Leaders Guide Revelation Lesson 7

Leader's Guide

for

Revelation Lesson 7

Open with Prayer. As always you do the praying.

Begin with Brief Review: I began by saying something like:

"Well, can you believe it, we are already at Lesson 7 in this course. We have already studied many things including the messages to the 7 churches, the worship of God the Father, and the worship of Jesus Christ the Sacrificial Lamb who redeemed us from our sins. Now we are looking at the events that occur when Jesus breaks the seals on the 7 sealed scroll. We have already seen what happened when Jesus broke seals 1 through 4. But, by way of review.... let's briefly recall those events.

As you ask the following questions, do NOT write the answers on the board. Just ask the questions, and as you get answers from the class, make any appropriate comments for each answer and continue on.

What happened when Jesus broke the first seal? = White horse with rider....came out conquering and to conquer....

And, when Jesus broke the 2nd seal, what happened? = Red horse and rider....

What were they to do? = take peace from the earth....

And the 3rd Seal? = Black horse with rider... holding pair of scales

What were the results of this seal? = 1 qt wheat or 3 qts barley for days wages =? famine.=? hard times?

And, the 4th seal? = Pale horse and rider (death) and hades followed behind...

And what were they given power to do? =had power over 1/4 of earth to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.

And the 5th seal? = souls slain were under the altar

And who are these souls? = Martyrs

Yes, and we are going to look at these martyrs and at suffering in more detail in our lesson tonight.

But, before we do that, let's continue in our review....

What happened when Jesus broke the 6th seal?

= earthquake...etc...

= kings...etc... announce that the "great day of God's wrath has come"....

= 144K sealed

= great multitude appears in heaven.

Great and we will look at this 6th seal in this lesson tonight, also.

And... what happened when Jesus broke the 7th seal? = silence in heaven for about 30 minutes.

Yes, that is correct and NEXT week we will study about what might have taken place during that 30 minutes. So don't miss that lesson. It is VERY important.

But... now... let's look at some detail at the 5th and 6th seals... and we will start with the 5th...

So, who were these individuals under the altar of God in heaven? = those who had been killed

Why had they been killed? What had they done? = for the word of God of God and the testimony they had maintained.

Yes, so they had been killed for witnessing about Jesus and God and Salvation and etc.

What are these people called? = Martyrs.

Yes, that is correct... and .. By the way... do you know what the Greek word for Martyr is and what it means? (Someone in your group may know and give you the answer. If they don't, tell them that the Greek word for martyr is Martus and it means "witness." In the King James this word, martus' is translated 29 times as witness, and 3 times as martyr ... and one of those 3 times is here at the 5th seal. But, it is very interesting that this word also means witness. In fact in MANY places where the Christian witness is being referred to in the NT, the word martus is used. Hmmmmmm.

BDB/Thayers defines MARTYR as:

3144 martus {mar'-toos} ...

1) a witness

1a) in a legal sense

1b) an historical sense

1b1) one who is a spectator of anything, e.g. of a contest

1c) in an ethical sense

1c1) those who after his example have proved the strength and

genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death

Anyway, the point is... that YES, these are martyrs who have died for maintaining the witness of Christ. And they suffered for Christ. So... what we want to do now is think about suffering... the kind that the martyrs endured and the other kinds of suffering.

You know, when you stop and think about it... there are 4 Categories of suffering. Let's look at those categories and see what we can learn about suffering and how to endure it.

Suggested Visual Aid

At this point, you, the leader, will write, in blue, on the visual aid as the title: 4 CATEGORIES OF SUFFERING and the numbers as headings of the 4 columns. Write the 1 and everything in the first column in Black. Column 2 will be in Brown, column 3 Purple, and column 4 will be Red. Do not write anything but the title of the vis. Aid and the numbers of the column headings at this point in time. Leave space for a 5th column which we will add later. Your visual aid for this lesson will now look like this:....

4 CATEGORIES OF SUFFERING

..........1.........................2......................3...............................4

Then explain to the group, that "the martyrs suffered for Christ and for preaching about Him, God, the Gospel, etc. But not all suffering is like that. There are various reasons why a person suffers. And, when you or I or anyone suffers, it will help if we understand what category our suffering is.

