Lesson 1: Scary Stuff

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us through the Bible. Teach us how to read and understand Revelation that we may know what You have to say about the issues we face in our lives, and be confident that You will guide all the things that happen in our lives and in our world for our salvation. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Why Read Revelation? • How much of Revelation have you read? • What do you think it is all about? Watch the Video: Lesson 1 (here) rev_session1a from Bible Studies and Small Groups on Vimeo. • What are some of the scary things you’ve heard about Revelation? • What have you heard other people say about them? There is some scary stuff in Revelation, especially if the things it describes take place during our lifetimes. Let’s take a few minutes to read and think about some of this scary stuff. Read Revelation 6:1-17 – The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

1. Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”
2. And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
3. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”
4. And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
5. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.
6. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
7. When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”
8. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
9. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
10. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11. Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
12. When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,
13. and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
14. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,
16. calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
17. for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

• Which of these events do you find particularly scary? Why? • How could you discuss these things with your unchurched friends? Play video (here) and finish watching Lesson 1. rev_session1b from Bible Studies and Small Groups on Vimeo. Speaking in Code • As a child, what sorts of things did you or your friends hide from your parents using code language? • As an adult, what codes do you use in front of your children, pets, or neighbors? • What code words do we Christians use in our conversations that keep unchurched people in the dark and hamper our witness? Revelation: a Father’s Warning to His Children We might wonder why God would write a scary letter filled with code words to His children. Actually, the letter itself wasn’t as scary as the world in which God’s children were living, suffering, and dying. God wanted His letter of Revelation to prepare all of us for the suffering we might see and experience and, more importantly, to show us how Jesus already won the victory and that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18b). • What worldly dangers should we warn our children about as they approach adulthood? • How can you talk about these same dangers with your friends or coworkers? Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, open our minds to understand Your Word so that we may have confidence in Your great power, put our trust in Your gracious plan for our lives, and share that plan with those who don’t know You. Amen.