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RevelationThe Unveiling of Jesus Christ

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2015 Cindy Brown. All Rights ReservedThis study was written using the ESV.

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Revelation 1

Day 1: Background

Written by John, one of the sons of Zebedee, and a disciple of Jesus, Revelation gives us one of the most awesome pictures of Christ as the final Victor and Conqueror. Written during the end of the reign of the Emperor Domitian in about AD 95, the church was being persecuted and feeling the heat of tribulation. The message of hope and victory must have been an encouragement to the churches in those days. Revelation promises that we will be blessed if we read, hear and keep the words of this prophecy so it is well worth our time to study it.

Read Revelation 1-3 today to get an overall feel for this section.

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Day 2: Overview

As you read chapter 1, mark the following words:

Jesus Christ (and all pronouns or references)GodSpirit (seven spirits)writesee (seen, saw)churches

After reading chapter one, answer the following questions.

Who is the book of Revelation about? _______________________________________________________________________

According to verse 1, why was the book given to us? What is it going to tell us about?_______________________________________________________________________

Who wrote the book of Revelation? _______________________________________________________________________

How was the message delivered to him? Note the progression laid out in verses 1-2. _______________________________________________________________________

What benefits are associated with hearing and studying Revelation? Note the verse that mentions them and who will benefit. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to verse 3, what type of writing is the book of Revelation? _______________________________________________________________________

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What does verse 2 tell us about John? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Greek, the word for witness is martureo, where we get the English word for martyr. According to tradition, John died a martyr’s death when he was submerged in a pot of hot oil. To be a witness simply means to tell about what you have seen, but because his witness was about Jesus, John paid the ultimate price with his life.

According to verses 4 and 11, who is the book written to? _______________________________________________________________________

How does John describe himself in the first part of verse 9? _______________________________________________________________________

Where was John when he wrote the book? _______________________________________________________________________

Why was he here? _______________________________________________________________________

Patmos is a small island (10 miles by six miles) in the Aegean Sea. The Romans used to send political exiles here. John’s mention of the island in verse 9 probably means that he was a prisoner here, but he was sent here for preaching about Jesus.Eusebius (an early church father) wrote that John was sent to Patmos by Emperor Domitian in AD 95 and released after a year and a half.

Verse 19 gives us a basic outline for the book of Revelation. What three things was John to write about? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After reading chapter 1, which of those three does this chapter fall into? _______________________________________________________________________

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Day 3: Revelation 1:1-11

Read chapter 1 again.

Yesterday you should have marked every occurrence of God in chapter one. So now let’s first take note of what we learn about God.

How is God the Father described in verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

This description of God is used three times in the book of Revelation (also 1:8 and 4:8). It is the name of God that shows He is eternal and self-existent. The book ofRevelation is going to describe some pretty terrifying and amazing acts of God. Only a God who needs nothing else to exist could showcase this kind of power.

What four names are used to describe God the Father in verse 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet. When God describes himself in thisway, it not only means that he is the first and the beginner of all things, but it also carries with it the idea that he is the most important.

Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. This word refers to the last in an inclusive series and when used in reference to God it also signifies an all-inclusivesphere of authority and high status. Also, as we will see in the study of this book, it is God who brings all things to completion.

Lord is a term used to show that God is the supernatural authority over mankind. The term God highlights him as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Finally God is referred to as the Almighty, literally the All-Powerful one.

Clearly from these names of God, we see that He is above all in authority and importance, he controls everything and He alone is the Almighty. We will see all these attributes of God as we study the book of Revelation. And the awesome thing is, this is the God who is extending grace and peace to us!

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Who do you think the words “seven spirits” refers to in verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

This term is not used anywhere else in the Bible except in the book of Revelation, where it is used four times. Given the fact that God and Jesus are mentioned as givers of grace and peace and the “seven spirits” are mentioned with them, it probably refers to the Holy Spirit in all his fullness, as seven is a number signifyingcompletion.

Record everything you learn about Jesus in verses 5-7. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus is described as “the faithful witness”. Read John 18:37. What has Jesus been faithful to witness or give us testimony about? _______________________________________________________________________

Ten times in the book of Revelation Jesus is described as being true. We can trust what he says and what he does.

Next he is described as “the firstborn from the dead.” Read Acts 26:23 to help you understand what this phrase means. _______________________________________________________________________

There were others before Jesus who were raised from the dead, but Jesus was the first and only to raise himself from the dead. The others who were raised, would die again. Jesus died once for all and now lives eternally having defeated the power of death.

Jesus is “the ruler of kings on earth.” In Revelation 17 and 19, Jesus is called the “King of Kings and Lord of lords.” He is above even the most important king here on earth and He alone will be worshipped and adored.

Next John reminds us of what Jesus has done for us. He loves us! He proved it when he freed us from our sins by shedding his own blood. We are free! Sin has

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no power over us because the of the victory that Jesus has won for us.

Jesus also gave us the awesome privilege to be a kingdom of priests to God. In theOld Testament, the priests were the only one who could come in before God. They would speak and make sacrifices on behalf of the people. The ordinary people were excluded from this type of relationship. But when Jesus died, he tore the veil and opened the way for those who come to him in faith, to have open access to him as priests.

Look up Revelation 5:10 and 20:6. What wonderful privilege will also be ours because we now hold the title of priests? _______________________________________________________________________

Revelation really is a book telling us how to worship. We will look at several places in the book where people are one their faces worshipping the King of Kings. Because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, John says that glory and dominion should be his forever and ever!

Glory is where God’s attributes and works are made very apparent for all to see sothat the result is people honor, worship and praise him. Dominion is the power torule or control. None other has the authority or the ability to rule like Jesus. John says Jesus’ glory and dominion will be forever. Amen! May it be so!

Compare verse 7 with Daniel 7:13-14. Write down everything you learn about when Jesus comes in the clouds from these verses. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is the picture that we will see of Jesus in the book of Revelation. He is portrayed as the exalted and glorified Christ. What a wonderful day it will be when Jesus is revealed and recognized as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Again verses 5-7 tie back in to verse 4. This is the Savior who has extended grace and peace to us! He deserves our complete worship and adoration forever!

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Read Revelation 1 again.

Today we will take a look at the vision that John is given of Jesus.

Sometimes God has to remove all other distractions and voices so we can clearly hear and see him. This is what he did for John. When John was exiled, it might not have seemed like a good thing, but what resulted was an incredible picture of the things to come, more complete than anything else we have in Scripture.

John was “in the Spirit” so we know these were not his own words. He received this message from God.

What did John hear to get his attention? _______________________________________________________________________

How would you describe the sound of a trumpet? What does this tell you about the message? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From verse 12, what did John see? _______________________________________________________________________

What does verse 20 say they represent? _______________________________________________________________________

What was in the middle of the lampstands? _______________________________________________________________________

I love that Jesus was in the middle of the churches. They were undergoing persecution for their faith and Jesus was right there with them! He did not leave them in their time of trial. Does Jesus seem distant during your suffering? He is there my friend! He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

John saw “one like the son of man.” Daniel used this term in the visions he saw aswell (Daniel 7:13). And Jesus referred to himself in this way in the gospels.

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There is no way that John can describe a glorified vision of Jesus so he uses imagery.

How was he dressed? _______________________________________________________________________

The robe he was wearing could signify his position as Judge or High Priest.

Isaiah 11 is a prophecy about Jesus. What does Isaiah 11:5 say that his belt represents? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 14, what significance do you think is the emphasis on his white hair? Compare Daniel 7:9. _______________________________________________________________________

In Daniel, God is described as the Ancient of Days. His white hair perhaps is a reference to the dignity and respect he should receive.

How are his eyes described? The same description is also used in Revelation 2:18 and 19:12. _______________________________________________________________________

Perhaps this refers to inescapable scrutiny. None can hide from his gaze or escape his examination.

What description is given regarding his feet? _______________________________________________________________________

Jesus’ voice is described “like the roar of many waters.” Read Psalm 29:3-9. What attributes would you ascribe to His voice after reading these verses?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is he holding in his right hand? See verse 20 for an explanation of what this means. _______________________________________________________________________

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Angel simply means a messenger. The fact that Jesus held the angels in his hand speaks of his possession, authority and control over them.

What is coming out of his mouth? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12. What does the sword represent in theseverses? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 19:15. What does this verse say about the sword of his mouth? _______________________________________________________________________

This speaks of the power of His Word. He created the world simply by speaking, and He will defeat his enemies and rule over them only by His Word! We serve amighty Savior!

How is Jesus’ face described? _______________________________________________________________________

This must have reminded John of when he saw Jesus at the transfiguration in Matthew 17:2. Jesus face was described the same way there. When the sun is shining, you cannot look straight at it because it is too bright. John was trying to help us visualize Jesus’ glory. He is too wonderful for us take in.

Remember that John had seen Jesus face to face and walked and talked with him while he was here on earth. But now, John sees a glorified Christ and his responseis much different. Tomorrow we will look at John’s response to what he saw.

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What was John’s response when he saw this vision? _______________________________________________________________________

In the last few years several books have come out about near death experiences and trips to heaven. But I have noticed these people’s casual responses differ greatly from the responses in Scripture where people saw the Lord.

Read Matthew 17:1-7, Daniel 10:5-10,15 and Ezekiel 1:26-28. What did these people do when they saw the glory of God? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Falling on our faces in reverent worship is the only appropriate response when we see the glorified Christ.

What is Jesus’ response to John? __________________________________________________________________

Jesus did the same thing in Matthew 17:7 at the transfiguration. We are to respect and honor the Lord, but He does not want us to be afraid.

What does Jesus say about himself in verses 17-18? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because Jesus arose from the dead, what do these verses say about Him?

Romans 6:9 _______________________________________________________________________Romans 14:9 _______________________________________________________________________

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The fact that Jesus has the keys to Death and Hades shows that he has control and authority over them.

Read Revelation 20:1-3 and note what will happen because Jesus holds the keys. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John has just seen a vision of the glorified Christ. He has seen the Righteous Judgeof all the earth that sees all and knows all. His voice is powerful and His Word has authority. He has defeated death and now lives forever and He is standing in the midst of the persecuted churches. John is overcome and falls down on his face in worship.

Every time in the Bible where people see a vision of the Lord it is because God hasa something He wants them to do. The disciples were to be his witnesses, and Ezekiel and Isaiah were told to go speak to rebellious Israel. After seeing Christ in all his glory, all of them obeyed!

What was John told to do? _______________________________________________________________________

Again, verse 19 is a key verse in the book of Revelation and gives us a helpful breakdown of the book.

Chapter 1 talks about “the things you (John) have seen”Chapters 2-3 talk about “those that are”Chapters 4-22 will talk about “those that are to take place after this.”

John understood what he was seeing, but certain aspects of the vision might have been confusing to him, so Jesus clarifies what he saw.

In verse 20, what do the seven stars in Jesus right hand represent? _______________________________________________________________________

What do the seven golden lampstands represent? _______________________________________________________________________

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After reading chapter 1, what description of Jesus has been the most encouragingto you? Why?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you think is the theme of chapter 1? _______________________________________________________________________

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Revelation 2

Day 6: EPHESUS: Revelation 2:1-7

Now we come to the second section of the book of Revelation - things “that are.” John is told to write to the seven churches in Asia Minor. The map below shows their location and they are numbered in the order they are listed in Revelation. Also, this could possibly have been the order and the route the carrier of the book took when he delivered John’s message to them. They are relatively close in proximity to one another (not much more than 50 to 60 miles apart), but each church had their own victories and struggles. The island of Patmos is just off the coast from the church of Ephesus.

The church of Ephesus was founded by Paul about 45-50 years before this was written. Paul wrote his letter to them in about AD 60 and the book of Revelation was written somewhere around AD 95.

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As you read chapter 2, mark the following words and phrases:

to the angel of the church in ____writeany references to JesusrepentconquersSpiritchurcheshold fast

Let’s take a quick look at the background of the church at Ephesus.

Read Acts 19:1-20. What type of city was Ephesus when Paul visited it? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happened when people believed the gospel message? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Ephesians 1:15, what does Paul commend the church for? _______________________________________________________________________

Now we jump ahead 35 years or so and see the condition of the church when John writes to them.

In verse 1, angel just means messenger. Some think that the messenger or angel could be the pastors or elders of these churches.

From everything you learned in chapter 1, who is it that holds the seven starts in his right hand and walks among the lampstands? These are his words! _______________________________________________________________________

What commendation does he give the church at Ephesus? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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So this sounds pretty good. Their works and their teaching are sound and they hadn't tired in their service for the Lord.

But was the reproof to this church? _______________________________________________________________________

Somewhere along the way, this church abandoned what they had first loved.

Read Mark 12:28-34. What did Jesus say was the most important thing? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. What does Paul say about good works without love? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So even though this church was doing good works, because they were not done inlove, they were works of the flesh and worthless.

In the book of 1 John, John has a lot to say about love. Read 1 John 2:15-16.

According to these verses, what three things cause us to love the world instead ofthe Father? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read James 4:4-5. What does this verse tell us that friendship with the world is? _______________________________________________________________________

So there is no middle ground. We cannot love God and the world at the same time. They are mutually exclusive. So because the church at Ephesus had lost its love for God, I think it is safe to say they were loving the world now instead. Theylooked good on the outside, but God saw their heart and knew their works were not motivated by love for Him.

How it grieves God when we turn away from him and choose the world instead. Here we see Jesus calling the church of Ephesus back to himself.

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What instructions does he give the church in verse 5? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The remedy for their loveless state was to remember and repent! Jesus tells them to remember from where they have fallen. The command to remember is a verb of continuous repeated action. They were to keep remembering how they used to love the Lord and had fallen away from him. Then they were to repent (change their mind about their sin).

When they repented and changed their mind about their sin, what would follow according to verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

What works were they doing at first that they were not doing now? _______________________________________________________________________

God is not fooled by our “good works.” He sees our heart. We may impress people by the things we do or say, but when not fueled by our love for the Lord, it is meaningless. Jesus is graciously extending open arms to this adulterous church. If they will repent and come back to Him, He is eager to receive them.

What is the warning given to Ephesus if they do not repent? _______________________________________________________________________

Since Revelation 1:20 told us that the lampstands represent the churches, Jesus is warning that if the church does not repent, he will remove the church. This does not mean they will lose their salvation. They will still be his church but they will no longer have the opportunity to shine for Him since they have abandoned their love for him.

In verse 7, write the admonition that is repeated to all seven churches. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus is begging this church to listen to Him! Revelation 1:3 promises blessing to those who hear and put into practice the words in this book.

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What promise is given to the overcomer? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The overcomer or conqueror would be the one who had an ear to obey what Jesussaid. Our actions always spring from our faith, so if we are obeying Christ it is because we are believing His Word. Those who don’t overcome are those who don’t believe and therefore their actions reflect that.

According to Genesis 3:22, what will the result be for those who eat of the tree of life? _______________________________________________________________________

Read 1 John 5:4-5. What makes someone an overcomer? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you think is the main point that Jesus wants this church to know? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What about you? Do your works look good on the outside but inwardly they are not motivated by God’s love? Examine your heart before the Lord. Look back at your life a few years ago. Are you more in love with Jesus now than you were then? If so, praise God and keep following hard after Him. If not, the remedy is as simple as to remember and repent. Jesus is waiting for us with open arms!

Fill in the information for this church on the chart on p. 49-51. When you finish your study of the seven churches, it will be a helpful reference for you to compare the churches side by side.

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Day 7: SMYRNA: Revelation 2:8-11


Smyrna is now the modern day city of Izmir, Turkey. Located thirty-five miles north of Ephesus, it was was an impressive harbor city that was known for its greatbeauty, sometimes referred to as “the ornament of Asia.” The city was laid out along wide, beautifully paved streets and was adorned with temples, baths, gymnasia, a theater, a stadium, and a library. It is estimated that over one hundred thousand people lived there. A temple was built there for the worship of Roman gods and was dedicated to the emperor Tiberius. The aged bishop Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, was martyred in the stadium at Smyrna in AD 156. When he was arrested, the captain repeatedly tried to convince Polycarpto deny Christ, but he refused. “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my Saviour and King?” Polycarp replied. As a result, he was burned at the stake, but his death bore fruit and gave credibility to remaining Christians. After seeing Polycarp’s courage, some began to look into how this sect called Christianity could produce such courageous men of conviction and commitment.

How is Jesus described in verse 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A very similar description of Jesus is mentioned in Revelation 1:17-18. Jesus is first, not just in time, but also in position. He is the most important. Revelation 1:5 also mentions that he is the firstborn of the dead. Because He was the first oneto defeat death, he has prominence over all others who are raised from the dead.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-26. What do these verses say is the order of those resurrected? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because Jesus has defeated death, what will he do according to verses 24-26? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The fact that Jesus describes himself in this way to the church at Smyrna is significant. He is the victor over death and it is important for this church to remember that during the hardships they are facing.

Since Jesus was in the middle of the churches, he was aware of what they were going through. What was the church at Smyrna facing? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From what group in particular where they being mistreated? _______________________________________________________________________

Slander is never a pleasant thing to endure, but it is especially hurtful when it comes from those who do it in the name of religion. This persecution is Jewish in origin, but Jesus actually calls them a synagogue of Satan because they were not following Him.

Jesus says these people claim to be Jews, but are not. What makes someone a real Jew? Read Romans 2:28-29 and Romans 4:16. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus told this church not to fear what they were about to suffer. Read the following verses and note what the Bible tells us about suffering as a Christian.

2 Timothy 3:1,12 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-13 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why would Jesus say the church as Smyrna was rich even though they were suffering poverty? See Ephesians 1:17-18 and Colossians 1:27. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Is there any reproof or correction given to the church of Smyrna? _______________________________________________________________________

We don’t like trials or persecution, but this church had been refined by it and Jesus had nothing negative to say about them! Wow!

What were Jesus’ instructions to them in verse 10? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Things were not going to get better or easier. In verse 10, it says that the devil is going to throw some of them into prison. Given the fact that in verse 9 he mentions Jews who were of the synagogue of Satan, it seems likely that the persecution would be Jewish in origin.

We don’t know if their suffering is a literal 10 days or simply a period of time. But we do see that at some point, there will be an end to it.

Why does Jesus encourage them not to be afraid of suffering and death? Refer back to verse 8. _______________________________________________________________________

Some of them would die for their faith, but what two things does Jesus promise to give them? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As followers of Jesus, we are promised to have tribulation in this life and Jesus himself told us that we will be hated by the world because it hated Him. But we have nothing to fear! Death has been defeated and even if at some point we are called to die for our faith, we have the promise of eternal life and won’t be hurt bythe second death. Ask God to give you courage so that whatever happens, you will always be faithful to stand for your Savior.

What do you think is the main point that Jesus wants this church to know? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fill in the information for this church on the chart on p. 49-51.

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Day 8: PERGAMUM: Revelation 2:12-17


Pergamum was 55 miles north of Smyrna. The modern village of Bergama, Turkey, now sits there. Pergamum was a beautiful Greek city, but in 133 BC the last king to reign in Pergamum died, and in in his will he gave Pergamum to the Romans. During the Roman period, a shrine of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, was built in the city and it was well-known for its worship of Zeus and several other gods. Pergamum also became a prominent center for the imperial cult, where the Emperor was worshiped and recognized as a divine being.

How is Jesus described in verse 12? Note the similarity with Revelation 1:16. _______________________________________________________________________

We looked in chapter one at the description of the two-edged sword being the Word of God. Again, it is significant that Jesus describes himself in this way to thischurch.

Where does it say this church is living? _______________________________________________________________________

Because Pergamum had such a strong emphasis on idol worship, perhaps that is why it says this church lives where Satan’s throne is and where he dwells.

What an encouragement for this church to know that even though Satan had a stronghold here, the Word of God was more powerful!

Look up 2 Thessalonians 2:8. What does this verse say about Jesus’ power over the enemy? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 12:9-11. How is Satan defeated in these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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When we are covered in the the blood of the Lamb, his Word gives us power overthe enemy. How important it is for us to read, understand and believe the Word of God. It is our only offensive weapon.

What is this church commended for? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does it mean to hold fast to Jesus’ name? A name represents a person’s character. Look up the following verses and note what we learn about Jesus’ name.

