青少年教程 (启示录教导什么*第7课) | 最后的七个异象

​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

• 帮助学生对启示录有整体的认识

• 概览约翰在启示录结尾所看见的最后七个异象

• 激励学生因基督胜过撒但、罪和死亡的能力，而活出充满盼望的生命

主题

死亡、鼓励、忍耐、盼望、耶稣再来、撒但、罪

背诵经文

启示录 17:14

开始祷告(5-10分钟)

团队建立(5分钟)

今天有很多内容要讲，所以小组活动很简短：每个人找一个搭档。在60秒内，彼此分享这周发生在你身上最好的一件事和最糟糕的一件事。

开始(3分钟)

今天我们要讲的内容很多，也许是到目前为止单课内容最多的一次。在深入学习以前，让我们先复习几件事。

一般讨论:

• 约翰是在写给谁？（小亚细亚的七个教会。如果能说出全部七个教会，可以加分！）

• 这些人生活在怎样的处境中？（处在严重逼迫的环境里。）

• 这封信的目的是什么？（在他们受逼迫时给他们盼望，使他们能够坚持到底。）

随着我们的学习接近尾声，我们也越来越接近启示录对终局的描述。最后七个异象向我们显明许多将来还要发生的事。

深入学习(20分钟)

在进入七个异象以前，我们需要尽快看一下描述这些异象之前的两章。

读 启示录 17:1-18

讨论问题:

1. 妇人在哪里？她有哪些特征？（在旷野；骑着朱红色的兽，衣着华丽，手里拿着杯。）

2. 我们上一次在哪里看见旷野中的妇人？（启示录第12章。她在那里生下一个孩子，那一章也是整卷启示录的中心。）

这里形成了一个文学上的对比。你站在哪一边？启示录第12章的妇人，还是第17章的妇人？启示录第12章的妇人生下耶稣，并逃脱了龙的追赶。这里的妇人却拿着一个杯，这杯代表审判，里面装满圣徒的血；她甚至喝这些血喝醉了。

讨论问题:（续）

3. 你认为这个妇人、她额头上的记号，以及她所喝的东西代表什么？（逼迫、可憎之事、邪恶、压迫。）

4. 约翰两次说，“先前有、如今没有、将要再来”。你认为这是什么意思？（这是对启示录其他地方描述神“昔在、今在、以后永在”语言的一种模仿。约翰借此清楚表明，兽最终必定失败。）

5. 这段经文反复使用数字7和10。它们代表什么？（完全。这段经文中，邪恶势力的作为还没有完全结束。）

6. 这里的大画面是什么？（地上的君王会敌对基督的事业，但他们无法胜过羔羊，因为羔羊已经得胜。神是永恒而掌权的，敌对神的人却不是。）

7. 这个妇人是谁？（“管辖地上众王的大城。”很可能指罗马。）

8. 你认为兽吞吃、烧毁妇人是什么意思？（压迫人的政府-在约翰的时代就是罗马-虽然行恶，但实际上也是撒但势力的工具；最终，这些政权会因为所依附的邪恶力量而失败、倒塌。）

读 启示录 18:1-24

讨论问题:

1. 这段经文谈到邪恶被毁灭。谁受到审判？（巴比伦、商人、参与不公义的人等。）

2. 根据第19节，这座城用了多久就被毁灭？（一个小时。）

3. 这告诉我们，神的能力与世界的能力相比怎样？（根本无法相比。神远比世界更有能力。）

约翰已经看见了太多，以至于几乎承受不住。接下来他又看见一些事情，更使他震撼。

读 启示录 19:1-10

讨论问题:

1. 约翰看见、听见了什么？（许多人因为神对那些被定罪之人施行公义审判，而赞美神。）

2. 约翰做了什么？（他俯伏要敬拜天使。）

3. 天使怎样纠正他？（非常明确地告诉他，只能敬拜神。）

联系实际（40分钟）

为了节省时间，我们现在要学习约翰所看见的七个异象。这是启示录最后一组“七”。这些异象对我们有非常重要的启示。

把学生分成七组，也可以分给七个人，每组或每人负责一个异象。让大家同时自己阅读，然后逐组回答问题。巴比伦，也就是世界上的邪恶势力，被毁灭以后，神接下来要审判那些影响、操纵这些地上权势的属灵邪恶势力。

