© 1998 "Yes Lord" Ministries
Leader's Guide
for
Revelation Lesson 5
Rev. Chapter 4 (Worship)
OPEN WITH PRAYER: (You, as always, do the praying. Keep it brief)
SUGGESTED VISUAL AID: (The suggested title and column headings which I used are at the END of these Leader's notes.) We will do the visual aid slightly differently in this lesson. You will develop the visual aid as you go. In this way, the class will feel that they have helped create the visual aid instead of it being a fill in the blanks exercise. In fact, any time you can develop the visual aid in this way, you should, because this gives your class even more of a sense of participation and they will learn even more. So, even though you know what you want the visual aid to be titled, the number of columns you will have and what they should be titled, and in general what each column should ultimately approximately contain, you should ask appropriate questions so that the class is able to participate in putting the chart (visual aid) on the board.
So, for this lesson, you will begin your discussion time with a BLANK visual aid and, after your opening prayer, you would begin by saying something like:
"Well, this past week you did your homework for Lesson 5 and looked in some detail at Chapter 4 of Revelation. What was Chapter 4 mainly about?"
Your class should answer with something like: "Worship of God, Worship of God the Father, or God is on His Throne in Heaven and is being worshiped."
If they answer with any of those 3 phrases or something similar, write it on the Board as the TITLE of the Visual Aid. However, if they did NOT include the fact that God was being WORSHIPED, then say: "Yes, that is correct: We saw God on His Throne in Heaven (or whatever they said) -- but, WHAT was HAPPENING?"
Then, among the answers, someone will probably say; "God is being Worshiped!" And, you will excitedly say, "YES! Great! God is on His throne and is being Worshiped." And you should then write that phrase (GOD IS ON HIS THRONE AND IS BEING WORSHIPED) on the visual aid as the title. Also, put the God the Father Symbol (the Triangle) on the word, God, in the same way as we mark the God Words in our homework assignment. This will remind them of the importance of always marking the God words.
Then say: "So, we see in Rev. Chapter 4, that God is on His throne in Heaven and is being worshiped. Now, in our discussion today (or tonight or whenever you have your class), let's look at the Worship of God in some detail."
Now, at this point, you, as the leader, know that you want to develop 5 columns (because that is what our visual aid will have for this lesson) and you know the titles you would like to have for these columns (and, yes, I will give you my titles, but of course, do feel free to change them or reword them .These are just suggestions.) So, since you know what you want to cover in this lesson, you will now draw 5 BLANK columns on the Visual aid. The first column will be narrow. Columns 2 and 3 should be wider (as most of what we will discuss will be in these 2 columns) and Columns 4 and 5 will be narrow and approximately the same size as column 1. Why are you doing this? Because your class likes to know these things. It is very frustrating to a student, at least it is to me, to NOT know how many columns there are going to be and approximately how wide they are going to be. So draw in the 5 columns but do NOT title them yet.
Then say: "First of all, let's look at the scene in heaven and at the participants who are worshiping God." As you say that, write on the board under column 1, the words: "THE SCENE AND ITS PARTICIPANTS," as the heading for column 1.
Your visual aid should now look like this:
WORSHIP of GOD the FATHER (or whatever title they gave you)
The scene
and its
participants
Leave the other 4 columns empty for now and begin your discussion for column 1 by writing the words: "in Rev. 4" on the chart under the title of Column 1 and asking: "In Rev. 4, What was the 'scene', ie. where was the worship of God occurring?"
They should answer something like: "in heaven" ..."at (or before) the throne of God" ... "in the throne room of heaven". Write these (or their similar answers) on the board under column one.
Then say: "In Rev. Chapter 4, WHO were the participants? ie. Who was worshiping God?
They should answer something like: "the 24 Elders and 4 Living Creatures." When they do, write on the board, under column 1, "24 E's and 4 LC's are worshiping God." (Of course you can write the whole words instead of the initials, but I usually use initials a lot to save time. You do whatever is your style.) Then say: "Great, you are correct! And, is there another place in the Bible where we saw a similar scene?"
