Bible Study On The Book Of Revelations

The future is the fascinating subject in a Bible study on the book of Revelations. Reading and researching this book is similar to getting a sneak preview of the end of the world before it ever comes to pass! A study of this portion of scripture reveals how God views churches, Christians and non-Christians at the end of time, and reveals what will become of all of them. For those who do not know, this book was written by the prophet John, while incarcerated on the Isle of Patmos. Here, our Lord gives John many visions of Heaven, Hell and of how a new Heaven and Earth will be created. Throughout this time, God demonstrates awesome power through His angels and judgments via the seven seals. Now this is exciting reading!

When a Bible study on the book of Revelations is performed in parallel with a Daniel Bible study, the student will be able to detect several instances of similar prophetic visions. For example in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, he discusses the great beasts that will devour the Earth and break it into pieces. In the book of Revelation, refer to chapter 13 verses 1 - 6. There it talks about the Beast that stands on the sea which has seven heads and ten horns. There is a direct reference here back to Daniel. In another chapter, Daniel is commanded by King Nebuchadnezzar to interpret a dream he has about an image made of gold, silver, bronze and clay. This passage refers directly to chapter 16 in Revelation, which speaks of the same image. Clearly, these two books speak about the same end time prophecies, but are articulated by two prophets born hundreds of years apart!

In a Daniel Bible study, the student will come to understand that this book spans 70 years of Jewish captivity in Babylon. Daniel was very young, just a teen, when God called him to prophesy to both the Jews and Gentiles about his purpose for the Earth. The book reveals that God is very active in our lives, and has been since the beginning of time. It will be the same at the end of time as well. This prophet must have had great faith and boldness to go and preach in this manner to a foreign nation. Our Daniel Bible study begins with a narrative about how Nebuchadnezzar came to power in Babylon, and how Daniel came to find favor with this king. During this time, God provided Daniel with much knowledge and wisdom about great writings and visions.

Also revealed in a Bible study on the book of Revelations, is the fact that John the prophet was very old, contrasting the youth of Daniel and his prophecies. Perhaps this is God's way of showing both the young and old perspective of purpose. Daniel found favor with those to whom he preached, and John fell into disfavor with those to whom he preached. One was free, one was jailed. In both situations, God was able to send His message, regardless of the circumstances. Doesn't this show the omnipotence and omnipresence of God in a powerful way? Certainly! The meaning of the Revelation is unveiling. Here God brings to an end the history of humankind as we know it, and ushers in eternal existence and fellowship with Him, who knows Him as their Savior.

Throughout the Bible study on the book of Revelations, several divisions of the book become evident to the student. First, John discusses the seven churches: the church that doesn't show love anymore; the church which is persecuted, the church that makes exceptions to its hurt; the church which allows gross immorality; the faithful church in Philadelphia and finally, the Laodicean church, which is so lukewarm, God says He will spit them out of His mouth! Then, the story progresses to John's vision taking place in Heaven, where he sees God's throne, angels and elders worshipping around the throne. Then the Lamb of God breaks open the scrolls. The entire time all in Heaven continually worship about the Lord's throne. The breaking of the seals releases the horsemen of the apocalypse upon the earth to do His bidding, and causes men to either worship or curse Him. Then we witness the blowing of the trumpets, the death of the two witnesses, the vision or sign of the great woman who birthed a child. Now comes the description of the Anti-Christ, the bowl judgments, the fall of Babylon, Satan bound for 1000 years, and then the great white throne judgment. At last the book ends when the New Jerusalem comes down out of Heaven, a new Heaven and Earth now exist, and God reigns forever. Wow. Now movie epic can ever match that kind of script! That is why the Bible is one of the world's best sellers of all time.

A careful Daniel Bible study could yield the same excitement for the Bible scholar, because the importance of this book is on a par with the book of Revelation due to the many visions and prophecies Daniel provides to all those Kings he was privileged to know and witness to. As Daniel warns the Old Testament Kings of God's impending judgment, so too does John warn all of mankind through his authoring of the book of Revelation. Lastly, one of the most wonderful things about studying the Bible is that, no matter how many times it is opened to read, it is always fresh and new. Time to start studying!

