Lesson 159: Revelation 20
Introduction
John
saw in vision the events that will happen immediately before and during Jesus
Christ’s millennial reign. He also witnessed the final battle
between Satan and the forces of God at the end of the Millennium and saw the
Final Judgment, during which God will judge everyone out of the books that have
been written.
I.
Revelation 20:1–6
John
sees in vision what will happen immediately before and during Jesus Christ’s
millennial reign
---Ask
students to think of a contest or competition (such as an artistic or athletic
event) that they participated in even though they believed they would lose.
Then ask them to think of a time they participated in a contest or competition
they believed they would win.
- How might your expectations about the outcome of a contest or competition change the way that you perform in it?
- Why might people give up when they think they are going to lose? When is a time that you thought you were going to lose and actually won?
---Explain
to students that as they study Revelation 20 they will learn more about the
battle between good and evil and the final outcome of the battle. Invite them
to look for truths as they study Revelation 20 that can motivate them to stay
faithful to the Savior during this battle.
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 20:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what will happen to Satan during the Millennium.
- What will happen to Satan during the Millennium? (Explain that the bottomless pit represents hell.)
- According to verse 3, what will Satan be unable to do because he is bound?
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 20:4–6 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for whom John saw being judged.
- According to verse 4, whom did John see being judged?
- What reward did these people receive because of their faithfulness?
- What will they have part in during the Millennium? (The First Resurrection.)
- What principle can we learn from Revelation 20:4–6 about the blessings we can receive if we are faithful to Jesus Christ? (Students may use different words but should identify a principle similar to the following: If we are faithful to Jesus Christ, we will have part in the First Resurrection and reign with Christ during the Millennium.)
---Explain
that the First Resurrection began with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and
included the righteous who died before Christ’s Resurrection (see Mosiah 15:21–25; Alma 11:16–20). The majority of the righteous who
died after the Resurrection of Christ will be resurrected in connection with
the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (see James E. Talmage, The Articles of
Faith, 12th ed. [1924], 385). The wicked and unrepentant will not be
resurrected until the Second Resurrection, which will occur at the end of the
Millennium (see D&C 76:85).
- How can knowing that you can have part in the First Resurrection and reign with Jesus Christ during the Millennium help you to be faithful now in the battle against evil?
---Testify
that those who remain faithful will be a part of the First Resurrection and
reign with the Savior during the Millennium.
II.
Revelation 20:7–11 John sees the final battle between Satan and the forces of
God at the end of the Millennium
---Write
the following incomplete statement on the board: At the end of the
Millennium …
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 20:7–10 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for events John described that will occur at the end of the
Millennium.
- What events did John describe? (Explain that the names Gog and Magog in verse 8 refer to the forces Satan will use at the end of the Millennium to battle one last time against the Lord’s people [see D&C 88:110–14].)
- After this battle, what will happen to the devil and his followers? (After students respond, complete the statement on the board so that it reads as follows: At the end of the Millennium, the forces of God will defeat Satan and his followers.)
- Why is it important that we understand the final outcome of the battle between God and Satan?
III.
Revelation 20:12–15 John sees the Final Judgment
---Explain
that as part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, every person who has lived
on this earth will stand before God to be judged. Ask students to imagine what
they think the Final Judgment will be like.
- What do you hope to think and feel when you stand before God to be judged?
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 20:12–13 aloud. Ask the class to
follow along, looking for how we will be judged by God.
Revelation 20:12 is a scripture mastery passage.
Studying scripture mastery passages will help students increase their
understanding of basic doctrines and be prepared to teach them to others. You
may want to suggest that students mark scripture mastery passages in a
distinctive way so they will be able to locate them easily. Refer to the
teaching idea at the end of the lesson to help students with their mastery of
this passage.- What truth can we learn from verse 12 about how we will be judged? (Students may use different words but should identify the following truth: God will judge us out of the books that have been written according to our works.)
- What books did John see? (The scriptures, Church records that record the saving ordinances and perhaps other actions, and the book of life [see 2 Nephi 29:10–11; D&C 128:6–7].)
