Sabbath: The Gospel from Patmos
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Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 1:1-8; John 14:1-3; Deut. 29:29; John 14:29; Rom. 1:7; Phil. 3:20; Dan. 7:13-14.
Memory Text: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, NKJV).
The prophecies of Revelation were revealed in vision to the apostle John more than nineteen centuries ago during his exile on a small rocky island known as Patmos in the Aegean Sea (Rev. 1:9). Revelation 1:3 pronounces a blessing on those who read the book and hear and obey the teachings (compare Luke 6:47-48). This verse refers to the congregation assembled in the church to hear the messages. However, they are blessed not only because they read or listen, but also because they obey the words of the book (Rev. 22:7).
The prophecies of Revelation are an expression of God’s care for His people. They point us to the shortness and fragility of this life, to salvation in Jesus, and His work as our heavenly High Priest and King, to our calling to spread the gospel.
Biblical prophecies are like a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet. 1:19). They are intended to provide guidance for our life today and hope for our future. We will need this prophetic guide until the coming of Christ and the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 5.
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When I attended Avondale College, starting in 1963, my first experience with Adventist education, the very first theological subject was "Daniel and Revelation". These books were regarded as pivotal in Adventist theology and we were expected to memorize long passages and give detailed analyses of what they all mean. Now, 55 years later, I have three months to re-examine the book of Revelation and I want to do that in the light of my first serious experience with these books. In my D & R class I had to write an essay based on our study - I still have the essay (and the grade). What has changed in my perception in the intervening years? This is a personal journey; I know I have changed my perspective and I will perhaps share some of that change with you over the course of this quarter.
One thing that was impressed on us in those early studies of the Book of Revelation was that the real title of the book is given in the first verse - "The Revelation of Jesus Christ". We sometimes like to take personal ownership of this book because so much of our "End Time" theology rests on it, that we forget who this book is really about.
Revelation by definition is something is made known, yet how often I have heard book of Revelation is not easy for us to understand.
When building a house, we need to dig and put the foundation on the rock.
Those who spend the time digging and searching the Word of God will surely find the blessing written in the book of Revelation.
Angels desire to look into the truths that are revealed to the people who with contrite hearts are searching the word of God and praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and heights of the knowledge which He alone can give.
Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 116-118.
I hope and pray that as we study Revelation we will search for the message, the hidden treasure, it holds that is not revealed in any other book of the Bible, otherwise why struggle with this complex message. Of course it will contain the good news and the truth of the character of the LORD but what else, why was it given for this day and age? Are you excited to discover the hidden treasure, I am, let us savor each morsel we discover and make it part of our very being, praise the LORD!
We cannot but understand Revelations by the rest of the Word of God, the other books!
Hi Kenny, yes the rest of the Bible helps us unlock the meaning of Revelation, because the LORD speaks to His people in terms of their past experience. What I find exciting about Revelation is it goes further than the gospels,it is the next step in the journey to understanding the LORD'S plan for us and this world and the universe.
I think as we study this book this year we should put aside our own belief systems and let the book tell us what it wants to tell us rather than harness our own opinions and doctrines to its interpretation and expect the bible to give evidence that our former belief systems are infallible
Yes, indeed, in order to hear the Spirit speaking to us, we cannot afford to think that all of our past interpretations of a book are "infallible."
Our interpretation of the Revelation has usually rested on the book, Daniel and the Revelation, by Uriah Smith published during Ellen White's lifetime. She was happy about the book's publication and wrote that it was exactly what God wanted. What some forget is that what God wants in certain circumstances may not be the same as what He wants in other circumstances. The book was as right for the time as Seventh-day Adventists then could make it. But Ellen White also wrote that there was more to learn in those books.
Uriah Smith, the editor of Daniel and the Revelation, but he used and edited material contributed by others. What most of us don't know is that the material on Revelation 4 and 5 was not written by a Seventh-day Adventist. Apparently the book was finished, except for that section, but no Seventh-day Adventist was ready to contribute material on those chapters. Then Smith heard of a first-day Adventist who had put together material on Revelation 4 and 5, and that material was used to fill in that section.
