BIBLE DISCUSSION GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS



BIBLE DISCUSSION GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS

In preparation for Sunday, January 20, 2019 Passage: Revelation 17:1-18

Memory Passage: Revelation 17:14

DAY 1 – ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE

a) Read Revelation 17:1-18. Because “This calls for a mind with wisdom” (v. 9), today we will read several chapters, 4 from past studies and 1 from a future study, in an effort to focus our study of chapter 17. After reading Revelation 17:1-18, you should read Daniel 7-8, Revelation 12-13, and Revelation 21:9-22:5, noting similarities (same imagery, same numbers, same metaphorical meanings, same characters, etc.), comparisons (favorably or unfavorably, similar or opposite), and connections (how specifics of one passage helps inform another, how one passage continues or expands or combines specifics of another, etc.) with chapter 17.

DAY 2 – ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE

a) Read Revelation 17:1-18. What does the identity of the angel (one of the 7 from chap. 16) tell us about what follows?

b) Why is John carried away “into a wilderness?”

c) Explain everything you learn, what the angel says, what John sees, and the metaphorical meaning of what John sees about the prostitute from vs. 1-6 & 16-18. (cf. 14:8; 16:19; 18:2-3, 11-17, and what you remembered/learned yesterday).

d) Why does John “marvel greatly” at the great prostitute? Is he marveling in admiration or disgust, and how do you know?

DAY 3 – ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE

a) Read Revelation 17:1-18. What do you learn about the beast in vs. 3, 8, 11-14, & 16-17? Explain both what the angel says, and the earthly realities to which his explanations point.

b) What do you learn about the 7 heads and 10 horns from vs. 3 & 9-13 and the earthly realities to which they point? Hint: the 7 kings do not refer to specific Roman emperors. Also, note the changing vision/explanation throughout (the prostitute sits on many waters, the beast, and 7 mountains; the 7 heads are also mountains and kings; the beast has 7 horns, which are kings, but also is an 8th king that flows from the 7!). This helps us not get overwhelmed by the specifics of every part of the vision (which are important but not ultimate), but clearly see the theological truths applicable to believers of every age.

DAY 4 – ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE

a) Read Revelation 17:1-18. The 10 horns subject their power and authority to the beast (v. 13) and then together they attack which two groups? What is the result of each of these attacks?

b) Explain who is in ultimate and complete control over this entire situation (v. 17) and why this is important to the 7 churches in Asia Minor? Why is it important to you, and every believer who has ever lived or ever will live on this earth?

c) Meditate on this juxtaposition of human freedom and divine sovereignty. How do they work together to carry our God’s will? Are men “robots” with no will of their own? Is God dependent upon men to “choose” what he intends to accomplish? How are their actions dictated by their unredeemed status? Do the nations rage against God willingly or because God has ordained it to be so, or both? These are but a few of the questions you should ask and answer as you consider this conundrum.

DAY 5 – ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE

a) Read Revelation 17:1-18. Who is Babylon in John’s day? Who is Babylon in our day? Who are the kings of the earth in John’s day? Who are the kings of the earth in our day?

b) How does Babylon exercise her power over the “earth dwellers,” making them drink her wine of idolatry in 2019? In what ways is it evident that she is “drunk with the blood of the saints” in 2019? You should have a long list of answers!

c) From Greg Beale’s Revelation: A Shorter Commentary (pp. 362-3): In what ways can modern-day institutions of the world that are evil appear good and admirable in the eyes of Christians? In what ways are believers tempted to compromise with these institutions? How can Christians increase their awareness of what institutions around them are evil and so protect themselves from being deceived and consequently compromising in some way?

DATE: January 20, 2019 PASSAGE: Revelation 17:1-18

This Calls for a Mind with Wisdom

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