Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of God Series Outline
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of God (in Christ Jesus)
Introduction: The book of Revelation is “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1). It was written by the apostle John while in exile on the island of Patmos, just off the coast of modern Turkey. It was addressed to seven actual churches. Revelation begins with letters from Christ himself to these churches, letters that include commendation, criticism, and comfort. Then comes a long series of interrelated visions of judgment on the wicked, all in highly symbolic language. The church is depicted under great distress, but is assured of the final triumph of Jesus as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16), bringing to an end the rebellion of humanity and ushering in “a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1), where God himself will reign forever and ever (11:15). John wrote about a.d. 95–96.
Introduction Chapter 1
Jesus Christ Reveals God’s Truth
First Love Chapter 2:1-7
Jesus Holds the Seven Stars and the Seven Golden Lampstands
Faithful Chapter 2:8-11
Jesus is the First and the Last in Death and in Life
Hold Fast Chapter 2:12-17
Jesus Possesses the Sharp Two-edged Sword
Patient Endurance Chapter 2:18-29
Jesus Has Eyes Like a Flame of Fire and Feet Like Polished Bronze
Wake Up Chapter 3:1-6 April 2, 5
Jesus Possesses the Seven Spirits of God and the Seven Stars
Open Door Chapter 3:7-13 April 9
Jesus is the True and Holy One who Controls Access to the Kingdom
Neither Cold nor Hot Chapter 3:14-22 April 13
Jesus is the Faithful and True Last Word—the Beginning of Creation
Conclusion Chapter 4 April 14
Jesus is Worthy of Glory and Honor and Power
Prologue
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
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, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
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.
Revelation 2:1-4:11 (ESV)
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of ehim who holds the seven stars in his right hand, fwho walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 g “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but hhave tested those iwho call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up jfor my name’s sake, and you khave not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned lthe love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do mthe works you did at first. If not, nI will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of othe Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 pHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. qTo the one who conquers I will grant to eat of rthe tree of life, which is in sthe paradise of God.’
To the Church in Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of tthe first and the last, uwho died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and vyour poverty (but you are rich) and the slander1 of wthose who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, wthat you may be tested, and for xten days yyou will have tribulation. zBe faithful aunto death, and I will give you bthe crown of life. 11 cHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by dthe second death.’
To the Church in Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has ethe sharp two-edged sword.
13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, fwhere Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not gdeny my faith2 even in the days of Antipas hmy faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of iBalaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might jeat food sacrificed to idols and kpractice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of lthe Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, mI will come to you soon and nwar against them with ethe sword of my mouth. 17 cHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of othe hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with pa new name written on the stone qthat no one knows except the one who receives it.’
To the Church in Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, rwho has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 s “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman tJezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants3 uto practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but vshe refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he wwho searches mind and heart, and xI will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ythe deep things of Satan, to you I say, I zdo not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast awhat you have until I come. 26 bThe one who conquers and who keeps my works cuntil the end, dto him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and ehe will frule them with a rod of iron, gas when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him hthe morning star. 29 tHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
To the Church in Sardis
3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him iwho has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation jof being alive, kbut you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works lcomplete in the sight of my God. 3 mRemember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, nI will come olike a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not psoiled their garments, and they will walk with me qin white, for they are rworthy. 5 sThe one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never tblot his name out of uthe book of life. vI will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 sHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
To the Church in Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of wthe holy one, xthe true one, ywho has the key of David, zwho opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you aan open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of bthe synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, cI will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that dI have loved you. 10 eBecause you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try fthose who dwell on the earth. 11 gI am coming soon. hHold fast what you have, so that no one may seize iyour crown. 12 jThe one who conquers, I will make him ka pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him lthe name of my God, and mthe name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, nwhich comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own onew name. 13 jHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
To the Church in Laodicea
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the pAmen, qthe faithful and true witness, rthe beginning of God’s creation.
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. sWould that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 tFor you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, ublind, and naked. 18 I counsel you vto buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and wwhite garments so that you may clothe yourself and xthe shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, uso that you may see. 19 yThose whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and zknock. aIf anyone hears my voice and opens the door, bI will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 cThe one who conquers, dI will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as eI also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 cHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
The Throne in Heaven
4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me flike a trumpet, said, g “Come up here, and hI will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once iI was in the Spirit, and behold, ja throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of kjasper and carnelian, and around the throne was la rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were mtwenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, nclothed in white garments, with ogolden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came pflashes of lightning, and rumblings1 and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning qseven torches of fire, rwhich are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was sas it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are tfour living creatures, ufull of eyes in front and behind: 7 vthe first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, weach of them with six wings, are xfull of eyes all around and within, and yday and night they never cease to say,
z “ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
a who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, bwho lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders cfall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast dtheir crowns before the throne, saying,
11 e “ Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for fyou created all things,
and gby your will they existed and were created.”
