53

Revelation 1–3

Introduction and Timeline

A short distance off the coast of present-day Turkey lies a tiny island called Patmos, where just over 1,900 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to John the Beloved and instructed him to write an account of the visions and revelations he was about to be given (see Revelation 1:10–16, 19). In Revelation 1–3, John introduced themes that run throughout the book. Revelation 1 describes a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, unveiling aspects of the Savior’s power and eternal mission, including the reassuring truth that the Lord labors among and with His faithful servants. In Revelation 2–3, John’s letters to seven branches of the Church convey counsel and correction from the Lord to help His followers receive the blessings of exaltation. The messages in these chapters showed the Saints in John’s day that Christ will help His followers overcome even as He overcame, and these messages teach the same thing to us today.

Chapter Overviews

Revelation 1

While on the island of Patmos, John received a “revelation of Jesus Christ” and learned that those who read and keep this revelation will be blessed. John testified that Jesus Christ is resurrected and is the “prince of the kings of the earth,” that His blood cleanses from sin, and that He will come again. In the midst of the faithful Saints, John saw the glorified Savior holding the keys of death and hell.

Revelation 2

Through John, the Lord Jesus Christ gave messages to the churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira. These messages contained praise, correction, counsel, and promises of exaltation to those who overcome. The Lord told each congregation, “I know thy works.”

Revelation 3

Through John, the Lord Jesus Christ continued to give messages, now addressing the churches in the cities of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. He gave praise, correction, counsel, and promises to Church members.

Suggestions for Teaching

Revelation 1:1–3, 9–11

Introduction to the Book of Revelation

Before class write the word Apocalypse on the board, and under it write apo + kalypto. Also before class, obtain a picture or small statue of Jesus Christ and cover it with a cloth. As class begins, ask students if they can explain the meaning of the word apocalypse. If students do not know, explain that the word comes from the Greek preposition apo, meaning “away from” or “remove,” and the verb kalyptō, meaning to “cover,” “hide,” or “veil.” Tell students that the original Greek title of the book of Revelation is Apocalypsis, or “the Apocalypse.” Ask:

• What does the title “the Apocalypse” suggest will take place in this book of scripture? (There will be an uncovering, a removal of a veil, or a revelation.)

Ask students to read Revelation 1:1, silently looking for what will be revealed or uncovered in this book. (Possible answers: Jesus Christ, future events.) On the left side of the board, write Jesus Christ, and on the right side of the board, write Future Events.

Ask your students to look through the chapter headings in Revelation to discover specific future events that are “unveiled” or “revealed” in the book. Or they could select one of the following chapters in the book of Revelation and briefly skim through it, looking for future events that are unveiled or revealed in the book: Revelation 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Have students report some of what they discovered, and write their answers on the board under “Future Events.” (Possible answers: The Restoration of the gospel, which was a future event for John. Wars and destructions in the last days. The Millennium. Exaltation in the celestial kingdom.) Summarize student responses by writing the following principle on the board: The book of Revelation unveils God’s dealings with men throughout the ages and His triumph over evil in the last days.

Have students read Revelation 1:9–11 looking for where the Apostle John was when he received the revelation that is recorded as the book of Revelation and why he was there. After students report what they found, have a student read aloud the student manual section “When and where was Revelation written?” under “Introduction to the Revelation of St. John the Divine.” Ask the class:

• What was happening to the Church at the time John received Revelation?

Have students read Revelation 1:3 and look for what we must do to be blessed by the prophecies and promises found in Revelation. Ask students to share what they found. Point out that the Joseph Smith Translation adds the words “and understand” to this verse, emphasizing that we must read, hear, and understand the prophecies in the book of Revelation (see the Bible appendix). Then we must “keep” the prophecies, meaning that we must take them into our lives. Encourage students to follow John’s counsel as they study Revelation by considering things they can do to prepare for future events.

Divide the class into thirds. Ask one-third of the class to read “Why study Revelation?” another third to read “To whom was Revelation written and why?” and the remaining third to read “What are some distinctive features of Revelation?” All three reading assignments are found in the student manual section “Introduction to the Revelation of St. John the Divine.” Ask students to look for how the book of Revelation can bring them hope. After students have had time to read silently, ask them to report what they found.

To stimulate the students’ interest in studying the book of Revelation, you might ask:

• From what you read in the student manual, what are you looking forward to learning about in the book of Revelation?

• What thoughts do you have when you consider that we live in a time when many events in the book of Revelation are being fulfilled?