Psalm 124:8 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 18:10 _______________________________________________________________________Isaiah 9:6 _______________________________________________________________________Matthew 1:23 _______________________________________________________________________

How would remembering these things about Jesus help us to hold fast in difficult times? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This church was also commended for not denying the faith. Faith is simply being fully convinced of what God has said even though we can’t see it. Suffering can easily cloud our view of God and in times of hardship, we can begin to question what we once believed.

In verse 13, who is given as an example of not denying the faith? What did he do? _______________________________________________________________________

This church was living out what they believed even though some of them had been killed for it. That truly is commendable.

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But what does he have against them? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The fact that they held to the teaching of Balaam shows that it was a continual thing. They continued to give audience to this false teaching.

In Numbers 23-24 we read the story of Balaam. Balak was the king of Moab who became fearful when the people of Israel were camped near his area. Everyone had heard stories of what God had done for Israel at the Red Sea and he was afraid that any encounter he had with Israel would not end well for him and his people. So he hired Balaam to curse Israel. But God spoke to Balaam and told him not to curse Israel. So instead, much to Balak’s alarm, the prophet he had hired, pronounced blessings on Israel. When Balak confronted Balaam about it, he said, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord says I must do’?” (Numbers 23:26). But Balaam was corrupted by his desire for gain.

Read Numbers 25:1-9. Balaam is not mentioned in these verse, but in a moment,we will see how he had a hand in what happened here. Note what takes place inthese verses. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now read Numbers 31:16. What does it say about Balaam and the incident at Peor? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11. What else do we learn about Balaam from these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

Apparently, Balaam advised Balak on how to invite Israel to the festivals of idol worship. He taught Balak how to put a stumbling block before Israel that led theminto the deliberate sin of idol worship and immorality. It seems he was motivated to do this by the promise of financial gain.

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Pergamum was also accepting teaching that would lead them into sin. Perhaps this person, like Balaam was motivated by financial gain and was leading them astray.

We do not have any information on the Nicolatians. But unlike the church at Ephesus that rejected the teaching of the Nicolatians, the church at Pergamum accepted it.

What is Jesus instruction to this church in verse 16? _______________________________________________________________________

To repent simply means to change your mind. They were to change their mind about this false teaching and reject it instead.

What is the warning in verse 16? What will happen if they do not repent? _______________________________________________________________________

Here we see God coming against them with his Word to judge them for their sin.

Have you noticed what the focus of Jesus’ message is to this church? Look at thedescription of Jesus, the commendation, the reproof and the warning? What do they all have in common? _______________________________________________________________________

God’s Word is vital to our survival as a Christian. Do you know how to recognizethe accurate teaching of God’s Word? The church at Pergamum was weak in this area.

Read Hebrews 5:12-14. After reading this section, why were these people immature, still drinking milk instead of eating meat? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does it say about the one who is still drinking milk? _______________________________________________________________________

What determines if someone is mature from these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

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Someone who is mature is able to distinguish good from evil. The only way we can do this is by comparing things to God’s Word. If we are unskilled in God’s Word, we will be easily led astray into false teaching like those in Pergamum were.

The most important thing you can do as a Christian is to become skilled in using your sword, the Word of God. Read it, memorize it, pray it, study it and put it intopractice! The more familiar we become with the Word, the stronger our faith will be and we will not easily be led astray by error. Stay in the Word!

What is the promise to the one who conquers? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Exodus 16, we read the account of the children of Israel receiving manna in the wilderness. The first time they saw it, they said, “What is it?”

Read John 6:31-35; 47-51. Based on what these verses tell us that manna represents, what is the church of Pergamum being promised from these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There are several ideas about what the white stone represents. Sometimes stones were used like an entrance ticket to special social events. Also, jurors used black stones to vote for a person’s guilt while white ones were used to vote for innocence. Whatever the meaning, it seems the point is that those who have whitestones will be accepted and welcomed by Jesus. The fact that those who have white stones have a new name speaks of a change of identity. Our new name willidentify us with Jesus.


Again, John closes with the repeated admonition to hear what the Spirit says to theseven churches. God is speaking. We would do well to listen closely.

Fill in the information for this church on the chart on p. 49-51.

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Day 9: THYATIRA: Revelation 2:18-29


The letter to Thyatira is the longest of all the letters to the churches. Thyatira was a city about 40 miles southeast of Pergamum. It was known for its trade guilds, one of which was manufacturing purple dye. In Acts 16:14, we meet Lydia who was a seller of purple from the town of Thyatira. She believed the gospel message when Paul preached the good news in Philippi. Tyrimnos, an ancient sun god, and Apollos were worshipped in Thyatira.


The fact that Jesus is described in this way might be related to the fact that a sun god was worshipped in this city. Brilliance is highlighted in this description of Jesus, showing he is greater than any false deity.

List all the things that this church is commended for. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What reproof does Jesus give this church? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab. She was not an Israelite, but was the daughter of the King of Sidon (1 Kings 16:30-31).

Read 1 Kings 18:13. What wicked thing did Jezebel do? _______________________________________________________________________

See 1 Kings 21:25-26. What does this verse say about Jezebel? What did she incite her husband to do? _______________________________________________________________________

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Because of the severity of her sin, what did God say would happen to her? Read 1 Kings 21:23. Read the fulfillment of this in 2 Kings 9:29-37. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare the Jezebel in the Old Testament with the Jezebel mentioned in Thyatira. What things was the Jezebel mentioned here in Revelation doing? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

False teaching always leads to immorality and idolatry and that is exactly what was taking place in this church. It seems like her teaching was pervasive and many were following after her.

Read the following verses and note the dangers and the consequences of immorality.

Hebrews 13:4 _______________________________________________________________________

1 Corinthians 6:18 _______________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 6:27-35 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 7:21-24 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What should this church have done with this woman? See 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 _______________________________________________________________________

Sin in the church cannot be tolerated. It has to be cleansed. This church was tolerating Jezebel and her teaching and they were being led into sin.

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What does Jesus say about this Jezebel in verse 21? _______________________________________________________________________

What will the consequences be for her and those who follow after her if they do not repent? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sin always results in death. Just as it resulted in death for Queen Jezebel in the Old Testament, the same will be true for this woman.

As a result of God’s judgment in this church, what will the other churches learn about Jesus? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus searches the mind and hearts of everyone and nothing can escape his gaze. His eyes are “like a flame of fire” (v.18). He can see through our facades and we cannot fool him. He also will not turn a blind eye to sin. Our works will be judged and we will be given according to what we have done, whether good or bad.

In verses 24-25, what is said to the righteous in the church at Thyatira? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The false teaching and the sin in the church were enough burden for them to bear.They are simply encouraged to hold fast until Jesus comes.

What promise is given to the one who conquers? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Psalm 2:7-9, where this is referenced from. Because they were not overcome by evil, the conquerers would be able to rule effectively. Jesus receivedauthority from his father, and in turn, he gives authority to the overcomers to rule.

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They also would be given the morning star. Read Revelation 22:16 to see what this refers to. _______________________________________________________________________

Not only are the overcomers given the authority to reign, they get to enjoy Jesus himself. The church in Pergamum was given manna which also represents Jesus. Of all the promises given to the overcomers , Jesus is our greatest reward!


Fill in the information about this church on the chart on p. 49-51.

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Revelation 3

Day 10: SARDIS: Revelation 3:1-6

Read chapter three today.

As you read, mark the following words and phrases:

to the angel of the church in _______ writeany references to JesusSpirit/seven spiritsconquershold fastrepentthrone

How is Jesus described in verse 1? _______________________________________________________________________

Do you remember what the seven stars represents? If not, see Revelation 1:20. _______________________________________________________________________

Let’s look at everything we find about the seven spirits. Look up the following verses and note what they tell us. When we have compiled all of our information,we’ll try to discern what it is saying.

Revelation 1:4 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 4:5 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 5:6 _______________________________________________________________________

Now Read Zechariah 4:1-14. Don’t worry about understanding everything in this passage. We are just looking for clues and trying to compare Scripture with Scripture. What does verse 6 say is the meaning of Zechariah’s vision in verses 1-3? _______________________________________________________________________

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What does verse 10 say the seven lamps represent? Compare this explanation with Revelation 4:5 and 5:6. _______________________________________________________________________

The passage in Zechariah tells us the vision of the seven lamps refers to the Lord’s Spirit. Since seven is a number of completion and Revelation is a book of prophecy and symbolism, it seems likely that the Holy Spirit could be the seven spirits in Revelation, too. If this is so, the Trinity is seen before the throne in Revelation 1:4. The Holy Spirit is portrayed as seven lamps which signify illumination and understanding, and the Spirit is also represented as seven eyes that see all that is going on around the world.

What is the first thing that Jesus says to this church in verse 1? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sardis was a dead church. There was almost no life at all in this church. According to verse 4, there were only a few who were righteous.

Look up the following verses and answer the following questions about spiritual life.

Read John 5:24. How do we receive life? _______________________________________________________________________

See Romans 8:9-11. What is the one indication that we have life from these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I find it very interesting that Jesus introduces himself as one who has the seven spirits. If we have the Spirit, we have eternal life. Jesus is introducing himself as the one who can give life to this church. Since the church at Sardis is dead, so theindication is that many in the church are not even believers!

What instruction does he give them in verses 2-3? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The instruction to wake up is a call for them to understand that they are dead and need to get saved. They are also told to “strengthen what remains”.

From the immediate context in verse 2, what do you think they should strengthen? _______________________________________________________________________

Complete works are works that are fulfilled or carried through to the end. Their works were not complete because the didn’t have the Spirit and were not done in his power.

What does Titus 3:8 say about those who have believed? _______________________________________________________________________

Read James 2:14-26. (Especially note verse 22). What do we learn about faith and works in this section? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

James tells us that faith is completed by our works. This church did not have complete works because they did not have faith.

They were to remember what they had heard. Read 2 Timothy 2:8. What shouldthis church remember? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They were to also to keep it. Read John 8:51. Based on what we have learned about how we receive life, what do you think it means to keep Jesus’ words from this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And they were to repent. The call to repent is repeated often in the messages to these churches. They were to change their mind about what they believed. Basically, this was a call for some in the church to get saved. They had a reputation for being alive, but God could see the heart and knew that they were spiritually dead.

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What is the warning given to them if they do not wake up? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare this with Matthew 24:36-51 and Mark 13:32-37. What will happen to the servant who is not ready for his master’s return? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Revelation 16:15 say? This is a very similar warning as the one given to the church at Sardis. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Jesus commend this church for in verse 4? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There were only a few in this church who were saved and were worthy to walk with Jesus.

What does Jesus say will be given to the one who conquers? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

White garments refer to righteousness. Those in white garments have had their sins forgiven and they are clean.

The book of life is only mentioned in Revelation and once in Philippians 4:3, but there are a few references in the Old Testament to people’s names being blotted out of God’s book. Look up the following verses and note who is blotted out of the book.

Exodus 32:31-33 (This took place after the Israelites worshipped the golden calf).______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 69:22-28 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In both of these instances it appears God’s book is a register of those who are living. Those who sin will be blotted out of this book, in other words, they die. InExodus 32:26-28, 3,000 men were killed by the Levites for worshipping the golden calf. And in Psalm 69, David asks God that his enemies be “blotted out of the book of the living.”

In Revelation we see another book called the book of life or the Lamb’s book of life. Look up the references below and then answer the questions.

Read Revelation 13:5-8 and 17:7-8. What do people do in these verses who do not have their names written in the book of life? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For those who do have their names in this book, when are their names recorded in it? Read Revelation 13:8 and 17:8. _______________________________________________________________________

Now read Revelation 20:12-15. What happens to those whose names are not in the book of life? _______________________________________________________________________

Who will be allowed into the new Jerusalem? Read Revelation 21:22-27. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So the book of life, is a book of the names of all those who have trusted Christ as their Savior. Your name is written there before the foundation of the world. If your name is not in the book, you go to the lake of fire, and if your name is found in the book, you can enter the new Jerusalem, the holy city.

Unlike in the Old Testament, where people could die and have their names blotted out of God’s book, in Revelation 3:5, God promises that their names will never be blotted out of the book of life.

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Jesus also promises that he will confess their name before the Father and his angels.

Read Matthew 10:32-33 and Luke 12:8-9. What do these verses say? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Based on salvation being by faith alone, do you think those who deny Christ before men are believers or unbelievers? _______________________________________________________________________

Those who are overcomers are also confessers! Because of all that Jesus has won for us, making us overcomers, the natural result should be that we become confessers and tell others about Him.

What do you think is the main point Jesus wants to communicate to the church at Sardis? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fill in the information for the church of Sardis on the chart on p. 49-51.

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Day 11: PHILADELPHIA: Revelation 3:7-13


Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. In the Greek, the word “phileo” refers to the type of love one would have for a brother. Philadelphia was 74 miles east of Smyrna. It was founded by Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamum (159-138 BC). Philadelphia was often frequented by earthquakes and in 17 AD anearthquake almost leveled the city. Continuing tremors drove much of the population to safer locations. After the Emperor Tiberius rebuilt the city, it took onthe name Neocaesarea.


Holy means separated or set apart. Jesus is unlike any other. Because he is perfect and sinless and because He is God, he is set apart from us.

Jesus is the true one. Contrast that description with what is said in verse 9. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18 tell us that God never lies and that it is impossible for him to lie. Jesus is the truth.

Jesus has the key of David, meaning he is a direct descendent of David. Read Revelation 5:5 and 22:16. How do these two verses describe Jesus’ relationship with David? _______________________________________________________________________

Because Jesus is God, He is the root of David, meaning that he came before David, but he is also a descendent of David’s family, and came after him.

A person who has a key has authority and control. Read the following verses and note what Jesus has authority to do because he holds the key of David.

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Jeremiah 23:5-6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Luke 1:30-33 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Isaiah 22:22. Revelation 3:7 is almost a direct quote from this verse.

Based on what you have learned about Jesus’ key and his authority, what do you think the open door refers to in Philadelphia (v. 8)? _______________________________________________________________________

Before David died, God promised him that he would have a descendent who would rule and reign forever. (1 Chronicles 17:11-14). Jesus is the only one who fits this description. He holds the keys to the kingdom and has authority over whois allowed to come in.

The church in Philadelphia was a bit weak; they had but little power. But what does Jesus commend them for in verses 8 and 10? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Two times it is mentioned that this church has kept Jesus’ word. They are commended for their faithfulness.

In verse 9, what group are they facing some opposition from? _______________________________________________________________________

The Jews felt like they were God’s special people because of his covenant promises to Israel. They considered the Gentiles beneath them. They thought simply because they were Jews they had favor with God. Here in Revelation it says these people were lying when they called themselves Jews.

Who does God consider to be a true Jew? See Romans 4:16 and Romans 9:8 _______________________________________________________________________

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What does Jesus say he will cause these people to do? _______________________________________________________________________

We are not told when this will happen, but at some point those who are persecuting them will be humbled and Jesus will make them come and bow downbefore their feet. The Jews felt like they alone were blessed by God’s special favor, but they would come to understand that Jesus loves this church too.

Because of their faithfulness, what does Jesus promise them in verse 10? _______________________________________________________________________

Who does it say will be affected by this hour of trial? _______________________________________________________________________

This will be an hour of trial that will be unlike any other seen before because it is coming on the whole world. The purpose of this hour is “to try (test) those who dwell on the earth.”

Look up the following verses from Revelation and note what you learn about thosewho dwell on the earth during this hour of trial.

Revelation 11:6-10 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Revelation 13:5-8, 14 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Revelation 17:8 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So these are unbelievers. They rejoice in the death of the two witnesses, they are deceived by the beast and the false prophet and their names are not written in the book of life. God promises this church that they will not go through any of these events. They will be spared from this hour of trial.

What encouragement does Jesus give this church in verse 11? _______________________________________________________________________

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Oh how important it is for us to remember these words today! The time is short and Jesus is coming soon! We must work hard and redeem the time because we do not know the hour that he will return. It is also encouraging to remember that he is coming again and will soon right every wrong. This life is not all there is! The hope of his return encourages us to press on and remain faithful.

What instruction and gentle warning does he give the church at Philadelphia? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What has this church been holding fast to? _______________________________________________________________________

They were to hold fast to Jesus who has the key to the kingdom. He has given them an open door to his kingdom and they are to continue to hold fast to His Word and not deny His name.

This is the third time Jesus has encouraged a church to hold fast. In 2:13, Pergamum was told to hold fast because they were living where Satan’s throne was. In 2:25, Thyatira is told to hold fast in the midst of false teaching and immorality. Now Philadelphia is told to fast so they don’t lose their crown.

Crowns are given as rewards. There are 4 crowns noted in the New Testament:

crown of boasting (1 Thess. 2:19)crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)crown of life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4)

This church is reminded to hold fast so that they don’t let someone take or seize their crown from them. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 reminds us that we can suffer the loss of a reward. That is why must hold fast.

What promise does Jesus give to the one who conquers? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Who is God’s temple in the New Jerusalem? See Revelation 21:22. _______________________________________________________________________

How I look forward to the day when I will dwell with God face to face, forever enjoying his presence. As a pillar in the temple, I will have a permanent and unshakeable place in the New Jerusalem, making my home with God forever.

God will write on the overcomer his own new name. A name is a person’s identity. In the new Jerusalem, the overcomers will come to fully know God’s character and his name. It speaks of great intimacy and fellowship and seems appropriate since Jesus told this church that he has loved them.

What do you think is the main point that Jesus wants to communicate to the church at Philadelphia? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fill in the information for Philadelphia on the chart on p. 49-51.

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Day 12: LAODICEA: Revelation 3:14-22


Laodicea was about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia. It was only about 10 miles away from Colossae and six miles from Hieropolis. Colossae was known forits cold springs and Hierapolis for its hot springs. Laodicea had no water source ofits own, so it had to receive its lukewarm water through an underground aqueduct. It was one of the richest cities in the area and when the city was devastated by an earthquake in AD 60, they did not ask for any help from Rome inrebuilding. It was known for banking and a textile industry that produced black wool. There was also a medical school there that produced a salve for the eyes.

Paul wrote a letter to the Colossian church about 30 years earlier. In it, he gave instructions for his letter to also be read in Laodicea. Paul had also written a letterto Laodicea, but we have no record of it today. (Colossians 4:15-16)

How does Jesus introduce himself in verse 14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Amen simply means “truly indeed”. Whatever Jesus tells us is the truth and it will surely be so. His character is true and upright.

This is is the third time that we are told in this book that Jesus is the true one, or the true witness (also 1:5 and 3:7). Revelation 19:11 tells us that Jesus’ name is Faithful and True. He is a reliable witness to us about the Father and everything he tells in this book is trustworthy and true.

Jesus is also described as the beginning of God’s creation. This is not the first timethis church has been told this since Paul addressed this in his letter to the Colossians, but it seems they needed to be reminded.

Read Colossians 1:15-18. What do these verses tell us about Jesus? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Jesus is the source of everything and he is the most important. This church had forgotten that as we will see in a minute.

What is Laodicean rebuked for in verses 15-16? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus used an example they would be very familiar with given their water situation. Both hot and cold water can be enjoyed. A cold glass of water on a hotday is very refreshing and a nice cup of hot heat on a cold night is comforting and warming. But not many enjoy a lukewarm drink.

This church was a church of compromise. They were not cold to the world - they dabbled and toyed with the things the world had to offer. But they were not on fire for the Lord either. They took a little bit of God, but they did not have a passion for him that consumed them. There is no commendation given for Laodicea. Jesus has nothing good to say about them!

What does Jesus say he is going to do to them? _______________________________________________________________________

How does this church view themselves in verse 17? _______________________________________________________________________

Jesus again uses illustrations that they can relate with. Just like Laodicea was rich and indecently rebuilt the city without Rome’s assistance, this church thought theydidn’t need God.

Instead, what does Jesus say is actually true of them? He is being a faithful witness to them. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

wretched - miserable or patheticpitiable - “pertaining to being deserving of pity in view of one’s miserable condition.”1

1 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (750). New York: United Bible Societies.

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poor - to crouch like a beggar and be destituteblind - unable to seenaked - having no clothing or being very scantily clad

The sad thing was that this church was in a very bad situation and they didn’t evenknow it! They may have been a prosperous church financially, but spiritually theywere miserable and pathetic and were to be pitied! They were blind and unable to see the truth about their true condition. They were naked and were not clothedwith good works. (Revelation 19:8).

