The Gift of Revelation

Happy New Year!

     Well, it’s not so new anymore, is it? Over half of the first month of ‘09 is gone already. How depressing is that!
     This week we will swear in a new president. The economy is still bad. Israel is still under attack.
     The uncertainty of our future has many people worried, including ‘Christians’.
     Did you know that God has already told us that things will get worse?
     Did you also know that there is a happy ending to this troubled story?
     This year we will be looking at the final book of the Bible: Revelation.
     It speaks of a future that is even worse than what we are experiencing now. Yet, it also speaks of God’s plan to step in and restore our broken world.

Since things are already bad, let’s look at the happy ending first.
Enjoy!

Opening Discussion

-Who is your real life hero?
-Who is your favorite fictional hero?
-Explain.

Read

Here is the passage that we will be studying this week.
Please pray before you begin.

Revelation 19:11-16 (NLT)

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.

13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.

14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.

15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Study

Revelation 19:11-16 (New American Standard Bible)

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Verse 11:

-What did the author see?
-What did he behold?
-What was the rider called?
-What did the rider do?
-In what manner did He do it?

Verse 12:

-How is He described?
-What are his eyes like?
-What is on His head?
-What is a diadem? (See NLT above.)
-What is written on Him?

Verse 13:

-How are His clothes described?
-What is His name?

Verse 14:

-Who was following Him?
-Where were they?
-How are their clothes described?

Verse 15:

-What comes from the rider’s mouth?
-Who does He strike with it?
-With what will He rule them?
-What will He tread?
-How is God described?

Verse 16:

-What is written on the riders robe and thigh?
-What is a king?
-What is a lord?

-Read Revelation 1:1, 9.
-Who wrote this book?

-Read John 1:1-18.
-Who is the rider?

-Read Hebrews 4:12.
-What comes from his mouth?

-Read Revelation 6:1-2.
-How is that rider described?
-How are they alike?
-How are they different?
-Are they the same rider?

-What do we learn about God?
-Christ?
-The Spirit?
-What do we learn about the author?
-His readers?
-His purpose?
-This rider will one day overthrow every nation and rule the world Himself.
-How should that affect our view of current world events?
-With whom can you share what you learned this week?

This Week’s Challenges

Challenge A-Reading

     Begin reading the book of Revelation from chapter 1.
     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.

Psalm 2:8-9; 96:13;
Isaiah 11:4; 63:1-6;
Ezekiel 1:1;
Daniel 2:47; 10:6;
Joel 3:13;
Matthew 28:3;
John 1:1-51;
Hebrews 4:12;
2 Thessalonians 2:8;
Revelation 1:14-16; 2:17, 27; 3:4, 14; 4:1; 6:2; 12:3; 14:19-20 17:14; 19:8, 19, 21

Challenge C-The Strand Challenge

Read the following:

Genesis 15;
Psalm 15;
Romans 8:1-13.

Note any similarities between each as well as to this week’s text.