InHisCare Bible Study Community Group
I love to study God Word, so I create bible studies for personal study and for other to join me, if they like. My way of staying focus is to study Gods Word daily. I desire this group to become a place of haven for me to meet other Christian who like to pray and study Gods Word. I will share bible studies, prayers, and devotions I love. Please join me if you wish. Thank...
Date: 9-11-15
Week # 6
Part III Continue: Revelation:
The Martyrs:
The dictionary defines a martyr as “a person who is killed because of his religious or other beliefs.” Interestingly enough, the English word martyr is really a word transliterated from the original Greek martyr, which simply means “witness.” The reason why this word became synonymous with dying for one’s religious beliefs is that the early Christian witnesses were often persecuted and/or killed for their witness.
As evidence of this, consider the story of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, recorded in Acts 6:8–7:53. After being anointed as one of the first deacons in the church, Stephen immediately began doing mighty works among the people. As is usually the case when the Holy Spirit is mightily at work and the gospel is going forth, the forces of darkness arise to hinder the work of the kingdom. In this case, several men came to dispute what Stephen was saying, but Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, was able to refute their criticisms. Rather than accept what Stephen was teaching, these men brought false charges against him to the Jewish leaders (Acts 6:11-14). Most of Acts 7consists of Stephen’s speech to the Jewish leaders in which he essentially summarized the history of Israel up to their rejection of their Messiah.
At the end of the speech, Stephen utters these words, which seal his fate: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51-53).
Now, there was nothing untrue in Stephen’s words. The Jewish leaders were indeed responsible for turning Jesus over to the Romans for execution. Despite Jesus’ miracles and authoritative teaching, the hardness of the Jewish leaders’ hearts kept them from seeing the truth about Jesus. The Jewish leaders, upon hearing Stephen’s words, were enraged and immediately arranged for Stephen’s execution by stoning (v. 58). Stephen was, therefore, the first Christian martyr recorded in Scripture.
The Bible places a premium on faithful believers who pay the ultimate price for their witness. Stephen was granted a glorious vision of heaven before he died, and in this vision, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:56) as though waiting for Stephen in an attitude of honor for Stephen’s faithful service. As further evidence that martyrs are considered precious in God’s sight, the apostle John saw in his vision of the millennium those martyred for their faith reigning with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). The apostle Peter, who wrote the most about martyrdom and suffering for one’s faith, said, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you... However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:14; 6). There is also the word of our Lord who pronounced a blessing upon those who are persecuted for His name: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11).
Clearly, the biblical evidence points to the fact that those who are persecuted and suffer for their witness to Christ (up to and including death) are pleasing in God’s sight. Given that, two additional questions arise. First, what if I’m not asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Christ? God doesn’t call everyone to make the ultimate sacrifice, but the Bible calls all Christians to be prepared to give a defense of the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). The key to this passage lies in preparedness. Consider this analogy: those enlisting in the armed services should do so with the understanding that they may be called into battle and may be called upon to die in the service of their country. This is (or should be) the mindset of everyone who joins the military. Clearly, not all enlisted men and women die in the service of their country, and not all are even called into battle. Despite this, they are trained daily to be prepared for battle. The same goes for the Christian. We are in a state of “warfare” (Ephesians 6:12-20), and our Lord may call upon any of us to witness and even be martyred for our faith. Thus, we must be prepared!
The second question that can be asked is, given martyrdom’s “special” status in God’s eyes, should we actually seek martyrdom? Biblically, we can’t make a case for seeking to be martyrs for the cause of Christ. Martyrdom is a great privilege if it is inevitable, but it is not to be sought. Jesus said, “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next” (Matthew 10:23). Furthermore, reading through the book of Acts, we see that the early church continually fled from intense persecution (Acts 8:1; 9:25,30;14:6;17:10,14). In each of these biblical examples, we see the early Christians fleeing persecution and taking all necessary precautions for survival. When Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39), He is not calling for people to make an attempt to lose their lives. Rather, He is calling us to be willing to lose our lives for His sake. Those who actively seek the path of martyrdom are not seeking it for the glory of God, but for their own glory. As the old saying goes, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. God’s purpose in martyrdom is the glorification of His name and the building up of His church.
The 144,000:
The book of Revelation has always presented the interpreter with challenges. The book is steeped in vivid imagery and symbolism which people have interpreted differently depending on their preconceptions of the book as a whole. There are four main interpretive approaches to the book of Revelation: 1) preterist (which sees all or most of the events in Revelation as having already occurred by the end of the 1st century); 2) historicist (which sees Revelation as a survey of church history from apostolic times to the present); 3) idealist (which sees Revelation as a depiction of the struggle between good and evil); 4) futurist (which sees Revelation as prophecy of events to come). Of the four, only the futurist approach interprets Revelation in the same grammatical-historical method as the rest of Scripture. It is also a better fit with Revelation’s own claim to be prophecy (Revelation 1:3; 22:7 ,10,18,19).
So the answer to the question “who are the 144,000?” will depend on which interpretive approach you take to the book of Revelation. With the exception of the futurist approach, all of the other approaches interpret the 144,000 symbolically, as representative of the church and the number 144,000 being symbolic of the totality—i.e., the complete number—of the church. Yet when taken at face value: “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (Revelation 7:4), nothing in the passage leads to interpreting the 144,000 as anything but a literal number of Jews—12,000 taken from every tribe of the “sons of Israel.” The New Testament offers no clear cut text replacing Israel with the church.
