The Gift of Revelation

     Satan was an angel.
     Many believe that he was the first angel as well as the most beautiful of all that God created. But he quickly got proud, believing that he run creation better than God could. (Isaiah 14:12-16; Ezekiel 28:12-19)
      So, God let him try. He cast the devil from Heaven to earth, and let him run things. Satan immediately began destroying God’s beloved creatures, leading them to rebel against the Almighty’s authority, which they did so willingly. (Genesis 3)
     Such a master of lies is he that he has convinced himself that he will indeed be victorious over God and Christ.
     But Satan is not God. He is a created being who must answer to God. (Job 1-2)
     He is just an angel. And just an angel was all that was needed to bind him up. (Revelation 20:1-3)
     But that was only temporary.
     The unsaved people who will live under Christ’s perfect reign for 1,000 years will have to make the same choice that all mankind has had: To accept or reject the saving grace of Christ.
     So God is giving Satan one final chance. Enjoy!

Opening Discussion

-Imagine a world without Satan.
-What do you think it will be like?

Read

Here is this week’s study passage.
Please pray before you begin.

Revelation 20:7-10 (Message)

7 When the thousand years are up, Satan will be let loose from his cell,

8 and will launch again his old work of deceiving the nations, searching out victims in every nook and cranny of earth, even Gog and Magog!

9 He'll talk them into going to war and will gather a huge army, millions strong. They'll stream across the earth, surround and lay siege to the camp of God's holy people, the Beloved City. They'll no sooner get there than fire will pour out of Heaven and burn them up.

10 The Devil who deceived them will be hurled into Lake Fire and Brimstone, joining the Beast and False Prophet, the three in torment around the clock for ages without end.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ? 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Study

-Read Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6

Revelation 20:7-10 (NKJV)

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.

9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Verse 7

-What happened before the 1,000 years?
-During them?
-What will happen when their over?

Verse 8

-What will Satan do when he is released?
-Who will he deceive?
-To what will he gather them?

Verse 9

-Where will they go?
-Who will they surround?
-Who are the saints?
-What is the beloved city?
-What is the outcome of the battle?

Verse 10

-What will happen to the devil?
-Where will he be cast?
-Read Revelation 13.
-Who else is in the lake of fire?
-What will happen to them?
-For how long will it happen?

-What do we learn about God?
-Christ?
-The Spirit?
-What do we learn about the author?
-His readers?
-His purpose?
-Based on Revelation 20:1-10, how much power would you say Satan has?
-How much power would you say those who serve him have?
-How much power do you think God has?
-How much power do those who serve him have?
-How does that alter your perception of our world and your circumstances?
-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.

Deuteronomy 23:14;
Psalm 87:2;
Isaiah 8:8;
Ezekiel 7:2; 8:2, 9, 16, 22; 39:1, 6;
Hebrews 11:12;
Revelation 7:1; 12:9; 13:13; 14:9-10; 16:13-14; 19:20; 20:2-3, 10, 14-15

Challenge C-The Strand Challenge

Read Genesis 18;
Psalm 18;
Romans 9:1-11.

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