REVELATION - PART 1
WATCH THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO BELOW. 00:00 - 03:45 ONLY.
This section covers the content for this week as well as next week which form the introduction to the book. You could encourage your group to watch the remainder of the video at home, but we will be watching the next few sections in future weeks.
READ REVELATION 1
Prologue
1 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.
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[a] 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 for ever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b]
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[c]
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.”
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,[d] 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 for ever 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[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
REFLECT & DISCUSS:
1. What things stand out to you from this passage/ What questions does it raise?
2. The book of Revelation calls for believers to be faithful witnesses in the face of persecution. How would the description of Jesus in verses 5 & 6 encourage these believers?
3. How does John Describe himself in verse 9? How does this enable him to relate to his readers?
4. The description of Jesus in verses 12-17 uses language imagery from Daniel 7:9-14 & 10:5-6 (turn there if time allows)
How does this depiction of Jesus compare to how he is generally thought of or perceived?
5. Jesus is describes as being among the 7 lampstands, which are revelaed to be the 7 churches. How would John’s vision of Jesus being in the midst of his churches have been of comfort to these churches?
6. H. Richard Neibuhr once summarised the trend towards creating a more palatable form of christianity as a gospel in which:
“A God without wrath brings men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a ministry of a Christ without a cross.”
In this passage, we have already seen a picture of a crucified Christ returning in judgement.. Why is this vision of Jesus needed in order to create people of steadfastness and courage in the face of hostility?
APPLY:
1. Where are you feeling pressure or temptation, to shrink back or give up in terms of remaining faithful to Jesus?
2. How can you remind yourself that Jesus is with you and is in control?
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