These Jews are “sealed,” which means they have the special protection of God from all of the divine judgments and from the Antichrist to perform their mission during the tribulation period (see Revelation 6:17), in which people will wonder who can stand from the wrath to come). The tribulation period is a future seven-year period of time in which God will enact divine judgment against those who reject Him and will complete His plan of salvation for the nation of Israel. All of this is according to God’s revelation to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24–27). The 144,000 Jews are a sort of “first fruits” (Revelation 14:4) of a redeemed Israel which has been previously prophesied (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25–27), and their mission seems to be to evangelize the post-rapture world and proclaim the gospel during the tribulation period. As a result of their ministry, millions—“a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9)—will come to faith in Christ.
Much of the confusion regarding the 144,000 is a result of the false doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that 144,000 is a limit to the number of people who will reign with Christ in heaven and spend eternity with God. The 144,000 have what the Jehovah’s Witnesses call the heavenly hope. Those who are not among the 144,000 will enjoy what they call the earthly hope—a paradise on earth ruled by Christ and the 144,000. Clearly, we can see that Jehovah’s Witness teaching sets up a caste society in the afterlife with a ruling class (the 144,000) and those who are ruled. The Bible teaches no such “dual class” doctrine. It is true that according to Revelation 20:4 there will be people ruling in the millennium with Christ. These people will be comprised of the church (believers in Jesus Christ), Old Testament saints (believers who died before Christ’s first advent), and tribulation saints (those who accept Christ during the tribulation). Yet the Bible places no numerical limit on this group of people. Furthermore, the millennium is different from the eternal state, which will take place at the completion of the millennial period. At that time, God will dwell with us in the New Jerusalem. He will be our God and we will be His people (Revelation 21:3). The inheritance promised to us in Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) will become ours, and we will all be co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
The Two Witnesses:
The two witnesses are found in Revelation 11:3-12: Some say these are the possibilities.
(1) Moses and Elijah, (2) Enoch and Elijah, (3) two unknown believers whom God calls to be His witnesses in the end times.
Moses and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses due to the witnesses' power to turn water into blood (Revelation 11:6), which Moses is known for (Exodus chapter 7), and their power to destroy people with fire (Revelation 11:5), which Elijah is known for (2 Kings Chapter 1). Also giving strength to this view is the fact that Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-4). Further, Jewish tradition expected Moses and Elijah to return in the future. Malachi 4:5 predicted the return of Elijah, and the Jews believed that God’s promise to raise up a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18) necessitated his return.
(2) Enoch and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses because they are the two individuals whom God has taken to heaven apart from experiencing death (Genesis 5:23; 2 Kings 2:11). The fact that neither Enoch or Elijah have experienced death seems to qualify them to experience death and resurrection, as the two witnesses experience (Revelation 11:7-12). Proponents of this view claim that Hebrews 9:27 (all men die once) disqualifies Moses from being one of the two witnesses, as Moses has died once already (Deuteronomy 34:5). However, there are several others in the Bible who died twice—e.g., Lazarus, Dorcas, and the daughter of the synagogue ruler—so there is really no reason why Moses should be eliminated on this basis.
View (3) essentially argues that Revelation chapter 11 does not attach any famous identity to the two witnesses. If their identities were Moses and Elijah, or Enoch and Elijah, why would Scripture be silent about this? God is perfectly capable of taking two "ordinary" believers and enabling them to perform the same signs and wonders that Moses and Elijah did. There is nothing in Revelation 11 that requires us to assume a "famous" identity for the two witnesses.
I believe the two witnesses are Elijah and Moses. In Malachi 4:5-6, we are told that Elijah will come before Jesus returns. In I Kings 17, Elijah stopped the rain; and in Revelation 11:6, the witnesses “have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy.” Another reason I believe it to be Elijah is because Elijah didn’t die. Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind of fire. I believe the second witness to be Moses. In Exodus 7:20 and 21, Moses turned “the water into blood”; and in Revelation 11:6 the two witnesses are said to “have power over waters to turn them to blood (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). The body of Moses was preserved by God so that he might be restored. Finally, it is also significant that Elijah appeared with Moses in the Transfiguration. It is possible to prove conclusively who these two witnesses are. But if they are not Moses and Elijah, we can know that they are very much like them and have the same kind of ministry. In Revelation 11:3, we are introduced to the two witnesses. There is much debate as to when these witnesses appear on the scene. I believe they begin their ministry at the beginning of the Tribulation, at the time the Antichrist makes his covenant with the Jewish people. We can assume they will have a great following. Revelation 11:5 says, “If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.” God has provided them with protection. These witnesses will have power over death, drought, and disease. They will preach about Christ as Lord of all the earth. They will shut the heavens so no rain can fall during their ministry, and they will have power to cause plagues as often as they desire. They will go about testifying of the wickedness of the people. They will tell the people that God is responsible for all the judgments that have been poured out. If that is not enough, they will tell them of more terrifying judgments to come. They will preach against the Beast of Revelation 13, and men try to destroy them because their witness exposes the wickedness of the earth. After forty-two months, during which time they can-not be killed, they will be killed by the Beast who ascends from the bottomless pit. The two witnesses are so hated that the entire world will rejoice at their deaths. Their bodies will be put on public display. Their bodies will lie in the street for three and a half days (Revelation 11:7-10). In Biblical Jewish society this was an abomination. Their enemies will be ecstatic that someone has finally put an end to these two nemeses. They are already decomposing and the next action we see is that they stand up! The whole world will see this because they are looking in on the scene through the news and the papers. While they are the focus of world attention, they are not only resurrected, they are raptured (Revelation 11:12). They go up to heaven in “a cloud.” This cloud is the shekinah glory of God. It is the same cloud in which the angel of Revelation 10:1 was clothed.
