The lesson explores the connection between God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis and the book of Revelation. It discusses how God made promises to Abraham about his descendants being enslaved for 400 years before entering the promised land, which was fulfilled through Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites were given the covenant and law at Sinai, with the goal of becoming a “kingdom of priests” to the world, but they repeatedly broke the covenant by worshipping other gods. This led to prophecies in the Old Testament about a “new covenant” and the coming of the Messiah (Jesus) to establish something new. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies at his first coming by being born of a virgin, sowing the seed of the kingdom, and instituting the new covenant at the Last Supper. The lesson connects this to the book of Revelation, where God appoints someone like John to reveal the fulfillment of all promises, leading to the coming down of the New Jerusalem. The main points emphasize God’s pattern of prophecy and fulfillment, the importance of key chapters/themes, and being obedient like Abraham to receive God’s promises in the end times described in Revelation.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

Our Hope: To learn from Abraham’s example and believe and have action according to the promise of out Time, Revelation!

 

 

 

Intermediate: God’s Covenant, Abraham and Revelation

 

 

Who here knew that Abraham was intimately tied with the book of Revelation? I hope so. Well, we’ll definitely understand the link between the two today and comprehend that the promises made during Abraham’s time are living and active even today.

Now, intermediate goes by two names. You can also call it Bible logic. So you might see the instructor Rob or me use this term. They both mean the same concept.

Instead of doing this equals this, right? That period was for understanding the parables. We’ve moved on now.

We’ll have main reference chapters. And one of the best ways, in my opinion, to gain a working understanding and knowledge of the Bible is to remember the themes of chapters. So when you encounter a chapter, you can recall its theme.

For example, when I think of Matthew 4, two things come to mind: Jesus’ temptation in the desert and the beginning of his ministry. If I want to discuss Jesus’ temptation or the start of his ministry, I refer people to Matthew 4. I might not remember the exact verse, but I’ll get to Matthew 4 first and then find the relevant verse, saying, “Oh yeah, it’s this verse right here.” Because I remember Matthew 4 means those two things, I can use that to help me understand and navigate the Bible.

As we go through the Bible logic period, the intermediate period of the course, we’ll really be focusing on chapters. They’re going to be very important. So the important chapters for us today are Genesis 15. When you see Genesis 15, think “God’s promise to Abraham.” And then Exodus 12. When you see Exodus 12, think “the escape from Egypt, the instructions God gave the people to escape.”

When you look at John 19, that’s Jesus’ crucifixion, but particularly the focus is on verse 30, which is “it is finished.” And Revelation 21:6. Revelation 21, you should think “heaven in the spiritual world joins with heaven in the physical world. They become one.” And in verse 6, it says “it is done.”

Are we understanding the importance of the chapters? Each lesson will have main reference chapters, and remember the theme of each chapter.

Our hope is to learn from Abraham’s example, believe, and have action according to the promise of our time, which is Revelation.

Introduction

Who wrote the book of Genesis, and when? It was Moses.

When did Moses write the book of Genesis?
The book of Genesis details events that happened up to 6,000 years ago, but it was not recorded 6,000 years ago.
When did Moses write the book of Genesis and all the rest of the five books up to Deuteronomy?

To understand this, it helps to know how much time took place between Moses and Jesus. Approximately 1,500 years passed between them, which means to us, the book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy were recorded approximately 3,500 years ago.

It’s amazing how words that are 3,500 years old can still be pertinent today. That’s how God works. His word is always living and active. Every single letter in the Bible is living and active. Particularly, we’re going to focus on Abraham. Abraham was the 10th descendant or the 10th generation descendant of Noah.

We have Adam, and from Adam to Noah was nine generations, and then from Noah to Abraham was 10 generations. Noah was the 9th, and Abraham was the 10th generation. Many people were between Adam and Abraham. Does anyone know how long the period was between Adam and Abraham?

It’s a period of time that we can relate to because it’s how long it was between us and our Lord and Savior, which is 2,000 years. Between Adam and Abraham was a period of 2,000 years, a long time. It’s important to understand how much time passes between those that God is using and why that’s important.

