CONTEXT THUMBNAIL - This book of Revelation is a late arrival to the Christian canon and addresses a series of churches in Asia (chapters 2-3). Despite the other-worldly message from beyond the veil of our limited vantage point of life, death, and the future triumph of God, Revelation is rooted in the concrete particularity of human needs and specific communities. Scholars have little evidence of the churches in Asia Minor; perhaps these were the only seven churches existing; or they were the most prominent Christian communities in the region known today as Turkey.

FAITHFUL WITNESS - Three times in the first nine verses of Revelation, John uses the word, "witness." The word has little place in post-modern thought, other than in legal trials. But maybe our lesson will encourage us to recover the power and imagery of the word. Perhaps "faithful witness" is still a very useful way to envision the Christian life. For our original recipients, the term was a poignant reminder that bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ was all to often synonymous with martyrdom.

NEW KING & KINGDOM - We may consider the claim in 1:7 that all peoples of the world will lament, to be outrageous when viewed from the perspective of isolated weak communities . . . but such words remind such people of the significance of their position. The poor, the weak, the marginalized are the ones who, despite their lowliness, may be destined to share in the messianic governance . . . whenever Christians meet, they remind each other in their liturgy that the story of Jesus shakes the world. To worship is to have the opportunity to have one’s eyes opened, to have a fresh apocalyptic dimension to life. [1]

When have you had a "revelation" that you were eager to share with someone?

What has been your experience with apocalyptic literature (Revelation, Daniel)?

In conversation with Acts 5 (the first lesson), this passage might be very useful if you take into consideration the larger topic of "witness." In both passages that idea is a theme. (As mentioned, the word appears three times in this brief piece in Revelation 1; in the Acts 5 narrative, the apostles are the witnesses before the Jewish leaders.)

In John Bunyon’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Faithful joins Christian in their journey to the Celestial City; however, living up to the play on words between witness and martyr, faithful bears witness unto death. You may want to review Chapter VI of Bunyon’s "similitude" as a helpful narrative to complement the faithful witness idea in Revelation.

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[1] Ibid, page 569.