DID YOU KNOW?
The earliest examples of seals in the ancient world were small, carved designs pressed into soft clay. When the clay hardened, the letters, name, or image in the seal conveyed ownership, authority, blessing, or warning. The most common use of seals was similar to the stamp of a modern notary-to give a document official status. Official clay tablets might be impressed with king’s seal. Centuries later, rolled-up vellum or parchment scrolls might be fastened with wax that bore a king’s seal. The seal was to say, “Violation of this document is an act against the king.” References to seals occur more than 50 times in Scriptures.
QUESTION: WEEK # 6
What do the word martyrs means?
Who was the first Christian martyr?
How would you explain the persecution and martyrdom of those mentioned in Hebrews 11:35-38?
What is the primary reason a Christian would be martyred?
Name others in the Bible who was killed because of their faith.
How will the martyr be rewarded?
How must we prepare ourselves in case we are called upon by God for the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Christ?
Who are the 144,000?
What does the sealed means concerning the 144,000?
Explain Zechariah 12:10, and Romans 11:25-27.
What is the mission of the 144,000?
Who are the two witnesses?
When will these witnesses appear?
What special powers will the two witnesses possess?
What will happen to the two witnesses?
SALVATION PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against You and need Your salvation. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, fully trusting in the work He accomplished on the cross on my behalf. Thank You for saving me, accepting me, and adopting me into Your family. Guide my life and help me to do your will, and walk in close step with You, amen.
In your name, Amen:
Reading Assignment: Week # 6 Revelation 8-14 Monday through Sunday
Week # 6
Part III Continue: Revelation:
The Martyrs:
The dictionary defines a martyr as “a person who is killed because of his religious or other beliefs.” Interestingly enough, the English word martyr is really a word transliterated from the original Greek martyr, which simply means “witness.” The reason why this word became synonymous with dying for one’s religious beliefs is that the early Christian witnesses were often persecuted and/or killed for their witness.
As evidence of this, consider the story of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, recorded in Acts 6:8–7:53. After being anointed as one of the first deacons in the church, Stephen immediately began doing mighty works among the people. As is usually the case when the Holy Spirit is mightily at work and the gospel is going forth, the forces of darkness arise to hinder the work of the kingdom. In this case, several men came to dispute what Stephen was saying, but Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, was able to refute their criticisms. Rather than accept what Stephen was teaching, these men brought false charges against him to the Jewish leaders (Acts 6:11-14). Most of Acts 7consists of Stephen’s speech to the Jewish leaders in which he essentially summarized the history of Israel up to their rejection of their Messiah.
At the end of the speech, Stephen utters these words, which seal his fate: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51-53).
Now, there was nothing untrue in Stephen’s words. The Jewish leaders were indeed responsible for turning Jesus over to the Romans for execution. Despite Jesus’ miracles and authoritative teaching, the hardness of the Jewish leaders’ hearts kept them from seeing the truth about Jesus. The Jewish leaders, upon hearing Stephen’s words, were enraged and immediately arranged for Stephen’s execution by stoning (v. 58). Stephen was, therefore, the first Christian martyr recorded in Scripture.
The Bible places a premium on faithful believers who pay the ultimate price for their witness. Stephen was granted a glorious vision of heaven before he died, and in this vision, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:56) as though waiting for Stephen in an attitude of honor for Stephen’s faithful service. As further evidence that martyrs are considered precious in God’s sight, the apostle John saw in his vision of the millennium those martyred for their faith reigning with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). The apostle Peter, who wrote the most about martyrdom and suffering for one’s faith, said, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you... However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:14; 6). There is also the word of our Lord who pronounced a blessing upon those who are persecuted for His name: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11).
Clearly, the biblical evidence points to the fact that those who are persecuted and suffer for their witness to Christ (up to and including death) are pleasing in God’s sight. Given that, two additional questions arise. First, what if I’m not asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Christ? God doesn’t call everyone to make the ultimate sacrifice, but the Bible calls all Christians to be prepared to give a defense of the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). The key to this passage lies in preparedness. Consider this analogy: those enlisting in the armed services should do so with the understanding that they may be called into battle and may be called upon to die in the service of their country. This is (or should be) the mindset of everyone who joins the military. Clearly, not all enlisted men and women die in the service of their country, and not all are even called into battle. Despite this, they are trained daily to be prepared for battle. The same goes for the Christian. We are in a state of “warfare” (Ephesians 6:12-20), and our Lord may call upon any of us to witness and even be martyred for our faith. Thus, we must be prepared!
