03.19. Lesson 19
Lesson 19: Read Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-4 once, then Revelation 14:1-20, Revelation 15:1-4 at least two additional times, without referring to notes or commentaries.
(1) Consider Revelation 14:1-5. Reread all of Revelation 7:1-17; Revelation 5:9. What additional information does Revelation 14:1-20 give us about the sealing described in Revelation 7:1-17? Why does God have John see the 144,000 at this point? What purpose does the vision serve? If the 144,000 are literal people, what sex are they? Recall our earlier discussion (lesson 12). Do these verses in Revelation 14:1-20 influence your interpretation of the meaning of the 144,000? Consider also Jeremiah 31:1-14; “virgin” refers to whom in this passage? (Note that the word translated by the NIV as “maidens” in Jeremiah 31:13 is the singular Hebrew word for “virgin”, translated parqe,noi in the LXX.)
(2) What is the significance of the sound of the voice in Revelation 14:2? See Revelation 1:15 and Revelation 10:3-4, and recall our discussion of the latter.
(3) In considering Revelation 14:6-12, recall what John has just seen in Revelation 13:1-18. What is the purpose of the first angel’s proclamation? In what sense is the gospel eternal? What is the relationship between Revelation 14:8 and the rest of this section? See Jeremiah 51:1-10. What had the Babylonians done to Jerusalem and the Israelites? Why is this important?
(4) Consider Revelation 14:9-13. Look again at Revelation 13:7-17. Why did the people agree to have the beast’s sign put on their foreheads or right hands? What are the temporary consequences of doing that? What are the eternal consequences? Humanity ends up being divided into how many groups? Why is this important for us today? See also Isaiah 34:1-10, and note the allusion to Revelation 14:9-10.
(5) Compare Revelation 14:12 to Revelation 13:10. How are these verses similar? How are they different? Does the meaning of "the perseverance of the saints" differ in the two verses?
(6) Look at Revelation 14:14-20. What is a sickle? What is it used for? Would anyone use a sickle for harvesting grapes? How many times does the sickle swing? What happens the first time? The second? What are these swings of the sickle symbolizing? Consider Matthew 13:24-30.
(7) Now focus on Revelation 15:1-4. In Revelation 15:2, what does "victorious" mean? Who is victorious? Why is this language used? These people then sing the "song of Moses . . . and the song of the Lamb." In what sense is the following song "of Moses"? Of the Lamb? Look at Exodus 15:1-27, and recall the context of that song. How is this context similar?
(8) In Revelation 15:4, what is the relationship between fearing God and glorifying Him?
(9) Look back over this section, Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-4. What is the impact of God’s judgment? What adjectives are used to describe God’s judgment? Do you understand why each of those adjectives is used?
Now read Stedman chapter 20 as well as Wilcock pages 131-138. Revise your answers, if necessary, in light of the insights of these two commentators.