Book of Revelation Quiz: Visions, Judgment, and New Creation

1. What is Revelation, and how does it describe its own genre and purpose in 1:1-3?

1. 'The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy'
2. Revelation calls itself a midrash — a Jewish commentary on the OT prophets that applies their oracles to the situation of the first-century church under Rome
3. Revelation describes itself as a letter only — it is written in the form of a circular epistle to seven churches and should be read as practical pastoral correspondence
4. Revelation identifies itself as apocalyptic fiction — it uses symbolic language to comfort believers but does not claim to describe real events or future realities

2. What does John see in his vision of the risen Christ in Revelation 1:12-18?

1. 'I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw... someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire... When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!'
2. John sees Christ as a baby — the vision begins with the nativity scene to establish Christ's humanity before revealing his divine glory
3. John sees Christ returning on clouds with his angels — the first vision of Revelation is the parousia itself, previewing the final chapter of history before the seals are opened
4. John sees Christ seated on a throne with the seven churches — the vision shows the seven lamp-stands arranged around a central throne with Christ directing the angels of each church

3. What does Revelation 5 reveal about who is worthy to open the scroll?

1. 'Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders... He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb'
2. An archangel opens the scroll — Michael, the great prince, is the one found worthy because he defeated the dragon in the heavenly war described in chapter 12
3. No one is found worthy to open the scroll — John weeps because the scroll of history remains sealed until the final judgment, when God himself breaks the seals
4. The twenty-four elders open the scroll together — they represent the redeemed of all ages and collectively possess the authority to unveil history

4. What are the seven letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3, and what is the common formula?

1. The seven letters are addressed to churches in Greece — Corinth, Athens, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Nicopolis, and Cenchreae represent the seven pillars of the Greek church
2. The seven letters are addressed to individuals only — each letter concerns the personal spiritual state of the angel (pastor) of that church, not the congregation as a whole
3. The seven letters are symbolic only — they represent seven eras of church history from the apostolic age to the second coming, not actual first-century congregations
4. The seven letters are to churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) — Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each letter follows a pattern: 'To the angel of the church in X, write... I know your works... [commendation and/or rebuke]... Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious...'

5. Who is 'Babylon the Great' in Revelation, and what is she described as?

1. 'Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth... The woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus... The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth'
2. Babylon is the Jerusalem temple establishment — Revelation's Babylon represents the corruption of Jewish religion, not Roman political power
3. Babylon is the literal ancient city of Babylon — the prophecy predicts the rebuilding of ancient Babylon as the political capital of the antichrist's empire in the last days
4. Babylon represents the worldwide church corrupted by wealth — the false church that will arise near the end of the age, having compromised with political power

6. What does Revelation 12 depict with the woman, the dragon, and the child?

1. 'A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon... The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born'
2. Revelation 12 depicts a vision of Mary's assumption — the woman clothed with the sun is Mary being taken into heaven after Christ's resurrection and the dragon is the Roman empire
3. Revelation 12 depicts the story of Eve in Eden — the dragon (Satan), the woman (Eve), and her seed (Adam) re-enacted in cosmic form as a prologue to the history of redemption
4. Revelation 12 is a vision of the future only — it depicts events that will occur after the great tribulation, with no connection to the first-century church or the birth of Christ

7. What does 666 (or 616 in some manuscripts) represent in Revelation 13?

1. 'This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.' Most scholars understand this as gematria — the numerical value of letters in a name — and identify it with Nero Caesar in Hebrew (or Latin) transliteration
2. 666 is a literal future computer chip — the mark of the beast is a microchip that will be implanted in the hand or forehead of those who submit to the antichrist's digital economic system
3. 666 is purely symbolic — it represents incompleteness (seven being perfect, six being one short) and does not point to any specific individual or historical figure
4. 666 refers to the Roman senate — the 666 members of the Roman senate who voted to deify emperors are the collective beast whose blasphemy is being condemned

8. What does Revelation 19:11-16 describe about Christ's return?

1. 'I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns... He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him... Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations'
2. Revelation 19 depicts a purely spiritual victory — the white horse rider is not Christ returning physically but represents the ongoing proclamation of the gospel throughout history
3. Revelation 19 describes Christ returning only to rapture the church — his arrival is private and secret, gathering believers before the great tribulation begins
4. Revelation 19 describes Christ returning quietly and invisibly — the 'rider on the white horse' is a metaphor for the Spirit's work in the church during the age of missions

9. What does Revelation 20:1-6 say about the millennium?

1. 'And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years... I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus... They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years'
2. Revelation 20 says the millennium has already passed — it occurred during the golden age of Christendom in medieval Europe when the church exercised political dominance
3. Revelation 20 says the millennium is a spiritual reality only — it refers to Christ's reign in the hearts of believers throughout the church age, with no future literal thousand-year period
4. Revelation 20 says the millennium is simultaneous with eternity — the 'thousand years' is a way of describing the fullness of God's reign in the new heavens and new earth

10. What does Revelation 21:1-5 say about the new heaven and new earth?

1. 'Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them'
2. The new earth is only for Jewish believers — the new Jerusalem that comes down is specifically the restored nation of Israel, and the nations of the earth remain in a separate, less glorious condition
3. The new heaven and earth are an entirely different dimension of reality — the physical universe is permanently destroyed and replaced with a non-physical, purely spiritual realm of existence
4. The new heaven and earth in Revelation 21 are a return to Eden — the new creation simply restores the original creation to its pre-Fall state, with the garden of Eden as the centre