异象一

读 启示录 19:11-16

讨论问题:

1. 约翰看见什么？（一匹白马，骑马的是诚信真实的那一位，也就是耶稣。）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（眼睛如火焰、衣服蘸着血、众军跟随祂等。）

3. 你认为经文中的一些象征是什么意思？（众军所穿的细麻衣代表神百姓的义行，参见第8节；冠冕代表权柄；剑代表祂话语的能力等。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（耶稣将以得胜君王的身份再来，而祂其实已经赢得了战争。我们敬拜的是得胜一方的神，因此在祂再来以前所经历的一切艰难，都是值得的。）

异象二

读 启示录 19:17-18

讨论问题:

1. 约翰看见什么？（一位天使站在日头中，邀请人来赴神的大筵席。）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（这个大筵席竟是吃君王、将军和壮士的肉。）

3. 你认为其中一些象征是什么意思？（太阳的意象与罗马的神祇有关，有些凯撒甚至把自己视为太阳神。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（我们被邀请分享神胜过祂仇敌的得胜。）

异象三

读 启示录 19:19-21

讨论问题:

1. 约翰看见什么？（兽等聚集起来，要与骑白马的那一位争战，却被骑马者用口中的剑击败。）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（虽然他们聚集起来准备争战，但实际上根本没有真正的战争；神直接审判了兽和假先知。）

3. 你认为其中一些象征是什么意思？（肉被撕裂象征身体上的审判；剑象征神的话。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（人无法与神争战，甚至谈不上真正的战争。因着复活，耶稣已经得胜，所以我们不需要害怕！）

异象四

读 启示录 20:1-3

讨论问题:

1. 约翰看见什么？（一位天使从天降下，拿着钥匙，抓住撒但，把它捆绑起来，扔进无底坑。）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（一千年以后，仇敌又会被暂时释放。）

3. 你认为其中一些象征是什么意思？（龙就是撒但；一千年未必是精确的一千年；锁链代表撒但受到限制。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（神的权柄远大过祂仇敌的权柄，因此我们没有什么可惧怕的。因着福音，撒但没有最终的权柄辖制我们。）

提示：有些学者认为，这一段是对基督事件的一次“重述”。这种重述在启示文学中很常见，我们前面的学习中也已经见过。启示录第1章说基督“拿着死亡和阴间的钥匙”，第12章又描写孩子逃脱龙的陷阱。基督的复活已经确定撒但最终灭亡的结局。从这个角度来看，锁链和限制的象征也更容易理解：撒但影响我们的能力已经受到限制。它不能再像约伯记中那样进入天上控告我们；它最厉害的武器-死亡-也已经不能最终辖制我们。

异象五

读 启示录 20:4-10

讨论问题:

1. 约翰看见什么？（那些为基督坚定站立的人，与基督一同作王一千年。）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（有些死人复活，有些没有；撒但再次试图与神争战，却反而被神毁灭。）

3. 你认为其中一些象征是什么意思？（一千年未必是精确的一段时间；宝座代表权柄；神所爱的城代表教会；地的四角就是指全地等。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（连肉体的死亡也无法胜过神。如果我们忠信，就要永永远远活着，而撒但则要永永远远受刑罚。）

异象六

读 启示录 20:11-15

讨论问题：

1. 约翰看见什么？（一个白色的大宝座，人们在它面前逃避。）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（书卷展开了，死人受到审判，死亡也被扔进火湖等。）

3. 你认为其中一些象征是什么意思？（书卷和宝座象征审判、真理和权柄。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（有一天，我们每个人都要站在神面前接受审判，因此需要为那一天预备自己。神的仇敌最终会被除去，我们不愿意与他们站在一起。）