Now, from Abraham to Moses was a period of four generations. Moses was the fourth generation descendant of Jacob. We had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, and then three more generations, we get Moses. You can read about this in Exodus chapters 1 and 2.

Hopefully, that introduction helps us understand a little bit more. One more important question: Moses was not around to read or see the events of Adam and Eve, was he? He wasn’t around to see the events of Abraham, was he? No, he wasn’t around to see any of the book of Genesis, which spans 2,500 years. So how could he write it in such great detail?

How did he do it?

Through God’s spirit. That’s the answer.

Who was thinking about that but was too scared to say it?
Say it next time. Right, because God showed him the events of Genesis. That’s the only way he could have recorded it in such great detail.

Main Content

We will once again explore the connection between Abraham and the book of Revelation, focusing primarily on Abraham in the first half. However, let us first comprehend the rationale behind God’s modus operandi. Recall when I inquired about any verses that illustrate God’s pattern of prophecy and fulfilment? Isaiah 14:24 is one of the excellent verses you can keep in mind for future reference.

 

 

Undoubtedly, as God has sworn, so it shall be. As He has meticulously planned, it will unfold precisely. Surely, as He has promised or purposed, it shall stand firm. This affirms that God fulfills His promises unwavering.

He keeps them, always, without fail. He has never broken a promise, and He never will, a testament to His absolute commitment of 100%.

But what about us? Let us strive to keep our promises, just as God does. So, what promise are we going to understand today?

We shall first delve into the promise that God made to Abraham.

 

 

God promised Abraham that he would have numerous descendants, even though Abraham was childless and old, along with his wife. God said, “You will have as many descendants as the stars in the sky and the sands on the shore.” This was an immense number, too vast to count.

Additionally, God foretold that those very descendants would be enslaved in a land not their own for 400 years. This prophecy was fulfilled through the family drama that unfolded from Abraham to Jacob and his family entering Egypt. The events included Isaac’s birth and Ishmael’s dislike for him, Jacob taking the birthright from Esau and working years to marry the wife he wanted, having 12 sons, and one son (Joseph) having dreams that angered his brothers, leading to his enslavement in Egypt. Eventually, Jacob’s family settled in Egypt. The series of events, better than a TV show, paved the way for the fulfillment of God’s prophecy.

Notably, God did not reveal the specific land where they would be strangers or the great possessions they would acquire upon leaving. When God makes a promise, He provides enough information for faith but does not always divulge all the details about how it will unfold. 

Similarly, in our time, we should not demand that the Bible explicitly mentions everything. The Old Testament did not mention Jesus by name, but it provided sufficient clues to recognize Him as the promised one. Likewise, we have enough evidence to understand that Egypt was the “strange land” God referred to.

Jacob’s descendants, the 12 tribes, grew numerous in Egypt. However, a new Pharaoh perceived them as a threat due to their increasing population and decided to enslave them. Thus, they were enslaved for approximately 400 years, fulfilling God’s prophecy.

We know that God is not done with these people, for he made a promise that he is going to keep. So he comes to Moses and tells him, “Through you, I am going to let my people go. I’m going to free them from the captivity that I had promised would happen to their forefather Abraham.”

When God does so, he will give Moses specific instructions on what to do with the people and provide his covenant for them to live by and follow. God is speaking to Moses in this way because he is thinking, “I have to keep my promise to Abraham, your forefather.”

Moses understands these things, as he is the one God tasked to record the events from Genesis to Deuteronomy. He did this while on Mount Sinai, spending time with God, so much time that the people forgot or were worried if he’d ever come back down, leading to the events of Genesis 32.

Moses spent a lot of time with God and received the law and the covenant, fulfilling the promises made. Abraham did not know many things about what God was going to do with him. But when God said “go,” Abraham did not hesitate; he went instead.

Some of us might relate to this a little. We know that we’re supposed to flee to Mount Zion, but we don’t know exactly where it is or how to do this thing. Let’s be like Abraham because he went and allowed God to guide him. Though his path seemed a little troubled, he ended up in the destination God wanted him to be in, and so did his descendants. Let’s go to the book of Romans.

