[ FUTURE LESSONS FOR TODAY S LIVING THE BOOK OF REVELATION DEDUCTIVE LESSON THIRTEEN Revelation 11 Day One: Verses 1 2 1. John s role moves from observer to participant. What was John commanded to do in verse 1? 2. What was he to leave out of his measurements and why (verse 2)? Why is John asked to take these measurements? John MacArthur says, It is best to see it as God s measuring off Israel for salvation and His special protection, preservation, and favor. The prophecies yet to be given to John will distinguish between God s favor toward Israel and His wrath on the world. i 3. We can see from our text that, by the midpoint of the Tribulation, the Jewish temple has been rebuilt and that there are Jews worshipping at its altar (verse 1), indicating that animal sacrifices have resumed. Some speculate that the rebuilding of the Temple will be a powerful bargaining chip that Antichrist will use to establish his false peace, early in the tribulation. But by the halfway point of the Tribulation, Antichrist will have shown his true colors. We will read more about this in future lessons. What does Daniel 9:27 say will happen in the middle of the tribulation week (seven years)? 1
4. Spend the rest of the day researching the layout of the Temple, including the inner sanctuary, the altar, and the courtyards. You can read about the Temple in passages such as 1 Kings 6 7, 2 Chronicles 3 4, and Ezekiel 40 43, but you might find this reading more cumbersome than helpful. Try consulting a good Bible dictionary, an encyclopedia, the Internet, or a Bible atlas that has good pictures and diagrams to help you visualize the descriptions in those passages. Scripture Memory: This week s Scripture Memory verse is John 11:25. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. John 11:25 Day Two: Verses 3 6 In verse 3, we meet two of God s servants who are identified simply as His two witnesses. Much speculation has been made as to the identity of these two witnesses. Among the most popular guesses are 1) Elijah and Enoch, because they were taken up to heaven without dying. The reasoning is that since it is appointed for men to die once (Hebrews 9:27) and these two men didn t die, they will get their chance here in the Tribulation. This does not, however, account for the thousands of believers who will be raptured without dying. 2) Moses and Elijah, because Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets, and together these form all the testimony that is needed to bear witness for God (see Luke 16:31). 1. What do Deuteronomy 19:15 and Matthew 18:16 tell us? 2. How long are these two witnesses given power to prophesy (speak forth, proclaim)? How many months is that (divide by 30 days), and how many years (divide again by 12 months)? 3. In verse 4, these two witnesses are described as two olive trees and two lampstands. This wording is similar to something Zechariah saw in his vision. Read Zechariah 4:1 14 and briefly record what you read there. 4. What powers are given to these two witnesses (verses 5 6)? 2
5. Verse 5 could be used to support the idea that these two witnesses are Moses and Elijah. Why? (See 1 Kings 17:1 and Exodus 7:20.) 6. If the two witnesses are indeed Moses and Elijah, it is interesting to remember that John had seen them before. Read the account of this in Mark 9:2 10 and summarize what happened. Scripture Memory: Fill in the missing words from memory. said to her, I am the and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 11:25 Day Three: Verses 7 10 1. What will happen after the two witnesses finish their testimony (verse 7 8)? 2. How will the people of the world react (verses 9 10)? 3. The dead bodies of the two witnesses will lie in the streets of the city where our Lord was crucified; that is, Jerusalem. Jerusalem has been a special city throughout history, but in this verse it is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. This is not a good thing. What do the following verses say about these two places? Sodom (Genesis 13:13, Genesis 18:20, Isaiah 3:9 3
Egypt (Exodus 1:14, Deuteronomy 29:16 18, Ezekiel 20:7) 4. Jerusalem s history is recorded as far back as the Book of Joshua, where it is called Jebus. What happened in 1 Chronicles 11:4 9? 5. What special honor did David give to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:1, 3) and how did his son Solomon solidify Jerusalem as the religious capital of Israel (2 Chronicles 3:1)? Scripture Memory: Fill in the missing words from memory. said to her, I am the and the. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall. 11: Day Four: Verses 11 14 1. What happened after three-and-a-half days? What was the reaction of those who saw this (verse 11)? 2. What happened in verse 12? 3. What also happened at the time these two witnesses ascended (verse 13)? 4