The second question that can be asked is, given martyrdom’s “special” status in God’s eyes, should we actually seek martyrdom? Biblically, we can’t make a case for seeking to be martyrs for the cause of Christ. Martyrdom is a great privilege if it is inevitable, but it is not to be sought. Jesus said, “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next” (Matthew 10:23). Furthermore, reading through the book of Acts, we see that the early church continually fled from intense persecution (Acts 8:1; 9:25,30;14:6;17:10,14). In each of these biblical examples, we see the early Christians fleeing persecution and taking all necessary precautions for survival. When Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39), He is not calling for people to make an attempt to lose their lives. Rather, He is calling us to be willing to lose our lives for His sake. Those who actively seek the path of martyrdom are not seeking it for the glory of God, but for their own glory. As the old saying goes, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. God’s purpose in martyrdom is the glorification of His name and the building up of His church.
The 144,000:
The book of Revelation has always presented the interpreter with challenges. The book is steeped in vivid imagery and symbolism which people have interpreted differently depending on their preconceptions of the book as a whole. There are four main interpretive approaches to the book of Revelation: 1) preterist (which sees all or most of the events in Revelation as having already occurred by the end of the 1st century); 2) historicist (which sees Revelation as a survey of church history from apostolic times to the present); 3) idealist (which sees Revelation as a depiction of the struggle between good and evil); 4) futurist (which sees Revelation as prophecy of events to come). Of the four, only the futurist approach interprets Revelation in the same grammatical-historical method as the rest of Scripture. It is also a better fit with Revelation’s own claim to be prophecy (Revelation 1:3; 22:7 ,10,18,19).
So the answer to the question “who are the 144,000?” will depend on which interpretive approach you take to the book of Revelation. With the exception of the futurist approach, all of the other approaches interpret the 144,000 symbolically, as representative of the church and the number 144,000 being symbolic of the totality—i.e., the complete number—of the church. Yet when taken at face value: “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (Revelation 7:4), nothing in the passage leads to interpreting the 144,000 as anything but a literal number of Jews—12,000 taken from every tribe of the “sons of Israel.” The New Testament offers no clear cut text replacing Israel with the church.
These Jews are “sealed,” which means they have the special protection of God from all of the divine judgments and from the Antichrist to perform their mission during the tribulation period (see Revelation 6:17), in which people will wonder who can stand from the wrath to come). The tribulation period is a future seven-year period of time in which God will enact divine judgment against those who reject Him and will complete His plan of salvation for the nation of Israel. All of this is according to God’s revelation to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24–27). The 144,000 Jews are a sort of “first fruits” (Revelation 14:4) of a redeemed Israel which has been previously prophesied (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25–27), and their mission seems to be to evangelize the post-rapture world and proclaim the gospel during the tribulation period. As a result of their ministry, millions—“a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9)—will come to faith in Christ.
Much of the confusion regarding the 144,000 is a result of the false doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that 144,000 is a limit to the number of people who will reign with Christ in heaven and spend eternity with God. The 144,000 have what the Jehovah’s Witnesses call the heavenly hope. Those who are not among the 144,000 will enjoy what they call the earthly hope—a paradise on earth ruled by Christ and the 144,000. Clearly, we can see that Jehovah’s Witness teaching sets up a caste society in the afterlife with a ruling class (the 144,000) and those who are ruled. The Bible teaches no such “dual class” doctrine. It is true that according to Revelation 20:4 there will be people ruling in the millennium with Christ. These people will be comprised of the church (believers in Jesus Christ), Old Testament saints (believers who died before Christ’s first advent), and tribulation saints (those who accept Christ during the tribulation). Yet the Bible places no numerical limit on this group of people. Furthermore, the millennium is different from the eternal state, which will take place at the completion of the millennial period. At that time, God will dwell with us in the New Jerusalem. He will be our God and we will be His people (Revelation 21:3). The inheritance promised to us in Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) will become ours, and we will all be co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
The Two Witnesses:
The two witnesses are found in Revelation 11:3-12: Some say these are the possibilities.
(1) Moses and Elijah, (2) Enoch and Elijah, (3) two unknown believers whom God calls to be His witnesses in the end times.
Moses and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses due to the witnesses' power to turn water into blood (Revelation 11:6), which Moses is known for (Exodus chapter 7), and their power to destroy people with fire (Revelation 11:5), which Elijah is known for (2 Kings Chapter 1). Also giving strength to this view is the fact that Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-4). Further, Jewish tradition expected Moses and Elijah to return in the future. Malachi 4:5 predicted the return of Elijah, and the Jews believed that God’s promise to raise up a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18) necessitated his return.
(2) Enoch and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses because they are the two individuals whom God has taken to heaven apart from experiencing death (Genesis 5:23; 2 Kings 2:11). The fact that neither Enoch or Elijah have experienced death seems to qualify them to experience death and resurrection, as the two witnesses experience (Revelation 11:7-12). Proponents of this view claim that Hebrews 9:27 (all men die once) disqualifies Moses from being one of the two witnesses, as Moses has died once already (Deuteronomy 34:5). However, there are several others in the Bible who died twice—e.g., Lazarus, Dorcas, and the daughter of the synagogue ruler—so there is really no reason why Moses should be eliminated on this basis.
View (3) essentially argues that Revelation chapter 11 does not attach any famous identity to the two witnesses. If their identities were Moses and Elijah, or Enoch and Elijah, why would Scripture be silent about this? God is perfectly capable of taking two "ordinary" believers and enabling them to perform the same signs and wonders that Moses and Elijah did. There is nothing in Revelation 11 that requires us to assume a "famous" identity for the two witnesses.
