Chapter Ten

January 15, 2012

Agenda

Thought for the Week – Born for Freedom

Review Chapter Nine

Summary Chapter Ten

Born for Freedom“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”

John 8:32-36

Jesus died on the Cross and rose again representing us. In His victory He won great freedom for us!

Freedom from SatanBefore the Cross Satan held every person captive to:•Sin•Judgment•eternal death

Now, through the Cross, we are delivered

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” Colossians 1:13.

Freedom from Past SinsNot only does God forgive our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross•We are set free from the past with its guilt and mistakes

•“...He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” Colossians 2:13-14.

Freedom from the Old Self•The Old Self (the person we were before we received Christ)

– struggled against an inner bias that led us always into sin and selfishness

– We got this sinful nature because of Adam and Eve’s choice to be independent from God

– This old self, in captivity to Satan, was destroying our lives and leading us to eternal judgment

– Then Jesus died in our place to set us free

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” Romans 6:6

Freedom from SicknessThe provision for our physical healing was alsopart of the atonement Christ made for us in His death on the Cross. Most of us experience sickness in some form during our lives

– We need to be aware that God has made provision for healing through prayer

– we can benefit from this

“He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases” Matthew 8:17.

Freedom from JudgmentThis is a wonderful gift from God for the believer

to live without the shadow of future judgment

over his or her life.

“Just as man is destined to die once and after

that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed

once to take away the sins of many people…” Hebrews 9:27 (Romans 6:23).

Perspective

Is there a statement from the list above which you feel is most significant for your life?

Thought Question:Should we say “I will forgive him but I want forget…”

Chapter Nine ReviewThe fifth trumpet: locusts from the bottomless pit (1-12)•John sees a star fallen from heaven •John sees locusts with power like scorpions come out of the smoke and for five months could torment those who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. •John identifies their king as the angel of the bottomless pit whose name means “destruction”. •1st “woe”

The sixth trumpet: the two hundred million army (13-21)•John hears a voice which tells the sixth angel to release four angels who have been bound at the river Euphrates.•John hears the number of an army of two hundred million horsemen. •2nd “woe”

Despite these two “woes”, the rest of mankind did not repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, sexual immoralities and thefts (13-21).

Chapter Ten Objectives

• To examine the first vision in the interlude between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets

• To offer an explanation concerning the significance of this vision

Interlude Between Sixth and Seventh Trumpets

Chapter 7 – There was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals which had two visions designed to comfort the saints

Similarly we find an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets with three visions that would have similar effect.

First Vision in the Second Interlude

John describes a mighty angel coming down from heaven– Stands with his right foot on the sea – Stands with his left on the land – There is a little book in the angel's hand

When this angel cried out with a lion-like voice– Seven thunders uttered their voices

– But a voice from heaven forbids John to write the things which the

thunders uttered.

At this point the mighty angel swears by God – That there will no longer be a delay

– When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet – the mystery of God will be finished

First Vision in the Second Interlude

Then the voice from heaven tells John– Take the book from the angel– The angel tells him to eat the book

• with a warning that while it will be sweet as honey in his mouth, it will make his stomach bitter.

– When John eats the book, he is told that he must again prophesy about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings (8-11).

The Little BookThe significance of eating the little book — understand its contents so entirely it becomes part of you

— can pass on them the more vividly to others.

Finding the roll, sweet to the taste at first— John was doing the Lord’s will— John regarded God’s will as always agreeable

— however bitter might be the message of judgment to be announced

Why the bitter stomach — parallel to Eze_2:10, “There was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.”

— Eze 2:9 Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it.

— Eze 2:10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe.

Review Questions for Chapter Ten

1) What are the main points of this chapter?

2) How does John describe the mighty angel which comes down from heaven? (1-2)

3) When the angel cried out, what happened? (3)

- The mighty angel with the little book (1-7)- John eats the little book (8-11)

- Clothed with a cloud- A rainbow on his head- His face like the sun- His feet like pillars of fire- A little book in his hand- His right foot on the sea, his left foot on the land- Who cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars

- Seven thunders uttered their voices

Review Questions for Chapter Ten

4) What did John start to do? What was he told? (4)

5) What did the mighty angel swear by God? (5-7)

6) What is John then told to do? (8)

- To write what he heard- To seal up and not write what the seven thunders uttered

- That there should be delay no longer- That in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be finished, just as God declared to His servants the prophets

- To take the book from the mighty angel

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER TEN

7) What is he told to do with the book? What did he do with the book? (9-10)

8) What was he then told? (11)

- To eat the book- He ate the book, which was sweet as honey in his mouth, but made his stomach bitter

•- He must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings