Smyrna was a beautiful and wealthy city but also was a center of mandated emperor worship. Refusing to comply with this mandate could lead to the loss of legal status, to persecution, and even to martyrdom. Read Revelation 2:8-11. How does the way Jesus presents Himself to this church relate to the church’s situation? What was … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 2:8-11, Rev. 2:12-17, Rev. 2:18-29, Rev. 3:1-6, Rev. 3:7-13, Rev. 3:14-22, Isa. 61:10. Memory Text: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21, NKJV). From Patmos, Jesus sent a letter via John with seven messages to His … Continue reading –>
By Andrew McChesney Janice Clark never planned to adopt a former student’s baby, but then the telephone rang on a cold March day. “I’m having a baby that I can’t keep, and I’m wondering if you will have him”, Annette said. “What do you mean by ‘have him’?” asked Janice, a 47-year-old physical education teacher … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Patmos”, pages 568-577, in The Acts of the Apostles. “The persecution of John became a means of grace. Patmos was made resplendent with the glory of a risen Saviour. John had seen Christ in human form, with the marks of the nails, which will ever be his glory, in his hands and … Continue reading –>
Ephesus was the capital and the largest city in the Roman province of Asia, located on the major trade routes. As the chief seaport of Asia, it was a very important commercial and religious center. The city was filled with such public buildings as temples, theaters, gymnasiums, bathhouses, and brothels. It also was known for … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:19-20. Jesus also spoke seven distinctive messages for the churches in Asia. What does the fact that there were more than seven churches in the province suggest, in general, about the symbolic significance of these messages for Christians? The messages that Jesus directed John to send to the seven churches are recorded in … Continue reading –>
1. Wish you were there? If you’re like me, every time you read John’s true-life account of the final days of earth’s history, you want to GO there. You want to see first-hand how God is bringing the battle between Christ and Satan to a conclusion. Don’t you? We can’t quite do that, of course, but … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Today we will look at Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary among the candlesticks and the first of His messages to His church. January 12, 2019 1. Have a volunteer read Revelation 1:11,19,20. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. Why did John … Continue reading –>
Our Sabbath afternoon introduction to the weeks’ study shows John being given a vision of the resurrected Christ in the heavenly sanctuary: Hymn 177, “Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness” and Hymn 178, “The Unveiled Christ”. The study goes on to say that John was provided assurance of Christ’s presence and care : Hymn 462, “Blessed Assurance, … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 1:12-18. Compare John’s portrayal of Christ with the divine being in Daniel 10:5-6. How does Jesus appear in John’s vision? What is He doing? John sees Jesus dressed as High Priest, walking among the lampstands. The picture of Jesus walking among the lampstands points to God’s promise to ancient Israel that He would walk among … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 1:10 along with Exodus 31:13, Isaiah 58:13, and Matthew 12:8. According to these texts, what day is clearly specified in the Bible as the Lord’s? How meaningful must this day have been for John in the midst of his hardships? “It was on the Sabbath that the Lord of glory appeared to the exiled apostle. The Sabbath was … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 1:9. What does John tell us of the circumstances in which he received the visions of Revelation? Patmos is a barren, rocky island in the Aegean Sea; it is ten miles long and six miles across its widest part. The Romans used it, together with other surrounding islands, as a penal colony for banished … Continue reading –>