I believe the two witnesses are Elijah and Moses. In Malachi 4:5-6, we are told that Elijah will come before Jesus returns. In I Kings 17, Elijah stopped the rain; and in Revelation 11:6, the witnesses “have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy.” Another reason I believe it to be Elijah is because Elijah didn’t die. Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind of fire. I believe the second witness to be Moses. In Exodus 7:20 and 21, Moses turned “the water into blood”; and in Revelation 11:6 the two witnesses are said to “have power over waters to turn them to blood (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). The body of Moses was preserved by God so that he might be restored. Finally, it is also significant that Elijah appeared with Moses in the Transfiguration. It is possible to prove conclusively who these two witnesses are. But if they are not Moses and Elijah, we can know that they are very much like them and have the same kind of ministry. In Revelation 11:3, we are introduced to the two witnesses. There is much debate as to when these witnesses appear on the scene. I believe they begin their ministry at the beginning of the Tribulation, at the time the Antichrist makes his covenant with the Jewish people. We can assume they will have a great following. Revelation 11:5 says, “If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.” God has provided them with protection. These witnesses will have power over death, drought, and disease. They will preach about Christ as Lord of all the earth. They will shut the heavens so no rain can fall during their ministry, and they will have power to cause plagues as often as they desire. They will go about testifying of the wickedness of the people. They will tell the people that God is responsible for all the judgments that have been poured out. If that is not enough, they will tell them of more terrifying judgments to come. They will preach against the Beast of Revelation 13, and men try to destroy them because their witness exposes the wickedness of the earth. After forty-two months, during which time they can-not be killed, they will be killed by the Beast who ascends from the bottomless pit. The two witnesses are so hated that the entire world will rejoice at their deaths. Their bodies will be put on public display. Their bodies will lie in the street for three and a half days (Revelation 11:7-10). In Biblical Jewish society this was an abomination. Their enemies will be ecstatic that someone has finally put an end to these two nemeses. They are already decomposing and the next action we see is that they stand up! The whole world will see this because they are looking in on the scene through the news and the papers. While they are the focus of world attention, they are not only resurrected, they are raptured (Revelation 11:12). They go up to heaven in “a cloud.” This cloud is the shekinah glory of God. It is the same cloud in which the angel of Revelation 10:1 was clothed.
DID YOU KNOW?
The earliest examples of seals in the ancient world were small, carved designs pressed into soft clay. When the clay hardened, the letters, name, or image in the seal conveyed ownership, authority, blessing, or warning. The most common use of seals was similar to the stamp of a modern notary-to give a document official status. Official clay tablets might be impressed with king’s seal. Centuries later, rolled-up vellum or parchment scrolls might be fastened with wax that bore a king’s seal. The seal was to say, “Violation of this document is an act against the king.” References to seals occur more than 50 times in Scriptures.
QUESTION: WEEK # 6
What do the word martyrs means?
Who was the first Christian martyr?
How would you explain the persecution and martyrdom of those mentioned in Hebrews 11:35-38?
What is the primary reason a Christian would be martyred?
Name others in the Bible who was killed because of their faith.
How will the martyr be rewarded?
How must we prepare ourselves in case we are called upon by God for the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Christ?
Who are the 144,000?
What does the sealed means concerning the 144,000?
Explain Zechariah 12:10, and Romans 11:25-27.
What is the mission of the 144,000?
Who are the two witnesses?
When will these witnesses appear?
What special powers will the two witnesses possess?
What will happen to the two witnesses?
SALVATION PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against You and need Your salvation. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, fully trusting in the work He accomplished on the cross on my behalf. Thank You for saving me, accepting me, and adopting me into Your family. Guide my life and help me to do your will, and walk in close step with You, amen.
In your name, Amen:
Reading Assignment: Week # 6 Revelation 8-14 Monday through Sunday
I want to share a brief message God gave me a few years ago concerning Jesus standing up at the time of Stephen’s death by stoning (Acts 7:55). If you would notice, Jesus is always viewed as seated on the right hand of God, but when Stephen was being stoned Jesus stood up as though waiting for Stephen in an attitude of honor for Stephen’s faithful service because of his faith in Jesus Himself, (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62, 16:19; Luke 22:69; Ephesians 1:20; Revelation 5:12). Christ was exalted to heavenly place, but when His friends are in trouble He will “Stand Up” for them every time. Glory Hallelujah! We must know Him to the point that we too will stand up for Him just as Stephen did (Acts 6:8-7:60). And remember He want forget us as said in (Revelation 5:12). I was so blessed when God revealed this to me! What a blessing to know Him even in our pain.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:
1). What do the word martyrs means?
The dictionary defines a martyr as “a person who is killed because of his religious or other beliefs.” Interestingly enough, the English word martyr is really a word transliterated from the original Greek martyr, which simply means “witness.”
2). Who was the first Christian martyr?
The first Christian martyr was Stephen, which is recorded in Acts 6:8–7:53. After being anointed as one of the first deacons in the church, Stephen immediately began doing mighty works among the people. His witness was mighty.
3). How would you explain the persecution and martyrdom of those mentioned in Hebrews 11:35-38?
This chapter is called the roll call of the heroes of faith, of suffering for their faith, tested for
their faith, and they were persecuted because of their faith and witness of Jesus Christ our Lord.
They were tortured, they had trials of cruel mocking and scourging, they were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, tempted, etc. They obtain a good report through faith. They were hated because of
their witness.
4). What is the primary reason a Christian would be martyred?
Revelation 6:9 says, “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:”
5). Name others in the Bible who was killed because of their faith.
