Lesson1-Rev

1.The book of Revelation consists of a series of visions received by its writer, John, whilst on the island of Patmos. It was written for Christians facing a challenging situation. Which one of these famous speeches comes closest to sharing the same setting? Ans. The correct answer was Winston Churchill's "We will fight on the beaches" speech

"He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21 v. 7)


John is writing to encourage Christians to stand firm in very difficult times and to trust that, in God, they will have the final victory. The key word is "overcome" which occurs nine times in the book.


Churchill's speech was given before the British House of Commons in 1940, when all seemed bleak in the war against Germany. He was brutally frank about the difficulties Britain was facing and that these would probably get worse. He clung to the hope, though, that victory would come in the end. The language of his concluding words comes very close to being a perfect summary of the book of Revelation:

"... we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

2. Numerical symbolism is very evident in Revelation. Which of these numbers is a recurring motif through the book?

The correct answer was 7

There are seven churches, seven spirits, seven lampstands, seven stars, seven lamps, seven horns, seven eyes, seven seals, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven crowns, seven plagues, seven bowls, seven hills and seven kings. Need I say more?


In Hebrew numerology, seven is the number associated with God and spiritual perfection. Six is the number that represents humanity and, therefore, imperfection. It has been claimed that this is the origin of the phrase "at sixes and sevens" (adrift between the two) and of the superstition attached to 13 (their sum). In most of the ancient languages, letters also represented a numerical value. The phrase "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19 v. 16), if translated into Aramaic, yields the number 777 when all its letters are added up. Likewise, the name of the emperor Nero gives 666 (described as "man's number" in chapter 13), the value of the antichrist beast.

3. First, John sees a vision of Jesus in risen glory. Jesus has messages for the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. In which modern-day country are all of these located?

The correct answer was Turkey

"On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: 'Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.'" (Revelation 1 v. 10-11)

The seven churches are located in what was the Roman province of Asia, so called because it was the first territory that they conquered in the continent. These are not the only churches in this area - Colossae and Troas, for example, are not listed. This has led to the suggestion that the seven churches are named because they were on a circular loop around which a messenger would travel with an epistle or other communication. Other churches would still be included, but as secondary messages from the original seven.


The nature of the persecution faced by these churches is unclear. The Roman emperor, Domitian (81-95 AD), re-established the cult of emperor worship and most scholars consider that the book was written during his lifetime. There was, however, no known empire-wide persecution of Christians under Domitian and it is most likely that any such action was at a local level.

4. John is then invited into the throne room of heaven to be shown a sequence of future events. He sees a scroll, in which this information is recorded, that can only be opened by somebody sufficiently worthy. Which animal opens the scroll and its seals?

The correct answer was A lamb

"I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals." (Revelation 6 v. 1)


In Revelation, John uses several different images to represent Jesus, one of which is that of the lamb.


The tradition symbolising Jesus as the lamb of God goes back to his death at the time of the Passover festival which, in turn, links back to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. At that time, God asked each Israelite household to kill a lamb, eat it, and daub its blood on their doorposts to ward off the angel of death. In later years, the Passover festival commemorated this event with the sacrifice of a lamb and a meal, the setting for Jesus' last supper with his disciples.

The early Christians also looked to verses from Isaiah 53 which they interpreted in the light of Jesus. There, Isaiah describes the "servant of God" in the language of sacrifice. He is "led like a lamb to the slaughter" (v. 7), and endures this suffering in order to bear people's sins.

5. As the seals are opened, John sees various troubles inflicted upon the earth. Which of these is not among them?

The correct answer was Man-eating plants

Apart from earthquake, war and plague, the world also has to brace itself for more terrors, which are chronicled in chapters 6 to 9. These include death, famine, stars falling from the sky, tumbling mountains, thunder, lightning, hail, fire, blood, polluted water, darkness and incredibly scary locusts. And that's only the warm-up for what's to come later in the book!

6. As the visions continue, John sees several characters that oppose the people of God. He lists Satan, here pictured as a serpent or dragon, and three earthly entities. These comprise a beast; a false prophet and a prostitute. The name of which ancient city, familiar from the Old Testament, is also associated with their opposition?

The correct answer was Babylon

For the Jews, the Exodus was one of the Old Testament's most significant events, as was the later exile in Babylon. By the time that John was writing, however, Babylon's heyday was long in the past and it lay deserted. He is not, therefore, describing Babylon literally, but as a symbol of earthly power.


John never refers to Rome by name, an understandable omission when you consider what might have happened had the book fallen into the wrong hands. It does, however, appear very clear that it is to Rome that he is referring. This is, perhaps, clearest in the picture of a prostitute "sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns" (Revelation 17 v. 3). By way of explanation, we are pointed towards the fact that Rome is built upon seven hills:

"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits." (Revelation 17 v. 9).

