Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 5:1–14

In this second vision John is shown the worship before the throne of God in heaven (chapter 4) and now he is shown what is required in order that God’s plan for “what must take place” (4:1) unfolds:

(1) As the rest of Revelation shows, the scroll held by the right hand of God is about the events leading to the end of human history and the coming of “a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1). Why it is sealed? (see Dan. 12:4)

(2) No one is worthy to break the seal (vv. 2-4)

a. According to Daniel 12:1-3, what matters are to be sealed?

b. Why is there no one in heaven or on earth worthy to break open the seal to bring about the last resurrection mentioned in Daniel?

c. What caused John to weep uncontrollably as a result? (v. 4)

d. Would you have wept if you were John? Why or why not?

(3) The Lamb is worthy (vv. 5-7)

a. What does one of the elders tell John? (v. 5)

b. The description of the one who is worthy to open the seal is taken from the OT prophecies of the Messiah:

1. Why is the Messiah called the “Lion of Judah”? (see Gen. 49:9-10)
2. Why is He also called the “Root of David”? (see Isa. 11:1ff)

c. With such names and the fact that He has triumphed, what would John expect to see?

d. Instead, what did he see? (vv. 6-7)

1. How could a “Lamb” who has been slain be said to have triumphed? (Isa. 53:7ff; Jn. 1:29)
2. Why is He worthy to open the seal?
3. Now He appears before the throne of God with seven horns and seven eyes. If seven stands for perfection or completeness (something that most commentators agree on), what do seven horns and eyes symbolize as the Lamb stands ready to open the seal?

(4) The worship of the Lamb (vv. 8-14)

a. A new song is sung (vv. 8-10)

1. Who are the ones who worship the Lamb here?
2. In the last scene (in chapter 4) they were worshipping God. Why then would they worship the Lamb when He takes the scroll into His hand?
3. At the unfolding of the scroll by the Lamb, their worship is accompanied by golden bowls full of incense “which are the prayers of the saints”. Why is that? What does it mean?
4. The new song sets out the reason for His triumph:

1. Although He was slain (on the cross), what has He accomplished with His death and His blood? (v. 9)

2. As those who have been saved, what have we become and what will our future be? (v. 10)

3. In what sense is it a “new” song?

b. The angels join in (vv. 11-12)

1. How many angels did John see? (also see Dan. 7:10)
2. What do the angels ascribe to the Lamb?

c. Every creature joins in (vv. 13-14)

1. Has every creature joined in to praise the Lamb today?
2. Why not? (see Dan. 7:11-14)
3. To whom do they sing praises?
4. How do the four living creatures and elders respond to all these praises? (v.14)

(5) With such a scene of exuberant worship in heaven at the opening of the scroll, how does it help you to face the events of the world?

(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 6:1–17

The Seven Seals: Now the Lamb proceeds to open the seals of the scroll:

6:1-8—The First Four Seals—It is helpful to consider the first four seals together as it begins with the first seal in v. 1 but ends with a concluding statement of the four seals in v. 8. This shows that the four seals are in fact one unit.

(1) The 1^st seal (vv. 1-2)

a. What might the opening of each seal which is accompanied by the thunderous voice of one of the four living creatures signify? (v. 1)

b. What color is the first horse? What does its color symbolize?

c. What does the white horse’s rider have? (v. 2)

d. What is his mission?

(2) The 2^nd seal (vv. 3-4)

a. What color is the second horse? What does its color symbolize?

b. What does the fiery red horse’s rider have?

c. What is his mission?

(3) The 3^rd seal (vv. 5-6)

a. What color is the third horse? What does its color symbolize?

b. What does the black horse’s rider have?

c. Since a quart of wheat is only enough for the consumption of one person, the man opts to buy the cheaper alternative (barley) likely in order to feed his entire family with one day’s wages.What then is the mission of this rider?(Note that this famine seems to be limited as oil and wine are spared [for the rich?].)

