Revelation: Blessed?

We are headed for an apocalypse. Science and religion both agree. So in the midst of what seems to be cursed, and all the voices claiming to have the answers, how do we find and know what is really BLESSED? God has John write the book of Revelation to answer the question of “BLESSED?”      #revelation #2022

STARTER

• The greek word for blessed means happy. God tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16). What is something you witnessed this week that made you feel blessed/happy? Why?

PRAY

Father, we bow before You to ask You to help us have an eternal perspective on blessings and embrace the blessed life You laid out in Matthew 5:1-17. As we go through the book of Revelation, help us to understand that we will not know the times or seasons You have set by Your own authority, but that we have been empowered and commanded to be your WITNESSES (Psalm 34). Amen.

STUDY QUESTIONS

"Two Witnesses”

As you read through Revelation, remember that John has been serving God faithfully for decades in the midst of persecution, death, and blessing for those making decisions about Jesus. He has watched faithful people, including his fellow apostles, be killed for claiming and proclaiming Jesus. John has been exiled to an island (Patmos) full of criminals and sick people because of his faithfulness in embracing the blessing of being a WITNESS. In Revelation, John is writing down what he is seeing and trying to use his limited vocabulary to describe things that no earthly language can fully describe. Revelation is meant to be a blessing of both literal and symbolic meaning. It is meant to call us to the blessing of surrender to a God of pure love, justice, and sovereignty.

These final TWO WITNESSES should give us quite a bit of insight into us being His WITNESSES.

READ Acts 1:6-8

Acts 1:6-8 are Jesus’ last words to His followers before He left the earth. How does this passage remind us of our mission and purpose to be God’s WITNESSES?

READ Revelation 11:1-14

1. Why do you think John was told to measure and count but not write down the numbers?
2. How were the TWO WITNESSES specifically asked to WITNESS (dress, work, actions, etc.)?
   1. How would you and others respond to someone WITNESSING in the way the TWO WITNESSES were called to WITNESS if they came today? Why?
   2. How would you feel about be asked to WITNESS the way these TWO WITNESSES were called to WITNESS (11:5-6)?
3. Many want to argue over who the TWO WITNESSES are. They majority fall into 3 camps (1) Moses and Elijah, (2) Enoch and Elijah, and (3) two unknown believers whom God calls to be His WITNESSES in the end times.
   1. Why doesn’t it matter that much who they are?
   2. Why does it matter very much what they do and people’s response?
4. How can the results and treatment of these TWO WITNESSES help us as we obey Jesus in being and sending out His WITNESSES to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth?
5. In Verses 11:7-14…
   1. How do we see people celebrating today when bold and harsh WITNESSES are silenced?
   2. How do we see God working in all of this mess (look at v.13)? Why is that important?

READ Matthew 24:4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4, Acts 7:51-53

1. How can we keep from killing the true WITNESSES and determine the true WITNESSES from the false WITNESS?