2. New TestamentNew Testament
SurveySurvey
Devotion & PrayerDevotion & Prayer
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the old heaven and the old earth hadfor the old heaven and the old earth had
disappeared. And the sea was also gone.disappeared. And the sea was also gone.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven like acoming down from God out of heaven like a
beautiful bride prepared for her husband.beautiful bride prepared for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying,I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying,
"Look, the home of God is now among his"Look, the home of God is now among his
people! He will live with them, and they willpeople! He will live with them, and they will
be his people. God himself will be withbe his people. God himself will be with
them.them.
He will remove all of their sorrows, andHe will remove all of their sorrows, and
there will be no more death or sorrow orthere will be no more death or sorrow or
crying or pain. For the old world and its evilscrying or pain. For the old world and its evils
are gone forever.“are gone forever.“
Revelation 21:1-4Revelation 21:1-4
4. DISCUSSION ZONEDISCUSSION ZONE
Revelation: A Hopeful andRevelation: A Hopeful and
Saving Message for Today (IfSaving Message for Today (If
We Can Get Past theWe Can Get Past the
Gobbledygook)Gobbledygook)
-There is need for its message of hope in a lost world-There is need for its message of hope in a lost world
a)a)What are the barriers to understanding Revelation?What are the barriers to understanding Revelation?
b)b)What verse most clearly defines its message of hopeWhat verse most clearly defines its message of hope
c)c) Discuss as classDiscuss as class
19. Understanding RevelationUnderstanding Revelation
Type of Literature
APOCALYPSE: from apokalupsis “to uncover or reveal”
ORIGIN: From Jews When They Came Into Contact
With Persian Religion in the Exile and After
CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Two Ages
2. Dualism
3. Visions
4. Messiah Figures
5. Symbols, Numbers, Animals, Colors, Theological Geography
20. Understanding RevelationUnderstanding Revelation
THEOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY
• THE SEA: symbolizes evil or hostile forces.
• THE ABYSS: home of the evil spirits, fallen angels and the point of origin for
plagues and monster-beasts (Rev. 9:1)
• THE MOUNTAIN: the site of visions and revelations (Rev. 21:10)
• THE NEW JERUSALEM: the center of hope and promises for God's people (Rev. 21:10)
• THE TEMPLE: the dwelling place of God and the center of action for many of the visions in
Revelation (Rev. 11:1)
• THE LAKE OF FIRE: sometimes called the second death and the final dwelling place of evil.
Gehenna, or, hell, is never used in Revelation (Rev. 20:15)
• 7. THE THRONE OF GOD: the site of holiness and expresses the presence of God. Appears
in 17 chapters in Revelation (Rev. 4:2)
• 8. BABYLON: a code name for Rome or the enemy (Rev. 18:2)
21. Understanding RevelationUnderstanding Revelation
CODES IN REVELATION
A. COLOR CODES
1. Pale Green: death
2. Dark Green: life
3. White: purity or
conquering
4. Red: war
5. Black: famine
6. Gold: worth or value
7. Bronze: strength
8. Scarlet: Immorality
B. NUMBER CODES
7= divine
6=evil or imperfection
5=penalty
4=world 2=witnessing
1=unity
10=completeness
12=wholeness
144,000 (12x12)= whole
people of God
Fractions= incompleteness
C. ANIMAL CODES
1. LAMB WITH SEVEN
HORNS AND EYES= Jesus
2. FROG= most evil creature
in Revelation (6:13)
3. EAGLE= brings bad
news
4. MONSTER-BEASTS= bits
and parts of wild animals to
represent extremely evil
persons as Caesar or
Satan
5. LION=wild animals
6. OX= domesticated animals
24. Understanding RevelationUnderstanding Revelation
OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS….
30 HYMNS IN REVELATION
7 BEATITUDES…remember, “Blessed are the Meek?”
PLEDGE
“I Pledge….