4. After three-and-a-half days, the two witnesses were resurrected. They had been dead, but were infused with life. Sound familiar? As Christians, we were once dead, but now are alive because of the same breath of life from God that enlivened the corpses of the two witnesses. What does your memory verse say about resurrection? Write it below. 5. What else do you read about resurrection, both physical and spiritual, in the verses below? Romans 6:4 5 Romans 8:11 1 Corinthians 15:20 22 1 Corinthians 15:51 57 John 5:28 29 Scripture Memory: Fill in the missing words from memory. said to her, I am the and the. He who in Me, though he may, he shall. : 5
Day Five: Verses 15 19 Yesterday s passage ended with the words: The second woe is past. Behold the third woe is coming quickly. Today, we read that the seventh trumpet is sounded, but in the verses immediately following, we don t see a judgment upon the earth. It is believed by many that just as the seventh seal judgment was the summation of the seven trumpet judgments, the seventh trumpet judgment is all of the bowl judgments, which we will see unfolding in chapter 16. So in today s verses we read about what happens in heaven when the seventh trumpet is heard. 1. What did John hear when the seventh angel blew his trumpet (verse 15)? 2. What did the 24 elders do (verse 16)? 3. Read verses 17 18 as your own personal prayer to God. Choose one short phrase from this prayer that stands out to you, and write it below. 4. What did John observe in verse 19? 5. Let s look more at the Ark of the Covenant. Exodus 25:10 20 describes the ark. Read this description and do your best to sketch it in the space below. 6
6. What was the purpose of the ark (Exodus 25:21 22; 31:18)? 7. The ark of the covenant was kept in the Inner Sanctuary of the Temple (also called the Holy of Holies, or Most Holy Place), veiled from everyone s view. The only one who could enter that Sanctuary was the High Priest. The fact that John saw the Temple opened and could view the Ark of the Covenant is symbolic. What do these verses say? Mark 15:37 38 Hebrews 9:3 15 Scripture Memory: Write out the entire Scripture Memory verse in the space below. : Day Six: Personal Application 1. This week, we looked at the Temple of God, but 1 Corinthians 6:19 asks, Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Do you treat your body as the Holy Spirit s Temple? Do you allow things to enter your body (whether through the eye, the mind, or the mouth) that do not belong in a temple? Do you maintain it as if it were a King s dwelling place? Contemplate this, and write any thoughts you may have about applying it in your life. 7
2. In the Bible, to establish allowable testimony required the corroboration of two witnesses. This prudent practice can be applied on a personal level, especially when it comes to gossip. (No, gentlemen, this topic isn t just for women!) Sometimes we are quick to believe a report of someone else with out establishing the facts. Ask the Spirit to examine you and to reveal anything He wants to bring to your attention. 3. In your own words, write a few lines explaining why the resurrection is central to a Christian s faith to your faith. 4. The 24 elders who worshipped God began with thanksgiving. The beginning of their prayer is written below. Finish this statement with whatever is on your heart. We [I] give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and was and who is to come, because 5. Time to pray again for the three people you have identified as needing the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in their lives. Write their names or initials below. Have you noticed any spiritual progress? Do you have any praise reports? If so, share them with your group. If not, do not be discouraged. If we have learned anything from Revelation, it is that God hears the prayers of His people, that His timing is perfect, and that salvation belongs to our God! Scripture Memory: From memory, write out the Scripture Memory verse below. : i MacArthur, John. Because the Time is Near. (Moody Publishers: Chicago, IL). 2007. p180. Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version. 2011 Brian Joel Jackson. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. www.harvest.org 8