Thursday, January 25, 2018

Study of Revelation: Revelation 1–2

Prayer and Bible Expo
https://prayerandbibleexpo.blogspot.com/


Introduction to Revelation 1
Revelation 1 The Introduction: ­Scene: Earth.  Time: Past (ca. 95 AD).
John introduces the book of prophecy with an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the Revelation. John was exiled on the island of Patmos when Jesus sent and communicated the vision of things which must soon take place. John is commanded to write and send the book to the seven churches in Asia.

Introduction to Revelation 2–3
Revelation 2-3  Messages to the Angels of the Seven Churches in Asia: 
Scene: Earth. Time: Present (to original readers in Asia).
Jesus sends a unique message to each of the seven churches in the western part of the Roman province of Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.  The cities are listed in the order of the geological circuit that the messenger of the book would naturally travel as he delivered the letters.

STUDY QUESTIONS:
Rev. 1:1    The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to  show to His bond-servants,  the things which must soon take place; and He sent and  communicated it  by His angel to His bond-servant  John,  2 who testified to  the word of God and to  the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  3  Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it;  for the time is near.

1.     List two possible interpretations of “the revelation of Jesus Christ”?

2.     Trace the transmission of the revelation.

3.     Why does God give the revelation to Jesus?

4.     To what things does John testify?

5.     Who will be blessed through words of the prophecy of Revelation?

Rev. 1:4    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 the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins  by His blood —  6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father —  to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  7  BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and  every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will  mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. Rev. 1:8   “I am  the Alpha and the Omega,” says the  Lord God, “ who is and who was and who  is to come, the Almighty.

1.     To whom is the epistle addressed?

2.     From whom does John pray for grace and peace to come?

3.     (D) To whom does “the seven Spirits who are before His throne” refer (1:4)? Is the adjective “seven” referring to seven Spirits or seven attributes of the Spirit?

4.     What seven attributes describe the Spirit of the Lord in Isaiah 11:2?

5.     How is Jesus described in 1:5? (D) Give a brief explanation of each phrase.

6.     What has Jesus made “us” to be (1:6)? To whom does “us” refer?
      (See 1 Pet 2:9-10)

7.     What does the phrase mean: “—  to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1:6)? (A) How can you give glory and dominion to Him?

8.  Who is coming with the clouds? Who will see Him? How will the tribes of the earth respond? 
(A) How would you respond if He appeared today? (1:7-8)

9.  (D) How does Jesus describe Himself in 1:8? What is the significance of these titles?

Rev. 1:9    I, John, your  brother and  fellow partaker in the tribulation and  kingdom and   perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos  because 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 the sound of a trumpet,  11 saying, “ Write in a  book what you see, 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.”

1.  Who is John? Where is he? Why is he there? (1:9)

2.   (D) What do the phrases mean: “in the Spirit”? “the Lord’s day”? (1:10)

3.  Describe the voice that John hears. Who is speaking to John? (see 1:1)

4.  What does the voice instruct John to do?

5. (D) Locate the seven churches on a map. Describe their location.

6.  What does the location of the churches indicate about the transmission of the book?

7. (A) How does God communicate to you? What is He communicating to you through His Word today? How will you apply this to your life this week?


Rev. 1:12   Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw  seven golden lampstands;  13 and  in the middle of the lampstands I saw one  like  a son of man,  clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and  girded across His chest with a golden sash.  14 His head and His  hair were white like white wool, like snow; and  His eyes were like a flame of fire.  15 His  feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His  voice was like the sound of many waters.  16 In His right hand He held  seven stars, and out of His mouth came a  sharp two-edged sword; and His  face was like  the sun  shining in its strength.
Rev. 1:17   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, 18 and the  living One; and I   was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have  the keys of death and of Hades. 19 “Therefore  write  the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place  after these things. 20 “As for the  mystery of the  seven stars which 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.

1. Why does John turn? What does he see? (1:12)

2.  Describe the one whom John saw in the middle of the lampstands.         
(1:13-16)

3.  What is John commanded (1:19)? How are the “things” described?

4.  What interpretation is given for the seven stars and seven lampstands?

5.  What attribute of God is emphasized in Revelation 1? How could you pray for the Holy Spirit to change your life in response to this lesson this week?

