Church guide

The Choices We Make Read for This Week’s Study: Eph. 1:1-4; Matt. 22:35-37; Matt. 7:24, 25; Prov. 18:24; 1 Cor. 15:33; Eccles. 2:1-11. Memory Text: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV). Ever notice that life is full of choices? In fact, one could argue that in many ways, what we do all day, from the moment we get up until we go to bed, is make choices. We make so many choices that often we don’t even think about them. We just make them. Some choices are simple and even become routine, while others are life-changing and have eternal consequences, not only for us but even for our own families. Hence, how crucial that we think through our choices, especially the big ones, the ones that can impact us and our families for the rest of not only our own lives but our family members’ lives, as well. How many of us, to this day, regret the choices we have made? How many, to this day, live with the wreckage from the wrong choices made even long ago? Fortunately, there is forgiveness. There is redemption, and there is healing, even for the worst of decisions. This week, we will look in a very broad way at the question of the choices we make, how we should make them, and what impact these choices can have on ourselves and our families.

Further Thought: Imagine the changes that occurred in the life of Christ’s disciples as they spent time with Him. They were mostly uneducated, simple people, accustomed to the teachings and traditions of their Jewish faith, but now they were being challenged by the Galilean Rabbi. They experienced jealousy (Matt. 20:20-24) and conflict (John 3:25); they seemed to lack faith (Mark 9:28, 29), and they even abandoned (Matt. 26:56) and betrayed Jesus (Matt. 26:69-74). At the same time, they were growing spiritually so that people recognized Peter had been with Jesus (Matt. 26:73), and even the members of the Sanhedrin marveled when they perceived that Peter and John were “uneducated and untrained men”. “They realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13, NKJV). Think, too, about the incredibly positive impact we could have in our families if we lived in such a way that when other members of our family see us, they know that we have “been with Jesus”. What do these words have to say about influences in the home? The home may be plain, but it can always be a place where cheerful words are spoken and kindly deeds are done, where courtesy and love are abiding guests. Discussion Questions: Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. What are these verses saying, and how can you apply the principle there to your own life and experiences? Think about some of the life-changing experiences that you have been through, and talk about the lessons you learned and, if applicable, the lessons you should have learned but didn’t. What did you learn from the lessons that you didn’t know? Also talk about how these life-changing experiences impacted your family. What lessons did you learn in these situations, too? What are the ways you live today that, were it not for Christ in your life, would be radically different than they are now? What should that tell you about the power of Christ to change us?

Interactions The Bible is a book of relationships. God created us to be in relationship with others. Indeed, very few of us live in complete isolation. For starters, none of us could even come into existence but for others. Even after birth, we need others to take care of us, at least until a certain age when, in principle at least, we could exist on our own. And even if we could, who would want to? Most of us need and crave the company and companionship of other human beings. Though pets, such as dogs, can be delightful companions, in the end the deepest and most meaningful and life-changing interactions come from other people. No wonder, then, that the family, and family relationships, are so crucial to our existence. Because most of us do interact, often all the time, with others, these interactions can and often do impact the changes and rhythms of our lives. It works two ways, though: others, in their interactions with us, impact our lives. We, meanwhile, in our interactions with others can impact their lives. And whether we realize it or not (and many times we don’t), those interactions, in either direction, can be either for good or for evil. How crucial then for us to be proactive, at all times, so that our inevitable influence on others is always for the good, especially those with whom we are closest, which is usually our own family members. Read the following texts. What do they tell us to do in our interactions with others? Rom. 15:7; Eph. 4:2, 32; 1 Thess. 3:12; James 5:16. In many ways, the principle is simple. If we act nicely, kindly, and compassionately toward others, we will be a positive influence upon them, even to the point where we could change their lives in a very positive way. Just as Jesus changes people’s lives in a very positive manner, what a privilege for us to do something similar for others, as well. Again, we must remember: our influence is going to be either for good or for bad, even in subtle ways. And nowhere is this influence, subtle or not, more pronounced than in our families. Look at the two following statements of Jesus: Luke 11:34 and Mark 4:24, 25. What are they saying about the importance of how we interact with others?