You may wonder what difference that makes. The answer hinges on the fact that Seventh-day Adventists have a unique understanding of the heavenly sanctuary that provides the backdrop for all of the Revelation scenes. Not understanding the sanctuary is bound to hinder a correct interpretation of the scenes.
It seems like the lesson author follows Uriah Smith's interpretation, but I hope that Sabbath School students around the world will be open to a deeper understanding than our pioneers had more than 100 years ago.
Smith's book is still an excellent source for the historical sections of the Revelation. History buffs, particularly, will be sure to enjoy it. It is now available in Kindle format too.)
Mervyn Maxwell (who shared the story of the background of the source material of Smith's book on Rev 4 & 5) also wrote The Message of Daniel (God Cares, Vol 1) and God Cares: The Message of Revelation for You and Your Family (God Cares Vol. 2) If the books are sold by the time you follow this link, you may find other copies on Amazon or on AbeBooks, where used books are often less expensive. (Unfortunately they are not available in electronic format.)
We have all three books mentioned, and I believe Maxwell's books are still some of the best material available on the books of Daniel and the Revelation. I especially appreciate that he focuses on Jesus Christ, rather than on "beastly" history, although he certainly references history. Yet those books aren't "perfect" either. The Holy Spirit is just as willing to enlighten you and me as a professor at a Seventh-day Adventist University. And I think that's an exciting prospect!
Yes Inge, those are good resources, I have also found Jon Pauline's set of CD very helpful, he also has a website on the book of Revelation www.thebattleofarmageddon.com
Shirley, I checked around a bit and find that Jon Paulien has several sets of audio CD's. What are yours called?
[Later:] I see there are links on the website to a set or Revelation CD's. Maybe those are the ones? It seems to me that this is an old website and the new one is a bit different. In his blog at Revelation-Armageddon.com he comments on the new quarterly, for which he wrote the Teachers' Notes. Check it out!
Inge,
This was the set to which I referred.
REVELATION SERIES: Jon Paulien's most comprehensive Revelation Series
Download or 60 CDs
A while back I listened to those CD's over and over again as he went through the book verse by verse. I liked them so much I lent them to my brother so no longer have them, so I was delighted to also discover his unedited Teacher's Comments.
There is so much to learn about in Revelation, it will be interesting to see what is included in this quarter's study guides.
Are his talks still on Hope TV? I no longer have a TV.
Yes, when we last had our TV set up, we saw him pretty regularly on LLBN. Unfortunately the TV packed now, ready to move. I'm guessing he would be talking about the lessons this quarter.
Inge, I note Jon Paulien also has a facebook page where he posts his comments and is also going through Revelation verse by verse. In addition he has recorded himself teaching the lessons in advance.
Armageddon Headquarters - Jon Paulien Ph.D.
11 hrs ·
I enjoy teaching the Sabbath School adult lessons in advance with a room full of doctors, lawyers and teachers. Since these are recorded, you can listen in while driving or doing the housework. The whole quarter on Revelation is available for download at http://www.pineknoll.org/sabbath-school-lessons
Inge,
In addition to publishing his comments verse by verse on Facebook, Jon Paulien is also publishing the pdf version for each chapter - between 40 - 70 pages each - on the website listed below, so for anyone who seriously wants an in-depth study this will be an extremely valuable resource.
This looks like the text to the audio CDs I mentioned.
http://www.thebattleofarmageddon.com/paulien_revelation_commentary.html
Welcome to Headquarters
Revelation Commentary
by Jon Paulien
The World's 1st (verse by verse)
ONLINE Revelation Commentary
... published on Facebook!
Jesus said, "I have spoken openly to the world ...
... I said nothing in secret." John 18:20
In all of this, we cannot forget the personal study of the Revelation as given to John on Patmos. Anyone else you might study must get their "truth" from the only Source available to every sinner(Ps 119:97-104).