---Invite
a student to read aloud the following explanation of the book of life:
“In one sense the book of life is
the sum total of one’s thoughts and actions—the record of his life. However,
the scriptures indicate that a heavenly record is kept of the faithful, whose
names are recorded, as well as an account of their righteous deeds (D&C 88:2; 128:7)” (Bible
Dictionary, “Book of life”).
---Point
out that the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph
Smith that in addition to our works, we will be judged according to
the desires of our hearts (see D&C 137:9; see also Alma 41:3–5).
- According to Revelation 20:13, what will happen before we are judged? (If necessary, explain that “the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them” refers to the Resurrection of all people.)
- What might be the significance of us being resurrected before we stand before God to be judged?
---Testify
that each of us will stand before God to be judged and that our actions now
will determine what that experience will be like for us. Read the following
question aloud, and invite students to respond to it in their class notebooks
or scripture study journals:
- What can you do better in your life to prepare to be judged by the Lord?
Scripture Mastery—Revelation 20:12
Consider
inviting students to use scripture-study tools such as scripture footnotes, the
Guide to the Scriptures (available on scriptures.lds.org), and the Topical
Guide to locate additional scriptures that teach about the Final Judgment.
Students could write these additional scripture references in their scriptures
near Revelation 20:12. Invite students to report to
the class additional truths about the Final Judgment that they learn through
this activity.
Commentary and Background Information
Revelation
20:2–3. Satan will be bound
Concerning
Satan’s binding, President Joseph F. Smith stated:
“[Satan]
will be bound both by the faith of the righteous and the decrees of the
Almighty during the Millennial reign and will be cast down into hell” (From
Prophet to Son: Advice of Joseph F. Smith to His Missionary Sons, comp.
Hyrum M. Smith III and Scott G. Kenney [1981], 71).
The
prophet Nephi taught that because of the righteousness of the Saints, Satan
will have no power (see 1 Nephi 22:26).
President
George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency explained:
“We
talk about Satan being bound. Satan will be bound by the power of God; but he
will be bound also by the determination of the people of God not to listen to
him, not to be governed by him” (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of
President George Q. Cannon, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols.
[1957–74], 1:86).
President
Spencer W. Kimball taught that we need not wait until the Millennium for
Satan to be bound:
“When
Satan is bound in a single home—when Satan is bound in a single life—the
Millennium has already begun in that home, in that life” (The Teachings of
Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 172).
Revelation
20:5–6. The First Resurrection
Elder
James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the
following of the First Resurrection:
“The
[First Resurrection] was inaugurated by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ; immediately following which many of the saints came forth
from their graves. A continuation of this, the resurrection of the just, has
been in operation since, and will be greatly extended, or brought to pass in a
general way, in connection with the coming of Christ in His glory” (The
Articles of Faith, 12th ed. [1924], 385).
Elder
Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained two
different ways to understand the term First Resurrection:
“To
those who lived before the resurrection of Christ, the day of his coming forth
from the dead was known as the first resurrection. Abinadi and Alma, for
instance, so considered it. (Mosiah 15:21–25; Alma 40.) To those who have lived since that day,
the first resurrection is yet future and will take place at the time of the
Second Coming. (D&C 88:96–102.)” (Mormon Doctrine,
2nd ed. [1966], 639).
Those
who will come forth in the First Resurrection include “all the prophets, and
all those that have believed in their words” (Mosiah 15:22), those who have died in ignorance
without having had “salvation declared unto them” (Mosiah 15:24; see also D&C 45:54), and little children who have died
before becoming accountable (see Mosiah 15:25; Moroni 8:4–24).
© 2016 by
Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Lesson 160: Revelation 21–22
Introduction
John
saw a new heaven and a new earth and the New Jerusalem come down from heaven.
He also saw that God will dwell with and comfort His people and that the
celestial city of God will be established on the earth. John saw that those
whose names are written in the book of life will enter the city and live with
God in glory. John concluded his vision with a plea for the Lord to return to
the earth.