(4) The 4^th seal (vv. 7-8)

a. What color is the fourth horse?

b. What is the name of the rider of the pale horse?

c. What is his mission? (v. 8a)

(5) In sum, what is the combined mission of the four riders (v. 8b; note the term “they” which denotes not just the 4^th rider)

6:9-17—The 5^th and 6^th Seal

(6) The 5^th seal (vv. 9-11): It appears to show souls who were martyred up to, but not including, the time of the Great Tribulation.

a. For what reasons have they been slain?

b. In this vision, what question do they pose to the Lord? (v. 10)

c. What does their calling in a “loud voice” indicate? (v. 10a)

d. What does the giving of white robes mean to them (as an answer to their cry)? (see 3:4-5, 18; 7:14; 19:14)

e. What is the future event unfolded by this seal??

(7) The 6^th seal (vv. 12-17)—The natural phenomena that will accompany this unprecedented earthquake:

a. The sun will turn black like sackcloth made of goat's hair. What will it be like?

b. The moon will turn blood red. What will it be like?

c. The stars will fall to earth. What will actually happen and what will it be like? (v. 13)

d. The scrolling up of the sky. What will it be like?

e. The moving of “every” mountain and island?

f. Unlike the first four seals, how widespread will this disaster be?

g. The response of the people on earth (vv. 15-17)

1. Who will be affected? (v. 15)
2. Why will they seek to hide in caves? (see Isa. 2:10, 19, 21 as well)
3. Do they recognize the source of such calamities? (v. 16b)
4. What does it mean for them to call on the mountains and rocks to fall upon them? (v. 17)

(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 7:1–17

Interlude or Prelude to the opening of the 7^th seal:

(1) Protection of the remnant of Israel (vv. 1-9)

a. Read Daniel 7:2ff and Jeremiah 49:36ff: What does wind signify?

b. In the case of these four angels, with what sweeping power have they been bestowed? (v. 2)

c. Before they will carry out any destruction, what are they told to wait for? (v. 3; note that the meaning of the "angel coming up from the east" is not really certain)

d. A seal is a mark of belonging:

1. To whom do these people belong? (v. 2)
2. What will the seal protect them from?
3. What might the evenly distributed numbers signify (each of all 12 tribes are numbered 12,000)? (see Note below)

(2) The worship by all peoples (vv. 9-12)—After the sealing of the 12 tribes of Israel, John is shown the worship of all peoples, likely in contrast to the 12 tribes of Israel, before he is shown the opening of the 7^th seal:

a. Where do these people come from?

b. Who do they have in common? (the holding of palm branches appears to be a tradition of festive celebration; see Jn. 12:13)

c. What do they cry out aloud? (v. 10) What does salvation mean to them especially if they are Gentiles?

d. The four living creatures and the elders join in (vv. 11-12)

1. What triggers their worship at this point?
2. What is their praise about?

(3) The identity of this great multitude of peoples (vv. 13-17)

a. Where have they come out from, according to the elder? (v. 14; see today’s Meditative Reflection about the Great Tribulation)

b. It is debatable whether they are martyrs, although they definitely have gone through the Great Tribulation (vv. 15-17).

1. Where will they serve God? (v. 15a; see 21:22)
2. What is meant by God spreading His tent over them? (see 7:15)
3. What will they enjoy in contrast to their sufferings during the Great Tribulation? (vv. 16-17)

c. How great a comfort is this scene for those who will be going through the Great Tribulation in the future?

(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

The identity of these 12 tribes is the subject of different interpretations. Most commentators see the number as symbolic pointing to its entirety. However, who they really are is far from being certain. Many scholars appear to see them representing the church, the real Israel. Some would restrict the 144,000 to that portion of the entire church which in the last days is marked out for martyrdom (which appears to be in conflict with the protection motif of the seal). I personally incline to side with the minority of commentators that they are likely the remnant of the Jews (otherwise called “all Israel” in Rom. 11:27) who will be saved, because even in Revelation, the 12 tribes of Israel are separately identified from the 12 apostles (Rev. 21:12, 13). Also, the 12 tribes of Israel appear to be listed in contrast to the worship by the multitudes from all nations and tribes in v. 9ff. to highlight that God’s salvation is extended to peoples of the entire earth. As far as the order of the tribes and the omission of the tribe of Dan are concerned, there is no consensus among scholars as well.

