Study Focus: In this lesson, our focus will be the prologue (Rev. 1:1–8) and the book of Revelation, as a whole.
Introduction: The prologue to Revelation (Rev. 1:1–8) introduces the main themes of the book in relatively plain language. These verses contain no terrifying beasts, no heavenly journeys, and no sevenfold sequences. Instead, they describe how the book got here (Rev. 1:1–3), who sent it to the churches (Rev. 1:4–6), and how the events described by the book will turn out in the end (Rev. 1:7, 8). The prologue expresses the centrality of Jesus Christ to the whole book and prepares the reader for what is to come in straightforward language.
Lesson Themes: The prologue to the book of Revelation introduces the following themes:
I. Jesus Is the Central Figure of Revelation.
His centrality is made clear by the title of the book (Rev. 1:1), His qualities and actions (Rev. 1:5, 6), and His central role at the Second Coming (Rev. 1:7).
II. The Book Concerns Future Events.
These events are not just end-time events. In fact, most of the events described herein, relative to John’s day, were events through future history (Rev. 1:1).
III. The Visions of the Book Are Given in Symbolic Language.
This fact is clear from one of the key words in Revelation 1:1 and its allusion to Daniel 2.
IV. The Threeness of God
There is a threefold description of the Trinity of God’s persons, qualities, and actions in Revelation 1:4–6.
V. The Return of Jesus
Revelation 1:7, 8 addresses this ultimate culmination of all the events in the book.
Life Application: The concluding questions that follow the commentary section invite students to balance the powerful insights of the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of Revelation with the centrality of Jesus Christ throughout the book.
Part II: Commentary
The “Overview” to the standard edition Bible study guide tells us that the entire set of lessons is based on the Seventh-day Adventist concept of Inspiration, the historicist method of prophetic interpretation, the unique organizational structure of Revelation, and a Christ-centered approach to interpretation.
The historicist method is supported by the broad structure of Revelation itself. The book begins with the seven churches (Rev. 1:9–3:22), which concern the situation of John’s day and which prophetically portray the situation of the church through history to the end times. The seals and the trumpets also cover the period from the time of John to the end of time (Rev. 4:1–11:19). Finally, the last half of the book (Rev. 12:1–22:21) focuses mostly on the last days of earth’s history and beyond. This method also is supported by the allusion to Daniel 2 in the first verse of the book (see the elaboration on this point in theme III below).
Main Themes of Lesson 1 Elaborated:
I. Jesus Is the Central Figure of Revelation (Rev. 1:1, 5–7).
The book opens with a chain of revelation that centers in Jesus. He is the first Person mentioned in the book and the One who passes the revelation on to John (Rev. 1:1). What God gave to Jesus is called “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:1). What Jesus passed on to John is called “the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 1:2). What John passed on to his readers was “the words of this prophecy” (Rev. 1:3).
This chain of revelation is important for Seventh-day Adventists. It indicates clearly that the testimony of Jesus here includes the book of Revelation itself, as well as the visionary gift that John received (Rev. 1:2). The remnant of Revelation 12:17 also will later have the testimony of Jesus, a visionary gift similar to the one John had, which also produced inspired writings.
So the prologue points to Jesus as the central figure of Revelation. The book is a revelation from Jesus and about Jesus (Rev. 1:1). Jesus is qualified for His special role by His death, resurrection, and heavenly reign (Rev. 1:5). In the end, He also will come with the clouds (Rev. 1:7).
II. The Book Concerns Future Events.
Revelation 1:1 tells us that a major purpose of the book is to “show to his servants what must soon take place” (RSV). These events are in the future, from John’s perspective. But what does the text mean by “soon”? The 2,000 years that have passed since Revelation was written do not seem like soon! So the word “soon” must clearly be from God’s perspective, in which 1,000 years is like a day (2 Pet. 3:8).
But from our perspective the return of Jesus has always been soon, as well. We don’t know when Jesus will actually come, but we do know that, in terms of our own personal conscious experience (Eccles. 9:5), He will seem to come an instant after we die. For each of us, individually, the Second Coming is no more than a few moments after death. So the opportunity for us to get ready for His coming is now rather than sometime in the future. If Jesus’ coming were not portrayed as soon, many people would delay getting ready for His return.