 

 

Moses was fully convinced that God possessed the power to fulfill all His promises. This belief stemmed from the fact that God had granted a son to Abraham and Sarah, despite their advanced age being well past the typical childbearing years. 

Furthermore, when God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son, but then provided a ram instead, it reinforced Abraham’s unwavering faith in God’s word. When God made a promise to Abraham, he wholeheartedly believed in that promise and acted upon it without hesitation, demonstrating his true conviction in the divine assurances.

 

 

He obeyed, even though he didn’t know where he was going. Class,

Let’s be like Abraham, because oftentimes God tells us to go. And then we find out later where he wanted us to go. But he’s charting and guiding our path the whole way along.

Not leaving us out. In nowhere. Just got to be like, what’s going on?

Okay. What do we do now? But guiding us in that way.

So let’s be those who are obedient. 

1. God’s Covenant

We’ll ask a few important questions here.

 

ONE – Why was there a covenant in every era?

What does the covenant signify? Why is it important?

The covenant signifies recreation, but not in a physical sense. God has already created the physical world once. When we say recreation, we are referring to the recreation of the heart. It signifies God starting anew with a new people, working through them and recreating their hearts.

When the previous group’s hearts go dark, God establishes new hearts in people and works through them. This is the essence of recreation.

1. We see an example of this in Genesis chapters 2 and 3, where God established a covenant with Adam.

In Genesis 2:17, it states, “You may eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

This is a covenant, possessing all the characteristics of a covenant:

1. The subjects are God, Adam, and by proxy, Eve.
2. The content is: Eat from these trees, but do not eat from that tree.
3. It was established when God spoke to Adam.
4. It was meant to be kept forever.
5. The consequences were: If you do not eat from the forbidden tree, you will live forever and rule over the garden. If you break the covenant, the consequence is death.

This confirms the existence of a covenant, as mentioned in Hosea 6:7, which we’ll discuss later. So, God established a covenant with Adam, but unfortunately, Adam did not keep that covenant.

And what happened then?

2. Adam’s descendants immediately descended into sin, and sin escalated rapidly. 

As sin increased, there was an inverse relationship with lifespans – they decreased. Adam and his descendants lived for several hundred years, with Adam living up to 930 years and Methuselah, the longest-lived person, living for 969 years. However, no one lives anywhere near that long now.

In Genesis 6:3,5-7, God imposed a life limit on humanity, stating that their days would be up to 120 years. Methuselah’s lifespan of 969 years was the longest. What happened? God’s spirit left because He was grieved and filled with pain.

Sometimes we question why God allows certain things if He knows the consequences. However, we neglect to consider that God has feelings and a heart. God does not want to compel love or worship because true love cannot stem from coercion. True love is chosen freely.

The angels, elders, and spirits of heaven bow down to God not because they are robots but because they choose to, recognizing that God is worth it. This is what God desires for us as well.

To allow us to choose Him, a being we cannot see with our naked eyes, God has to work through people we can see and hear. However, this means those people must speak, and we must listen. Some may not listen, but choice is crucial for true love to exist.

God is hurt when people decide not to choose Him because He knows the alternative and tries to help people understand it.

Satan, however, is extremely skilled at leading people away from God. Let us be among those who choose God.

 

TWO – God’s Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 16:13-21)

1. The prophecy given to Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 15, represents the fulfilment of God’s promise that his descendants would be strangers and slaves in a land not their own.

2. Despite being enslaved for 400 years, the parable foretells that they would eventually flee from that land of Egypt and enter the promised land of Canaan with great possessions, after the appointed time had elapsed.

THREE – Fulfill Through Moses (Exodus 12:12-14)

This represents a prophecy, a promise that God made to Abraham. For the fulfilment of this promise, the word of God had to come true through Moses, who came in a later time and era after Abraham.

 

 

God instructed the Israelites regarding the 10th plague in Egypt. On that same night, God said, “I will pass over or pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn, both men and animals. I will bring judgment on the gods of Egypt.”

God declared, “I am the Lord. But how do people escape this? The blood will be given, will be a sign for you, and on the houses where you are, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destruction plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Verse 14) “This is a day you are to commemorate for the generations to come. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord, a lasting ordinance.”

