Even Better Than Eden Personal Bible Study Questions Part 3: Weeks 8-9 Summer Bible Study for Women Led by Nancy Guthrie at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church The following questions on the biblical text are intended to help participants get the most out of each week s teaching at this summer s Even Better Than Eden Bible study. The goal is not to get the right answer. The goal is to spend time in the text and begin thinking through what the scriptures reveal and imply in regard to the themes that will be covered week by week. Of course you are welcome to attend the weekly study without working through these questions. You will however get far more out of the theologically rigorous study this summer if you are able to spend some time each week preparing in this way. Wherever possible please be sure to include scripture verse references to support your answers. Nancy will be inviting participants to share their answers to some of the questions during her teaching. She welcomes your feedback on the questions especially if you find them confusing as she prepares this study for publication in the fall. These questions have been prepared by Nancy Guthrie exclusively for the use of Nashville-area participants attending the Even Better Than Eden Bible study offered at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church on Thursday nights in June and July 2017 and are not to be distributed electronically or otherwise beyond registered participants. 2017 All rights reserved by Nancy Guthrie 1
A Dwelling Place for God Personal Bible Study for Week 8 July 20 1. From beginning to end the Bible is the story of God working out his plan to dwell among his people. Trace where and how God dwells among his people in the different eras of biblical history as indicated in the following passages. Sanctuary of Eden Location of God s presence Priest(s) serving in God s presence Manifestation of God s presence Genesis 3:8; Isaiah 66:1; Ezekiel Genesis 2:15 Genesis 2:8; 16 21; 3:8-9 21 23 28:18 Tabernacle in the Wilderness Exodus 25:8-9; 29:45-46 Numbers 3:5-8 Exodus 40:34-38 Temple in Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 21:18-22:1; 2 Chronicles 2:1 5-6; 3:1 1 Chronicles 23:24 32 2 Chronicles 7:1-3; Ezekiel 10:18-19 Jesus in His Life Death and Resurrection John 1:14; 2:19-21; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 1:19 John 2:14-16; Hebrews 8:1-2; 9:11-12 Luke 2:9; 9:28-36 2
The Church 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22 1 Peter 2:4-5 Acts 2:1-4 New Heaven and New Earth 1 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-3 15-16 Revelation 5:9-10 Revelation 21:10-11 22-26 2. In the Gospels we find the locus of God s presence shifting from the temple in Jerusalem to the person of Jesus. How do you see that in each of these passages? Matthew 1:23: Matthew 12:6: Matthew 27:51: John 1:14: John 2:13-22: John 4:19-26: 3. In the Epistles it becomes clear that all who are in Christ are being built into a temple or dwelling place for God. What implications of that reality are presented in these passages? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Ephesians 2:21-22: Hebrews 3:6: 3
Hebrews 10:19-22: 1 Peter 2:4-8: 5. In Revelation John writes about his vision of the dwelling place of God when Christ returns. What do these passages in Revelation reveal about God s dwelling place? Revelation 1:12-13 (understanding that the lampstands in Revelation represent the church): Revelation 3:19-22: Revelation 21:1-3: Revelation 21:15-16: Revelation 21:22: Revelation 22:4: 6. We find much more in the Bible about God s desire to dwell with his people than about our desire to dwell with him. But in the Psalms we find divine words to encourage our hearts in that direction. How do the following psalms help to nurture a longing to dwell with God? Psalm 16: Psalm 27:4: Psalm 65:4: Psalm 84:1-3 10-12: Psalm 90: 4
The City Personal Bible Study for Week 9 July 27 1. Compare the command given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28 which is reiterated to Noah in 9:1 and later to Jacob in 28:13-14 to what happens in Genesis 4:16-17 and 11:2-4. 2. Read Genesis 4. What do you think was Cain s goal or purpose in building a city and what was the result? 3. Read Genesis 11:1-9. What was the goal or purpose in building the city and what was the result? 4. In Genesis 13 we read that Abram settled in the land of Canaan while Lot settled among the cities specifically the city of Sodom where the men were wicked great sinners against the Lord (v.13). Read Genesis 18:20-19:20 along with Ezekiel 16:48-50. Consider what it would have been like to live in the city of Sodom. Three times the narrative in Genesis 18 and 19 refers to the outcry that has come before the Lord. What do you think the outcry was about and from whom did it come? 5. God established the earthly city of Jerusalem where he came down to dwell among his people in the temple. But Jerusalem became a city like all other cities. According Isaiah 1:21-28 in what ways has the faithful city become unfaithful and what will God do about it? 5
6. Similar to Isaiah the prophet Micah laments what has happened to the city of Jerusalem. What does Micah 3 reveal about Jerusalem and what the Lord will do about it? 7. What do the following prophetical passages reveal about God s ultimate intentions for his city? Isaiah 54:2-3 11-14: Isaiah 66:10-14: Jeremiah 3:16-17: Micah 4:1-5: Zechariah 8:1-8 20-23: 8. The city that began as Babel eventually became Babylon. Babylon was a real historical city that is used throughout the Bible to represent the city of man set against God and his people in every era. Note key words or impressions from the following passages that describe this city: Daniel 1:1-4: Daniel 3:1-6: Daniel 4:29-30: Revelation 17:1-6: Revelation 18: 9. How was the impact of Babel reversed in Jerusalem according to Acts 2:1-11 6:7 12:24 13:48-49 and 19:20? 6
10. Revelation presents John s vision of two cities Babylon and the New Jerusalem. Rather than a geographical locality Babylon as portrayed in this vision is the great human city in every age. The New Jerusalem is the city built by God that will be established at the consummation. Read about Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 and the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22. Complete each set of contrasting statements. Try to make your sentence as parallel as possible to its contrasting sentence as demonstrated in the first set. Babylon the city of man 17:1 John was invited to see the judgment of the great prostitute Babylon in rebellion against God. 17:2 Babylon offers wine to make her dwellers drunk so they are not alert to their coming destruction and death. The New Jerusalem the city of God 21:2 9 John was invited to see the salvation of the pure bride the new Jerusalem faithful to God. 21:6 22:17 17:2 21:24 In the New Jerusalem the kings of the earth join in the glorious worship of God. 17:4 Rev. 19:7-8 The prostitute of Babylon is arrayed in purple and scarlet representing her exploitive trade and persecution of the saints. 17:2 21:9-11 18 The bride of the New Jerusalem is adorned with jewels and gold like clear glass that reveals the glory of God. 17: 2 3 4 Babylon is full of blasphemy immorality abominations and impurities. 21:27 18:2 8 10 21:1 (cf. 2 Peter 3:7) The New Jerusalem s destiny is salvation having been purified by fire. 17:5 22:3-4 Babylon s essential identity is revealed by the name written on her forehead: Babylon the great mother of prostitutes and of earth s abominations. 18:14 17 21-23 21:4 26-27; 22:3 The New Jerusalem will have no more death mourning crying pain or night. Nothing unclean no one who does what is detestable or false no curse. 18:24 22:1-2 Babylon seeks to kill the saints. 18:4 22:14 God s people are called to enter the New Jerusalem. 7
11. John s visions in Revelation come with two levels of meaning. On one level John sees visions composed of earthly pictures that he can understand. The purpose of the images however is to reveal a deeper meaning or reality. What does Revelation 21:10-27 reveal about the following aspects of the New Jerusalem? What reality is being communicated by each image? terrain of the city (v. 10): atmosphere of the city (v. 11): security of the city (v. 12-14): shape and size of the city (v. 15-17): materials used in the city (v. 18-21): presence of God in the city (v. 22): illumination in the city (v. 23-25): inhabitants of the city (v. 26-27): 8