Welcome to AtoZMom’s BSF Blog! Follow along in BSF International, or Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)’s study of the book of Revelation as we learn about Jesus’ Second Coming and what we can expect. From the Bowl Judgments to the seven seals and trumpets, you’ll learn the symbols and how we can prepare to meet Jesus one day. Be filled with hope in this amazing Bible study!
John saw a new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem. God will now dwell with his people. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. God will make everything new. It is done. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Unbelievers will be consigned to the lake of burning sulfur, or their second death.
11a) God will dwell with us. He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
b) I can’t wait for this! Such hope and a place of love and holiness. It brings so much comfort, especially when there is so much pain here.
12) The three completed works of God are creation, providence, and redemption. We see God creating everything, including us. We see God’s Word of our purpose here on Earth as He governs us. We see our salvation and redemption as being with God again forever. These show us God’s omnipotence, His mercy, His justice, His holiness, and His goodness.
13a) It shows God’s unending grace and mercy to give everyone a chance to turn to Him, but if you reject him, you face eternal consequences.
b) We all need to be better at speaking about Jesus to others because we never know who is saved and not. Simple things just like giving Him all the glory all the time and mentioning Him can be all it takes to win others over.
Such promise and hope here! Love it! The world for believers will be so much better than magic. The world for unbelievers will be not-so-magical. We must be vigilant to bring others to Him as much as possible.
Here, we have a new section in Revelation of hope!
There was much talk by the prophets of this new heaven and earth. (Isaiah 65:17-18), (Psalm 102:25-27), (2 Peter 3:12-13). What a sight it will be!
New here means better, not new in time. (Luke 21:33), (Isaiah 65:17)
Eternity is about to begin here.
The sea was seen as evil by the Jewish people when used in this type of context. It is the place of the beast (Revelation 13:1) and of the dead (Revelation 20:13)
The New Jerusalem will be a new city (Hebrews 12:22), (Galatians 4:26), (Philippians 3:20). It will be as beautiful as a bride.
God desires to be with us, and we will be God’s people (which is our purpose on earth).
There will be nothing of sin or the consequences of sin here.
Fun Fact: Note that here we see God speaking from the throne to His people. This is only the 2nd time in the book of Revelation where we see God himself speak.
God’s purpose in Jesus is now fulfilled/done. Those who accept Jesus will drink from the waters of life; those who don’t will die again.
Fun Fact: God announces that His work is complete only 3 times in the Bible: At creation, on the cross, and here on the cusp of eternity.
Sin is awful; salvation is wonderful!
God is in control!
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John saw a new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem. God will now dwell with his people. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. God will make everything new. It is done. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Unbelievers will be consigned to the lake of burning sulfur, or their second death.
8 ) The first heaven and the first earth are heaven and earth as they are today — separated from one another mainly due to the presence of sin since God cannot abide with sin. They will pass away because they are no longer needed, as God will dwell on earth with us!
9) God was with His people at times in clouds, guiding them. He was with prophets who spoke for Him, too. Today, God is in heaven, separated from us. In the future, we will all dwell together forever!
10a) God’s presence has a big impact on my life today. It guides my decisions and offers me immense peace that God has got this. I also try to live like Jesus would and do what Jesus would do.
b) It’s hard to describe how the certainty of God’s eternal presence impacts me. I am immensely grateful. Everything I have is His. Everything I am is Him.
Such hope in these last chapters of Revelation! Our eternal place with God is firm. We have the hope in Jesus to sustain us in our ups and downs. He is all we need!
Here, we have a new section in Revelation of hope!
There was much talk by the prophets of this new heaven and earth. (Isaiah 65:17-18), (Psalm 102:25-27), (2 Peter 3:12-13). What a sight it will be!
New here means better, not new in time. (Luke 21:33), (Isaiah 65:17)
Eternity is about to begin here.
The sea was seen as evil by the Jewish people when used in this type of context. It is the place of the beast (Revelation 13:1) and of the dead (Revelation 20:13)
The New Jerusalem will be a new city (Hebrews 12:22), (Galatians 4:26), (Philippians 3:20). It will be as beautiful as a bride.
God desires to be with us, and we will be God’s people (which is our purpose on earth).
There will be nothing of sin or the consequences of sin here.
Fun Fact: Note that here we see God speaking from the throne to His people. This is only the 2nd time in the book of Revelation where we see God himself speak.
God’s purpose in Jesus is now fulfilled/done. Those who accept Jesus will drink from the waters of life; those who don’t will die again.