7. The beast and the false prophet have the power to oppress and also deceive the people of the world. They force everyone to wear a special mark on their right hand, or which other part of their anatomy?

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13 v. 16-17)


The number of the beast is 666 and, as we have seen, one possible explanation is that John is alluding to the emperor Nero. Nero committed suicide in 68 AD, several years before the date that most scholars attribute to the writing of Revelation. There was, however, a widespread myth ("Nero redivirus"), uncannily like the modern "Elvis is alive" phenomenon, that held that he would return. The myth is recorded in the work "Sibylline Oracles" and probably behind John's description of the beast thus:

"One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed." (Revelation 13 v. 3)


In the following chapter, the saints are also described as having God's mark printed upon their foreheads, which may allude back to the book of Ezekiel:

"Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, 'Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.'" (Ezekiel 9 v. 3-4).

8. The beast and false prophet gather together the kings of the earth to fight against a heavenly army led by Jesus, this time portrayed as a rider on a white horse. Where does this battle take place?

The correct answer was Armageddon

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." (Revelation 16 v. 16)


The name Armageddon has found its way into popular usage but, as Har Megiddo, is actually a geographical site in Israel. Here is played out the last great battle between good and evil. Ultimately, evil is defeated. The devil, beast and false prophet are thrown into a lake of burning sulphur for eternity (Revelation 20 v. 10).

9. Revelation ends with God and his people victorious. The closing chapters describe the "new heaven and earth", come down from heaven to replace the old. How is the Holy City, the "new Jerusalem", described?

The correct answer was As a bride dressed for her husband

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21 v. 2)


The new Jerusalem is a spiritual rather than a physical reality. John makes this clear by referring back to the creation story at the beginning of Genesis. One by one, the inanimate, physical elements from this account are stripped away. Earth and sky are dispensed with in Rev. 20 v. 11, followed by sea (Rev. 21 v. 1), the sun and moon (Rev, 21 v. 23) and night (Rev. 21 v. 25). All that remains from the Genesis story are animate beings (humans and animals) and the light that comes from the presence of God. To anyone who queries the existence of animals in heaven, I would say - where in the Bible does it say otherwise? Only humans, in Christian theology, have the choice of opting out!

10. "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (Revelation 22 v. 1-3)

Just as the book of Revelation cannot be read without a knowledge of numerology, neither can it be understood without reference to the Old Testament to which it frequently alludes. In which Old Testament book would you find the original vision upon which these verses are based?

The correct answer was Ezekiel

"The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east)." (Ezekiel 47 v. 1)


In Ezekiel's vision, the river begins at the Jerusalem temple and grows progressively deeper as it flows to the Dead Sea. The vitality that it brings leads to fruit trees, uncannily similar to John's description of the tree of life, growing alongside its banks:

"Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47 v. 12).

And so, the Bible finishes where it began with a picture of Eden, the idyllic harmony of God and his creation living in peace.

11.What plagues do the Four Horsemen bring with them when the seals are broken?

The correct answer was War, Famine, Conquest, Death

When the Lamb opened the four of the seven seals in Heaven, the Four Horsemen appeared. Each rider represented a forthcoming plague.

White = Conquest; Red = War; Black = Famine; Pale = Death.

12. Surrounding the throne in Heaven are four creatures, each of them having the appearance of a different animal. Which of the following is not one of the creatures?

The correct answer was Tiger

The four living creatures were covered with eyes and had six wings. They continuously sang the praises of the Lord. The creature not mentioned above had the appearance of an eagle.

13. How many elders are seated on thrones that surround the throne of God?

The correct answer was 24

The elders were dressed in white and wore crowns of gold upon their heads.

14. Which Archangel will lead the battle against Satan, according to the Book of Revelation?

The correct answer was Michael

Michael will lead God's army in the Battle of Armageddon, just as he led the battle against Lucifer and his rebel angels before the creation of the world.

15. On which island did St. John write the Book of Revelation?

The correct answer was Patmos

16. To start off with, what is the colour of the First Horseman's horse?

The correct answer was White

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are released after the Lamb (the most common thought is that "the Lamb" refers to Jesus). The Horseman who first appears sits on a white horse. It is believed that the colour of the horses of the various Horsemen indicate exactly what the Horsemen themselves actually represent, and what they will do in the world. In this case, it is believed that the white colour of the horse represents pestilence, and that this Horseman is the one who will conquer.

17. Is a crown given to the First Horseman?

The correct answer was y

The crown that is given to the First Horseman is believed to represent power, as the First Horseman is the one who "went out conquering and to conquer." There are many beliefs regarding who or what exactly this First Horseman is supposed to represent. The most common beliefs are that he is either the Antichrist, or the False Prophet, but due to the fact that he "conquers," the most general agreement is that the First Horseman represents the Antichrist.

