青少年教程 (启示录中的功课*第3课) | 终局

​编者按
这是一套在美国很受欢迎的教材，按年龄共分三部分：0-6岁学龄前儿童教程，6-12岁学龄儿童教程，和12岁以上青少年教程。我们将陆续翻译成中文，分享给大家。
这套教材里的每一篇，无论是教程还是各种活动，都独立成篇，没有先后顺序，大家可以按需要和负担选择使用。
*更多内容：thedoorofsheep.com/青少年 

课程目的

• 查考启示录结尾的部分经文，帮助学生明白终局会是什么样子

• 提醒学生，基督信仰关乎人与神的关系

• 激励学生成为得胜的人

主题

勇敢、永生、信心、天国、荣耀神、逼迫、坚持

背诵经文

启示录 21:7

开始祷告(5-10分钟)

团队建立(10分钟)

我们要玩一个“把我的句子说完”的游戏。下面有一些示例句子，带领者可以大声读给全班听。请学生在纸上为每个句子写一个结尾，给他们一至两分钟作答。

所有人写好以后，再把这些句子重新读一遍。每读到句子结尾时，就指向一位学生，让他用自己写下的词把句子补充完整。这个游戏一定会带来不少笑声！

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示例句子

1. 小心你身后，那是一只______________________

2. 这是我吃过最好吃的披萨，简直________________

3. 我比___________________________更强大

4. 我最好的朋友真的非常________________________

5. 这条裤子让我看起来__________________________

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开始(5分钟)

人们总是期待结局。读书或看电影时，我们会在等待一切如何结束的过程中感到紧张和期待。

基督徒的生命也不例外。许多信徒对世界的终局有一个又一个问题。我们不可能把所有关于末世的内容都讲完。不过，启示录中的一些真理能够带给我们盼望。

一般讨论：

• 当你想到天国时，最期待的是什么？（黄金街道、不再有眼泪、神在那里等。）

• 这是一个很难的问题，但请认真想一想：假如耶稣不在天国，你到了那里会感到失望吗？

有时，我们更盼望天国这个地方，却没有那么盼望永远作神的百姓。今天我们会看见，终局最美好的地方，并不是我们将要去的所在，而是那位将与我们一同度过永恒的圣洁之神。

深入学习(15分钟)

读 启示录 21:1-7

我们要逐节分析这段经文，好更清楚地明白终局。

再次读 启示录 21:1

讨论问题：

1. 作者看见了什么？（新天新地。）

2. 为什么需要有新的事物？（因为先前的事已经过去。）

3. 什么不再存在？（海。）

这段经文中的“新”，未必是我们通常所理解的全新，反而很可能是指被救赎或被更新。而海则象征隔绝。

再次 读启示录 21:2

讨论问题：

1. 你认为圣城指什么？（有人可能说耶路撒冷，也有人可能说教会或基督徒等。）

2. 这座新城看起来像什么？（像预备好了、等候丈夫的新妇。）

启示录几乎每次提到“城”或“圣城”时，所谈的都是教会。此外，新妇与丈夫的画面，也使人想起以弗所书第5章中基督对教会的爱（参见第25至33节）。

（教师提示：启示录中的“大城”通常带有负面含义；“圣城”通常指教会。）

再次 读启示录 21:3

讨论问题：

1. 约翰接下来听见什么？（有大声音。）

2. 这声音从哪里发出？（从宝座出来。）

3. 这声音说了什么？（神的帐幕在人间，祂要与人同住。）

4. 因此，在终局会发生什么？（他们要作祂的子民，神要亲自与他们同在，作他们的神。）

终局的重点，与其说是信徒将要去的一个地方，不如说是一群百姓与他们的神。很有意思的是，这节经文中的“帐幕”使我们想起旧约中神居住的所在。神“住”在我们中间，也让我们想到约翰福音 1:14：“道成了肉身，住在我们中间。”

