NOTES ON REVELATION

Revelation 1:1 "Soon" may mean the speed of execution once started, but that is doubtful here. See 

1:3 and 22:10. 

Jesus = the angel here and in 1:17-18?

Rev. 1:4 "spirits"--see Isaiah 11:1-2

Rev. 1:5 Christ as prophet, priest and king.

Rev. 1:9 The fact that he was in exile suggests he was of high birth or status. Otherwise the 

penalty would have been death. (Aune)

Rev. 1:12-16 

    12. Those looking for Christ often see the church first.

    13. see Matthew 18:20

13. The girdle of the high priest had one golden thread running through it to symbolize purity and 

    righteousness.

14. See Daniel 7:9: White hair indicates righteousness. The Book of Proverbs says that a gray head 

    is a sign of righteousness.

    14-16. a seven-fold description.

    15. Note the contrast to Daniel's feet of clay. Bronze statues were burnished at the feet from 

people touching them.

    15b shows the power of the word.

    16. Parallel to Matthew 17:2. There is a Roman coin celebrating the deification of Emperor 

Domitian showing him seated on a globe with seven stars around his outstretched arms. 7 stars = the 

sun, moon, and the five visible planets.

    17. John's response to the glorified Christ is the same as that of Saul on the road to Damascus.

Rev. 1:20 Lamp stands are not the light but bearers of the light. However, see Matthew 5:14

Revelation 2-3 Letters are patterned after the royal edict formula: name and title of king or emperor, 

verb of declaration, edict addressing recipients in the second person plural. One edict of Claudius even 

has the phrase "I know."

Rev. 2:4 The  church was about 40 years old at this time.

Rev. 2:5 This  prophecy was fulfilled.

Rev. 2:8-11 Smyrna = myrrh, associated with death (see two references to death in these verses.)

Polycarp was the bishop of this church and a pupil of John's.

Rev. 2:10 The early church was persecuted by ten emperors from Nero to Diocletian.

Rev. 2:13 Pergamum was known for their worship of Zeus and Athene. This suggests they are 

masks for Satan himself. This is supported by Justin Martyr who quoted the Septuagint version of 

Deuteronomy 32:8 with "sons of God" and Genesis 6 with their offspring = the demons (worshiped by 

ancients as gods, with Zeus as their head = Satan). Antipas is described in same terms used for Christ 

in 1:5.

Rev. 2:14 Fornication is probably a symbolic term for idolatry.

Rev. 2:17 White stone represents (a) the person receiving it, as stones represented tribes of 

Israel, (b) like a diamond representing Christ, (c) ticket to the feast of the King, (d) the Urim and 

Thummin, or (d) a pebble standing for acquittal by a jury. In 2 Baruch it is prophesied that in the last 

days God will give people manna again.

The new name (a) refers to the person himself (Revelation 19:12; Isaiah 62:2; 65:15), (b) refers to God 

or Christ (Rev. 3:12: 14:1; 22:4, Exodus 28:36, etc) Also see the mark of the beast for a contrast.

Rev. 2:20 The church has locked Christ out.

Revelation 3:3 "works not perfect," i.e. have not completed your works. "What" is literally "how."--

directs them to the power of the Spirit (emphasis of the description in 3:1).

Traces of the city, destroyed by war and earthquake, have been discovered by archeologists who are 

restoring the gymnasium (6 acres) and the Jewish synagogue (big as a football field, held at least 1000 

people) dating to about AD 250-300.

Rev. 3:12 Also see Rev. 21:12-14. The name of the New Jerusalem is written on believers or 

vise versa. Perhaps the two are identical. Traces of a 4th cent. Christian church are all that remain of 

Philadelphia today.

Rev. 3:14 The city is completely destroyed today. NIV has "ruler" in place of "origin."

Rev. 3:15 Why rather cold? It is easier to reach one who is against God than one who doesn't care. 

"Vaccination with a mild case of Christianity so that they can't catch the real thing." Fits v. 17-"for"

Rev. 3:16-17 Ruins of the city indicate that it was a wealthy town benefiting from existing trade routes. 

The city is the site of a nominal bishopric although the city is uninhabited and the bishopric has not 

been filled since 1968.

Revelation 4:1-11 Picture a bunch of joyous graduating seniors throwing their caps up in the air.

Rev. 4:4   24 orders of priests set up by David--we are a royal priesthood.

Rev. 4:5 Domitian coin shows a throne capped with a thunderbolt of Zeus.

Rev. 4:6 Jesus calming the sea or the Holy Spirit moving on the face of the waters of chaos.

Rev. 4:10 Conquered kings often gave up their crowns to their conqueror, who would graciously return 

them.

Revelation 5:1-14 Passage felt by some to be parallel to Philippians 2:9-11. Rev. 5:9 // Rev. 4:11. The 

death of Christ is placed on a par with the creation.

Rev. 5:1 rare type of scroll called opistograph, usually scrolls only written on the inside.

Rev. 5:6 "Lamb" This is the only occurrence of this Greek word in the NT. It means a sacrificial lamb.

The irony is that we expect a roaring lion after the preceding verse.

Rev. 5:9 Not neos (recurrence of the old), but kainos (entirely new). This is like the victory song in 

Exodus 15.

Rev. 5:13 parallel in Philippians 2:10

Revelation 6:4, 8 

    v. 4. word denotes a sacrificial sword. See Matthew 10:34

    v. 8. word denotes a weapon of war.

Revelation 7:3 Seals protect, denote ownership, and certify.

Rev. 7:5 The tribe of Jesus is listed first.

Revelation 8 “History belongs to the intercessors.”-- E.Jones

Revelation 11:2-3 1260 days = 42 months = 3 1/2 times (Rev. 12:14). Time of Antichrist (Daniel 7:25;

12:7). Time of persecution by Ahab but also of Elijah (1 Kings 17; James 5:17)

Revelation 12:4a   stars = fallen angels?

Rev. 12:9-10   Opposite tactics of Satan—deceives and tempts to sin and then brings one a guilt trip.

Revelation 13:1 The combination of the four beasts seen in Daniel 7--represents successive anti-

Christian world governments.

Rev. 13:18 In Greek, "Jesus" has the value using the technique of gematria of 888.

Revelation 16:15 Punishment for Jewish temple guard found sleeping on the job was a beating and 

perhaps having his clothes set on fire. (MacDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict)

Revelation 19:16 Cicero mentions a name placed on the thigh of a statue of Apollo. Probably an 

identification which exhibits the true essence of the recipient. (BAR, Mar 2017, p. 8)

Revelation 20:2-3 Parallels in Luke 10:17-18; Matthew 12:29?

Rev. 20:8 Gog was the prince of Magog (Syria) during the final period of oppression for OT Jews. 

Oppression was overwhelming but brief due to God's actions.

Revelation 21-22 Timothy Keller points out that heaven is pictured as a place where our cultural 

differences are retained (every tribe, etc.). This is more inclusive than other world views; certainly not 

a “narrow” religion.

Rev. 21:1 "No sea" may mean no condemnation (as in the Flood or Egyptians drowning in the Red 

Sea). Verses 1-3 parallel Isaiah 65:17-19. Both indicate believers = New Jerusalem.

Rev. 21:4 We came into the first life with tears, perhaps with the new life as well.  

Rev. 21:12 see note on Rev. 3:12.

Rev. 22:1-6 “The Bible frames our existence not by our usefulness, not by what we accomplish, but by 

what we enjoy.” Mark Galli, CT, July/August, p. 78