The Fellowship of the King Video

Chapters 1 - 7

Chapter 1: Prologue

     Chapter One serves as an introduction to the book of Revelation.  It does so by introducing us to the style of the letter, the purpose of the letter, the revealer/sender of the letter, the recipient of the letter, the audience of the letter, and a summary using visual images which will help us understand how numbers, colors and images will be used throughout the letter.
     The style of the letter: verse one opens with these words. “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The word “revelation” is the Greek word “apocalypto”, or to reveal.  This is where the name of the letter comes from. This is a revelation, meaning an unveiling of something that cannot be discerned by ordinary human beings. A revelation is something that can only come from God.  Thus, this letter concerns information that will be transmitted by heavenly messengers to mortals…in this case to the Apostle John.
     The purpose of the letter: verse one tells the reader that the purpose of the letter is to “show Jesus’ servants what must soon take place.”  This is what apocalyptic literature does, it offers a glimpse of the future…and often a future that is just beyond the reach of the reader.  This sense of immediacy matters because it means that the reader has reason to hope because God is getting ready to act.
     The revealer/sender of the letter: the revealer/sender of the revelation/letter is none other than the Trinitarian God. “Grace to you who is and who was and who is to come (God the Father), and from the seven spirits who are before his throne (God the Spirit) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness (God the son).”  Though the formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity was not to happen for several hundred years, Revelation is filled with language describing the Trinity being united in a single purpose of restoring God’s creation.
     The recipient of the letter: the recipient of the letter is the Apostle John.  “I John your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance…” One of the hallmarks of Apocalyptic literature is that the revelation is always given to someone famous.  In this case it is the “disciple whom Jesus loved.”  In addition, the recipient of the revelation must also be suffering. A revelation is never an outsider’s take on the pain of God’s people, but of a person who is persecuted as well…and in this case John is in prison because of Jesus.
     The audience of the letter: the audience of the letter is the seven churches. The number seven represents completeness.  So, the “Seven spirits” represent the complete Spirit. The seven churches represent the complete church.  If we were to map these churches, we would find that they are in a geographical circle…again showing completeness.  For reference, all these churches were in what is now the nation of Turkey.
     Summary: the summary can be found in verses 12-20. Once again we have the audience (seven lampstands representing the seven churches), the revealer/sender, (Jesus as the Son of Man, as a high priest and as the resurrected one), the recipient (John falling down in fear), and the purpose (Jesus’ command to write what will soon take place and then the pass the information to the audience of the seven churches/stars/lampstands).
Questions:
  1. What was your general impression of the book of Revelation before reading this summary?
  2. Does this summary of Chapter one help you gain a foothold in the story? If so why? If not, why?
  3. What is the most confusing part of this opening chapter?

