AGENDA – THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA

OPENING PRAYER - Heavenly Father, we thank you for this opportunity to read and study Your Word. Please guide our thoughts and open our hearts to understand the truths You want to reveal. In Jesus' name, Amen.
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – The Alpha and the Omega
POINT OF INTEREST - Jesus talked about the end of time (also called the apocalypse) a number of times in his ministry. Mark 13:14-37 is often called the "mini apocalypse," because it is the longest description in the gospels of the end times.
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – INTRODUCTION AND GREETING
POINT OF INTEREST - There are many Johns in the New Testament. This John is not to be confused with John the Baptist, John who was Jesus' disciple, or John the evangelist. This John, sometimes called John of Patmos, is a prophetic seer.  
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – A VISION OF THE RISEN CHRIST
POINT OF INTEREST - The number seven is an important number in the Bible—and is mentioned more than 700 times. The number is usually used to signify completeness, wholeness, or even perfection. The number seven occurs fifty-four times in Revelation, more than in any other book of the Bible. There are seven churches, seven angels, seven lamp stands, and seven stars, among many other sevens. All the sevens in Revelation echo the original seven in Genesis: the seven days of creation.
TRAIL CROSSING - John's vision of heaven is both beautiful and terrifying. God is not safe or simple but instead fills people with awe and holy terror. This is how people often encountered God in the Hebrew Bible as well. Compare this description with Exodus 24:9-18.
YOU ARE HERE - Popular depictions of heaven often imagine people playing games, talking with friends, or enjoying leisure. Here and elsewhere in the Bible, the primary activity in heaven is praising and worshiping God. Does this change the way you envision heaven?
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE SCROLL AND THE LAMB
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

