IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD'S DAY

Revelation 1

DIMENSION ONE: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Answer these questions by reading Revelation 1

1. To whom did God give the revelation? (1:1a) God gave the revelation to Jesus Christ.

2. Why was the revelation given? (1:1a) The revelation was given to show the servants of God "what must soon take place."

3. How did God make known this revelation given to Jesus Christ? (1:1b) God sent an angel to God's servant John.

4. How is John described? (1:2) John testifies to "the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."

5. What must those who are blessed do with John's account? (1:3) They must read it, hear it, and "take to heart what is written in it."

6. Who is John's message for? (1:4a, 11) John's message is for the seven churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

7. Who is described as the one "who is, and who was, and who is to come"? (1:4b, 8) John is describing the Lord God.

8. Who else is the message from? (1:4b-5a) The message also comes from the seven spirits who are before God's throne and from Jesus Christ.

9. How is Christ described? (1:5a) Christ is "the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth."

10. How does John describe himself and his audience? (1:5b-6) John and his audience are loved by Jesus Christ, have been freed from their sins by the blood of Jesus Christ, and have been made a kingdom and priests to serve the God and Father of Jesus Christ.

11. What does John say about Jesus Christ being seen again by the world? (1:7) John says that "every eye" will see Christ when he returns.

12. Who is speaking in 1:8? "The Lord God" speaks in the first person ("I am") and is identified as the Beginning ("Alpha") and the End ("Omega") of all that is.

13. How does John describe himself with reference to the members of the seven churches? (1:9) John is their brother and companion. He shares with them "the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance" that are theirs in Jesus.

14. Why was John on Patmos? (1:9) John was on Patmos "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus."

15. As John describes his experience of being in the Spirit on the Lord's day, what is he told to do? (1:11) John is told to write a scroll, describing what he sees, and to send the book to the seven churches of Asia.

16. What are the first things John sees in his vision? (1:12-13) As he turns to see the voice speaking to him, John sees seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands "someone like a son of man."

17. What are the symbolic items of Christ's description? (1:13-16) Christ is clothed with a long robe and a golden sash (girdle); his head and hair are white like wool or snow; his eyes are like fire and his feet like gleaming bronze; his voice is "like the sound of rushing waters"; he holds seven stars in his right hand, a double-edged sword is coming from his mouth; his face is like the full strength of the shining sun.

18. What is John's response to this dazzling vision of Christ? (1:17) He falls down in fear "as though dead."

19. What two events in the life of Jesus are referred to by Christ in his first speech to John? (1:18b) Christ refers to his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

20. As a result of these events, what does Christ possess? (1:18c) Christ has "the keys of death and Hades."

21. What does Christ command John to do? (1:19) John is to write what he has seen, "what is now and what will take place later."

22. What does Christ tell John about the seven golden lampstands (1:12-13) and the seven stars (1:16)? (1:20) The seven lampstands are the seven churches, the seven stars are the angels of these seven churches.

DIMENSION TWO: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN?

Background. The opening statement places the Book of Revelation in a distinct category in the New Testament: "The revelation [or apocalypse] from Jesus Christ." Apocalypse comes from the Greek word apokalypsis, meaning "disclosure."

We need to be clear at the outset about how the prophet John understands his apocalyptic encounter. The revelation belongs to Jesus Christ, not to the prophet. God is the source of the revelation to Jesus Christ. In turn, Jesus Christ is the source of the prophet's experience of this revelation.

Many commentaries on Revelation suggest that the central factor in the book is a blueprint of the future, entrusted as a revelation to John. This exact blueprint is then conveyed in the biblical text by means of mysterious codes and symbols. These commentaries suggest that all one has to do is crack the code to know exactly how current events are mirrored in Revelation's text.

This approach has done great harm to Revelation's interpretation. Worse, this approach is really contrary to the belief of Revelation's writer. John's theology teaches that Jesus, the exalted Christ, is the center of faith. Not history. Not the future. Not the evil powers being defeated by "the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ" (1:2). But especially, the prophet's experience is not the center of faith. In fact, John is very much an onlooker or observer of the action started by the "Lamb, who was slain" (5:12).