The first category (write this on the vis aid. In Black, under column 1, as you say this) is FOR BREAKING A LAW OF GOD OR MAN...DOING WRONG (SINNING). The visual aid will now look like this:

4 CATEGORIES OF SUFFERING

..........1.........................2......................3...............................4

For Breaking a Law

of God or Man..

Doing Wrong

(Sinning)

Then ask the group to give some examples of the types of suffering that a person experiences for breaking laws of God or Man. Write the answers in BLACK on the board under column as they give them to you. You should get such answers as: breaking the 10 commandments', lying, stealing, murder, robbing a bank, jumping off a cliff (law of gravity), etc

Point out that we studied some scriptures in our lesson this week that would go in this category. . ... I Peter 2:20-21 mentions a Category 1 type of suffering (doing wrong)... and so does 1 Peter 4:12-19. (Murderer, thief, ...criminal...meddler.)

Ask if a person is a martyr for experiencing Category 1 suffering? =NO!. Why?.... let them give you some reasons.

Spend 2 or 3 minutes on this column. The main point you want your group to get is that if a person breaks a law, they will have to suffer. But, this is NOT the kind of suffering that is suffering for Christ. And this is NOT the kind of suffering that is commendable before God. And this IS the kind of suffering that is not only painful but also, IF unconfessed and unrepentented, will end up causing a person to suffer eternity in Hell or, if the person is a Christian, in loosing rewards at the Bema. (We will discuss the Bema next wee, so don't get sidetracked now.)

Then say...OK.. That is Category 1 suffering... suffering for doing wrong... and breaking laws and rules. The second Category of suffering is....(Write in BROWN on the board under column 2 as you say this) BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE FALL

Then say, "This is the type of suffering that resulted when Adam and Eve Sinned and the effects of their fall (sin) came upon the world, and all creation, and of course, on Adam and Eve and on all their descendants. And these effects will continue UNTIL God remakes the heavens and the earth at the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ and before eternity begins. Some examples of Category 2 suffering are (write these on the board, in BROWN, under column 2).....cancer, strokes, heart attacks, jealousy, hatred, thorns, etc.

Then ask your students to name some more. And as they give them to you, write them on the board and discuss some of these briefly.

Then ask ..."Is this suffering for Christ?" = NO.

Is a person a martyr for experiencing this kind of suffering? = NO

Why not? =

Briefly discuss category 2 suffering, spending about 3 or 4 minutes in this column. The main point you want your group to understand is that this is just suffering that goes with living here on earth and is the results of the sin of Adam and Eve. God NEVER intended for them or us to get sick or grow old or have accidents or illnesses or be stung by bees or attacked by lions and tigers.. etc. But, these things are the results of the fall. Yes, we suffer from these things, but they are NOT the type of suffering that is being referred to when we see the Martyrs under the altar.

After spending about 3 or 4 minutes on Column 2, it is time to go on to column 3. So, now, say... well, there is another category of suffering....it is the suffering like that of JOB in the Book of Job and which was also mentioned in our lesson this week in James 5:10-11. As you say this, write in PURPLE on the visual aid under column 3: SUFFERING ALLOWED BY GOD FOR SOME PURPOSE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND.

Then write down as the first item in this column, JOB.... and briefly discuss with your class, the types of things Job experienced (boils, sores, disasters, etc....) Then continue by asking them questions about Job's suffering. Hopefully several in your group will be familiar with the Biblical account and can answer various questions as you ask them. If not, explain it for them. The main points you want to get across in this category are that:

1. Job was UNAWARE of WHY he was suffering

2. Job was suffering because the Devil was trying to prove to God that Job would not love God if he suffered.

3. Job did NOT curse God or get mad at God but just figured that God knew what was best and endured the pain and sufferings without complaint.

4. Even when Job's friends and wife tried to convince him otherwise, he never wavered in his trust in God to do the right thing.

...and etc....

Then ask, is this suffering for Christ and being a type of a martyr (witness) for God? = YES.

Spend about 4 or 5 minutes on this 3rd column. Be sure that your group understands that sometime we just don't know why we are sick or suffering in some way. But, God knows and cares and we are to not loose our faith and trust and confidence in Him when and while we are experiencing Category 3 suffering. But we are to rejoice because we know that God has some divine purpose for it!