Apostle Peter, Apostle Paul, Apostle John, Apostle Andrew, and John the Baptist with many more.
6). How will the martyr be rewarded?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. “. . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”(Revelation 6:11, 20:4).
7). How must we prepare ourselves in case we are called upon by God for the ultimate
sacrifice for the cause of Christ?
Biblically, we can’t make a case for seeking to be martyrs for the cause of Christ. Martyrdom is
a great privilege if it is inevitable, but it is not to be sought. Jesus said, “When they persecute
you in one town, flee to the next” (Matthew 10:23). He is not calling for people to make an
attempt to lose their lives. Rather, He is calling us to be willing to lose our lives for His sake.
Those who actively seek the path of martyrdom are not seeking it for the glory of God, but for
their own glory.
8). Who are the 144,000?
To me it is still a mystery, but I do agree it may be a group from every tribe of Israel. “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (Revelation 7:4), nothing in the passage leads to interpreting the 144,000 as anything but a literal number of Jews—12,000 taken from every tribe of the “sons of Israel.” The New Testament offers no clear cut text replacing Israel with the church.
9). What does the sealed means concerning the 144,000?
These Jews are “sealed,” which means they have the special protection of God from all of the divine judgments and from the Antichrist to perform their mission during the tribulation period (see Revelation 6:17), in which people will wonder who can stand from the wrath to come).
10). Explain Zechariah 12:10, and Romans 11:25-27.
I believe these scriptures reveal to us that during this time, our time, the Gentiles are being grafted into the fold right now, but during the Tribulation period the Jews will be given a time for repentance; God will restore His people, the Israelites to their rightful place in Him. (Romans 11:22-23) says, the biblical truth is that believing Gentiles (the branches) are grafted into true Israel (the olive tree, Abraham’s spiritual family.
11). What is the mission of the 144,000?
Their mission is to evangelize the post-rapture world and proclaim the gospel during the tribulation period. As a result of their ministry, millions—“a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9)—will come to faith in Christ.
12). Who are the two witnesses?
The bible does not say specifically that it is Moses and Elijah, and it maybe just two witnesses that God has kept a secret from us. Everything is not revealed to us. I really don’t believe its Enoch and Elijah; I would believe its Moses and Elijah out of all of them.
13). When will these witnesses appear?
In Revelation 11:3, we are introduced to the two witnesses. There is much debate as to when these witnesses appear on the scene. It is believed they will begin their ministry at the beginning of the Tribulation, at the time the Antichrist makes his covenant with the Jewish people. We can assume they will have a great following.
14). What special powers will the two witnesses possess?
These witnesses will have power over death, drought, and disease. Revelation 11:5 says, “If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.” God has provided them with protection. They will preach about Christ as Lord of all the earth, and they will do many miracles at this time.
15). What will happen to the two witnesses?
After forty-two months, during which time they cannot be killed by the Beast who ascends from the bottomless pit. The two witnesses will be killed in the city of Jerusalem that will be filled with sin and bondage (thus the correlation to Sodom and Egypt) ...the same city the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Their deaths will be covered world-wide by all the media. And after three days and an half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Major Prophets:
Isaiah:
Isaiah was a prophet (holy man). God appointed Isaiah to warn the people in Judah. The people were evil. So, they should ask God to forgive them. Isaiah lived before Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
Isaiah described the future of many countries (Isaiah chapters 13-24). But especially, he warned his own people in Judah and Israel (Isaiah chapters 28-31). But this book also contains many happy words. Isaiah wrote about a child who would have no human father (Isaiah 7:14). This child would become king (Isaiah 9:6). He would rule fairly (Isaiah 32). And the people would be glad (Isaiah 35). So, God will comfort his people (Isaiah 40). This child would be God's servant (Isaiah 42). But people would not accept him. God's servant would die so that God will forgive us. Then, God's servant would live again (Isaiah 53). Everyone must trust him (Isaiah 55). God will forgive the people who confess their evil deeds to God (Isaiah 59). So, God himself will rescue his people (Isaiah 63). We now know that Isaiah wrote these words about Jesus.
The Book of Isaiah is in the Old Testament section of the Bible.
Jeremiah:
Jeremiah was a prophet (holy man). God chose Jeremiah as a prophet when Jeremiah was a young man (Jeremiah 1). Jeremiah lived at the same time as the last kings of Judah. Jeremiah warned the people that God would punish them (Jeremiah 4). They must return to God. Otherwise, they would suffer terrible troubles (Jeremiah chapters 14-16).
God wanted the people to trust him. But they refused (Jeremiah 18). So, God told Jeremiah that the people must serve their enemies for 70 years (Jeremiah 25). But then, people from Israel would return to their land (Jeremiah chapters 30-33). Jeremiah also wrote about the future of other nations (Jeremiah chapters 46-51). And Jeremiah knew that God would send Jesus (Jeremiah 23:1-8, Jeremiah 31:31-37, and Jeremiah 33).
This Book is in the Old Testament section of the Bible.
Lamentations:
Lamentations is a book of very sad poems. Lamentations is in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Jeremiah wrote the Book of Lamentations after soldiers from Babylon destroyed Jerusalem.