Fun Fact: God announces that His work is complete only 3 times in the Bible: At creation, on the cross, and here on the cusp of eternity.
Sin is awful; salvation is wonderful!
God is in control!
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The dead stood in front of the Great White Throne. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the Book of Life. Those whose names were not written in the Book of Life were thrown into the Lake of Fire.
3) Jesus. He’s God. He has every right. He judges all of humanity in the final days.
4) The earth and the heavens fled from his presence.
5a) The book of deeds, which lists everyone’s name and deeds they have done and each will be judged according to what they have done.
b) All those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior have their names written in the Book of Life. Yes, my name is there because I have accepted Jesus as the King of my life.
6a) The second death is the eternal death experienced by unbelievers after their earthly physical death. They are thrown into the lake of fire.
b) I pray for them to have open hearts and minds to receive the saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can tell them about Jesus, about eternity, and what it means to accept Jesus into their lives.
7) The images move me to be eternally grateful to God that I was chosen to be saved so I don’t suffer eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. I think how God is merciful and just at the same time. It moves me to pray that others find the love of Jesus.
Great lesson on the importance of reaching everyone we can for Jesus while here on Earth.
The throne has power, purity, holiness, and sovereignty.
There is no place to flee or to escape judgment. Many Bible scholars believe that Christians will not appear before the Great White Throne of judgment because they have already been spared.
Paul tells us we will all have to be accountable for our deeds at the judgment seat of Christ 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Here, our deeds and our motives will be tested. There will be no judgment but will be rewarded for our good deeds.
This is a sentencing; God already knows the evil deeds.
Unbelievers will be punished based on the degree of their evil deeds (Matthew 11:20-24).
The dead are found in the sea, death, and in Hades.
Now, in the world, Sin and Death shall vanish forever.
The Lake of Fire is hell or Sheol (Hebrew), Hades (Greek), and Gehenna (Greek).
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An angel bound Satan for 1,000 years, throwing him into the Abyss (aka hell). Then, he’ll be set free for a short time.
John saw thrones where those who had been given authority to judge sat. Those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God were there. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Satan is judged after the 1,000-year period. He will be released. Satan will deceive the nations and gather his followers. They will come against God’s people, but God will devour them with fire from heaven, and Satan will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur for all of eternity.
12a) That Satan’s only mission is to try and tempt God’s people to follow him and sin — to defeat God, His purposes, and His people. That he won’t ever give up. But God will defeat Satan once and for all. God is in charge of all that Satan does.
b) God is omnipotent. He is in control. He uses Satan for his purposes, and Satan will suffer for his evil deeds one day.
c) Fundamentally, I will be with God forever, and it will be the most wonderful thing! My eternity is secure. It helps me to spread the Word and be most urgent about others turning to Christ today.
13) It truly is hard to imagine because it will be so different than ours. There will be no evil, no violence, no destruction, no crime, no sin, no suffering. Animals will be completely different. Truth and holiness will reign. There will be peace and worship. It will be incredible!
It’s good for us to ponder what life will be like in the future. It can give us hope when we are down and questioning life. It can encourage us when we are surrounded by evil and death. It’s important to remember God has a plan, and He’s got it (and us!).
Curious as to what the world will be like in the 1,000-year reign and its purpose? Check out this short read/video for a great answer/depiction HERE
Why does God allow Satan and evil in this world? Because Satan serves God’s purposes.
Satan is the ultimate deceiver. Our best weapon against deceit and lies is God’s Word.
We know that Satan is not currently bound because there is evil and sin in the world. In addition, Peter said that Satan is free still (1 Peter 5:8).
So why 1,000 years?
The Millennium will give Jesus a chance to show his glory and show man’s true nature without Satan around. It will show the true power and preeminence of God.
Great explanation on the first and second resurrections HERE
Those given authority to judge could be the 24 elders (Revelation 4:4), the apostles (Matthew 19:28), or the saints (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).
These people reign with Jesus while Satan is bound.
These people are those God resurrects before the Tribulation and the martyrs and those who come out of the Tribulation alive.
Fun Fact: The New Testament uses the word resurrection 40 times, which refers to the physical resurrection every time except in Luke 2:34.
The righteous will rise in phases:
All of the righteous rise before the wicked and before the Millennium.
The second death here means separation from Christ.
Some people during the Millenial and Jesus’ reign will only be outwardly conforming to God’s ways; they will never be committed to God. These are the people Satan will recruit.
After 1,000 years of perfection, man will still rebel. This shows that it’s our nature that causes sin, never God. We, at heart, are evil.
The rebellious will be those who survived the Great Tribulation and their descendants who don’t know God.
