Come, Lord Jesus: Lessons from Revelation sample - Simply

Simply Charlotte Mason presents

Come, Lord JesusLessons from Revelation


A Family Bible Studyby Sonya Shafer

SAMPLE

Now you can study Revelation together as a family.

Come, Lord Jesus: Lessons from Revelation walks you through the book of Revelation. You and your students will rejoice in the victory of the Lamb revealed in this exciting book of the Bible!

With this Family Bible Study you will

• Learn Directly from Scripture: Your children will learn to go to the Bible and see for themselves what it says, without the need for mere human interpretation and time-table speculation. You can use any Bible translation and commentary you prefer.

• Keep Their Attention: Since so much of Revelation can be visualized, opportunity is given for your school-age children to draw the scenes as they read about them. Drawing and describing will keep their minds engaged and will encourage them to interact with others during the study.

• Evaluate What They're Learning: Each lesson will provide opportunities for your children to narrate or describe what they remember from the Scripture passage.

• Challenge Your Older Students: Additional Studies are included for older students and adults that help them research Greek word meanings, practice more inductive Bible study methods, and look for doctrinal truths as they study. A Bible commentary of your choice can be used in these studies for older students to add insight as desired.

• Enrich Your Bible Study: The optional hymn and Scripture memory suggestions complement and reinforce your studies in Revelation.

Worship the victorious Lamb as you explore what He has revealed about His coming. Come, Lord Jesus!

Charlotte MasonSimply

.com

http://simplycharlottemason.com/


A Family Bible Study

by Sonya Shafer

Come, Lord Jesus: Lessons from Revelation© 2012, Sonya Shafer

ISBN 978-1-61634-178-7 printedISBN 978-1-61634-179-4 electronic download

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or distributed in any form by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or storing in information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission from the publisher.

If you are a parent or teacher you may duplicate pages for yourself and students in your immediate household or classroom. Please do not duplicate pages for friends, relatives outside your immediate household, or other teachers’ students.

Cover Design: John Shafer

Published and printed by Simply Charlotte Mason, LLCP.O. Box 892Grayson, Georgia 30017-0892

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Contents

How to Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Lesson 1: The Revelation (Revelation 1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Lesson 2: Letters to Churches (Revelation 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Lesson 3: More Letters to Churches (Revelation 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Lesson 4: The Lamb and the Scroll (Revelation 4 and 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Lesson 5: The Seven Seals (Revelation 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Lesson 6: The Great Multitude (Revelation 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Lesson 7: The Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8 and 9). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Lesson 8: The Two Witnesses (Revelation 10 and 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Lesson 9: The Woman and the Dragon (Revelation 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Lesson 10: The Two Beasts (Revelation 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Lesson 11: Worship of the Lamb (Revelation 14). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Lesson 12: The Seven Bowls (Revelation 15 and 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Lesson 13: The Wicked Woman (Revelation 17 and 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Lesson 14: The Rider on the White Horse (Revelation 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Lesson 15: The Final Judgment (Revelation 20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Lesson 16: The New Heaven and Earth (Revelation 21—22:5) . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Lesson 17: Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:6–21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending (optional hymn). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

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The Book of Revelation

How to Use

Come, Lord Jesus: Lessons from Revelation is a family Bible study. The lessons are designed for parents and children of all ages to do together. At the end of each lesson Additional Studies are provided for older students and adults who want to dig deeper. Here are the details.

Family Study

• The main lessons are written for parents to walk through with their children of all ages. If you do one lesson per week, you will be able to finish the study in 17 weeks. You may do the whole lesson in one day or spread the lesson out over several days, completing only one or two sections each day. However you choose to do it, use this study in a way that works best for your family.

• When doing a study together as a family, be sure to read aloud (or take turns reading aloud) the passages so all participants can hear it. You might also encourage students who can read to follow along in their own copies of the Bible. Use whatever version you prefer.

• In the lessons you will find many opportunities for participants to tell what they have learned. Encourage your children to interact directly with the Scripture verses. Be careful not to fall into a “guess the correct answer” mentality and insist that they say the exact words that you are thinking or that you may see in this book. Encourage what your children do find and gently add what they may miss.

• These lessons focus on your discovering what the book of Revelation says; they do not try to set forth human interpretations of symbolism or time-table speculations. If an interpretation is given in the passage, that interpretation is included. Applications are also taken directly from the passages.

• Please don’t feel like you have to write the answers to all the questions. Many times you will also be invited to draw descriptions. The main emphasis of these lessons is to learn and discuss, not just to write down words.

• An optional hymn to learn, Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending, is given on pages 91 and 92. Don’t overlook the value of singing this hymn together as a


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Come, Lord Jesus

family. Such a re-telling of what you have been learning in poetry form will enrich your study of Revelation.

• If you would like some suggested verses for Scripture memory during this study, focus on

Revelation 4:11Revelation 5:9–14Revelation 7:15–17Revelation 15:3, 4

Additional Studies

The second part of each lesson contains Additional Studies for teens and adults who want to dig deeper into Revelation. These Additional Studies can be done with parents and older students together or as individual work. You have permission to make copies of those pages for your household if needed.

