Bible Study Lesson 2 — Revelation (Revelation 1:1–9, 12:17, 19:9–10, 20:4)

The genitive "Iesou" (of, about Jesus) is translated as an objective genitive — since the Bible is about Jesus, this appears to be the best translation. Therefore, we should be learning about Jesus. To put it another way: as important as prophecy is, it is meaningless without telling us about Jesus.

In this lesson we will trace the phrase "testimony of Jesus" through the Book of Revelation to show that the Spirit of Prophecy is the Holy Spirit, and that all prophetic gifts — from Moses to the final prophet — exist to testify about Jesus Christ alone.

Part 1 — The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1

"The Revelation about Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants (doulos), the things which must soon take place (ginomai); and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His servant (doulos) John."

doulos — a slave; literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency: bondservant, servant ginomai — to cause to be ("gen"-erate); to become, come into being; arise, be assembled, be brought to pass, come to pass, continue, be fulfilled, follow

The title "Revelation of Jesus Christ" centers the entire book on Jesus Himself. Prophecy is not primarily about world events — it is a revelation of the person and character of Jesus Christ. Everything else in the book must be understood through that lens.

Revelation 1:2

"Who testified (martureo) to the word of God and to the testimony (marturia) of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw."

martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

This is the first use of the phrase "testimony of Jesus Christ" — defined later as the Spirit of Prophecy in Revelation 19:10. Here the Spirit of Prophecy is the Holy Spirit, and John is the prophet or instrument through whom the Revelation is given. The first usage of a term always sets the stage for understanding every further use of that phrase in the book.

Revelation 1:3

"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near (eggus)."

eggus — at hand, near, nigh, ready (the double gammas are pronounced as "ng," so the word is pronounced "engus")

The blessing is addressed to three groups: the reader (the preacher), the hearers (the congregation), and those who heed (all of God's people). The preacher preaches first to himself and then to the congregation, so that all are responsible to receive the message. The emphasis of the verse is on the urgency of the message — the time is near.

Revelation 1:4

"John to the seven churches (ekklesia) that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne."

ekklesia — called-out ones; a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation; a Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven, or both

Seven denotes perfection, so the message is addressed to the seven literal churches in the Roman province of Asia and to Spiritual Israel — the Covenant Church — throughout history. The Seven Spirits represent the perfect Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. The descriptive phrase "Him who is and who was and who is to come" emphasizes that God is omnipresent — present in all time and space. In Christ we stand in the very presence of God, before His throne.

Revelation 1:5

"And from Jesus Christ, the faithful (pistos) witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler (archon) of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released (luo) us from our sins by His own blood."

pistos — trustworthy; trustful, sure, true archon — first in rank or power: chief ruler, magistrate, prince luo — a primary verb; to loosen; break up, destroy, dissolve, loose, melt, put off

By the blood of Jesus we are released from our sins. The penalty has been paid — it is Jesus' death that is ours. In Him we live victorious and without sin. Praise Him.

Revelation 1:6

"And He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

We are not naturally kings and priests — we are made kings and priests in Him. This is the gift of grace: what we could never be by nature, we become by union with Christ.

Revelation 1:7

"Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every (pas) eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn (kopto) because of Him. Even so (nai). Amen."

pas — all, any, every, the whole kopto — to chop; specially, to beat the breast in grief: cut down, lament, mourn, wail nai — a primary particle of strong affirmation: yes, even so, surely, truth, verily, yea

This depicts the Second Coming of Jesus in judgment. Every eye, all the tribes of the earth, and those who pierced Him — all are included. For those outside of Christ, there is only mourning. For those who are saved in Christ, there is joy beyond words.

Revelation 1:8

"'I Myself am (Ego eimi) the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'"

Ego eimi — "I" (ego) "I am" (eimi) — is an emphatic statement: I Myself Am the Alpha and the Omega. There is no one else. He is the Omnipresent One, the Almighty. Again, there is no one else. This is a direct claim to the divine name — the same claim Jesus makes in John 8:58.

Revelation 1:9

"I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony (marturia) of Jesus."

martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

This is the second use of the phrase "testimony of Jesus." It is again defined as the Spirit of Prophecy (Revelation 19:10). According to Jesus' own words in John 15:26–27, the Holy Spirit — the Comforter — testifies about Jesus, and the disciples testify about Him as well. The witness is always about Jesus.

John 15:26–27

"When the Comforter (parakletos) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify (martureo) about Me, and you will testify (martureo) also, because you have been with Me from the beginning."

parakletos — literally, One who stands beside; an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

John 5:36

"But the testimony (marturia) which I have is greater than the testimony (marturia) of John the Baptist; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify (martureo) about Me, that the Father has sent Me."

martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

Part 2 — The Spirit of Prophecy Defined

Revelation 19:9–10

"9 Then he said to me, 'Write, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.'