Transitions The fact is that human beings are, often, creatures of habit. And we do, indeed, get set in our ways, and the older we get, the harder it is to change those ways. Indeed, we don’t change easily. How many wives have complained over the years, “I’ve tried to change my husband, but … ”? However, God is in the business of changing us, if not so much our personalities but, certainly, our characters. That’s so much of what the plan of salvation is about: God making us into new people in Him. What great change happened to Saul of Tarsus, and how did it happen? Acts 8:1, 3; 9:1-22; Gal. 1:15-17. “As Saul yielded himself fully to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he saw the mistakes of his life and recognized the far-reaching claims of the law of God. He who had been a proud Pharisee, confident that he was justified by his good works, now bowed before God with the humility and simplicity of a little child, confessing his own unworthiness and pleading the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Saul longed to come into full harmony and communion with the Father and the Son; and in the intensity of his desire for pardon and acceptance he offered up fervent supplications … The prayers of the penitent Pharisee were not in vain. The inmost thoughts and emotions of his heart were transformed by divine grace; and his nobler faculties were brought into harmony with the eternal purposes of God. Christ and His righteousness became to Saul more than the whole world”. – The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 119, 120. Even if our own conversion stories are nowhere near as dramatic as Saul’s, we should all have our story, an experience of how the Lord has worked in our lives to change us, to make us into the kind of person we know we should be. Yes, the process can be long, and at times it’s easy to wonder if we are ever going to change. At times like these, two Bible texts are so crucial to meditate on and to claim for oneself. Read Philippians 1:6 and Romans 8:1. What two great promises are found in those texts, and how do they fit together in the experience of a Christian?

The Unexpected Read Job 1:13-19, 2:7-9. What happened to Job? In what ways does his experience reflect what happens to everyone, in one way or another, or at one time or another? The Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared that “there is nothing permanent except change”. Just as it seems that everything is going fine, the unexpected happens. It may be the loss of a job or a limb, an illness that sends us to bed or to an early death, a house fire, a car accident, a fall while walking the family pet. Of course, not all changes have to be negative. Maybe a promotion at work leads to better economic conditions. Or perhaps you meet someone who will become your spouse, a change that many would welcome. Either way, we can be going along, even in a routine, a rhythm, when, instantly and unexpectedly, it’s all disrupted. Job was certainly not expecting the new season in his life. The Bible describes him as a man who was “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1, NKJV). We also know that he was married, had seven sons and three daughters, and was very wealthy (Job 1:2, 3). By the time we reach the middle of the book, he has suffered at least six major losses: his property, his labor force, his children, his health, the support of his wife, and the encouragement of his friends. His world has been turned upside down and his family life devastated. Though what happened to Job was quite extreme, who among us hasn’t experienced the unexpected, in a very negative way, too? Life can be going along just fine when, suddenly and without warning, everything completely changes, and our lives—and our family’s lives—might never be the same again. This is nothing new. Abel probably didn’t expect to be murdered, and Joseph didn’t exactly expect to be sold into slavery in Egypt. In both stories, family members were the betrayers, and in both stories the families were greatly impacted by what happened to other members. Scripture is full of examples of people whose lives, and families, were greatly transformed by the unexpected. How has your faith helped you amid the trials that unexpectedly interrupted the rhythms of your life?

