New Series: The Book of Revelation
The Victory that brings True Hope
A supernatural red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, bent on murdering a mysterious royal child (Revelation 12). A beast with a fatal wound that has been healed, receiving the allegiance of the world. A mysterious number 666 (Revelation 13). A great angel swinging a giant sickle and harvesting the great vine of the earth. A winepress with blood flooding out of it (Revelation 14). The book of Revelation is full of vivid images. Because of this, we can feel that the book of Revelation is too confusing and frightening to study.
What we forget is that the early church, in the Apostle John’s day, were a people oppressed by both empire and pagan spiritually. They were in great need of sure hope. The Risen and ascended Lord Jesus gives them just what they need in this piece of apocalyptic literature- the book of Revelation.
The church in our day is in like manner sensing her need for hope. We are increasingly mindful of our weakness. We are oppressed by an economic world order that perpetuates inequality, a media that so often divides the community with an ‘us and them’ mentality, and Pandemic and the fear of death. Perhaps, then, we may very well find Jesus speak to our heart too, in this series.
Reflection Questions
1. Do you ever read political cartoons in the Herald Sun or another paper? Often they portray real, historical or presently living, figures and events, but in a non-literal way. Political cartoons exaggerate facial features and expressions, give figures giant heads and may even use images of something else entirely to refer to a real person! In a similar way picture language will often be used in the Book of Revelation to describe real figures and events. How ought our interpretation of the images in Revelation be shaped by this awareness? In what sense might images be symbolic or non-literal, yet still convey truth about reality? Read Revelation 12 and ask yourself these questions.
(Nb. Revelation is part of what is known as the ‘Apocalyptic literature’ in the Bible. These passages often use symbol and image to describe God’s future purposes).
2. Read Revelation 1.9-11. What clues are we given as to the circumstance this Revelation addresses?
3. Find a good Bible dictionary and look up Asia Minor and Patmos. The seven churches mentioned in v11 were key administrative and postal hubs for the Roman Empire in the region of Asia Minor, a region we now know as Turkey. The Island of Patmos is a beautiful place to stay today, but what might confinement there have been like, for the Apostle John, in the 1st Century?
4. Read Revelation 5.1-10. John continues his vision of the throne room of God. What does the image of the Lion tell us about the Ascended Lord Jesus, present here on the throne of God? What does the image of the Lamb tell us about the Ascended Lord Jesus? Jesus is both Lion and sacrificial Lamb, what does this say about him? (See Revelation 5.5-6).
5. Read John’s Gospel chapter 20.24-29. What will the Risen Lord Jesus always have on his hands, side and feet? What does this bring to mind?
6. Read Revelation 6. Who has authority and power to break the seals of the Scroll that dictates the course of history? How does it encourage us to know that the one who directs past, present and future (breaking seals, releasing judgements) is the Lion-Lamb?
7. What happens when the sixth seal is broken (v12-17)? How might that be an encouragement to the spirits of the martyrs (v9-11)? How also might the ending hinted at by the sixth seal encourage the persecuted church today?