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Revelation Study 19. Revelation 14:1-13 (pg 126-130)

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Some think Revelation 14:1-5 portrays the 144,000 in Jerusalem after they have passed through the beasts' persecution and reached glory in the heavenly Kingdom.   Mount Zion (14:1). Zion was the fortress of Jerusalem, the city David captured and made into his capital. Zion came to be used as a synonym for Jerusalem. There is a heavenly Mount Zion, as in Hebrews 12:22-24 (" But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering")   In 21:2-3, the heavenly Jerusalem/Zion comes down to the new earth. (cf. Gal 4:26 "the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother", Ps 2:5 - the King is set in Zion, Ps 74:2 - God dwells in Zion.)   1. Explain in your own words the chief characteristics of the redeemed 144,000 (14:4-5 ). They have the Lamb's name and the Father's name writen on their foreheads (v.1). In contrast to the mark of the beast, they belong to God. They  sing a new so...
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Revelation Study 18. Revelation 13:1-18 (pg 115-121)

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In his campaign to make war on the woman's offspring, the dragon employs two agents: the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth John's beast from the sea sums up characteristics of all four of Daniel's (Da 7). It represents every empire. The beast from the earth is elsewhere called the false prophet (16:13, 19:20, 20:10). Greek has two words for another. One means "another of the same kind" and the other means "another of a different kind." In Revelation 13:11, the word refers to another beast of the same kind as the first one. In a similar way, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be "another Counselor" like Himself (John 14:16)     8. As Christ is God's representative, so the sea beast is Satan's. He is often called the antichrist for this reason: he is a gross parody and opposite of Christ. Below, describe the ways in which the beast distortedly mimicks what Christ is and does.      Christ The beast f...
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Revelation Study 17. Revelation 12:1-17 (pgs 108-111)

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1. Briefly describe what John sees in each of the following passages: 12:1-6   The woman and the dragon. Not "And I saw..." but "And a great sign appeared", suggesting public knowledge.  12:7-12  War in heaven, a hymn of praise. Initiated by the enthronement of the male son in death and resurrection (Jn 12:31). 12:13 - 13:1   Deliverance of the woman from the dragon.  13:2-10  The beast from the sea 13:11-18   The beast from the earth    2. In your own words, explain what you think is the meaning of John's vision in 12:1-6.   The woman is the faithful people of God, from whom the Messiah come s (cf. Gen 37:9).  The woman is in distress from labour pains (cf. Is 26:17, 66:7-9). The child is prophesied in Ps 2:9, seen again in Rev 19:15. The people and the Messiah are always the target of Satan, but they are protected    3. What can we learn about Satan (his character, activities, and destiny) from 12:7-1...
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Revelation Study 16. Revelation 11:1-19 (pgs 100-105)

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 42 months (11:2). Three and a half years. Daniel 9:24-27 prophesied that the remainder of history would be divided into seventy "weeks" (lit. 'seventy sevens').  If the 'sevens' represent years (Da 9:27), this suggests that half of the 70th week (3 1/2 years) will be a time of tribulation (cf.  Revelation 12:14, 1,260 days in Revelation 11:3 and 12:6).  A historicist view thinks 490 years pass.  There are 7 weeks/years from decree to return to a prince, 62 weeks/years after rebuilding of the city, then the Messiah is cut off, then 'sacrifice and offering' will be put to an end for 3 1/2 weeks/years.  The cleansing of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164BC OR the Crucifixion. But the dates do not match well. An idealist view ssees the 70 weeks as symboilc periods of time: ('70 s 7' = completeness)-  - It may allude to 1 week (70 years) of Babylonian captivity x 7, n accordance with the covenantal curses ( Lev. 26:18 , 21 , 24 , 28 ). - 7+62+...
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Revelation Study 15. Revelation 10:1 -11 (pgs 98-100)

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Review: What is the purpose of the interlude between the 6th and 7th seals ?   The church identified and protected. The vision looks away from judgment   Daniel 10:4-12:13   1. How is the vision of Revelation 10:1-7 like that of Daniel 10:4-12:13 described above?  There is a glorious angelic figure (" a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6  His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude ", "above the waters of the stream" (Da 10:5-6, 12:7-9)   There is an oath (Da 12:7)   2. In Daniel 12:5-7, one angel asks, "How long?" In Revelation 6:9-11, the martyrs ask, "How long?" How is the angel's oath in 10:6-7 different from the oath in Daniel 12:7 and the answer in Revelation 6:11?  The "time, times and half a time" are now over. (cf. R...
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Sermon at FFMC 2/8/26. Do not murder. Title: Choose Life In Our Relationships

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 The Hebrew only has 2 words •        “You shall not murder.” (Ex 20:13, Dt 5:17) •        ‎ רצח (r-á¹£-ḥ, transliterated retzach, ratzákh, ratsakh) does not prohibit all killing, but unlawful killing. •        Not all killing is murder   (= 'unauthorized, intentional or hostile killing of one human being by another‘). Self-defense, capital punishment, just war •        The commandment protects innocent life.  The Bible tells us that God highly values human life because man is made in God’s image. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6  “Whoever sheds the blood of man,      by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.(Gen 9:5-6)   Even animals are called to acc...
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