Revelation 1:4–20

John Recorded His Witness of Jesus Christ

Now that students have seen that the book of Revelation uncovers truths about God’s work, particularly truths about the future of His work, you could remove the cloth revealing the picture or small statue of Jesus Christ. Ask students to read Revelation 1:1 and then answer this question:

• In addition to unveiling some of God’s dealings with men throughout the ages, what else does the book of Revelation reveal? (After students share their answers, write the following principle on the board: As we study the book of Revelation, we can better understand the eternal mission of Jesus Christ.)

Read Revelation 1:5 as a class and ask the students to share the truths about Jesus Christ that they find in this verse. Write the truths on the board under the heading “Jesus Christ.” (Possible answers: A faithful witness of the Father. The first person to be resurrected. The prince of the kings of the earth. His blood washed us from our sins.) By studying this verse together, you can model what you would like the students to do with the following assignment and help them complete it more successfully.

Modeling Scripture Searching

The purpose of modeling a learning activity is to give students a clear understanding of their assigned task, thus leading to greater student success with the activity. Modeling includes explaining and demonstrating what students should do. Modeling should not take much time; often just a minute or two is sufficient to demonstrate what is expected.

Divide the class into thirds. Assign one-third of the class to study Revelation 1:6–11, another third to study Revelation 1:12–16, and the remaining third to study Revelation 1:17–20. Encourage students to look in the student manual for any commentary that will help them understand their assigned verses. Ask students to look for any details or symbols about the Savior and to think about what these symbols reveal about His continued work on earth.

Give students several minutes to study their assigned verses. Then invite students from each group to report their findings to the entire class. You could ask a student to stand at the board and write a summary of student reports on the board under the heading “Jesus Christ.” Or, you could encourage students to take notes on what they learn from other students. You might invite all students to mark in their scriptures the truths they learn about the Savior.

The following questions are designed to help students analyze and understand Revelation 1:5–20:

• Why do you think it is important to know that Jesus Christ is ? (Fill in the blank with a word or phrase from these verses that is used to describe Jesus Christ.)

• Which words from these verses were used as titles for Jesus Christ and why are they significant? (Possible answers: Prince, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Almighty, the Son of Man, the First and the Last, He Who Liveth and Was Dead.)

Christ standing in the midst of seven candlesticks with seven stars in His hand

To help deepen the students’ understanding of these name-titles of Jesus Christ, you might read with the class the student manual commentaries for Revelation 1:8, 11; for Revelation 1:8; and for Revelation 1:12, 20.

Consider showing students the picture of Jesus Christ standing in the midst of seven candlesticks (see the appendix) or asking them to study the picture in the student manual commentary for Revelation 1:13. Also, ask students to read Revelation 1:12–13, 20 again.

Invite students to identify and explain a doctrine taught in these verses by asking:

• What do you learn about the eternal mission of Jesus Christ from Revelation 1:12–13, 20? (After students share their ideas, you may want to write this doctrine on the board: Jesus Christ continues to watch over and care for His faithful servants. You could encourage students to write this doctrine in the margin of their scriptures.)

• What evidence do you see that Jesus Christ continues to watch over and care for His Church?

Invite a few students to share ways in which Jesus Christ is watching over them and caring for them.

Revelation 2–3

Messages from Jesus Christ to the Seven Churches in Asia

Remind students that parts of the book of Revelation were addressed to seven branches of the Church (see the section “To whom was Revelation written and why?” under “Introduction to the Revelation of St. John the Divine” in chapter 53 of the student manual). Explain that Revelation 2–3 contains Jesus Christ’s messages to the seven churches.

Give each student a copy of the handout “Revelation 2–3. The Lord’s Instructions to the Seven Churches,” found at the end of the lesson. Help students understand the handout by pointing out the names of the cities where the seven churches were located (see left-hand column) and the topics shown at the top of the handout. Briefly review the information about the branch of the Church in Ephesus that is already completed.

Note to teacher: A completed version of this chart is found in the student manual commentary for Revelation 2–3.

For this study activity, you may have students work alone, in pairs, or in small groups, depending on the size of your class. Assign each student or small group one or more of the churches addressed in Revelation 2–3, and ask them to read the accompanying verses and fill in the information on the handout.

After several minutes, have students report on the description of Jesus Christ they found in their assigned verses. Encourage all students to fill in their handouts by writing a few key words or phrases in the appropriate boxes as reports are being made. After all churches have been reported on, ask:

• Do any of the descriptions of Jesus Christ express feelings you have about Him? Explain.