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God's Plan Of Salvation God's plan of salvation reveals the way to eternal life and that is through His son Jesus Christ. The only way that a person can truly experience salvation is by believing in the crucifixion of Jesus. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). Before Christ came God required that people present sacrifices of animals for the atonement of sin. Christ was the perfect sacrifice and his death on the cross was the ultimate atonement for all sin, past, present, and future. However, a person must believe and confess Jesus as Lord to be saved. God's word is the authority and is a Christian's guide to eternal life. Recognizing the need for a Savior is the first step towards being saved. Recognizing the need for a Savior leads to repentance. A person becomes truly sorrowful over his or her sinful nature. Romans 3:23 says, that absolutely everyone is a sinner and unable to save themselves. Christ was the only one who has ever lived that was not a sinner. This is why He could become the sacrifice for all sin. The crucifixion of Jesus made the way for people everywhere, no matter what race or color, to experience eternal salvation and freedom from death forever. Repentance means to not only admit to sin but to be willing to turn away from it. God's plan of salvation reveals how to do this. Salvation is not a complex concept but instead is very simple and easy to understand. A person can make Heaven home by simply believing in Christ and confessing that belief openly. When Jesus rose from the dead He completely conquered death and the grave. When Christ ascended into Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to Christians everywhere so that they can attain the rights to become sons and daughters. The Holy Spirit is a comforter, guide, teacher, and counselor giving Christians everything needed to live for Christ and eventually make heaven home. Confession and believing is how a person receives this wonderful gift from God. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10). Confession of the need to be forgiven from sin, being willing to turn from sin, and accept Christ is the necessary formula in God's plan of salvation. One of the most important things to do after becoming saved is to find a local church that preaches and teaches the Word of God. The things that can help a person to grow in faith are reading God's word, fellowship with other Christians, and worship. The Bible says that those who are in Christ are new creatures. Every born again believer needs to renew their mind with the word of God and walk accordingly. This can be done by reading God's word faithfully everyday and spending time in prayer. Baptism is another very important step in receiving salvation. John 3:5 says that a person needs to be born both of water and of the Spirit. Right after Jesus began His earthly ministry He went to John the Baptist and asked to be baptized of him. Baptism symbolizes the burial of Christ. Most sources believe that a person should be totally immersed in the water during baptism. Baptism is a symbol to the believer of the crucifixion of Jesus and the burial. Christian's should not forget that Christ rose again after being in the grave for 3 days. Before being baptized search out the scriptures and talk to clergy about the importance of this act. Commitment is what God expects from His sons and daughters. Being committed to live by faith and to grow spiritually in the Lord are vital for successful Christian living. The Lord wants commitment out of love and obedience with the right attitude. Living for God means never having to make excuses for faith in Him and never denying Him. Some Christians will only profess the crucifixion of Jesus if living for Him does not cost them anything. Several good examples of faithful Christians in the Bible include Daniel, Joseph, and Paul. Daniel was willing to be put in the lion's den for having faith in God. God honored that and sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths. He prayed three times to the Lord every single day when in captivity by the Babylonians even after being ordered to quit praying. Daniel refused to eat the delicacies served by the Babylonians but instead ate what was acceptable in God's sight and according to His word. Daniel had great wisdom and may have been tempted by the food of the Babylonians but knew that honoring God meant taking care of his body so chose to eat what was good for him. Joseph remained faithful to God even after being sold into slavery. Both Joseph and Daniel whom lived at different times were blessed by being able to interpret dreams. This raised Daniel and Joseph both to leadership positions in which they were able to help God's people. God saved them both from times of famine and drought. Paul spent a long time in ignorance and persecuted the church of God. However, after Paul was saved, he was completely faithful and obedient to God. He preached God's plan of salvation to everyone that God sent him to and underwent great persecution himself over and over again but never renounced faith in God. For more information: http://www.christianet.com/biblestudy