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e ch. 1:16, 20
f ch. 1:13
g ver. 19; ch. 3:1, 8, 15
h See 1 John 4:1
i See 2 Cor. 11:13
j John 15:21
k [Heb. 12:3, 5]
l Jer. 2:2
m ver. 2; [Heb. 10:32]
n ch. 3:3, 19
o ver. 15
p ver. 11, 17, 29; ch. 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9
q ch. 3:5; 21:7
r See Gen. 2:9
s Ezek. 28:13; 31:8 (Gk.)
t See ch. 1:17
u ch. 1:18
v James 2:5; [1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 10:34; 11:26]
1 Greek blasphemy
w ch. 3:9, 10
w [See ver. 9 above]
x Matt. 24:9
y [Gen. 24:55; Dan. 1:12, 14]
z See Matt. 10:22; Heb. 3:6
a ch. 12:11
b See James 1:12
c See ver. 7
d ch. 20:6, 14; 21:8
e ver. 16; ch. 1:16
f ver. 9
g See 1 Tim. 5:8
2 Or your faith in me
h Acts 22:20
i See 2 Pet. 2:15
j ver. 20; Acts 15:29; 1 Cor. 8:10; 10:19
k Num. 25:1; 31:16; 1 Cor. 10:8
l ver. 6
m [ch. 22:7]
n See 2 Thess. 2:8
e [See ver. 12 above]
c [See ver. 11 above]
o [John 6:48-50]
p ch. 3:12; Isai. 62:2; 65:15
q ch. 19:12; [ch. 14:3]
r ch. 1:14, 15
s ver. 2
t 1 Kin. 16:31; 21:25; 2 Kin. 9:7
3 Greek bondservants
u See ver. 14
v [ch. 9:20, 21; 16:9, 11]; See Rom. 2:4
w Ps. 7:9; 26:2; Jer. 20:12; See Rom. 8:27
x See Matt. 16:27
y [1 Cor. 2:10]
z [Acts 15:28]
a ch. 3:11
b See ver. 7
c See Heb. 3:6
d Ps. 2:8; [ch. 3:21; 20:4]
e Ps. 2:9
f ch. 12:5; 19:15
g Isai. 30:14; Jer. 19:11
h [2 Pet. 1:19]; See ch. 22:16
t [See ver. 20 above]
i See ch. 1:4, 16
j 1 Tim. 5:6
k See Luke 15:24
l Acts 14:26
m [2 Tim. 1:13]
n ch. 2:5
o ch. 16:15; Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2, 4; 2 Pet. 3:10
p Jude 23
q ch. 6:11; 7:9; [Eccles. 9:8]
r [Luke 20:35]
s See ch. 2:7
t See Ex. 32:32
u ch. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; Phil. 4:3
v Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8
s [See ver. 5 above]
w ch. 6:10
x ver. 14; ch. 19:11; 1 John 5:20
y Isai. 22:22; [Luke 1:32]
z Job 12:14; [Matt. 16:19]
a Acts 14:27; 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3
b ch. 2:9
c [Isai. 45:14; 49:23; 60:14]
d Isai. 43:4
e ch. 1:9; 2 Pet. 2:9
f ch. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8
g ch. 22:7, 12, 20
h ch. 2:25
i ch. 2:10
j See ch. 2:7
k 1 Kin. 7:21; 2 Chr. 3:17; Jer. 1:18; Gal. 2:9; [Ps. 23:6; 27:4]
l ch. 14:1; 22:4
m ch. 21:2; Ezek. 48:35; [Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22]
n ch. 21:10
o ch. 2:17
j [See ver. 1 above]
p 2 Cor. 1:20
q ver. 7; ch. 1:5; 19:11; 22:6
r Col. 1:15, 18; [ch. 21:6; 22:13; Prov. 8:22]
s [2 Pet. 2:21]
t Hos. 12:8; Zech. 11:5; 1 Cor. 4:8
u John 9:39-41; Eph. 1:18
v Isai. 55:1; Matt. 13:44; 25:9 [Prov. 8:19]
w [ch. 19:8]; See ver. 4
x ch. 16:15
u [See ver. 17 above]
y See Heb. 12:6
z [S. of S. 5:2]
a Luke 12:36
b John 14:23; [Luke 24:29, 30]
c See ch. 2:7
d ch. 20:4; [ch. 2:26; John 12:26; 2 Tim. 2:12]; See Matt. 19:28
e ch. 5:5; 6:2; 17:14; John 16:33
c [See ver. 21 above]
f ch. 1:10; [Ex. 19:19, 20]
g ch. 11:12
h ch. 1:1, 19; 22:6
i See ch. 1:10
j Ps. 11:4; 103:19; Isai. 66:1; Matt. 5:34; 23:22; See 1 Kin. 22:19
k ch. 21:11
l Ezek. 1:28; [ch. 10:1; Gen. 9:13-17]
m ch. 11:16
n See ch. 3:4
o ver. 10; See James 1:12
p ch. 8:5; 11:19; 16:18; [Ex. 19:16]
1 Or voices, or sounds
q [Zech. 4:2]
r See ch. 1:4
s ch. 15:2; [ch. 21:18, 21; Ps. 77:19]
t Ezek. 1:5
u Ezek. 10:12
v [Ezek. 1:10; 10:14]
w Isai. 6:2
x ver. 6
y ch. 14:11
z Isai. 6:3
a See ch. 1:4
b ch. 1:18; 5:13; 15:7; Dan. 4:34; 12:7
c ch. 5:8, 14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4
d ver. 4
e ch. 5:12
f ch. 10:6; 14:7; Gen. 1:1; Acts 14:15
g Ps. 33:9-11; [Eph. 1:11]