They will say: "Yes" and you will say "Where?". Probably someone will say the precise location, which is Isaiah 6. But, if they don't, and if they say "in the OT" or some similar answer, you will say, "Yes, we saw God being worshiped in the OT in Isaiah 6. Let's think about that passage now. (Write the phrase "in Isaiah 6" in column 1.)
Your chart should now look something like this: (Remember, I have put these dots in for spacing on the Internet. You will not have them on your visual aid. Sorry about that. But, you are sharp leaders and can figure out my method.
WORSHIP of GOD the FATHER (or whatever title they gave you)
The scene
and its
participants
______________________________________________________________
............in REV. 4
.
in heaven
in throne room of God
.
God is being worshiped by
.......24 E's
.........4 LC's
.
..............in ISAIAH 6.
.
Then ask: "Where was the worship of God occurring in Is. 6?" And they will say something like: "in the throne room of God". (You will write this on the board under in Isaiah 6.)
Then ask: "And who were worshiping God in Is. 6?" And your class will surely say something like: "4 Seraphs." Write that on the board. Then ask. Are the Seraphs the same creatures as the 4 LC's?" And they will say "Yes" and you will say, "How do you know?"
Let the class explain to you how they know that the 4 LC's and the 4 Seraphs are the same. But, don't write this information on the board. Do point out, however,that this is another example of how the Bible is its own best commentary because, and that, just as it did here, other places in the Bible will often explain and clarify something that may not be totally clear.
Don't spend much time on this column. You should now be about 5 minutes into your lesson. And, although this is important, the information you will be covering in columns 2, 3, and 4 will be the heart of this lesson, so after they tell you how they know that the Seraphs are the same as the 4 LC's and after you have assured yourselves that these Seraphs are a category of Angels, continue on with your lesson by saying:
"Yes, in Rev 4 and in Isaiah 6, we see that Worship is occurring in heaven. And, Who is being worshiped?"
They will say: "God!" or "God the Father" and you will say: "Correct! God, the Father is seen on His throne and He is being worshiped. But, why is it that God should be the One Who is being worshiped? Why not angels? Why not important people? Why not me? Why not You? Why is it God the Father ONLY who is being worshiped?
Pause while they think about this. And, as you pause and they think, you can now write the heading for column 2 on the visual aid: "WHY SHOULD GOD BE THE ONLY ONE WHO IS WORSHIPED?"
Your Visual Aid should now look something like this:
WORSHIP of GOD the FATHER (or whatever title they gave you)
The scene.........................................Why should God be
and its...............................................the ONLY One Who
participants.......................................is Worshiped?
_____________________________________________________________
.
............in REV. 4
in heaven
in throne room of God
God is being worshiped by
.......24 E's
.........4 LC's
.
..............in ISAIAH 6
in heaven
in the throne room of God
God is being worshiped by
..........4 Seraphs
.
If they haven't said anything yet, then say: "What did we read in the 10 commandments about WHO is to be worshiped?" Your class will answer: "God." Then you will say: "Yes, that is right! And, specifically, what did the first Commandment say?"
And your class, or someone in it, will say: "You (or thou) shall have no other gods before Me." Write on the visual aid under column 2: "In the 10 Commandments God said: "You shall have no other gods before Me."
Then say: "And what else did God say in the 2nd Commandment? ie. How did God expand upon or explain further what He said in the first commandment?" Your class should either give you the direct quote of the 2nd commandment or some form of paraphrase of it. Get all their responses and write several of them on the visual aid under column 2. Some of the responses you would want to write on the vis. aid would probably include: "God is a jealous God", "God will punish those who don't worship Him."
Stop now and discuss for 1 or 2 or 3 minutes (without writing anything on the visual aid): What does 'God is a Jealous God' mean?
You, as the leader, as you prepare for this class, might want to look in a Dictionary of Bible Words for more information re. this. QANNA # 7067, is the Hebrew word. In your discussion, be sure they understand that jealous does not mean the selfish type of jealousy we think of today when we use this word. Rather, this refers to a Holy and Righteous type of zeal and is an attribute of God's justice and holiness. This is telling us that God should be the only object of human worship and that He does not and cannot tolerate sin. For to sin is to be defiled. And a person who is defiled can not worship a Holy God.