What three things does Jesus counsel this church to do in verse 18? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What riches are these people missing out on? Read Colossians 2:1-3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This church had perhaps become comfortable in their wealth. Jesus invites them to buy his gold that is refined by fire. Read 1 Peter 1:6-7. What would refine this church according to these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

They also needed to by white garments from Jesus to cover their nakedness.

Read Revelation 19:6-8. What do white garments represent in these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

Because this church had to buy white garments from Jesus shows that he is the source of anything good we do. But this church is not commended for any good works. They needed to find their source in Christ before they could produce anything good.

Jesus uses another example they would be familiar with - eye salve - something that was produced in Laodicea. These people needed their vision restored so theycould see Jesus for who he really is.

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Read 2 Peter 1:5-9. What do these verses say a believer can be blind to? _______________________________________________________________________

What causes this blindness?_______________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:10-11. According to these verses, what else can cause a believer to be blinded? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Jesus say about how he feels about this church? _______________________________________________________________________

What is the proof that he loves them? See also Hebrews 12:5-7. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is Jesus instruction in verse 19? _______________________________________________________________________

Instead of being lukewarm, they were to be zealous. To be zealous means “to be deeply committed to something, with the implication of accompanying desire—to be earnest, to set one’s heart on, to be completely intent upon.”2 But this could only happen if they repented (changed their mind) about their lukewarmness and saw their condition for how it really was.

Verse 20 is often used as a salvation verse, but based on the context, this is an invitation to fellowship. Jesus is standing at the door and knocking. He is taking the initiative. He wants our company! Often we are too busy to hear him knocking and he will not force his way in without us opening the door.

If we open the door, what does Jesus promise? _______________________________________________________________________


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Eating together in the New Testament was a sign of fellowship. Jesus was condemned by the Pharisees for eating with tax collectors and “sinners.” Jews would not eat with Gentiles. To eat together showed friendship and communion. Perhaps that is why we remember the Lord’s death through communion by eating and drinking.

No matter how far away from the Lord we are, it is only one step back. All we have to do is open the door! Jesus is reminding the church at Laodicea that he is just outside the door waiting. All they have to do is invite him in!

I think it is very significant that the remedy for their apathy and lukewarmness is fellowship with Jesus. He doesn’t tell them to get their act together and start doinggood works. He invites them to simply fellowship with him and get to know him. All good works flow out of our time spent with Jesus.

What promise is given to the overcomer in verse 21? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Only conquerers are allowed to sit on a throne. The comparison is that just as Jesus conquered and is now seated with his Father on the throne, so those who overcome will also be given authority to sit on a throne.

Look up the following verses to learn more about this wonderful privilege.

Read Matthew 19:27-28. Who will sit and rule in these verses? Who will they judge? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Matthew 25:31-32. This will take place after the Second Coming. Who will sit on the throne here? Who will he rule over? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 5:10 and 20:6. Where will we reign and for how long? _______________________________________________________________________

See 1 Corinthians 6:2-3. Who will we judge according to these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

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Read Revelation 2:26-27. Who will we rule over in these verses? How is it described? _______________________________________________________________________

We have no authority of our own, but Jesus will give the overcomer authority to rule and reign with him! What a wonderful privilege!

What is the main point Jesus wants this church to understand? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fill in the information for Laodicean on the chart on p. 49-51.

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Description ofJesus

Commendation Reproof Warnings andInstructions

Promise toOvercomers

Ephesus

Smyrna

Pergamum

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Description ofJesus

Commendation Reproof Warning andInstructions


Thyatira

Sardis

50

Description ofJesus

Commendation Reproof Warning andInstructions


Philadelphia

Laodicea

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Day 13: Recap of chapters 1-3

According to Revelation 1:1 and 22:6, what is the purpose of the book of Revelation? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

God gave the Revelation to Jesus and Jesus gave it to an angel who gave it to John.John wrote to the seven churches. The purpose is to tell about the things which will soon take place.

Revelation 1:19 gives us a basic outline for the book of Revelation.

Which chapter talks about “the things which you have seen”? _______________________________________________________________________

Which chapters refers to “those that are”? _______________________________________________________________________

According to Revelation 4:1, what does the rest of the book talk about? _______________________________________________________________________

Do you have a better understanding of the book of Revelation so far? It’s really not that confusing when you use Scripture to interpret Scripture!

The Churches:

Let’s do a recap of what we have learned so far about the seven churches.

Ephesus was told not to leave or abandon their first love.Smyrna was told not to fear tribulation, but to be faithful even unto death.Pergamum was told not to deny the faith, but instead to hold fast to the Word.Thyatira was told not to tolerate false teaching and sin in the church.Sardis was a dead church and told to wake up and repent.Philadelphia was told to hold fast in the midst of persecution from the Jews.Laodicea was rebuked for being lukewarm.

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Which two churches had no reproof? _______________________________________________________________________

Which church had no commendation? _______________________________________________________________________

Did you notice that when Jesus was described to each of the churches, they all related back to the vision that John had seen of Jesus in chapter 1? Which description of Jesus was most encouraging to you personally? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Overcomers:

Read 1 John 5:4-5. Who is described here as being an overcomer? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 12:11. What makes it possible for us to be an overcomer? _______________________________________________________________________

Because of our faith in Jesus’ work on the cross, look at all that will be given to us:

We will be allowed to eat from the tree of life in paradise. We will be given the crown of life.We won’t be hurt by the second death. These first three blessing all relate to us having and enjoying eternal life.We will be given manna (Jesus), a white stone and a secret name.We will be given authority over the nations to rule with a rod of iron.we will be given the morning star (another name for Jesus).We will be clothed in white garments (righteous acts).Our name will never be blotted out of the book of life.Jesus will confess our name before the Father.We will be a pillar in the temple of God and will never go out of it.We will sit with Jesus on his throne.

From this list, I think it is obvious why Paul tells us in Romans 8:37 that we are “more than conquerers.”

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Read Revelation 21:1-7. List everything the one who conquers will be given in these verses. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 7, it says the one who conquers will have the heritage of being God’s son.The overcomers are welcomed into the King’s family and have all the rights and privileges that come with being a child of the King.

The word conquer is used 17 times in the book of Revelation. It is a book of victory and hope. The end has been written and we win because Jesus has already won the victory for us!

Revelation 17:14 says “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Rejoice, dear one, in all that Jesus has won for you!

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Day 14

Over the next two days, we are just going to read the rest of the book of Revelation, the section that talks about things to come.

Today read Revelation 4-11.

Below record your initial thoughts about what happens in each chapter. You don't have to explain what they mean. For example, you don’t have to explain who the dragon or beast are, just note what they do.

4 _______________________________________________________________________5 _______________________________________________________________________6 _______________________________________________________________________7 _______________________________________________________________________8 _______________________________________________________________________9 _______________________________________________________________________10 _______________________________________________________________________11 _______________________________________________________________________

Note any questions that come to mind as you read so we can be sure and answer them during our study. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 15

Today read Revelation 12-22. Again record briefly what each chapter is about.

12 _______________________________________________________________________13 _______________________________________________________________________14 _______________________________________________________________________15 _______________________________________________________________________16 _______________________________________________________________________17 _______________________________________________________________________18 _______________________________________________________________________19 _______________________________________________________________________20 _______________________________________________________________________21 _______________________________________________________________________22 _______________________________________________________________________

Note any questions that come to mind as you read so we can be sure and answer them during our study. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Revelation 4Day 16: Revelation 4:1-6a

Read chapter 4 again today.

Mark the following words as you read today:

after thisthroneheavenin the Spirit/seven spiritsGod

In chapters 1-3, John saw a vision of Jesus standing in the midst of seven golden lampstands, the seven churches. He was told what to write to each church.

According to verse 1, what is the next thing that John sees? _______________________________________________________________________

What does he hear? _______________________________________________________________________

This is the same voice he heard in chapter 1, verse 10. What does the voice say? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And so we begin the third section of Revelation, the things to come.

What does it say about John in verse 2? _______________________________________________________________________

What does this tell you about the reliability of his testimony? _______________________________________________________________________

What does John see in heaven? _______________________________________________________________________

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Based on the description of the throne in this chapter, do you think this throne belongs to God the Father or Jesus? If you are not sure, read Revelation 5:6-7 forclarification. _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 3, what is the appearance like of the one seated on the throne? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 21:10-11. How is jasper described here? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Ezekiel 1:28. How is the rainbow described here in Ezekiel’s vision? _______________________________________________________________________

John is privileged to see the throne of God himself. He sees the brilliance of the glory of God. John tries to convey it to us by describing the brilliance of precious stones like jasper and carnelian. He speaks of a bright rainbow and sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. Surely, God is light and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5).

What does John see around God’s throne in verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

How are the elders described? _______________________________________________________________________

We are not given insight as to who these elders are, but we do see them again in Revelation 11 and they are doing the same thing there: they are bowing down andworshipping God.

According to Revelation 19:5, what do the white robes represent that the elders are wearing? _______________________________________________________________________

What is coming from the throne according to verse 5? What does John hear and see? _______________________________________________________________________

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He hears thunder and sees flashes of lightning. It speaks of God’s power. It reminded me of the description in Exodus when God came to the people on Mount Sinai during the giving of the law.

Read Exodus 19:16 and compare it with what John saw here. What was the people’s response in Exodus? _______________________________________________________________________

Who is also before the throne in verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

As we have seen earlier in chapters 1-2, the seven spirits probably refer to the Holy Spirit. His presence is noted here at the throne.

Put yourself in John’s place. How would you feel upon seeing a vision of God like this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John sees an awesome vision of God himself. Since it is impossible to truly describe God in words, John uses terms that we an understand to help us envisionHis majesty. We get the picture of brightness when John describes a sea of glass, like crystal. He describes God’s appearance like the beauty and brilliance of precious gems like jasper, carnelian and emeralds. It must have been a sight to behold. There was also thunder and lightning coming from the throne. The One on the throne commanded attention and worship. Tomorrow we will look at whattakes place before this throne.

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Day 17: Revelation 4:6b-11


In verse 6, what does John see on each side of the throne? _______________________________________________________________________

What is unique about these living creatures? _______________________________________________________________________

Ezekiel also saw a vision very similar to what John saw. Read Ezekiel 1:4-28. What similarities do you see in these two visions? Compare the four living creatures. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What similarities do you with how God’s glory is described?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We can’t be dogmatic, but it seems that these four living creatures are some sort ofspirit being. Both are described in the visions that Ezekiel and John saw and both appear before the throne of God.

What are they doing in verse 8? _______________________________________________________________________

What does verse 8 tell us about when they worship? _______________________________________________________________________

The living creatures refer to the Lord God Almighty. It is a name of God that highlights his power and authority over everything. He is above all. God is described in a very similar way in Revelation 1:4. He was and is and is to come. It shows us that he is eternal, with no beginning and no end.

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What do the twenty-four elders do when they see the four living creatures worship God? _______________________________________________________________________

Since the four living creatures worship God night and day without stopping, we know that the twenty-four elders do the same. God is so great and awesome that it is only fitting that there should never be an end to his receiving worship.

What do we learn about worship of God in Luke 19:37-40? _______________________________________________________________________

What do we learn about God in verse 10? _______________________________________________________________________

What do the twenty-four elders do with the crowns on their head? _______________________________________________________________________

Taking off a crown and laying it before another shows your submission before onewho is greater.

What do the twenty-four elders say in their worship to God? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Worthy means “pertaining to having a relatively high degree of comparable merit or worth.”3 It comes from a word meaning ‘of equal weight.’ Because God is worthy, the worship we give him should compare or equal to how great and awesome he is.

God is worthy to receive glory, honor and power.

Glory - It comes from a root word meaning to make very apparent. So when God receives glory we should make it very apparent how awesome and wonderful he is.


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Honor - to deem something as valuable or precious and so to treat them with high respect.

Power - It is the Greek word dynamis where we get the English words for dynamic or dynamite. It speaks of exerting force and great might in a miraculous way.

Why is God worthy to receive worship like this? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Psalm 33:8-9 tells us about God? _______________________________________________________________________

In Genesis, we are told that God created everything simply by speaking. Over andover again in Genesis 1 it says, “and God said” and it was so. His Word alone hasgreat power to create things from nothing! That is why he is worthy! There is none like him!

John sees spirit beings and people falling down before God’s throne and worshipping. I think this gives us a good idea of what we will be doing in heaven.The Lord God Almighty alone is worthy of our endless worship and praise!

Write below your own thoughts of worship to God. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the theme of chapter 4? _______________________________________________________________________

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Revelation 5



Mark the following words and phrases as you read today:

then I sawthroneheavenangel worthyseven spiritsGodevery reference to Jesus (pronouns and different names used)

What does John see in verse 1? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What question is asked? _______________________________________________________________________

Who asks the question? _______________________________________________________________________

What is the answer to the question in verse 3? _______________________________________________________________________

What is John’s response? _______________________________________________________________________

What does one of the elders say to John? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Jesus is described as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, meaning he comes from Israel, from the tribe of Judah. Read Genesis 49:8-12. In these verses, Jacob blesses his sons before he dies. What does he say about Judah? Are these descriptions true of Jesus too?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus is described here and in Revelation 22:16 as the root of David. In the Old Testament he is also referred to as the root of Jesse. Jesse was David’s father.

What do these verses say about Jesus, the root of Jesse? Isaiah 11:10 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Romans 15:12 _______________________________________________________________________

According to verse 5, why is Jesus worthy to open the scroll? _______________________________________________________________________

Who has Jesus defeated? See Hebrews 2:14-15 and 1 Corinthians 15:24. _______________________________________________________________________

Read the following verses and note what Jesus has done for us because he has conquered.

Colossians 1:13 _______________________________________________________________________1 Thessalonians 1:10 _______________________________________________________________________

Where is Jesus, the Lamb standing? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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How is he described in verse 6? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In John 1:29, John the Baptist declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes awaythe sins of the world.” And in 1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus is called our Passover Lamb, who has been sacrificed.

The first time Jesus came, he is described as a Lamb; the second time he comes, his reign will be more descriptive of a Lion.

The Lamb is described as having seven horns. Horns in the Bible represent strength, power and authority to rule. Look up Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 13:1. The fact that he has seven horns refers to his absolute power and complete rule.

What does this verse tell us the seven eyes represent? _______________________________________________________________________

From your study of Revelation so far, what do the seven spirits of God represent?_______________________________________________________________________

Because the Lamb is worthy, he went and took the scroll from God who is seated on his throne.

Based on this description of Jesus, what character traits are revealed about him? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What happens when the Lamb takes the scroll from God the Father? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are the four living creatures and the elders holding? _______________________________________________________________________

What does this verse tell us the golden bowls of incense represent? _______________________________________________________________________

Because the Lamb was slain, what has he done according to verse 9? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To ransom means “to cause the release or freedom of someone by a means which proves costly to the individual causing the release—to redeem, to set free.”4 The Lamb’s own blood was the price paid to secure our ransom and freedom. Like wesaw yesterday in Hebrews 2, he rescued us from life long slavery!

Because we have been ransomed, what is the result for us according to verse 10?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to Hebrews 12:28 and 2 Peter 1:11, what kind of kingdom have we inherited? _______________________________________________________________________

Kings come and go, they are overthrown or they die, but the kingdom of God will never end. Revelation 11:15 says that the kingdom of this world will become of the kingdom of the Lord and he will reign forever! Jesus will defeat every other kingdom and then He will be recognized as King of Kings and Lord of lords!Jesus has also made us priests. In the Old Testament, the high priest was the only


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one who could go into the Holy of holies and offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. Now we all have equal access to the Father through Jesus. He has torn the veil and now we can come before his throne boldly and with confidence. We always have his ear and he will never turn us away!

In verse 11, who joins the living creatures and the elders in worshipping the Lamb? _______________________________________________________________________

This must have been an awesome sight to see countless angels joining in worship. Jesus is worthy of receiving everything we have to give and more. People want power and they want the wealth this world has to offer. They want to be recognized as wise and they want to be honored and praised. But Jesus is the onlyone who alone is worthy of all these things.

We see a progression in worship in this chapter. In verse 13, who is worshippingnow? _______________________________________________________________________

Who are they worshipping? _______________________________________________________________________

Not only is God worthy of this type of praise and worship, but he is worthy of it forever! He will never do anything that will disqualify himself from being worshipped in this way.

Who was being worshipped in chapter 4? _______________________________________________________________________

Who is the focus of chapter 5? Who is being worshipped? _______________________________________________________________________


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Day 20: A Study on Worship

Read Revelation 5 once more today.

Has your view on worship changed at all? Worship is simply declaring and making God’s character and worth very apparent. When we worship him, it changes us and gives us a proper perspective of who we are. Worship is not simply singing songs to God on a Sunday morning. Worship should be a part of our everyday life. When done in his name and for His glory, everything we do should be an act of worship to Him. He is worthy of everything we have to give and more. We can never repay Jesus for what he has done for us, but we can proclaim his excellencies through our words, attitudes and actions. Everything wedo should be about proclaiming his matchless worth.

Read Hebrews 12:28. What kind of worship is acceptable to God? _______________________________________________________________________

Revelation 4-5 gives us a good picture of what reverent worship looks like. They were in awe of God and the Lamb and humbly bowing before him and proclaiming his greatness.

What does Romans 12:1 say is our spiritual worship? _______________________________________________________________________

When I think of presenting myself before God, I think of laying down my wants and desires, laying aside my desire to recognized or praised and being completely submitted to whatever He wants me to do. When my will is aligned with His, this is true worship.

How does God view our worship according to this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

Before we were believers, any “good” thing we did was viewed as a filthy rag. It was not acceptable to God. But because of my faith in Jesus, when I present myself to him to do His will, he accepts my meager offering and it is accepted andpleasing to Him. Wow!

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Read Psalm 34:1. What does this verse say about worshipping God with our words? _______________________________________________________________________

This should change how we speak! When you visit with friends, God should be the focus of your conversation. If he is our very life and the focus of our day, it should be natural that he should be the focus of our conversation as well. Even in difficult times, his character and faithfulness should always be on our lips. The reason we should talk like this is because He is worthy!

Read Psalm 145. This psalm pairs well with the worship we see taking place in Revelation 4 and 5.

1. In verses 1-12, mark what our responsibility is and what we should do. Note the verbs.2. In the whole chapter, with another color, circle what we should praise God for.Note what he has done and who he is.3. Draw a box around the descriptions of who is praising the Lord in this psalm.4. In another color, mark every occurrence of how long God should be praised.

1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.

7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,

12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

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[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] 14 The Lord upholds all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food in due season. 16 You open your hand;

you satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and kind in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

he also hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord preserves all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

If you are ever at a loss of how to praise God, come back and read this psalm! It is full of descriptions of who God is and what he has done for us. These are thingswe should be praising God for regardless of our circumstances. Because he is worthy, he will be praised forever and ever!

Spend some time reflecting on all that God has done and who He is. Write your thoughts to the Lord below. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Revelation 6

Day 21: Revelation 6

Read Revelation 6 today.

As you read, mark the following words:

conquering, conquersecond seal, third seal, etc.Godevery reference to Jesusearthquake

This section begins to unfold for us the events that occur during the period known as the Tribulation.

When the Lamb opens the first seal, who speaks to John and what does he say? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens when the first seal is opened? Note everything it says. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We don’t have any insight into who this is, other than it is one who comes to conquer.

What happens when the second seal is opened? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens when the third seal is opened? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wheat and barley are measured here. A denarius was a day’s wage so it appears the price of wheat and barley is very expensive. The fact that the oil and wine are not to be harmed suggests that the wheat and barley are somehow in short supply.

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What happens when the fourth seal is opened? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One fourth of the earth’s population is killed in four different ways!

What role do the four living creatures have in the opening of the first four seals? _______________________________________________________________________

What does John see when the fifth seal is opened? _______________________________________________________________________

What do these souls cry out for? _______________________________________________________________________

What is God’s answer? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These souls are clothed in white robes, which we have seen earlier, represents the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8).

What happens when the sixth seal is opened? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do verses 16-17 tells us about this day? _______________________________________________________________________

People recognize these terrifying events as acts of God. Great and small alike run for their lives, trying to hide from God’s wrath. These people say that the day of God’s wrath has come. As terrifying as these events are, as we study Revelation, we will see that the full cup of God’s wrath isn't poured out until much later at the blowing of the seventh trumpet. This is just the beginning!

