The Reformed Presbyterian Church   154 City Line Road   Oswego, New York   13126
(315) 343-7112     www.geocities.com/oswego-rpc     OswegoRPC@hotmail.com

Bible Study Series: 1999-2001
The Revelation of Jesus Christ

The Final Judgment of the World (17:1-19:21): Part 1 (17:1-8)            7 February 2001

  I. PREPARATIONS
A. PRAISE & PRAYER (Please pray for the Lord’s Blessing on the Teaching & Preaching! see 2Th.1:11,12; 3:1; Eph.6:19,20; Col.4:2-4)
B. SCHEDULE: 
Prayer on 2/21; 3/14 (change from calendar)
Studies on 2/14; 3/1(Thursday); 3/6 (Tuesday); 3/21&28 (Wednesdays)
C. NOTE: Ephesians 4:12; Hebrews 5:12 (summary: share what you learn)
D. READ: Revelation 17:1-18

 II. THE FINAL JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD: PART 1 (17:1-8)

YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 17, ETC.

THE “WHORIBLE” VISION (17:1-8)

1. Who will show John the upcoming vision? (1)

a. What is the significance of this for the relationship of chps.17-19 to the previous and subsequent sections? (see 17:1; 21:9; 16:1f)

b. How does this relationship reflect the structure of previous sections in the visions?

c. What is the significance of this overall structure of the visions?

2. What is John told that he will be shown? (1,2)

a. What is the significance of the basic description? (1; see 2:20-23; Hos.3:1; see Rom.1:23f; 1Cor.10:7,8; 19-21; with Rev.16:13f)

b. What is the significance of the action of this figure? (1; see 3,9,15; 18:7; see 3:21; Ps.110:1; Heb.1:3,13)

c. What is the significance of the place of this action? (1; see Jer.51:13; see Rev.4:6; 13:1; 15:2; 21:1)

d. What action will John see taken toward this figure? (1; see 15:4; 16:7; see 18:8,10)

3. How is this figure further described? (2)

a. see 18:2,3,9f; 14:8&10; see Jer.51:13; Is.23:17b (Is.23:8; Rev.18:23); Ezk.16:49,1-36 (see Ezk.26-28(Tyre) in Rev.18; see Nah.3:4); see Heb.11:25; 3:13

b. see Is.29:9; Hos.4:11,12

4. Where was John taken? (3a)

a. see Is.21:1,2,9; see Is.13:21; 14:23; Jer.50:12,13; 51:26,29,43; see Ps.107:33f; Rev.16:12

b. see Rev.12:6,14; 15,16

c. Who took him here and why? (3; see 1; see 4:1; Ezk.2:2; 3:12,14,24; 11:1; 43:5

5. What did John finally see? (3b)

a. What is she sitting on? (3b; see 13:1; Dan.7:3-7,20,24)

b. What is significant about his color? (3b; see 12:3; 13:3; 17:4,6; 6:4,9-11)

c. What is significant about how he presented himself? (3b; see 13:1;5,6f; contrast 17:14; 19:16)

d. How is “full” particularly significant in this context? (3b; see 5:8//15:7; 14:10)

6. How was the woman dressed? (4)

a. 4a; see Ex.25:4f; see Dan.5:1f!

b. 4b; see 18:12,16

c. What is the purpose of this attire? (4b; see Jer.4:30; 2:34; Is.1:15-22)

d. What does she hold? (4c; see 16:13; see Rev.14:8,10; Jer.51:7,8)

e. Why does she make the kings & people drink? (4; see 2; see 14:8,10; see Gen.19:32f)

f. see Rev.2:20f&14f

7. What is significant about how she presents herself? (5; see Prov.7:13)

a. see 13:16; 14:9; 20:4 contrast 7:3; 14:1; 22:4

b. How is the significance of the description of the name? (5; see Dan.4:9,30; see Dan.2:18,19; 27-30; 47; see Eph.3:3f)

c. What is the significance of the name? (5; see 14:8; 18:2/10,16,(18),19/21; Dan.4:30; see Is.14:12-14; 2Th.2:4)

d. What is the significance of the further description? (5; contrast Gal.4:26)

8. What condition was the woman herself in? (6a; see 4; see 16:6(Is.49:26); 18:24; 19:2; see 14:8,10; see LXX Is.34:5-7; 49:26; Jer.26:10

9. How did John respond to this vision? (6b; see Dan.4:19,see 5; see 7:15f,28; 8:27; 10:16,17)

a. In view of the parallel with v.8, what may be the purpose of the angels words in v.7?

b. What does that say about John? (see 8b; Mt.24:24; Prov.7:1-27)

c. What is done to help John? (7b; see 8f and 18f; see v.1)

d. What does this say about us? (6b-8; see 2Cor.11:14; 2:11)

10. Compare 17:1-3 and 21:9-11

III. DISCUSSION including suggestions for sermon focus, theme or topic

IV. CLOSING PRAYER

FOR NEXT WEEK: Skim chapters 17-19; Carefully re-read Chapter 17.

INTRODUCTION: THE BOOK OF REVELATION

A. THE BEGINNING OF THE END (Rev.1:1-3 & 22:6; 7,12,20; see Dan.2:28,29,45; 7:13,14; Mk.12:28; 26:64; Heb.1:3f; Rev.12:10)

B. A LETTER TO THE CHURCH (Rev.1:4,20; chps.2,3; see Gen.2:2; 33:3; Lev.4:6; Lk.17:4; see Eph.1:1,etc.)

C. JUSTICE & MERCY (Rev.22:14,15; chps.4-22)

Introduction: justice and mercy from heaven (chps.4,5; eg.8:3f and 21:2)

1. 7 seals (judgment authorized - unrepentant destroyed; chps.6-8a; 144k protected, chp.7)

2. 7 trumpets (judgment announced - unrepentant destroyed; chps.8b-11; 144k victorious, chp.12-15a)

3. 7 bowls (judgment accomplished - unrepentant destroyed; chp.15b,16; end of old, 17:1; chps.17-20; beginning of new, 21:9; chps.21,22)

4. The End (8:5; 11:19; 16:18,21; see 4:5; Ex.19:16-19; Heb.12:18-27; see Ex.7-15 and back of outline)

Summary: three witnesses in a capital case (Rev.6:8; 9:15; 16:3; 20:10-15; see Dt.17:6; 19:15; Heb.10:28)