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 8:1–13

After being shown the protection of God of the remnant and the heavenly worship of the peoples from all nations and tongues who have come out of the Great Tribulation, now John witnesses the opening the 7^th seal which marks the actual opening of the scroll:

(1) The seven trumpets (vv. 1-6)

a. Preceding the blowing of trumpets, the opening of the 7^th seal is followed by a half-an-hour silence (v. 1). What might such a silence portray?

b. Why should the unveiling of the contents of the scroll be announced by the sounds of trumpets?

c. The sounding of the trumpets is preceded by the offering of incense which represents the prayers of the saints. What role do the prayers of the saints play in the bringing about of the end of human history and the ushering in of the kingdom of God?

d. What happens when the golden censer is hurled towards the earth?

e. What does it signify? (See what happened when God revealed His presence at Sinai in Exod. 19:16ff.)

(2) Since the first four trumpets relate to plagues directed toward the world of nature, let’s consider them together (vv. 7-13).

a. At the sound of the 1^st trumpet (v. 7):

1. What is being hurled upon 1/3 of the earth? (see the 7 plagues in Exod. 9: 13-15; Joel 2:31)
2. What kind of a plague is it?
3. How will the world respond to this disaster?

b. At the sound of the 2^nd trumpet (vv. 8-9)

1. What is being thrown into 1/3  of the sea?
2. What kind of a plague is it? (an extraordinary volcanic activity, maybe)
3. How will the world respond to this disaster?

c. At the sound of the 3^rd trumpet (vv. 10-11)

1. What falls into 1/3 of the rivers and the waters? (a huge meteor or comet, maybe)
2. What is the star called Wormwood? (no star was called this in antiquity)
3. What kind of a plague is it?
4. How will the world deal with this disaster?

d. At the sound of the 4^th trumpet (v. 12)

1. What happens to the heavenly bodies? (see Amos 8:9)
2. What kind of a plague is it?
3. How will the world respond to this disaster?

(3) Let’s recap the first four plagues (it is not helpful to speculate the actual agents God uses to inflict each of the plagues as they are likely divine acts)

1^st plague: 1/3 of earth scorched by fire

2^nd plague: 1/3  of marine lives & ships destroyed (perhaps by volcanic eruptions)

3^rd plague: 1/3 of the water source is poisoned causing death

4^th plague: 1/3 of daily light turns into darkness, unusually

a. Having witnessed all four divine acts of judgment, what do you think will be the reaction of the people of the world?

b. As severe as these judgments are, why does God limit the impact to only 1/3 of  nature in the world?

(4) As severe as these judgments are, what does the call of the flying eagle (a predator) signify? (v. 13)

(5) What is the message to you today? How may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 9:1–11

The flying eagle declares that three more woes await the inhabitants of the earth and they will be revealed by the 5^th - 7^th trumpets:

9:1-11—The 5^th Trumpet—the first of three woes

(1) The opening of the Abyss (vv. 1-2)

a. What is the Abyss? (see Note 1 below)

b. To whom (or what) is given the key to the shaft of the Abyss?

c. What is that star? (see Note 2 below)

d. How dense and powerful is the smoke coming out of the Abyss?

(2) The destruction by the locusts (vv. 3-6)

a. Locusts coming out of the smoke: What kind of power is given to them and by whom?

b. Whom are they to harm?

c. What and whom are they to spare? (see 7:4)

d. What kind of harm are they to inflict on the people and for how long? (v. 5)

e. How painful will the harm be? (v. 6)

f. What do you think is the purpose of this limited judgment?

(3) The appearance of the locusts (vv. 7-11)

a. What do these locusts look like? (v. 7)

b. What are they wearing on their heads?

c. What do their faces look like?

d. What does their hair look like?

e. What do their teeth look like?

f. What do their breastplates look like? (Do they serve any practical purpose?)

g. What do their flying wings sound like?

h. What do their tails and stings look like?

i. What do they use to torment people for 5 months?

j. See if you can draw a picture of what you have just described: What might this picture resemble in modern warfare (if they are not demonic beings)?