SCENIC VIEW - Modern readers who live in safety and comfort can find the violence and judgment in Revelation disturbing. But throughout history, Christians who have been persecuted have found these descriptions both realistic and hopeful. In the midst of real suffering, not unlike that described in these revelations, Christians have clung to the promise that God will both judge and deliver the faithful.
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE NEW JERUSALEM
POINT OF INTEREST - Many people think that at the end of time, people will leave the earth and go to heaven. The vision in Revelation, however, is that the earth is redeemed. See how the New Jerusalem is established on earth? This ties the renewal of creation at the end of time back to the original creation we read about in Genesis 1 and 2. 
TRAIL CROSSING - Isn't this image of a tree spanning a river odd? The author is making a clear allusion to the original garden in Genesis 2-3 and the restoration of that pristine paradise.
 AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE RIVER OF LIFE
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – CONCLUDING BLESSINGS AND WARNINGS
Scripture Citations 
REVELATION 1 | 4-5 | 7: 9-17 | 21-22 
QUESTIONS FOR THE JOURNEY 
1.	Many early Christians believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. Is it problematic to you that he did not? What expectation do you have for Christ's return?
The "Delayed" Return
It’s understandable why the delay feels problematic—it creates a tension between "soon" in divine timing and "soon" in human years. However, many find that this delay shifted the focus of the early church from waiting for an escape to building a foundation.
•	Perspective: Rather than a failed prediction, it can be seen as an invitation to live "as if" it’s happening today.
•	Expectation: My expectation is less about a calendar date and more about a final "setting things right" where justice and peace finally meet.
2.	Which images from Revelation are hardest for you to swallow? Why?
The Hardest Images to Swallow
The violent imagery of judgment—like the winepress of God’s wrath or the plague-bearing angels—is often the toughest to stomach.
•	Why: It feels disconnected from the "Gentle Jesus" of the Gospels. These images are "hard" because they force us to confront the idea of divine consequences and the sheer scale of human suffering depicted in the metaphors.
3.	Which images offer you the most hope? Why?
Images of Hope
The most powerful image of hope is often God wiping away every tear (Rev 21:4).
•	Why: It’s an incredibly intimate gesture. It suggests that God isn't just a distant ruler fixing a broken system, but a compassionate presence who acknowledges individual pain. The "Sea of Glass" is another favorite, representing peace and stillness where there was once chaotic storm.
4.	Revelation is often read in funerals, in large part because of the images of heaven. How does heaven as John describes it relate to your visions of heaven? What might you learn from the similarities and differences?
John’s Heaven vs. Modern Visions
Modern visions of heaven are often "cloud-based" or focused on reuniting with loved ones. John’s vision, however, is intensely communal and architectural—a city (the New Jerusalem) coming down to earth.
•	Learning: The difference teaches us that heaven might not be an "exit" from the world, but a "healing" of it. It’s less about floating in space and more about a perfect society where God dwells among people.
5.	The Book of Revelation (and the Bible as a whole) concludes with an image of a renewed earth. In what ways is the earth in need of renewal? What might your role be in that renewal?
A Renewed Earth
The earth is clearly in need of renewal in terms of environmental restoration and social equity.
•	Our Role: If the end of the story is a "Renewed Earth" rather than a "Destroyed Earth," then our role today is to be "beta-testers" for that kingdom. This means practicing sustainability, seeking justice, and acting as stewards of the beauty we already have.
6.	The final sentences of the Bible are: "The one who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen." What do you think about this ending? Is this how you would have ended the Bible? Why or why not?
The Ending of the Bible
Ending with "Grace be with all" is a stroke of literary and spiritual genius.
•	Why it works: After 66 books of history, laws, poetry, and terrifying visions, it centers everything back on grace.
•	Would I change it? Probably not. Ending on a note of "Come, Lord Jesus" keeps the story open-ended. It’s not a "The End" as much as it is a "To Be Continued," which keeps the reader engaged in the ongoing story of faith.
NEXT STEPS
1.	Read the letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3. How might these letters speak to our churches today?
The Letters to the Seven Churches (Revelation 2–3)
These letters are often viewed as a "spiritual performance review" for the church. They address real, historical communities, but their themes are remarkably modern: 
•	Ephesus (The Loveless Church): They were great at defending "truth" but lost their "first love". This speaks to modern churches that are doctrinally correct but lack compassion or joy.
•	Smyrna and Philadelphia (The Faithful): These churches faced poverty and persecution. They remind modern believers that faithfulness, not just "success" or growth, is the goal in the eyes of God.
•	Laodicea (The Lukewarm Church): This is often cited as the most "modern" letter. They were wealthy and self-sufficient, believing they "needed nothing," but were spiritually "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked". It’s a warning that financial comfort can easily mask spiritual bankruptcy. 
2.	The Bible looks different when you are comfortable than it does when you are struggling. The images of judgment found in Revelation, in particular, often sound scary and distasteful to people who are comfortable but hopeful to those who are suffering. Why do you think that is? How might you be called to listen carefully to those whose experience is different from yours?
Judgment: Scary vs. Hopeful
The perspective on judgment often depends on where you sit in the world’s power structures.
•	Why it’s scary for the "Comfortable": If your life is built on systems that might be unfair or exploitative, judgment feels like a threat to your security. It forces a confrontation with personal and "structural" sin. For the wealthy, judgment means a loss of control and an end to the status quo.
•	Why it’s hopeful for the "Suffering": For those being crushed by injustice, judgment is the promise of a rescue. It means that evil will not have the final word and that those who have caused pain will finally be held accountable. It is the ultimate "setting things right" for those who cannot set things right for themselves. 
Listening to Different Experiences
Listening to those with different life experiences is more than just being polite; it’s a way to see the "full" picture of God’s character.
•	Hearing the "Smyrnas" of the world: When we listen to those who suffer, we learn that God is a liberator. We stop seeing the Bible as just a self-help book and start seeing it as a message of cosmic justice.
•	The Call to Solidarity: Many theologians suggest we are called to a "preferential option for the poor," meaning we should intentionally look at the world (and the Bible) through the eyes of the marginalized to avoid the "blind spots" of our own comfort.

CLOSING PRAYER - Lord, thank you for this time of study and for Your Word. As we leave, please help us to carry the truths we've learned into our daily lives and to live out Your teachings. May we continue to grow in faith and reflect Your love to others. Amen.