Is there anyone you feel is more qualified than the Word of God and the promised illumination from His Spirit? You cannot find a better Source than this. Who's feet will we sit at in heaven? Why not now?
Personal testimony: It wasn't until I set aside every human commentary that the Revelation itself began to open up with a clearness I had never seen before. The promises of God are real, true, and faithful. Taste for yourselves.
I agree with most of what you are saying Robert, but I think that it is also important to listen to what others are saying as well. It is all too easy to convince one's self that you are listening to the Holy Spirit in isolation. God does speak to us through interaction with others and such interaction moderates the tendency towards "private interpretations".
I agree that if we listen to others without doing our own study we are also abdicating our responsibility. In today's environment, we often leave our own study in favour of someone who has a high media profile, and this is dangerous. It is the combination of both our own study and the careful study of others that provides the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work on our understanding
Robert, I certainly agree that the Holy Spirit is the best teacher, and I encourage all of to ask the Holy Spirit to speak each time we open the Word of God.
That said, it was Christ, through the Holy Spirit, who led us to associate together as believers, going so far as to say not to neglect the "assembling" of ourselves together. It is the group of believers *collectively* that constitutes the body of Christ. And if you'll pay close attention to the messages of God to His people, these are usually addressed to the body *collectively.*
We are saved *individually,* but by God's design, we are to be in close fellowship and cooperation with each other, and that includes sharing our understanding of God's Word with each other.
Again, if you'll stop to think about it, all errant views, splinter groups, and "off-shoots" are the result of one person or several believing that they only have the right connection to the Holy Spirit while all others are "wrong."
It's all too easy to believe that *I* alone understand "the truth" and thus fail to grasp the truth the Holy Spirit is opening up to the body through various individuals.
May God give us the grace to be subject one to another and share with each other the understanding we are gaining through His Spirit.
Maurice/Inge, I have witnessed too many who had no personal idea of the Revelation, only what they read from commentaries. This is not listening to others, this is relying wholly on others. I have listened to others, saw the differences between the various commentaries, and realized I needed a better Guide, One who has made exceeding great and precious promises.
I'm not sure how "laying aside" the many commentaries translates to "tossed out", and I'm not saying that after I became personally acquainted with the Revelation myself that I never looked at them again. But most I've seen have used the commentaries as an invalid uses a wheel chair after giving up on walking on their own. (I have met one person who had given up walking for a wheel chair, who decided she would walk again, changed her lifestyle and walked herself into an amazing physical condition for her age.) God can/will enable the feeblest if they will simply turn and rely on all He has promised to do. This is what I am advocating.
As for those offshoot movements, never met one that wasn't just another group that simply relied on the understanding of another person rather than individually relying upon the Lord. We will only be united in truth when we rely on the same Teacher, which doesn't mean we will never see what others are saying, but as Paul counsels, we must "prove all things". Most just listen/read and follow, without wrestling as Jacob for the promised blessings. Look at Rev 1:3 closely. What do you see in regards to what I have said?
We cannot eat the Bread of Life second hand. Yet most are trying.(this is not my observation alone)
very well said!
Darrell to let the book of Revelation talk to us we must have a personal revival. To get that personal revival we will need to desire for, then ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us, to guide and to direct our thoughts as we read The Revelation of Jesus Christ this quarter. John 14:13. 1John 5:1-3. I kindly disagree with you, if you are talking about our belief systems(Seventh-day-Adventist) of the interpretation of Revelation, Christ Victorous, they were written by Gods people who were led by the Holy Spirit. We won’t find any new revelation of our beliefs in the interpretation of our study of Revelation this quarter. We may though have a light bulb go on in our brains that was not lit before, or lights may be rekindled this quarter, but no new correct belief system will surface. Again we ask the Holy Spirit to talk to us about our understanding, and to be led by Him. My wife and I are reading the book, Steps to Personal Revival, Being Filled With the Holy Spirit, and starting tomorrow we will be using the devotional book, Prepare For The Last Days, Be Ready.