The Rhythms of Life Scientists talk about something called circadian rhythms, the idea that there are biological rhythms (sometimes called “body clocks”) that regulate function in our bodies. In other words, a certain degree of regularity exists even within our bodies themselves. Hence, to some degree, rhythms exist all around and even in us. What are the predictable seasons of life mentioned in the following passages of Scripture, and how do they directly tie into family life? Eccles. 3:2 Gen. 21:8, Judg. 13:24 Ps. 71:5, Prov. 5:18 Gen. 15:15, Judg. 8:32 Ps. 90:10 Between the two bookends of life, birth and death, we all go through a variety of seasons, different for each individual. Some children don’t live long after their birth; others grow into adults who live to a ripe old age. Children grow and develop at their own rate. Some walk or talk sooner than others. Some will be able to attend school and grow up to be professionals, while others will devote their time to other forms of work. Some will have families, and others may never marry or have children. There are billions of people on earth, and though we all have much in common (see Acts 17:26), each one of us is an individual, and thus, differences will exist in each one of our lives. In a sense, too, these differences are important because they make each one of us unique, which means each one of us has something to share that others don’t have. In short, our differences allow us to be a blessing to others. For instance, both young and old can benefit from what each offers the other: “The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head” (Prov. 20:29, NKJV). Whatever stage we are in, and no matter our differences, we all have something to offer, not just to the Lord, but to each other, as well. Whatever your life circumstances happen to be right now, what can you do to be a blessing to someone else? Why not make a conscious effort to be that blessing, especially to someone in your family?

In the Beginning The Bible begins at the beginning, which is no doubt why it begins with the words (actually one word in the Hebrew), “In the beginning … ” (Gen. 1:1). The particular focus of the chapter, of course, is the transformation of the earth from a state of being “without form, and void” (Gen. 1:2) to the world that God Himself, on the sixth day, declared “very good” (Gen. 1:31). In short, the beginning here is the beginning of our world. Read Genesis 1. Though so much is going on, ask yourself the question: Is there any hint of randomness or chance, or is everything done in a very orderly manner with everything in its proper time and place? What does your answer say about the character of God? “Order is Heaven’s first law” (Signs of the Times, June 8, 1908); apparently it is on earth, as well. Though sin has disrupted the natural world, to some degree, order, rhythm, and regularity still exist. Read Genesis 8:22. How is order seen here, as well? Even after the Fall, the seasons come and go in an orderly fashion—generally. Hence, along with the lights in the sky, i.e., the sun and moon, which are to “divide the day from the night … for signs and seasons, and for days and years” (Gen. 1:14, NKJV), there are the seasons as well, all part of the natural rhythm of the world that God has created. And indeed, though we get only glimpses now, a verse such as Isaiah 66:23 implies that in the new heavens and new earth the sense of rhythm will, indeed, exist then too. Think about how the Sabbath, in a powerfully regular way, impacts your life, especially your family life, whatever it is. What are the distinct advantages, not just of the Sabbath, but in the fact that it does come with such regularity?

The Rhythms of Life Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 1, Gen. 8:22, Ps. 90:10, Job 1:13-19, Acts 9:1-22, Phil. 1:6, Rom. 8:1. Memory Text: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NKJV). Some of the most beautiful poetry ever penned came from King Solomon: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace” (Eccles. 3:1-8, NKJV). Those words capture so much of human existence—the seasons, the rhythms of our lives. Yes, our lives go through stages, through changes, and they do so from the moment we are born. Sometimes the changes are good, sometimes not; sometimes we have control over them; sometimes not. This week let’s look at the seasons and rhythms of our lives, especially as they impact us and our families, too.

Further Thought: The book of Revelation concludes with what was introduced at the beginning: the second coming of Christ in power and glory and the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom. The return of Christ, when He finally will be united with His bride, is the climactic point in the book. However, the book does not put these events in an unrealistic context. That Jesus is coming soon is the first reality. The second reality is that we are still here waiting for His return. While waiting, we must have a clear comprehension of the messages of Revelation, and we can get this understanding by reading the book again and again until the end of all things comes. The messages of the book of Revelation constantly remind us, while we wait, not to look to the things of the world, but to fix our eyes on heaven and on Him who is our only hope. The Christ of Revelation is the answer to all human hopes and longings amid the enigmas and uncertainties of life. He holds the future of this world and our future in His hands. The book also reminds us that before the end comes, we are entrusted with the task of proclaiming the message of His soon return to all the world. Our waiting for His return is not passive, but active. Both the Spirit and the Bride call: “Come!” (Rev. 22:17, NKJV). We must join that call. It is the good news, and as such, it must be proclaimed to the people of the world. Discussion Questions: Think about the millennium and the judgment of the unrighteous dead that occurs only after the millennium. The saved will have a thousand years to get all their questions answered. Only then will God bring final punishment upon the lost. What does this truth reveal to us about God? Revelation 1:3 promises blessings to those who listen, read, heed, and keep the words of the prophecies of Revelation. As we conclude our study of this book, what are the things you have discovered that you need to heed and keep?

