seals in Revelation 6:1-8?
3. Who are those who cry out in Revelation 6:9-11? What do they cry out for? Who are those who cry out in Revelation 6:15-17 and what do they cry out for?
4. What does it mean for God’s servants to be sealed (Revelation 7:2-8)? Read Exodus 28:36-38. What is on the seal? Where is it to be placed? What other ways of being sealed can you think of?

You can also listen to the Tuesday version of Lesson 4 here.

Here are some reference passages for The Day of the Lord in Scripture (just a sampling!):
Isaiah 34:1-4 and 13:1-13;
Joel 2:1-2, 10, 30-32;
Amos 8:7-10;
Matthew 24, especially v. 29-31;
Mark 13:24-27;
Luke 21:25-28.

Key Verse: ​

​After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; ​and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:9-10

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 5: Revelation 8-9

1. From last week’s lesson, what was meaningful to you? What did the souls under the altar cry out, and how do they shape our understanding of the judgment scenes that follow? What was the meaning of being “sealed”? How do you understand who are the groups of the 144,000 sealed and the myriad before the throne?
2. What is happening in Revelation 8:3-5? What prayers have the saints prayed, as far as we have been told in Revelation (consult 6:9-10)? What happens to the prayers in 8:4? How does this frame what happens next?
3. As you read the sounding of the trumpets, what similarities are there to the Exodus story? In the margin next to each trumpet, note the plague it mimics (the story is in Exodus 7-12; a reference list for the plagues is below). In the Exodus story, what was the purpose of the plagues (see Exodus 9:13-16)? How does that purpose help us understand the trumpets?
4. Who could be the “star from heaven which had fallen to the earth” in Revelation 9:1 (compare to Luke 10:17-20)? What does he do? What are his names in Revelation 9:11, and what do they mean?

You can also watch the Tuesday version of Lesson 5 here.

Reference List for the Egyptian Plagues:
1 – Water to Blood (Ex. 7:14-25)
2 – Frogs (Ex. 8:1-15)
3 – Gnats (Ex. 8:16-19)
4 – Flies (Ex. 8:20-32)
5 – Death of livestock from pestilence (Ex. 9:1-7)
6 – Boils (Ex. 9:8-12)
7 – Hail (Ex. 9:13-35)
8 – Locusts (Ex. 10:1-20)
9 – Darkness (Ex. 10:21-29)
10 – Death of the firstborn (Ex. 11; 12:29-32)

Key Verse: ​

​​The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

Revelation 9:20-21

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 6: Revelation 10-11

1. From last week’s lesson, what was the purpose of the trumpet plagues? How do we know? What was striking to you about these passages?
2. Read Ezekiel 2:9-3:4, 3:14, part of Ezekiel’s prophetic commissioning. What is written on the scroll? What is Ezekiel supposed to do after he eats it (3:1, 4)? How does he feel after he eats it (3:14)? How do you think this passage helps us understand the little scroll of Revelation 10?
3. Note the lengths of time that are mentioned in Revelation 11:2, 3, and 9, and 10. In years, how long is 42 months (v.2)? In years, approximately how long is 1,260 days (v.3)? After converting the first two to years, what number do these four verses have in common? What might this number mean?
4. Read Deuteronomy 19:15—what can two witnesses do (note the pattern in Genesis 19:1, 12-13; Exodus 7:1-3; Matthew 28:1-7 and Mark 6:7-11)? What do two witnesses generally represent? Read Zechariah 4—What do the lampstands and olive trees mean (v. 14) and what is the message of the vision (v. 6)?

You can watch the Tuesday version of Lesson 6 here.

Key Verse: ​

​​¹² ​And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. ¹³ ​And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Revelation 11:12-13

Reference passages:
The mighty angel: Daniel 12:5-7
Elijah:
– 1 Ki 17:1
– 1 Ki 18:20-38
– 2 Ki 1:9-15
– James 5:17
Moses:
– Exodus 7:20
– Exodus 9:13-16
The two categories, the Law and the Prophets:
– Matthew 5:17-19
– Luke 24:44

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 7: Revelation 12-13

1. From the previous lesson, what was the focus that connected the two sections of the Angel with the Little Scroll and the Two Witnesses? What was the ultimate effect of the work of the Two Witnesses? What was meaningful to you about this section or about everything the Two Witnesses endured? What does it mean for you?
2. Who does the woman in Revelation 12:1-6, 13-17 represent (refer to Genesis 3:1, 15; 37:9-11)? Who does the great red Dragon in 12:3-4 and 7-9 represent? What else do we learn about the dragon in 12:10, 12-13, and 15-17? What is the situation of the woman at the end of the Ch. 12 narrative?
3. What can we learn about the Beast from the Sea in Revelation 13:1-8? Make a list of its features. Compare the beasts in Daniel 7:1-8, 15-27 to the Beast from the Sea. Based on what the beasts in Daniel represent, what could the Beast from the Sea represent?
4. What do we learn about the Beast from the Earth in Revelation 13:11-18? Look forward to Revelation 16:14 and 19:20—the Beast of the Sea is just called “the beast,” but the Beast of the Earth is given another name/description. How does this description fit with what we learn in chapter 13? What does the Beast from the Earth do toward “those who dwell on earth”?

You can also listen to the Tuesday version of Lesson 7 here.

Key Verse: ​

​​Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Revelation 12:10-11

New Handout: The Seven Sevens of Revelation is an outline of the seven main sections of the book. Each section has the lessons and readings that go with that section.