10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony (marturia) of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony (marturia) of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'"

martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

The Spirit of Prophecy is the Holy Spirit — the One who inspires the prophet. This phrase does not speak of any one individual prophet, but of the One who inspires all who have the gift of prophecy, from Moses to the final prophet. The test of any gift is simply this: does it testify (martureo) about Jesus? The entire Bible is the testimony about Jesus. Any prophet who adds anything else is not testifying about Jesus — and is therefore not a true prophet of God. It is Jesus and Jesus only.

Acts 4:8–12

"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this Name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.'"

Peter's words — filled with the Holy Spirit — are the clearest statement of the Gospel in Scripture: salvation is in no one else. The Spirit of Prophecy always leads back to this truth.

1 Corinthians 1:4–8

"(4) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, (5) that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, (6) even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, (7) so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, (8) who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The church will never lack spiritual gifts. The gifts are given so that the testimony concerning Christ is confirmed in His people as they await His return. Gifts are not for status — they are for witness.

1 Corinthians 12:3–7

"3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus is accursed'; and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

All gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, and all of them must testify about Jesus — or they are not genuine gifts. The church exists as a living testimony about Jesus. We are the body of Christ, the ongoing revelation of who He is to a watching world.

Part 3 — The Remnant and the Final Testimony

Revelation 12:17

"So the dragon was enraged (orgizo) with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest (loipoi) of her children (sperma), who keep the commandments (entole) of God and hold to the testimony (marturia) of Jesus."

orgizo — to provoke or enrage; become exasperated: be angry, be wroth loipoi — remaining ones: other, which remain, remnant, residue, rest sperma — something sown; seed; offspring; a remnant (figuratively, as if kept over for planting): issue, seed entole — injunction; an authoritative prescription: commandment, precept martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

This is the third use of "testimony of Jesus" — showing that the prophetic gift present with the church from the beginning (Moses) will remain with the church until Jesus comes. Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 1:7–8: the church will not lack any gift as it awaits the revelation of Christ.

"Who keep the commandments of God" — the Jews define 613 commandments, which can be summarized in the Ten Commandments, which in turn can be summarized in two — love of God and love of humanity — which Jesus further concentrated into one: agape love. How we love one another may be the defining mark.

Revelation 20:4

"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony (marturia) of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

martureo — to be a witness; to testify: charge, give evidence, bear record

This is the final use of "testimony of Jesus" in Revelation — applied to those who died for the gifts and the word of God throughout history. What a glorious picture of grace, love, and the revelation of God in Christ. God's people will always have the Holy Spirit with them, and He will continue to give the gifts to His church. The church is identified by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and all of them point to Jesus. A church where agape rules — where there is no distinction between Black and White, male and female, rich and poor — is the living testimony of Jesus Christ.

In Summary

All gifts are given by the Holy Spirit and all of them must testify about Jesus — or they are false gifts. The church exists as a living testimony about Jesus. We are His witnesses. Luke records Peter's words as the ultimate summary: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." — Acts 4:12

Study Questions

Answer each question below based on what you have studied in Lesson 2. Submit your answers and we will respond with additional notes and encouragement.

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Q1. Revelation 1:1 describes this book as "The Revelation about Jesus Christ." How does understanding the book as a revelation of Jesus — rather than primarily a book of prophecy — change the way you read it?

Q2. Verse 2 introduces the phrase "testimony of Jesus Christ" for the first time. Based on the lesson, what does this phrase mean, and who is the source of that testimony?

Q3. Revelation 1:3 blesses the reader, the hearer, and those who heed. Why do you think all three are mentioned? What is the difference between hearing and heeding?

Q4. Verse 5 says Jesus "released us from our sins by His own blood." The Greek word luo means to loosen or set free. What does it mean to you personally that you have been set free — not by your efforts, but by His blood?

Q5. Revelation 19:10 defines "the testimony of Jesus" as "the spirit of prophecy." In your own words, what does this mean? How does it apply to how we evaluate any teacher, preacher, or prophet today?

Q6. Peter declares in Acts 4:12, "there is no other name under heaven... by which we must be saved." How does this statement connect to the overall message of Revelation?

Q7. 1 Corinthians 12:3–7 says gifts are given "for the common good." How does this correct the way spiritual gifts are sometimes treated today — as personal achievements or signs of spiritual rank?

Q8. Revelation 12:17 describes the final members of the church as those who "keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." The lesson traces commandments from 613 down to one — agape. How does love fulfill the commandments?

Q9. Revelation 20:4 shows those who were "beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus." They gave everything for the witness of Christ. What does their example say to you about the cost and value of testifying about Jesus in your own life?

Q10. The lesson ends by describing a church "where agape rules" with no distinctions of race, gender, or class. How close is this to your experience of the church today, and what can you do to help build that kind of community?

Thank You!

Your answers have been received. We will review them and respond with encouragement and further study notes. Keep seeking Him — He rewards those who diligently search His Word.

"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." — Revelation 1:3