Chapter 2 - Meeting the Fellowship - Part 1

Introduction: In Chapter 2 we meet several churches that are representative of the church at large and may thus be understood as the Fellowship of the King.  Each of the churches has both strengths and weaknesses.  Each of these churches are struggling with some aspect of their communal life.  Within the address to the churches there will be references to a variety of local particularities, such as a city’s architecture, commerce or even water supply.  There references would be well known to the those who first read this letter. Finally, the writer makes it clear that there are both negative and positive consequences for the church’s faithlessness/faithfulness.
The Story: The church in Ephesus: Ephesus was a port city and one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the Roman Empire.  The church in the city had been established by the Apostle Paul, several decades earlier.  The strength of this church was that it was theologically sound and was able to distinguish between true and false teaching.  The weakness of this church was that it had lost its “loving feeling.”  For the letter writer this meant that while the church knew what to believe, they were failing to do what they were supposed to do.  If they return to their original love their reward will be to eat from the tree of life which is a reference to the tree of life in Genesis 2.
The church in Smyrna: Smyrna was a city that was firmly committed to the worship of the goddess Roma and the Emperor.  There was also a large community of Jews who were firmly committed to their traditions and to maintaining their precarious exemption from participating in worshiping Roma or the Emperor.  These two factors made it difficult for Christians to freely practice their faith.  The implication in the letter is that the Christians are poor because they have been expelled both from the guilds in the city and the commerce associated with the synagogue because they have chosen to follow Jesus. 
Their strength is that they have maintained their faith in the face of poverty.  Their possible weakness is that they may give in when faced with death.  If they do not give in, their reward will be to not die following the judgment at the end of this age.
The church in Pergamum: Pergamum was a city with an immense temple to Zeus, perched on a 1,000-foot high hill above the city (Satan’s throne). People came from across the empire to be healed at this temple.  The church’s strength is that it has not lost its faith even in the face of persecution.  The church’s weakness is that its theology has been hijacked. The references to the inappropriate theology are rather cryptic and we are not sure how it deviates from the faith of the early church.  All we know is that this unorthodox faith was leading the believers away from early orthodoxy.   If the people reject these unorthodox teachings and remain faithful, they will receive spiritual sustenance (manna) and an invitation to the final heavenly banquet (white stones were used as party invitations).
The church in Thyatira: Thyatira was an up and coming center of trade.  There were more guilds in the city than in any other city in the Empire (Lydia the seller of purple dye was from there). Each guild had its own god and thus there was a comfortable acceptance of multiple deities.  The strength of this church was that it was growing in love, faith and service…it was doing the right things. The weakness of the city was that it was allowing a prophetess to lead it back to worshipping at local temples (fornication and eating meat sacrificed to idols). These practices would be a slippery slope to losing a faith centered on Jesus. The reward for faithfulness is to sit with Jesus in the judgment of the nations.
Questions:
  1. How would you describe the strength and weakness of your church?
  2. Which of these warnings resonates most with you?
  3. Which of these rewards either confuses or resonates with you?

Chapter 3: Meeting the Fellowship - Part 2

Introduction: In Chapter 3 we meet several more of the churches that are representative of the church at large and may thus be understood as the Fellowship of the King.  Each of the churches has both strengths and weaknesses.  Each of these churches is struggling with some aspect of their communal life.  Within the address to the churches there will be references to a variety of local particularities, such as a city’s architecture, commerce or even water supply.  These references would be well known to the those who first read this letter. Finally, the writer makes it clear that there are both negative and positive consequences for the church’s faithlessness/faithfulness.
The Story: The church at Sardis: Sardis was a wealthy city with a magnificent temple to Artemis, numerous mystery cults and societies, a wool dying industry and yet was being surpassed by newer cities in the region.  Its best days were behind it.  The only strength of the church was that there were a few people who remembered what it meant to be a follower of Christ and continued to practice the faith.  The weakness of the church was that most of its members were simply going through the motions…just like city itself.  They were relying on past glories, rather than on present faithfulness. The writer calls for the church to remember its theology and put it into practice. The reward for faithfulness would be that they would be dressed in white robes (purity), keep their names in the book of life (used in the final judgment) and have their names confessed before God (insuring salvation).
The church at Philadelphia: Philadelphia was a fortress city with industries such as wine, leather and textiles. The city was also prone to earthquakes which destroyed it twice.  Emperor Tiberius had it rebuilt after the last quake.  The strength of the church is that it has been faithful in the face of persecution from both Roman and Jewish communities. 
​This would not have been unusual since to not worship Roman gods was considered an act of rebellion and for former Jews to worship Jesus, was by this time considered heretical.  In terms of weaknesses this is the only church for which none are mentioned.  The reward to this church for its faithfulness will first be that it will be a pillar in the temple of God (pillars were often the only part of a building not destroyed in an earthquake) and second that they will receive the name of God (rather than the mark of the beast which we will encounter later in the book) on their foreheads, as a sign that they belong to God.
The church at Laodicea: Laodicea was an extremely wealthy city that was able to fund its own reconstruction after an earthquake in 60 CE. It was known for its black wool industry, banking and its warm springs that were believed to have miraculous healing powers.  The problem with these warm springs however was that the water that came from them was filled with minerals, making it useless for drinking water or even washing clothes.  The strengths of the church are non-existent.  Their weaknesses are that their works are neither hot nor cold, meaning they are as useless as the mineral water on which the city relied.  They are so useless that Jesus is threatening to spew them out his mouth.  This uselessness is exacerbated by the fact that the church is wealthy and believes it needs nothing from anyone including Christ. Evidently, they have confused material wealth with spiritual health.  They are told that Jesus is standing at the door waiting for them to come through. If they are willing to change, then Jesus will come in and eat with them.  Finally, if they repent, and return they will have a place with Jesus as judges of the world.
Questions:
  1. How would you describe the strength and weakness of the church in the 21st century?
  2. Which of these warnings resonates most with you?
  3. Which of these rewards most either confuses or resonates with you?
 