III. The Vision Is Given in Symbolic Language.
Generally, the best way to approach Scripture is to take everything literally, unless it is clear that a symbol is intended. In Revelation, the opposite approach is indicated by the first verse. There, it tells us that the entire vision given to John was “signified” (Rev. 1:1 [Greek: esêmanen]) by either God or Jesus. The primary definition of the word “signified” means to make something known by signs, speech, or actions. So in Revelation the best way to approach the text is to treat everything as a symbol, unless it is clear that a literal meaning is intended (for example, “Jesus Christ” in Revelation 1:1 should be taken literally).
This insight takes even clearer shape when the reader discovers an allusion to Daniel 2 in the first verse of the book. The only other place in the Bible that combines the word “signified” with the unusual expression “what must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1, RSV, NIV [from the Greek: a dei genesthai]) is Daniel 2:45. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great image embodies the incident in which God “signified” (Dan. 2:45, Rev. 1:1) to him what must take place in the last days. What was to be “in the last days” in Daniel is now “soon” in Revelation.
At the very opening of the book of Revelation, therefore, one finds a powerful allusion to Daniel 2. This allusion ties the two books together as companion volumes. While Revelation alludes to many of the prophets, there is a special bond between Revelation and the book of Daniel. So we should expect some of the symbolism of Revelation to point to sequences of history that run from the prophet’s time until the end of time.
IV. The Threeness of God
Revelation 1:4–6 opens the book with a threefold description of the Trinity. First of all, there is a description of Persons: the Father (the One who is, was, and is to come), the Holy Spirit (represented by the seven spirits), and Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is mentioned last because He is the subject of the next two descriptions.
Next comes a description of qualities that ground the role Jesus plays in Revelation. He is the one who died (He is the faithful witness/martyr— from the Greek: martys), rose (the “first-born of the dead,” [RSV]), and joined the Father on His throne (“ruler of the kings of the earth,” [NIV]). The death and resurrection of Jesus provide the foundation of His heavenly reign.
The final description is of actions. Jesus loves us (Greek, present tense), has freed, or “washed” (two different Greek words that sound the same, but are one letter different), us from our sins by His blood, and made us kings and priests to God. The ultimate outcome of Jesus’ love, as expressed in His death and resurrection, is to raise His people to the highest possible status: kings and priests.
V. The Return of Jesus
The picture of Jesus’ return in Revelation 1:7 is based on allusions to Daniel 7 and Zechariah 12. The “He” of Revelation 1:7 (NKJV) clearly refers to Jesus, as He has been the subject of the previous two verses. “Coming with the clouds” (NIV) recalls the Son of Man who comes with clouds to the Ancient of Days and receives dominion over the kingdoms of the earth (Dan. 7:13, 14). In Revelation, Jesus’ right to rule over the earth is recognized in heaven at His ascension (Revelation 5) and on the earth at the Second Coming (Rev. 1:7).
The allusion to Zechariah is particularly interesting. Notice the parallels between Zechariah 12 and the book of Revelation. In Zechariah 12:7, 8, it is Yahweh who comes. In Revelation, it is Jesus who comes. In Zechariah 12:10, it is Yahweh who is pierced; in Revelation, it is Jesus who is pierced. In Zechariah, it is the inhabitants of Jerusalem who see God come (Zech. 12:8– 10); in Revelation, it is the whole earth that sees Jesus come. In Zechariah 12:11, 12, it is the clans of Jerusalem that mourn; in Revelation, it is the tribes of the whole earth that mourn.
In Revelation’s use of the Old Testament, therefore, there is a shift in emphasis from Yahweh to Jesus. There is a similar shift from the literal and local things of Israel to the spiritual, worldwide impact of the gospel and the church.
Part III: Life Application
The lesson focuses on the opening to the book of Revelation, or the prologue (Rev. 1:1–8). One way to begin the lesson would be to ask, “What is your favorite Bible story opening?” Students might give such answers as “baby Moses in the bulrushes,” “the diet test for Daniel and his three friends in Daniel 1,” “the anointing of David, the shepherd boy,” or “angels visiting the shepherds at Jesus’ birth,” as examples. How does the opening of a Bible story or book affect the way you understand the rest of the story?
