REVELATION BIBLE STUDY Fall 2011 Week 9

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1 1 REVELATION BIBLE STUDY Fall 2011 Week 9 Revelation Recap Chapter 1 - Written to show His servants what soon must take place. (1:1) - A blessing is given for reading this book. (1:3) - John is in exile on Patmos. Chapter 2-3 Messengers to the seven churches of Asia. Like the other letters to churches (Galatians, Ephesians, etc.) God speaks to us through these messages. Chapter 4 The Throne Room in Heaven. Chapter 5 The Scroll and the Lamb who is worthy. - Seven Seals are opened bringing the first seven judgments, largely caused by the wickedness of humanity. Chapter 6 The first four seals are four horsemen = Conqueror, War, Famine and Death. One fourth of the world s population is killed. Fifth Seal the souls of the martyrs crying out. Sixth Seal Great earthquake and signs in the Heavens. Chapter 7 144,000 Jews sealed for God s services. - A great multitude worshipping in Heaven. Chapter 8 Seventh Seal is seven trumpets, the second seven judgments caused by demonic power. 1. A third of all vegetation is burned. 2. A third of the sea is destroyed. 3. A third of the fresh waters destroyed. 4. A third of the sky is darkened. Chapter 9 5. Scorpions let locusts out of the Abyss torment there without the seal of God for five months. 6. Four angels who were bound are released to kill one-third of man. 200 million mounted troops are involved. Chapter 10 Angel with the scroll; which John eats.

2 2 Chapter 11 The two witnesses - Seventh Trumpet praise in Heaven for the conquest of Christ. - Lightning, thunder, earthquake and hail storm. Chapter 12 The woman and the dragon. The woman represents the people of God (Israel, then the church) Satan (the dragon) tried to devour Christ, but failed. He made war in Heaven, but was cast down with his angels and makes war on the Saints, knowing his time is short. They overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. Chapter 13 The Beast and False Prophet. The Beast reigns over ten kingdoms and is empowered of Satan. Reigns 3 ½ years. The second beast is the false prophet who does miraculous signs, leading people to worship the Beast (anti-christ). The prophet sets up an image of the Beast and tries to kill all who do not worship him. People are required to take on the mark of the Beast. Chapter 14 The 144,000 sing before the lamb. - An angel proclaims the gospel to all the world. - A second angel proclaims the fall of Babylon the Great. - A third angel proclaims the wrath of God on all who take the mark of the Beast. - The first harvest of the earth may be the Rapture. - The second harvest is God s judgment. Week 9 Matthew 24: But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day the Lord is coming. I Corinthians 15: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.

3 3 55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; 5:11 15 According to the Lord s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. II Thessalonians 2:1-4; Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. II Peter 3: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

4 4 Chapter Fifteen: Revelation 15 NIV Seven Golden Bowls filled with the Wrath of God. Revelation 15:1-8 1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues last, because with them God s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God s servant Moses and of the Lamb: Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. 5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

5 5 Chapter Sixteen: Revelation 16 NIV Revelation 16:1-2 1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, Go, pour out the seven bowls of God s wrath on the earth. 2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. First Bowl Revelation 16:3 3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died. Second Bowl Revelation 16:4 4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: Third Bowl Revelation 16:5-7 You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; 6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. 7 And I heard the altar respond: Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments. In Jewish thought the elements of nature were held to be under the jurisdiction of appropriate angels. God must oppose sin to be righteous. The altar is also written in Revelation 6:9 (with the testimony of the martyrs) and in 8:3-5 (with the prayers of the saints). Testimony of Martyrs: Prayers of Saints:

6 6 Revelation 16:8-9 8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. Fourth Bowl Revelation 16: The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. Fifth Bowl Revelation 16: The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed. 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Sixth Bowl - Parallel with sixth trumpet in which four angels are released from the Euphrates to lead army to destroy 1/3 of world population the Euphrates marked the eastern boundary of the land given by covenant to Abraham and his descendants. (Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7-8; Josh. 1:3-4). This river also separated the Roman Empire from the feared Parthians, who had conquered from the Euphrates to the Indus. Joel 3:2 2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. Zephaniah 3:8 8 Therefore wait for me, declares the LORD, for the day I will stand up to testify.

7 7 I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. Verse 13 term false prophet used for first time. Matthew 24:24 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Ezekiel 38:2-10; Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops the many nations with you. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Zechariah 14:2-14 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day a day known only to the LORD with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be

8 8 light. 8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. 10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. 12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day people will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. Zechariah 14: A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. 16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. Zechariah 14: On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD S house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty. Revelation 16: The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, It is done! 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. Seventh Bowl