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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see that the book of Revelation gives us a magnificent vision of Christ and delivers messages of hope and challenge to His church.

Key Verse

Revelation 22:12: Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

Introduction

Genesis is the book of beginnings, and Revelation is the book of endings. In Revelation we see the end of this world, the end of sin and death. We reach the completion of God’s work through Christ.

John the apostle wrote Revelation when he was an elderly man, exiled on the island of Patmos for his faithful witness to Christ. There he received a magnificent vision of the risen Christ and a revelation of what will happen in the end times. But we need to understand something very important about this book: the main theme and purpose of Revelation is not to predict the future but to provide comfort and encouragement to God’s people. The message is very clear: God wins and everything will be made right.

Revelation was written during a time when the church faced severe persecution from the Roman Empire. The vision that John recorded was meant to encourage believers to hold fast to their faith no matter what trials they faced. Our hope comes from the knowledge that Christ will come again for His church, and no earthly power can ultimately triumph over Him.

Many people find Revelation difficult to understand because it contains numerous quotations from the Old Testament and uses rich symbolism like the prophetic books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. But the basic message of Revelation is remarkably simple and wonderfully encouraging. Here are the main truths that shine through this book:

• There will be a period of tribulation on earth
• Satan will lead one last rebellion against God
• Christ will come again and defeat Satan and his forces
• Christ will judge all people according to their deeds
• We will live forever with Christ in a new heaven and a new earth

We are given a simple outline of the entire book in Revelation 1:19, where Christ tells John to write about three things:

• The things which you have seen
• The things which are
• The things which will take place after this

In this lesson, we’ll focus on the first two points of this outline, which will take us through the first four chapters of Revelation. In our next lesson, we’ll examine the future events that John prophesied about.

“The Things Which You Have Seen”

In the first chapter of Revelation, John receives a breathtaking vision of Christ exalted in heaven. This passage contains some of the richest doctrinal teaching about our Savior found anywhere in Scripture. As we read through these verses, we discover ten magnificent truths about who Jesus Christ is:

• He is the faithful witness (1:5)
• He is the firstborn from the dead (1:5)
• He is the ruler of the kings of the earth (1:5)
• He loves us (1:5)
• He died for our sins and freed us from them by His blood (1:5)
• He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father (1:6)
• He is coming with the clouds (1:7)
• He is the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (1:8)
• He is present with the church today, walking among the lampstands (1:13)
• He is glorious and powerful beyond description (1:14-16)

This magnificent description of Christ stands alongside other great passages in the New Testament that reveal the full glory of our Savior—passages like John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1. When John saw this vision of the risen Christ in all His glory, he fell at His feet as though dead. But Jesus placed His right hand on John and said those wonderful words that every believer needs to hear: “Do not be afraid.”

Revelation 1:17-18: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

(Notebook Moment: How do you think seeing Jesus in His full glory would affect you? What comfort do you find in knowing that this all-powerful Christ is the same Jesus who gently tells His people, “Do not be afraid”?)

Christ is the central focus of the entire book of Revelation. This book is “the revelation from Jesus Christ” and “the revelation about Jesus Christ.” When we study this book, we should always keep our attention fixed on Him. Every symbol, every vision, every prophecy ultimately points us to the majesty and victory of our Lord and Savior.

“The Things Which Are”

John was instructed to write seven short letters to seven actual churches that existed in Asia Minor during the first century. Jesus had a personal message for each of these churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These letters follow a consistent pattern that reveals how Christ evaluates and speaks to His church.

Each letter contains four important elements that we should pay careful attention to:

• A word of praise (recognizing what the church is doing well)
• A word of rebuke (identifying areas that need correction)
• A word of instruction (giving specific direction for improvement)
• A word of promise (offering hope and reward for faithfulness)

These letters contain much symbolic language. For example, the promises that Christ gives are symbolic of the eternal blessings we receive through salvation in Him. But the core messages are practical and direct, addressing issues that churches in every generation must face.

Let’s examine what Jesus says to each church:

The Church at Ephesus

Christ offers praise to this church for their perseverance and endurance, acknowledging that they have worked hard and not grown weary in their service (2:3). However, He brings a serious rebuke because they have forsaken their first love for Him (2:4). His instruction is clear: they must consider how far they have fallen, repent, and return to doing the things they did at first (2:5). To those who overcome, Christ gives this beautiful promise: they will be given the right to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God (2:7).

