Revelation Part 1

Guys Small Groups March 1, 2023

GAME:

1. Please Explain:

Goal is to ask questions without ever giving answers.

First team to

A. Hesistate or

B. fail to ask a question loses.

2. Music Chairs of Doom - Need 2 Nerf Guns

2 less chairs than people.

If you don’t get a seat, you run to the dual station and grab a gun.

First person shot is out.

FINAL ROUND:

2 chairs, 3 people.

Person who doesn’t get a seat is out.

2 people who do sit, have to get to the dual station and grab a gun.

First person shot loses.

___________________________________

If you read Revelation 1-3 this week,

What were some things you learned?

Anyone want to share?

Revelation 1:3, “the words of this prophecy...”

Revelation 1:4 “4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,”

Important reminder: When reading any book of the Bible it is of great importance to know who the target audience was.

Who was the recipient of the letter, narrative, or otherwise.

For example:

Much of the Old Testament assumes a Jewish reader. That means sometimes you will read something that may not make sense to you, but would make perfect sense to a practicing Jew.

Customs, culture, traditions, words, phrases, etc…

So for us who are not familiar with Jewish culture, we have to do a little digging to find the meaning of the text.

This is true of much of Scripture.

As a pastor, this is something I spend a lot of time doing.

researching, writing, and digging into God’s Word to get beyond what is on the surface and to search for the accurate meaning of Biblical texts.

To say that more simply, Correct interpretation of the Bible follows this method.

1. What does the text say.

2. What did it mean to the original audience.

3. How can I build a bridge from what it mean’t to them to modern day.

4. What does it mean to me?

Now, having said all that.

Why is it important that vs. 4 says, “John, to the seven churches that are in Asia.” ?

Because this is whom the book is written too.

What does that mean?

It means, that there are no doubt things in Revelation that would apply to all of these 7 churches that we may not necessarily understand today.

I can speak alot about this in Revelation 3.

But for now let’s think about that broadly.

So for all 22 chapters of Revelation:

A. It is certainly prophecy (tells of things to come) according to 1:3

B. It is for these 7 churches and was likely understood by the 7 churches.

Read Revelation 1:17-20 “17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Vs. 17: This is still a book of hope and not doom and gloom.

Many make it so, but do not get this backwards with Revelation!

It’s about the removal of fear and trust in the Alpha and the Omega.

Vs. 20:

To Underscore the argument that this book is for the seven churches, John reminds the readers what the symbols of the seven stars and seven lampstands are.

7 stars - angels of the churches.

7 lampstands - are the seven churches.

Now with that in mind, Let’s dive deep into these seven churches.

Divide into groups, study one or two churches in your group.

Then present your findings!

Use Notes on Churches to help with discussion.

Revelation 2.

Ephesus

2:1 - Him who holds the 7 stars in his right hand, who walks among the 7 golden lampstands.

Him (Jesus) who holds the 7 stars (Angels) and walks among the 7 lampstands (churches).

Some symbols are not explained clearly in Revelation.

These are! So we need to keep that right.

They have forgotten their first love.

DO not forget Christ.

Smyrna

be faithful, even unto death.