Restraining the winds. Imagine that you are standing next to John in a remarkable, invisible state. As you peer into the darkness you tremble because you see seven angels with their trumpets poised to blow. It’s the closing of the evening sacrifice, but the trumpets are silent. A lamb’s blood flows at the base of the … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: The vision of the seven trumpets is to assure God’s people that heaven is not indifferent to their suffering. God has always intervened for His oppressed people and judged those who harm them. February 16, 2019 1. Have a volunteer read Revelation 10:1-7. Ask class members to share a thought on what the … Continue reading –>
In portraying God’s interventions on behalf of His people, Revelation uses the imagery of trumpets in the Old Testament. Trumpets were an important part of the daily life of ancient Israel (see Num. 10:8-10 and 2 Chron. 13:14-15). Their sound reminded people of the worship in the temple; trumpets were also blown in battle, at harvesttime, and during festivals. … Continue reading –>
Revelation chapter 8 opens with a picture of seven angels standing before God, ready to blow their trumpets. Before the trumpets are blown, another scene is inserted. Its purpose is to explain the theological meaning of the trumpets. Read Revelation 8:3-4 along with the description of the daily services in the temple in Jerusalem given below: a … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 8:1-13; Num. 10:8-10; Ezek. 10:2; Rev. 10:1-11; Dan. 12:6-7; Rev. 11:1-13; Leviticus 16. Memory Text: “But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7, NKJV). In the scene of the fifth seal, … Continue reading –>
To me, the Bible is the most personal and universal book ever written. When I read it I know God is personally talking to me, just as He was personally talking to Martin Luther as he read the Bible chained to the monastery wall in Europe in 1517, and just as He was personally talking … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Sinlessness and Salvation”, pages 353-357, in Selected Messages, book 3. The identity of the 144,000 is a hotly debated issue. What seems evident in Revelation is that the 144,000 are the last generation of God’s people in the closing days of this earth’s history. We know that they will go through the time … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 14:5 along with 2 Peter 3:14 and Jude 24-25. Revelation describes God’s end-time people as “without fault”. How is this state achievable? The final characteristic of the 144,000 is that “in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Rev. 14:5). While the people of the world choose to believe Satan’s … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 14:1-5. What are the three chief characteristics of the 144,000 saints? How are these characteristics related to the description of the end-time saints in Revelation 14:12? Revelation 14:4-5 is a description of the 144,000 that aligns with God’s last day people who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12). Although they … Continue reading –>
Restraining the winds. The introduction to our lesson this week contains 20 different references, mostly found in the Bible, to what is meant by the winds that the angels will restrain, and how you and I need to pay attention to the warnings God has sent us. “At the end,” the warning roars, “all the … Continue reading –>