Jerusalem had been a beautiful city. The temple (house of God) was in Jerusalem. But the soldiers destroyed the buildings. They killed many people (Lamentations 2:21). They led the young men away to Babylon. The soldiers even forced the young women to have sex with them (Lamentations 5:11-13). Jeremiah saw these terrible events. And he knew why these things happened. They happened because the people in Jerusalem had not obeyed God's law. The people prayed to evil gods. And the people were very evil. God sent his servants to warn the people. But the people did not change their behaviour. So, God punished them (2 Chronicles 36:14-17). Jeremiah was very sad when he wrote Lamentations. But he still had hope. Between his sad words, he wrote about God's love. Jeremiah knew that God cares (Lamentations 3:22-33). Jeremiah wanted the people to trust God again (Lamentations 3:40-42). And Jeremiah knew that God would not always punish his people (Lamentations 4:22). Jeremiah prayed that the people could return to Jerusalem (Lamentations 5:21).
Ezekiel:
Ezekiel was a prophet (holy man) who lived at the same time as the last kings of Judah. God showed Ezekiel events that would happen in the future. God told Ezekiel that Ezekiel must warn the people about these events (Ezekiel 33). God would punish Judah because its people did not obey God's law. Their enemies would surround Jerusalem, which was Judah's capital city (Ezekiel chapters 4-5). God would leave his temple (the house of God in Jerusalem) - Ezekiel 10. This was because the leaders of Judah served false gods (Ezekiel 8). And the soldiers from Babylon would destroy Jerusalem (Ezekiel 21). God would also punish other evil nations (Ezekiel chapters 25-32). But God still cared about his people (Ezekiel 37). God would send someone from David's family to be their leader (Ezekiel 37:24-28). We now know that this person was Jesus. God also showed Ezekiel a picture of a new temple in the future (Ezekiel chapters 40-48). God himself would return to this temple (Ezekiel 43). The Book of Ezekiel is in the Old Testament section of the Bible.
Daniel:
God's special people, the Jews, did not obey God. So God punished them. He allowed the king of Babylon and his army to defeat them. The king of Babylon forced most Jews to live in Babylon. Babylon was a long way from their country. A young man called Daniel was among the people who went to live in Babylon. The first part of the book of Daniel in the Bible tells some stories from the life of Daniel and his friends. Many times the people of Babylon tried to make them forget the real God and to serve false gods. The people of Babylon even tried to kill Daniel and his friends because they would not serve the false gods. But Daniel and his friends were loyal to the real God. Daniel became a very important man in the government of Babylon.
The second part of the book of Daniel tells about Daniel's dreams. These were strange dreams. Sometimes Daniel was awake when he had his dreams. These were special dreams that God sent to Daniel to tell him what would happen in the future. Some things that Daniel saw in his dreams have now happened. Other things that God told Daniel in his dreams have not happened yet. But God is in control of the future. God will do what he has promised.
Minor Prophets:
Hosea
Hosea was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Hosea is in the Bible (Old Testament).
God told Hosea to marry a wife who was not loyal (Hosea 1). Hosea loved his wife. He tried to persuade his wife to remain with him. His wife was not loyal to him. But Hosea still loved her. And he still wanted her to be his wife (Hosea 3). Hosea's troubles with his wife were like God's troubles with Israel. The people in Israel were not loyal to God. God loved them. But they were very evil. So, God would punish them for their evil deeds. But afterwards, the people from Israel would trust in God again. They would confess their evil deeds to God. God would forgive them. And he would love them again (Hosea 14).
Joel
Joel was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Joel is in the Old Testament part of the Bible.
The Book of Joel describes some terrible events. Joel called these events 'the Day of God'. A terrible army would attack Jerusalem. They would destroy everything. Nobody could escape from this army. So, the people must confess their evil deeds to God. Even when these terrible things happen, they must ask God to save them (Joel 2:12-17). Then, God will be kind to his people. He will hear their prayers. He will cause this terrible army to leave. He will provide food for his people. And he will send his Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28-32). God will also punish the nations that attack Jerusalem (Joel 3:1-16). But God will protect his own people always (Joel 3:17-21).
Amos:
Amos was a not a prophet (holy man). Amos looked after sheep. But God sent Amos with a message to his nation (Amos 7:14-15). Amos knew that many nations were evil. Because of these evil deeds, God would punish the nations (Amos chapters 1-2). But Amos's own nation, Israel, was also evil. They were cruel to poor people. The judges were not fair in court. And they served evil gods. Amos warned his people that they must confess their evil deeds to God. And they must learn to do the right things (Amos 5). Otherwise, God would allow Israel's enemies to attack (Amos chapters 6-9). And these enemies would destroy the nation.
But God would not always punish the people from Israel. After these terrible punishments, God would allow some of the people to return to their own land (Amos 9:11-15).
The Book of Amos is in the Bible (Old Testament).
Obadiah:
Obadiah was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Obadiah is in the Bible (Old Testament).
The Book of Obadiah contains a short message about the country called Edom. The people from Edom were relatives of the people from Israel. But the inhabitants of Edom refused to help when the people from Israel suffered. So, God would punish the people from Edom for this evil deed. God would destroy their country. In the future, people who trust God will live in Edom.