The lesson brings out two things that are very important throughout the book of Revelation:
(a) the centrality of Jesus Christ and
(b) the historicist reading of Revelation. The teacher can invite his or her students to discuss such questions as What value does the historicist approach offer in today’s world? How do the historical details of the historicist interpretation of Revelation uplift Jesus Christ as the center of all hope? Some answers to the first of these questions: The historicist approach (a) answers the three great philosophical questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? (b) helps us see the hand of God in history;
(c) gives us confidence in the midst of chaos that God is still in control of history; and (d) gives us confidence that, because God has been active throughout history, the hope that we have for the end also is sure.
Adjust My Preferences
Welcome! Please set your reading preferences below.
You can access this panel later by clicking the
preference icon
in the top right of the page.
Key Text: Revelation 1:1
Study Focus: In this lesson, our focus will be the prologue (Rev. 1:1–8) and the book of Revelation, as a whole.
Introduction: The prologue to Revelation (Rev. 1:1–8) introduces the main themes of the book in relatively plain language. These verses contain no terrifying beasts, no heavenly journeys, and no sevenfold sequences. Instead, they describe how the book got here (Rev. 1:1–3), who sent it to the churches (Rev. 1:4–6), and how the events described by the book will turn out in the end (Rev. 1:7, 8). The prologue expresses the centrality of Jesus Christ to the whole book and prepares the reader for what is to come in straightforward language.
Lesson Themes: The prologue to the book of Revelation introduces the following themes:
I. Jesus Is the Central Figure of Revelation.
His centrality is made clear by the title of the book (Rev. 1:1), His qualities and actions (Rev. 1:5, 6), and His central role at the Second Coming (Rev. 1:7).
II. The Book Concerns Future Events.
These events are not just end-time events. In fact, most of the events described herein, relative to John’s day, were events through future history (Rev. 1:1).
III. The Visions of the Book Are Given in Symbolic Language.
This fact is clear from one of the key words in Revelation 1:1 and its allusion to Daniel 2.
IV. The Threeness of God
There is a threefold description of the Trinity of God’s persons, qualities, and actions in Revelation 1:4–6.
V. The Return of Jesus
Revelation 1:7, 8 addresses this ultimate culmination of all the events in the book.
Life Application: The concluding questions that follow the commentary section invite students to balance the powerful insights of the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of Revelation with the centrality of Jesus Christ throughout the book.
Part II: Commentary
The “Overview” to the standard edition Bible study guide tells us that the entire set of lessons is based on the Seventh-day Adventist concept of Inspiration, the historicist method of prophetic interpretation, the unique organizational structure of Revelation, and a Christ-centered approach to interpretation.
The historicist method is supported by the broad structure of Revelation itself. The book begins with the seven churches (Rev. 1:9–3:22), which concern the situation of John’s day and which prophetically portray the situation of the church through history to the end times. The seals and the trumpets also cover the period from the time of John to the end of time (Rev. 4:1–11:19). Finally, the last half of the book (Rev. 12:1–22:21) focuses mostly on the last days of earth’s history and beyond. This method also is supported by the allusion to Daniel 2 in the first verse of the book (see the elaboration on this point in theme III below).
Main Themes of Lesson 1 Elaborated:
I. Jesus Is the Central Figure of Revelation (Rev. 1:1, 5–7).
The book opens with a chain of revelation that centers in Jesus. He is the first Person mentioned in the book and the One who passes the revelation on to John (Rev. 1:1). What God gave to Jesus is called “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:1). What Jesus passed on to John is called “the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 1:2). What John passed on to his readers was “the words of this prophecy” (Rev. 1:3).
This chain of revelation is important for Seventh-day Adventists. It indicates clearly that the testimony of Jesus here includes the book of Revelation itself, as well as the visionary gift that John received (Rev. 1:2). The remnant of Revelation 12:17 also will later have the testimony of Jesus, a visionary gift similar to the one John had, which also produced inspired writings.
So the prologue points to Jesus as the central figure of Revelation. The book is a revelation from Jesus and about Jesus (Rev. 1:1). Jesus is qualified for His special role by His death, resurrection, and heavenly reign (Rev. 1:5). In the end, He also will come with the clouds (Rev. 1:7).
II. The Book Concerns Future Events.
Revelation 1:1 tells us that a major purpose of the book is to “show to his servants what must soon take place” (RSV). These events are in the future, from John’s perspective. But what does the text mean by “soon”? The 2,000 years that have passed since Revelation was written do not seem like soon! So the word “soon” must clearly be from God’s perspective, in which 1,000 years is like a day (2 Pet. 3:8).