Write a prayer response to Revelation 1.



Rev. 2:1   “To the angel of the church in  Ephesus write:
 The One who holds  the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
Rev. 2:2   ‘ I know your deeds and your toil and  perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you  put to the test those who call themselves  apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have  perseverance and have endured  for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have  left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and  repent and  do the  deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your  lampstand out of its place — unless you repent. 6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the  Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of  the tree of life which is in the  Paradise of God.’

1.  To whom are verses 1-7 addressed? 

2.  How is the speaker described? (2:1)

3.  Of what does Jesus know concerning the church in Ephesus? (2:2-3)

4.  What does Jesus have against the church in Ephesus? (2:4)

5.  What does Jesus tell the church in Ephesus to do? (2:5)

6.  How does Jesus commend/warn/promise the church in Ephesus? (2:5-7)
·       Commendation:
·       Warning:
·       Promise: 

Rev. 2:8   “And to the angel of the church in  Smyrna write:
  The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
Rev. 2:9   ‘I know your  tribulation and your  poverty (but you are  rich), and the blasphemy by those who  say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of  Satan. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be  tested, and you will have tribulation  for ten days.  Be  faithful until death, and I will give you  the crown of life. 11 ‘ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes will not be hurt by the  second death.’

1.  To whom are verses 8-11 addressed? 

2.  How is Jesus described? (2:8)

3.  Of what does Jesus know concerning the church in Smyrna? (2:9)

4.  Does Jesus have anything against the church in Smyrna? Who are the blasphemers? (2:9)

5.  What does Jesus tell the church in Smyrna to do? (2:10)

6.  How does Jesus commend/warn/promise the church in Smyrna? (2:10-11)
·       Commendation:
·       Warning:
·       Promise:

Rev. 2:12   “And to the angel of the church in  Pergamum write:
 The One who has  the sharp two-edged sword says this:
Rev. 2:13   ‘I know where you dwell, where  Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny  My faith even in the days of Antipas, My  witness, My  faithful one, who was killed among you,  where Satan dwells. 14 ‘But  I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the  teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel,  to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the  Nicolaitans. 16 ‘Therefore  repent; or else  I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with  the sword of My mouth. 17 ‘ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden  manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a  new name written on the stone  which no one knows but he who receives it.’

1.  To whom are verses 12-17 addressed? 

2.  How is Jesus described? (2:12)

3.  Of what does Jesus know concerning the church in Pergamum? (2:13)

4.  What does Jesus have against the church in Pergamum? (2:14-15)

5.  What does Jesus tell the church in Pergamum to do? (2:16)

6.  What does Jesus commend/warn/promise the church in Pergamum? (2:16-17)
·       Commendation:
·       Warning:
·       Promise:

Rev. 2:18   “And to the angel of the church in  Thyatira write:
  The Son of God,  who has  eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:
Rev. 2:19   ‘ I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and  perseverance, and that your  deeds of late are greater than  at first. 20 ‘But  I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman  Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they  commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 ‘ I gave her time to repent, and she  does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 ‘Behold, I will throw her  on a bed of sickness, and those who  commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of  her deeds. 23 ‘And I will kill her children with  pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who  searches the  minds and hearts; and  I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in  Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the  deep things of Satan, as they call them — I  place no other burden on you. 25 ‘Nevertheless  what you have, hold fast  until I come. 26 ‘ He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds  until the end,  TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE  NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL   RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON,  AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him  the morning star. 29 ‘ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

1.  To whom are verses 18-29 addressed? 

2.  How is Jesus described? (2:18)

3.  Of what does Jesus know concerning the church in Thyatira? (2:19)

4.  What does Jesus have against the church in Thyatira? (2:20-23)

5.  What does Jesus tell the church in Thyatira to do? (2:24-25)

6.  How does Jesus commend/warn/promise the church in Thyatira? (2:22-29)
·       Commendation:
·       Warning:
·       Promise:


Write a prayer response to Revelation 2.

Prayer and Bible Expo
https://prayerandbibleexpo.blogspot.com/

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