Information is taken from my NIV, Life Application Study Bible... WEDNESDAY 3-5-14 ~ Vital statistics of Revelation ~ PURPOSE: To reveal the full identity of Christ & to give warning & hope to believers. AUTHOR: The apostle John ORIGINAL AUDIENCE: The seven churches in Asia & all believers everywhere. DATE WRITTEN: Approximately A.D.95 from Patmos SETTING: Most scholars believe that the seven churches of Asia to whom John writes were experiencing the persecution that took place under Emperor Domitian (A.D.90 – 95). It seems that the Roman authorities had exiled John to the island of Patmos (off the coast of Asia). John, who had been an eyewitness of the incarnate Christ, had a vision of the glorified Christ. God also revealed to John what would take place in the future – judgment & the ultimate triumph of God over evil. KEY VERSE: “Blessed is the one who reads 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” (1:3). KEY PEOPLE: John & Jesus KEY PLACES: Patmos, the seven churches, the new Jerusalem SPECIAL FEATURES: Revelation is written in “apocalyptic” form – a type of Jewish literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (in the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution. The events are ordered according to literary, rather than strictly chronological, patterns. THE BLUEPRINT … 1)Letters to the churches (1:1 – 3:22) 2)Message for the church (4:1 – 22:21) Worshiping God in heaven Opening the seven seals Sounding the seven trumpets Observing the great conflict Pouring out the seven plagues Seizing the final victory Making all things new The vision John received opens with instructions for him to write to seven churches. He both commends them for their strengths & warns them about their flaws. Each letter was directed to a church then in existence but also speaks to conditions in the church throughout history. Both in the church & in our individual lives, we must constantly fight against temptation to become loveless, immoral, lenient, compromising, lifeless or casual about your faith. The letters make it clear how our Lord feels about these qualities. This revelation is both a warning to Christians who have grown apathetic & an encouragement to those who are faithfully enduring the struggles in this world. It reassures us that good will triumph over evil, gives us hope as we face difficult times & gives guidance when we are wavering in our faith. Christ’s message to the church is a message of hope for all believers in every generation.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:19:06 +0000
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