再次 读启示录 21:4

讨论问题：

1. 神会怎样对待祂儿女的眼泪？（祂要擦去他们一切的眼泪。）

2. 还有什么将要过去？（死亡、悲哀、哭号和疼痛。）

因此，终局与这个世界会有极大的不同。到了终局，一切都将充满平安。神的百姓一无所缺，并且永远活在与慈爱之神的关系中。

再次读 启示录 21:5

讨论问题：

1. 神宣告自己已经做了什么？（使一切都更新了。）

2. 祂怎样强调这个宣告？（祂说这些话是可信的，也是真实的。）

再次 读启示录 21:6-7

讨论问题：

1. 这段经文最后宣告：“都成了。”你认为“都成了”指什么？（神永远与祂百姓同在的计划已经完成。）

2. 神说要把什么赐给口渴的人？（白白赐下生命泉的水。）

3. 根据第7节，谁要承受这一切？（得胜的人。）

4. 他们胜过的是什么？（世界。）

5. 那时会有怎样的关系？（神与祂儿女的关系。）

我们再次看见，终局的重点是关系，而不是地方。天国之所以重要，是因为耶稣在那里！

联系实际（15分钟）

一般讨论：

• 单单从这几节经文来看，你对天国的理解发生了怎样的改变？（盼望学生明白，天国更关乎一位具体的对象，而不只是一个地方。）

• 你对终局仍然有问题吗？（让学生讨论。）

• 根据我们刚才所谈的内容，这些问题现在看起来有多重要？（关于终局怎样发生、何时发生等具体问题，没有我们在天国所拥有的盼望那么重要。）

我们大概永远无法得到关于天国的一切答案，也无法完全明白从现在到永恒之间会发生什么。但我们可以安息在这个盼望中：主必与我们同在，我们也要永远与祂同在。

那么，在这之前，这个盼望会带来什么不同？

让我们再读一节经文，它或许会影响我们今天离开课堂以后怎样生活。

读 启示录 21:8

讨论问题：

1. 这节经文列出了哪些人？（胆怯的、不信的、杀人的、淫乱的、拜偶像的等。）

2. 这些人会有怎样的结局？（他们要在烧着火的湖里，这是第二次的死。）

3. 你认为这个画面描述的是什么？（地狱，与神隔绝。）

4. 这些人中，有没有哪一类看起来与其他人不太一样？（“胆怯的”似乎与其他罪不太相称。）

这里译作“胆怯”的词，可以指一个原本站在战场前线，却转身逃跑的士兵。学者认为，这指的是那些自称认识神，后来却否认祂的人（参见提多书 1:16）。这里所说胆怯的人，因为害怕跟随基督会遭受逼迫，便离弃了自己的信仰。

启示录写成的时候，教会正在遭受逼迫，否认信仰是一个极大的诱惑。我们大多数人并没有面对这样的逼迫，但这个功课仍然适用。

不要放弃。不要灰心。不要离弃信仰。

耶稣正在等候与你永远同在！

结束祷告(2分钟)

祷告求神使每一位学生的信心都能坚定持守。

****** 英文版 *******

Lessons from Revelation

Lesson 3: The End

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Goals

1. To study some of the ending verses of Revelation, to help students understand what things will be like in The End

2. To remind students that Christianity is about a relationship with God

3. To inspire students to be among those who overcome

Topics

Boldness, Eternal Life, Faith, Heaven, Honor God, Persecution, Perseverance

Scripture Memorization

Revelation 21:7

OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)

GROUP BUILDING (10 minutes)

We’re going to play a game of "Finish My Sentence." Below are some sample sentences that you will read out loud to the class. Have students write down an end to each sentence on their papers. Give them a minute or two to record an answer.

After they’ve all written down their answers, go back and re-read your sentences, pointing at a student at the end of each, allowing him or her to finish the sentence with the word(s) he or she wrote. There are sure to be some good laughs!

Sample Sentences:

1. Look out behind you, it’s a ______________________

2. This pizza is the best I’ve ever __________________

3. I am mightier than a ___________________________

4. My best friend is really __________________________

5. These pants make me look _____________________

GETTING STARTED (5 minutes)

People always look forward to the end. In books or movies, endings leave us on edge, as we wait to see how everything concludes.

The Christian life is no different. Many believers have question after question about the end of the world. There’s no way we can cover everything there is to discuss regarding the end times.  However, in Revelation, some things give us hope.

General Questions:

• When you think about Heaven, what do you look forward to the most? (Gold streets, no tears, God being there, etc.)

• Here’s a really tough question, but I want you to think about it: If Jesus were not in Heaven, would you be disappointed to be there?