Revelation 1:1-3. John describes himself as "servant." But what he writes is often called prophecy. A great deal of scholarly debate continues about Revelation's proper category within the New Testament. Is Revelation an apocalypse only? Is it a prophecy with apocalyptic overtones? Or is Revelation a completely distinct writing with no parallels in or outside of Scripture?

Revelation is certainly apocalyptic. The heightened sense of conflict between the opposing forces of good and evil, the essential pessimism about the possibility of improvements in the here-and-now, the use of animal imagery, the heavy use of numerology and other veiled imagery; all these factors place Revelation clearly in the same class with classical and contemporary apocalyptic writing. But the real home of Revelation is prophecy, as experienced in the early Christian church.

This book grows out of worship and is intended for the use of other Christian prophets ("the angels of the seven churches," 1:20). John almost certainly implies the use of the prophecy in worship. His urgent exhortation to read aloud, listen carefully, understand, and keep the words of this scroll (1:3) tells us a great deal about John's understanding of prophecy. Above all, Revelation is to help the church grow in understanding and obedience. Prophecy tries to help the church understand today's message from the risen Christ, who is the Word of God and who still speaks. Prophecy does not dwell on previous proclamations of Scripture and their interpretations; nor is it interested in the neat categories of past, present, and future. Rather, prophecy tends to run all these together in the immediacy of the moment of the encounter with the living testimony of Jesus.

We are not used to this world of John's prophecy, a strange and admittedly dangerous place in which to live, let alone visit. We like things more orderly, neat, and tidy. Revelation is orderly, but in its own way. For example, John alludes to biblical texts and images on almost every line of Revelation but uses only one direct quotation (15:3). Again, events of the final end of the world are spoken of in the narrative long before we would expect them, if Revelation were an orderly, history-centered work. In some ways, the creative approach of Revelation is more like the collage of a music video than a sequential, logical plan of history. This approach makes Revelation difficult for us to understand. But we make Revelation more difficult only if we try to force it into a mold that it does not fit.

Revelation 1:4-7. Revelation's rich theology about Jesus Christ is one of the most neglected and yet fruitful aspects of the Christian canon. Jesus Christ is described by many titles and actions in this passage. Jesus Christ is "the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." Jesus Christ has loved us, "freed us from our sins by his blood," and made us to be "a kingdom and priests."

Revelation 1:8.Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega the last. John chooses an interesting way of expressing himself when he writes that another revealed name of God is "First and Last." He then expands the name to include time: present, past, and future. If author J. B. Phillips was right, and our God is too small, reflect for a moment on Alpha and Omega as a proper name for God.

Revelation 1:9-20. The participant book points out that audition (hearing as the primary experience) characterizes John's encounter with God. This focus on the sounds of religious experience reminds us that prophecy was probably purely oral in nature. True, John uses words in the text of Revelation to describe his experience; but even this betrays a certain oral character.

The Greek text of Revelation is the most difficult in the New Testament. The technical grammatical studies of the text are quite complex. Many scholars have despaired of understanding or even dealing with the nearly impossible Greek of Revelation. It is as if the experience of hearing and speaking "the testimony of Jesus" (v. 9) cannot be contained by written language.

DIMENSION THREE: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN TO ME?

Revelation 1

When reading the first chapter of John's prophecy, we could easily concentrate on the fantastic elements of his strange experience. A careful reading of the text, however, shows that John tells little about himself. The main person in the text is Jesus Christ.

The description of such an unusual spiritual encounter raises the question of personal religious experience. The participant book points out that the Book of Revelation is the source of great divisions of opinion. For some Christians, the kind of spirit-induced visions and auditory experiences described by John are not only sought after but considered essential for salvation. For others, the Book of Revelation is discredited because it is based on such experiences. This division of opinion is not simply a contemporary fact; Christians have argued for centuries about Revelation's inclusion in the Bible.

The spiritual challenge of Revelation is to allow its theological and religious value to penetrate our lives. One of the values we are taught by John is the centrality of Jesus Christ. The detail of belief about who Jesus Christ is and what he does for humankind is really quite extraordinary. The eye of the prophet is clearly fixed on Christ, not on the prophet's own mystical experience. Jesus Christ is in control of what is taking place in John's strange experience. Again and again this exaltation and empowering of Christ is affirmed.

In Revelation, John is especially fond of representing Jesus Christ as the great witness. John also writes about "the testimony of Jesus" (v. 9). John makes it clear that Jesus Christ is not only the firstborn from the dead but also the present, living voice of God in the church today.