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Fill in the information for the seven seals on the chart on page 136.

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Revelation 7



As you read, mark the following words:

after thisangelsthroneGod (and pronouns)Lamb (and pronouns)

Revelation 7 is an interlude between the opening of sixth and seventh seals.

What does John see in verse 1? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What else does he see in verse 2? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does this angel say to the four angels? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 144,00 who are sealed will be protected when the earth, sea and trees are harmed. The first four trumpets in chapter 8 are all plagues that affect the earth, sea and the trees, but because they are sealed, these people are safe.

Who are these servants of God who are sealed? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Where is the seal placed? _______________________________________________________________________

In Revelation 7, the 144,000 are on the earth. We see them again in Revelation 14 when they are in heaven.

Read Revelation 14:1. What is the seal on their foreheads? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Revelation 14:1-5 tell us about the 144,000? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 9:1-6. What else will they be protected from since they have the seal of God on their foreheads? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We don’t know too much about the 144,000 except they are Jews who worship and serve the true God and they are protected by the seal of God’s name during the Tribulation.

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The sealing of the 144,000 takes place on earth. This next scene takes place in heaven.

Who does John see next in the great multitude? _______________________________________________________________________

What are they doing? _______________________________________________________________________

What are they saying? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are all the angels doing? _______________________________________________________________________


Here we see a third description of corporate worship in the book of Revelation. Both angels and people from every nation are falling down before the throne. Thegreat multitude is praising God because he has saved them and the angels are worshipping God and giving him honor and glory, very similar to what we saw in Revelation 5:12-13.

What does one of the elders ask John about the multitude of people? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the answer according to verse 14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In chapter 6, we saw that 1/4 of the earth’s population was killed. Some of those killed were saints and now we see them standing as a great multitude before the throne of God in heaven.

What are these people doing now according to verse 15? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So far we see two things that we will be doing in heaven - worshipping God and serving him.

What does it say God will do for them in verses 15? _______________________________________________________________________

What will they be sheltered from in verse 16?_______________________________________________________________________

These were things they probably suffered during the Tribulation. Now that they are in heaven, they will be sheltered by God himself and will never be harmed again.

In verse 17, ironically, it says the Lamb will be their shepherd. What will this shepherd do for them? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Revelation 22:1-2, where is this living water located? _______________________________________________________________________

Living water symbolizes eternal life. In Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in John 4, Jesus told the woman that he had water he could give her that would quench her thirst forever. He described it as “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14). The woman was eager to have this water “so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” No doubt it was a chore to draw water from a well and Jesus was describing a spring of water welling up that she wouldn’t even have to work for! That sounded enticing. Jesus quenches our thirst and satisfies us with Himself, and he is eternal life. In heaven we will have the joy of tasting and enjoying this Living Water forever!

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The Lamb, their shepherd will also wipe away every tear from their eyes. Read Revelation 21:4 that describes why there will be no more tears. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Revelation 8

Day 24

Read chapter 8 today.


heaven angelseventh sealthen I saw/looked the first (second, etc.) angel blew his trumpetLambGod

What happens when the Lamb opens the seventh seal? _______________________________________________________________________

The seventh seal leads into the seven trumpets.

What does John see next in verse 2? _______________________________________________________________________

What does another angel do at the altar before the trumpets are blown? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does the incense stand for in verses 3-4? _______________________________________________________________________

What does the angel do with censer? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens as a result? _______________________________________________________________________

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This was all preparation for the seven trumpets to be blown.

What happens when the first angel blows his trumpet? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens when the second angel blows his trumpet? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens when the third angel blows his trumpet? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens when the fourth angel blows his trumpet? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does John see after this in verse 13? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The last three trumpets are also three woes that come to those who dwell on the earth. It gives the reader a sense of foreboding that worse things are yet to come.


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Revelation 9



Mark the following words:

heavenangel(s)Godrepentthe fifth/sixth angel blew his trumpet

In the book of Revelation sometimes stars are used as imagery and other times they are literal stars. The context will help us determine the proper meaning.

Who do you think the star falling to earth refers to? Read Luke 10:18 and Revelation 12:9. _______________________________________________________________________

What key does he have? _______________________________________________________________________

The bottomless pit is translated elsewhere in Scripture as the abyss.

What comes out of the bottomless pit when it is opened? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We are given some clues as to what these locusts are. The biggest clue we have is found in verse 11? Who is the king over these locusts? _______________________________________________________________________

We are told he is an angel called Abaddon, meaning destruction in Hebrew, or Apollyon, meaning destroyer in Greek. Since their king is an angel, it gives us a clue that these locusts are also angels or demons.

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Also read Luke 8:26-31. What do we learn about demons and the abyss that might help us understand this section in Revelation? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How long are these locusts or demons allowed to torment mankind? _______________________________________________________________________

Who are they not allowed to torment according to verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

How is their torment described? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does verse 6 tell us about these five months of torment? _______________________________________________________________________

We are given a stark picture of five months of destruction and torment inflicted upon people of the earth. It seems that it is demonic in nature and so painful that people will want to die, but death will escape them. But this is only the first woe, and two more are yet to come.

When the sixth angel blows his trumpet in verses 13-14, where is the voice coming from and who is it speaking to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The four horns on the altar refer to the altar of incense in the temple described in Exodus 30:1-6.

What does the voice say? _______________________________________________________________________

What was the job of these four angels? _______________________________________________________________________

When the four angels are released it seems they release “mounted troops.”

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10,000 times 10,000 is 100,000,000. Twice that number would be 200,000,000. That’s two hundred million! I’m not sure if this is a literal number or if it is just making the point that there are many, many of them.

Read the description of these mounted troops. Do you think they are literal horses or demonic beings like we saw earlier? Explain you answer. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to verse 18, how is a third of mankind killed by them? _______________________________________________________________________

What does it say about those who were not killed by these plagues? _______________________________________________________________________

Describe the people’s actions and lifestyle according to verses 20-21. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We definitely see things intensifying with the last two trumpets. It appears they are both demonic in nature. Despite the terrible torment and 1/3 of the earth’s remaining population being killed, people still refuse to acknowledge God and repent of their sin.


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Revelation 10

Day 26


Mark every occurrence of the words:

then I sawangelheavenGod

Chapter 10 is another interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets.

What does John see next? Describe the angel from verse 1. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where does the angel come from? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens in verses 2-3? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What instruction is John given in verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 5, the mighty angel raises his right hand towards heaven and swears by the Lord.

How is God described in verse 6? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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God is the Almighty Creator. He created heaven and all the angels in heaven and everything here on earth. According to Revelation 4:11, that is why God is worthyto be praised. Because he created it all, he alone has the right to control the events we see taking place here in Revelation. He has all authority and power because He created everything from nothing!

The might angel swears that that there would be no more delay. What does he say will happen after the seventh trumpet? _______________________________________________________________________

In the Bible, a mystery is something that has previously been spoken about, but not fully understood. What could this mystery be? What have the prophets foretold but not fully understood? Hold on to that question and we will come back to it after we look at all the events surrounding the seventh trumpet.

What is John told to do in verse 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Ezekiel 3:1-3. What does eating the scroll symbolize? _______________________________________________________________________

God’s Word is often described as sweet. Psalm 19:10 describes God’s Word as sweeter than honey from the honeycomb.

What happens to John after he eats the scroll and takes in God’s Word? _______________________________________________________________________

Perhaps it made his stomach bitter because he saw what was to come as God poured his wrath out on sinful man.

What was John commanded to do after he had eaten the scroll? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Revelation 11




every reference to God or the Lordnationsconquerheavenwoethe seventh angel blew his trumpetevery reference to Jesus

What is John given and told to do in verses 1-2? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After reading this chapter, where is this temple located? _______________________________________________________________________

It is important to ask yourself where things occur in the book of Revelation because the scenes jump between heaven and earth. The events described in verses 1-14 take place in the city of Jerusalem (v. 2,8).

What does it say in verse 2 that the nations will do to Jerusalem? _______________________________________________________________________

In verses 2 and 3 we see the designations of forty-two months and 1,260 days. Both of these equal 3 1/2 years. Since the Tribulation is 7 years long, this marks the midpoint of the Tribulation. We will see this will be a very significant point in the book of Revelation.

What important people do we meet in verse 3? _______________________________________________________________________

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There has been much speculation about who these two witnesses might be. Somethink they are Moses and Elijah, but their identities are never revealed for us. More importantly, we will focus on what they do.

They are given authority by God to prophesy during the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. They are clothed in sackcloth which symbolizes mourning. They mourn because the people on earth do not accept their message and are rejecting God.

In verse 4, how are these two witnesses described? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Zechariah 4. Zechariah was given a vision of these two witnesses, but didn’thave the complete picture. The way the two witnesses are described in Revelationties back to Zechariah’s vision in chapter 4. In Zechariah they are referred to as “the two anointed ones” which literally means “the two sons of fresh oil.” Olives produce oil which is used to light lamps. Perhaps their testimony is to give light toJerusalem. God is sending his witnesses up to the very end, always giving people a chance to repent.

What are the two witnesses given power to do? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 7 says when they have finished their testimony, (after 1,260 days or 3 and1/2 years) what happens? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We will look more at the beast in chapter 13.

How long will their dead bodies lie in the streets of Jerusalem? _______________________________________________________________________

Who will see their bodies? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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It says some people from different languages and nations will see their bodies. Probably those who have access to television will be aware of what is going on in Jerusalem during this time.

What will be people’s response to their death? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens after three and half days? (v.11) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens in Jerusalem after the two witnesses are taken up to heaven? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is people’s response when this happens? _______________________________________________________________________

This is the first time in the book of Revelation we see people repent and give glory to God. The two witnesses testimony did have an impact and some did choose to acknowledge the God of heaven.

If you remember, the last three trumpets and the three woes are related to each other (Revelation 8:13). The fifth trumpet is the first woe, the sixth trumpet is the second woe and the seventh trumpet is the third woe. Verse 14 alerts us that the events surrounding the two witnesses are part of the second woe and the third woe is soon to come.

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Read Revelation chapter 11 again today.

When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, we see first what takes place in heaven. Chapters 12 and 13 will show us what takes place on earth. What takes place on earth is part of the third woe. The seventh trumpet marks a very significant point in the Tribulation, so the events following it will be described in chapters 11-14.

What does John hear in heaven? _______________________________________________________________________


Despite all the chaos taking place on earth, God is still on the throne and He is theKing! This wonderful king will reign forever, with no one able to overthrow Him.

What do the twenty-four elders do when they hear theses loud voices in heaven? _______________________________________________________________________

What are they praising God for in verse 17? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Psalm 2:1-5 and Psalm 110:5-6. What do these verses tell us about Jesus and the nations? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does verse 18 tell us the time has come for? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The blowing of the seventh trumpet marks the beginning of a period when we willsee God reigning on earth. During his reign he will judge the dead, reward his servants and destroy his enemies. We will see in the coming chapters how all of these things are played out.

What happens after the twenty-four elders bow down and worship God? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One who reigns over the whole earth has to have great power and the events described in verse 19 certainly showcase God’s awesome power!


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Revelation 12



Mark the following words as you read:

dragon, serpent, devil, SatanheavenGodangelsthroneconqueredLamb, Jesus

The events described here could be what John saw at the blowing of the 7th trumpet. They lead up to what happens before the third woe.

First John sees a great sign in heaven.

Read verses 1-6 and write down everything you learn about the woman. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Based on this description, who do you think the woman represents? _______________________________________________________________________

The woman probably refers to Israel. The crown of twelve stars on her head couldbe the twelve tribes of Israel. The baby she gives birth to is Jesus as Jesus came from the nation of Israel. He will one day rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

What is the second sign in heaven that John sees? __________________________________________________________________

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The dragon is seen with seven heads and ten horns. This is the same description given for the beast in chapter 13 indicating that the beast is going to get his power from the dragon.

We are given some clues as to what the ten horns represent. Read Daniel 7:7-8 and verse 24. We will look at this section more in depth later, but for now, just note what the ten horns are. _______________________________________________________________________

So during the Tribulation, the dragon will have authority and control over the empires of the world, ten kingdoms. The beast will be the one physically in power during this time, but the source of his power and control will come from Satan.

What does the dragon want to do with the child that the woman gives birth to? _______________________________________________________________________

This could be referring to how Herod wanted to kill the infant King in Matthew 2:16. Certainly Satan has always tried to defeat and kill Jesus and probably thought that he had won when Jesus was crucified.

Verse 5 jumps ahead to Christ’s ascension, where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

Many years pass between verses 5 and 6. In verse 6, we see the woman, Israel, fleeing into the wilderness for 1260 days or 3 1/2 years. It appears during the second half of the Tribulation, Israel will be persecuted yet still protected.

Verses 7-9 explain verse 4. What happens? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It seems strange to think of Satan being in heaven, but we see in Job that Satan presented himself before the Lord. (Job 1:6-7; 2;1-2)

Here we see God’s angel, Michael fighting against the dragon. Read Daniel 12:1.What does this verse tell us about Michael? Who is it that he is responsible for? _______________________________________________________________________

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What happens to the dragon and his angels? _______________________________________________________________________

What other names does the dragon have in verse 9? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Satan is thrown down to earth and no longer allowed access to heaven after this point. He is called the deceiver of the whole world and we will see during the second half of the Tribulation how he does just that. People are deceived and worship the beast, who gets his power and authority from Satan.

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Read Revelation 12 again today.

What happens in verse 10 after Satan has been thrown down to the earth? _______________________________________________________________________

What does verse 10 tells us that Satan has been doing in heaven? _______________________________________________________________________

So there is great rejoicing and praise and worship directed to God for throwing down Satan. He is the victor and has all power and authority!

It appears that maybe the loud voice heard in verse 10 is the same loud voice referred to in Revelation 11:15 after the seventh trumpet has been blown. Note the similar message from both voices.

What are they both proclaiming about God? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So when you combine Revelation 11-12, after the seventh trumpet is blown, Satanis thrown down to the earth with a third of his angels and then there is rejoicing inheaven.

With the last three trumpets and the three woes we see demonic and Satanic activity. Chapter 9 refers to the demonic activity associated with the 5th and 6th trumpets. After the 7th trumpet is blown, we see Satan cast down to the earth and he begins his persecution of Israel and the saints.

Even though Satan has been accusing the Christians during the Tribulation it saysthey have conquered him. How have they done this according to verse 11? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 12, we see rejoicing in heaven because Satan has been thrown down to the earth. But we also come to the third woe associated with the seventh trumpet.

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Who is the third woe directed at? _______________________________________________________________________

Why will this be a time of woe according to verse 12? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Satan do when he is thrown down to earth? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens to the woman in verse 14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How long is the woman to be nourished? _______________________________________________________________________

There are many different references to time in the book of Revelation. We have seen forty-two months, 1260 days and now we see time (1), times (2), and half a time (1/2). They are all different ways to referring to 3 1/2 years. So after the 7th trumpet is blown, the second half of the Tribulation begins.

It appears that the war in heaven takes place during the midpoint of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:6,14). After Satan is thrown down to the earth,persecution will begin on Israel during the last half of the Tribulation.

What does Satan do to try to destroy Israel? _______________________________________________________________________

Satan tries to fight against Israel but he is not successful. Symbolically, we are given a picture of the earth opening its mouth and swallowing the river that was intended to sweep Israel away.

Because Satan is not successful in destroying Israel, who does he turn his attention to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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So we see from this chapter that Satan is thrown down to earth during the middle of the Tribulation, after the seventh trumpet is blown. He persecutes Israel and those who are believers in Jesus. We will see that from this point on, things get worse for people living on the earth.


Fill in the information for the seven trumpets on the chart on page 136.

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Revelation 13




and I saw, then I sawbeastdragonGodheavenconquerLamb

The events described in this chapter take place after the 7th trumpet is blown and Satan is thrown down to earth. They occur in the last half of the Tribulation.

What does John see described in verses 1-2? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This beast will have seven heads and ten horns. Read Revelation 17:8-13 then answer the following questions.

According to verses 9-10, what does it say the seven heads of the beast refers to?_______________________________________________________________________

The seven heads refer to seven mountains and seven kings. Mountains represent power so we see a reference here to seven kingdoms. Five of whom have already passed, one is in existence at the time John was writing and one is yet to come. If we look back at the countries that came to power in the Old Testament, we see Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. The first five would have beenbefore John’s time and the Roman Empire would have existed while John was living. The seventh power represents the one that exists when the beast comes to power.

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What does verse 11 tell us about the beast? _______________________________________________________________________

What do the ten horns of the beast represent? _______________________________________________________________________

What does it say about the relationship these ten kings have with the beast? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So the seven heads refer to seven different kingdoms that ruled throughout history.But the ten horns refer to 10 kings who are in power simultaneously and they give their power and authority over to the beast during the Tribulation.

Now back in Revelation 13, the beast is described as a leopard, maybe referring tospeed and how quickly he rises to power. He has powerful feet like a bear to crust those under him. His mouth is like a lion, loud and powerful, and he uses it to blaspheme God.

In Revelation 11:7, at the blowing of the 7th trumpet it says the beast kills the two witnesses. Because no one was able to harm them for the first 3 1/2 years that they are prophesying and the beast finally kills them, perhaps this is the catalyst that allows the beast to be recognized and gain power.

What does verse 3 say about one of its heads, one of the kingdoms? _______________________________________________________________________

One of the kingdoms seemed to have a mortal wound. This seems to indicate thatone of the kingdoms was defeated, but then regained power. Some believe that the last kingdom is a revived Roman empire. We will look at this more later, but in Daniel 9:26, there is a prophecy about Jerusalem being destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. In that verse it says that “the people of the prince who is to come” will destroy the city of Jerusalem. So it appears since Rome destroyed Jerusalem, this prince will also be from Rome. It could be that he is not from the actual city of Rome, but from the kingdom of Rome. Below we see a map of the Roman Empire at its height. Today this includes some of the modern day countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Perhaps the Antichrist will be from a nation that has control of some or all of these countries.

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What do we see in verses 3-4 to people’s response to the beast and the dragon? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whoever the beast is, he will command world-wide attention. It will be someone that people are impressed with and want to follow. They will even worship him!

What do we learn about the words of the beast in verses 5-6? _______________________________________________________________________

How long was the beast given authority? _______________________________________________________________________

Again, this is three and a half years, the last half of the Tribulation.

According to verse 7, what will the beast do the saints? _______________________________________________________________________

In Revelation 12:17 it says that the dragon will make war on those who hold to thetestimony of Jesus and when the beast comes to power, this is what happens.

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Who will the beast rule over according to verse 7? _______________________________________________________________________

Who worships the beast according to verse 8? _______________________________________________________________________

Who doesn’t worship the beast? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 10, the believers are assured that their persecutors will be taken captive and slain with the sword.

What does Revelation 20:1-10 say about what will happen to Satan? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Revelation 19:15 say that God will do to his enemies? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because their doom is sure, what are the saints called to do during this time? _______________________________________________________________________

When the beast comes to power at the midpoint of the Tribulation, he will make war and conquer the saints. Things will certainly be difficult for any believer in Jesus during these days. The saints are encouraged to endure and continue in their faith because Satan’s “time is short!” (Revelation 12:12). They were to take comfort and find hope in the fact that Jesus will eventually be victorious!

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Day 32: Daniel 7 and 9

Read Daniel 7 today.

We are going to take a break from Revelation for a few days and look at some other places the beast is mentioned. He is called different names but as we compare descriptions, we will see it is referring to the same person.

In Daniel 7, Daniel sees a vision of four beasts. We are going to focus our attention on the fourth beast. The fourth beast has ten horns (v. 7) and out of the ten horns came a little horn (v.8).

According to verses 20 and 24, this horn coming up among the ten causes three ofthe other horns to fall. He then becomes the primary leader among the remaining horns.

In verse 25, what does it say about the words of this little horn. Compare that with Revelation 13:5-6. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What will he do to the saints? Compare that with Revelation 13:7. _______________________________________________________________________

How long will this little horn have power? Compare that with Revelation 13:5. _______________________________________________________________________

What does verse 26 say is the fate of this little horn? _______________________________________________________________________

Now let’s jump over to Daniel 9:24-27. As a bit of background, let’s see if we canshed some light on the seventy weeks spoken of in verse 24. Seventy weeks is literally “seventy sevens.” It could be seventy days, weeks, months or years. Seventy sevens adds up to 490. So if the six things mentioned in Daniel 9:24 don’t occur within 490 days, weeks or months, it is safe to assume it is 490 years. So one week would equal seven years for a total of 490 years.