Jonah:
God sent Jonah to Ninevah. Nineveh was an enemy of Jonah's country, Israel. So, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. Jonah tried to escape God. He tried to travel elsewhere, by ship. But there was a terrible storm. Jonah knew that God had caused the storm. So, he asked the sailors to throw him into the sea. But Jonah did not drown, because God sent a whale (large fish) to swallow Jonah. Then, Jonah prayed to God again. He thanked God, who had rescued him (Jonah 2). And God caused the fish to return Jonah to the dry land. So, Jonah went to Nineveh. He warned the people that they must confess their evil deeds to God. Otherwise, God would destroy their nation. The people obeyed Jonah. So, God forgave the people in Nineveh. God did not destroy Nineveh at this time. But Jonah was sad, because Nineveh was his enemy. Jonah wanted God to destroy Nineveh. But God told Jonah that God cares about the people from every nation. The Book of Jonah is in the Bible (Old Testament).
Micah:
Micah was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Micah is in the Old Testament part of the Bible.
Micah warned the people in Israel and Judah (Micah 1). God would punish them for their evil deeds. The people had cruel schemes. They were thieves. And they listened to false prophets (false holy men) whose words were lies (Micah 2). God did not want terrible things to happen. God wants to teach people. And he wants the nations to be at peace (chapter 4). God promised to send a leader for Israel. This leader would be from Bethlehem. We now know that this leader was Jesus (Micah 5:1-5). So, God accused the people (Micah 6). God did not want their gifts (Micah 6:6). God wanted them to be humble and to do the right things (Micah 6:8). But they refused to obey God. They were proud, and they did many evil deeds. This is why God would punish them (Micah 6:9-16). But afterwards, when the people served God, Israel would become a great nation again (Micah 7:7-20).
Nahum:
Nahum was a prophet (holy man). He wrote about a country which was an enemy of Israel, called Nineveh. The people in Nineveh were very evil (Nahum 3:1).
The people from Nineveh were also cruel to the people in other countries. But God cares about the people who trust him (Nahum 1:7). So, God would send the enemies of Nineveh to destroy Nineveh. God would end Nineveh's cruelty. But God would help his own people, Israel. And Israel would become a great nation again (Nahum 1:15).
The Book of Nahum is in the Bible (Old Testament).
Habakkuk:
Habakkuk wrote a book in the Old Testament part of the Bible. Habakkuk was a prophet (holy man). In his book, Habakkuk complained twice to God. Habakkuk asked God why good people must suffer. And, Habakkuk asks why cruel people seem to succeed. Firstly, Habakkuk complained that the rulers of his country were wicked. God replied that soldiers from Babylon would attack these wicked rulers (Habakkuk 1:2-11). But Habakkuk complained to God again. Habakkuk said that God allows cruel people to attack good people (Habakkuk 1:12 to Habakkuk 2:1). God replied that he would punish cruel people. But this does not always happen immediately. But God told Habakkuk to write this down, because God will definitely punish evil people. (Habakkuk 2:2-20). So, good people must trust God (Habakkuk 2:4). The time will come when God will rule the whole world (Habakkuk 2:14). The Book of Habakkuk ends with a Psalm (song) - Habakkuk 3. This song says that God will rescue his people.
Zephaniah:
Zephaniah was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Zephaniah is in the Bible (Old Testament).
Zephaniah explained that God would punish many countries because of their evil deeds (Zephaniah chapters 1-2). God would also punish the evil people in Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:1-5). So, the people should pray to God (Zephaniah 2:1-3). They must confess their evil deeds to God. And they must be humble. When these terrible punishments happen, God will protect the people who trust him (Zephaniah 3:9-13). God will rescue them. He loves them. And he will make them glad (Zephaniah 3:14-20).
Haggai:
Haggai was a prophet (holy man). He lived at the same time as Zechariah. Then, some people from Israel had returned from Babylon. They rebuilt their own houses in Jerusalem. Haggai explained why they were poor. He said that God was not blessing them. Haggai told them that they should also rebuild God's temple (the house of God) - Haggai 1. The new temple was small. But God told Haggai that it would be greater than the old temple (Haggai 2). And now, God would bless the people because they had rebuilt the temple.
Zechariah:
Zechariah was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Zechariah is in the Old Testament part of the Bible. Zechariah lived at the same time as Haggai. God showed Zechariah many strange pictures to encourage the people in Jerusalem. These pictures explained good things that God would do in the future. Zechariah wrote about some things that would happen during his own life. And we now know that Zechariah wrote some things about Jesus. Jesus is both a priest and a king (Zechariah 6:12-13). Zechariah describes Jesus' death in Zechariah 12:10. Some things that Zechariah described have not happened yet (Zechariah 14). These things will happen in the future.
Malachi:
Malachi was a prophet (holy man). The Book of Malachi is the last book in the Bible's Old Testament. Malachi said that God accused the people. They were doing many wrong things. They did not give the best gifts to God (Malachi 1:6-14). The priests did not teach well (Malachi 2:1-9). The men divorced their wives without a proper reason (Malachi 2:13-16).
But God himself would come to his temple (the house of God) (Malachi 3:1-5). But before this, God would send his special servant. This servant would teach the correct way to serve God. Then, the people would be ready for God's arrival. This was good news for the people who respected God. But this was terrible news for the people who refused to obey God (Malachi 4). Malachi's book was written after all the other books in the Old Testament. 400 years later, Jesus came. But before Jesus began his work, a special servant of God taught near the river Jordan. This servant of God was called John the Baptist. John taught the people that they must confess their evil deeds to God. He taught that they must prepare themselves for the arrival of the Christ. (The 'Christ' means God's king. Many Old Testament prophets taught that the Christ would save us from the punishment for our evil deeds.)