03.02. Lesson 02
Lesson 2: Read Revelation 1:1-20 at least 3 times, avoiding reference to any commentaries or notes.
Now consider the following Old Testament passages, comparing them to what you just read in Revelation:
Ezekiel 1:26-28; Ezekiel 43:1-5; Daniel 2:29-30; Daniel 2:45; Daniel 7:9-14; Daniel 10:5-10, Zechariah 4:2-7. Also read Mark 9:1-8.
Look up several of the other allusions made in this chapter to the Old Testament:
Revelation 1:5 to Psalms 89:27, Psalms 89:37 Revelation 1:6 to Exodus 19:6
Revelation 1:7 to Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10 (see also Matthew 24:30)
Revelation 1:8 to Isaiah 44:6
Revelation 1:13 to Exodus 28:6-8
Revelation 1:16 to Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 60:19-20
Revelation 1:18 to Isaiah 22:22 Study Questions:
(1) Compare Revelation 1:1 with the verses cited above from Daniel 2:1-49. What is the context in Daniel? What phrases are similar in Revelation 1:1 and Daniel 2:1-49? What differences are there? Look at the English first, then the Greek. The LXX for these verses in Daniel reads in part, avllV e;sti qeo.j evn ouvranw/| avnakalu,ptwn musth,ria o]j evdh,lwse tw/| basilei/ Naboucodonosor a] dei/ gene,sqai evpV evsca,twn tw/n h`merw/n . . . 29 su, basileu/ katakliqei.j evpi. th/j koi,thj sou e`w,rakaj pa,nta o[sa dei/ gene,sqai evpV evsca,twn tw/n h`merw/n kai. o` avnakalu,ptwn musth,ria evdh,lwse, soi a] dei/ gene,sqai
(2) The last phrase of verse 1 in the KJV reads, “He sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” What is the Greek word translated “signified”? How does the NIV translate this? How does John use this verb and the noun from which it is derived elsewhere? (see John 12:33; John 18:32; John 21:19 for the verb (elsewhere in NT this verb only appears in Acts 11:28; Acts 25:27). The noun appears 69 times in the NT; in Revelation it is used in the following verses: Revelation 12:1, Revelation 12:3, Revelation 13:13-14, Revelation 15:1, Revelation 16:14,, and Revelation 19:20. It appears 17 other times in John’s writings; for examples see John 2:11; John 20:30. All other references in John have the same meaning. What does this word tell us about the nature of the rest of the book?
(3) Who is the one "who is, who was, and who is to come" in Revelation 1:4 and Revelation 1:8? Why is each of these three important? How does this title relate to the themes of Revelation you highlighted last time? Compare the Greek of this verse to the LXX of Exodus 3:14 : kai. ei=pen o` qeo.j pro.j Mwush/n evgw, eivmi o` w;n kai. ei=pen ou[twj evrei/j toi/j ui`oi/j Israhl o` w’n avpe,stalke,n me pro.j u`ma/j.
(4) Revelation 1:5-7 present us two sides to God’s redemptive plan for the first of many times in this book. What benefits do these verses describe for us, the redeemed? Why will some "mourn" because of him?
(5) Compare John’s vision with the Old Testament visions above. Note both similarities and differences in the visions and in the responses of those given the visions.
(6) Throughout this book we will have to decide which descriptions are purely symbolic, and which also have a literal truth. In the description of Jesus, are there any details that are clearly symbolic only? Do the Old Testament passages help in answering this?
(7) Who is speaking in Revelation 1:17-18? How does this self-description relate to question 1?
(8) What one thought do you need to hold onto from Revelation 1:1-20 that will enable you to live the Christian life more effectively?
(9) Here’s a nice, simple question to end with: What is reality? Consider what we’ve read here, as well as 1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:8-16; Hebrews 13:14.
Commentaries:
Afteryou have done all the Bible reading and considered the questions, read the remainder of chapter 1 of Stedman, and pages 27 to 42 of Wilcock. Look closely at Wilcock pages 31-33, 37-39, and 42. Reconsider your answers to the questions, particularly question 7, in light of the commentaries.