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What six things are the seventy weeks decreed to accomplish? What is the purpose? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first 7 weeks (49 years) occur at the the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem in 444 BC. In Nehemiah 1:1-2:8, we see a decree by King Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem. It would have been completed in 395 BC. Though Nehemiah’s wall construction project took only 52 days, it may have taken many years to remove the city’s debris (after being desolate for so long), to build adequate housing, and to rebuild the streets and a moat.

The next 62 weeks (434 years) take place between the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the Messiah is “cut off”, referring to Christ’s crucifixion. Then we see a gap between the 69 weeks and the last week, the 70th week.

Verse 26 mentions “the people of the prince who is to come.” What will these people do? _______________________________________________________________________

The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Jesus prophesied about this in Matthew 24:1-2. He said that not one stone of the temple would remain standing. This was fulfilled when Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and killed thousands of Jews.

So if the Romans are the people of the prince who is to come, this prince must be from a revived Roman empire.

In verse 27, what does it say this prince will do in the last week (seven years)? _______________________________________________________________________

Because the vision Daniel sees concerns the Jews, it seems likely that this prince will make a covenant with the Jews during the 7 years of the tribulation.

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But what will he do for half of the week (3 1/2 years)? _______________________________________________________________________

During the last half of the Tribulation, he will break his covenant with Israel and he will put an end to sacrifice and offerings. In Revelation 11 we see that the two witnesses who have been prophesying for 3 1/2 years are killed by the beast and they are killed in Jerusalem. This must be when he breaks his covenant with Israel.

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Instead of allowing worship in the temple, what willhe do during this time? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Daniel 9:27 refers to abominations and desolations. Read Matthew 24:15. Basedon what you read in Daniel and in 2 Thessalonians, what does the abomination of desolation refer to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the beast or the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel halfway through the Tribulation and sets himself up to be God, what is Israel told to do in Matthew 24:16-21? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This corresponds to Revelation 12:13-14 where we see the woman (Israel) fleeing into the wilderness. Matthew 24:21 says that during this time there will be great Tribulation such as has never before been seen on the earth.

Again, to put this in context to our timeline in Revelation, the beast or the Antichrist will come to power at or shortly after the seventh trumpet has been blown halfway through the Tribulation.

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Day 33: Daniel 11:36-45

Read this section in Daniel 11 today.

Here we see this world ruler introduced simply as a king.

What do verses 36-37 say he will do? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 38 we are told he honors the god of fortresses and a foreign god his fathers did not know.

Compare Revelation 13:11-14. What takes place in these verses? What is being worshipped here? _______________________________________________________________________

According to Daniel 11:39, how will he treat those who acknowledge him? _______________________________________________________________________

Who will this king have conflicts with according to verse 40? _______________________________________________________________________

After some fight against him, he will come into the glorious land, probably referring to Israel.

What will happen to many when he comes to Israel? See verses 41 and 44. _______________________________________________________________________

This could be referring to the persecution he begins against Israel.

According to verse 41, who will be rescued and delivered out of his hand? _______________________________________________________________________

This is the area of modern day Jordan. For whatever reason, this area will not be harmed.

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Verse 43 tells us that he will be the ruler of great wealth, treasures of gold and silver.

According to verse 45, where will he set up his kingdom? _______________________________________________________________________

Some translations says “seas” which some understand to be between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. This would be at Jerusalem, at the glorious holy mountain, Mount Zion.

Verse 45 simply says that when he comes to his end, no one will be there to help him. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 says that Jesus will kill him by the breath of his mouth. He will not be able to fight against the King of kings and he will be defeated!

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Day 34: Daniel 12:1-13

Read Daniel chapter 12 today.

What time period does “at that time” refer to. Reread Daniel 11:36-37. _______________________________________________________________________

So halfway through the Tribulation when the Antichrist sets himself up to be worshipped is what is referred to here.

What does it say about this time in verse 1? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comparing this to Revelation, this is when the woman (Israel) will flee into the wilderness to escape (Revealtion 12:14) and the beast will conquer the Saints (Revelation 13:7).

Daniel asks how long this will last. What is the answer in verse 7? _______________________________________________________________________

What else does verse 2 tell us will happen during this time period? _______________________________________________________________________

We will study this more in depth later.

In verse 4 Daniel is told to seal up the book until the end. What does it say will happen between when Daniel wrote it and the end of time? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Perhaps this refers to the fact that people will be able to travel the world easily. With the increase of knowledge has come an increase in technical capabilities. Today there are cars and planes that make it easy to go back and forth and in the last 100 years there has been a big increase in technology and knowledge.

In verse 8, Daniel wonders how all of this is going to turn out. He is not given a direct answer, but told to seal up the book.

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Verses 11-12 do give us a hint, though. In verse 11 how long does it say it will be from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up? _______________________________________________________________________

This is 30 days longer than indicated in other places of Scripture, so perhaps the last 30 days extend into the Millennium. We will study the Millenium more later.

Who does it say will be blessed in verse 12? _______________________________________________________________________

This extends 75 days past the three and half years. Those who make it past this time of Tribulation into the Millennium under Christ’s reign will be blessed.

So we see that what Daniel tells us about the beast is the same as what we read about in the book of Revelation. Tomorrow we will go back to Revelation and seewhat else we learn about the beast.

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What else does John see in verse 11? _______________________________________________________________________

What does it tell you about the second beast in that he speaks like a dragon? Read Revelation 12:9-10. What will characterize his speech? _______________________________________________________________________

What does verse 12 tell us about this other beast? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does verse 13 tell us this beast will be capable of? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He will be able to perform miraculous signs by the power of Satan and he causes people to worship the first beast.

Because he has power to work these miraculous signs, what will happen to people according to verse 14? _______________________________________________________________________

What does this second beast tell people to do in verse 14? _______________________________________________________________________

What is it given power to do to this image of the first beast? _______________________________________________________________________

Somehow, it appears that the image that is made has life and breath in it. The purpose of creating this image is so that people will be deceived and worship the first beast.

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According to verse 15, what will happen to those who do not worship the image of the beast? _______________________________________________________________________

What else does this other beast do according to verses 16-17? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 18 tells us this beast is not symbolic of a country or a world power, but he isa man. His number is 666, the number of a man.

We don’t know the identity of the second beast other than it appears it is another man who receives his power from Satan and performs miraculous signs in order todeceive people. The second beast causes people to worship the first beast and to take his number so that they can buy and sell. The first and second beast work together.

Read Revelation 19:20. What is another name for the second beast? _______________________________________________________________________

So Scripture has a lot to say about the Antichrist. He is referred to as the beast, the little horn, and a king. He will come from a revived Roman Empire although we don’t know what exactly that will look like. He will get his power from Satan. At the beginning of the Tribulation, he will make a covenant with Israel, but then he will break it half way through. At the end of 3 1/2 years (the midpoint of the Tribulation), he will kill the two witnesses and then come to power. Apparently there will be a temple in Jerusalem and he will put an end to all sacrifices half waythrough the Tribulation and will instead set himself up to be worshipped as God. People will marvel at him and will be deceived as they follow him. He will speakblasphemous things against God and he will persecute Israel and the saints. During the last half of the Tribulation people will be forced to take the mark of thebeast in order to buy and sell. Those who do not worship the image of the beast will be killed. Although he is given great power for a short time, ultimately he willbe defeated by the Lord Jesus.

Again to put this in context, the events surrounding the beast take place after the 7th trumpet is blown and Satan is thrown down to earth. This is half way through the Tribulation.

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What is the theme of chapter 13? _____________________________________

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Matthew 24

Day 36 : Matthew 24:1-14; Luke 21:5-24

For the next couple of days, we are going to take a quick break from Revelation and tie in some events that Jesus talked to his disciples about and see how they relate to Revelation.

Read the verses in Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

In Matthew 24:1, Jesus and his disciples were leaving the temple and the disciples were commenting on how magnificent the temple was. This was the temple that Herod built and it was large and impressive.

In verse 2, what does Jesus say is going to happen to the temple? _______________________________________________________________________

This happened in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed by the Romans. In their greed for gold in the temple, the Romans separated each stone, thus fulfilling Jesus’ words.

Naturally, the disciples were curious about when this would happen and how theywould recognize that it was near. From Mark 13:3, we are told specifically it is Peter, James, John and Andrew who ask Jesus about this privately. For them, having the temple destroyed seemed like the end of the age was near. But Jesus is going to answer their question in the first 14 verses of things that are going to happen leading up to the destruction of the temple, not the end times.

In verses 5-7, what does Jesus say will happen that are the beginning of birth pains, but the end is not yet? Compare this with Luke 21:8-11. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 9, what did Jesus say would happen to the disciples? Compare this with Luke 21:12-19. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read Luke 21:20-24 again. From the context of the disciples question and Jesus’ answer, do you think the events described here take place in 70 AD or during theend times? _______________________________________________________________________

Unlike in Matthew 24, there is no reference to the abomination of desolation and it is not described as a time of tribulation unlike the world has ever seen. Luke 21:22-23 describe it as a time of vengeance and wrath against the Jews. This is not who God’s wrath will be directed toward in the end times.

Read Luke 19:43-44. Why does Jesus say that Jerusalem will be surrounded and the temple destroyed like this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is a judgment against the Jews because they did not recognize the Messiah whenhe came to them.

What will happen to the Jews during this time according to Luke 21:24? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus says this persecution of the Jews will continue until the “times of the Gentiles” is fulfilled. It seems this begins in 70 AD and continues through church age when God focuses on the Gentiles.

Luke 21:25-28 describe what happens at the end of the times of the Gentiles. What occurs to show the Jews that the their redemption is near? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Second Coming will conclude the times of the Gentiles. When we get to the Millennial reign, it is during this time that God will turn his attention back to the Jews.

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In Matthew 24:10-12, what does Jesus say will be true of some believers leading up to the destruction of the temple? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to Matthew 24:14, what does Jesus say will happen before the end comes? _______________________________________________________________________

So these verses we studied today, occurred in 70 AD and fill in the gaps a little bit for us. In the verses we will look at tomorrow, Jesus continues his discussion about what will happen in the end times, but the disciples did not understand that there would be many years between the destruction of the temple and the coming of the Son of Man.

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Day 37: Matthew 24:15-29

Read these verses in Matthew 24 carefully. Note how they differ from what we read yesterday.

In verse 15, what is the sign that the end is near? _______________________________________________________________________

As we looked at earlier from Daniel 9:27, Daniel 12:11 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, this is when the Antichrist removes the burnt offerings from the temple and sets himself up to be worshipped as God instead.

What should people do when they see this? See verses 16-20. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Since this is the most intense tribulation the world has ever seen, it will be especially difficult for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Certainly one wouldbe greatly concerned for their children during this time of tribulation.

It would not bother a Gentile to have to flee on the Sabbath, but it would bother aJew. But when the Jews see this abomination of desolation in the temple, they should flee because there will be great persecution against them from the Antichrist.

After the Antichrist does this in the middle of the tribulation (after the seventh trumpet), what does it say will happen in verses 21-22? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

During the tribulation, what do verses 23-26 say will happen? Compare this with Revelation 13:11-15. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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These verses in Matthew 24 certainly correspond with the events described in Revalation. When the Antichrist comes to power and sets himself up to be worshipped as God, then things really start to worsen during the second half of theGreat Tribulation, but as Matthew 24:33 says, “When you see all these things, youknow that He is near, at the very gates.” Jesus is coming soon and the end is near for His enemies!

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Revelation 14




then I looked, then I sawLamb, Jesusheaven throneGodangelbeastwrathSpirit

In chapter 13, we saw people take the mark of the beast; in chapter 14 we see the 144,000 sealed with the Lamb and the Father’s name on their forehead. The markor seal that people take shows where their allegiance is and who they are following.

Who does John see standing on Mt. Zion? _______________________________________________________________________

Verse 1 starts on earth, but the rest of the chapter takes place in heaven.

What does he hear in heaven in verses 2-3? _______________________________________________________________________

Who is singing the new song? _______________________________________________________________________

What do we learn about the 144,000 from verses 4-5? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The events that take place in the rest of this chapter are all in preparation for the 7 bowls of God’s wrath to be poured out.

In chapter 14, we will see six different angels. What is the first angel’s job in verse 6? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does this angel tell the people who dwell on the earth in verse 7? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Underline the phrase “the hour of his judgment has come.” This is a very significant point in the book of Revelation and marks the beginning of the Day of the Lord. Later this week, we will look at the Day of the Lord more in depth.

The first angel warns people to repent because God’s wrath is going to be poured out in full strength during the 7 Bowls. God in his mercy, is still giving people a chance to repent by sending this angel as his messenger to those who dwell on theearth.

What does the second angel announce? _______________________________________________________________________

We will study more about Babylon in Revelation 17-18, but for now, we are told that it’s doom is sure.

What do we learn about Babylon in verse 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does the third angel say about those who take the mark of the beast? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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These people will experience the full brunt of God’s wrath and will be tormented forever. This seems to be a clear reference to their eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. See the descriptions of the lake of fire in Revelation 19:20 and 20:10.

Because these people’s doom is sure, the saints are encouraged to persevere and endure.

How are the saints described in verse 12? _______________________________________________________________________

Those who follow after the beast, worship him and take his mark. The saints are obedient to Jesus and follow Him.

Because of the Great Tribulation that is taking place, some of the saints my have toendure even to death. In Revelation 13:15 we are told that those who do not worship the image of the beast will be killed.

What encouragement does John hear from the voice from heaven in verse 13 about those who die in the Lord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Obviously this refers to the saints spoken of in verse 12 who have trusted in Jesus. Read Revelation 20:4-6. What blessing awaits these people who are killedfor their faith during the Tribulation? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It certainly will be a blessing for any saint who dies during the Tribulation. Through death, they will escape the persecution from the beast and they will not be hurt by the second death. Death has no power over them and cannot harm them. Their reward will be reigning with Christ during the Millennium. It may have been cause for alarm to hear that the time for God’s wrath to be poured out had come, but for those who trusted Jesus, even if they died, they had nothing to fear.

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Read Revelation 14 again today.


What does the fourth angel say to the one who is sitting on the cloud? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mark the phrase “for the hour to reap has come”. This is the second time we are told in this chapter that the hour has come. It is now time for God’s wrath to be fully poured out. So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle and the earth was reaped.

What do we learn about the fifth angel in verse 17? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is the sixth angel described in verse 18? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does he tell the angel with the sickle? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare that with Joel 3:13. What does this verse say about why the time has come to reap the harvest of the earth?_______________________________________________________________________

In verse 19, where is the harvest of the earth thrown? _______________________________________________________________________

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People would have understood the picture of a winepress. They would put the ripened grapes in a huge vat and then stand in the vat and trample the grapes. There was a hole in the vat that flowed into another container below that would collect the juice from the grapes. But here instead of grape juice, the picture is of blood. It indicates that there will be great bloodshed when God’s wrath is poured out on mankind.

Where does verse 20 tell us this winepress is located? _______________________________________________________________________

Perhaps this is a reference to Jerusalem.

What are we told about the blood that flows out of the winepress? _______________________________________________________________________

A horse’s bridle is roughly four feet high and 1,600 stadia is about 180 miles. Thisis probably not a literal river of blood, but it gives us a graphic picture of the bloodshed that is going to come.

Read Isaiah 63:1-6. Who is described as treading the winepress in these verses? What is the result? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Revelation 19:13 Jesus is described as wearing a robe that is dipped or sprinkled in blood which could also be a picture of him treading the winepress.

Even though it seems like sin and evil reigns on the earth right now, the hour will come when God’s wrath will be poured out and mankind will be judged for their sin.


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Day 40: The Day of the Lord

We have reached the point in our study of Revelation where we need to see what the Bible says about the Day of the Lord and how it fits into what we have studied so far in the book of Revelation. So let’s start in the Old Testament first.

Read Joel 2:1-11. Write down everything you learn about how the Day of the Lord is described in these verses. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Joel 2:30-31. What will happen before the Day of the Lord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Revelation 6:12-14. Write what happens in these verses. Do these sound like similar events? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So at the 6th seal, the day of the Lord has not started yet, but it is close.

Read Amos 5:18-20. How do these verses describe the Day of the Lord? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Isaiah 13.

How is the Day of the Lord described in verses 9 and 13? _______________________________________________________________________

What is the purpose of the Day of the Lord according to verses 9 and 11? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What will people’s response be when the Day of the Lord comes? See verses 6-8.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What will be the signs in heaven during this time? See verses 10 and 13. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What will be happening to people on earth? See verses 14-18. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isaiah 13 is an oracle against Babylon. We saw in Revelation 14:7-8 that Babylon is fallen when it is announced that the hour of God’s judgment has come.

In Isaiah 13: 19-22, what does it say will happen to Babylon during the Day of the Lord? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare this description with Revelation 18:21-24. What happens to Babylon here? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is the Day of the Lord described in Zephaniah 1:14-18? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Now let’s go to the New Testament. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

What has to happen first before the day of the Lord comes according to verses 3-4? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This takes place shortly after the 7th trumpet has been blown in Revelation. So the Day of the Lord starts somewhere between the 7th trumpet and the 1st bowl ofGod’s wrath.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. How does it say the Day of the Lord will come in these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As we have seen, the Day of the Lord is characterized by an outpouring of God’s wrath. According to verse 9, what does this verse say about believers? Do you think they will experience the Day of the Lord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read 2 Peter 3:10-13. How does verse 10 say the Day of the Lord will come? _______________________________________________________________________

What will happen in the Day of the Lord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These verses tell us what happens at the end of the Day of the Lord. The heavens and the earth will pass away and be burned up.

So the Day of the Lord covers a significant period of time. It is a time of God’s wrath poured out on sin and the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist will be revealed and have power during this time. We see that it begins at or shortly after the blowing of the 7th trumpet and includes the last half of the Tribulation. We will study this more later in Revelation, but there will be a battle against Jerusalem, known as the Battle of Armageddon and then Christ will return. He

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will set up his Millennial kingdom where he will reign for 1,000 with a rod of iron.After the dead are judged, the heavens and earth will pass away and that will conclude the Day of the Lord.

We will study each of these events more in detail as we get farther along in Revelation, but this gives us a good overview of what will happen during the Day of the Lord.

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Day 41: The Mystery of God.

In Revelation 10:5-7 it says, “And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and thesea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of thetrumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

Go back through your notes on Revelation 11-14. What things happened after the seventh trumpet is sounded? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which of these things have the prophets spoken about? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To fulfill means to bring to perfection or its destined goal. This mystery will be revealed when the seventh trumpet is blown. What was previously preached by the prophets will be revealed and there will be no more delay.

Read Revelation 11:15-19. What happens in verse 15 after the seventh trumpet is blown? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The beginning of the time of Christ’s reign seems to start at the seventh trumpet.

In verse 18, what does it say about the events associated with the seventh trumpet? What occurs and what is the purpose? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Do any of the events you listed that occur at the seventh trumpet match up with the description given in verse 18? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With the blowing of the seventh trumpet, it says that God’s wrath came, and as wehave seen about the day of the Lord, it is a time when God’s wrath will be poured out. In Isaiah 13:9 and 11, it says the purpose of the day of the Lord is to destroy sinners and to punish the world for its evil. In verse 18 it says the purpose is to “destroy the destroyers of the earth.” So as we compare Revelation 11 with some descriptions of the Day of the Lord, we begin to see some clues emerge.

The mystery of God might be the prophecies given about the coming wrath and judgment of God. The seventh trumpet begins the day of the Lord and brings forththe seven bowls of God’s wrath. The wrath of God is finished (Revelation 15:1; 16:17) when the seventh bowl is poured out.

A mystery fully discloses something that was spoken about earlier. Maybe some questions that people have had down through the ages will be answered at this time.

When will the day of the Lord occur? Why hasn’t Jesus set up his kingdom yet? How can God be in control and yet still allow evil to exist?

It seems like the mystery could answer some questions surrounding the Day of the Lord. But whatever the mystery is, it will be finished and fulfilled when the seventh trumpet is blown.