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 8: Revelation 14

1. Now that we are halfway through Revelation, what themes can you identify? What points are most important to the meaning of the book? What would would you suggest we look for in the rest of Revelation?
2. From the previous lesson, how was the Christian story told in mythological form? What were the character and aims of the Dragon and the two Beasts? What was meaningful to you about this passage?
3. In Revelation 14:1, who are the 144,000? What/who did they represent when we met them last (see Revelation 7:4ff)? What are their characteristics in 14:4-5? What does being “not defiled with women” represent (compare what sexual infidelity means in Jeremiah 3:6–9 or Ezekiel 16:8–15, 20–22)?
4. Notice the three proclamations of the three angels in 14:6-12. What does each angel proclaim? How do the three proclamations connect to each other? How would you summarize the overall message?

You can also watch the Tuesday version of Lesson 8 here.

Key Verse: ​

​​And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; ​and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”

Revelation 14:6-7

New Handout: The Seven Themes of Revelation is a list and explanation of the themes we’ve seen so for and will be looking for in the last half of the book.

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 10: Revelation 17-18

1. From last lesson, how were the Seven Bowls like and unlike the Seven Trumpets? What did we learn from the Song of Moses that helps us put the Wrath of the Seven Bowls in context? What can we do now about the coming judgment?
2. When have we heard about the character of Babylon before? Look at what is said in Revelation 14:8 and 16:17-19. So how does what we are reading in today’s passage fit in with what we’ve already read?
3. What can you learn about the character/symbol Babylon across this whole passage? Start a list in 17:1 and add to it as you progress through chapters 17 and 18. What does her being a harlot symbolize (you can also look back to chapter 14 in lesson 8 for what sexual infidelity symbolizes to the prophets)?
4. Look up Revelation 17:8 in the New Living Translation. How does it help us understand this verse? What Person does this beast therefore mimic? (We already knew this; it’s being reinforced here.) What does this three-fold statement remind us of (see Revelation 1:8 for one example)?

You can also watch the Tuesday video of Lesson 10 here.

Key Verse: ​

​​² ​And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. ³ ​For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her  sensuality.”
⁴ ​I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; ⁵ ​for her sins have  piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:2-5

We aren’t covering the where the Seven Words of Woe fall in this section, but if you’re curious, here they are:
1. Revelation 18:1-3 Fallen!
2. Revelation 18:4-8 Come out!
3. Revelation 18:9-10 Kings
4. Revelation 18:11-17a Merchants
5. Revelation 18:17b-19 Sailors
6. Revelation 18:21-24 Never
7. Revelation 19:1-9 Heaven

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 11: Revelation 19-20

I know we’ve had a long break away from Revelation! We’ll start with a review to get oriented again.

1. From previous lessons, what were the first six sections of Revelation? As briefly as possible, what has happened so far? From last lesson, what main character of Revelation did we finally meet in chapter 17? What does she stand for? What happened to this character/city?
2. In Revelation 19:1-6, what is the reason God is being praised (verses 2-3)? Does that seem like a good reason to you? Compare the smoke of Babylon burning in verse 3 to Revelation 5:8 and 8:3-4. What connection is Revelation making?
3. Who is the figure in Revelation 19:11-16? Compare this vision to 1:12-18—what similarities can you find? Whose blood is on his robe (see both Rev. 5:9 and 14:20 for possibilities)? What does the sword from his mouth represent? What does that mean for the nature of the “battle” to come?
4. How does Revelation 20:1-3 describe Satan’s state? What time period do you think this is referring to? Read Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14—what happened to Satan because of Christ’s victory on the cross and in resurrection? What is the current state of Satan now—active? Inactive? Completely empowered? Partially limited?

Here are the divisions of the Seven Last Sights in this section. Each begins with the same Greek phrase, “Then I saw” (also translated “And I saw”):
1. Revelation 19:11-16
2. Revelation 19:17-18
3. Revelation 19:19-21
4. Revelation 20:1-3
5. Revelation 20:4-10
6. Revelation 20:11-15
7. Revelation 21:1-22:5

This is a supplement to Lesson 11. During the Wednesday lesson, my internet was cutting out during the explanation of the Thousand Years and I didn’t realize it! You’ll hear my dismay in the original video! So I re-recorded this explanation, with a couple of extra notes I didn’t have time for in the original class time.

You can also watch the Tuesday version of Lesson 11 here.

Key Verse: ​

​​^{11 ​}And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. ^{12 ​}His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³ ​He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ^{14 ​}And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. ^{15 ​}From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. ^{16 ​}And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 19:11-16

Reading Assignment and Study Questions for Lesson 13: Revelation 22:6-21

1. From last week’s lesson, what was meaningful to you about the vision of the new Jerusalem? How could we see the promises of earlier in Revelation and earlier in Scripture being fulfilled in the New Creation?
2. What are the two Beatitudes in this week’s passage (“Blessed are…”)? Compare them to the other beatitudes in Revelation (see these two plus Revelation 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, and 20:6 for all seven). What are we most supposed to do with Revelation, or in response to Revelation?
3. Make a list of the important messages of this last epilogue. What does it emphasize? How does this frame the whole book of Revelation?
4. Even though Revelation isn’t strictly chronological, it does move forward across the whole book. What key initial event does Chapter 5 cover? What key concluding events do chapters 18-20 cover? Using your list of the seven seven-fold sections of Revelation, write a sentence or two for each that trace the progression of Revelation through the book.

Key Verse: ​

​​^{17 ​}The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. …
^{20 ​}He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Revelation 22:17, 20