By Miguel Manuel Mafugula I was born into a Sunday-keeping family in Milange, a town located just 2 miles (3 kilometers) from Mozambique’s border with Malawi. My introduction to the Seventh-day Adventist Church came through a girl named Adelina. She was 16 and in the seventh grade, and she asked me for help with her … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Study of the Books of Daniel and the Revelation”, pages 112-119, in Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers. “This revelation was given for the guidance and comfort of the church throughout the Christian dispensation. … A revelation is something revealed. The Lord Himself revealed to His servant the mysteries contained in … Continue reading –>
The conclusion of the prologue of Revelation points to the true focus of the whole book: the return of Jesus in power and glory. Christ’s promise to come again is reiterated three times in the conclusion of the book (Rev. 22:7, Rev. 22:12, Rev. 22:20). Read Revelation 1:7-8. The wording of this text is derived from several prophetic texts: Daniel … Continue reading –>
As a child, I honestly believed that the book of Revelation was for grown-ups only. Silly as that may sound now, I have figured out now why I thought so. It was because of the scary beasts they always spoke about, the national Sunday Law (which would get us killed for believing in Jesus), the … Continue reading –>
Revelation begins with a greeting similar to the ones found in Paul’s letters. The book was sent ostensibly as a letter to the seven churches in Asia Minor in John’s day (Rev. 1:11). However, Revelation was not written for them only, but for all generations of Christians throughout history. Read Revelation 1:4-5 and Romans 1:7. What common greeting is … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Revelation is an expression of God’s care for His people. It points to salvation in Christ as our High Priest and King. . January 5, 2019 1. Have a volunteer read John 14:29, Revelation 1:1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. What … Continue reading –>
You may have seen an island something like Patmos–shaggy rocks in a bleak, dark sea. Why, you may wonder, did God choose such a desolate place as this to reveal to mankind the final works of God in gathering up the few, the dedicated to take them to live with Him? And if John was … Continue reading –>
A Happy New Year, and welcome to 2019. “Blessed is he who reads….” says our Memory Text – Hymn 272, “Give Me the Bible”. In the Bible, God’s word is written for us – Hymn 351, “Thy Hand, O God Has Guided”. Our Sabbath afternoon introduction goes on to say we are to obey the … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 13:1, Daniel 7:1-3, and Ezekiel 1:1-14. What is the one thing that all these visions have in common? Revelation 1:1 further states: “And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (NKJV, emphasis added). Here we find a very important word in the book. The word “signified” is a translation of the Greek word semaino, meaning “to show … Continue reading –>
April 11, 1970 saw the successful launch of the seventh manned mission in NASA’s Apollo space program. Two days later, after one of the craft’s oxygen tanks exploded and severely crippled the craft’s oxygen and power supplies, Apollo commander Jim Lovell uttered the famous words: “Houston, we have a problem!” Suddenly, the focus of the … Continue reading –>
Revelation 1:1 also tells us that the purpose of the book is to show future events, starting from the time when the book itself was written. Anyone familiar with Revelation will notice that the prediction of events – whether those already fulfilled (at least from our perspective today) or those events still future (again, from our perspective … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 1:1-2. What is the significance of the full title of the book? What does the title teach us in terms of whom the book is really about? Revelation 1:1 states the title of the book as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. The word “revelation” comes from the Greek word apokalupsis (apocalypse), which means “uncovering” or “unveiling”. … Continue reading –>