Your Visual aid should now look something like this: (remember you won't have the dots)
WORSHIP of GOD the FATHER (or whatever title they gave you)
The scene.........................................Why should God be
and its...............................................the ONLY One Who
participants.......................................is Worshiped?
______________________________________________________________
.
............in REV. 4..............................In the 10 Commandments
in heaven..............................................God said:
in throne room of God......................."You shall have NO other gods
God is being worshiped by....................before Me."
.......24 E's
.........4 LC's.......................................God is a jealous God
...........................................................God will punish those who
..............in ISAIAH 6...............................don't worship Him
in heaven
in the throne room of God
God is being worshiped by
..........4 Seraphs
.
Then continue on by asking: "Why else should God be the Only One we worship? What reasons are given in Rev. Chapter 4?" They should give such answers as: "God is Holy, God is our Creator, God is eternal (is/was/is to come), He lives forever, God is Worthy, God created all things, ..." (As they give you these answers, write them on the board in Column 2.)
If they don't give you these answers readily, you can give them helpful hints by saying: "What reason is given in Rev. 4:8?(= God is Holy, is Almighty, was and is and is to come). In 4:9?(= lives forever, is eternal). In 4:10?(= lives forever) In 4:11?(= He is worthy, God created all things).
In fact, anytime you ask a question and don't get an answer, this hint of giving them a verse to look at is one you can always use to jog their memories.
After you have finished writing their answers to these questions on the board, then say: "Yes, it is obvious that Only God is worthy of being worshiped. But, the next thing we need to consider is HOW should God be worshiped. And, indeed, WHAT is worship and How do and should people worship God."
Now write on the board (visual aid) as the heading for column 3: "WHAT IS WORSHIP? WHAT DO THE WORHIPERS DO?"
Then Say: "In your lesson, you learned that there was a Greek word for Worship. What was that word?" = PROSKUNEO. (Write PROSKUNEO on the visual aid in column 3)
You might want to point out to your group that PROSKUNEO is made up of 2 Greek words: Pros = towards and Kuneo = Kiss. And, in Medicine, the word, Prone (= lying on stomach with face down is prostrate) and is a related word to Pros as contrasted to Supine (lying on the back with face up). Hmmmm. Very interesting.
Then briefly let the class discuss Worship. Try to draw out such concepts that worship as shown by this word, Proskuneo, is the adoration of a person who loves and worships another and expresses this love by kissing them. Also, in some cultures, when a person comes before a king or high ranking official, they bow before them and kiss their hand or their feet. Refer to the verse in their homework (Psalm 2:11-12). And, remind them that even the love shown by a dog who kisses his master in a show of affection is an example of the dog worshiping his master..
Ask: "In your own words what does PROSKUNEO (WORSHIP) mean?" They will probably say such things as: "to give homage to, to revere, to kneel prostrate before, ... etc." As they give you these answers, write them on the board under column 3.
Then say: "Although there is no place in the Bible that defines or describes in a 1,2,3 fashion just How a person is to worship, there are many places were we see people worshiping and where worship is described in some way. So let's look now at some of those scriptures and see what principles they teach." Then ask them what they learned about How to worship and Who to worship in the scriptures which they read in their homework. They should give you such answers as: "we are to bow down to God but not to idols, we are to serve God only, we are to offer sacrifices to God, we are to worship the splendor of God's holiness, etc. etc. etc." As they give you these answers, write them under column 3.
Then, when you have finished writing in the information under column 3, look back at the column and re-read some of their answers--specifically the ones that said "we are to serve God....we are to offer sacrifices to God..." and underline those phrases on the board.
Then say: "Yes, there are many ways to worship God. And serving God and offering sacrifices to Him are 2 of the ways. But let's get practical. Let's think about how we can personally worship God & serve Him & offer sacrifices to Him." At this point, you can write the title of Column 4 on the vis. aid: "WHAT ABOUT TODAY? WHO SHOULD WE WORSHIP AND HOW?"