We’re reading about the event of Passover. God’s people, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt. To deliver His people from Egypt, God gave them specific instructions: Eat the flesh and blood of the lamb, and put its blood on your door frames and posts. This was to protect them from the 10th plague, the angel of death passing over.

When the people obeyed God’s command, the angel of death passed over their houses, and they were saved, leaving Egypt. They passed over or crossed over from death to life – their salvation at that time. They followed the one God appointed to lead them during this era.

The Israelites experienced salvation from Egypt but still had to travel through the desert to reach the promised land of Canaan (present-day Israel). This process was not easy, but it was a necessary journey they had to take. Our journey is similar – trapped in one location but needing to come out, not knowing exactly where to go or how to do it, but understanding the importance of doing so.

Unfortunately, the covenant established here was not perfectly kept, although it started with the best of intentions.

FOUR –  Covenant (10 Commandments) with the People of Israel

1. – Kingdom of Priests 

 

 

Exodus 19:5-6 is a chapter that we will read often. It’s so important because it actually details what God’s ultimate will has always been since the fall of Adam. 

What has God desired? To return. But how was God going to return? Who was he going to return to? In that passage, we see what he desires – a kingdom of priests. Keep that in mind and store it in your long-term memory banks, for it is critically important – a kingdom of priests, a holy people, a treasured possession. 

However, this is only true if they obey, as it is conditional. Meaning, if you obey, you will receive these blessings. If you do not obey, you will not receive these blessings. God’s word is always fulfilled, even the unpleasant parts. God keeps all of his promises, both the blessings and the curses.

If you’re thinking, “I’d like to read about these curses,” and you should, go to Deuteronomy 28 and read the whole chapter, all 60 plus verses. It’s a lot, but you’ll see how God blesses and how he curses, and he means it. Those words will be fulfilled if the conditions of the covenant aren’t met. And they were not met.

So, it’s very important. And the people, of course, accept this covenant with God. They say, “Amen, we will obey everything that you have said, for you have delivered us from Egypt. And we want to get to the promise that you made to our forefather Abraham.”

The most important part of the promise, which started with the Ten Commandments, is in the next chapter.

2. – 1st of 10, No other gods!

 

 

At first glance, it may seem simple, but adhering to the first of the Ten Commandments proved to be more challenging than the people realized. It was an immense struggle.

The first and most important commandment is to have no other gods before God. Worship no other gods before Him.

However, we know that the Israelites grappled with this commandment, and their disobedience manifested swiftly. They broke this commandment right away, as evidenced by the golden calf incident in Exodus 32, which occurred shortly after receiving the commandments.

3. – Betrayal of Solomon

Throughout their time period, the Israelites continued to struggle with keeping the covenant. The biggest betrayal in breaking up this covenant came with Solomon in 1 Kings 11. Solomon was made weak by his many ties to the world. He had many wives, and eventually, they pulled his heart away from God. He brought in false idols, not outside of Egypt or Israel, but inside Israel itself. Solomon built temples to these detestable gods, and God was extremely unhappy.

As a consequence, God told Solomon, “Because you have done this, I’m going to tear the kingdom away from the hands of your son. I will leave you one tribe, but the others I’m taking away.” This led to the division of the kingdom into 11 tribes in the north and one in the south. Subsequently, Assyria and Babylon took over Israel.

The covenant was broken, marking the end of the period of the kings and the beginning of the period of the prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These men were writing during the time when the people were in Babylon after having been destroyed because of their betrayal. The prophets wrote the prophecies of the Old Testament during this period, as God testified about what he would do anew because the people, who were supposed to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, had left that position.

Remember, God needs people to speak because he wants every single person to choose him. God’s ultimate desire for the physical Israelites was for them to choose him and then preach his word to everybody. They were meant to go out to the rest of the world and teach others how to follow God too, so that the corrupted world could be healed, and God could return. That was always his desire. Unfortunately, the people did not fulfill that job, so God said, “Okay, time to start anew.”

