Read & Reflect

REVELATION 22:1-2

• What is the source of the river of life? What lessons can I learn regarding the relationship between true flourishing of life and God’s authority (symbolized by the throne)? What is the significance of the presence of the tree of life in heaven (cf. Gen 3:21-24)? What can I learn about God’s faithfulness and zeal through this? What are some ways I have experienced the “leaves of healing” in my life? What are some of the areas in my life that need healing?

REVELATION 22:7

“Soon…the time is near.  There are those who think John was mistaken to believe that Jesus would return quickly. But probably the words underscore the immediacy, not the timing, of Christ’s return. He can come at any time; every generation should expect his coming.” [1]

• What is my response to the fact that Jesus can come at any time? What are some of the things I need to do in preparation for his return?

REVELATION 22:16-17

• What can I learn about the role of the church in this world from the fact that the invitation to come is offered by the Spirit and the Bride (i.e. the church)? How can I be this voice of invitation to those around me?
• What are the “qualifications” for coming and taking the gift of the water of life? What does it mean to be thirsty for the water of life?

[1]  The Quest Study Bible, New International Version, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1984) 1734.

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 21:1-4

• Note the promises in this passage.  Which of them give you most hope or comfort?

REVELATION 21:5

• For the first time, the “he who was seated on the throne” speaks directly.  Reflect on the scope of what he says.

“As verse 16 makes clear, the city is not only vast in terms of its footprint–fifteen hundred miles each way. It is also fifteen hundred miles high. John, of course, has no thought of what kind of buildings would occupy this extraordinary structure; he is constructing a symbolic universe, not an architect’s design. The city will be an enormous, perfect cube . . . because that is the shape of the holy of holies at the heart of the ancient temple in Jerusalem, the place where God’s presence is most palpably found (1 Kings 6:20).” [1]

REVELATION 21:3,22

• Throughout the Old Testament, God’s presence amongst his people was mediated through the priest—going into the Holy of Holies of the temple once a year (cf. Hebrews 9). According to this chapter, how will we relate to God in heaven?
• Reflect on the above truth in light of the following passage:

1 Corinthians 13:12–13 (ESV)

¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

[1] Revelation (N.T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides), N.T. Wright and Kristie Berglund.

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 20:4-6

• How would the persecuted Christians of the early church have felt upon reading that “the second death has no power over them”?  What does the promise of eternal life embolden me to do?

REVELATION 20:11-15

• What is the basis of judgment for all mankind?  Can anyone be judged righteous “according to what they had done”?
• What is the significance of Death and Hades being “thrown in to the lake of fire”?
• Who are the ones whose names are “written in the book of life” according to the following passages?

Luke 10:17–20 (ESV) 

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ¹⁸ And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Romans 2:3-5 

³ Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 3:23-26 

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:6-11, 21 

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

…

²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 19:11-12

• How does the vision of Jesus as the Judge on a white horse contrast with the way he entered Jerusalem (cf. Matthew 21:5-7)? What can I learn about the heart of Jesus for me from this contrast (cf. Phil 2:6-8)?

REVELATION 19:11-16

• What are the names of Jesus listed in these verses? Which name is personally meaningful to me in my life and why?

REVELATION 19:14-16

“It would be as much a mistake to suppose (as some, sadly, have done) that this passage predicts, and legitimates in advance, an actual military battle between followers of Jesus and followers of other gods as it would be to suppose that the reality which corresponds to the monster that comes up from the sea is an actual physical creature with the heads, horns and so on described in chapter 12. The victory here is a victory over all pagan power, which means a victory over violence itself.  Jesus himself spoke of victory–but it was not the victory one might expect, over the forces of Rome. Indeed, when others wanted to fight Rome, he hinted strongly if strangely that this was missing the proper target. The true enemy was the dark power that stood behind Rome and all other pagan empires. Jesus spoke about fighting a battle with the real enemy, the Satan, the one who had led all humanity, Israel included, into rebellion against the creator God. And Jesus seems to have believed that the ultimate way to fight this true battle was by giving up his life.” [1]

• What do the images in this passage symbolize, if they don’t refer to actual military battle?
• How can I participate in the victory of Christ?

REVELATION 19:21

• What lessons can be learned about the nature of the word of God, from the description of the “sword that came from the mouth” of the rider (cf. Heb 4:12)?

[1] Revelation (N. T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides)  N. T. Wright and Kristie Berglund, Location 784.

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 18:3-7

Note how Babylon’s sin and values are described.  How are God’s people told to respond to Babylon?  How does this apply to me today?

REVELATION 18:11-13

Given the list of commodities the merchants once sold to Babylon, what can be gleaned about its lifestyle and the value system of its culture? What is the relationship between that kind of value system and the selling of “human souls”?

What are some parallels that can be drawn between Babylon’s culture and our modern-day culture?

REVELATION 18:9-19

Who are the groups that mourned over the fall of Babylon, and what is the commonality behind their reasons for mourning? What lessons does this passage teach regarding the ultimate destiny of those who place their hope in wealth? What are the things in my life that would perish along with the “fall of Babylon”?  What are the things that would survive the “fall of Babylon”?

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 17:4,16

How is the description of the prostitute an apt illustration of some aspects of our world system?

REVELATION 17

This chapter describes once-allied forces of evil turning on each other, a cycle of decline, and a resurgence of evil. In what ways are these patterns evident in human history?

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 16

Notice the parallels between this chapter and the plagues described in the book of Exodus.  Like Pharaoh, the people “did not repent and give him glory.” (v.9, v.11).  Reflect on the pride of man that hardens itself against God, refusing “to repent and give him glory.”

Notice the progression in the people’s response, from refusing to repent, to cursing God (v.11), to assembling to directly oppose and fight against God (v.14, v.16).  What are some manifestations of God-opposing pride I have seen in the world, or in my own heart?

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 15

In the midst of the descriptions of judgment, there is a song of praise regarding God’s “righteous acts” being revealed through his judgment. In what ways is it good news that there is an ultimate judge of good and evil in the universe? Am I able to praise God for his rightful judgment against sin?

Reflect on the theme of God’s judgment and salvation as it is played out in Jesus, the Lamb that was slain.

Give God praise for your salvation: “All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 14:4-5

“This description of the saved multitude is as pictorial as their number. They are viewed as males who did not defile themselves with women, most plausibly because they were soldiers of the Lamb engaged on active service (cf. the OT regulations concerning holy war, which include abstention from sexual relations: Dt. 20:1–9; 23:9–14; 1 Sa. 21:4–5; 2 Sa. 11:6–13). The symbolism could include abstaining from ‘fornication’ with the harlot Babylon (cf. v 8).” [1]

¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

John 10:3–4 (ESV) 

³ To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

John 12:26 (ESV) 

²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Read & Reflect

REVELATION 13:1-18