Sometimes we look forward to Heaven, the place, more than we look forward to being God’s people forever. Today, as we’ll see, the best part about The End is not the place we’ll go, but rather the Holy God with whom we’ll spend eternity.

DIGGING IN (30 minutes)

Read Revelation 21:1-7

We’re going to break this passage down verse by verse so we can better understand The End.

Read Revelation 21:1 again

Discussion Questions:

1. What does the author see? (A new Heaven and a new earth.)

2. Why does there need to be something new? (The old things have passed away.)

3. What ceases to exist? (The sea.)

In this passage, “new” may not necessary mean brand new, as we think of it. Rather, it likely means redeemed or transformed. And the sea stands for separation.

Read Revelation 21:2 again

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think the Holy City is? (Some may say Jerusalem; some may say the Church/Christians, etc.)

2. What does this new city look like? (A bride ready for her husband.)

Almost every time the book of Revelation mentions the City/Holy City, it is discussing the Church. Moreover, this talk of a bride and her husband is reminiscent of Ephesians 5, where the love of Christ for His Church is mentioned (see verses 25-33.)

(Teacher Note: “Great City” in Revelation usually refers to a negative. “Holy City” usually refers to the Church)

Read Revelation 21:3 again

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John hear next? (A loud voice.)

2. From where does this sound originate? (From the throne.)

3. What does the voice say? (That God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them.)

4. So, in The End, what happens? (They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.)

In The End, it’s more about a people and their God than it is a place where believers will go. Interestingly, the word “tabernacle” in that verse reminds us of the dwelling place of God in the Old Testament. The “dwelling” of God among us hearkens back to John 1:14, where “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Read Revelation 21:4 again

Discussion Questions:

1. What will God do to the tears of His children? (He will wipe them away.)

2. What else passes away? (Death, mourning, crying or pain.)

So things will be vastly different from this world. In The End, things will be peaceful. God’s people will lack nothing and exist in eternal relationship with their loving God.

Read Revelation 21:5 again

Discussion Questions:

1. What does God announce He has done? (Made all things new.)

2. How does He underscore this claim? (He says the words are faithful and true.)

Read Revelation 21:6-7 again

Discussion Questions:

1. This passage ends with the announcement: “It’s done.” What do you think “it” is? (God’s plan to be with His people forever.)

2. What does God say He will give to those who thirst? (Water of life without cost.)

3. According to verse 7, who inherits these things? (Those who overcome or the victorious.)

4. What are they overcoming? (The world.)

5. What will be the relationship? (God and children.)

Again, in The End, the point is the relationship, not the place. Heaven is only significant because Jesus is there!

 

MAKING IT REAL (15 minutes)

General Discussion:

• How has your understanding of Heaven changed even from these few verses? (Hopefully, the students realize it’s more about a person than a place.)

• Do you still have questions about The End? (Allow for discussion.)

• How important do those questions seem now, in light of what we’ve discussed? (The specifics of how/when/etc. are less important because we know of the hope that we have in Heaven.)

We will probably never have all of the answers to our questions about Heaven (or what happens between now and eternity), answered, but we can rest in the hope that the Lord will be with us, and we will be with Him forever.

In the meantime, what difference does it make?

Let’s read just one more verse that may influence how we walk away from this lesson today.

Read Revelation 21:8

Discussion Questions:

1. What sorts of people are listed in this verse? (Cowards, unbelieving, murderers, sexually immoral, idolaters, etc.)

2. What happens to these people? (They will be in the lake that burns with fire, the second death.)

3. What do you think this picture describes? (Hell, separation from God.)

4. Do any of those types of people sound dissimilar from the others? (“Cowardly” doesn’t seem to match the other sins.)

The word for “coward” here is a word used for someone in the military who is fighting on the frontlines but then flees. Scholars believe this refers to those, who profess to know God, but then deny Him. (See Titus 1:16) The cowards spoken of here abandon their faith in fear that they will face persecution for following Christ.

Revelation was written at a time when the Church was being persecuted and denying faith was very tempting. Most of us face no such persecution, but the lesson remains.

Don’t give up. Don’t lose heart. Don’t abandon the faith.

Jesus is waiting to be with you!

CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)

Pray that all students' faith will stay strong!