Gog and Magog here are symbols because these are prophetic enemies of Israel in Ezekiel 38-39.
Satan once again tries to destroy God’s people (what he always tries to do). God stops it before it starts.
Remember that the beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire at the beginning of the thousand years (Revelation 19:20).
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Satan is judged after the 1,000-year period. He will be released. Satan will deceive the nations and gather his followers. They will come against God’s people, but God will devour them with fire from heaven, and Satan will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur for all of eternity.
9a) Satan will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle.
b) Satan never gives up. He is always evil and always trying to destroy God. Because Satan gathers followers, man is evil, too.
10) Fire from heaven will devour Satan’s army, and Satan himself will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur to be tormented day and night forever.
11a) You would think that people would believe in God after having Jesus reign for 1,000 years. But, no. This just shows how evil mankind really is. This shows me that I always must be close to God least my human nature takes over, too. I have to help others be close, too.
b) In so many ways. People want to do what they “feel” is good at the time and don’t care about the consequences. Some people thrive on drama rather than God’s peace. We must strive to do good and be good, but we have to want that.
c) Read God’s Word, pray, go to Bible study, surround myself with godly people, and continually strive to be like Jesus.
I love seeing Satan get what he deserves! Go, God! Yet, I hate seeing how mankind is innately evil and some still go against God. We need to be prayer warriors always for the lost.
Some people during the Millenial and Jesus’ reign will only be outwardly conforming to God’s ways; they will never be committed to God. These are the people Satan will recruit.
After 1,000 years of perfection, man will still rebel. This shows that it’s our nature that causes sin, never God. We, at heart, are evil.
The rebellious will be those who survived the Great Tribulation and their descendants who don’t know God.
Gog and Magog here are symbols because these are prophetic enemies of Israel in Ezekiel 38-39.
Satan once again tries to destroy God’s people (what he always tries to do). God stops it before it starts.
Remember that the beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire at the beginning of the thousand years (Revelation 19:20).
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
John saw thrones where those who had been given authority to judge sat. Those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God were there. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
6a) They had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They were risen and reigned with Christ for the thousand-year period.
b) God is good and just, and He rewards those who serve Him.
7) The first resurrection is the raising of all believers. This takes place in various stages. This is before the second resurrection where the wicked will be judged by God. The second resurrection is the raising of the unbelievers. The Millenial kingdom divides these two resurrections. Those who have done what is good will share in it.
8a) The second death (that is eternal damnation to hell).
b) “The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
c) It gives me such hope that I will live again forever with Jesus.
d) It gives me the strength to get through my days.
Such powerful news that believers will rise again and avoid the second death. Praise be to God and Jesus!
Great explanation on the first and second resurrections HERE
Those given authority to judge could be the 24 elders (Revelation 4:4), the apostles (Matthew 19:28), or the saints (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).
These people reign with Jesus while Satan is bound.
These people are those God resurrects before the Tribulation and the martyrs and those who come out of the Tribulation alive.
Fun Fact: The New Testament uses the word resurrection 40 times, which refers to the physical resurrection every time except in Luke 2:34.
The righteous will rise in phases:
All of the righteous rise before the wicked and before the Millennium.
The second death here means separation from Christ.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
An angel bound Satan for 1,000 years, throwing him into the Abyss (aka hell). Then, he’ll be set free for a short time.
3a) John saw an angel coming down from heaven. He held the key to the Abyss and a great chain. He had the power to bind Satan.
b) Satan will be set free after the 1,000 years for a short time.
4) God has control over Satan and all of His enemies. They only act because God gives them permission to do so. God is sovereign over all.
5a) Satan only acts with God’s permission. Satan tells lies to deceive people. He blinds unbelievers so that they cannot see God. Satan is always looking to make us sin.
b) It increases my confidence in God’s power knowing God is in control of all, including Satan and all evil. I know that one day Satan and evil will be no more and that is encouraging in a world full of sin.
Great lesson about how God is in control of everything, even evil. We must remember that God does not allow us to be tempted more than we can handle, as we saw with Job. In God is all strength to resist evil and sin.
Why does God allow Satan and evil in this world? Because Satan serves God’s purposes.
Satan is the ultimate deceiver. Our best weapon against deceit and lies is God’s Word.
We know that Satan is not currently bound because there is evil and sin in the world. In addition, Peter said that Satan is free still (1 Peter 5:8).
So why 1,000 years?
The Millennium will give Jesus a chance to show his glory and show man’s true nature without Satan around. It will show the true power and preeminence of God.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
