THE REVELATION TO JOHN

The Seven Churches of the Revelation

(Revelation, 2:1-3:22)

INTRODUCTION TOTHE REVELATION TO JOHN

Author: John Date: 90s

Authorship According to the book itself the author’s name was John (1:4,9; 22:8), a prophet (22:9). Traditionally this John has been identified as John the apostle, the son of Zebedee (see the Introduction to 1 John does no prove that the Revelation is different from that of the gospel and the three epistles literature, the fact that this revelation was given in a vision, and the circumstances of John’s being a prisoner could easily account for the differences in style.

Date Clearly the Revelation was written in a period when Christians were threatened by Rome, undoubtedly by pressure to make them recant their faith and accept the cult of emperor worship. Some maintain that the book was written during Nero’s persecution of Christians after the burning of Rome in A.D. 64. However, the more probable date is during the harsh reign of that warped personality Domitian (A.D. 81-96). This later date for the book was held by the church Father Irenaeus and other early Christian writes, and it agrees better with the picture of complacency and defection of the churches in chapters 2 and 3. This dating is widely accepted by modern scholars.

Interpretation There are four principal viewpoints concerning the interpretation of this book: (1) the preterist, which views the prophecies of the book as having been fulfilled in the early history of the church; (2) the historical, which understands the book as portraying a panorama of the history of the church from the days of John to the end of time; (3) the

idealist, which considers the book a pictorial unfolding of great principles in constant conflict, without reference to actual events; and (4) the futurist is the viewpoint taken in these notes, based on the principle of interpreting the text plainly.

The book is a revelation, or apocalypse (1:1), and as such is expected to be understood. Much of it is frighteningly clear. Some symbols are explained (1:20; 17:1,15), others are no. It is always important to notice carefully the words “like,” “as” and “as it were” (6:1; 9:7), for these words indicate a comparison, not an identification.

Contents This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and He is the center of the entire book (1:1). In His risen glory (chap. 1) He directs His churches on earth (caps. 2-3). He is the slain and risen Lamb to whom all worship is directed (chaps. 4-5). The judgements of the coming seven-year period of tribulation on this earth are the display of the wrath of the Lamb (chaps. 6-19; see especially 6:16-17), and the chapter 20, and the new heavens and new earth in chapters 21 and 22.

The outline of the book is indicated in 1:19. The things that John had seen include the vision of the risen Christ in chapter 1. “What is now” is described in the letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor in chapters 2 and 3. “What will take place later” are the prophecies of chapters 4-22.

OUTLINE OF REVELATIONI. The Prologue, 1:1-8

A. Superscription, 1:1-3B. The Salutation, 1:4-8

II. “What You Have Seen,” 1:9-20

A. Circumstances of the Vision, 1:9-11B. Content of the Vision, 1:12-16C. Consequences of the Vision, 1:17-20

III. “What Is Now,” 2:1-3:22

A. The Message to Ephesus, 2:1-7B. The Message to Smyrna, 2:8-11C. The Message to Pergamum, 2:12-17D. The Message to Thyatira, 2:18-29E. The Message to Sardis, 3:1-6F. The Message to Philadelphia, 3:7-13G. The Message to Laodicea, 3:14-22

IV. “What Will Take Place Later,” 4:1-22:5

A. The Tribulation Period, 4:1-19:211. The throne in heaven, 4:1-11

a. The throne, 4:1-3b. The throng, 4:4-8c. The theme, 4:9-11

2. The scroll in heaven, 5:1-14a. The scroll, 5:1b. The search, 5:2-5c. The Savior-Sovereign, 5:6-7d. The Song, 5:8-14

3. The seal judgments, 6:1-17a. First seal: cold war, 6:1-2b. Second seal: open war, 6:3-4c. Third seal: famine, 6:5-6d. Fourth seal: death, 6:7-8e. Fifth seal: martyrdom, 6:9-11f. Sixth seal: physical disturbances, 6:12-17

4. Interlude: the redeemed of the Tribulation, 7:1-17a. The 144.000 Jews, 7:1-8b. The multitude of Gentiles, 7:9-17

5. The six trumpet judgments, 8:1-9:21a. The seventh seal opened, 8:1-6b. First trumpet: the earth smitten, 8:7c. Second trumpet: the sea smitten, 8:8-9d. Third trumpet: the waters smitten, 8:10-11e. Fourth trumpet: the heavens smitten, 8:12-13f. Fifth trumpet: men smitten, 9:1-12g. Sixth trumpet: men killed, 9:13-21

6. The little scroll, 10:1-117. The two witnesses, 11:1-19

a. Temple, 11:1-2b. Time, 11:3c. Traits, 11:4-6d. Termination, 11:7-10e. Translation, 11:11-14f. Seventh trumpet, 11:15-19

8. War, 12:1-17a. War on earth: phase I, 12:1-6b. War in heaven, 12:7-12c. War on earth: phase II, 12:13-1a

9. The beast and his prophet, 13:1b-18a. The beast, 13:1-10b. The false prophet, 13:11-18

10. Various announcements, 14:1-20a. Concerning the 144.000, 14:1-5b. Concerning the everlasting gospel, 14:6-8c. Concerning beast worshipers, 14:9-13d. Concerning the harvesting of the earth, 14:14-20

11. Prelude to the bowl judgments, 15:1-812. The bowl judgments, 16:1-21

a. First bowl: painful sores, 16:1-2b. Second bowl: seas smitten, 16:3c. Third bowl: rivers smitten, 15:4-7d. Fourth bowl: scorching, 16:8-9e. Fifth bowl: darkness, 16:10-11

f. Sixth bowl: Euphrates dried, 16:12-16g. Seventh bowl: widespread destruction, 16:17-21

13. Religious Babylon, 17:1-18a. The description, 17:1-7b. The interpretation, 17:8-18

14. Commercial Babylon, 18:1-24a. Announcement, 18:1-3b. Appeal, 18:4-8c. Anguish, 18:9-19d. Acclaim, 18:20-24

15. The second coming of Christ, 19:1-21a. Announcements, 19:1-10b. Advent of Christ, 19:11-16c. Armageddon, 19:17-21

B. The Millennium, 20:1-151. Satan bound, 20:1-32. Saints resurrected, 20:4-63. Sinners rebelling, 20:7-94. Satan doomed, 20:105. Sinners judged, 20:11-15

C. The Eternal State, 21:1-22:51. Descent of the New Jerusalem, 21:1-82. Description of the New Jerusalem, 21:9-273. Delights of the New Jerusalem, 22:1-5

V. Epilogue, 22:6-21

A. Words of Comfort, 22:6-17B. Words of Warning, 22:18-19C. Closing Benediction, 22:20-21

Source: The RYRIE Study Bible – New International Version by Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D.

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2. Commentaries

2.1 Matthew Henry Complete Bible Commentary

01. Revelation 1

02. Revelation 2

03. Revelation 3

04. Revelation 4

05. Revelation 5

06. Revelation 6

07. Revelation 7

08. Revelation 8

09. Revelation 9

10. Revelation 10

11. Revelation 11

12. Revelation 12

13. Revelation 13

14. Revelation 14

15. Revelation 15

16. Revelation 16

17. Revelation 17

18. Revelation 18

19. Revelation 19

20. Revelation 20

21. Revelation 21

22. Revelation 22

2.2 The Wiersbe Bible Commentary

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