We may have made Jesus Christ a historical, heavenly reality at the expense of finding ways to allow Jesus Christ to speak in the present. Does Christ speak today? In whose voice do I hear him call? Is his testimony only in words? In whose actions do I see testimony to Christ?

"Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown." (2:10c)

SEVEN LETTERS TO SEVEN CHURCHES

Revelation 2–3

DIMENSION ONE: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Answer these questions by reading Revelation 2–3

1. Seven "mini-letters" are sent to seven churches in Asia. Identify the churches. (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14) The seven churches are in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

2. In each case, to whom is the letter addressed? (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14) Each letter is addressed "to the angel of the church."

3. Which of these seven churches receives no praise? (3:14-22) The church in the city of Laodicea is censured, never praised.

4. Which two churches receive only praise and no censure? (2:811; 3:7-13) The churches in Smyrna and in Philadelphia receive only praise and are not censured.

5. What are some reasons that churches are praised? (2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:8) The churches are praised for perseverance, intolerance of evil persons, endurance in their afflictions and poverty, remaining true to the name of Christ, not denying faith in Christ, love, faith, service, and keeping the word of Christ.

6. Each church receives a promise on the basis of doing what? (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21) Each letter ends with a call to be victorious. Those who are victorious (who overcome temptation) will receive a gift from Christ.

7. What are some of the good things promised to those who overcome? (2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 21) Those who overcome are promised to eat from the tree of life in paradise; survive the second death; receive the hidden manna; be given a new name on a white stone; be given power over the nations to rule; be given the morning star; be clad in white garments; not be blotted out of the book of life; be acknowledged before God and the angels; be made a pillar in the temple of God to dwell there forever; receive three names: God, the new Jerusalem, and Christ's own name; and receive the privilege of sitting on the throne of Christ with him.

8. Who provides the model of what it means to overcome? (3:21) Jesus Christ was victorious (overcame) and was thereby received by God to be seated with God on God's throne.

9. What exhortation closes all the mini-letters? (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) The closing words of each letter are "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

10. Who are some of the people censured? (2:2, 6, 9, 14-15, 20; 3:9, 17) The censured people include those who call themselves apostles but are not (false apostles), the Nicolaitans, those who call themselves Jews but are not, those who hold the teaching of Balaam, Jezebel and the rich in Laodicea.

11. What are some of the provocative images John uses to describe things Christ censures? (2:4; 3:2-4, 15, 17) John uses these images to describe the things Christ censures: forsaking one's first love, sleeping instead of remaining alert, soiling one's garments, being neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, and calling oneself rich and presuming to be self-sufficient.

12. The church at Laodicea is asked to do several things to be acceptable to Christ. What are these things? (3:18-19) The Christians at Laodicea are called on to buy real gold from God in order to become rich, to wear white clothes to cover their nakedness, to put salve on their eyes so they can see, to be earnest, and to repent.

13. How is Christ described in the opening words of the seven letters? (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14)

• Christ is the one "who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands" (2:1).

• Christ is "the First and the Last, who died and came to life again" (2:8).

• "Christ has a "sharp, double-edged sword" (2:12).

• Christ's "eyes are like blazing fire" and his feet "like burnished bronze" (2:18).

• Christ "holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars" (3:1).

• Christ is the holy and true one. He "holds the key of David" and has the authority to open and shut (3:7).

• Christ is "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation" (3:14).

DIMENSION TWO: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN?

Background. Revelation 2–3 comprises seven mini-letters to a collection of Christian churches in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). The churches addressed in these letters formed some kind of logical network for John, but no one knows what the exact connection was. The cities are diverse, clustered in a geographical area either on the western seacoast of Asia or in the watershed of coastal rivers linked with the Aegean Sea. At the time of Revelation they were not yet organized as a single Christian district, as far as we know.

The reference in Revelation is the first knowledge we have, historically, of some of these churches (Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia). Laodicea is mentioned in the letter to the Colossians (2:1-3; 4:13, 15-16). Ephesus is one of the cities Paul visited (Acts 18:19-20:1) and is also associated in early Christian tradition with the apostle John. With such scant information available, we cannot correctly interpret the many oblique references made in these letters, but we have some clues.