异象七

读 启示录 21:1-27

我们不会在最后这个异象上讲得太深入，因为下周会用整整一课来学习它。不过，我们先整体看一下第七个，也是最后一个异象。

讨论问题：

1. 约翰看见什么？（“新天新地。”）

2. 还有哪些细节令你印象深刻？（这里内容非常丰富，下周我们会详细学习；现在先让学生自由分享。）

3. 你认为其中一些象征是什么意思？（同样，这里有很多象征。）

4. 这个异象对今天的我们意味着什么？（最好的还在后面！）

结束祷告(2分钟)

求神使学生活在那荣耀的盼望中，等候基督再来。祂拥有一切权柄，也使我们脱离撒但、罪和死亡。

****** 英文版 *******

Revelation: What Revelation Teaches

Lesson 7: The Seven Final Visions

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Goals

1. To inform students of the overview of the book of Revelation

2. To overview the seven final visions of John toward the end of the book of Revelation

3. To inspire students to live hope-filled lives in light of Christ’s power over Satan, sin, and death

Topics

Death, Encouragement, Endurance, Hope, Return of Jesus, Satan, Sin

Scripture Memorization

Revelation 17:14

OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)

GROUP BUILDING (3 minutes)

There is a lot to cover today, so this group building exercise is short:Everyone team up with a partner. In 60 seconds, tell each other the best thing and the worst thing that has happened to you this week.

GETTING STARTED (3 minutes)

We have a lot to cover today, maybe the most of any single lesson so far. Before we dig in, let’s review a few things:

General Discussion:

• To whom is John writing? (Seven churches in Asia Minor—bonus points if you can name all seven!)

• In what situation do these folks live? (A heavily persecuted culture.)

• What is the point of this letter? (To give hope to the persecuted until the end.)

As we draw close to the end of our study, we are getting close to a description of the end. The final seven visions reveal much about what is yet to come.

DIGGING IN (20 minutes)

Before we get to the seven visions, we need to look at two chapters that precede their description as quickly as possible.

Read Revelation 17:1-18

Discussion Questions:

1. Where is the woman and what are some of her characteristics? (The wilderness. She is riding a scarlet beast, dressed exotically, holding a cup.)

2. When was the last time we saw a woman in the wilderness? (Revelation 12, giving birth to a baby, at the apex of the book of Revelation.)

There is a literary contrast set up here. Whose side are you on? The woman in Revelation 12 or the woman in Revelation 17? The woman in Revelation 12 gives birth to Jesus, escapes the dragon, etc. This woman is holding a cup (judgment) that is full of the blood of the saints. She is drunk on it.

Discussion Questions (Continued):

3. What do you think this woman, her forehead, and what she is drinking represent? (Persecution, abomination, evil, oppression.)

4. John says, “it once was, now is not, and yet will come” on two occasions? What do you think it means? (This is a mirror of the one who was, is, and is to come language used elsewhere in Revelation to describe God. John is making it clear that the beast will lose.)

5. The numbers 7 and 10 are used repeatedly in this passage. What do they represent? (Completion. In this passage, the ruse of the evil agent is not yet complete.)

6. What’s the big picture here? (Kings of the earth will oppose the cause of Christ but they will not overcome the Lamb because the Lamb has already overcome. God is eternal and sovereign. Those who oppose God are not.)

7. Who is the woman? (“The great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” This is probably Rome.)

8. What do you think the beast eating and burning the woman means? (While the oppressive governments—in John’s day, Rome—do evil, they are really an instrument of Satanic forces and will at some point fail and fall because of that evil force.)

Read Revelation 18:1-24

Discussion Questions:

1. This passage talks about the destruction of evil. Who is judged? (Babylon, merchants, those who participated in injustice, etc.)

2. According to verse 19, how long did it take the city to be destroyed? (One hour.)

3. What does this say about God’s strength verses worldly strength? (There is no comparison. God is more powerful.)

John is overwhelmed. He’s seen so much. He sees a little more that puts him over the top.

Read Revelation 19:1-10

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see and hear? (Great multitudes praising God for His justice over those who have been condemned.)

