In this, the final part of our journey through the Book of Revelation, we see the glorious new Heaven and Earth. God’s plan of redemption is complete. God’s people dwell in God’s paradise in God’s presence for ever. And an angel shows John―and us―the wonderful city of God. This city is the Bride of Christ, New Jerusalem―God’s garden-city, the place of God’s dwelling, and our eternal home. Then the glorious vision of New Jerusalem fades from view. Three times in the closing verses, Jesus says “I am coming soon” (22:7,12,20). John responds, ”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (22:20). That’s the cry of all God’s faithful people through the ages. Come, Lord Jesus! Click HERE to read more, and to download the 4-page introduction and the 16-page reader’s guide to this final section of Revelation.
In this part― the penultimate part of this reader’s guide―we cover chapters 17 to 20. We see how God destroys, step by step, all the structures and forces of evil: firstly Babylon (symbolising mankind’s godless civilisation under Satan’s domination), then the beast and the false prophet, and finally Satan himself. But alongside these scenes of judgment and destruction, we see God’s people, ready to marry Jesus Christ, and coming to life and reigning with Him for a thousand years. Click HERE to read more, and to download the 4-page introduction and the 16-page reader’s guide to this section of Revelation.
The Lamb is the Lord, part 4: Crashing Waves of Judgment Introduction and Questions
This is part 4 of a 7-part reader’s guide to the Book of Revelation. For parts 1 to 3, click HERE and follow the links given there. Parts 5 to 7 will be published in the next few weeks.
An artist’s depiction of the four horsemen who bring the judgments unleashed by the opening of the first four seals of the scroll (Revelation 5:1-8)―the ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse’.
Click the icon below to download a 4-page PDF of this page.
Click the icon below to download a 16-page Reader’s Guide This explores Revelation 6:1-11:19, 15:1 and 15:5-16:21 in more detail.
Three sets of seven judgments
We now arrive at perhaps the most challenging―and at times, disturbing―section of Revelation. Perhaps this is the section of the course you’ve been anticipating most!
The Lamb begins to open the scroll―the scroll He took “from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne” (Revelation 5:7). Three series of seven judgments sweep across the Earth. The first set is heralded by the opening of the seals (6:1-17, 8:1,3-5); the second by the blowing of seven trumpets (8:2, 8:6-9:21), and the third by the emptying of seven bowls (15:1, 15:5-16:21).
This is a new series covering the key events and themes of the Bible, together with many of the key doctrines of the Christian faith.
The series aims to be a simple but reasonably comprehensive teaching tool for new Christians; it could also serve as a refresher for those who’ve been Christians for many years. It’s a scaled-down and revised adaptation of The Big Journey series featured in this website.
The text is supplemented by numerous illustrations, and each step ends with one or more Bible passages and questions to think about.
The 52 Steps series is suitable for personal reading and small group study; it could also serve as a discipleship resource for a whole church. It could be used weekly to span a complete year; it might also be used as a daily reading over a period of between 7 and 8 weeks. It was, in fact, used by the church my wife and I attend here in Leicestershire, England―Harborough Community Church; it was distributed in the weekly emailed church newsletter.
Click HERE to see the introduction to the series; click HERE to view the contents and outline of each of the 52 steps.
This is an offer not to be missed! Starting today, January 1 and running through January 8, Crossway+ members can purchase ebooks and audiobooks for up to 90% off (with some exclusions): ebooks and audiobooks priced $29.99 or less are $2.99; ebooks and audiobooks priced $30–$59.99 are $4.99, and ebooks and audiobooks priced $60–$99.99 are $6.99. Click HERE for details.
There are also two free resources available, a free ebook and a free audiobook. There’s no limit to how many ebooks and audiobooks you can purchase through this offer.
This offer is open to members of the Crossway+ scheme. Anyone can join the Crossway+ scheme for free. And the offer is not only for existing members of this scheme―you can join now to take advantage of the offer. Read about the Crossway+ scheme, and sign up for free membership of the scheme HERE. When you join the Crossway+ scheme, you can, for example, purchase ebooks and audiobooks at half price. You will also occasionally receive access to special offers on select Crossway resources via email―and this special offer is one such example.
There is significant benefit to buying ebooks from Crossway that only a few publishers offer. If you buy the ebook, you usually (but not always) get the book in all three formats―PDF, epub and mobi. And the PDFs can be printed―this format doesn’t have printing disabled. This gives all the advantages that the ebook offers (such as searchability), with the opportunity, if you wish, to print a copy to read offline.
Click the icon below to download a 4-page PDF of this page.
Click the icon below to download a 16-page Reader’s Guide This introduces the Book of Revelation and explores Revelation 1:1-20 in more detail.
Introduction
This is the first of a seven-part series on the Book of Revelation. We’ll trace Revelation’s storyline and themes. We’ll explore its symbolism and imagery. And we’ll see what God is saying to us believers as we follow Jesus day by day.
The word ‘Revelation’ is apocalupsis in Greek―from which we get our word ‘apocalyptic’. This Greek word means ‘an uncovering’, ‘an unveiling’. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus unveils what’s really going on in Heaven and on Earth, and where human history is heading.
God’s perspective on history
There’s a famous photograph that’s entitled ‘Earthrise’ (see above). It was taken by an Apollo 8 crewmember in 1968, while in orbit around the Moon. These men were the very first humans who saw Earth as viewed from the Moon. It gave them―and all humanity―a completely new perspective on our planet.
