Week *7*
Video - The people of the Revelation (Historical Background)
The importance of
It is easy to forget that Revelation was written to: real.
Historical Setting can be summarizes with one word:
Definition: When two people or kingdoms try to occupy the
How do we know there is conflict in Revelation: over 95 passages that refer to conflict and/or opposition. (Revelation 2:9, 3:9)
Christians and ….
They
Saul before he became Paul was
Stephen in Acts chapter 6.
The Christian message was seen as a political
They were called
What does conflict look like?
Examples
Pliny the Younger’s (AD 111-112) Letter to Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117) Epistles
Old man, have pity on your age, curse Christ and you will be set free.
For 80 and 3 years I have served my Lord. He has never let me down. Why would I abandon him now?
Old man, have pity on your age just say away with the atheist and this will all be done.
He waved his hand across the whole colosseum and said away with the atheist.
He was killed in the colosseum that day.
Biblical Texts
Rev 1:9, 2:10, 2:13
Cannibals
Incest
Threat to National Security
(Rev 3:14-18)
Physical Persecution equals church
Is this today? Are we too comfortable? Did we forget there is a war going on?
Jesus tells Laodicea that spiritually you make me sick!!!!
3 things that made Laodicea rich
The
The
Eye
Conclusion
Does this mean that Christians were being killed en masse by an edict from Rome at the time of Revelation?
No … but the threat of
The loss of
The loss of
The loss of
If our interpretations of Revelation do not take this struggle seriously, we rob the first century Christians of a Revelation that truly impacts their lives - for these are real people, at a real time, going through real struggles.
Map (The seven churches of revelation and the connecting trade route)
Week *8* Discussion *Question*
What is one point that you have connected with most from the study of Revelation so far? Explain.
Read Revelation 7:1-8
What are the “four winds” that the angels are holding back?
What does it mean that “no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree?”
How does verse 2 shed more light on this situation?
Why are the angels doing this?
What is the reference to harming earth and sea? Is there anything in the context (before or after) this which can explain this?
Who will be sealed?
What is the significance of the sealing? Why is it on the forehead? Do you think it will be visible?
How will this comfort believers during this time?
What does this passage show us about the nation of Israel during this time?
Which tribe is not mentioned? Why?
Revelation 7:9-17
What do we learn in this passage about God’s end vision?
How does seeing God’s end vision affect your life now?
Knowing that He desires people from every nation and tribe, what should you do?
Who will be before the throne? What will they have faced?
What will they be doing?
How does this chapter contrast with the judgments in chapters 6 and 8?
Knowing that you will be worshiping then, what should you do now?
What protections are offered to the believers there?
Read Revelation 8:1-5
Why do you think there is about half an hour of silence in heaven when the seventh seal is broken?
Why does John say “about” half an hour?
What does it mean that our prayers are like incense to God?
How does knowing your prayers are like incense to God affect your prayer life?
How are the prayers answered?
What are some Biblical examples where prayers were answered, but the answer was not seen right away?
What is the seventh seal?
Read Revelation 8:6-13
What do these four judgments target?
Why do you think God targets the earth before people?
Are these judgments more or less intense than the seal judgments? What can you learn about God’s character from this?
Should we take these judgments as literal or symbolic?
What is “Wormwood?”
How do you think the world may explain away these disasters at that time?
How do the judgments shape your view of sin? And of God?
How can you become less attached to this world?