Bible Reading
Revelation 11:1–19 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.
And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
[01:52]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.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
[04:13]Revelation 9:20–21 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.
[25:44]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.”
[30:06]Revelation 8:1–13 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Now the seven angels who had the trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”
[15:36]Observation questions
- What parts of creation are struck by the first four trumpets in Revelation 8, and what repeated fraction shows that these judgments are severe but not yet final? [15:36]
- According to Revelation 9:20–21, what specific sins and forms of idol worship do people refuse to turn from, even after the plagues?
- In Revelation 10, what details show that the mighty figure has authority over all creation, and what is John commanded to do after eating the scroll? [27:28]
- In Revelation 11, what happens to the witnesses after they complete their testimony, and what happens after God breathes life into them? [36:38]
Interpretation questions
- Revelation 8 connects the prayers of the saints with fire being thrown onto the earth. What does this connection suggest about how God hears the prayers of suffering believers and acts in history?
- Revelation 9 shows that terrifying judgment does not automatically lead people to repentance. Why might fear often produce self-protection instead of a return to God? [26:01]
- The scroll is sweet in John’s mouth but bitter in his stomach. How can the gospel be sweet news of forgiveness and life while also being bitter news about human rebellion, judgment, and costly witness? [30:15]
- The temple and the two witnesses point to the church as God’s presence and complete witness in the world. Why does Revelation connect faithful proclamation with suffering, opposition, and eventual vindication rather than with immediate success? [35:04]
Application questions
- Lesser loves can become cruel masters when comfort, approval, success, control, or identity are asked to do what only God can do. Which lesser love most competes for your trust right now, and what does it tend to promise you? [22:40]
- Creation’s brokenness is meant to tell us that something is wrong and that we need God. When you encounter loss, anxiety, injustice, sickness, or disappointment, what is your usual response: moving toward God, numbing yourself, blaming others, or trying harder to control life? [16:07]
- Judgment is real, but fear alone does not bring lasting repentance. How could you speak honestly about sin and judgment while also making the mercy and hope of Christ clear to someone in your life? [40:32]
- God’s word is sweet and bitter, and faithful witness means internalizing it before speaking it. What part of God’s word do you find especially sweet right now, and what part feels difficult or costly to receive and live out? [30:06]
- Faithful witness may look ordinary: doing work with integrity, loving neighbors, caring for family members, refusing to treat people as disposable, and staying present in suffering. Where has God already placed you to be a faithful presence this week? [45:20]
- Christ conquered through self-giving love rather than domination or self-protection. What is one tangible act of costly love you could offer—to a neighbor, coworker, family member, or someone in need—without needing recognition in return? [41:01]
- Revelation promises that God will vindicate faithful witnesses, even when faithfulness looks like loss. Where are you tempted to measure faithfulness only by visible results, and how might the promise of God’s final kingdom give you courage to keep going? [36:49]
