The Book of Revelation
Introduction
A. Authorship – Apostle John (attested by Justin Martyr [A.D. 100-165],
Irenaeus [A.D. 130-202], Tertullian [A.D. 160-240], and others)
B. Date – A.D. 90-95 (around the end of Domitian’s reign [A.D. 96])
C. Historical Setting – in the first century A.D., during the time of the
Roman Empire (Luke 2:1-2; 3:1-2)
D. Original Readers – 7 churches of Asia (mostly persecuted Christians)
E. Occasion – although churches were undergoing persecution, some
were not faithful. Fewer were faithful. There was a need to warn
the unfaithful and encourage the faithful
F. Purposes:
1. Immediate – to reveal the eventual defeat of Satan and the
triumph of the saints with Christ at the Second Coming
2. Ultimate – to reveal God’s ultimate purpose of dwelling among
His people (Rev. 21:3). “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
G. Special Issues:
Hermeneutical/Interpretative Issues: (a) Allegorical,
(b) Preterist, (c) Historical, and (d) Futurist
2. Relation to Daniel
a. similar symbols (Daniel 7-8)
b. amplifies and develops Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:20-27)
H. Its Message – The Messiah…
1. presently rules over His own – “Head of the church” (Col. 1:18)
2. will return to save Israel – “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26)
3. will judge the nations – “He will judge among the nations”
(Ps. 110:6; Matt. 25:31-46)
4. Will establish His earthly kingdom – “everlasting kingdom”
(Ps. 145:13; Rev. 20:4)
I. Getting Into the Book
Chapter 1 – Commissioning John to Write The Prophecy (1:1-3)
vs. 1 “The Revelation (apocalypse) of (about) Yeshua (Jesus) Hamashiach (The Messiah), 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”
vs. 2 “who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ (cmp. John 5:39; Rev. 19:10), even to all that he saw”
vs. 3 “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed (“obey”) the things which are written in it; for the time is near” or imminent (2 Peter 3:8)
J. Chronological Division of the Prophecy (1:19)
“Therefore write…
1. “the things which you have seen” (chpt. 1), and
2. “the things which are” (chpts. 2-3), and
3. “the things which will take place after these things” (chpts. 4-22)
K. Identification of the stars and lampstands (1:20)
1. “the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (1:12) and
2. “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches”(1:16)
The Seven Historical Churches of Asia (2-3)
1. The Descriptions of Yeshua’s Evaluation
(a) Ephesus – The Loveless Church 2:1-7
(b) Smyrna – The Persecuted Church 2:8-11
(c) Pergamum – The Worldly Church 2:12-17
(d) Thyatira – The Paganized Church 2:18-29
(e) Sardis – The Lifeless Church 3:1-6
(f) Philadelphia – The Missionary Church 3:7-13
(g) Laodicea – The Lukewarm Church 3:14-22
The So-Called “Seven Ages of the Church”
Some hold that the seven churches represent seven major epochs
(periods) of church history. While this view is plausible, it is more
incidental. The following shows the chronological periods:
2. The Church The Period The Years
Ephesus Apostolic Period (ca. AD 30-100)
Smyrna Roman Persecutions (100-313)
Pergamum State Church—carnality & heresy (313-590)
Thyatira Papal Church (590-1517)
Sardis Reformation (1517-1790)
Philadelphia Missionary Movement (1790-1900)
Laodicea Apostate—lukewarm & liberal (1900-)
The seven churches are historical, located in Asia, and also reflect the reality that even in early church history serious problems existed therein.
L. John Ordered to “Come Up Here”
Rev. 4:1 – “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing
open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a
trumpet said, “Come up here (see 11:12), and I will show you what
must take place after this.” (see 1:19)
2 “At once I was in the Spirit (cf. 1:10), and there before me was
a throne (14 times in chapter 4; 46 times in the book) in heaven with
someone sitting on it” (i.e., the sovereign rule of God)
3 “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and sardius”
These stones represent the overwhelming brilliance of God’s colorful light and the limitless quality of His holy character.
4:1 John had been told to “Come up here (see 11:12), and I will
show you what must take place after this.” (see 1:19)
“At once I was in the Spirit (cf. 1:10; 17:3; 21:10), and there before
me was a throne (the sovereign rule of God)in heaven with
someone (God the Father) sitting on it”
…“A rainbow, resembling an emerald (Honor), encircled the
throne.”
The rainbow is reminiscent of the covenant God
communicated to Noah that the earth would
never again be destroyed by a flood (Gen. 9:8-17).
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