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Revelation 15




Then I saw, and I saw, after this I lookedheavenseven angelswrathconquered

This chapter gives us some details of what occurs right before the seven bowls of God’s wrath are poured out.

What sign does John see in heaven in verse 1? _______________________________________________________________________

What are we told about these seven plagues? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe what John sees in verse 2? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It appears that these are those who have been killed by the beast during the Tribulation. Even though they died, it says they conquered. See Revelation 12:11.

They sing the song of Moses. Moses sang a song of praise to the Lord in Exodus 15 after the Lord overthrew the armies of Egypt in the Red Sea. The Lord showed his power in a mighty way then, and these people are also praising the Lord for what he has done.

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What different names of God are used in their song? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do these people say about God’s actions? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do they say about God’s character, about who He is? _______________________________________________________________________

What does it say people’s response will be to God as a result of his mighty acts? Compare this with Psalm 86:8-10. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does John see next in verses 5-6? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Again we see one of the four living creatures that we were introduced to in Revelation 4. What does he do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens when he does this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sanctuary that the seven angels came out of fills with smoke showing God’s glory and his power. No one is able to go back into the sanctuary until the seven angels pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath. Tomorrow we will take a look atthese more closely.


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Revelation 16




then I heard, and I heard, and I sawwrathGod (including other names and pronouns)angelthe first (second, etc.) angel poured out his bowlbeastthroneheavendragonBabylon

John hears a voice from the temple telling the angels to pour out the bowls. What do the bowls contain? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens when the first bowl is poured out? _______________________________________________________________________

Who did it affect? _______________________________________________________________________

In Revelation 14:9-10, we read that an angel promises that those who have taken the mark of the beast will drink the wine of God’s wrath. In the first bowl, we see God’s wrath specifically directed at these people.

What happens when the second bowl is poured out? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens with the third bowl? _______________________________________________________________________

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Why does it say in verses 5-6 that the sea and the rivers and springs turn to blood? _______________________________________________________________________

So the second and third bowls are to avenge the blood of the saints that have beenshed down through the ages. God says they are deserving of this judgment because they have killed his people.

What do verses 5 and 7 tell us about God’s judgments? _______________________________________________________________________

Just here is actually the same Greek word for righteous. God is right and holy to enact this kind of judgment on them.

What happens when the fourth bowl is poured out? _______________________________________________________________________

What was people’s response to this? _______________________________________________________________________

The word for cursed here literally is blasphemed. They spoke against God and reviled him, refusing to repent or give God glory even though His power is being displayed in an awesome way.

What happens with the fifth bowl? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As we read in the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord is a day of darkness and gloom and we see that fulfilled though the fifth bowl. This darkness seems different than normal darkness because it causes anguish. Perhaps it is also some sort of spiritual darkness as well.

It seems like the bowls are cumulative because people are still feeling the affects of the first bowl (painful sores) when the fifth bowl is poured out.

Again what is the response? _______________________________________________________________________

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What happens at the sixth bowl? _______________________________________________________________________

What else does John see after the sixth bowl is poured out? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With the dragon, the beast and false prophet, we see Satan’s counterfeit trinity.

What do these demonic spirits do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We saw when we studied the Day of the Lord, that Jesus’ coming is described like a thief. His coming will be unexpected and cause loss for the unsaved. This is mentioned again in verse 15. There is a blessing mentioned for the believers who are anticipating His coming and are ready. As we will see, the climax of the battle of Armageddon is at the Second Coming when Christ returns with the armies of heaven and sets foot on the Mount of Olives. Armageddon” comes from the Greek Harmagedōn, which transliterates the Hebrew words for Mount (har) of Megiddo. It is commonly understood to be located at the Plain of Esdraelon pictured on the right. It is said that Napoleon called it the ideal battlefield.

We will take a closer look at the battle of Armageddon tomorrow.

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If you look on the map, the Plain of Esdraelon is near Galilee.

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What is said when the seventh bowl is poured out? _______________________________________________________________________

This final bowl culminates the outpouring of God’s wrath and it is certainly spectacular and terrifying with thunder and lightning, the biggest earthquake the earth has ever seen, the islands and mountains disappear and 100 pound hail stones fall from the sky!

This bowl seems to be specifically directed against Babylon. God remembered her and made her drink the wine of the fury of his wrath. Chapters 17-18 give us more detail about this seventh bowl.

What is the response again? _______________________________________________________________________

It is obvious that it is impossible for man to fight against such a powerful God and win, yet men willfully continue to reject God and curse him. Their final doom will come very soon.


Finish completing the chart by filling in the information for the seven bowls on page 136.

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Day 44: The Battle of Armageddon.

Read Zechariah 12-14 today. These events occur when the sixth bowl is poured out.

In Zechariah 12:1-3 and 14:2, what will happen to Jerusalem? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where will this battle take place according to Zechariah 12:11? _______________________________________________________________________

Who will fight for Jerusalem according to 14:3? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens in Zechariah 14:3-4? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is when the Second Coming occurs and Jesus physically comes to earth to stand on the Mount of Olives. In the rapture, believers rise to meet Christ in the air. At the Second Coming, he comes to earth.

What will be the response when people see this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 5 says that the Lord God will come and all the holy ones with him. This will be explained more in depth in Revelation 19.

Verses 12-13 and 15 describe the war that will take place. What does it say will happen? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The description reminds me of intense nuclear radiation. Or perhaps it could be asupernatural thing that God does to them as he fights for Jerusalem.

What does it say will happen to the wealth of the nations in 14:14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus will be victorious. What does verse 9 tell us will be the result of this battle?_______________________________________________________________________

After the Battle of Armageddon, the 1,000 year reign will begin with Christ ruling and reigning on the earth. We will look at that more when we get to Revelation 20.

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Seven Seals Seven Trumpets Seven Bowls

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Revelation 17


Read Revealtion 17 today.


angelin the SpiritbeastBabylonany names of JesusGod

The next two chapters deal with the harlot, Babylon. Here we are given more detail about her fall at the seventh bowl of God’s wrath. Let’s just observe what the text tells us and see what we can understand about Babylon.

What does the woman (Babylon) represent according to verse 18? _______________________________________________________________________

In chapter 16, when the seventh bowl is poured out, verse 19 says “the great city was split into three parts and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.” So chapters 17 and 18 are giving us more detail about the great city that fell at the seventh bowl in chapter 16.

So the first thing we see is that it appears that Babylon is a literal city because it was struck by an earthquake during the seventh bowl.

Read Revelation 11:8. What city here is called the great city? _______________________________________________________________________

From observing the text in Revelation, Babylon could be the city of Jerusalem. In Revelation 11, it says that Jerusalem is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, both places known for their sin and their disregard for God. But let’s keep observing the text and see if we find any more clues.

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In verse 1, what does the angel tell John he is going to show him? _______________________________________________________________________

What does it say the kings of the earth have done with the great prostitute? _______________________________________________________________________

What effect has this had on the dwellers of the earth? _______________________________________________________________________

When you are drunk, you are under the influence and control of something else. At the end of time, the people of the earth will be controlled by sexual immorality.This could be literal, or it could be a picture describing false worship. In the Old Testament, many times God said of Israel that they were an adulterous nation because they were following after false gods.


The beast we saw earlier is the Antichrist. In verse 3, it says that the beast (Antichrist) carries the prostitute (Babylon). The Antichrist will use the great city for his own purposes, but then will turn against her (verse 16-17). Perhaps this is an indication that this city is where the Antichrist has set up his headquarters.

Earlier when we studied the beast, we saw that he will make a covenant with Israel, but then half way through the Tribulation he will break that covenant. He will put an end to sacrifices in the temple and set himself up to be worshipped as God. This is certainly an abomination as described in chapter 17.

We are given another clue that perhaps Babylon represents Jerusalem. Where is John carried to when he sees the woman Babylon? _______________________________________________________________________

Compare Revelation 12:6,14. Who did the woman fleeing into the wilderness represent in these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

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So we are given another clue that perhaps Babylon represents a city in Israel.

What does verse 4 say about how the woman was dressed? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The woman is pictured as being attractive and adorned with jewels. It seems people flock to her. In verse 1, the prostitute is described as being seated on manywaters.

According to verse 15, what do the many waters represent? _______________________________________________________________________

And in verse 18, this great city has dominion over the kings of the earth. So we see a powerful city, one that has influence over people and kings. If the Antichristset up his kingdom in Jerusalem, it would make sense that it becomes a city of power because people are drawn to the Antichrist and marvel at him.

What is the prostitute holding in her hand from verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

Abominations means “that which is utterly detestable and abhorrent.”5

Impurities here means “pertaining to being ritually unacceptable, either as the result of defilement or because of the very nature of the object itself (for example, ritually unacceptable animals)—defiled, ritually unclean.”6

So the city of Babylon will be characterized by detestable and defiled worship. If Jerusalem is where the Antichrist sets himself up as God, this would fit with the description given of the prostitute. Jerusalem was a place to come and worship the one true God and instead it is being used to worship a counterfeit god, the Antichrist.

5 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (308). New York: United Bible Societies.6 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (536). New York: United Bible Societies.

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How is Babylon described in verse 5? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Babylon is the source of this sin and wickedness.

What else characterizes her from verse 6? _______________________________________________________________________

This city is responsible for the blood of the saints. The woman is described as being drunk with their blood. This speaks of excess and intense persecution and Babylon is the one spear-heading it.

Recap everything you have learned about Babylon so far. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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When John saw the vision of the woman, he marveled. To marvel means to wonder or be amazed. But the angel told him he would explain the meaning of the woman and the beast that carried her.

Where does the beast come from and what does that tell us about him? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where is he going? _______________________________________________________________________

Again, we are told that those who have the beast’s mark and don’t have their names written in the book of life, will marvel at the beast.

The beast has seven heads and ten horns.

What do verses 9-10 say that the seven heads represent? _______________________________________________________________________

Verse 10 explains they are kingdoms. Five have already fallen. At the time that John wrote Revelation, the five kingdoms that had all ruled over Israel at one time were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Greece. The kingdom in power at that time was Rome. One more kingdom was yet to come.

What do we learn about the kingdom to come from verse 10? _______________________________________________________________________

This refers to the kingdom that the Antichrist is a part of during the Tribulation. The beast is an eighth kingdom, but it is a part of the seventh, meaning it came outof the seventh. Again, verse 11 tells us this kingdom goes to destruction.

What does verse 12-13 tell us about the ten horns? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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These 10 kings are some sort of world rulers that associate themselves with the Antichrist. They are so committed to him that they even hand over their authority to him.

What does verse 14 tell us these kings and the Antichrist will do? _______________________________________________________________________

Look at Revelation 16:13-16. This gives us some more information on what this will look like. They will assemble to fight against the Lord at the Battle of Armageddon.

What will be the result of this war? _______________________________________________________________________

The reason the Lamb will conquer these kings is because Jesus is the King of kings.He has the ultimate power and authority.

Verse 14 gives us a glimpse that the Lamb will have an army fighting with him. How are these people described? _______________________________________________________________________

Obviously this speaks of believers. Romans 1:6 says that we are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that we have been chosen in Jesus before thefoundation of the world and Colossians 1:2 refers to the faithful brothers in Christ Jesus. We will learn more about this army and the battle they fight when we cometo chapter 19.

According to verses 16-17, what will the ten kings and the beast do to Babylon? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Babylon’s destruction will be complete. She will become desolate and laid bare. In Revelation 17:4, we see Babylon clothed in purple and scarlet, but all her beauty will be stripped away.

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We are also told that her flesh will be devoured. This seems literal. Read Revelation 19:17-21 and note what it says. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finally, Babylon will be burned with fire. This is restated in Revelation 18:8.God can use anyone for his purposes and it is his plan for the Antichrist and these ten kings to be united in thought and to come together to destroy Babylon.


Tomorrow we will add to our picture of Babylon in chapter 18.

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Revelation 18




angelheavenBabylonGod

How does the angel describe Babylon after her fall in verse 2? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jeremiah 50:39 tells us that no human being will live in Babylon. Verse 2 gives a picture of an abandoned city, overrun with demons and animals. This is pretty remarkable since it was once a powerful city of influence and wealth.

Verse 3 reiterates that the nations have become drunk from the wine of her immorality (Revelation 17:2). What new information do we learn about Babylonfrom this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 18 focuses more on her financial strength and her great riches.

What instruction is given to God’s people in verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

What fate awaits Babylon in verses 5-6? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unlike God’s people whose sins are not remembered anymore, God will remember Babylon’s sins and pay her back double for what she has done.

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According to verses 6-8, what is the reason for the Lord’s swift judgment upon Babylon? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare these verses with Isaiah 47:1-9. What similarities do you see in how Babylon is described? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How fast is judgment enacted upon her in Isaiah 47:9? Compare that with Revelation 18: 8,10,17 and 19. _______________________________________________________________________

We see three groups of people who look on Babylon’s destruction. We see kings of the earth (v.9), merchants (v.11,15) and shipmasters and sailors (v. 17). What reaction do all of them share when they see Babylon’s destruction? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where are they standing when they observe her devastation? (v.10,15 and17). _______________________________________________________________________

The fact that they stand far off and can still witness her demise speaks of God’s power and how great a fall it is. It also shows they do not want to be near her because the destruction is so great. Verse 10 says the kings of the earth stand far off because they are in fear of her torment.

Verse 9 mentions that Babylon lived in luxury. Verses 12 and 13 detail how rich Babylon was. But what are we told in verse 14 about her riches? Compare this with Zechariah 14:14. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read verses 3 and 19. What do both of these verses tell us about Babylon? _______________________________________________________________________

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Merchants and ships have grown rich by Babylon’s wealth. It seems perhaps Babylon is an economic capital of the world. So when she falls, it is shocking andmen mourn over her destruction.

Verse 8 tells us that Babylon will have death, mourning and famine and that she will be burnt with fire. In verses 9 and 17, the kings and shipmasters weep when they see the smoke of her burning from afar. What is left a is a desolate place. Her riches have completely vanished and she no longer has any commerce. People no longer live there and it is left desolate and haunted. God has paid her back double for the sin of adultery against him, for her great pride, and for shedding the blood of the saints. Her destruction is swift - in a single hour and in a single day.

Even though men of earth mourn for Babylon, who rejoices over her judgment inverse 20? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does the mighty angel do in verse 21 to illustrate Babylon’s fall? _______________________________________________________________________

As we saw yesterday, her downfall will be violent and will result in utter devastation.

Verses 22-23 describe what Babylon will be like after this. What will be gone from Babylon when she falls? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In 18:7, we see God punishes Babylon for her pride. According to verse 23, what is another reason that she is judged? _______________________________________________________________________

Babylon has led all the nations of the earth astray by her sorcery. Sorcery here describes using magic spells by the power of Satan. In chapter 13, we see the false prophet performing great signs, even making fire come down from heaven. This has always been seen as an act of God. (God sent fire down from heaven

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when Elijah called to him before the prophets of Baal). But the false prophet will do the same thing by the power of Satan and cause people to be deceived. He also appears to give life and breath to an image of the beast and as a result, peopleworship the beast. Because Babylon has led others astray, she will be judged.

In verse 20 and 24, what is another reason that God judges her? _______________________________________________________________________

God avenges the blood of the saints, apostles and prophets. Because they persecuted and killed his people, God destroys Babylon. See Revelation 16:6. It is a just judgment and what she deserves.

It is encouraging that God stands up for his people. So often it seems like evil wins and sometimes it seems like God stands silently by while His people suffer. But there will come a day when God will rise up and defend His people and thosewho have harmed and killed them will have to pay.


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Day 48: Babylon

Today let’s take a look at some cross references and see what the Old Testament tells us about Babylon.

Read Jeremiah 50. In the following verses note what it says about Babylon and how it compares to Revelation 17-18.

Jeremiah 50:3 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:9 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:13 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:14-15 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:23-24 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:29-32 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:39-40 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:41-45 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 50:46 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read Jeremiah 51. Again note what these verses tell us about Babylon and any similarities you see in Revelation 17-18.

Jeremiah 51:1-5 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:7 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:11-14 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:27-28 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:37 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:41-44 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:6,45 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:48-49 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 51:58 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read Ezekiel 16:1-43. This is an oracle against Jerusalem. As you read, mark down all the similarities you see between Babylon and Jerusalem. Note how she is referred to and what she did. v. 2_______________________________________________________________________

v. 13-14______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________v. 15-17 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

v. 22-26______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________v. 27-35 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What similarities do you see in the destruction of both cities? Compare with Revelation 17:16.v 36-39. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________v. 40-43______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The similarities between how Jerusalem is described in Ezekiel 16 and how Babylon is described in Revelation 17 are certainly striking. It does seem possible that they are the same “great city.”

Even though it looks like Babylon could be the city of Jerusalem, there are also passages that would indicate against this. In Zechariah 12:6 and 14:11 it says thatJerusalem will again be inhabited, but in Isaiah 51:62 it says that Babylon will be desolate forever.

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The identity of Babylon is not the main point of these passages, though. The main point is that this city will be righteously judged by God. We see that it is a center for sexual immorality, evidenced by idolatry and the worship of false gods, namelythe Antichrist. It is a city full of abominations against God. Perhaps it is the Antichrist’s religious and economic capital. It is a city of immense wealth. The fact that its prophecy was foretold long ago and that it comes to pass in Revelationis what is most significant. She will be judged for her adultery, pride and for shedding the blood of the saints. She has enticed other nations away from God byher sorcery. God’s judgment on her is swift, sure and astounding to all those who see it.

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Revelation 19




heavenGod and all other names and pronounsJesus and all other names and pronounsthroneangelwrathbeast

In chapter 19, we see a change in focus from the previous chapters. The rest of the book will detail for us Christ’s victory, Satan’s defeat and the joy to come for believers.

Who is the first group we see praising God? _______________________________________________________________________

What are they praising him for? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When this multitude in heaven sees that Babylon is defeated, they can do nothing else but praise God. His judgment on Babylon is described as true and just.

In verse 3, what does it say about God in light of the fact that the smoke from Babylon’s destruction goes up forever and ever? _______________________________________________________________________

The punishment for people who followed Babylon will be eternal in the lake of fire.

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Whenever we see worship expressed in the book of Revelation, often it involves the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. They are in agreement with what the multitude has said about God.

In verse 5, what else do we hear? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There are fourteen accounts of worship recorded for us in the book of Revelation and in verses 6-8 we come to the last one.

How is the voice of the multitude described in verse 6? _______________________________________________________________________

Roaring water and peals of thunder are both loud, commanding noises that get ourattention. What an awesome sound it must have been for John to hear this great multitude of people praising God with one voice.

What do they say about God in verse 6? _______________________________________________________________________

God has just crushed the strongest city in the world and brought it to nothing. He is the one who will soon reign unopposed.

In verses 7-8, what has the time come for? _______________________________________________________________________

It is finally time for the Bride of Christ, the Church, to be united with Jesus! If you are married, do you remember how excited you were on your wedding day? I believe that feeling will pale in comparison with the joy we will feel at the marriage of the Lamb.

How is the Bride of Christ described? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Bible, weddings typically had three phases. First, the parents would pay thewedding price and enter into a legal contract with the groom. Next, the groom

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would come to claim his bride and take her to live with him. Finally, there would be a wedding feast.

When believers are saved during the church age, that would represent the first phase. When the church is raptured and brought to Christ’s home in heaven would be the second phase. This marriage supper would be the third phase.

Where is this wedding supper to be located? People are divided as to whether it takes place in heaven right before the Second Coming, or if it takes place on earth during the Millennial reign. Given the fact that it is mentioned before the Second Coming, leads me to believe it will be in heaven. But the location itself is not the most important thing. The main point is that it will be a grand celebration!

In verse 9, it alludes to the fact that at this marriage between Jesus and his Bride, there will be invited guests. What is a wedding without guests?! Who might theseguests be?

Read Matthew 22:1-13 and Matthew 25:1-13. Here we read two parables about a wedding feast.

These parables were spoken to the Jews. In both of these stories, they are not portrayed as the Bride, but they are invited to the wedding feast. So perhaps Israelor the Old Testament saints are the invited guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb. The point of both of these passages to the Jews is that they should be prepared and waiting when the Bridegroom comes, otherwise they may miss the feast. Perhaps the guests could also include the great multitude of those who are saved out of the great Tribulation and are in heaven now (Revelation 19:6-9).

So the marriage supper will include the groom (Jesus), the bride (the Church) and the invited guests.

