Page 141 - New Testament Survey Student Textbook

Study Section 17: The Book of Revelation: Concerning the New
Kingdom
17.1 Connect.

We are now in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. You have worked so hard to
reach here, you should be proud of yourself! The major philosophy in most of the movies we
watch is that justice eventually prevails. Sometimes the sad part is to watch much of the
movie seeing the villain achieving everything they want: killing anyone they want, destroying
anything they want, manipulating and buying all the important police officers on their side,
wining every court case, and living more luxuriously throughout the movie, looking like justice would
never be rewarded isn’t? Until right at the end, in a very simple way, justice prevails. Don’t we feel the
same when we see evil all around us? Don’t we get discouraged when we see corruption enjoyed by
people we entrust power to govern us? Don’t we question when all this will end? That’s what the book
of Revelation is about. Revelation draws back the curtain on the unseen realities of life for God’s people.
There is a spiritual battle going on, and the risen Jesus reveals these visions to John so that God’s Church
will be aware of what is happening now and in the future. While the strange imagery might seem
frightening, the ultimate message of Revelation is a hopeful one: Although evil appears to triumph, God
remains on the throne. Let’s begin…

17. 2 Objectives

1. The student shall be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the author of Revelations.

2. The student shall be able to locate when and where the book was written.

3. The student shall be able to name the recipients of the book.
4. The student shall be able to describe the occasions under which the book was written.

5. The student shall be able to describe the themes and purposes of the book.

6. The student shall be able to explain the structures and outlines of the book.

7. The student shall be able to demonstrate mastery of the atmospheres at the time of the writing of the
book.

8. The student shall be able to name the key passages in the book.

9. The student shall be able to recite the key words in the book.

17.3 The Book of Revelation: Concerning the New Kingdom

Background

Author
The title of Revelation comes from the opening verse, which identifies this book as the
revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1). The recipient is identified as “John” (1:4). In the early
church period, this was often understood to be the Apostle John, who spent the latter part of
his life in Ephesus, a major city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). However, some in the early church
thought Revelation was not written by John the apostle but by another early church leader with the

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