Here are some additional questions for the Revelation Bible study.  Use these for personal or group study.

Chapter 1

• Why can we trust the Bible for the remaining 500 prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled?
• Why should Revelation encourage Christians rather than frighten them?
• When is it easier for Christians to get complacent—during times of persecution or times of peace?  Can you give any examples in our world today were persecution has stimulated the growth of the church?

Chapter 2

• Why is it important to understand what Revelation meant to the first century church? In light of this, do you see the value of using a combination of the preterist and futurist approaches?
• Write a one sentence description of each of the major themes of Revelation:
• God is sovereign
• Jesus is Lord
• Jesus is coming back
• God’s people will persevere
• We have hope
• Which of the six themes is most meaningful to you?

Chapter 3

• Revelation promises a blessing from God for all who read it. What blessings and benefits will come to those who read all of God’s Word?  (See Psalm 119:11, 105; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15-16.)
• Why is it important that Jesus is our mediator?  List three qualities of Christ’s mediation that benefits you right now.  (See 2 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16; 9:15.)
• Read Revelation 1:8. List three characteristics of God from this verse that give you assurance right now.

Chapter 4

• John was exiled for preaching about Jesus because Christianity had been outlawed as a foreign “cult” that was considered a danger to society.    Are there any ways in which your Christian faith is a danger to society today?
• First God the Father says He is “the Alpha and Omega” (1:8), and then Jesus says the same thing about Himself (1:17).  What does this tell you about the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son?
• Up until now, what has been your mental image of Jesus?  Has your conception changed after studying Revelation?

Chapter 5

• Antipas is the only believer named in Revelation who was martyred for his faith. The word “martyr” originally meant “witness.” But because many of the early Christian witnesses were put to death, the word came to describe someone who died for his or her faith in Christ. What significance is there in Revelation 1:5. where Jesus is called “the faithful witness”?
• In his book, A Survey of the New Testament, Robert Gundry writes that the seven churches in Revelation have sometimes been compared to different eras of the church. Compare these descriptions with the characteristics listed in the study:
• Ephesus, the hardworking apostolic church
• Smryna, the heavily persecuted postapostolic church
• Pergamum, the increasingly worldly church after Emperor Constantine made Christianity virtually the Roman state religion
• Thyatira, the corrupt church of the Middle Ages
• Sardis, the church of the Reformation with a reputation for orthodoxy but a lack of spiritual vitality
• Philadelphia, the church of modern revivals and global missionary enterprise
• Laodicea, the contemporary made lukewarm by apostasy and affluence

Chapter 6

• Worship is a key part of Revelation. Read Revelation 4:8-11.  What can you learn in these verses that can help you worship God better?
• How can you worship God outside of church? In what way is worship an ongoing activity?
• Revelation 5:13 says that every creature will worship the Creator. How is it possible for created beings other than humans and angles to worship God?  Is the creation worshiping God now? See Romans 8:19-22.

Chapter 7

• What types of people today are represented by the groups of people listed in Revelation 6:15:
• Kings of the earth
• Rulers
• Generals
• Wealthy people
• People of great power
• Every slave
• Every free person
• Regardless of your view of when the tribulation will take place, what comfort can you take from John 16:33?
• Compare Revelation 7:16 with Isaiah 49:10, and Revelation 7:17 with Isaiah 25:8. What do these verses tell us about God?

Chapter 8

• Much of the language in Revelation is meant to be taken symbolically.  Yet we can’t ignore the reality of things like the trumpet judgments.  How do you strike a balance between the symbolism and the realism of Revelation?
• In Revelation 11:11, we read that the spirit of life from God brought the two witnesses back to life.  Read Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 37:6 for two other examples of God’s breathing life into a lifeless body.
• In the same verse (Revelation 11:11), notice how the resurrection of the two witnesses strikes fear in all who see it.  Why would terror be the response rather than joy? See Matthew 28:4 for another example of a resurrection that brought terror to those who saw it.

Chapter 9

• Satan (whose name means “adversary”) is usually seen in the Old Testament as a prosecutor who accuses God’s people of wrongdoing (see Job 1:6-12 and Zechariah 3:1-3). What happens to Satan in the New Testament (see Romans 8:1).
• Read James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9, and Ephesians 6:10-17.  List three things you can do to defend against Satan and his schemes?
• Some has suggested that technology is paving the way for the mark of the beast?  In what ways is technology paving the way for the gospel as well?

Chapter 10

• How do God’s standards of justice differ from ours?  How does God use His power?
• Why is it not a good idea to wait until “just the right time” to turn to God?  What can happen when a person procrastinates and ignores God’s warning to repent and turn to Him?
• If you are a believer, what can you do to be ready when Jesus returns?

Chapter 11

• Look up the seven beatitudes or “blessed” in Revelation. By each verse, write a description of what it means:
• 1:3
• 14:13
• 16:15
• 19:9
• 20:6
• 22:7
• 22:14
• The church is called the “bride of Christ.”  List several characteristics of a bride that also apply to the church.
• In what ways is the example of an invitation so appropriate to God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ?  (Hint:  Most invitations include an R.S.V.P., which is an abbreviation for the French, “Respond if you please.”)

Chapter 12

• Read the verses below and write a one-sentence description describing Satan’s methods:
• Acts 5:3
• Ephesians 2:2
• 2 Timothy 2:26
• 1 Peter 5:8
• How do we keep our spiritual guard up when things are going well?
• Based on the following verses, what assurance do we have that resurrection from the dead is a certainty:
• Psalm 17:17
• Isaiah 26:19
• John 11:25
• 2 Corinthians 5:1

Chapter 13

• Why do some people spend so much time speculating about when the Lord will return? Why is this a poor use of time?
• Revelation 21:6 talks about “the springs of the water of life.”  Why is water such a good symbol for life?
• Read the verses below and describe the heavenly reward explained in each one:
• Matthew 19:28-30
• Romans 8:17
• Revelation 3:21