(4) Who is the king over them? (the name, whether in Hebrew or Greek, means Destroyer)

(5) What is the most important message to you and how may you apply it to your life?

Note 1:

The Abyss means a bottomless pit reflecting the concept of

“the three-level cosmology…the three realms of heaven, earth, and below the earth (5:3)…It is sometimes synonymous with the underworld, which is the abode of the dead…and the place where demons are imprisoned (Lk. 8:31)…In Revelation, the beast ascends from the abyss (11:7; 17:8) and is also the abode of Satan” (WBC, Vol. 52, 526)

Note 2:

“The ‘star’ is a supernatural being, i.e. an angel. In early Jewish literature, stars can represent angelic beings (Jdg. 5:20; Job 38:7; Dan. 8:10).”
(WBC, Vol. 52, 525)

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 9:12–21

9:12-21—The 6^th Trumpet—the 2^nd of the three woes

(1) Where does the command to the 6^th angel come from? (v. 13)

(2) Whom is the 6^th angel to release? (v. 14)

(3) Why are the four angels at the Euphrates bound up all these years? (v. 15)

(4) Who are the agents being used to kill 1/3 of mankind? (v. 16)

(5) The 200,000,000 mounted troops (vv. 17-19)

a. What do their breastplates look like?

b. What do their heads look like?

c. What are three kinds of plagues which come out of their mouths?

d. How many do they kill? (Based on the present world population, about how many people is that?)

e. What do their tails look like?

f. See if you can draw a picture of what you have just described: What might this picture resemble in modern warfare (if they are not demonic beings)?

(6) What is mankind like during this period of time?

(7) What is the purpose of inflicting mankind with this 2^nd woe? (vv. 20-21)

(8) Will it work?

(9) Given the continued wickedness described here, what will you expect the next woe to be like?

(10) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Revelation 10:1–11

After the visions of two of the three woes, i.e. the 5^th and 6^th trumpets, the final woe, which is the 7^th trumpet, appears to be such that it needs a special introduction.

Introduction to the 7^th Trumpet

(1) A mighty angel (vv. 1-7)

a. Where does this angel come from? (v. 1)

b. Based on his appearance, what kind (or rank) of an angel is he? (v. 1b; see Note below)

c. What does the planting of his feet on the sea and on the land indicate? (v. 2)

d. The “Seven Thunders”: While we do not know exactly what they are,  "seven” continues to denote perfection or completion. Read Psalm 29 to get an idea of:

1. Who might speak in thunders?
2. What do such thunders seek to portray?

e. John obviously hears what is the message being thundered, but he is expressly prohibited from writing it down (v. 4). Why? Consider these possible reasons:

1. Because it is beyond our understanding anyway.
2. Because it is so terrifying that we cannot handle the message.
3. It is only meant for John to hear.

f. Now the mighty angel is about to make an announcement (vv. 5-7).

1. Why does he have to swear before talking about the 7^th trumpet?
2. By whom does he swear? What does it mean? (v. 6)
3. About the 7^th trumpet (vv. 6b-7)

1. What does "no more delay"  imply?

2. What will the 7^th trumpet reveal? What does it mean?

(2) The little scroll (vv. 8-11)—Obviously, this scroll is  not the scroll in chapter 5 which is definitely not a small scroll. This one is laid open in the hand of the angel (v. 2).

a. What does the symbolic act of eating the scroll mean? (v. 11; see Ezek. 2:8–3:4 as well)

b. Why does the scroll taste sweet in the mouth but turn sour in the stomach?

c. Why does the sounding of the 7^th trumpet require such an introduction?

(3) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

This angel is special in that his appearance resembles that of the One seated on the heavenly throne in chapter 4 and Christ in chapter 1. However, as glorious as his appearance is, he is far less awesome than God and Christ, and John does not immediately fall down to worship him. Also, in Revelation, Christ never appears as an angel. Most commentators see him as a mighty angel like Gabriel in Daniel 8.