1Pet. 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
8and,
“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
1Pet. 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Revelation 1 The Introduction: Scene:
Earth.Time: Past (ca. 95 AD).
John introduces the book of prophecy with
an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the Revelation. John was exiled
on the island of Patmos when Jesus sent and communicated the vision of things
which must soon take place. John is commanded to write and send the book to the
seven churches in Asia.
Revelation 2-3Messages to the Angels of the Seven Churches
in Asia:
Scene: Earth. Time: Present (to original
readers in Asia).
Jesus sends a unique message to each of
the seven churches in the western part of the Roman province of Asia: Ephesus,
Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.The cities are listed in the order of the geographical circuit that the
messenger of the book would naturally travel as he delivered the letters.
Revelation 4–5 Prelude of Praise:
Scene: Heaven. Time: Future (Onset of the Great
Seven-Year Tribulation which will complete the present age, conclude with
Jesus’ return, and usher in the Millennium).
Revelation 4-22 records events that will
take place in the future. Three consecutive periods of judgment lead to the
second return of Jesus Christ: 7 Seals; 7 Trumpets; and, 7 Bowls. A prelude of
praise in heaven precedes the onset of each three sets of 7 consecutive
judgments. Revelation 4-5 records the initial heavenly prelude of praise that
will precede the opening of the 7 Seals of judgment in Revelation 6, ushering
in “a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the
world until now, nor ever will” (Matt 24:21).
The seven seals contain the
judgments of the Great Tribulation, concluding with the return of Jesus. The
seventh Seal contains the seven Trumpet judgments, and the seventh Trumpet
judgment contains the final seven Bowl judgments. The Trumpet and Bowl
judgments are all contained within the seventh Seal, unfolding consecutively
through the seven-year Tribulation Period. Through judgment, Jesus becomes King
of all the nations.
Revelation 6 records John’s
vision of the Lamb breaking the first 6 of 7 Seals:
§Seal #4:Fourth
Apocalyptic Horseman (Ashen Horse): Death and Hades (over ¼ of earth killed)
§Seal #5:Cries
of the Martyrs for Judgment and Vengeance
§Seal #6:Earthquake,
Blackened Sun, Blood-like Moon, Falling Stars, Split Sky, Moving Mountains and
Islands, Hiding Men, Great Day of Wrath
The seventh seal remains unbroken
at the end of Revelation 6. Before the Lamb breaks the seventh seal (Rev 8), the
foreheads of 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel are sealed.
Introduction to Revelation 7
Rev 7:1-8 Sealing of 144,000 from 12 Tribes of
Israel: Scene: Earth. Time: Future.
The angels are commanded to
refrain from harming the earth, sea, or trees until the bond-servants of God
are sealed on their foreheads with the seal of the Living God. The 144,000
include 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Rev 7:9-17 Prelude of Praise by
Multitude in Heaven:Scene: Heaven. Time: Future.
Before the Lamb breaks the
7th Seal, containing the 7 Trumpets and 7 Bowls, there is a prelude of praise
in heaven by a great, countless multitude from every nation, tribes, peoples,
and tongues. The multitude, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their
hands, stands before the throne and before the Lamb as they cry, “Salvation to
our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (7:10). The heavenly court
responds in worship. One of the elders explains to John that the multitude
came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, made white in the
blood of the Lamb.
STUDY QUESTIONS
Revelation 7:1-3 — Interlude:
Angels Await Sealing of 144,000 Servants from 12 Tribes of Israel
Rev. 7:1 After
this I sawfour angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or
on the sea or on any tree.2And I saw another angel ascending from the
rising of the sun, having theseal ofthe living God; and he
cried out with a loud voice to the four
angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we havesealed
the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
1. After seeing the
vision of the Lamb breaking the first six seals (Rev. 6), what does John see?
(7:1-2)
2.Describe the angels (how many, their
location, activity, command).
3.What must happen before the four angels can do harm to the earth, sea,
or trees?
4.What do you learn about God from
Rev. 7:1-3?How could this transform
your life?
Rev. 7:4 And I
heard the number of those who
were sealed, one hundred and
forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5from
the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of
Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
6from
the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
7from
the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
8from
the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
1.What
does John hear? How many are sealed? Who are they?
2.How many tribes of Israel are listed? What is the total number to be
sealed? (D) Why do you think that the tribes of Ephraim (Joseph’s second son)
and Dan are not included in the list?
3.What
do you learn about God from Rev. 7:4-8? How could this transform your life?
Rev. 7:9 After these things I
looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and
peoples and tongues, standing before
the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;10and
they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to
our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”11And all the angels were standing around the throne and aroundthe elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and
worshiped God,12saying,
“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and
thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and
ever. Amen.”
1.After
seeing the 144,000 sealed bond-servants of God, what does John see?
2.Describe the great multitude (7:9-10). Where are they (heaven or earth)?
3.What is the multitude saying with a loud voice?
4.Describe
the worship scene in Rev. 7:11-12.What
seven things are ascribed to God ?
5.What
do you learn about God from Rev. 7:9-12? How could this transform your life?
Rev. 7:13 Then one of the elders
answered, saying to me, “These
who are clothed in the white
robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”14Isaid
to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come
out of the great tribulation, and
they have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.15“For
this reason, they are before the
throne of God; and they serve Him
day and night in Histemple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.16“They
will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sunbeat down on them, nor any heat;17for
the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs
of thewater of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
1.What
does one of the elders ask John? How does the elder describe the great
multitiude?
2.For what reason is the multitude before the throne of God (7:15)?
3.What is the future of the great multitude of martyrs? (7:16-17)
4.Who will shepherd the multitude? Where will
He guide them? Who will wipe their tears?
5.What
do you learn about God from Rev. 7:13-17? How could this transform your life?
