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I Make All Things New

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Revelation 19-21
English
Year: 
2019
Quarter: 
1
Lesson Number: 
13

Lesson 13 I Make All Things New

(Revelation 19-21)

 

Copr. 2019, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

 

Introduction: Our series skips over Revelation 18. That chapter tells us that there is a lot of sadness on behalf of people who make money profiting from evil. With the fall of Babylon, they are out of business. This week the tone changes. We start with Revelation 19 and the happiness of those who are now victorious through the power of Jesus. They have suffered greatly under evil, but evil is fast disappearing. Let’s jump into our study and learn more about our joyful future!

 

  1. Rejoice!

 

    1. Read Revelation 19:1-3. We find more boring music, right? (No. We find more “roar[ing]” praise.)

 

      1. Why are God’s people praising Him? (God has executed judgment. God has shown His power. God has avenged the blood of His followers. He has “smoked” His (and our)enemies.)

 

    1. Read Revelation 19:6-8. More roaring, thundering praise. What is the reason for this praise? (It is our wedding day with Jesus! This is the time when we will forever be with Him.)

 

      1. What qualifies us to enter in? (Jesus’ robe of righteousness. “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”)

 

        1. How do we obtain that robe? (It is “given” to us.)

 

      1. Wait a minute! In the NIV there is a parenthetical: “Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.” That sounds like the robe of righteousness represents our acts! It represents our work. How can the robe be given to us on the one had, and on the other hand be earned by our “righteous acts?”

 

      1. Review Matthew 22:1-14 and read Matthew 22:8-11. (Jesus told this parable to illustrate the future that we are studying in Revelation. The parable makes clear what is going on. The servants gathered people (both good and bad) who had no idea they were going to a wedding. They were dressed for something else. What they did was accept the invitation to the wedding and accept the robe given to them at the wedding by the king. Their “acts” were to accept the invitation and the robe.)

 

      1. Read Genesis 7:6-7. How did Noah’s sons and their wives escape God’s great judgment? (They walked through the door of the ark. They accepted the invitation.)

 

      1. For those of you who are muttering “It is not that easy,” consider what happened before the flood. Consider what we have been studying before Revelation 19. Is this an overnight decision? (The thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-43)shows that it can be an instant decision. But, the more likely thing is that you spend years accepting or rejecting the commands of God. I think most people live a pattern of accepting Jesus or rejecting Him. The pattern is reflected in the way we live. Salvation is not earned, but we generally live a life consistent with accepting Jesus.)

 

  1. Warrior Jesus

 

    1. Read Revelation 19:11-15. Do you love this picture? I do! What does this tell us about our Warrior Jesus? (He executes judgment on the bad guys. This time when He comes, things are much different.)

 

      1. What did we previously discuss about Jesus’ “mouth sword?” (Just as Jesus spoke the world into existence, so He speaks His enemies into defeat.)

 

        1. What gives Jesus the authority to act like this? (His robe is dipped in blood. He lived and died a perfect life. He gave every human being the opportunity to take advantage of His tremendous sacrifice, His tremendous gift. Humans spurn that gift at their peril.)

 

    1. Read Revelation 19:17-18. When I was growing up we had an expression: “That is for the birds.” It meant it was not very good. Do we see a “great supper of God” that is “for the birds?”

 

      1. Why do you think John includes this information about the birds? (Notice that “all people,” those who have great success in life, and those who have not, are all reduced to bird food if they reject salvation.)

 

    1. Read Revelation 19:19-21. Explain the different ending of the beast and the false prophet from the rest of those who have rejected Jesus? (This suggests that at least at this point the wicked are eaten, they are not thrown into hell.)

 

    1. Read Revelation 20:1-3. What happens to Satan? (He is bound for a thousand years in the “Abyss.”)

 

  1. The Millennium

 

    1. Read Revelation 20:4 and Matthew 19:28. Who is this group that comes to life at the beginning of the thousand years, has the “authority to judge,” and reigns with Jesus for the thousand years? (Verse four seems limited to those who have been “beheaded.”)

 

    1. Read Revelation 20:5-6. What does this add about the first group who are part of the “first resurrection?” (This expands the picture to tell us that the “second death” has no power over them. This sounds like the first resurrection people are all of those who are saved.)

 

      1. Since I think the “second death” reference is the key to understanding this, read Revelation 20:14 and Revelation 21:8. What do these texts tell you about the second death? (These texts tell us that all of the wicked are subject to a “second death” that is permanent. The righteous, on the other hand, only die once (if at all). Because of this, the group in heaven during the millennium are all of the righteous.)

 

    1. We already read that the righteous were “given authority to judge” (Revelation 20:4). Let’s skip down a few verses and read more about this. Read Revelation 20:11-15. How is the fate of the wicked decided? (The dead are judged “according to what they had done.” Remember, the righteous are in heaven, and apparently involved in confirming this judgment.)

 

      1. How is the fate of the righteous decided? (If your name is written in the book of life, you are saved. This suggests that the wicked are judged by their deeds, but the righteous are judged only by whether their names are in the book of life. This is grace. This is the robe of Jesus’ righteousness given to us.)

 

  1. The Final Battle

 

    1. Read Revelation 20:7-8. Who are these people? How can we have a second battle?(The Revelation 19 battle is with the wicked who are alive when Jesus comes to take the righteous with Him to heaven. The righteous are then taken to heaven and live with Jesus for a thousand years. Revelation 20:5 tells us that the second resurrection is after the thousand years are over. The wicked come to life again, and Satan rallies them to a final battle against Jesus and the saints.)

 

    1. Read Revelation 20:9-10. What is the outcome of this battle? (We win!)

 

      1. What does this text say about an eternally burning hell? (It tells us that all of the wicked who are raised in the second resurrection are “devoured” by the fire. This is as opposed to Satan who is “tormented day and night for ever and ever.”)

 

  1. Earth Made New

 

    1. Read Revelation 21:1-4. Where do the righteous live? (In an earth made new!)

 

      1. What arrives from heaven to the earth made new? (The New Jerusalem!)

 

      1. Why would God make His headquarters here? (This is the scene of the defeat of evil and the victory of righteousness. God is making a memorial of us and our earth.)

 

    1. Read Revelation 21:10-13 and Revelation 21:15-17. We have studied this in past lessons. What does the New Jerusalem look like in terms of things we know now? (It is a huge cube! It does not look like the pictures of the New Jerusalem that I see painted. They look like some sort of royal city. Instead, the New Jerusalem looks like a giant condominium building. It gives new meaning to John 14:2: “in My Father’s house are many rooms.”)

 

      1. How big is this condominium building? (It is 1,200 miles (2,200 kilometers) tall, wide and deep. Wherever you live, apply that to towns you know. In the United States, this condominium would stretch from Washington, D.C. to almost Denver, Colorado! It would reach into what is now outer space! My calculations are that your condo (apartment, room) will be huge. Not square feet, but square acres.)

 

    1. Friend, I want to be there! I want my address to be “New Jerusalem, New Earth.” If you want that too, right now repent of your sins, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and accept His robe of righteousness. When you get there, look me up!

 

  1. Next week we start a new series entitled “Family Seasons.”