God Bless You,
John
John, in your response to Darrell you wrote, "I kindly disagree with you, if you are talking about our belief systems(Seventh-day-Adventist) of the interpretation of Revelation, Christ Victorous, they were written by Gods people who were led by the Holy Spirit. We won’t find any new revelation of our beliefs in the interpretation of our study of Revelation this quarter. " Since the Seventh-day Adventist church has no statement of belief among its 28, regarding "the interpretation of Revelation", I am curious as to what you (and Darrell) were specifically referring to as "our belief systems" (he said, "our OWN belief systems" and "our FORMER belief systems")?
While I await your clarification, I must state that, based on my unclarified understanding of what you wrote, I found some aspects of your response troubling. Daniel, whom Jesus accepted as a prophet (Mt 24:15), clearly relied on Divine aid to interpret the revelations he received (Dan 8:15-16). Despite the prophet's reception of truthful revelation, he didn't in every instance receive an accompanying interpretation from his Divine assistant (Dan 12:8-9). In fact, the book itself reveals time to be a factor in coming to a correct Divine interpretation (Dan 12:8-9; 10:12-13).
While I agreed with the concept you expressed when you wrote, "To get that personal revival we will need to desire for, then ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us, to guide and to direct our thoughts as we read The Revelation of Jesus Christ this quarter", you then made an opposing statement when you wrote, "We may though have a light bulb go on in our brains that was not lit before, or lights may be rekindled this quarter, but no new correct belief system will surface." If you and I hold the same Scriptural truth that, in the absence of Christ, the Holy Spirit became the single source of Divine truth (Jn 16:12-13), how then do you understand the Holy Spirit's role among human instrumentalities? I believe we would agree that Jesus clearly taught that "the reborn" live energized by the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:8). But how does that work? Does God, in a single action, give His Holy Spirit and full interpretation of all truth to an individual, or a group of individuals, at a past point in time and then all the subsequent "reborns" fall in line? Or is the Holy Spirit continuously working amongst all "the reborns", continuously updating their gifts and understanding?
Based on Daniel's experience, I'd have to say the last scenario would be more representative of the Holy Spirit's actions, without "boxing" Him in. If Daniel was given a prophetic message but no coinciding interpretation (Dan 12:8-9), it would be effectively be the same as God "speaking in tongues" without an interpreter (1 Cor 14:4-5)--only He would be benefited, not His human hearers. However, if God intends that prophecy benefit hearers, then there MUST be coinciding interpretation at some point in time. If, therefore, God's intent is to communicate rather than baffle and frustrate, then it is reasonable to conclude that God would have to raise up and gift others similar to Daniel (Dan 1:17) after his departure (Dan 12:13). That the book ends like a prophetic "cliff-hanger becomes an indicator of His next move.
I do not believe that we will find any new message this quarter that will change our 28 beliefs. Especially I do not believe that we will find any thing this quarter that will be new light over what the Bible and our understanding of the Bible by guidance of the Spirit of Prophecy(Ellen G. Whites writings)have already given us. Yes we may come to a better understanding of what beliefs we already have been given by the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, Uriah Smith, and Elder Maxwell, and by our modern day professors( light bulb going on in our brains, or rekindled), but no new beliefs. I don’t know what Derrell was alluding to, that is why I said, if you are talking about our belief systems(Seventh-day-Adventist) of the interpretation of Revelation, Christ victorious. I just had a thought this am, as I read: Deuteronomy 29:29. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Then the title of chapter 30 caught my eye and I read all of chapter 30 including verse 19. My thought was Revelation is not only about the Revelation of Jesus Christ or Christ Victorious, it is also an invitation to take Deuteronomy 29:29 to heart(that we may do all the words of the law). That we may obtain the blessings of returning to God daily(repentance and forgiveness), thus choosing life over death. David says it so graphical. Psalms 51:17. “ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.” I must say my thought was inspired by the Holy Spirit as I asked Him for understanding this am. Revelation 1:3. Our memory verse is inspiring down this line.