2. What does John do? (He bows down to worship the angel.)3. How is he corrected? (Emphatically, worship God only.)

 

MAKING IT REAL (40 minutes)

For time's sake, we are going to study the seven visions that John sees. It is the last set of sevens. These visions, have great insight for us.

Split your groups up into seven groups (or seven individuals), reading about one vision each. After having read them on their own at the same time, ask the questions of each group. With Babylon (or worldly forces) destroyed, God is about to exercise judgment on the supernatural forces who influence those worldly authorities.

Read Revelation 19:11-16, Vision #1

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (A white horse, ridden by Faithful and True, Jesus.)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (Eyes blazing like fire, robe dipped in blood, armies following Him, etc.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in this text mean? (The armies' fine lines are the righteous acts of God’s people—see verse 8, crowns symbolize authority, sword symbolizes power of His words, etc.)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (Jesus is returning as a victorious King who has already won the war. We worship the God of the winning side, and all our troubles before His return are worth it.)

Read Revelation 19:17-18, Vision #2

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (An angel standing in the sun who invites the listener to the great supper of God.)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (The great supper is actually eating the flesh of kings, generals and the mighty.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in the text mean? (The sun imagery is Roman god imagery; some Caesars even considered themselves to be the sun god.)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (We are invited to a victory over the enemies of God.)

Read Revelation 19:19-21, Vision #3

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (The beast, etc. gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse but being defeated by the Rider via His sword.)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (Though they gathered for war, there wasn’t one. God just executes the beast and false prophet.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in the text mean? (The flesh being ripped apart symbolizes physical judgment; the sword symbolizes the Word of God.)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (You cannot fight against God. There is not even a war. Jesus has already won because of the resurrection. There is no need for us to fear!)

Read Revelation 20:1-3, Vision #4

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (An angel coming down from Heaven with keys, seizing and binding Satan and throwing them into the Abyss.)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (After 1,000 years, the enemies are loosed from captivity again.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in the text mean? (The dragon is Satan, the thousand years may or may not be a precise amount of time, and the chain represents limitations on Satan.)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (The authority of God is greater than that of of His enemies; therefore, we have nothing to fear, and Satan has no authority over us because of the Gospel.)

Note: Some scholars believe this is a recapitulation (a common tool in the toolbox of apocalyptic literature, as we’ve seen in our study previously) of the Christ event. Alluding to Revelation 1 “holding the keys to death and Hades” and Revelation 12 where the baby escapes the dragon’s trap, the resurrection secures Satan’s fate as doomed. This makes the chain/limitations make sense, given that Satan is restricted and restrained in how he can impact us: he can no longer enter Heaven (as he did in Job) to accuse us, his best weapon (death) no longer has power over us, etc.

Read Revelation 20:4-10, Vision #5

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (Those who stood for Christ ruling with Christ for 1,000 years.)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (Some of the dead came back to life, some did not, and Satan tried again to war against God but was devoured by God instead.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in the text mean? (The 1,000 years isn’t necessarily a precise set of years, the thrones represent authority, the city that God loves is the Church, the four corners of the earth simply mean the whole earth, etc.)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (Not even physical death is victorious over God. If we are faithful, we will live forever and ever and Satan will suffer forever and ever.)

Read Revelation 20:11-15, Vision #6

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (A great white throne, people fleeing it.)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (Books were opened, the dead were judged, death was thrown into the lake of fire, etc.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in the text mean? (The books and throne symbolize judgment, truth, and authority.)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (There will come a day when we all stand before God and are judged. We need to be prepared for that. God’s enemies will be discarded. We do not want to be with them.)

Read Revelation 21:1-27, Vision #7

We’re not going to go too deeply into this last vision because we’re going to devote a whole lesson to it next week. However, let’s get an overview of the seventh and final vision.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does John see? (“A new Heaven and a new earth.”)

2. What other details do you find interesting? (There’s so much here, we’ll unpack it next week, but allow students to share.)

3. What do you think some of the symbols in the text mean? (Again, there are many!)

4. What does this vision mean to us today? (The best is yet to come!)

CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)

Pray for your students to live in the glorious hope of the coming Christ who has authority over all and who frees us from Satan, sin, and death.