The New Jerusalem John now describes the capital of the new earth, the New Jerusalem. While a real place inhabited by real people, the New Jerusalem and life in it are beyond any earthly description (1 Cor. 2:9). Read Revelation 21:9-21. What are the exterior features of the New Jerusalem? The New Jerusalem is referred to as the bride, the Lamb’s wife. The New Jerusalem is the place Christ is preparing for His people (John 14:1-3). The city is surrounded by a high wall with twelve gates - three gates on each of the four sides, allowing entry from any direction. This feature points to the universal scope of the city. In the New Jerusalem everybody has unlimited access to God’s presence. The city is further pictured as a perfect cube; it is 12,000 furlongs, or stadia, in length, width, and height. The cube consists of 12 edges. Thus, the city totals 144,000 stadia, which reflects the 144,000 who are translated without seeing death at the second coming of Jesus. In the Old Testament temple, the Most Holy Place was a perfect cube (1 Kings 6:20). The New Jerusalem thus functions as the center of the worship of God. Read Revelation 21:21-22:5. What interior features of the city remind you of the Garden of Eden? What is the significance of the promise that there will be no more curse in the city (Rev. 22:3)? The most prominent feature of the New Jerusalem is the river of water of life flowing from God’s throne (Gen. 2:10). In contrast to the river in Babylon, at which God’s people were sitting as captives longing for Jerusalem (Psalm 137), on the banks of the river of life in the New Jerusalem, God’s wandering people of all ages have found their home. On both sides of the river is the tree of life with leaves for “the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2). This healing does not refer to disease, as on the new earth there will be no disease. It refers to the healing of all the wounds caused by the barriers that have torn people apart throughout history. The redeemed of all ages and from all nations now belong to one family of God.

Forgiveness is not always about forgiving those that do us wrong, sometimes it starts with forgiving ourselves. God forgives us but still we hold onto the guilt and we can't move forward. God is doing a new thing in your life, you won't see it if you're not looking for it, but if you do, you'll stop looking back and start looking forward.

“A New Heaven and a New Earth” After the eradication of sin, the earth will be transformed into the home of the redeemed. What will it be like? In Revelation 21:1, John saw “a new heaven and a new earth”. The Bible refers to three heavens: the sky, the starry universe, and the place where God dwells (2 Cor. 12:2). In Revelation 21:1, the earth’s atmosphere is in view. The contaminated earth and the sky cannot endure God’s presence (Rev. 20:11). The word “new” in Greek (kainos) refers to something new in quality, not in origin and time. This planet will be purged by fire and restored to its original state (2 Pet. 3:10-13). Particularly interesting is the fact that the first thing John observes on the new earth is that there is no sea. John’s reference to “the sea” (with the definite article) shows that he probably had in mind the sea that surrounded him on Patmos, which had become a symbol of separation and suffering. For him, the absence of that sea on the new earth meant absence from the pain caused by his separation from those whom he loved. Read Revelation 21:2-8 and 7:15-17. What parallels exist in the description of the new earth and the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 2? A life free of suffering and death on the restored earth is guaranteed by God’s presence among His people. This presence is manifested in the New Jerusalem and “the tabernacle of God” (Rev. 21:3), where God will dwell among His people. The presence of God makes life truly a paradise in the restored earth. God’s presence guarantees freedom from suffering: no death, sorrow, crying, or pain, which are all the consequences of sin. With the eradication of sin, “the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4, NKJV). This idea was well articulated by Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazarus: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, NKJV). The sisters knew that death could not exist in the presence of Christ. In the same way, the abiding presence of God on the new earth will secure freedom from the pain and suffering that we now experience in this life. This freedom is the great hope that is promised to us in Christ, a hope sealed in His blood. Why is this promise of a new existence in a new world so central to all that we believe? What good would our faith be without it?