Because John is so overwhelmed with what he hears, what does he do in verse 10? _______________________________________________________________________

What is the angel’s response? _______________________________________________________________________

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Earlier we looked at the Battle of Armageddon in chapter 16 and we focused on what takes place on earth. Tomorrow we will look at the Battle of Armageddon from heaven’s point of view.

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This section describes the Second Coming for us when Jesus will come from heaven in all his glory, to conquer and to judge. The battle of Armageddon in thissection is described from a heavenly perspective in contrast to the earthly descriptions we looked at earlier.

What does John see when heaven is opened? _______________________________________________________________________

What is Jesus name in verse 11? _______________________________________________________________________

This is in contrast to the beast who was not faithful to his word and broke his covenant with Israel and deceived people (Revelation 13:14). Jesus will always befaithful and true to His Word. We can count on what he says so we know he will always be faithful and true to us. Because of that, now has come the time for him to judge righteously and make war on his enemies.

In verse 12, we see the third time in the book of Revelation where Jesus’ eyes are described as a flame of fire (also 1:14 and 2:18). His gaze is piercing and he sees all. No one can escape his scrutiny when he judges.

Earlier in Revelation, we saw a dragon with seven diadems and the beast with ten diadems, but here Jesus has many. One day, all the kings of the earth will surrender their crowns to Him because He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

What other reference to Jesus name do we see in verse 12? _______________________________________________________________________

We saw a similar phrase in Revelation 2:17. To the one who overcomes from the church at Pergamum, it is said that he will receive a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it. I think this speaks of intimacy between Jesus and the Father and the overcomer will share this same intimacy. The Father will call us a special name unique to us!

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How is Jesus clothed? _______________________________________________________________________

The fact that he is wearing a robe speaks of his authority to judge and to rule. His robe dipped in blood could refer to the sacrifice he made, but given the context ofcoming back to defeat his enemies, I think it is more of a picture of him treading the winepress of God’s wrath spoken of in verse 15.

What is another name of Jesus that we see in verse 13? _______________________________________________________________________

John is the only writer who refers to Jesus as the Word (also John 1:1,14). Jesus is God’s communication to us. He does not merely give us God’s Word, but He himself became the embodiment of God’s Word when he came and lived among us.

Who is coming from heaven with him? _______________________________________________________________________

Given the fact that they are arrayed in white linen, who do you think this refers to? Refer back to verse 8. _______________________________________________________________________

Even though they are coming with him and following him on white horses, there isno indication that they will have to fight. Jesus alone will defeat his enemies simply by the word of his mouth (v. 15,21). He doesn’t need our help, but we are privileged to witness his awesome victory!

Verse 15 gives us a picture of Jesus absolute authority. What will he do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Even though the armies of the earth assemble to fight against Him, they are no match for Him and he will strike them down. God’s wrath will be poured out on the nations through Jesus defeating them and he will rule authoritatively. This speaks of his rule during the Millennial reign.

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What final name do we see of Jesus in verse 16? _______________________________________________________________________

Again, this speaks of his absolute victory and authority over all the rulers of the earth. He is above all!

Read Matthew 24:27-31. What does verse 27 tell us about the Second Coming? Who will see it? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The comparison of his coming to lightning gives us the indication that it will be sudden and unexpected.

What will happen after the Tribulation? What signs will there be in heaven? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Since the moon only reflects the sun’s light, it will be darkened when the sun doesn’t shine. Stars will fall from the sky. This could be evidenced through comets or meteors and it says that the powers of heaven will be shaken. It will certainly be something to get people’s attention.

In verse 30, we are told that the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. Weare not told what this sign is or if the sign is the Son of Man himself. Whatever it is, it will be visible to all the tribes of the earth.

What will be people’s response when they see Him? _______________________________________________________________________

How is Jesus’ coming described in verse 30? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 31, we are told that the elect will be gathered from one end of heaven to the other. Perhaps this is another description of the armies of heaven that will be coming with Him (Revelation 19:14).

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Read Matthew 24:36-42. What do we learn about the Second Coming from these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now let’s go back to Revelation 19.

Who does the angel summon in verse 17? _______________________________________________________________________

With Jesus victory imminent, the angel summons all the birds to come and eat the flesh of the fallen armies of the earth, both small and great. Compare this with Matthew 24:28.

Verse 19 describes for us what happens when the sixth bowl is poured out and thearmies of the earth gather at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16).

It seems like it is hardly a battle because in the next verse we see the beast and thefalse prophet are captured. They are no match for the King of Kings and Lord of lords!

These two are the great deceivers. What is their fate in verse 20? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens to the rest of those who were assembled to fight against the Lord? _______________________________________________________________________

Jesus has defeated them all. The command of His Word alone is enough to win the victory!

Chapter 19 ends with a rather gruesome picture. I picture the whole plain littered with the bodies of fallen soldiers and the birds are gorging on their flesh. There are no survivors.

So let’s piece together what we have learned about the Battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 16, when the sixth bowl is poured out, evil spirits come out of Satan, the Antichrist and false prophet and they go abroad to the rest of the world, summoning kings to fight against Israel and ultimately the Lord Jesus. The armies

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of the earth assemble to fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-2). Near the end of the battle, Jesus will return physically to earth and stand on the Mount of Olivesand the Mount of Olives will be split in two (Zechariah 14:3-4). Jesus will save Israel and the armies of the earth will be completely defeated. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire and we never hear from them again! (Revelation 19).


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Revelation 20




angelheavenany references to Satanthousand yearsthronebeast

What does John see in verse 1? _______________________________________________________________________

The bottomless pit is mentioned several times in the book of Revelation. From verse 1, we see that God has complete control over it.

Let’s see what Revelation tells us about the bottomless pit. Look up the following verses and note who comes out of it.

Revelation 9:1-10 __________________________________________________________________Revelation 9:11 __________________________________________________________________Revelation 11:7, 17:8 __________________________________________________________________

The bottomless pit is the source of all evil and seems to be the abode of Satan and his demons. Here in chapter 20, we see it is the place where Satan will be bound for 1,000 years.

What four names do we see for Satan in verse 2? _______________________________________________________________________

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Devil means accuser and Satan means adversary.

For what purpose is Satan bound for 1000 years in the bottomless pit? _______________________________________________________________________

So Satan will not have an influence during this time. Christ will be ruling and reigning unopposed.

At the end of verse 4, what else do we see that happens at the start of the Millennial reign? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is this called in verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

We see several different resurrections in the Bible.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. Who is raised to life in these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

Since these are called the “dead in Christ” it seems to indicate the believers duringthe Church age. This would include all believers who died between the Cross andthe Rapture. The Church are the only believers referred to as “in Christ.”

Now we see “the first resurrection” described here in Revelation 20. What people will be included at this resurrection according to verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

So anyone who was a believer that died during the Tribulation, will be raised to life at the start of the Millennial reign.

What about believers in the Old Testament before Christ came? When will they be raised to life? In Luke 16:19-31 we read the account of Lazarus and the rich man. When Lazarus dies, it says that the angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. For the Old Testament saints, this was a temporary place they went to until Christ’s death on the cross. In Ephesians 4:8, it says about Jesus that “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives.” Some believe that when Christ raised

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from the dead and ascended into heaven, he took those righteous souls with him to heaven. Since these people have not experienced a physical resurrection yet and they are not a part of the church, it seems that the Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the time of this first resurrection described in Revelation 20.

Verse 5 tells us that there will be another resurrection after the Millennial reign. These are described as “the rest of the dead.” This will be the unsaved who died during the Millennial reign.

What does verse 6 say about those who participate in the first resurrection? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So those believers who died during the Tribulation are raised to life and given the privilege to reign with Christ.

Now read Revelation 2:26 and Revelation 5:9-10. Who else will be reigning withChrist during the Millennium? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So we see two important events that take place before the 1,000 year reign of Christ. First, is Satan is bound so that he cannot deceive the nations any longer. Next, there is the first resurrection where believers from the Tribulation and perhaps the Old Testament saints are raised to life. Tomorrow we will take a closer look at the Millennial kingdom.

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Day 52: The Millennial Reign of Christ

From what we read in Revelation 19-20, the Millennial reign immediately follows the Second Coming and there is no reason to believe that it is not a literal 1,000 years. When Christ comes back as King of kings and defeats the nations gathered against Israel, He will then set up His kingdom. Satan will be bound during this time and released at the end of it.

Read Matthew 25:31-46. In verses 31-32, what do we learn will happen when Jesus comes back and sits on his throne? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So there will be a judgment of the nations at this time. This will be a different judgment from the Great White Throne judgment where the unbelieving dead are judged at the end. We will look at that a bit later. This judgment will be for the nations, specifically the Gentile nations. The Greek word for nations indicates Gentile or heathen.

What will determine how people are separated as sheep and goats? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To help us understand this section, we need to remember the context. This takes place immediately after the end of the Tribulation and at the Second Coming. So the people being judged are those who have come out of the Tribulation period.

Both groups express confusion about giving aid to the King. After all, he was not even on the earth before, but Jesus says they gave him aid when they helped “my brothers.” So we see there are three groups of people noted: the sheep, the goats, and my brothers. If the sheep and the goats refer to Gentiles, it would seem that my brothers would refer to Jews.

So it seems the sheep would be any Gentile during the Tribulation who would help a Jew by clothing and feeding him. Remember that this will be a time when the Antichrist will persecute the Jews and it will be very difficult for a believing Jew to survive during this period. A Gentile going out of his way to help a Jew during the Tribulation would show that that Gentile had become a believer in

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Jesus Christ. By taking this kind of stand, a believing Gentile will put his life in jeopardy. Obviously, his works cannot save him; but his works will express the belief he has in Christ.

The goats are those who do not believe in Christ and as a result, their actions represent that and they do not help the Jews during the Tribulation.

According to Matthew 25:34, what will happen to the sheep? _______________________________________________________________________

According to Matthew 25:46, what will happen to the goats? _______________________________________________________________________

Read the following verses and note what they tell us about Jesus as King.

Luke 1:32-33 _______________________________________________________________________Daniel 7:13-14 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Isaiah 9:6-7 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Zechariah 14:9 _______________________________________________________________________

Read the following passages to learn what this Christ’s kingdom will be like.

Read Isaiah 2:1-6.Where will the center of the kingdom be? Where will people want to go? _______________________________________________________________________

Where will God’s Word go forth from? _______________________________________________________________________

What will Jesus do for the nations and the people during the Kingdom? _______________________________________________________________________

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Will there be war during this time? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Isaiah 11:1-16.How will Jesus judge according to verses 3-5? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe what it will be like during this time according to verses 6-9. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verses 10-12, what will happen to Israel during this time? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Isaiah 65:18-25. What will life be like during the Millennial kingdom? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Jeremiah 23:5-6. How will Israel and Judah be treated during this time? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Jeremiah 30:3. What does it say about Israel in this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Jeremiah 30:8-11. What does God promise Israel will happen? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read Zephaniah 3:14-20. What promises are given to Israel during the Millennial reign in these verses? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Zechariah 8:1-8. What will take place during Christ’s reign according to these verses. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So we see from all these verses that the Millennial kingdom was promised to Israel. In Acts 1:6, after Jesus arose from the dead, the disciples asked Jesus if nowhe was going to restore the kingdom to Israel. It was a logical question. It was something every Jew looked forward to. They were familiar with the Old Testament passages that looked forward to the day when Jesus would be recognized as King, they would be saved from their enemies and would live in peace. In Revelation 20, we are given the time table of when this will happen andgiven the completed picture.

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Day 53: God’s promises to Israel

God has made many promises to Israel that have not been fulfilled yet, but they will be brought to completion during the Millennial reign. Let’s take a look at some of those today.

Let’s start in Romans 11. Read this chapter today.

Paul starts out the chapter asking the question if God has rejected Israel? So few have trusted Jesus, that maybe God is done with them. But Paul answers with a resounding “NO!”

In verses 7-10, what is true about Israel as a nation right now? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verses 11-15, for what reason were the Gentiles offered salvation? What is their inclusion meant to do for the Jews? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 16-24 speak about grafting the Gentiles in to his plan of salvation, but in verse 23, it says that God has the power to graft the Jews in again too. He still has a plan for them.

What does verse 25 tell us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the promise to Israel in verse 26? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Zechariah 13:7-9. These verses help explain what Israel’s salvation will looklike.

What will happen to two-thirds of Israel during the tribulation? _______________________________________________________________________

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What will happen to the remaining one-third? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So the time when all Israel is saved will be at the Second Coming and when the Millennial kingdom is set up.

Romans 11:26-27 is a reference from Isaiah 59:20-21. What does it say God willdo for Israel during this time? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Even though Israel now seems to be enemies of God, they are loved by God and he has a marvelous plan for them.

Read Ezekiel 36:22-38.

In verses 22-23, why does God say he is going to fulfill his promises to Israel? _______________________________________________________________________

Note everything God says he will do for Israel during the Millennial kingdom in the following verses:

v.24 _______________________________________________________________________v.25 _______________________________________________________________________v.26 _______________________________________________________________________v.27 _______________________________________________________________________v.28 _______________________________________________________________________v.29-30 _______________________________________________________________________v.31 _______________________________________________________________________

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v.33-35 _______________________________________________________________________v.37-38 _______________________________________________________________________

Read Ezekiel 37.

Ezekiel sees a vision of a valley full of dry bones. According to verse 11, what dothese dry bones represent? _______________________________________________________________________

Israel and Judah were divided into two kingdoms, but in verse 22, God promises that one day they will again be joined as one kingdom. This has not taken place yet, but will be fulfilled during the Millennium.

What promise is given in verse 21? _______________________________________________________________________

What will happen in verse 23? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verses 24-25, God promises that David will be king over them. This is a reference to Christ since Christ is the only one who will have an eternal kingdom.

What will come to pass according to verses 26-28? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jeremiah 31:31-34 explains what it will look like when all Israel is saved. What do these verses tell us will happen for Israel? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No wonder the disciples asked Jesus if he was going to set up his kingdom after hehad risen from the dead! (Acts 1:6). They looked forward to this in the same way

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that we anticipate the Rapture. God definitely is not finished with Israel and one day every promise he has ever made to them will be fulfilled. According to Ezekiel 36:23, God will do this so that “the nations will know that I am the Lord.”

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What will happen at the end of the 1,000 years? _______________________________________________________________________

Who will Satan once again deceive? _______________________________________________________________________

The four corners of the earth indicates that it will be a world wide rebellion. The number is so large that it is described as the sand of the sea.

At the beginning of the Millennial reign, we saw that it was all people who were following Christ. The sheep and the goats were separated. The goats went to eternal punishment and the sheep inherited the kingdom. So who are the people now who are rebelling? They will be those who are born during the Millennial reign. The generation at the beginning of the 1,000 years will have died long ago so these people will come after them. Although they may profess to follow Christ during the Millennium, their shallowness will be exposed when Satan is released and they are easily deceived to follow him.

The meaning of Gog and Magog is unclear. Although these names are referenced in Ezekiel 38 and 39, a careful reading of the text shows that they are not the sameevent. In Ezekiel, the armies come only from the north and only a few nations are involved whereas in Revelation, the armies come from all over the world. Perhapsthe comparison is that like in Ezekiel, these people will be in rebellion against God and try to war against him.

Where does this take place according to verse 9? _______________________________________________________________________

Perhaps this will be on the same plain where the Battle of Armageddon was fought.

Who will these armies come against? _______________________________________________________________________

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These armies will come against Jerusalem which is the capital of Christ’s Millennial kingdom. How foolish of these people to think that they can fight against God and win.

We are not given too many details about this battle, but what happens in verse 9? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens to Satan at this time? _______________________________________________________________________

Satan joins the beast and the false prophet who have already been in the lake of fire for 1,000 years. But verse 10 tells us that those thrown in the lake of fire will be tormented forever. The last foe is finally vanquished!

What does John see next in verse 11? _______________________________________________________________________

What else happens at this time according to verse 11? _______________________________________________________________________

This world will not last forever. The earth and sky will undergo great devastation during the Tribulation, and there will come a time when they will pass away.

Read Psalm 102:25-26. What do these verses say about the heavens and the earth? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does 2 Peter 3:10 tell us about this event? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 11 we see what is commonly referred to as the Great White Throne judgment. From other Scriptures that we have looked at earlier, we saw that the believers have already been resurrected. This judgment will be for the spiritually dead, those unbelievers through all the ages who have not believed and trusted in Christ.

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In verse 12, we see there are books that record what these people have done and there is also the book of life.

If these people’s names are not in the book of life, then what is the purpose of judging them according to their deeds? Will all unbelievers receive the same punishment? Scripture gives us some answers.

Look up the following verses. What do these verses tell us about different degrees of judgment?

Matthew 10:5-15. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matthew 11:20-22 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mark 12:38-40 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Revelation 22:12 tells us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Recompense means payment or wages. So it does appear that those who have nottrusted Christ will be held accountable for their works, according to what they have done and they will be judged and punished accordingly.

In verse 13, where do these people who have died come from? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The bodies of those people who have died will be joined with their spirits which were already in the lake of fire. The degree of their punishment will be determined by the works that they have done.

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What happens to those whose names are not found written in the book of life? _______________________________________________________________________

After the dead are judged, Death and Hades are also thrown into the lake of fire. Hades is the present location of the unbelieving dead.

What does Matthew 25:41 tell us about the lake of fire? _______________________________________________________________________

This shows you God’s love for people. He prepared the lake of fire for the devil and his angels, not for those he created. But since God is a righteous judge, he has to judge sin. For those who choose not to accept Christ’s judgment for their sin, their punishment also becomes the lake of fire.

What is referred to as the second death? _______________________________________________________________________

The first death is when people die physically. Most of the human race will experience this. But only those who have not trusted Christ as their Savior will experience the second death. The second death is eternal separation from the God that created them. This death is experienced in the lake of fire.

Death is the final enemy to be defeated. The best is yet to come!


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Day 55: The Judgment Seat of Christ

Yesterday we looked at the judgment of the dead. Today we are going to look at the judgment for believers. Scripture does not tell us exactly when this takes place, but it will be sometime after all believers are with the Lord. Our eternity is already settled so it will not determine if we go to heaven or hell, but it will be a time where we will be rewarded for what we have done. Like the unbelievers, wewill both be judged according to our works, but our eternal destinations are different.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. What does this tell us about the judgment seat of Christ? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Romans 14:7-12. According to these verses, how should we live our lives? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does verse 12 remind us of? _______________________________________________________________________

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

The only proper foundation is Jesus Christ. In verse 10, Paul exhorts us to take care how we build upon it. Some things built upon the foundation will survive and others will not.

According to verses 12-14, what sort of things will survive the test of fire on this foundation? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Paul say will happen to those whose works survive on the foundation?_______________________________________________________________________

What will happen to the one whose work is burned up? _______________________________________________________________________

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For the believer who has spent his life not working for eternal things, those works will be burned up and he will suffer the loss of a reward. This person will still be saved. This judgment is not a question of eternal destiny, but of rewards, and unfortunately this person will suffer the loss of a reward because his works did not survive the fire.

So what kind of things survive the fire? It is not necessarily the work itself, but the attitude and motivation that the work is done. A pastor can preach on Sunday in the flesh and for selfish reasons. This will suffer the loss of a reward. Or a person can be cleaning a toilet, but be doing it with a joyful attitude as a service to others and doing his best for the Lord and this work will survive.

Anything done in God’s name, for his glory will survive. This makes the most menial task, something the Lord will reward when done with the right heart. Every day is filled with opportunities to receive a reward! This should change our attitude!

2 John 8. What subtle warning is given in this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So many Christians live their lives completely oblivious that how we live here on earth does count for eternity! We will have to give an account of ourselves beforethe Lord. I do not want to stand before Him ashamed that I wasted my life on temporary pursuits that will not survive the test and will count for nothing in the end.May we live our lives for God’s glory so that at the judgment seat of Christ, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21). May we not squander the opportunities that God lays before us today!

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Revelation 21




heavenGod (including pronouns) in the SpiritLambcity

Following the Millennial reign, and after Satan is cast into the lake of fire and thethere is the final judgment, what happens next in verse 1? _______________________________________________________________________

We are given very little information about the new heaven and new earth other than it will not be our current earth renovated. Verse 1 tells us that the first heaven and earth pass away.

