Queen's Road Cell

How is your situation like the first-century situation in which John wrote Revelation? How is it different?  Similarities: a secular world, with different opposition. Pressure to conform, apathy Differences: non violent persecution in our location,  the immediacy of apostolic authority then but  dependency on completed Scripture now.  Secularism vs. pluralism, different non-centralised political systems (not just Rome).  A clearer hope of Christ's return then  What do you think people need to know about biblical prophecy? (Is it strictly foretelling the future?) What features mark Revelation as a prophecy?  Prophecy is both 'forthtelling' of God's view of a current or past situations as well as 'foretelling' of the future.  Why is it important that Revelation is an epistle (a letter)?  It is meant for real people at the time it was written, by a real author. The book was meant to be understood at the time it was written. It spoke to particula...

4. The next step in an overview is to break the book into major sections, then break those sections into parts. This gives you a working outline to see how the book is put together. To save you time, we have suggested some divisions on the following pages. Go back through the book, and make up a title for each major and secondary section. (Feel free to alter the divisions; they are arbitrary in some places.) If you have trouble making up titles for all of these passages now, do only the main sections and fill in the subsections as you study each lesson.   1:1-20. Prologue and the vision of Jesus, Introduction      1:1-8 Prologue and introduction to letter       1:9-20 Jesus among the lampstands, John’s assignment    2:1-3:22 Letters to the seven churches       2:1-7 to Ephesus       2:8-11 to Smyrna       2:12-17 to Pergamum      2:18-29 to Thyatira    ...

 1. What are your first impressions about John's style of writing? (Does it seem more like a documentary, a theater production, cartoon animation, a logical essay? Is it fun or difficult? Why?) What are your impressions of his tone or mood (optimistic, pessimistic, angry, joyful, fearful, calm, cynical, excited ...)?  John seems objective in his account, and yet he is clearly greatly affected by what he sees. He falls at Jesus' feet though dead (1:17), weeps (5:5), and worships the mediating angel (19:10, 22:8). He “marvels”. “Like a movie” “with soundtrack”  “A lot of repeated structures” “very descriptive” “Action packed” “plot twists” “good ending”  There are tough times for Christians and non Christians. “Like a play with acts”. There is scene change. There are protagonist and antagonists  “Like dreams” with scene changes. “Hard to keep up” “Acid trip” “How big God is”   2. Repetition is a clue to the ideas an author wants to emphasize. What words and p...

  Chan says we are to be in a place where we have Nothing to prove : a state of deep security in God -  we must be humble Nothing to lose : a state of absolute surrender to God - we give in to God. 'When Christ is absolutely everything, Christ is absolutely enough' Nothing to hide : a state of true integrity before God. All our worst sins are forgiven. Qin mentioned the nakedness of Adam and Eve in the Garden.    The root obstacle of our inability to reach this is a lack of inner security. This leds to a performance trap, fragile egos, vain comparions, envy (desiring that others have) and jealousy (when we are upset that others have more than we do). We then cannot celebrate others' strengths and successes. We must not seek security in acquiring, possessing and hoarding. Insecurity causes us to hide our sin rather than repenting of sin and finding freedom in Christ's transformation. In Christ our destiny is secure In Christ our identity is secure  All this is by...

Chan says that the world focuses on our affluence/acquisitions (what we have) our associations (who we know), our appearance (how we look) our abilities (what we can do) and our accomplishments (what we have done).   We can orientate life around the external (the red bar) or the internal (the blue bar). The red bar is the default way of the world; the blue bar 'is the discipleship way of God'. We need both so that the stature and substance of a person can reflect their true status in life.   Red focuses on externals . Blue focuses on the inner-life . Red values accomplishments . Blue values authenticity . Red values performance results . Blue values growth and learning . Red – competence first. Blue – character first. Red – doing good with the aim of looking good . Blue – doing good flows out of being good . Red – display : outward show. Blue – depth : inward security. Red esteems status . Blue esteems substance . Red – competitive and boastful. Blue – genuinely cele...

Is He Worthy? The One on the Throne After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2  At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3  And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ( 4  Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5  From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumbling and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6  and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four liv...