Then say, but there is still another category of suffering, it is category 4 suffering and it is the kind the martyrs were mainly experiencing. It is .... SUFFERING FOR CHRIST....and as you say this, write it on the board in RED. Yes, some of the martyrs experience category 3 suffering, but, most of the suffering about which we read in our scriptures in this lesson, was the Category type. Let's list some of the types of suffering this included. We read about these in the many scriptures in our homework this week. Be sure to also include the scriptures concerning the Thlipsis (2347) Suffering by the Church in the Scriptures you discuss concerning Category 4 suffering.

Then, as they give you the LONG list of things, write them on the visual aid, under column 3, in RED. Discuss some of the various sufferings as you put them on the board and others just simply write on the board without discussion. Some of the things you will put on the visual aid will include: beatings, being mistreated, suffering disgrace for the sake of Christ, suffering for doing good, being insulted, persecuted, all kinds of evil spoken against you falsely, hungry, thirsty, cursed, sawed in two, excluded, rejected, publicly exposed to insult, property confiscated... etc.

Spend a LOT of time on this list... at least 15 minutes... The main points you want to bring out in this Category 4 discussion is that this is NOT only something that people experienced 2000 years ago... or will experience in the future.. But that these things ARE also going on NOW and have been going on since the beginning of mankind. Abel was the FIRST martyr.... (discuss WHY he was killed... =because his offering was acceptable to God and his brother Cain was jealous, etc.....)... and we still have martyrs today. Also, emphasize that some of us are experiencing some of these sufferings today.... and that ALL of us need to be prepared to endure sufferings and persecutions.

Then, begin to Discuss HOW we can be prepared. = by trusting God and the Holy Spirit to be with us, by being in the Bible, studying it DAILY and becoming so in love with God that we will NOT renounce Him for ANY reason, etc. Be sure your class understands this. And, be sure they understand that there ARE still MANY martyrs today and that we need to be praying for them and for all believers (Christians) .....that they will stand true to God in the face of persecution and martyrdom.

So.... as you finish discussing column 4.... and are now getting into this area of standing true' and how', begin to discuss the words of encouragement or comfort that we had underlined in GREEN as we did our homework.

As you do this, start a 5th column on your visual aid... in GREEN and title this 5th column: GOD'S

ENCOURAGEMENTS AND REMINDERS TO US IN OUR SUFFERING.

Ask your class..."As these martyrs, and others who suffered for Christ but perhaps were not necessarily martyrs unto death, faced their sufferings, rebukes, insults, persecutions, etc. ..... what encouragements were given them?

Your group should answer with such things as: "they rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus, they are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, share in His glory, looking ahead to rewards, rewards in heaven, God's grace will be sufficient, this will help advance the Gospel, etc. etc. etc.

If they don't give you these or similar responses, point them to specific verses and say something like: "What did it say in 2 Cor. 12:9-12" ....etc... Then, as they give you the answers, write them, in GREEN, in the 5th column on the visual aid

ALL of the answers in this 5th column are very important and should be discussed, so don't just write them down and go on... but spend a few seconds or minutes on each point, depending on what it is..

Some of the major points to emphasize in this 5th column are:

Counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus... spend some time discussing how this can be done today...

Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,...discuss what this means now and in the future...

Share in His glory, looking ahead to rewards, rewards in heaven...Rewards!... Yes there will be awards and rewards for suffering and martyrdom and persecution and etc. And, next week we will go into more detail about some of these.

God's grace will be sufficient... ie. The Holy Spirit will help us to endure. Remind them of such passages as Matt 10:17-23.... etc.

This will help advance the Gospel. Discuss HOW suffering for Christ helps advance the Gospel.

Christ's Example !!! 1 Peter 2:20-21. This is a VERY important passage and concept. Spend time on this point...emphasizing that CHRIST SUFFERED and we are to follow His example as to HOW He suffered. He did not try to get revenge, snap back, curse, try to get even, etc... no, rather He just quietly trusted for God, His Father, to deal with the situation in HIS TIME and in HIS way....even if that meant years or centuries LATER !!!!!