You will need a couple of extra resources to complete the Additional Studies: (1) a Strong’s Concordance (or another resource that helps you define Bible words in their original languages) and (2) a Bible commentary or study Bible with notes on Revelation. This is where any interpretations of symbols and time-table speculations may be included, so select your commentary with care. You may want to ask your pastor for recommendations.

Older students who have used other Bible studies from Simply Charlotte Mason will be familiar with the Discovering Doctrine notebook. This multi-year project encourages you to watch for truths about the ten major doctrines as you read through the Bible—whether for school work, church, or personal times. (The ten doctrines are The Bible, God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, church, sin, salvation, man, angels, and future events.) You can create your own doctrine notebook or use our professionally printed one available at SimplyCharlotteMason.com





Lesson 1

The Revelation(Revelation 1)

Imagine that your best friend and a skilled craftsman have been hard at work, redecorating one room in your house. You have not been allowed to see it for weeks now. In fact, they have hung a curtain to block anyone from looking in. Every once in a while, your friend has given you a bit of information (like the fact that something got painted orange), but other than that, you have no idea what awaits you behind the curtain.

Then one day, quite unexpectedly, your friend calls you over to the curtain. “You may have a glimpse,” your friend says, drawing aside the curtain. You gaze and gaze for several minutes, trying to take in everything. So much of it is new, and some of it doesn’t make sense in that brief look. But too soon the curtain closes and that revelation is all your friend will give you for now. You must be patient until it is time for the curtain to be removed, and you must be content in knowing that your friend loves you and will do what is best.

The Bible book you are about to study is like that glimpse into the room. God is at work and has a perfect plan for the future. The book of Revelation lifts the curtain from that future for a few brief moments so you can peek at it. Much of what you read will be new; some of it might not make sense right now. But you can rest assured of God’s love for you and His continuing work to make all things turn out according to His perfect plan.

Are you ready to take a look? Let’s see what God has revealed.

The Revelation (1:1–11)

The word “revelation” means “to reveal.” Read Revelation 1:1–3 and determine what this book is a revelation of. Who or what is being revealed?


Come, Lord Jesus

Verses 1 and 2 mention how this revelation happened and verses 9–11 fill in more details. Read both sets of verses and tell how this revelation came about.

Of Jesus Christ (1:12–18)

John described Jesus’ appearance in this revelation in verses 12–18. Draw or write what Jesus looked like. Include in your picture or description the names of Jesus that He mentioned and what He said about Himself. (You will also find a clue in verse 20 that affects your description.)



John’s Assignment (1:11, 19)

Verses 11 and 19 mention an assignment God gave to John. Tell what that assignment was.

Application

Read verse 3 again and notice who will receive a blessing. Thank God for promising this special blessing and ask Him to help you as you learn lessons from Revelation.

Additional Studies

Word Study

Look up in Strong’s Concordance the Greek word for “revelation” used in Revelation 1. Write that Greek word here. If you don’t know how to write in New Testament Greek, you can use English alphabet letters to record the same sounds.

A Strong’s Concordance is a great tool for discovering the original Greek words and their meanings. Here’s how to use one. (By the way, using a printed Strong’s Concordance is only one option for defining Bible words in their original languages. Several software and online applications are also available to help you with definitions and researching tasks. Feel free to use one of those tools if you have it handy.) 1. Find the English word in the alphabetical listing. 2. In that word’s listing, find the Bible reference that you


Come, Lord Jesus

are studying; in this case, the listing for Revelation 1:1. 3. Note the number to the right beside your selected reference. 4. Look up that number in the back of the Strong’s Concordance to see your word’s original Greek word and its original definition. Be sure to use the Greek word dictionary in the back; Revelation was originally written in Greek.

Look carefully at that Greek word. Do you see a resemblance to an English word? Many people use the word “apocalypse” when referring to events similar to those described in the book of Revelation. Now you know where it comes from.

Contents Overview

Notice in Revelation 1:19 the three time periods that will be included in this revelation. Write them here.

Background Research

Read an introduction to Revelation in a Bible commentary, study Bible, or other Bible reference book to find out more about the writer, the readers, and any other background information given. Note important details here.



Discovering Doctrine

You will learn a lot if you develop the habit of looking for doctrinal truths as you read your Bible. In each lesson you will have the opportunity to record doctrinal truths found in Revelation. By the final lesson you will have quite a collection of truth and know exactly where it is found in the Bible.

The main doctrinal truths found in Revelation 1 are about Christology (the study of Jesus Christ), Soteriology (the study of salvation), and Eschatology (the study of future events). Read the verses listed below and look specifically for truths about Jesus Christ, salvation, or future events in those verses. Record your findings here, or if you have a Discovering Doctrine notebook, record your findings in that book under the appropriate sections.

Christology 1:5

1:8, 11–18


Come, Lord Jesus

Soteriology 1:6

Eschatology 1:7



Lesson 2

Letters to Churches(Revelation 2)

It can be an exciting thing to receive a personal letter—a letter addressed just to you from someone who knows you and loves you. Can you imagine how exciting it would be to receive a personal letter from God? Imagine that in this letter He talked about what you had been doing lately and told you what He thought about it.

