For most of us who are Bible readers, our approach to the book of Revelation falls into one of two extremes: either we ignore it, or we get so embroiled in it we get sucked into conspiracy theories, controversy, or just plain confusion. But, Revelation is the grand finale of our Bibles for a reason, and even those of us tempted to ignore it should sit up and take notice. In Revelation we find the final answer to the problem that occupies the other 65 books of the Bible:
- Jesus will once and for all heal the wounds of sin;
- Jesus will reign for a thousand years on earth;
- God will re-create the world into his original design, and it is there we will live with him forever.
So, how do we handle Revelation? What do we do with all the judgment and apocalyptic horror? How can we arrive at the place of hope that it promises? Here are the top six Bible studies on the book of Revelation and our hope in heaven. The authors expertly handle our common misconceptions about where we will spend eternity and what it will be like; we discover some real facts and realities about the afterlife, some of which may surprise you; and we learn why this all matters—it actually is a life and death matter!
Check out Study Gateway’s entire collection of Bible studies on what we believe and why
Top 6 Bible Studies on Revelation and the Hope of Heaven
Beautiful Word Revelation, a 6-week Bible study by Margaret Feinberg
Common misconception: The book of Revelation is all about the Antichrist and the Apocalypse—scary things that we can’t ever really understand and are probably better to ignore.
Reality: The main point of Revelation is to unveil Jesus in his majesty and glory as he emerges the Sovereign King of history and eternity.
Why it matters: Revelation is a survival guide for the suffering, a book of promises for the persecuted, a banner of hope for the beaten down. In it we learn that even when it feels like all hell is breaking loose, heaven is still crashing in.
All Things New, a 5-week Bible study by John Eldredge
Common misconception: After we die, believers will live forever with God in heaven. And P.S.—heaven is boring.
Reality: The Bible explains that Jesus remains in heaven until his return. When the time comes for God to restore everything, Jesus leaves heaven and comes to earth, where all things are made new. Heaven is the temporary dwelling place for God and his people who have already died; the new earth is the eternal home we occupy after the resurrection.
Why it matters: There’s no need to have bucket lists of things we want to do before we die, because we’re not leaving the earth—we’re being given a new and better earth! Our new earth’s adventures will far exceed this life’s. We get heaven and earth; both realms of God’s great kingdom come together at the renewal of all things.
The Case for Heaven [and Hell], a 5-week Bible study by Lee Strobel
Common misconception: Because we don’t know what happens after death, it’s most likely that we simply cease to exist. In that case, we can attain immortality by being remembered for what we achieved, or by cheating death and figuring out how to live longer.
Reality: There is a preponderance of evidence that both heaven and hell exist.
Why it matters: We don’t have to fear death; rather, we can prepare for the afterlife and look forward to it with hope. And, we should be burdened to share the evidence for our hope with everyone who is laboring under misconceptions about heaven and hell.
The Story of Heaven, a 3-week Bible study by Max Lucado & Randy Frazee
Common experience: Even if you believe in heaven, when a loved one dies, you are left with the empty feeling that they’re gone and your relationship with them is over.
Reality: God’s promise of eternal life with him is powerfully true.
Why it matters: God doesn’t want us to believe his Word as just the right answer, but as a way of life. The culmination of God’s marvelous story is this: God will be with his people again—forever. This life is really a time to practice for heaven, so we must practice staying close to God, having a dynamic friendship with him, and enjoying our loved ones, because we will be spending eternity together.
Surprised by Hope, a 6-week Bible study by N. T. Wright
Common misconception: The hope we need in the midst of the troubles of our present world is the hope that we’ll be resurrected and go to heaven.
Reality: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” means that God wants heavenly hope to come to the earth. Our hope is not to be put on hold until we are resurrected; rather, it began here on earth when Jesus was resurrected.
Why it matters: The church should be defined as people of hope—people who gather together to share hope by bringing God’s presence and compassion to our present world.
Bright Hope for Tomorrow, a 14-week Bible study by Chris Davis
Common misconception: Because we can’t know when Jesus will return, and so many past predictions have not come true, we should not devote energy to Jesus’ return.
Reality: Throughout Scripture, we are called to a real hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing.
Why it matters: Our posture towards the day of the Lord should be to “hope fully” (1 Peter 1:13), which is the kind of hope that transforms how we live. People who hope fully will purify their priorities, devote themselves to service, and persevere in faith.
“We don’t know what tomorrow’s headlines will bring, nor can we anticipate what will befall us today or tomorrow. But one reality overrides everything else — Jesus is alive, so we needn’t fear. When He rose from the dead, He overcame every challenge, overthrew every enemy, and overturned every affliction. He stripped away any reason for sleepless nights or fretful days. He set the stage for the righteous consummation of all His intentions and paved the way for the new heaven and new earth. He fills us with hope for the coming days — for both time and eternity.” Robert J. Morgan
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RELATED ARTICLES:
Unveiling the Unknown, by Margaret Feinberg [Source: ChurchSource]
Is Heaven Our Eternal Home? By John Eldredge [Source: ChurchSource]
The Bible’s Last Words on Earth’s Final Days, by Robert J. Morgan [Source: FaithGateway]
What Makes Heaven Heavenly, by Max Lucado [Source: FaithGateway]
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