‘Earthrise’―Earth above the lunar horizon. This image was taken by Apollo 8 crewmember Bill Anders on December 24, 1968, while in orbit around the Moon.
Likewise, in Revelation, God gives us a new perspective―a heavenly perspective, God’s perspective. Christ is seated “in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20). We’re seated there with Him (Ephesians 2:6). We need to view everything from that viewpoint―a heavenly viewpoint. And that’s the perspective Revelation gives us.
Here is a new song written by Bob Kauflin and Tim Chester, with a small team of others. It’s based on Psalm 91, which begins, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”” (Psalm 91:1-2). The song’s strong theology, combined with its tuneful and singable melody, make it ideal for congregational singing. Bob Kauflin writes: “Christ Will Be My Hideaway is a congregational song for a pandemic or any time really. It’s based on Psalm 91, which is filled with encouraging, soul-strengthening promises from God that lift our eyes above our circumstances to see his providential, wise, powerful care.” The video below is a version that may be useful for online church gatherings:
Click HERE for Bob Kauflin’s blog post about this song, where you can find the lyrics, chord chart and lead sheet. Click HERE for Tim Chester’s blog post.
This is the season when some of us may be beginning Bible reading plans for the coming year. But why do so many of us struggle to enjoy our Bibles consistently? In this short video, Dr Peter Mead gives us seven simple and helpful guidelines for feasting on God’s word, the Bible.
In four series of short videos, Peter Mead takes us through seven basic principles that will help us to understand and learn from the Bible. He applies these seven principles as he guides us through the books of Ruth, Titus and Jonah, and the book of Psalms (taking Psalms 3-8 and 11 as examples). The series on the Psalms also includes four additional videos, entitled Why Did God Give Us Psalms?, Real Truth in a World of Lies, Real Hurt, and The Psalms and Jesus. Peter’s aim is to enable these seven principles to become part of the way we approach the Scriptures and feast on its riches. He says, “My aim, my goal, my prayer is that as you look at God’s word, spending time studying it, thinking about it, applying these principles, . . . you’ll get to know Him better, . . . you’ll be stirred to love him more, and . . . you’ll find yourself feasting on God’s word.” The video below is the introduction to the whole series:
Here are the first videos in each of the four series, on the books of Ruth, Titus, Jonah, and Psalms respectively. At the top of each video, to the right-hand side, there’s a menu icon (the one with three horizontal lines and an arrow). Click this menu icon to access the complete playlist for that series.
Dr Peter Mead is the director of Cor Deo, a ministry training programme in Chippenham, England. He is also part of the leadership team of Trinity Chippenham, a church Peter helped to plant back in 2014. Peter is a lecturer for Union School of Theology. He studied at Multnomah Biblical Seminary before getting his Doctor of Ministry degree under Haddon Robinson at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in the area of expository preaching. Peter is the author of a number of books, including The Little Him Book, Pleased to Dwell, Lost in Wonder, and Foundations. He is also the author of the preaching blog BiblicalPreaching.net.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ birth was announced to shepherds? In his commentary on Luke’s Gospel, I. Howard Marshall writes, “the motif that God reveals the birth of the Saviour to ordinary, lowly people, is undoubtedly present.” God’s angelic army announced the Saviour’s birth to humble shepherds, not to those of wealth and status. But there are two other possible reasons why shepherds were privileged with the news of the Saviour’s birth. Read the whole article HERE.
In his book, ‘A Not-So-Silent Night: the Unheard story of Christmas and Why It Matters’ Verlyn D. Verbrugge writes, “One of the most familiar elements of the Christmas story in Luke 2 is the appearance of the angel to the shepherds. That angel was soon joined by a “great company of the heavenly host . . . praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2.13– 14 NIV). . . . . The word that Luke uses for “host” is the Greek word ‘stratia’, a word that in classical Greek almost invariably denotes an army or a company of soldiers. On occasion the word could be used as an alternate for the Greek word ‘strateia’, which denotes a military expedition. In either case, the word has strong military connotations.” But why is this military connation significant? Read the whole article HERE.
Dr. Ian Paul writes, “. . . Jesus wasn’t born in a stable, and, curiously, the New Testament hardly even hints that this might have been the case. So where has the idea come from?” Dr Paul tells us why oxen and asses are traditionally placed in the nativity scene. He explains the meanings of the Greek word in Luke 2.7 that’s translated “inn” in the ESV and the King James Version (but translated “guest room” in the NIV). And he takes us back to the first-century setting of the narrative, including the culture of the time and the actual design of Palestinian homes. Dr Paul draws on resources by other writers and provides links to two sermons, one by himself, another by Stephen Kuhrt, that retell the Christmas story in way that is faithful to its first-century Palestinian background. Read the whole article HERE.
Have you ever studied – or preached on – one of Jesus’ genealogies? David Thommen has. He writes, “I will never forget the zeal, the excitement, and the anticipation of my first Christmas sermon. . . . . . . . I wanted to preach something that I had never heard from the pulpit for Christmas, or any other time for that matter. . . . . When one of my elders asked me what I would be preaching on, I confidently proclaimed: “The genealogy from Matthew 1”. His response was different than I expected. “Why would you do that? You never preach the genealogies.” Convinced that all Scripture is profitable (2 Timothy 3.16-17), I soldiered forward undeterred. I pondered, in light of the rather unexpected response, why does the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew matter to the Christian at Christmas?” He shows us four reasons why it matters. Read the whole article HERE.
Creation to New Creation - a Bible Overview 