11. What does Revelation 21:4 promise about the new creation?

1. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'
2. Revelation 21:4 applies only to martyrs — the promise of no more death and mourning is specifically for those who died for the faith, while ordinary believers experience a more moderate comfort
3. Revelation 21:4 promises that memory of suffering will be erased — God will remove all knowledge of past pain so that the new creation begins with a completely clean slate
4. Revelation 21:4 promises that tears will be allowed but transformed — in the new creation, sorrow and joy coexist in a redemptive tension that honours the sufferings of the past

12. What does Revelation 22:12-16 say about Christ's return and his identity?

1. 'Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End... I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star'
2. Christ's final words in Revelation 22 are a warning only — he speaks only of judgment and makes no promise of blessing or return to those who remain faithful
3. Revelation 22 ends with a final warning against Bible study — the seals of the book are meant to remain mysterious and those who try to calculate the timing of Christ's return are rebuked
4. Revelation 22 ends with John receiving further visions — the book deliberately stops without closure to indicate that God's revelation is still continuing through the prophetic community

13. What is the key message of the letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia in Revelation 2-3?

1. Both churches are praised for their wealth and numerical growth — they are held up as models of prosperous, outwardly successful ministry
2. Both churches receive only commendation and no rebuke from Christ. Smyrna is promised: 'Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.' Philadelphia is promised: 'I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut... I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan... come and fall down at your feet'
3. Smyrna and Philadelphia are rebuked for tolerating false teaching — they had allowed Balaam-followers and Nicolaitans into their congregations without taking action
4. Smyrna is rebuked for its poverty and Philadelphia for its small size — Christ corrects their discouragement by reminding them that external circumstances do not indicate spiritual standing

14. What does Revelation 7:9-14 describe about the great multitude?

1. 'After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands and calling out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb'
2. The great multitude are angels only — they are not human but celestial beings who serve God before the throne and surround the Lamb
3. The great multitude are Old Testament saints only — those who died before Christ's coming and are now receiving their reward while the new covenant church waits on earth
4. The great multitude in Revelation 7 is 144,000 only — the number is literal and refers to exactly that many elect Jews who will be sealed in the final tribulation

15. What does Revelation 22:1-5 say about the river of life and the new Jerusalem's light?

1. '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... No longer will there be any curse... The Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever'
2. Revelation 22 says the new Jerusalem has no light source — it is a place of pure darkness where God's voice alone can be heard without distraction
3. Revelation 22 says the new Jerusalem is lit by seven suns — the number corresponds to the seven churches and represents the complete community of the redeemed shining in God's presence
4. The river of life flows from the temple only — it is the Ezekiel 47 river of healing, but in the new Jerusalem it reaches only as far as the gates before it disappears into the ground

16. What does Revelation 3:20 say about Christ's relationship with the church at Laodicea?

1. 'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me'
2. Revelation 3:20 describes Christ's second coming — the knocking is the sound of his return, heard only by those who are spiritually awake and watching
3. Revelation 3:20 is addressed to the angels of the churches — Christ knocks at the door of each angel's chamber in heaven before the seals are opened
4. Revelation 3:20 is an evangelistic invitation — Christ is knocking at the door of the unbeliever's heart, offering salvation to those who open the door to him

17. What is the 'second death' in Revelation, and where is it described?

1. 'Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire'
2. The second death in Revelation is purgatory — a period of suffering after physical death during which the unrighteous are purified before entering heaven
3. The second death is simply physical death for those who are not resurrected — those not in the book of life simply remain in the grave permanently, experiencing cessation of existence rather than a lake of fire
4. The second death is spiritual rebirth — the term 'second death' is used positively in Revelation to describe the death of the old self that allows spiritual renewal

18. What does Revelation's doxology in 5:12-13 say that the Lamb is worthy to receive?

1. 'In a loud voice they were saying: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise! Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!'
2. Revelation 5:12-13 says the Lamb is worthy to receive rest — having accomplished redemption, Christ ceases all activity and rests permanently at the right hand of the Father
3. Revelation 5:12-13 says the Lamb is worthy to receive the seven seals — the angels declare his fitness to open the scroll of history
4. Revelation 5:12-13 says the twenty-four elders alone declare the Lamb worthy — the four living creatures remain silent while the elders offer the doxology

19. What does Revelation 19:6-9 describe as the 'marriage supper of the Lamb'?

1. 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'
2. The marriage supper in Revelation 19 is the Lord's Supper — it is celebrated every Sunday in the church, and the wedding supper described is not a future event but the ongoing Eucharistic practice
3. The marriage supper is a physical feast after the millennium — believers will eat and drink with Christ in a literal banquet that lasts for one thousand years
4. The marriage supper of the Lamb is for angels only — the church is the bride but the wedding supper guests are the heavenly hosts who witness the union from outside

20. What is the theological contribution of Revelation to the NT canon, and what is its central claim?

1. Revelation declares that the crucified and risen Christ is the sovereign Lord of history — despite the apparent triumph of evil (Rome's persecution of the church), the Lamb who was slain holds ultimate power. All of history moves toward the redemption of all nations and the renewal of all creation under the reign of God
2. Revelation's central claim is that suffering Christians should accept their fate passively — the book teaches quietism, that believers should not resist evil but simply endure and wait for God to act
3. Revelation's main contribution is chronological — it provides a detailed timetable for end-times events that allows scholars to calculate the precise sequence of the tribulation, the rapture, and the millennium
4. Revelation's main contribution is to establish the role of the church in politics — it teaches that Christian communities should seek political power in order to establish God's kingdom on earth before Christ returns