Our world is getting worse.
Those who oppose God seem to get more
of a foothold each and every day.
Many not only justify murder, theft, lying and adultery, but insist that those who
resist them do them, as well.
Why doesn’t God do something?
Well, very soon He will do something.
At the peak of society’s depravity, a man will arise and bring world peace.
People will demand that this man be worshipped as God. Those who don’t will be executed.
This will be the ultimate rejection of the One, True God. He will pour out His wrath on this world. Every nation will respond
by uniting in war against His chosen people, Israel.
Then our Messiah will return and
quash the rebellion with a single word. The true Savior will send the false one to Hell, and will temporarily bind Satan.
Then He will take His place as King, and begin restoring the world to its intended perfection,
by setting His followers to rule over it with Him.
Let’s take a look.
Enjoy!
Opening Discussion
-Have you ever been subject to someone else’s judgment?
-Has anyone been subject to yours?
-Which was preferable and why?
Reading
Here is this week’s study passage.
Please pray before you begin.
Revelation
20:4-6 (CJB)
4 Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them received authority to judge. And I
saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for testifying about Yeshua and proclaiming the Word of God, also those who had
not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They came to life
and ruled with the Messiah for a thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to
life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy
is anyone who has a part in the first resurrection; over him the second death has no power. On the contrary, they will be
cohanim of God and of the Messiah, and they will rule with him for the thousand years.
Scripture quotations are
taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications,
Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Reading
Revelation 20:4-6 (NIV)
4
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image
and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but
they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Scripture
taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Verse 4
-What does the author see?
-Who were seated on them?
-What had they been given?
-Read Revelation 17:14 an 19:14.
-Who are these people?
-What does the author see next?
-How had they died? -Why had it happened?
-Read Revelation 13.
-What did they refuse
to do?
-What is happening to them now?
-What do they get to do?
-How long do
they get to do it?
Verse 5
-Who are the rest?
-Why didn’t they come to life now?
-When
will they come to life?
-Read Revelation 20:11-15.
-What will happen to them?
Verse 6
-Define
resurrection.
-Which resurrection is this?
-How are those involved described?
-What has no power over them?
-What is the second death?
-What will they be?
-Define priest?
-What do they get to do?
-How long do they get to do it?
-What do we learn about God?
-Christ?
-The
Spirit?
-What do we learn about the author?
-His readers?
-His purpose?
-If you are
truly saved in Christ, you will be priests of God, judging, ruling and reigning over the earth alongside Christ for 1,000
years. How does that make you feel?
-How should that affect your walk with Christ?
-What has God shown you through
this passage of Scripture?
-With whom can you share what you learned this week?
This Week’s Challenges
Challenge
A-Reading
Continue reading the book of Revelation.
Read at your own pace.
Take
notes as you go.
Challenge B-The Text
Read some or all of the verses below. Note
any similarities with this week’s passage.
Isaiah 61:6;
Ezekiel 37:10;
Daniel 7:9, 22;
Matthew
19:28;
Luke 14:14; 22:30;
John 14:19;
Romans 8:17;
1 Corinthians 6:2-3;
Philippians 3:11;
1 Thessalonians 4:16;
2 Timothy 2:12;
1 Peter 2:5, 9;
Revelation 1:6, 9; 2:11; 3:21; 5:10; 6:9; 13:12,
15-16; 14:13, 19; 20:4, 6, 14; 22:5
Challenge C-The Strand Challenge
Read Genesis 17;
Psalm 17;
Romans 8:27-39.
Note any similarities between
each as well as to this week’s text.