Happy Sabbath Lynrol,
John
John, I believe that God gave a truthful, trustworthy and complete message to mankind when, by His Holy Spirit, human agents were inspired to write (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pt 1:21). So the utterance Source is infallible and therefore so is the message (Jn 10:35). I think that among Christians, unanimity could just about be assumed.
However, on the reception side there are a multitude of obstacles that presents challenges to the clear, accurate processing of God's truthful and infallible messaging. Some reasons are external (Mt 13:19), and some are internal (Mt 6:22-23). We can collectively categorize this human failing as "sin". We must constantly be on guard against our susceptibility to "sin", as we are in constant danger of becoming victims of the external and internal operations (Lk 3:8) made manifest in our speech and actions (Prov 27:19; 23:7).
As a caring community of believers we need to exercise caution that the human instruments, provided by God, don't become stumbling blocks to our advancement. Daniel--prophet and loved as he was of God (Dan 10:11)--was not all-knowing (Dan 12:8-9). John the Baptist--prophesied, powerful forerunner of Christ (Lk 7:28)--ministered in a limited way (Act 19:2-3). Whatever contributions made to the growth of the body of Christ by human instruments such as Sis White, Bros Smith and Maxwell, they are NOT the end of our walk (Eph 4:11-13)--a mature walk through life with Christ as our Lord and decision-maker is. Within the boundaries of that relationship, the individual believer should anticipate and be subordinate to periodic processing updates (Lk 24:44-45; Jn 16:12-13).
Perhaps it's the way you expressed your thoughts, perhaps it's the way I'm processing your thoughts, perhaps it's some of both, but we need to guard against becoming, or inducing others into becoming, victims of complacency. God isn't calling His people to a stunted experience (Php 3:12-15; 2 Pt 3:18).
I have started time and time again trying to get to understand the prophecies in Revelation but somehow I get lost along the way. I am hoping and praying that In studying these lessons that God will give me wisdom and understanding to understand the prophecies as they unfold in the lessons this year. Keep me in your prayers.
Hi Virgil
In addition to prayer, if you feel you are getting lost this time around, don’t hesitate to speak up as there is a community of us here who will do what they can to help you get ‘unlost’.
Virgil, take hold of the promises found in Revelation 1:1,3. God's promises are certain when we meet the simple conditions set forth.
Pretty excited to be studying the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Mostly because, I believe, rightly divided and understood, this book gives us a clear picture of Jesus Christ and that picture can only but carry us to a revival if we do pray for it.
I'm actually glad that the 10 days of prayer is coming up during a study of this sort because we do need a wake up call. Jesus Christ is coming soon, He ought to find us having read, understood and obeyed His word.
There cannot be a more vital subject to study for God's people at this hour than the Revelation given to John on Patmos. As Peter states, prophecy is to be heeded as a light in a dark place, “ until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”. This indicates that prophecy given by God has a sanctifying purpose, along with leading His people to understand and prepare for “those things which must shortly come to pass”.
The most vital key for understanding this great Revelation is given in verses 1 and 3. The first is a promise with a condition; that God will “show unto His servants”. If we serve Him(and not ourselves), God will open our eyes to understand. The second promise also comes with a condition, being a blessing upon all who “read...hear....keep those things” which were revealed to John. Without meeting these vital conditions, we will only struggle as many have, to understand these heaven-sent messages.
There are some very interesting discussions on the book of Revelation by James Rafferty and Ivor Myers.
I think there are about 72 videos as they go through the book, which one can listen to on the internet.
First two titles
1) Overview of Revelation - Salvation in Symbols & Signs
2) Introduction to Revelation - Salvation in Symbols & Signs
http://www.3abn.com/Series/SISS/index.html