Then ask: "Who or what do many people worship today?" They will probably say such things as "money, jobs, etc." Don't write those on the board, but DO agree with them and briefly discuss the fact that people today do worship things, people, and etc. INSTEAD of the One True God.
Then say: "OK. So we know people worship things other than God. But, let's assume now that we ARE going to worship the ONE True God. HOW do we do that? What kinds of sacrifices do we offer to Him? For example, what did Romans 12:1 say?"
They will probably correctly say: "we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices." (write on the board under column 4: "Present body as living sacrifice to God"
Then you will say: "give me some examples of how you do this. What are some living sacrifices we can do?" Spend several minutes discussing this and the many other ways we can personally worship God. Be sure that they understand that giving of our tithe of money is a form of worship, and that giving of our time is worship, and praying is worship, and helping others, etc. etc. etc. This is the very heart of the lesson. This is the practical application time. So be sure that your group understands that Worship of God is not just going to a worship service once a week, but, worship of God is a 24 hour a day, 365 day a year commitment to love, obey, serve, trust, etc. Him. As various insights and understandings occur to your group, write several of them on the board in this column. You will probably end up with such things on the board as:"Praying is worship, giving of my tithe, giving of my time, helping others, etc. etc"
After you have finished discussing Column 4, then say: "Well, there is one more thing that we learned in our lesson this week. And that is, What will happen to those who do not worship God or who refuse to worship God? Are there any consequences for refusing to Worship God? And, if so, What are the consequences?" At this point, write the title of Column 5 on the Visual Aid: "WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON'T WORSHIP GOD?"
Then, ask: "What did the scriptures which we studied this week say will happen to those who refuse to worship God?" Their answers should include such things as: "they will surely be destroyed, The Lord's anger will burn against them, they will be cut off from the land, they will be put to shame, they will be brought low and humbled, they will not be forgiven, they will be harmed, God will give them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies, etc." As they give you these answers, write them on the visual aid.
After you have written these or most of these answers on the board, it is time to summarize and wind up the lesson.
So you could close by saying:
Well, this week we have observed the Worship in Heaven of God the Father. And, we have learned a lot. But, the main thing for us to remember is that just as the 4 LC's and the 24 E's worshiped and served a Holy God, we also should Worship and serve the same Holy God. He created them and He created us. He is worthy of all our praise and adoration. He is worthy of our total and unswerving commitment and loyalty. He is the only one to whom we should bow our knee. He is Holy, Righteous, Just, Loving, Without Sin, Perfect and Pure. Therefore, as the Bible tells us, we should "Worship the Lord our God and Him only shall we serve." We should bow our knee ONLY to God, the LORD God, the Creator of the universe. Only He is worthy of our Obedience, Love, Service, and Worship. Only He is worthy of our Praise. So, let' us Choose to serve only Him!
Let's Pray! (and then YOU close with a brief prayer.)
Then say:
Next week we will be looking at the Worship in Heaven of Jesus, the Lamb of God as He takes the scroll and breaks the first 6 seals. So, we will be looking for you next week. See you then.
Additional information for the Leaders
This is what my visual aid was entitled and the headings of each of the 5 columns were:
WORSHIP of GOD the FATHER
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The scene..........Why should God be..........What is Worship........What about today?........What will happen
and its................the ONLY One Who.........and What do..............Who should we................if we Don't
participants.........is Worshiped?.................Worshipers do?..........Worship &How?...............Worship God?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
.
.
.
For you Word buffs, these words would be great to supplement the class discussion:
4:8 LIVING CREATURES (Zoon # 2226) = "a living being" (related to zoe = life). Read more about this in Vines.
4:8 HOLY (Hagios #40). Look this word up and give about a 1 minute summary to your class of
what this word means. This is a very important and key word. If you do not have access to a Vines's commentary, you can access it at the GOSHEN Internet site. There is a link to that site from the URL Links page of our "Yes Lord" Ministries website.
4:10 FALL DOWN (Pipto #4098). See also Rev. 1:17 and Matthew 17:6 where this word is used. Pipto, according to Vines = "to fall ... in the act of prostration...to prostrate oneself in... an act of homage and worship.
.
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