Chapter 4: Meeting the King

Introduction: The early Christians had begun to understand themselves as belonging to a very different kingdom.  This kingdom had a new king (Jesus Christ).  This kingdom was eternal (God was alpha and omega).  This kingdom possessed power (God is the Almighty).  So now in order to help these new kingdom people deepen their faith and confidence in God, they are invited to see for themselves the very throne room of God.  In this way they gain a perspective on who it is that they worship and that God’s glory and majesty are greater than that of Caesar.         
The Story: As with any good king, there are attendants who bow down and worship the king.  These attendants are represented by the 24 elders who are seated on the 24 thrones.  As with much of Apocalyptic literature, numbers are significant.  In this case 24 has been interpreted to represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles.  We can be fairly certain about these references because Revelation makes hundreds of references to the Jewish scriptures, in which the twelve tribes play a significant role, and the tradition of twelve Apostles, meaning Jesus’ inner circle of disciples as representing the entire church, was well understood within the late first-century Christian community. What these twenty-four elders offer us is a reminder that Revelation and its visions are intended to connect with the entire history of the people of God and not merely the church. The thunder and lightning coming from the thrones tell us that much of God’s power has been given to the community, meaning that they are not powerless to stand against the powers and principalities of the world. 
            The final two images are of the seven flaming torches/spirits of God and the four living creatures.  Again, we need to be aware that the number seven is the number of completeness. What this implies then is that there are not actually seven flaming torches or seven spirits.  
Instead there is one complete spirit who burns like the flames of fire that hovered over the heads of the disciples on Pentecost.  This image offers hope to the readers because the unquenchable Spirit is alive and well.  Finally, there is the image of the four living creatures.  Each of these creatures is a representation of an aspect of God’s character. The lion represents royalty, the eagle represents swiftness, the ox represents strength and the human represents intelligence.  The wings and eyes tell us that God can go anywhere and see what is taking place. Nothing is hidden from God.
            The chapter concludes with the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures all offering glory and honor to God and casting their crowns before the throne.  This offering of praise is appropriate because God is the one who lives forever and ever (unlike any human tyrant) and is the one who is the real king of kings (thus the casting of the crowns).
            Reflection During the church’s past and present, Christians have often found themselves under the thumb of regimes that have oppressed them. Believers are intimidated, jailed and executed. For all of those, and others, hearing that God is present and on the throne is of critical importance.  It is important because it says that God is still in charge of the universe and is ruling and reigning from heaven.  If God were not present, it would mean that God had been dethroned by the lesser gods and that the cause of the faithful followers of Jesus would be futile. This chapter offers a message then of hope for all those who find themselves in tough times.
Questions:
  1. What intrigues you the most about this chapter?
  2. Where do you find hope in these images?
  3. Where have you seen the Spirit at work this week?