What will be different about this new earth according to verse 1? _______________________________________________________________________

Most of the earth now is covered by water, but the new earth will have no sea. Verse 23 also tells us there will be no sun or moon.


It seems the focal point of this new heaven and new earth is this holy city. It is described as a bride adorned for her husband, indicating its great beauty. I think italso speaks of the great care and time taken to prepare this city. Not many brides show up to their wedding with dirty clothes and messy hair. We used to be missionaries over in Papua New Guinea, and even there, the brides were adorned and decorated in a special way on their wedding day.

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In verses 2-8, you should have marked all the references to God. He is the focus of this beautiful city!

What does John hear in verse 3? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible because it shows God’s desire to dwell with us finally fulfilled. God has always relentlessly pursued us and has gone to great lengths to make it possible for us to know him. In Revelation we seethe culmination of that.

In the garden, God wanted a relationship with Adam and Eve and would walk in the garden in the cool of the day to visit with them. Sin marred that relationship and the man and woman were cast out of the garden. But God continued to pursue a relationship with man and in the Old Testament, he gave Moses detailed instructions on how to build a tabernacle so that the people would have a place tocome and worship God. His presence was seen in their midst with the cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night. In the New Testament, he sent His own Son to dwell among us. He taught and healed and pointed people to the Father, eventually dying in our place so we could once again be made right with God. He then sent the Holy Spirit to live inside us as an ever-present Comforter and guide. One day God will live with us for eternity, far away from the corruption of sin. God created us to know him and have a relationship with him forever and this will one day finally be realized. We will be his people and He will be our God.

What are we told in verse 4 about this new heaven and new earth? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Everything terrible about his present heaven and earth will be gone! I can’t wait for that day!

What does God tell John in verse 5 about the things that he has told him? _______________________________________________________________________

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Ten times in the book of Revelation we are told that either Jesus or his words are true. This book describes some pretty awesome events, but we can be assured that they are all true, because God is true to his Word and he will always be true to us.

In verse 6, God says, “It is done!” His plan of redemption is finally culminated when one day we will be free from the penalty, power and even the presence of sin forever!

Three times in the book of Revelation God is referred to as the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning of life and He alone puts an end to sin and death.

What does he promise those who are thirsty for Him? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 7, God makes a promise to the one who conquers. Way back in the beginning of Revelation in our study of the seven churches, we talked a lot aboutthe conquerers. What important detail does this verse say describes the one whoconquers? _______________________________________________________________________

The one who conquers will have a special heritage. He will be known as God’s son. I think this is the best thing about being called a conquerer!

What contrast do we see in verse 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The conquers get to enjoy God’s presence forever. Those whose actions displayedtheir lack of faith, will be separated from him forever. They will experience the second death in the lake of fire and sulfur.

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How is the angel that spoke to John described in verse 9? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yesterday we looked at the new Jerusalem and saw what it will be like to live there. Today we will look at the physical characteristics of the city.

In verse 11, what is the first thing we learn about it? _______________________________________________________________________

Since it is the dwelling place of God, it will have the glory of God and be reflective of Him. It is described as being radiant, bright and clear like a rare jewel.

In verses 12-21, circle every time the word twelve is mentioned. Twelve is a very prominent number in this city.

From verses 12-13, roughly sketch the description of the city below just so you can have a visual picture.

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We are told this city has a very high wall and in verse 17, we are told it is 144 cubits, which is about 216 feet. This would have to be the thickness because in verse 16, we are told the length width and height of the city are all 12,000 stadia or 1400 miles! This is a huge city!

What do we learn about the gates of the city? See verses 12,13 and 21. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do we know about the wall of the city? See verses 14 and 18-20. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are the city and the streets made of according to verses 18 and 21? _______________________________________________________________________

Both Israel and the Church are represented in the description of the city. The 12 tribes of Israel are inscribed on the twelve gates and on the 12 foundations are written the names of the 12 apostles. The apostles represent the beginning of the Church age. Both Jews and Gentiles together will worship and serve the Lord forever in this magnificent city.

What else do we learn about the city in verse 22? _______________________________________________________________________

In the Bible, the temple was merely a visible representation of God with articles inthe temple representing certain things about Christ and his sacrifice. Hebrews 9:23-24 tells us that the articles in the temple were simply copies of the heavenly things. They were a shadow of things to come. There will be no need for a temple in the new Jerusalem because now we will be able to see the Lord face to face.

Why will there be no need for a sun according to verse 23? Compare this with 1 John 1:5. _______________________________________________________________________

Verse 25 underscores the fact that there will be no night in this city because there is no darkness in God at all. Darkness will not exist here!

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What do we learn about the nations who come into this city from verses 24 and 26? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Its gates will never be shut because there will be no need for protection from anything evil. There will be open access to this city at all times.

Who will be the inhabitants of the city according to verse 27? _______________________________________________________________________

Compare Hebrews 12:22-24. List all those mentioned in these verses who will be in the city. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From chapter 21, we see a city of amazing brilliance and radiance because it holds the glory of God. It is a city made of pure gold and adorned with jewels. There is no night, no sin, no tears, pain or death. Its gates are always open and nounclean thing will ever enter into it. There is no need for a temple because God himself will be dwelling with us forever.

Just think for a moment that this is where we will be forever! It is hard to comprehend, but when life gets hard and I don’t always like my circumstances, it is always nice to be able to read Revelation 21 and remind myself that this is not all there is. I have something far better to look forward to. Come, Lord Jesus!


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Revelation 22




angelGod (and all pronouns)Jesus, Lamb (and pronouns)Spiritprophecycome, coming

Chapter 22 begins with a continuing description of the holy city.


Where does this river flow from? _______________________________________________________________________

Life only comes from God so it is appropriate that this river flows from His throne. This river flows through the middle of the street in the city.

What else do we see in the city from verse 2. What is unique about it? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What benefits does this tree give? _______________________________________________________________________

There will be no sickness in this city so the word healing can also be understood as “health-giving.” We get the English word therapeutic from the original word in the Greek. The leaves of the tree give eternal health to the nations.

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The curse that God pronounced in Genesis is finally removed! What is the reason the curse is gone from verse 3? _______________________________________________________________________

What is one thing that verse 3 says we will be doing in heaven? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 4, we learn that we will get to enjoy God face to face. John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12 tells us that no one has ever seen God and 1 Timothy 6:16 says that no one can see God. But there will come a day, when the curse of sin will be removed and we will see see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

The words of the old hymn by Carrie Breck express it wonderfully.

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,Face to face—what will it be,

When with rapture I behold Him,Jesus Christ who died for me?

Face to face I shall behold Him,

Far beyond the starry sky;Face to face in all His glory,I shall see Him by and by!

Only faintly now, I see Him,With the darkling veil between,But a blessed day is coming,When His glory shall be seen.

What rejoicing in His presence,When are banished grief and pain;

When the crooked ways are straightened,And the dark things shall be plain.

Face to face! O blissful moment!Face to face—to see and know;Face to face with my Redeemer,Jesus Christ who loves me so.

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How will we be identified from verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

Those during the tribulation who follow the beast will be marked with his number.This will signify their allegiance to him. But in heaven, we will be marked with God’s own name, signifying that we are His!

In verse 5, we are told for the third time that there will be no more night in this city because God himself will be our source of light.

What else are we told that we will be doing in heaven according to verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Daniel 7:18 and 2 Timothy 2:12. What do these verses say? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that we will get the privilege to reign with Christ. We who were once his enemies will now be ruling and reigningforever in his perfect kingdom. Wow!

A.T. Pierson summarizes verses 3-5 as follows:

“And there shall be no more curse,” - perfect sinlessness“but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it,” - perfect government“and His servants shall serve Him,” - perfect service“They shall see His face,” - perfect communion“and His name shall be on their foreheads,” - perfect resemblance“And there shall be no night there,” - perfect blessedness“And they shall reign forever and ever,” - perfect glory. 78

731 (22:3–5) Pierson, The Ministry of Keswick, First Series, p. 144.8 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.) (2380). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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The chart below shows how Revelation brings to a culmination the things that began in Genesis.

Genesis RevelationCreation of heaven's and earth (Gen. 1:1) Destruction of heavens and earth (Rev. 20:11)

Creation of new heavens and earth (Rev. 21:1)

Start of Satan's reign on earth (Gen. 3:1-7) Satan cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10)

Entrance of sin (Gen. 3:1-7) Sin banished (Rev. 21:27)

Pronouncing of the curse on creation (Gen. 3:1-7) The curse removed (Rev. 22:3)

Right to the tree of life forfeited (Gen. 3:24) Access to tree of life restored (Rev. 22:2)

Eviction of man from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24) Man welcomed back into Paradise (Rev. 22:1-7)

Entrance of death into the world (Gen. 2:17; 5:5) Death forever removed (Rev. 21:4)

Marriage of the first Adam (Gen. 4:1) Marriage of the Last Adam (Rev. 19:7)

Sorrow comes to mankind (Gen. 3:16) Sorrow eliminated (Rev. 21:4)

Every wrong will finally be made right and we will have the wonderful privilege ofliving in his presence forever!

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From verse 6, what is the purpose of the book of Revelation? Why was it written? This is almost identical wording of the purpose stated in Revelation 1:1._______________________________________________________________________

According to verses 7, 18-19, what kind of writing is this? _______________________________________________________________________

What do verses 7, 12 and 20 all tell us? _______________________________________________________________________

Soon with it carries the idea of without delay and suddenly. It has been over 2,000 years since the book of Revelation was written, but in light of eternity, it is soon! We have seen elsewhere in our study of this book, that Jesus return will be sudden and unexpected.

What blessing is promised in verse 7? _______________________________________________________________________

Those who believe the prophecy in this book with keep watch and be alert, waiting for the Lord’s return. They will live pure lives and redeem the time they are given. These people will be blessed!

What are we reminded of again in verse 12? _______________________________________________________________________

This is another reason why we should be living in expectation of Christ’s return and using every opportunity we are given. Christ is bringing a recompense with him to repay each one according to what he has done. What we do today matters! We need to always remember that.

In verse 14, what blessing is given to those who have washed their robes, those whose sins have been forgiven? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Verse 15 reminds us that every kind of evil will not be permitted in the new Jerusalem. Specifically, all those who practice these things will be in the lake of fire.

In verse 17, it seems the Spirit and the bride of Christ, the church, both are asking the Lord Jesus to come. We eagerly await his return.

In verse 17, what invitation is given? _______________________________________________________________________

There is still time and an invitation is extended to anyone who is thirsty for eternal life to come and drink from the water of life for free. The price has already been paid and it is available to all.

What warning is given in verses 18 and 19? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These verses do not indicate the possibility to lose your salvation, but indicate thatsomeone who would do this, would not be a believer in the Lord Jesus.

The book of Revelation closes with the promise that Jesus is coming soon. Amen! May it be so! Come, Lord Jesus!


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Day 60: The Rapture

We have come to the end of our study of Revelation and you may have noticed that the Rapture is not mentioned anywhere in the book. The word rapture comesfrom the Latin word meaning “caught up.” Although the word does not occur anywhere in Scripture, the event is described for us in several different places, so we want to take some time and look at this important event.

Read John 14:1-3. What does Jesus promise in these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The disciples were distressed because Jesus had told the disciples that he would be leaving them shortly and they would not be able to follow him at this time. (John 13:33-36). But he promised not to desert them. He promised to come back and take them along with him to his home.

Read Acts 1:11. What does the angel tell the disciples about when Jesus returns?_______________________________________________________________________

This seems to be different from when Jesus comes at the Second Coming. There he will come to earth and set foot on the Mount of Olives. At the Rapture he will come in the clouds.

According to 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, what happens to a believer when they die? _______________________________________________________________________

So our souls are immediately with the Lord when we pass from this earth.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Paul is writing to this church because they are concerned about those who have died. He does not want them to grieve as those who do not have hope so he wants to inform them about what is to come.

What is the order of events that will occur at the Rapture? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-55.

Paul gives us some additional information in these verses. We learn that our physical bodies will be changed. The bodies we have now that are cursed by sin and death, will one day be changed to an imperishable body. Some refer to it as aglorified body.

What is the order of events in verse 52? Is this the same as what is described in 1 Thessalonians 4? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Philippians 3:20-21. What do we learn about what will happen to our bodies? _______________________________________________________________________

Those who have already died and their souls are in heaven with the Lord, will be reunited with their physical bodies at the Rapture. But their bodies will be changed when they are resurrected and they will be given a glorified body. Thosewho are still alive when the trumpet sounds will also be given an imperishable body at this time.

There is some debate among Christians as to when the Rapture will occur. Scripture does give us some clues, but the important thing to remember is that we can lovingly disagree with someone we many come across who has a different view point. It is more important to show love than to try to convince others that we are right!

But let’s take a look at what Scripture says about the Tribulation and the Rapture and see if we can get an idea of where it fits in the scheme of things.

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. What event is described that will save us from the wrath to come? _______________________________________________________________________

The Tribulation is described as a time of God’s wrath. (Revelation 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10,19; 15:1,7; 16:1,19; 19:15 ). So if Jesus saves us from the wrath to come, it seems that the Rapture would have to take place before the Tribulation.

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Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

Right after Paul talked about the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4, in chapter 5 he begins to discuss the day of the Lord. Perhaps this is a subtle indication of the order of events.

What does Paul mention again in 1 Thessalonians 5:9? _______________________________________________________________________

Read 2 Thessalonians 1-2.

In chapter 1, this church has been undergoing some persecution and in verse 6, Paul reminds them that God is just and will repay those who are afflicting them.

What event does Paul describe in verses 7-10? From your study of Revelation, is it the Rapture or the Second Coming?_______________________________________________________________________

What event does Paul reference in 2 Thessalonians 2:1? What does the phrase “being gathered together with him” remind you of? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 2, it seems that there was some teaching going around that the Day of the Lord had already come and they had missed being “caught up” together with the Lord. This obviously was causing them some alarm. But Paul reassures them that the Day of the Lord has not occurred yet.

What will happen before the Day of the Lord starts? (v. 3-4) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the purpose of the Tribulation? Read the following verses.

Revelation 3:10 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 6:10 _______________________________________________________________________

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Revelation 14:7 _______________________________________________________________________Daniel 11:31-35; Zechariah 13:7-9. For what purpose will Israel go through the Tribulation? _______________________________________________________________________

The purpose is to judge and avenge those on the earth who are not believers. God’s wrath is poured out on them. For Israel, it is to make them pure and refined. There does not seem to be a purpose for the Church to go through the Tribulation since we are saved from the wrath to come and the Church is distinct from Israel.

Based on our study and the book of Revelation, when do you think the Rapture will occur? _______________________________________________________________________

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Day 61: Chronology

Today we are going to go back through the events we have looked at in our study and put them in chronological order.

First event: Revelation 12:5; Luke 2:7 _______________________________________________________________________

Second Event: John 19:23-30 _______________________________________________________________________At this time, 69 of the 70 weeks decreed for Daniel’s people have been completed.

Third Event: Acts 1:9-11 _______________________________________________________________________

Fourth Event: Acts 2:1-4 _______________________________________________________________________This begins the church age.

Fifth event: Luke 21:20-24 _______________________________________________________________________This was done in 70 AD by the Romans.

Sixth event: Daniel 9:24-27: the 70th weekFrom your study of Revelation, what occurs during the 70th week, that is, the last seven years? _______________________________________________________________________

What happens at the beginning of this seven years (the first half of the week) according to Daniel 9:27? _______________________________________________________________________

Seventh event: The first half of the TribulationRevelation 6 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 8-9 _______________________________________________________________________

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Revelation 11:1-12 _______________________________________________________________________

Eighth event: The seventh trumpet. There are several things that happen at the seventh trumpet. Look up the Scriptures below and note what they are.Revelation 12:7-9 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 13:1-8 _______________________________________________________________________Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; _______________________________________________________________________Matthew 24:21-22 What does Jesus say about these last 3 1/2 years? _______________________________________________________________________Daniel 7:21; 25; Revelation 12:17 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 13:16-18 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 16 _______________________________________________________________________

Ninth event: Revelation 16:12-16; Revelation 19:11-19 (This is actually included in the sixth bowl) _______________________________________________________________________

Tenth event: Revelation 18 (This is actually included in the seventh bowl) _______________________________________________________________________

Eleventh event: The Second Coming. There are several things that take place at this time. Read the Scriptures below and note what they are.Zechariah 14:4 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 19:20 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 20:1-3 _______________________________________________________________________Revelation 20:4-5 _______________________________________________________________________

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Matthew 25:31-33 _______________________________________________________________________Zechariah 14:9-11 _______________________________________________________________________Romans 11:26-27. What happens to Israel at this time? _______________________________________________________________________Jeremiah 31:31-34. What covenant is completely fulfilled here? _______________________________________________________________________

Twelfth event: Revelation 20:7 _______________________________________________________________________

Thirteenth event: Revelation 20:8-9 _______________________________________________________________________

Fourteenth event: Revelation 20:10 _______________________________________________________________________

Fifteenth event: Revelation 20:11-15 _______________________________________________________________________

Sixteenth event: Revelation 21-22 _______________________________________________________________________

Special note: You will notice that I did not include a spot for the Rapture in the order of events. There is some debate among Christian as to when this will occur. From your study of Revelation and the Rapture, when do you think it will take place? Be sure to include it in your timeline tomorrow.

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Day 62: Timeline

Now that we have all of our events lined out, today I want you to make a timeline.You many need to tape several sheets of paper together in order to fit all the events on your timeline. Take your time and do a good job so it can be somethingyou can look back on as a reference. If you need help, you can come and see me because some of the events overlap on the timeline.

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Day 63: How then should we live?

Great job at making it to the end of this study! I hope it has been encouraging andchallenging for you in your walk with God.

In light of everything we have studied in Revelation, what should be our response? What does Scripture say? Read 1 John 3:2-3. _______________________________________________________________________

Our sins have already been washed away so we are pure in God’s eyes. But we need to live out that purity in our everyday lives. We should live lives that are morally pure and untainted by the world.

Read James 1:27. What does God consider to be pure religion? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If we live with the hope of eternity always before us, recognizing that one day we will give an account of our actions, this will help us to purify ourselves and live forthe glory of God each day.

Read Ephesians 5:5-16. How should we live according to these verses?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are we told in verse 16? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No one knows how long we have left on this earth. Paul tells us to make the best use of our time, because the days are evil and our time could be short. Are you making the best use of your time? What do you spend most of your time doing? Isthe majority of your time spent in a way that would honor the Lord or do you spend your energies on things that will not count for eternity? Paul encourages us to be wise in how we spend our time. Once it is spent, we can never get it back.

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Read 2 Timothy 3-4:1-8.

At the end of Paul’s life, he wrote one last letter to Timothy warning and encouraging him to keep the faith.

What does Paul say that we will encounter in the last days in chapter 3? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Paul tell Timothy in verse 12? _______________________________________________________________________

In light of this, what advice does Paul give Timothy in verses 14-17? What will help us during these difficult last days? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Word is our anchor! Persecution will come, and in the end times people will grow more and more wicked so we have to continue in what the Scriptures teach. It has everything we need to equip us and make us useful for the Master’s work.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, what admonishment does Paul give us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paul warns that the time will come when people will not have an ear for the truth and will turn away from it. They will have itching ears to only hear what suits their own passions.

In verse 5, what four things does Paul tell Timothy to do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I get the impression from this verse, that serving the Lord will not be easy. Timothy is told to endure and to fulfill his ministry. Perhaps we might be tempted to give up and quit when people won’t listen. It will be discouraging to see

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people choose a life of sin instead of a life of obedience. We will probably be hurt, taken advantage of, and misunderstood while we serve the Lord, but we are told to press on! Paul has come to the end of his life and been a good example of a faithful soldier. He has kept the faith!

What do we have to look forward to in verse 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Hebrews 9:28. What should be our attitude regarding the Lord’s coming? _______________________________________________________________________

We must live our lives with eternity in view. Jesus is coming back! Sometimes weget so caught up in what is going on in our lives here on earth, and eternity seems so far away that we forget about what is to come. That’s why God took the time to write the book of Revelation for us, so that we would know “what must soon take place.” If we remember these things, it will change how we live. “Blessed isthe one who keep the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7). Those who keep the words of the book of Revelation will be those who redeem the time and eagerly await his return. Come, Lord Jesus!

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