Prologue
The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 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.
Questions and Commentary
1. Notice what the first section of the Book of Revelation is called.
2. Notice there is ONE revelation. Never put an "s" on the name of the book.
4. John is the writer of the book, buy the revelation is from Jesus Christ who appears to John.
5. Who gave Jesus Christ the revelation?
6. Notice that the source of the message is from God to Jesus, from Jesus to an angel, and from the angel to Apostle John.
7. What is the first of the blessings in Revelation?
8. What two groups will receive the blessing?
Greetings and Doxology
4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Questions and Commentary
1. Notice the writer identifies himself in this section of chapter 1.
2. Who are the recipients of this book?
2. How many letters were written?
3. How many churches were sent the one circular letter?
4. What is the dual greeting like Paul wrote in his letters?
5. Who is the faithful witness?
6. Notice the other descriptions of Jesus.
7. Notice the two eternal words.
8. Notice the two titles. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.
John’s Vision of Christ
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Questions and Commentary
1. The setting is identified. What is it?
2. Notice the instruction was not to write seven letters to the churches. Read the scripture to understand how one letter was to be written and sent.
3. Notice the number of seven items mentioned in Chapter 1.
4. What are the seven stars?
5. What are the seven lampstands?
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