Chapter 5: Meeting the Hero

     Introduction: In literature both ancient and modern, there has always been the image of the hero.  The hero is the one who is willing and able to accomplish what appears to be an impossible task.  Here the task is to open the scroll in order that God’s future might play itself out…that justice and righteousness would triumph over the forces of Satan.  As in most hero quest stories the people give up hope because a hero cannot be found.  Yet, in the moment of despair there steps forward one who has already proved he is able to accomplish the quest and now accepts the challenge which only he can fulfill.  And as with all conquering heroes the people will praise him.  This is the pattern for conquering Roman heroes who return home to great acclamation.  Since the events in this chapter take place in the “real throne room” in heaven, then this Lamb must be the real hero…as opposed to those counterfeit heroes of the Roman Empire.
            The Story: We are once again in the throne room of heaven. At the center of the throne room is the throne on which the God of heaven and earth sits.  Around the throne are the seven spirits of God (meaning the Holy Spirit is present) and the twenty-four elders (representing the twelve disciples and the twelve tribes of Israel…or the totality of God’s old and new people) and the four living creatures (representing God’s ability to see and know all).  John’s attention moves from the praise being given by the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures to a scroll in the right hand of God.  At first there is no indication what is written on the scroll.  The fact that it is sealed with seven seals indicates that it is God’s will (Roman wills had seven seals), meaning perhaps it is what God intends to do in the future.  Unfortunately, no one “in heaven or on earth” can open it, which implies that God’s future work will remain secret.  It is into this impossible situation that we discover that there is a hero who is indeed worthy to open the scroll.
     One of the elders approaches John and informs him that the one known as “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the root of David” is worthy because he has “conquered.”  The early church clearly understood that this hero is Jesus. 
 Jesus was of the tribe of Judah and thus of the root of David.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke make this association.  The early church also knows that Jesus has conquered.  He has conquered death by rising from the grave after his crucifixion, or as the letter puts it, he appears as “a lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered.”  The Lamb’s status as the hero becomes even more pronounced when he is said to have seven horns (horns representing perfect power), seven eyes (representing perfect seeing) and then by taking the scroll directly from the hand of God. 
            This action by the hero leads to another round of praise from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders.  This is a remarkable moment because it implies that the hero is as deserving as is God of receiving praise.  The praise this time though is for the work accomplished by the Lamb/Jesus. In his crucifixion Jesus had not only ransomed people from every tribe, language and nation, but had made them into members of a new kingdom where they will serve as priests and rulers.  All of this is very Pauline in nature.  The praise for the lamb continues to escalate from the elders and creatures to angels and then to all creation in order to show the universal nature of the hero’s victory. 
            Reflection: as of the writing of this series on Revelation, the highest grossing movies in the country, and perhaps the world, are super-hero movies from the Marvel universe.  There is something about difficult times that seems to call forth humanity’s desire for heroes; those who have the power to save us when we cannot save ourselves.  This need for a hero is what makes the Lamb/Jesus so appealing and so necessary.  The early church cannot save itself, but the Lamb/Jesus can.
            Questions:
  1. Who was your favorite hero growing up? Why?
  2. Do you see Jesus as a superhero? Why or why not?
  3. What most confuses you about this chapter?

Chapter 6: Chaos Unleashed

Introduction: Every good hero story needs action that causes the reader/listener to experience a growing sense of dis-ease.  This is where we find ourselves in this chapter. The action will grow by the unveiling of the “sevens.”  We will have seven seals, then seven trumpets, and then ultimately seven bowls.  Each of these series of sevens brings forth a variety of judgments upon the earth.  Each series increases the fear of what the future holds.  In this first series we have the famous four horsemen.  These are not new to the Jewish readers and can be found in Zechariah 1:8-11 and 6:1-8.  These horses and their riders are in place to patrol the earth for God.  But now these horsemen are being commanded by God to move from patrolling to bringing misery on the earth in payment for the sins of humanity.  Notice carefully that God does not send these horses and riders, but instead allows them to dish out the well-earned punishments.  One other note is that we are returning from heaven to earth, to the world in which the readers live.
            The Story: The chapter begins with the opening of the first four seals, each one of which calls forth a horse and rider.  These horses and riders represent an ever-increasing level of disaster, destruction and death.  The white horse and rider, while sometimes being associated with Jesus, is more than likely representative of a generic conquering king, pretending to be a savior, yet in reality is an an oppressor. The second horse and rider are red. This pair represents the red blood of slaughter that occurs when nations come to blows. This would have been a familiar sight to any in the Roman Empire. The third horse and rider are black. They represent the pall of death that begins to descend like night over a land. We see this in the description of the ever-increasing cost of food (a quart of wheat for day’s pay and three quarts of barley for a day’s pay).  The final horse and rider are pale green.  This is the color of corpses, which makes sense because this pair are given the ability to “kill with the sword, famine and pestilence, and by the wild animals...”  Again, the identity of any of these pairs of horse and riders is not important. What matters is that they represent the increasing level of disaster that flows from conquest and war.
What we encounter with the opening of the fifth seal are the consequences, both negative and positive of this increasing level of violence, destruction and death. The negative consequence is that many of the followers of the Lamb/Jesus lose their lives.  We see this in the souls that are under the altar in the throne room of God in heaven.  Even though they are in the presence of God they are crying out wondering how long this process of death and destruction will last.  “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of earth?”  As a reward for their faithfulness they are given white robes.
            The sixth seal increases the intensity of the disaster for humanity by unleashing chaos on the world, as represented by the sun becoming black, the moon like blood, stars falling from the sky, the sky rolling up and mountains being moved.  It is as if God has withdrawn from the world allowing creation to revert to its primordial chaos. This brings about such terror that all people, rich and poor, kings and slaves, all are petrified at this sudden change of events, crying out, “Who can stand.”
            Reflection: this chapter should resonate with any person who has witnessed the march from peace to war. This process unleashes chaos, death and destruction. It is as if God has taken a break from being in charge and allowed humanity to destroy itself.  In the process the non-combatants are those who pay the greatest price. Or in the case of the original readers of this text, it reminds them of the deaths of their brothers and sisters in Christ at the hands of the Empire.
            Questions:
  1. Where have you watched this process of moving from peace to war?
  2. What emotions has this process raised in you?
  3. What are the consequences of the world for this process?

