Sunday School - Middle School Class

The middle school class has just finished a short study on the first part of Judges, and now, per their request, will be studying through the whole book of Revelation. Having gone through this book with my small group last year, I can say that we are all in for a great treat studying this last book of God's Word.

When it comes to studying Revelation, many ask, "What does a book about end times have to do with my life today?" or "How does this book apply to what my child is going through?" It is a good question, but I assure you, Revelation is not only applicable to the church today, but it is necessary (like all of God's Word) for the church to hear and read in a time when the church and the gospel message are misused and abused.

The book of Revelation was written to 2nd-generation Christians during some of the most terrible persecution Christ's people have ever known. It was written by the Apostle John while in exile on the isle of Patmos - a small Greek island off the coast of Turkey. For the 1st century church, it was a breath of encouragement and comfort during a time of severe hardship. For the church, they didn't see this book as a confusing web of secret code, but as a message that helped them sleep better at night and face the deadly world the next day. In a day when pastors had a near 100% martyrdom rate, these words helped them to understand their plight in the face of God's overall plan for the redemption of his people.

How does this apply to today then? Just as the church needed encouragement in the midst of persecution then, it needs it today. Sure, many Americans will never have to face death for their faith, but every day we face a world that isn't right, and we look in the mirror and see people who aren't right. We need all the encouragement we can get. For the student who is wrestling with their beliefs and coming to an understanding of who Christ is outside of the paradigm set up by their parents (which is a good thing) Revelation puts the whole Bible in perspective, with over 250 direct quotations from the Old Testament. It also gives a great picture of what the kingdom of God is, and how Jesus is seeing it redeemed and made new.

We will spend the next quarter and a half studying this book. If you have questions, please ask. I look forward to going through this book with the children and I encourage you to read through it with your families during this time as well.