To never, ever refer to the book of
Revelation…
…As ‘RevelationS’
I pledge to correct anyone who says
‘Revelations’….whether in conversation, in
Sunday School or a pastor in a sermon”
29. UnderstandingUnderstanding
RevelationRevelation
MORE DISTINCTIVE
FEATURES
•The number seven appears 52 times in Revelation.
•Depending on your view of the book, the final judgment
of God may be presented numerous times throughout
the book (Rev. 6:12-17; 7:9-17; 11:15-19; 14:14-20;
16:17-21; 19:11-21; 20:11-21:8).
•The primary focus in Revelation is on the future in so
much as that knowledge helps the believer live obediently
in the present.
•Notable for its simplicity (in spite of what most people
think). John promised a blessing to the one who reads
and those who hear and obey the prophecy (1:3). The
picture is obviously one of the church at worship with a
designated reader. John apparently thought that this book
could be understood simply by listening to it being read. It
takes about an hour and a half to read the book aloud.
30. DISCUSSION ZONE:DISCUSSION ZONE:
My Life’s Purpose inMy Life’s Purpose in
Light of Revelation andLight of Revelation and
The Rest of the NTThe Rest of the NT
•ALONE: Skim sections of the NT, James
and Revelation to come up with one
particular passage that impacted you and
helps you see your life’s purpose more
clearly
•GROUP: Identify the verse that most
speaks to your life’s purpose and share
(not all will share in the group)
•AS CLASS: Each will discuss your
findings…..what made this exercise
difficult?
35. Revelation FunRevelation Fun
FactoidizationsFactoidizations
Same year they dug up
Ephesian theater, they dug
up a 16 foot tall statue of
Domitian with tunnels going
into it where Romans would
speak through slits in the
statue to deceive poor
people (“image is given
power to speak”)
Domitian Temple
45. Revelation FunRevelation Fun
FactoidizationsFactoidizations
Laodicea: weakest city, banks,
clothing, rich, eye medicine, no
good water supply….water came
out of ground 95 degrees, by the
time it got to city it was
lukewarm….had sulfur in it too
Clay Aqueduct Believed From Laodicea
49. WHAT WE’VE DONEWHAT WE’VE DONE
New Testament Survey- BIL102
Background: Preparing
the World for Christ-
centered living
The Gospels
Jesus of Nazareth, God’s
Son, the focus of Christ-
centered living
ACTS
The spread of
Christ-centered
living through
mission of the
Church
REVELATION
Obedience and
hope of Christ-
centered living
ROMANS/JUDE
Instructions on
theory and
practice of
Christ-centered
living
53. APPEARANCE?APPEARANCE?
•“Lucifer” means “light bearer”
•Classical mythology:
•Hooves/tail=satyrs
•Pitchfork=Pluto/Hades
•Red color=violence/passion/blood/hellfire
•Leathery wings=12th
century reaction to
feathery white angel wings
•Chaucer (Canterbury Tales)=his devil was
green colored
•To distract from who I really
am, I disguise myself
54. SATAN’S ORIGINSATAN’S ORIGIN
-Isaiah 14:12-15: Refer to: a) Satan? b) Sennacherib or Nebuchednezzar? c)
both Satan AND some “great” human being?
-Later, “Lucifer” (Latin) becomes name for Satan
-NAME: comes from Hebrew, “the one who stands
against”….originally “ha’ satan”….the article “ha’” dropped so “satan” became
proper name….it wasn’t originally
-Luke 10:18 and Revelation explain Satan being thrown from heaven with
angels that followed him (Rev. 12:9)
-I am a created being, made by God originally for good, and I went my own
way and rebelled and now I wander this old world
-No one really knows for certain, created before humans and
before the Fall
-Some say I’m wicked, having been beautiful
55. GREATEST POWER?GREATEST POWER?
Angel of Light= to look so much like the real
thing as to fool the elect
“Ape of God”
Make sin look harmless
Divide your minds/hearts and think each
other is the enemy
To get you to believe the Lie: about God,
yourself, your place in the created
order…..believe the Lie, and I don’t have to
do anything
