Apocalypse (Ancient Greek: ἀποκάλυψις apocálypsis, from ἀπό and καλύπτω meaning 'un-covering'), translated literally from Greek, is a disclosure of knowledge, i.e., a lifting of the veil or revelation, although this sense did not enter English until the 14th century.[1]
Chapter 1-2
Chapter 3-5
Chapter 6-8
Chaapter 9-11
Chapter 15-17
Chapter 18-19
Chapter 20-22
Background:John had a vision of Jesus which he describes in ch1.In ch4,5,he has another vision of Jesus and in the course of this Jesus takes a scroll from the hand of"him who sat on the throne".The rest of the book recounts who happens as Jesus opens this scroll.These chs.are full of difficult symbols which we do not fully understand and we cannot be certain of their meaning.But the basic message of the book is that God is in control and all evil will eventually be destroyed.22chs
Author:John the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ(1:9,14;22:8)
Date and Location:According to tradition,cAD95,96,in the latter yrs.of the reign of Roman emperor Domitian,who had begun persecuting Christians.John John wrote from Patmos(1:9),a rocky volcanic island in the Aegean Sea,10miles long 6miles wide,to which he had probably been banished by Domitian because of his faith
Recipients:7 Churches in the Roman province of Asia in the course of messages from Jesus(1:4,11;2,3)
Purpose:
-give believers a newest vision of the risen,ascended,and ruling Lord(1)
-To call for repentance and renewal(2,3)
-To reveal God's future plans for his church(4-22)
Unique Features:
-Revelation begins and ends with the coming of Christ(1:7;22:20)
-It begins and ends with the Lord Jesus at the center of things(1:13;22:1-5)
-Nu.especially 4,7,12 and 24-have a prominent role
-Pronounce blessings:
*"all who listen to[this book]and obey it"(1:3)
*"Those who die in the Lord"(14:13)
*"all who are watching for[Christ]"(16:15)
*"Those who share in the 1st resurrection"(20:6)
*"Those who wash their robes so they can...eat from the tree of life"(22:14)
Comparison:See Gen,Ezek.,Dan.
-Dan:much of Rv's symbolism is based on Dan.John,is told to reveal,Daniel is told to conceal(Dn8:26;12:8,9)
-2Th.2 shows the Antichrist's rise and fall;Rv.gives the details of his rise,career and fall
-2P3;Both depict the end of the earth and the beginning of heaven:
-2P3 gives details on the end of the earth and mentions the new heavens and earth;Rv.mentions the end of the earth and gives details on the new heavens and earth
Abbreviations:Rev./Re./Rv
MV:Re1:3
Bib1Yr:1Jn4Try
The Spirits