Should we do no less?= No

Do we do less? =Yes.

Discuss how we can and should follow Christ's example....

This entire GREEN column is VERY VERY important and so is the RED column.... so spend adequate time on these two columns. The MAIN portion of the lesson should be in these 2 columns.

Also be sure to emphasize the 2 Timothy 3:10-12 scripture..." ...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.".

Then... when you have about 5 or 10 minutes left in your lesson.... spend about 3 or 4 of these minutes briefly discussing the 144K.......but do NOT write anything on the board about this...

The main points you want to make when discussing the 144K are

(1) ...that they ARE 144,000 Jews. They are NOT a special group of the Church, they are not Jehovah's witnesses, etc. The Bible says they are Jews! So they ARE!

(2)...Also, emphasize the REASON they were chosen as is suggested by the Ezekiel 9:3b-6 passage (= they grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in Jerusalem)..... see what the parallels would be today... If the 144K were sealed today or tomorrow or 5 years from now or whenever...

(3) Point out to your group that these 144K will be IN the 7 years....and are not seen leaving the time of the 7 years of wrath until Chapter 14. Thus they needed to be sealed' to protect them from the horrible events which would be going on all around them.....

Then.... in your final 4 or 5 minutes of the lesson, summarize briefly what you have discussed concerningthe Martyrs under the altar and suffering. Point out that there are 4 categories of suffering. And... whenever anyone is suffering, the first thing they should do is try to decide WHICH category it is....

IF they are experiencing Category 1 suffering.... what should they do? = confess and repent of the sin that got them into that category. Endure the suffering, knowing that it is a just punishment for the wrong they did... and STOP doing it in the future.... etc.

IF they are experiencing Category 2 suffering... what should they do? =... just KNOW that this goes with the territory of living in a fallen world.... ask God to help you (in the cancer, heart attack, results of the wreck or whatever)... and trust God to help you and to enable you to endure. You may not always be healed by God but He will help you to endure and to even use this difficult time as a time to witness to His power and glory.

Remember what was said in the book of Daniel by Shadrach, Mesheck, and Abednego..... "our God is able to deliver us, but even if He does not, still we will serve Him!" That is how we should also look at Category 2 suffering (and category 3 & 4 suffering also).

Re. Category 3 and 4 Sufferings.... how should we view them? = With rejoicing, knowing that God has a grand and glorious purpose....even though the things we are experiencing are horrible and painful. But, we are to rejoice and trust God to do what is right WHEN He is ready....even if it is not in our lifetime. Just as the martyrs under the altar called out...."how long...until you avenge our blood....." ....so, we, too, must be patient and endure....

And... remember... in All of our sufferings... and especially in the Categories 2,3,and 4..... the information we listed in the 5th column is information that will help us endure and continue regardless of what is thrown at us and regardless of the outcome..... God IS in control.... this IS for His glory.... there will be rewards and etc..... so....

(Well, leader, you get the idea.... bring this discussion to a triumphant close.....reminding your group that, yes, all who desire to live godly lives WILL suffer....but... Christ is our example and our source of help and comfort..... He knows... He cares... and He will be with us to give us the grace to endure....)

Close with Prayer...... and again, you, leader, do the praying.

Then, as you dismiss your group, remind them that "next week we will be looking at some of the rewards that will be given to those who overcome...and to those who are martyrs, and to Christians at the Bema Judgment Seat. So.... see you next week!"

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Your visual aid headings and suggested colors to use.. on your finished chart will look something like this.....(again, I am sorry about the dots... of course you will NOT put them on your visual aid... but I just have to put them in to make things format on the web page. Sorry. But, you are smart leaders and can figure this out.)

4 CATEGORIES OF SUFFERING (write this in blue)

.......(In Black).........(In Brown)...........(In Purple)................(In Red)..............(in Green)

........1............................2..........................3.............................4...............

Breaking a Law.........Because of the.........Suffering Allowed by God......Suffering for.......God's Encouragements

of God or Man...........Effects of the fall.......for some purpose.......................Christ..............and reminders to us

Doing wrong...................................................we don't understand...........................................in our suffering

(Sinning)

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