The Millennium Read Revelation 20:1-3 along with Jeremiah 4:23-26. During the millennium, what is the state of the earth? In what way is Satan bound by chains? The 1,000 years (or millennium) begin with the second coming of Christ. At this time, Satan and his fallen angels are chained. The chaining of Satan is symbolic, because spiritual beings cannot be physically bound. Satan is bound by circumstances. The plagues have desolated the earth and killed off its evil inhabitants, bringing it into a chaotic condition resembling the earth before Creation (Gen. 1:2). In such a state, the earth functions as Satan’s prison during the millennium. Because there are no human beings to tempt and harm, all Satan and his demonic associates can do is contemplate the consequences of their rebellion against God. Read Revelation 20:4-6. Where are the redeemed during the millennium? Revelation shows that God’s people will spend the millennium in the heavenly places that Christ prepared for them (John 14:1-3). John sees them sitting on thrones as kings and priests, judging the world. Jesus promised the disciples that they would “sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28). Paul stated that the saints would judge the world (1 Cor. 6:2-3). This judgment concerns the fairness of God’s actions. Throughout history Satan has raised doubts concerning God’s character and His dealings with the beings He created. During the millennium, God allows the redeemed to access the records of history in order to find answers to all questions concerning the fairness of His decisions regarding those who were lost, as well as questions dealing with His leading in their own lives. At the conclusion of the millennium, all questions regarding God’s justice are forever settled. God’s people are able to see beyond a shadow of doubt that Satan’s accusations were unfounded. They are now ready to witness the administration of God’s justice at the final judgment of the lost. Who among us doesn’t have questions, hard questions, that for now seem to have no answers? What does it tell us about the character of God that, one day, He will give us the answers?

Armageddon Ends Read Revelation 19:11-16. What is the name of the rider of the white horse, and what does it mean that a sharp sword comes from His mouth? What does this tell us about how to be on the winning side in the end? What we see here is a depiction of Christ’s second coming, the fulfillment of the promise that believers in all ages have been longing for. Like Jesus, His people have based their faith on God’s Word. Revelation 19:11-16 is the culmination of Jesus’ many victories: Jesus defeated Satan in heaven; He defeated Satan in the wilderness; He defeated him at the cross; and He will defeat him at His return. “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a ‘Man of Sorrows’, to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. ‘Faithful and True’, ‘in righteousness he doth judge and make war’. And ‘the armies which were in heaven’ (Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms - ‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’. No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor”. - The Great Controversy, pp. 640, 641. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10, Paul gives another depiction of the ultimate victory of Christ at the Second Coming, when all the secular and religious powers, which had conspired against Him, are destroyed, and His people are delivered for all eternity. Revelation 19 describes two suppers, one in verse 9 and another in verses 17 and 18. At one supper you eat, at the other you get eaten. It’s hard to imagine a starker contrast of what’s at stake in the whole great controversy for every human being. What should this imagery teach us about how seriously we need to take our faith and the mission that our faith calls us to participate in?