• What can you learn about the Savior from these descriptions of Him? (Possible answers: Jesus Christ is an exalted Being who continues to watch over the Church; He holds keys of authority; He has always been faithful to His Father.)

Pondering a Question

Class members are more likely to give thoughtful answers to questions if they are given sufficient time to ponder their responses. After asking a question, you could say, “Please take a moment to think about your response, and then I will ask for answers.” Then give students about 10 seconds to ponder before calling on them for answers.

Next have students report on the words of correction and counsel that the Savior gave to their city.

• What did the Lord tell the Church members they needed to correct? (Possible answers: Some forms of apostasy were evident in many of the churches at that time. Apostasy is evident from phrases such as “left thy first love”; “thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam [and] the doctrine of the Nicolaitans”; “eat things sacrificed unto idols”; and “thou art lukewarm.”)

Note to teacher: If needed, refer to the student manual for help in explaining about the Nicolaitans and the doctrine of Balaam. See the student manual commentaries for Revelation 2:6, 15 and for Revelation 2:14.

• How are these words of warning and correction relevant for Church members today?

Lastly, have students report on the promises given to those who overcome.

• Are there any promises or phrases used to describe the promises that you do not understand? Which ones?

Note to teacher: If you have sufficient time, it may be meaningful to discuss the meaning of phrases such as the following: “eat of the tree of life,” “not be hurt of the second death,” “not blot out his name out of the book of life,” “confess his name before my Father,” “make [him] a pillar in the temple of my God,” and “sit with me in my throne.”

• As you examine the promises given to those who overcome, what do they all seem to be describing? (Exaltation, or eternal life.)

• As you consider the promises made to those who overcome, are there any that stand out or have special meaning to you? Explain.

To help students state a principle found in Revelation 2–3, write the following statement on the board and ask students how they would fill in the blanks in order to create a general principle that describes the Lord’s teachings in Revelation 2–3:

If , the Lord has promised us .

After several students have told the class how they would fill in the blanks, you might fill in the blanks as follows: “If we overcome the world, the Lord has promised us the blessing of exaltation.”

You might conclude the lesson by pointing out that the Lord said to each of the churches, “I know thy works” (see Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). Encourage students to ponder what message the Savior might give to each of them personally if He were to say to them, “I know thy works.” Consider displaying the following questions and giving students time to ponder them and possibly answer them in writing:

• What is the Lord pleased with in your life right now?

• What aspect of your life do you feel the Lord would like you to change or improve?

• How can pondering these promises to those who overcome help you to remain faithful despite the persecution or challenges you may face?

Conclude with a brief testimony of the truthfulness of the doctrines and principles taught today. Assure students that receiving correction from the Lord and making changes can be hard but that the promised blessings will be worth it. Encourage students to try to understand and apply the truths in the book of Revelation as they continue to study it.

Supplemental Teaching Ideas

Revelation 1:16, 20. Jesus Christ Governs His Church through His Servants

Have students read Revelation 1:16, 20, and then ask:

• What did John see in the Savior’s right hand?

• What do the stars symbolize? (Point out that the symbolic meaning is given in verse 20.)

• Why do you think stars are used to symbolize Church leaders? What characteristics of stars are like the characteristics of Church leaders? (Possible answers: Stars give light in the darkness; they hold their position and allow people to orient themselves and gain direction. If needed, remind students that in ancient times, stars were essential in determining direction as people traveled.)

• What does the image of the Lord holding the stars in His right hand teach us about Him and our Church leaders?

• When have you seen the hand of the Lord guiding His Church through His servants?

• When have you felt guided by the Lord through something one of His servants said?

Revelation 1–3. Learning from Symbols

To help students learn from the symbols in the book of Revelation, have them read the first paragraph of the student manual commentary for Revelation 1:4–20. Then ask students to read John’s account of his vision of the risen Christ in Revelation 1:10–18, noting the symbols in the verses. Ask students to select one or more of the symbols and apply the suggestions from the student manual to learn what the symbols teach about Jesus Christ. You could model one example for the students before having them study on their own, for example, using the symbol of whiteness found in verse 14: “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.” You could ask questions like the following:

• Consider the nature and characteristics of the symbol: What spiritual qualities might be suggested by the Savior’s white head and hair? (His moral purity and righteousness.)

• Study the scriptures to determine if other passages provide an interpretation or insight: How could Isaiah 1:18 help us understand the symbolic meaning of the phrases “white like wool” and “white as snow”?

After modeling some of the student manual suggestions for understanding symbols, ask students to study on their own, and then have them report their findings. Encourage them to use the study tools taught in this lesson as they continue to learn from the book of Revelation.