God wrote just such a letter to seven different churches. Read Revelation 1:11 again. God instructed John to record His special message for each church. God knew what was happening with each group of believers and wanted to let them know what they should do.

Let’s take a look at God’s letters to the seven churches and see what we can learn from them.

The Church at Ephesus (2:1–7)

Read Revelation 2:1–7 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Ephesus and what He wanted them to do.

God Knew

God Wanted


Come, Lord Jesus

What We Can LearnMake sure what you do for the Lord is springing from a heart of love for Him not

just from a determination to perform your duty.

The Church at Smyrna (2:8–11)

Read Revelation 2:8–11 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Smyrna and what He wanted them to do.

God Knew

God Wanted

What We Can LearnWhen you are suffering, remember that God knows and sees what you are going

through. He wants you to remain faithful to Him no matter what.

The Church at Pergamum (2:12–17)

Read Revelation 2:12–17 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Pergamum and what He wanted them to do.



God Knew

God Wanted

What We Can LearnBe careful not to accept any teaching that doesn’t agree with the Bible.

The Church at Thyatira (2:18–29)

Read Revelation 2:18–29 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Thyatira and what He wanted them to do.

God Knew


Come, Lord Jesus

God Wanted

What We Can LearnDo not tolerate a person who is unrepentant and eagerly leading others into sin.

Application

Review the four things we can learn from the letters to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. Did you think of any other lessons that might be learned from those four churches’ letters? We will look at the letters to the other three churches in the next lesson.

Additional Studies

Word Definition

Find the original Greek meaning for the word used throughout those letters to the churches: “angel.” Using Strong’s Concordance, look up that word’s original meaning in Greek and record it here. Based on that definition, who do you think the “angel” at the various churches refers to?

Churches Study

Read more closely the letters in Revelation 2 and complete the lines for those four



churches on the chart on pages 20 and 21. (You will complete the rest of the chart in lesson 3.)

False Teaching Research

What was the teaching of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans that are mentioned in the letters to Ephesus and Pergamum?

First, let’s search the Scriptures for any references to those two. Look up those words in a Strong’s Concordance and record any passages or verses you find that include those names. (You don’t need to list the verses from Revelation 2, since we already know about those.) Then read each verse or passage and summarize what it tells you about Balaam or the Nicolaitans.

Balaam


Come, Lord Jesus

Nicolaitans

After you have discovered all you can from Scripture, read the comments on Revelation 2:6, 14, and 15 in a Bible commentary, study Bible, or other Bible reference book to find out more about the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. Note here any additional information you find.




Here are some verses from Revelation 2 that contain doctrinal truths about Christ (Christology). Read those verses and look for truths to record. What can you learn about Jesus Christ from those verses? If you have a Discovering Doctrine notebook, record your findings there.

Christology 2:1, 8

2:12, 18

2:23


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Come, Lord Jesus

Lesson 3

More Letters to Churches(Revelation 3)

Last time we looked at God’s letters to four groups of believers: the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. Now let’s read what God told John to write to three other churches in Revelation 3.

The Church at Sardis (3:1–6)

Read Revelation 3:1–6 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Sardis and what He wanted them to do.

God Knew

God Wanted

What We Can LearnKeep your relationship with God alive!



The Church at Philadelphia (3:7–13)

Read Revelation 3:7–13 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Philadelphia and what He wanted them to do.

God Knew

God Wanted

What We Can LearnEven if you are small you can stand strong for God.

The Church at Laodicea (3:14–22)

Read Revelation 3:14–22 and describe what God knew about the group of believers in Laodicea and what He wanted them to do.

God Knew


Come, Lord Jesus

God Wanted

What We Can LearnDon’t be a lukewarm Christian; love God fervently.

Application

Review the three things we can learn from the letters to Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Did you think of any other lessons that might be learned from those three churches’ letters?

Additional Studies

Churches Study

Read carefully the letters to the churches at Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea in Revelation 3 and complete the rest of the lines of the chart on page 21.

Comments and Notes

After you have discovered all you can from Scripture, read the comments on Revelation 2 and 3 in a Bible commentary, study Bible, or other Bible reference book to find out more about the letters to the churches. Note here any additional information you find.



Themes

Here are some common themes that you will find interwoven through the book of Revelation. Mark the theme(s) that you noticed in Revelation 1–3.

• Jesus knows what His people are experiencing.• Jesus’ death on the cross conquered Satan and ransomed people from every

nation for His Own.• Jesus controls world history.• Satan attacks God’s people through persecution.• Satan attacks God’s people through false teaching and counterfeit worship.• Satan attacks God’s people through temptations of worldly wealth and ease.• In the end times God will no longer restrain His wrath but will pour it out on

sinful, unbelieving mankind.• God will demonstrate ultimate victory over sin and Satan.


Here are some verses from Revelation 3 that contain doctrinal truths about Christ (Christology). Read those verses and look for truths to record. If you have a Discovering Doctrine notebook, record your findings there.


Come, Lord Jesus

Christology 3:1

3:7

3:14

3:21

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Come, Lord Jesus: Lessons from Revelation sample - Simply