The Church at Smyrna

Jesus gives wonderful praise to this suffering church, telling them that although they experience afflictions and poverty, they are actually rich in spiritual blessings (2:9). Remarkably, no rebuke is given to this faithful congregation. His instruction encourages them not to fear the suffering that is coming but to remain faithful even to the point of death (2:10). The promise He offers is that those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death (2:11).

The Church at Pergamum

Christ praises this church for remaining true to His name and not renouncing their faith, even in a city where Satan has his throne (2:13). His rebuke addresses their tolerance of false teaching, specifically mentioning those who hold to the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans (2:14-15). The instruction is a call to repent, with a warning that Christ will come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth if they don’t (2:16). His promise to the victorious is hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it (2:17).

The Church at Thyatira

Jesus praises this church extensively for their love, faith, service, and perseverance, noting that they are doing more than they did at first (2:19). However, His rebuke is severe because they tolerate Jezebel, a false prophetess who leads His servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols (2:20). His instruction to the faithful remnant is to hold on to what they have until He comes (2:25). The promise given to those who are victorious and do His will to the end is authority over the nations and the morning star (2:26, 28).

The Church at Sardis

The praise Christ offers to this church is limited—He acknowledges that a few people in Sardis have not soiled their clothes and are worthy to walk with Him in white (3:4). His rebuke is devastating: they have a reputation of being alive, but they are actually dead (3:1). The instruction is urgent: wake up, strengthen what remains before it dies, remember what they have received and heard, hold it fast, and repent (3:2-3). His promise to the victorious is that they will be dressed in white garments, and He will never blot out their names from the book of life (3:5).

The Church at Philadelphia

Christ gives abundant praise to this faithful church, acknowledging their deeds and telling them that He has placed before them an open door that no one can shut, despite their little strength, because they have kept His word and not denied His name (3:8). No rebuke is given to this faithful congregation. His instruction is simple but important: hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown (3:11). The promise to the victorious is magnificent: they will become pillars in the temple of God, never to leave it again, and God’s name will be written on them (3:12).

The Church at Laodicea

Tragically, no praise is given to this self-satisfied church. Christ’s rebuke is perhaps the most severe of all: they are neither cold nor hot but lukewarm, and He is about to spit them out of His mouth because of their spiritual indifference (3:15-16). His instruction includes both counsel and command—He advises them to buy from Him gold refined in fire, white clothes to cover their nakedness, and salve to heal their spiritual blindness, and He commands them to be earnest and repent (3:18-19). Despite their condition, His promise to those who overcome is glorious: they will sit with Him on His throne, just as He overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne (3:21).

(Notebook Moment: As you read through these seven letters, which church do you think most closely resembles your own spiritual condition right now? What does Christ’s message to that church teach you about areas where you need to grow?)

These seven letters to seven churches describe the challenges and struggles that the church has faced throughout the past two thousand years. Every church and every Christian should carefully heed the words of Christ. Notice how each letter ends with the same invitation: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The letter to Laodicea concludes with one of the most beautiful invitations in all of Scripture:

Revelation 3:20: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

This verse reminds us that Christ desires personal fellowship with each one of us. He is not a distant, uninvolved God, but a loving Savior who wants to commune with His people.

(Notebook Moment: How does it encourage you to know that the same Christ who will one day rule as King of kings and Lord of lords is the One who gently knocks at the door of your heart, desiring fellowship with you?)

Conclusion

Revelation is the only book in the Bible that promises a special blessing to those who read it and take its words to heart:

Revelation 1:3: Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

What does this promise mean for us? We are blessed when we meditate on who Christ is, what Christ has accomplished, and what Christ will do in the future. This book encourages us by showing us that no matter how difficult our circumstances may become, no matter how powerful evil may seem, and no matter how hopeless the world’s situation appears, our victorious Christ reigns supreme over all.

The vision of Christ in chapter 1 reminds us that the Jesus who walked on earth, who died on the cross, and who rose from the dead is now exalted in heavenly glory with all authority and power. The letters to the seven churches show us that this same glorious Christ knows each of His churches intimately—He sees our strengths and weaknesses, He understands our struggles and temptations, and He offers us both correction and encouragement according to our needs.

As we continue our study of Revelation in the next lesson, we’ll discover that this theme of Christ’s ultimate victory runs throughout the entire book. No matter what judgments fall upon the earth, no matter how intense the spiritual warfare becomes, and no matter how fierce the opposition to God’s people grows, the outcome is never in doubt. Christ wins, and everything will be made right. That is the blessed hope that sustains every believer through every trial we may face.

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