 

2. The Creation of a New Thing

ONE – Old Testament Prophecy

You might be wondering, “What’s that?” We touched upon it briefly in the previous lesson, but today, we’re going to delve deeper into it.

We’re going to explore the crucially important chapter. This chapter holds immense significance. Recall our discussion about chapter themes, right?

When you think of Jeremiah 31, what should come to mind? You should be thinking, “This is about me.”

1. Creation of a New Thing

 

 

This is an important prophecy.
So, what did God say? How long will you wander? Remember, Jeremiah was writing during the time of captivity of the Israelites.

God said, “How long will you wander, oh unfaithful daughter Israel?” And then He declared, “I will create a new thing.”

He also said, expressed differently in various versions, “A woman will return to or surround a man.” Typically, men are physically larger than women.
So, what does it mean for a woman to surround a man? When is it possible for a woman to fully surround a man?
When she’s pregnant. Ah, now it’s clear who this passage is referring to.

This passage is talking about Jesus and Mary. “A woman will surround a man.”
This should tell us right away that Jesus is involved in the new thing that God is doing. In fact, Jesus starts it.

“A woman will surround a man.” So, remember Isaiah 7:14 and Jeremiah 31:22, which point to the promise of Jesus’s birth.

Keep in mind that this “new thing” is important, and it starts with Jesus. But that’s not the only important promise in Jeremiah 31.

2. Sowing 2 kinds of seed

 

 

We have the promise of one being born, and there will be the creation of a new thing. We also have the promise of the sowing of two types of seed, man and animals. We should be thinking, “Oh, hold on a second. Didn’t Jesus sow the good seed in his field?” So, we are now reading about what Jesus was prophesied to do.

The creation of a new thing is starting to unfold. A man will be born to a woman, and that man will have to sow the seed of man. However, we know that the devil comes and sows the weed of animals or the weed of beasts. So, that prophecy is then fulfilled at the first coming. There is one more significant prophecy that is fulfilled.

 

3. New Covenant

 

 

A time, an era, is coming when God will make a new covenant. The reason for this is that the old covenant has become obsolete.

TWO – New Testament Fulfillment (First Coming)

During the Passover night, Jesus established a new covenant with his disciples, as mentioned in Luke 22:14-20. This event represents the fulfillment of the parable described in Matthew 13:24-30. 

As we are witnessing these events unfold, let us examine how the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled during the time of Jesus’ first coming. It is important to note that generally, the Old Testament points to the era of the first coming, while the New Testament focuses on the time of the second coming.

The events we discussed earlier were fulfilled during the period of Jesus’ first coming.

1. Matthew 1:18-23, Jesus —-> Creation of New Thing

Jesus was born to a virgin, representing the fulfillment of a prophecy and the beginning of a new era. His birth was a figurative parable, signifying the Word made flesh. From the moment he came into the world, Jesus began the work of creating something new.

2. Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43. God’s seed = heaven, devil’s seed = hell

Jesus sowed the good seed. He sowed it in His field. Which field did Jesus establish at the time of His first coming? What else can you call that field?

The field represents the world or a person’s heart. That’s right. The field is the world.

The good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom, and the weed stands for the sons of the evil one. Both were growing in the same place – Jesus’s world, Jesus’s field.

Then, in Luke 22, Jesus established the new covenant, as was prophesied in Jeremiah 31. Let’s look at how that prophecy was fulfilled.

Remember, we’re looking through the lens of the entire Bible, essentially. We’ve gone through the whole Bible. Did you notice that? Did you pick that up? We’re flying through the Bible. So let’s examine how it was concluded.

3. Abraham and Revelation

Why are they connected deeply?

 

ONE – To the Destination, what God has Promised

God made a promise to Abraham and his descendants, giving them the hope of entering the land of Canaan. That was their destined place, the promised land.

However, in our present time, what is revealed in the book of Revelation? What is our hope and destination?

The ultimate dwelling place, the promised land we strive to arrive at, is heaven. That is the hope we are hoping for.

But the establishment of this second coming, this promised land revealed in Revelation, does not happen instantly. There is a process, a series of events that must take place for it to be fulfilled.

Let us now examine that process.

