Book of Revelation
Teachers
Lesson Summary
In the April 21, 2021 class, Teacher Richard Sutton examined Revelation chapters 1 through 3, emphasizing the book’s symbolic language and its original purpose to comfort persecuted believers. He outlined five keys for unlocking Revelation: its symbolic nature, its focus on imminent events for first‑century Christians, its historical context, its role in encouraging faith amid persecution, and its portrayal of characters through symbols. Sutton explained how the dragon in Rev 12:9 represents Satan, the first beast with seven heads and ten crowns (Rev 13:1‑2) symbolizes the Roman Empire, the second beast (Rev 13:11‑18) reflects emperor‑cult worship, and the harlot of Babylon (Rev 17:5) points to the city of Rome and its worldliness. He also highlighted the importance of numbers, especially the number seven, which appears 54 times to signify completeness and divine perfection. By connecting these symbols to the seven churches addressed in the letters, Sutton helped the class see how the ancient messages apply to modern believers, encouraging them to remain faithful and hopeful despite present challenges.