But from our perspective the return of Jesus has always been soon, as well. We don’t know when Jesus will actually come, but we do know that, in terms of our own personal conscious experience (Eccles. 9:5), He will seem to come an instant after we die. For each of us, individually, the Second Coming is no more than a few moments after death. So the opportunity for us to get ready for His coming is now rather than sometime in the future. If Jesus’ coming were not portrayed as soon, many people would delay getting ready for His return.
III. The Vision Is Given in Symbolic Language.
Generally, the best way to approach Scripture is to take everything literally, unless it is clear that a symbol is intended. In Revelation, the opposite approach is indicated by the first verse. There, it tells us that the entire vision given to John was “signified” (Rev. 1:1 [Greek: esêmanen]) by either God or Jesus. The primary definition of the word “signified” means to make something known by signs, speech, or actions. So in Revelation the best way to approach the text is to treat everything as a symbol, unless it is clear that a literal meaning is intended (for example, “Jesus Christ” in Revelation 1:1 should be taken literally).
This insight takes even clearer shape when the reader discovers an allusion to Daniel 2 in the first verse of the book. The only other place in the Bible that combines the word “signified” with the unusual expression “what must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1, RSV, NIV [from the Greek: a dei genesthai]) is Daniel 2:45. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great image embodies the incident in which God “signified” (Dan. 2:45, Rev. 1:1) to him what must take place in the last days. What was to be “in the last days” in Daniel is now “soon” in Revelation.
At the very opening of the book of Revelation, therefore, one finds a powerful allusion to Daniel 2. This allusion ties the two books together as companion volumes. While Revelation alludes to many of the prophets, there is a special bond between Revelation and the book of Daniel. So we should expect some of the symbolism of Revelation to point to sequences of history that run from the prophet’s time until the end of time.
IV. The Threeness of God
Revelation 1:4–6 opens the book with a threefold description of the Trinity. First of all, there is a description of Persons: the Father (the One who is, was, and is to come), the Holy Spirit (represented by the seven spirits), and Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is mentioned last because He is the subject of the next two descriptions.
Next comes a description of qualities that ground the role Jesus plays in Revelation. He is the one who died (He is the faithful witness/martyr— from the Greek: martys), rose (the “first-born of the dead,” [RSV]), and joined the Father on His throne (“ruler of the kings of the earth,” [NIV]). The death and resurrection of Jesus provide the foundation of His heavenly reign.
The final description is of actions. Jesus loves us (Greek, present tense), has freed, or “washed” (two different Greek words that sound the same, but are one letter different), us from our sins by His blood, and made us kings and priests to God. The ultimate outcome of Jesus’ love, as expressed in His death and resurrection, is to raise His people to the highest possible status: kings and priests.
V. The Return of Jesus
The picture of Jesus’ return in Revelation 1:7 is based on allusions to Daniel 7 and Zechariah 12. The “He” of Revelation 1:7 (NKJV) clearly refers to Jesus, as He has been the subject of the previous two verses. “Coming with the clouds” (NIV) recalls the Son of Man who comes with clouds to the Ancient of Days and receives dominion over the kingdoms of the earth (Dan. 7:13, 14). In Revelation, Jesus’ right to rule over the earth is recognized in heaven at His ascension (Revelation 5) and on the earth at the Second Coming (Rev. 1:7).
The allusion to Zechariah is particularly interesting. Notice the parallels between Zechariah 12 and the book of Revelation. In Zechariah 12:7, 8, it is Yahweh who comes. In Revelation, it is Jesus who comes. In Zechariah 12:10, it is Yahweh who is pierced; in Revelation, it is Jesus who is pierced. In Zechariah, it is the inhabitants of Jerusalem who see God come (Zech. 12:8– 10); in Revelation, it is the whole earth that sees Jesus come. In Zechariah 12:11, 12, it is the clans of Jerusalem that mourn; in Revelation, it is the tribes of the whole earth that mourn.
In Revelation’s use of the Old Testament, therefore, there is a shift in emphasis from Yahweh to Jesus. There is a similar shift from the literal and local things of Israel to the spiritual, worldwide impact of the gospel and the church.
Part III: Life Application