Revelation Bible Study Resources — Wednesday in the Word

Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the New Testament book of Revelation.

There are basically 4 main approaches to interpreting the book of Revelation: Preterist; Historist; Idealist; Futurist. Different scholars and different commentators use different approaches. Make sure you know the difference and which approach the source you’re consulting takes.

See: Understanding Apocalyptic literature

Jump to: Background; Maps; Key Words; Encyclopedias; Commentaries; Articles; GotQuestions Next

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Basics

Author: John, the Apostle (Rev 1:1; Rev 1:4; Rev 1:9; Rev. 22:8)
Audience: Clue comes from Rev 1:9 where the author calls himself “your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus.”
Date: Main debate is about which Roman emperor’s persecution should be understood as the background for the book: Nero (60s AD) or Domitan (90s AD).
Relation to John’s Gospel: deep harmony of outlook and expression (Examples: Jesus as Lamb of God; Jesus as the “beginning” of creation and “beginning and end”; metaphors of water, light and life associated with Jesus).

Important Literary Features

hymns and doxologies (4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:9-12; 11:15-19; 15:3-4; 19:1-8)
prophetic call and commissioning narratives (1:12-20; 10:1-11:2)
seven blessings (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14)
visions interpreted
virtue and vice lists (9:20-21; 13:4-8; 14:4-5; 21:8; 21:27; 22:7; 22:14)
use of common stock images in a creative way (e.g. thrones, white)
pre-announcements (e.g. 14:6-20 announces what is developed in chapters 7-20)
extensive cross-references (e.g. 1:9-20 with chapters 2-3, as well as 19:11-16; 7:17 and 21:4 on wiping away tears)
dramatic contrasts (e.g beast vs lamb; great harlot vs bride of the Lamb)
interludes (especially visions and hymns)
use of numerical structures (e.g. 3 plague septets)

Structure

1:1-3 – General introduction
1:4-8 – Christological prologue
1:9-20 – prophetic commissioning
Ch 2-3 – Prophetic oracles to 7 churches
Ch 4-5 – Heavenly vision (fulfilled divine purposes)
Ch 6-16 – Three cycles of sevenfold conflict
Seven seals 6:1-8:5
Seven trumpets 8:6-11:19
Parenthesis: great conflict between the people of God and forces of darkness 12:1-14:20
Seven bowls of wrath 15:1-16:21
17:1-19:10 The approach of the end (fall of the great city)
Collapse of the world empire, Babylon Ch 17
Lament over the collapse of Babylon Ch 18
End of the kingdom of antichrist ushers in kingdom of God and marriage supper of the lamb Ch 19:1-10
19:11-20:15 – The advent of the kingdom of God (victory of Christ)
21:1-22:5 – New Jerusalem and River of life
22:6-21 – Epilogue: concluding exhortations

Some important themes

Christ as victor (especially chapter 5)
The church as a prophetic community bearing witness to Jesus
Divine judgment – destruction of evil and blessing of eternal life

Genre: Understanding Prophecy

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Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

Early Church Heresies
Map of NT Churches
Blue Letter Bible: Chronology of Acts/Epistles
Blue Letter Bible: Outline of Revelation
Ray C. Stedman: Overview of the Book
John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
ESV: Introduction to Revelation
ESV: The Global Message of Revelation
NIV: Introduction to Revelation
David Malick (Bible.org): An Introduction To The Book Of Revelation
David Malick (Bible.org): An Argument of the Book of Revelation (part 1); An Argument of the Book of Revelation (part 2)
James van Dine: Intro to Revelation

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Section 2: Maps

Maps from Bible-History.com

Maps from Studylight.org

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Section 3: Key Words

Key Words

Jesus (14x/12v); Christ (7v)
Lamb (30x) – Strong’s G721b in Rev 5:6; Rev 5:8; Rev 5:12; Rev 5:13; Rev 6:1; Rev 6:7; Rev 6:9; Rev 6:16; Rev 7:9; Rev 7:10; Rev 7:14; Rev 7:17; Rev 8:1; Rev 12:11; Rev 13:8; Rev 13:11; Rev 14:1; Rev 14:4; Rev 14:10; Rev 15:3; Rev 17:14; Rev 19:7; Rev 19:9; Rev 21:9; Rev 21:14; Rev 21:22; Rev 21:23; Rev 21:27; Rev 22:1; Rev 22:3.
Alpha & Omega – Rev 1:8; Rev 21:6; Rev 22:13; first & last – Rev 1:17.
The One who is and who was and who is to come – Rev 1:4; Rev 1:8; Rev 4:8; Rev 11:18; Rev 16:5.
The Lord God the Almighty (9v) – Rev 1:8; Rev 4:8; Rev 11:17; Rev 15:3; Rev 16:7; Rev 16:14; Rev 19:6; Rev 19:15; Rev 21:22.
The One who sits on the throne (7x) – Rev 4:9; Rev 5:1; Rev 5:7; Rev 5:13; Rev 6:16; Rev 7:15; Rev 21:5.
throne (35v) – Strong’s G2362 in Rev 1:4; Rev 2:13; Rev 3:21; Rev 4:2; Rev 4:3; Rev 4:4; Rev 4:5; Rev 4:6; Rev 4:9; Rev 4:10; Rev 5:1; Rev 5:6; Rev 5:7; Rev 5:11; Rev 5:13; Rev 6:16; Rev 7:9; Rev 7:10; Rev 7:11; Rev 7:15; Rev 7:17; Rev 8:3; Rev 12:5; Rev 13:2; Rev 14:3; Rev 16:10; Rev 16:17; Rev 19:4; Rev 19:5; Rev 20:11; Rev 20:12; Rev 21:3; Rev 21:5; Rev 22:1; Rev 22:3.

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Section 5: Commentaries