Chapter 7: God Seals the Fellowship​

Introduction: As with any good hero story, the hero needs a team, or in this case a fellowship to travel with him.  The hero needs a group of loyal followers who will be willing to go on the journey of salvation and risk everything, including death, along the way.  This chapter shows us that God will choose a “remnant”, or Fellowship, from among every tribe, nation and language on the face of the earth to travel with the Lamb/Jesus as he works to recreate a fallen and chaotic creation. This fellowship is the answer to the question from the previous chapter, “Who is able to stand?”  As you read this, note the emphasis on the universality of the gospel and the assurance that comes from being one of the elect fellowship.  This chapter also contains some foreshadowing of the outcome of the hero’s work, intended to give hope to those living in times of distress.
            The Story: This chapter begins with a calm amidst the storm of chaos being unleashed on the earth.  In some ways it is reminiscent of being in the eye of a hurricane when all is calm, but you know that there is more storm to come.  God’s angels at the four corners of the earth (meaning covering all of creation), are instructed to hold back the winds of destruction just long enough for God’s angelic messenger who is coming with the rising sun, to choose and seal the Fellowship. The Fellowship will consist of 144,444 persons, with 12,000 coming from each of the Jewish tribes.  There are several things we should note about this choosing and sealing.  First, within the Old Testament there are no fewer than twenty variants of a listing of tribes. This means that this list is representative of the righteous remnant of Israel, and not an exhaustive listing of all the tribes.  This can be seen in the fact that the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are missing.  It is speculated that they are missing because the Old Testament lists them as apostate and perhaps even bringing forth the evil-one (Judges 18:18-19). Second, the Jewish tribes are sealed before the Gentiles are sealed because they are those who kept the faith and birthed the Christ (remembering that the Jerusalem church was composed of Jews and not Gentiles). 
Third, the number 144,000 in numerology is the perfect holy number, or 12x12x1000.  It is not an actual head count. Finally, to be sealed means to be given God’s mark, which claims the individual as God’s own and a member of the fellowship.
            As we continue in the chapter, we discover that the fellowship is not limited to the righteous Jewish remnant. It also includes “a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…”   These are the Gentiles who have been faithful to the hero/Lamb as members of the fellowship.  Though they are not sealed in the same way, they are given white robes (which were given at baptism to new believers), palm branches (which are waved when a king enters a city) and sing to the glory of God (note again the seven-fold song of praise).  These are those who have come through the ordeal and will be cared for by God and the Lamb until the hero’s recreative quest is complete.  Finally note the language about springs of water and wiping away all tears. We will encounter these images once again at the end of the book.
            Reflection: this chapter is the conclusion to the first section of the book.  It leaves us with several important concepts. First, God has a plan for the redemption of creation. Second, this plan involves the work of the hero/Lamb/Jesus.  Third, this redemptive work will not be easy. People will perish along the way. Fourth, the hero does not go on this redemptive journey alone but has a Fellowship beside him. Fifth, the Fellowship is a chosen community, sealed for the journey.  Sixth, God cares for and comforts members of the Fellowship who die for their faith.
            Questions:
  1. How do you understand this concept of being sealed in your own life?
  2. Does this explanation of the 144,000 help or hinder your understanding of the number?
  3. What is the most meaningful part of this chapter for you?
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