REVELATION · Day 17 of 21
Historical Analysis
1 · READ THE TEXT
Revelation 1:1-4 & 22:6-10
Revelation 1:1-4
Open in the reader →1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Revelation 22:6-10
Open in the reader →6And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 7Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 8And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
2 · UNDERSTAND
Revelation blends three literary genres, and ignoring that produces absurd readings. It is apocalypse (symbolic visions, meaningful numbers, otherworldly imagery), it is prophecy (God's word to its own generation before being about the future) and it is a letter (addressed to seven specific communities). The most widely accepted dating is around AD 95, under Domitian, though some argue for the Neronian period in the 60s. And note the instruction at the end: "do not seal up the words" — the opposite of what Daniel was told. It is not a closed book; it was written to be understood by its first readers.
3 · REFLECT AND ANSWER
Read the text again and answer calmly. Your answers are kept only in this browser.
- 1.What does this text reveal about who God is?
- 2.What does it show about people — and about you?
- 3.What will you do differently today because of it?
4 · LIVE AND PRAY
Practical application
When you hit a difficult image today, ask first: what would this mean to a persecuted Christian in AD 95? Start there.
Lesson prayer
Holy Spirit, teach me to read your Word honestly, in the context it was given, without forcing it to say what I want. Amen.
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