Bible ReadingRevelation 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
[17:47]Revelation 9:13-21 “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
[35:26]Revelation 10:1-11 “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’ And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’ And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, ‘You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’”
[46:48]Revelation 11:15 “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.’”
[53:47]Observation questions- In Revelation 9, what details show that the four angels and the mounted army are acting on God’s timing and not on their own? [38:26]
- After all the plagues and death described in Revelation 9:13-21, what sins are people still refusing to repent of?
- In Revelation 10, what happens with the seven thunders, and what is John specifically told not to do? [47:21]
- According to Revelation 12:11, what three things are named as part of how God’s people conquer the dragon? [01:04:00]
Interpretation questions- Revelation 9 shows intense judgment, yet people still do not repent. What does that suggest about the difference between being frightened by consequences and actually turning to God? [43:14]
- The little scroll is sweet in the mouth but bitter in the stomach. How does that help explain the way God’s word can be both comforting and deeply unsettling at the same time? [49:31]
- Revelation 11:15 says the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. How should that shape the way believers think about a world that often appears to belong to corrupt powers? [55:31]
- Revelation 12 says the accuser has been thrown down and that believers conquer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. How do those truths speak to guilt, accusation, and fear in the Christian life? [01:03:21]
Application questions- Confession can happen without real repentance. Is there any place in life right now where sin has been admitted, but not actually turned from? What would surrender look like there in practical terms this week? [45:51]
- Hardship can either draw a person closer to God or harden the heart against Him. When suffering or disappointment shows up, what is the usual response: moving toward God, pulling away from Him, or just going numb? [46:03]
- The church is not called to hide during difficult times. Where has there been a temptation to stay quiet about Christ out of fear, awkwardness, or pressure from the culture? What might a loving and gracious witness look like in that situation? [50:49]
- God keeps every promise, even when the world looks out of control. What current situation has made it hardest to believe that God is still on the throne, and what would it look like to trust His rule there? [56:19]
- The dragon makes war on Christ’s people, and compromise is one of his weapons. What kinds of “small compromises” tend to open the door in everyday life—speech, entertainment, bitterness, gossip, secret sin, false assurance? Which one feels closest right now? [01:06:01]
- Believers overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. When was the last time Christ’s saving work was spoken about clearly to someone else? If it has been a while, what makes that so difficult? [01:08:36]
- Loving Christ more than life itself does not usually begin in a crisis; it is formed in daily faithfulness. What habits or loyalties may be competing with wholehearted love for Christ right now? [01:04:44]