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb Read Revelation 19:6-9 along with John 14:1-3. How does a wedding supper appropriately illustrate the long-awaited union between Christ and His people? Two thousand years ago, Christ left His heavenly home to invite His followers to a wedding supper (Matt. 22:1-14) that will take place after His marriage to His bride. “The marriage represents the reception by Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem … is called ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife’. … In Revelation, the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage supper. Revelation 19:9. If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride. … In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14”. -The Great Controversy, pp. 426-428. After His death and resurrection, the Bridegroom returned to His Father’s house to “prepare a place” for His people, His wedding guests (John 14:1-3). They remain on earth preparing for His return. At the end of the world, He will come back and take them to His Father’s house. Revelation 19:8 states that the fine and clean linen was given to the bride by Christ. This apparel shows that the wedding guests who enter the city do not claim any merit for their deeds. Thus, the “fine linen, clean and bright” represents “the righteous acts of the saints” (NKJV), acts that came as a result of their union with Christ, who lives in them. Thus, these robes symbolize His righteousness and that His people “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12). While on earth, Jesus told a parable about a wedding. However, one of the guests preferred to wear his own attire instead of the wedding garment provided by the king, and he was expelled from the wedding (Matt. 22:1-14). Revelation 3:18 shows that the robe of Christ’s righteousness, the gold of faith and love, and the eye salve of the Holy Spirit are the greatest needs of God’s people living at the time of the end. Jesus’ offer that the Laodiceans “buy” these gifts from Him shows us that He asks for something in exchange for what He offers us. We give up self-sufficiency and trust in ourselves in exchange for a life of faithful obedience to Christ and trust in Him as our only hope of salvation. We are not saved by our works, but what “righteous acts” do you do that define the life that you are living?

“I Make All Things New” Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 19:6-9, John 14:1-3, Rev. 19:11-16, Rev. 20:1-3, Jer. 4:23-26, Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 21:2-8. Memory Text: “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’. And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:5, NKJV). The destruction of end-time Babylon is bad news for those who collaborated with this apostate religious system. For God’s people, however, it is good news (Rev. 19:1-7). Babylon was responsible for inducing the secular political powers to persecute and harm them (Rev. 18:24). The destruction of this great adversary means deliverance and salvation for God’s faithful people. With the destruction of Babylon, the prayer of God’s people in the scene of the fifth seal, is ultimately answered. Their cry: “How long, O Lord?” (Rev. 6:10) represents the cry of God’s oppressed and suffering people from Abel to the time when God will finally vindicate them (Ps. 79:5; Hab. 1:2; Dan. 12:6-7). The book of Revelation assures God’s people that evil, oppression, and suffering will come to an end. It is now time for Christ to usher in His everlasting kingdom. The remaining chapters of Revelation describe not just the destruction of end-time Babylon but also the destruction of Satan and all evil. We get glimpses, too, of the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom.

Further Thought: Before the full moral collapse of Babylon, a voice from heaven urges God’s people still in Babylon to “Come out of her, my people” (Rev. 18:4). There are many worshipers of God who are still in Babylon for various reasons. God uses His end-time church to call these people out from this apostate religious system and not to participate in its sins. They must come out of it in order to escape its fate. God does not want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). Revelation 19:1-10 shows that many God-fearing people in Babylon will respond to the call. Think, then, about the tremendous responsibility that rests upon us as God’s remnant church. What should this responsibility tell us about our need of God’s truth in our hearts and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Discussion Questions: As Revelation 18:4 shows, there are many God-fearing people in Babylon whom God calls “my people”. Reflect on the following statement: “This message must be given, but while it must be given, we should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn those who have not the light that we have. We should not go out of our way to make hard thrusts at the Catholics. Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians, and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf. Those who have had great privileges and opportunities, and who have failed to improve their physical, mental, and moral powers, … are in greater danger and in greater condemnation before God than those who are in error upon doctrinal points, yet who seek to live to do good to others”. - Evangelism, p. 575. What should this thought tell us about how to treat others? Revelation 17 describes a harlot sitting on a scarlet beast. While the woman in chapter 12 symbolizes God’s faithful church, the one in chapter 17 refers to an apostate church seducing the world away from God. In your view, what are the similarities and differences between them? More important, what can we learn from this comparison? The texts this week portray a very dismal state of the religious and political world during the final stages before Christ’s victorious return. What should this tell us about why it’s so important right now that we stay faithful, true, and pure to the message God has given us? Read Revelation 16:15, an appeal for faithfulness amid the depiction of worldwide apostasy. How can we apply this warning to ourselves right now?

