Adult Bible Class -- The Revelation of St. John

          In love and in mercy for his Church, Jesus Christ revealed through the blessed Apostle what his Church can expect until his return.  The Holy Spirit gave us many images to give us warnings and encouragement as we await the return of our Lord at the final judgment.  What does our Lord want us to know through these images which are both amazing and confusing?  That is what our study will be this fall. 

Class begins at 9:00 AM on Sundays.  The tentative schedule is as follows.

 

Sept. 7             Introduction             What is apocalyptic literature?

                        Revelation 1             The glorified Savior is revealed to St. John.

Sept. 14          Revelation 2              Letters to seven churches, part 1.

Sept. 21          Revelation 3              Letters to seven churches, part 2.

Sept. 28         Revelation 4-5          Worship in heaven

Oct. 5              Revelation 6-7           The seven seals

Oct. 12            Revelation 8-9          The seventh seal produces seven trumpets

Oct. 19            Revelation 10-11       A scroll, two witnesses, and the seventh trumpet

Oct. 26           Revelation 12            The Dragon and the Woman

Nov. 2             Revelation 13            The Beast from the sea and the Beast from the earth

Nov. 9             Revelation 14            Three angels and the Harvest

Nov. 16           Revelation 15-16       Seven bowls/plagues

Nov. 23          Revelation 17-18       The Prostitute and the Fall of Babylon

Nov. 30          Revelation 19            The Wedding Feast and the Rider on the White Horse

Dec. 7             Revelation 20            1,000-year reign and the final judgment

Dec. 14           Revelation 21            The New Jerusalem

Dec. 21           Revelation 22            Jesus is coming soon.

Something from ... Gottesdienst re: The horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Chaos in the World

Here is a brief article which addresses the chaos in our world from a Scriptural standpoint.  The reference is to the destruction which is caused by the four horsemen sent out by God in St. John's Revelation.  Each rider brought different kinds of suffering.  We see the fulfillment appear right before our eyes.

This destruction and chaos are sent by God so that people will repent of their sins and return to the Lord who alone can provide healing, relief, and recovery.  Sadly, the world goes merrily on, lamenting the loss of wealth, health, and blissful ignorance.  Instead, it lashes out in anger and willful ignorance of their sins.

Meanwhile, the Church prays and commits itself to the Lord.  Even though we also suffer in hard times, we know that the Lord still holds us in his favor for the sake of Jesus Christ whose name we bear, in whose name we worship, and upon whose name we call in the day of trouble.

Lord, have mercy, and use the chaos to bring people to repent.

From Gottesdienst: The Horsemen Are Riding — Gottesdienst

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!” 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.

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 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.

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. 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!”

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 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. (Revelation 6:1-8)

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever -- A Study on St. John's Revelation

Here is a podcast that comes highly recommended: The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.  It is a 15-minute, daily (Monday-Friday) Bible study.  The host is Rev. William Weedon (LC-MS) who is a confessional Lutheran pastor.  

One of the strengths of this Bible study is Pastor Weedon's regular references to theologians from the past--from Lutheran reformers to the Church fathers of the early Christian Church.  He keeps us mindful that we are part of a chosen people who are not limited to nationality, language, or age.

Just today, Pastor Weedon has begun a series on St. John's Revelation.  Since this book fascinates many Christians and can be very confusing, Pastor Weedon will do a fine job shedding light on it.

You can also find podcasts for several other books of the Bible which Pastor Weedon has already covered.  They are found in the archives.

The website is found here: Home - The Word of the Lord Endures Forever (thewordendures.org)