December 6, 2012
WE NEED TO TALK
Revelation 20
Ken Rodgers
Central Truth
Hell is a very real place, and it's the job of believers in Christ to lovingly warn those headed down the wrong path.
Key Verse | Revelation 20:15
And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
Revelation 20
The Thousand Years
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit 1 20:1 Greek the abyss; also verse 3 and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Defeat of Satan
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven 2 20:9 Some manuscripts from God, out of heaven, or out of heaven from God and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 20
Reading this passage makes me both excited and apprehensive. On the one hand, I love that Satan finally gets his due punishment. Knowing that the Lord has already overcome the world (John 16:33) and that He will one day permanently banish Satan and all evil (Revelation 20:10; 13-15) gives me a tremendous amount of confidence. On the other hand, it makes my heart absolutely grieve for the lost. Knowing that one day all unbelievers will be thrown into a permanent place of torment causes me to operate with a profound sense of urgency.
Last year, I had the privilege of witnessing a co-worker turn his life over to Christ. I had shared my faith with this individual and asked him to come to church with me on many occasions with no real traction. I eventually moved departments and felt my opportunity with him was gone. I was pleasantly surprised one day when he called and asked if he could come to church. Apparently, he and his spouse had divorced, and he was hitting rock bottom. Well, long story short -- he came to church with me, accepted Christ, remarried his "ex-spouse," gave up some bad habits, and is now plugged in and serving at a church close to his home. Praise God!
I am grateful the Lord allowed me to see such transformation, as it has brought me an immense amount of joy and fulfillment. For years I had thought I was doing a good enough job witnessing to my co-workers by merely setting a good behavioral example, but I rarely opened my mouth and actually spoke into their lives. I was ignoring the command of Jesus to go out and "preach" the gospel (Mark 16:15). Life is extremely short, and if we truly care about our nonbelieving friends and family, we have to verbally warn them of what awaits after the grave. I can't think of anything more serious to discuss than the coming judgment. So let's get talking!
Discussion Questions
1. Have you accepted Christ into your life? Do you know what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Him?
2. If you have trusted Christ, when is the last time you shared your faith with a nonbeliever? Who are some people in your life right now that you need to speak with?
3. Are you familiar with Romans 10:14-15? If not, go look it up!
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
December 3-7 (Revelation 17-21)
Read Revelation 19:1-10.
Remember: In the Book of Revelation, John is being given visions of what it will be like before, during, and after Jesus returns. In Revelation 19:
• What does John hear?
• What are all of the voices saying?
• Who were they worshiping?
• Why were they worshiping God?
• Who is the Lamb? (John 1:29)
• Who is His bride? (2 Corinthians 11:2)
• Who do you think is invited to the wedding feast? (Revelation 3:20, John 14:6, John 3:16)
Because Jesus came to die for the sins of every person, have you accepted His gift of salvation for yourself? Will you be at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb?
Parents: Walk your kids through the gospel if they have not already accepted Christ as their Savior. (Romans 3:23, 6:23, Romans 5:8, John 3:16, Romans 10:9-13, 1 John 5:11-13)
Activity: All the voices were praising God because of who He is and what He has done. As a family, write a song or poem praising God for who He is and what He has done.