18. What type of weapon does the First Horseman hold?

The correct answer was A bow

The First Horseman of the Apocalypse carries with him a bow. Again, relating to some of the beliefs that this Horseman is the Antichrist, he doesn't have arrows due to the fact that he will conquer peacefully and without war, showing how he will deceive many people.


"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, 'Come and see.'

And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."Revelation 6:1-2.

19. What is the colour of the Second Horseman's horse?

The correct answer was Red

The Second Horseman rides upon a "fiery red" horse. The red horse is believed to represent that blood that will be shed on battlefields, as most scholars regard this Horseman as representing war, persecution and death. As an addition to this, some scholars believe that the red colour of the horse is due to the colour of Mars (sometimes called "The Red Planet"). Incidentally, Mars was the Roman god of war.

20. According to the Bible, great power was given to the Second Horseman to take ______ from the earth (New King James Version.)

The correct answer was peace

As the Second Horseman is regarded as bringing war to the earth, it's natural that there would be no peace in times of war. People would no longer live in harmony (not like we do now, anyway) and would begin killing each other, and ultimately start a war.

21. What type of weapon is the Second Horseman given?

The correct answer was A sword

A sword commonly represents war and slaughter, hence why a sword is given to the Horseman of war.


"When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, 'Come and see.' Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and to him was given a great sword."Revelation 6:3-4.

22. What is the colour of the Third Horseman's horse?

The correct answer was Black

The colour of the Third Horseman's horse is black. This Horseman is said to represent a famine, or a scarcity of food, and injustice to the poor. The black colour represents the death of many due to the fact that there is not going to be a lot of food.

23. What exactly does the Third Horseman have in his hands?

The correct answer was A pair of scales

The Third Horseman carries a pair of scales in his hand, which is believed by most to represent the famine, meaning a scarcity of food, and higher prices due to this.

24. According to the New King James Version of the Bible, what are the words of the Third Horseman?

The correct answer was "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."

A denarius is accordingly an amount of money; in some translations of the Bible, it is translated as a "penny," and a "quart" is a form of measurement. A slightly more understandable translation of this, taken from the King James Version:


"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, 'A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.'"Revelation 6: 6.


From this, many people have the idea that, in the End Times, food will be very scarce, and thus will become fairly expensive. However, luxuries such as oil and wine will be readily available.

The full Bible passage that focuses on the Third Horseman is Revelation 6:5-6.

25. What is the colour of the Fourth Horseman's horse?

The correct answer was Pale

The colour of the Fourth Horseman's horse is pale. Yes, this is not exactly a colour, but according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse, the word "pale" used here was translated as "green" or "pale green" in other parts of the Bible, and so it is generally taken that the Fourth Horseman's horse is a sickly pale green colour, which is a good indication of death, sickness and decay.

26. What is the name of the Fourth Horseman who sat upon the horse?

The correct answer was Death

"So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades (Hell) followed after him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth."Revelation 6: 8.



The Fourth Horseman brings death to the world, pure and simple. Due to this, he is aptly named "Death." He is also followed by Hades, but some translations name Hades as Hell- however, they both essentially mean a place that you do not want to go when you die.

27.Over how much of the earth are the Four Horsemen given power?

The correct answer was A fourth

Interestingly, Death is the FOURTH Horseman, and after he appears it is said that the power of a FOURTH of the earth is given to them. In Revelation, the four corners of the earth are also spoken about. Most people assume that this means that the Horsemen will wipe out a quarter of the world's population.

28. In the Bible, it says that the Fourth Horseman will kill many by various means, which are mentioned. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way that the Fourth Horseman will kill those on earth?

The correct answer was With fire

Fire is never mentioned as a method that the Fourth Horseman (Death) will use to kill people. He will, however, use the sword, hunger, the beasts of the earth and death to kill people. Precisely what is meant by the idea of he will use death to kill people is not really clear.


The full account for the Fourth Horseman is this:


"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying 'Come and see.' So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth." Revelation 6:7-8

29. This is not a question directly about the Four Horsemen, but, just after each seal is opened by the Lamb, and just before the Horseman goes out, what words are spoken (according to the NKJV and the KJV)?

The correct answer was Come and see

This is fairly straightforward, and not too much extra information can be given for this question. The Lamb opens a seal, and each time He does this, one of the Horsemen are released. Each time, a voice (depending on the Bible version, some will say "the first/second/third/fourth beast," while others call them living creatures) says, "Come and see." Most people assume that it is either the Horsemen themselves or the horses who are saying, "Come and see."

30. And finally, in what chapter of the book of Revelation do we find the prophecy of the Four Horsemen?

The correct answer was Chapter 6

The prophecy about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalype is found in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 6, Verses 1-8. In this chapter, we also first hear about the souls who had been slain for the testimony of God.


Overall, the Book of Revelation is one of my favourite books of the Bible, especially part about the Four Horsemen.