I.
Revelation 21
John
sees a new heaven and a new earth and the celestial city of God
---Invite students to think of times in their lives when they
experienced great sorrow or pain.
- What are some things in life that can cause us great sorrow or pain? (Write students’ answers on the board.)
---Invite
students to look for a truth as they study Revelation 21 that can bring them comfort
during difficult times.
---Explain
to students that Revelation 21–22 is a continuation of John’s
vision of events that will occur after the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ.
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 21:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what John saw will happen.
- What did John see will happen?
---Invite
two students to read the following statements aloud:
Statement 1
When
Jesus Christ comes again and the Millennium begins, the earth will be changed
to the condition it was in prior to the Fall of Adam and Eve. Before the Fall,
the earth existed in a terrestrial, or paradisiacal, state (a state of
paradise). After the Millennium, the earth will change again to a celestial
state prepared for the presence of God. These changes may have been what John
saw taking place when he “saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:2).
Statement 2
The
New Jerusalem that John saw coming down from heaven is the celestial city of
God. This city will likely include the city of Enoch, which was translated and
taken up to heaven. This “holy city” will descend and join the New Jerusalem,
or Zion, that the Saints will have built on earth (see Moses 7:62–64).
- How do you think John may have felt as he saw these things while he was exiled for his belief in Jesus Christ?
---Ask
a student to read Revelation 21:3–4 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what God will do for His people.
- What will God do for His people? (Students may identify truths such as the following: God will dwell with and comfort His people, and they will no longer experience death, sorrow, or pain. Write this truth on the board.)
---Refer
to the list on the board of things that can bring us sorrow or pain.
- How can knowing that God will comfort His people and remove their sorrows and pains help us when we experience challenges now?
---You
may want to share your testimony of God’s ability to comfort us.
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 21:7 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what the Lord promises those who faithfully overcome.
- What does the Lord promise those who overcome?
- Based on what you have learned about challenges that exist and will exist prior to the Second Coming, what kinds of things will these people have overcome?
---Invite
the same student to read Revelation 21:8 aloud. You may want to explain
that a sorcerer is someone who participates in activities in order to invite
the influence of evil spirits and a whoremonger is a person who commits
fornication or adultery.
- What will those described in verse 8 experience? (The second death.)
---Explain
that the second death is a spiritual death, or separation from God, that those
who willfully rebel against light and truth will experience after the Final
Judgment (see Helaman 14:16–19).
---Summarize
Revelation 21:9–21 by explaining that John
described the celestial city of God. He saw that the city had a great wall that
had 12 gates guarded by 12 angels.
---Invite
several students to take turns reading aloud from Revelation 21:22–27. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what John learned about this celestial city.
- What did John learn about this city?
- According to verse 27, who will be permitted to enter? (Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.)
II.
Revelation 22
John
concludes his vision
---Invite
students as they study Revelation 22 to look for a truth that can
help them know how to have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life and
be permitted to enter this celestial city.
---Consider
showing a picture of a throne or drawing one on the board.
---Ask
a student to come to the board and draw what else John saw in addition to a
throne as another student reads Revelation 22:1–2 aloud.
- What else did John see in the celestial city of God?
---Invite
the student to return to his or her seat.
- According to verse 2, how did John describe the tree of life? (The tree produced an abundance of fruit at all times, and its leaves could heal the nations.)
---Remind
students that the Book of Mormon records that both Lehi and Nephi
saw a vision of the tree of life. Nephi learned that both the tree and the
fountain of living waters represent the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:25). Write The love of God next
to the tree and the river in the student’s drawing.
- What is the greatest manifestation of the love of God? (The Atonement of Jesus Christ [see John 3:16; 1 John 4:9]. The fruit of the tree might also represent the blessings of the Atonement.)
---Summarize
Revelation 22:3–10 by explaining that in addition
to seeing this celestial city, John also received a witness from the angel who
spoke to him that the things revealed to him were true.