The Judgment of Babylon Read Revelation 17:12-15 along with Revelation 16:14-16. What do you learn from the texts about the “ten kings”? Different interpretations have been offered regarding the identities of the ten kings. However, Revelation does not tell us who they are. All we can derive from the text is that they are a short-lived political confederacy appearing right before the end and supporting the harlot. Their number signifies that the world powers will render total, unwavering allegiance to the beast. Revelation 17:13-14 reiterates in a nutshell the battle of Armageddon - introduced in Revelation 16:12-16. Induced by miracle-working demonic powers in conjunction with the dragon, the sea beast, and the false prophet, the worldwide political confederacy will make war with the Lamb. In other words, the battle of Armageddon is not a military battle in the Middle East but the final conflict of the Second Coming in which Satan and his confederacy fight against Christ and His angelic host. Read Revelation 17:16-18. From what we saw in Revelation 16:2-12, what lies behind the ten kings’ change of attitude toward Babylon? Who is behind what happens to Babylon? Filled with hatred, the ten horns, which are the successor powers to the divided nations of Europe, filled with hatred, suddenly turn against the harlot Babylon (the end-time manifestation of the papacy), making her desolate and naked; they symbolically will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. In writing about what will happen to the harlot Babylon, John employs language similar to what God said would happen to adulterous Jerusalem (Jer. 4:30). Burning by fire was the punishment for a priest’s daughter who was involved in sexual immorality (Lev. 21:9). The deceived political powers have become disillusioned because of the inability of Babylon to protect them from the plagues. They feel deceived and, in hostility, attack her. This end-time apostate religious system, together with all those who choose to identify themselves with it, experiences the fullness of divine judgment. A lot of questions about end-time events still remain unanswered and, thus, can seem confusing to us now. What specific promise is given in Revelation 17:14, and what should this promise mean to us?

The Seven Heads of the Beast Read Revelation 17:9-11 along with Revelation 13:18. The requirement for understanding the seven heads is a mind of wisdom. What kind of wisdom is in view here? How does one obtain this divinely imparted wisdom (James 1:5)? The angel explains that the seven heads are seven mountains. Some translators think that these mountains allude to the seven hills upon which the city of Rome is situated, and for this reason, they translate the Greek word oroi (“mountains”) as “hills”. There are seven kings, too, who are symbolized by the seven mountains. Also, these mountains are successive, not simultaneous. These mountains do not symbolize individual kings, because Revelation does not deal with individual persons but with systems. In the Bible, mountains often symbolize world powers or empires (Jer. 51:25; Ezek. 35:2, 3). In biblical prophecy “kings” represent kingdoms (see Dan. 2:37-39, Dan. 7:17). Thus, the seven mountains symbolize seven great successive empires that dominated the world throughout history, through which Satan opposed God and harmed God’s people. From John’s time perspective, five of these empires have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. While no single view has been agreed upon, many hold that the five that have fallen are the great kingdoms that in Old Testament times dominated and (on occasion) harmed God’s people: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greece. The “one is” kingdom was the Roman Empire of John’s time. The seventh kingdom that “has not yet come” is the sea beast of Revelation 13 - the papacy, which dominated and harmed God’s people - that was to come after the time of John and after the fall of the pagan Roman Empire. History has powerfully attested to the truth of this prophecy, written many centuries before the events unfolded. John is further told that the scarlet beast is an eighth world power, although it is one of the seven heads (world powers). Which of the seven? Because the heads are sequential in time, the eighth must be the seventh head that received the deadly wound. It is at the time of this eighth world power that the scarlet beast appears, carrying and advancing the goals of the harlot Babylon. Today, we live at the time of the healing of the deadly wound. The eighth world power will appear on the scene right before the end and will go to perdition.