TWO – A Promised Pastor Chosen

 

 

So, just like our papers in school, right? When your English teacher instructed you on the structure for writing papers, what did they tell you about the beginning, middle, and end? For those who studied English, what was the consistent element throughout?

The main subject or topic you’re writing about.

So, you introduce what you’re going to discuss, then discuss it, and finally, summarize what you’ve discussed.

That’s the structure of every paper. But guess what? God did it first.

The first three verses summarize the entire Bible or the book of Revelation. What do they say?

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him. So, God gives Jesus the revelation. And he, meaning Jesus, made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John, who testifies to everything he saw. That is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy. And blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Now, these words are 2,000 years old. So, how much nearer are we now than when these words were written? We’re very near, very close. So, how urgent should our sense of urgency be? Should it be, “Oh, I’ll take a break and do this later?” Or should it be, “Now is the time, no breaks. It’s go time.” Right? It’s go time.

Let’s go. As this is the prophecy of Revelation, it must be fulfilled exactly as recorded. If someone claims to have an explanation of Revelation but doesn’t talk about this, they really don’t know what they’re talking about. And that means they cannot take you to the place promised in the book of Revelation. They won’t know. So, we have to discern these days.

It’s not about comfort or pleasing people. Those things lead to death. But following God’s words leads to life.

So, what is promised here? That God, Jesus, and the angel will appoint someone and give him a critical job to do: Go and testify to the people what you saw and heard. Tell them what you witnessed. Explain it in great detail to them – the who, what, when, where, why, how, and the place where they need to gather.

That is the job we are giving to you. Remember in Revelation 10:8-11, when the angel with the little book in his hand gives it to John and tells him, “Eat it.” And so John has to do this. He has to eat it. And in his mouth, it’s like honey – it’s yummy, delicious. Why is it honey in his mouth? Why is it like honey when he eats the word? Because the word is sweet. Because he’s understanding the words. “Oh my goodness, I understand this. Oh, this makes sense. Oh, wow, this is what Jesus meant when he said this.”

But then it turns sour in his stomach. Why does it turn sour? Because he has to give the word to other people. He has to testify. And he knows it’s not going to be easy. “Oh my goodness, I understand this. And now I realize that no one else does. And every time that’s been the case for someone in the Bible, they’ve really struggled.”

Let me show you an example of someone who struggled in a similar way to John. Let’s go to the book of Ezekiel, really fast detour.

 

 

After witnessing many incredible visions from the kingdom of heaven, God instructed Ezekiel in verse 11, saying, “Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Whether they listen or fail to listen, convey to the people what you have seen.” This directive caused Ezekiel to feel upset in his spirit, as he knew the task would not be easy.

Overwhelmed by the weight of his responsibility, Ezekiel sat for seven days. His job was to testify about what would happen to spiritual Israel first – the chosen people prophesied to fall and go dark at the second coming. Despite the challenges, Ezekiel had to fulfill this duty and share the revelations he had witnessed.

Revelation 6 – Spiritual Israel (Chosen People)

Like in Revelation 6, which of course was promised by Jesus in Matthew 24 that this will take place.

Revelation 14:14-16 – Harvest

He must assist heaven with the work of harvest, as the seed was sown 2000 years ago, and now the harvest is ripe, and the harvest time has come. He needs to help people come out of that location so that the work of recreation can take place.

Revelation 7 – Recreation

The work of recreation, harvest, and sealing people involves putting God’s word of revelation in their hearts and minds. This is done so that when heaven comes down, the people will be gathered and ready.

Revelation 21:1-6 – Holy City New Jerusalem Comes Down to New Hean New Earth

They are ready and waiting for Revelation 21 to take place at that location, the place where heaven is coming down, as promised, right on time, amen.

So, let us understand these things now, right? Hopefully, much of it is just a review, as we have gone through the parables period.

Hopefully, you are beginning to put these pieces together and understanding God’s plan from beginning to end. If there are parts that are fuzzy for you, speak with your evangelist. Pull them aside and say, “Hey, go over this with me again. I want to make sure I understand this because it is go time for me and everybody, and this is very important.”

Memorization

Let’s Us Discern