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 22:11–13 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what the Lord will do when He comes again.
- What will the Lord do when He comes again?
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 22:14 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what we must do to be permitted to enter the celestial
kingdom.
- What must we do to enter the celestial kingdom?
---Explain
that to “have right to the tree of life” means to be worthy to receive all of
the blessings of the Atonement, including eternal life.
- What principle can we identify from verse 14? (Students may use different words but should identify a principle similar to the following: If we keep the Lord’s commandments, then we can receive all the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and enter the celestial kingdom. Explain that keeping His commandments includes receiving all the ordinances necessary for entering the celestial kingdom.)
---Explain
that although some blessings of the Atonement—such as the gift of resurrection—are given freely to all of God’s children, other
blessings—such as eternal life—are only available to those who diligently seek
to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and follow His commandments.
---Write
the following questions on the board:
What
commandments and teachings have you learned about in your study of the New
Testament and tried to apply in your life?
How
have your efforts to apply these commandments helped you receive the Lord’s
blessings and prepared you to return to the presence of your Father in Heaven?
---Invite
students to consider how they would answer these two questions by reviewing
what they have written in their scripture study journals, what they have noted
or marked in their scriptures, and the scripture mastery verses they have
studied this year. Ask them to write their answers to these two questions in
their class notebooks or scripture study journals.
---After
sufficient time, invite several students to share what they wrote with the
class. (Remind students not to share anything that is too private or personal.)
---Summarize
Revelation 22:15–19 by explaining that those who
do not keep the Lord’s commandments will not be able to enter the celestial
city. Jesus Christ testified that He gave this revelation to John, and John
invited all to come to the waters of life to drink freely. John warned his
readers not to alter the message of the book he had written.
---Invite
a student to read Revelation 22:20 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for John’s plea.
- What was John’s plea?
- Based on what you have learned in the book of Revelation, why do you think John was eager for the Lord to come?
---Conclude
by testifying of the truths students discovered in Revelation 21–22.
Commentary and Background Information
Revelation
20:4. “God shall wipe away all tears”
Elder
Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that in the
Lord’s own time, the sorrows of the faithful will be replaced with joy:
“The
Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from
those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may
not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today
will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude”
(“Come What May, and Love It,” Ensign or Liahona,
Nov. 2008, 28).
Revelation
22:18. “If any man shall add unto these things”
Some
people reject the Book of Mormon and other scriptures because they
believe that the Lord has finished revealing scripture to His children. Many
mistakenly use Revelation 22:18 to declare that the Lord will
never provide any additional scripture beyond the Bible
and that any person who claims to have received more scripture will suffer the
penalties warned of by John. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles addressed this misinterpretation:
“There
is now overwhelming consensus among virtually all biblical scholars that this
verse applies only to the book of Revelation, not the whole Bible. Those
scholars of our day acknowledge a number of New Testament ‘books’ that were
almost certainly written after John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos was
received. Included in this category are at least the books of Jude, the three
Epistles of John, and probably the entire Gospel of John itself. Perhaps there
are even more than these.
“But
there is a simpler answer as to why that passage in the final book of the
current New Testament cannot apply to the whole Bible. That is because the
whole Bible as we know it—one collection of texts bound in a single volume—did
not exist when that verse was written. For centuries after John produced his
writing, the individual books of the New Testament were in circulation singly
or perhaps in combinations with a few other texts but almost never as a
complete collection. Of the entire corpus of 5,366 known Greek New Testament
manuscripts, only 35 contain the whole New Testament as we now know it, and 34
of those were compiled after A.D. 1000” (“My Words … Never Cease,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2008, 91–92).
© 2016 by
Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Encourage
daily scripture study
Few
things you can do will have a more powerful and long-lasting influence for good
in students’ lives than helping them learn to love the scriptures and study
them daily. You can encourage daily scripture study by inviting students to
read their scriptures consistently even when seminary classes are not being
held. Invite students to set a goal to read
the Book of Mormon, which they will be studying next year in
seminary.
