Missions in Revelation

One Week Version

Objective: For students to walk away understanding the goal of missions

  • Kickoff: What is a story of a time when you were unprepared for something that happened?

  • Read Revelation 1:4-8. Take turns listing all of the descriptions of Jesus you can find in these verses.

  • Read Revelation 5:9-10,13. What does it mean to be ransomed by Christ’s blood?

  • Read Revelation 6:14-17

    • What will the people of every tribe, language, people, and nation need to know to be ransomed by Christ and survive his wrath?

    • The definition of nation in this verse is a people group that shares heritage and culture. There are more than 7000 people groups among whom there is “no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize their own people” (Ed Dayton; see http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/what-is-a-people-group) and 4400 languages without Scripture portions available. What needs to happen for people from every tribe, language, people, and nation to have access to the gospel and know how to respond accordingly?

  • Read Revelation 7:9-10. What is true worship? See Matt 15:7-9 and John 4:23-24.

  • Revelation 11:15-19. What hope is there for the nations?

  • Read Revelation 16:4-11. There will be people from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshipping God on the new earth and yet when God strikes the earth with the last of his wrath and destroys the old earth for good, there will still be people who refuse to repent. What does this reveal about the goal of missions?

  • Read Revelation 21:22-27.

    • What glory could the nations bring that one nation alone could not?

    • How can you help get the gospel to the nations overseas or to internationals on your campus so that they can worship and glorify God in ways that are unique to their culture?

Six Week Version

Week 1

Objective: For students to gain a sense of urgency for sharing the gospel with unbelievers

  • Have students read the following chapters before discussion: Revelation 1-3

  • Group discussion:

    • Kickoff: What is a story of a time when you were unprepared for something that happened?

    • Read Revelation 1:4-8. Take turns listing all of the descriptions of Jesus you can find in these verses.

    • How are believers described?

    • Read Heb 5:1,4; 1 Peter 2:5,9-12. What are the roles of priests and what does it mean for believers to be priests to God in the present age?

    • How will all the tribes of the earth react and why might they react that way?

    • How can you help to prepare unbelievers for Christ’s return? Make specific goals for the week.

Week 2

Objective: For students to understand the importance of sharing the gospel with internationals and taking the gospel to the unreached nations overseas

  • Read before discussion: Revelation 4-6

  • Group Discussion:

    • Kickoff: What is a time that you experienced consequences from not having the right information?

    • Read Revelation 5:9-10,13. What does this passage reveal about Christ?

    • What does it reveal about God’s plans?

    • What does it mean to be ransomed by Christ’s blood?

    • Read Rev 6:14-17. Take turns listing descriptions given of the people who try to hide from God’s wrath.

    • What will the people of every tribe, language, people, and nation need to know to be ransomed by Christ and survive his wrath?

    • The definition of nation in this verse is a people group that shares heritage and culture. There are more than 7000 people groups among whom there is “no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize their own people” (Ed Dayton; see http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/what-is-a-people-group) and 4400 languages without Scripture portions available. What needs to happen for people from every tribe, language, people, and nation to have access to the gospel and know how to respond accordingly?

    • Are there internationals on your campus or in your community who may not have heard the gospel? How can you take the gospel to them?

Week 3

Objective: For students to see the need for people to have access to God’s Word in their heart language

  • Read: Revelation 7-10

  • Group Discussion:

    • Kickoff: When was a time when you experienced awkwardness because you did not understand some else’s language?

    • Read Revelation 7:9-10. How is the worshipping multitude described in these verses?

    • Read Matt 15:7-9; and John 4:23-24. What is true worship?

    • What information will the nations need in order for people from every nation to be able to worship Christ from the heart?

    • How is access to the Scriptures in one’s heart language crucial for producing true worship?

    • How can you help someone from another nation to have access to God’s Word in their heart language?

Week 4

Objective: For students to understand the importance of modeling God’s character

  • Read: Revelation 11-14

  • Group Discussion:

    • Kickoff: What are nicknames others have given you? How do they represent or not represent you?

    • Read Revelation 11:15-19. What are things that this passage says will happen after the seventh angel blows his trumpet?

    • What hope is there for the nations?

    • What is “the name of the Lord”? See Exodus 34:5-7

    • What does it mean to fear the name of the Lord?

    • How can you represent the name of God for someone from another culture who does not know or accept Christ’s love this week?

Week 5

Objective: For students to understand that the goal of missions is not to win every soul and it is only God that can change a person’s heart

  • Read: Revelation 15-18

  • Group Discussion:

    • Kickoff: What is a time when you were a child that you got in trouble for doing something that you now recognize as a foolish decision?

    • Read Revelation 16:4-11. What justifications for God’s judgements does the angel mention in verses 5-7?

    • How do people respond to the plagues?

    • There will be people from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshipping God on the new earth and yet when God strikes the earth with the last of his wrath and destroys the old earth for good, there will still be people who refuse to repent. What does this reveal about the goal of missions?

    • How are people’s hearts led to repentance?

    • For whom can you pray for repentance? Make specific goals to pray for the lost regularly starting this week.

Week 6

Objective: For students to get excited about making disciples of all nations so that all nations can be represented in the new world and bring glory to God.

  • Read: Revelation 19-22

  • Group Discussion:

    • Kickoff: Before reading the description of the new earth in Revelation, what did you imagine that heaven would be like?

    • Read Revelation 19:11-16. How is Christ described in this passage?

    • Read Revelation 21:1-7. What do we and those among the nations who endure in faith have to look forward to?

    • Read Revelation 21:22-27. What glory could the nations bring that one nation alone could not?

    • How can you help believers from other cultural backgrounds to give glory to God in ways that are unique to their culture?