Lesson 9: In the Psalms, Part 2
9.7 Questions
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Introduction
The questions in section 9.7 challenge us to actively carry forward the end-time message, to understand God’s sovereign guidance through church history, and to sense the prophetic dimension of current world events. This lesson encourages us not to despair but to bear bold witness by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: There are many unreached people, even though the three angels went out into all the world. Discuss how we as the church can better fulfill the task Christ has given us. How can we learn not to despair, even though it is true that very many people still have not heard the end-time truth?
Although the three angels (Rev. 14:6–12) went into all the world, many remain unaware of end-time truth. How can we as the church do better?
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Leverage global connectivity: Digital platforms, podcasts, and social media now reach remote regions. For example, online Bible schools allow people in Central Asia to join emerging congregations anonymously.
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Culturally relevant methods: Indigenous communities need translations into their mother tongues and contextualized storytelling. Mission work that uses local songs and narratives opens hearts.
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Sustainable relationships: Short-term teams spark interest, but ongoing partnerships (teaching teams, sponsorship programs) foster lasting growth.
To avoid despair:
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Focus on the harvest: Jesus spoke of a great harvest (John 4:35). Every small conversion is part of that harvest.
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Corporate prayer: In group prayer we experience God’s dynamic intervention.
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Promise of the Spirit: The Holy Spirit guides and empowers gifts (Acts 1:8), giving joy even amid hardship.
Question 2: In Revelation 5 John witnesses the sealed scroll being handed to the Lamb because He is worthy. When the seals are opened in Revelation 6, we see the history of the New Testament church foretold to the end of time. What can we learn from this description about how God will bring His work to completion?
In Rev. 5 John sees the Lamb alone worthy to break open the scroll. The six riders of Rev. 6 portray church history in phases:
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Conquest and peace (white horse): The early church spreads the gospel without violence.
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War and persecution (fiery red horse): Christians suffer under the Roman Empire.
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Hunger for Word and bread (black horse): Medieval famines, the Reformation, and church divisions.
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Death and Hades (pale horse): Plagues and oppression through the Enlightenment.
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Silent intercession for justice (souls under the altar, v. 8): The martyr’s seed and missionary expansion through the 19th century.
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Final crisis (thunder, earthquake): World wars, the Cold War, and today’s refugee and climate crises prepare the way for the Lamb’s return.
Lesson: God’s work moves through seasons of peace, conflict, trial, and renewal. He remains sovereign over time and history, and each era contributes to the church’s maturity.
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Spiritual Principles
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Mission is relationship: God’s call is lived out in personal connections.
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History is in God’s hands: Every chapter of church history belongs to His redemptive plan.
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Watchfulness and prayer: Revelation’s warnings urge spiritual alertness.
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Shaping the present: Our choices determine whether freedom or control prevails.
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Hopeful expectancy: In turmoil we fix our eyes on the Lamb, not the beast.
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Everyday Application
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Digital evangelism: Launch a podcast or blog on end-time themes in your mother tongue.
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Prayer networks: Form weekly prayer groups for unreached people groups.
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History workshop: Host a lecture series on church history through the seven seals.
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Civic engagement: Advocate for privacy rights and freedom in local forums.
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Ethical foresight: Before buying new tech, reflect on its potential for misuse.
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Conclusion
Revelation teaches that God acts sovereignly in every age, that mission is built on relationships, and that we must live alertly and prayerfully. What we do today influences whether Christ’s light outshines the flames of control.
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Thought of the Day
“Not the beast, but the Lamb writes our story—in faith, hope, and love.”
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Illustration – Light in the Desert
Phoenix, Arizona, 2025
Jason Nguyen, a former tech entrepreneur, sat in his air-conditioned office staring at his company’s latest AI-driven surveillance cameras. The world seemed on the brink of what he’d once heard in sermons about the beast’s mark. A conflict raged within him: Was he part of the problem?
One evening his sister Emily, a missionary among the Navajo, visited. She told of villages embracing the gospel in their own language. Jason felt a call: to use technology for God’s kingdom.
He began developing a decentralized Christian social app to protect privacy and foster real relationships—sharing daily prayer requests and forming virtual small groups.
As the project grew, Jason persuaded his board to reinvest some profits in Internet access for rural African communities. At the same time, Emily set up training centers where villagers learned to read in their mother tongue and access Scripture.
One day Jason received a message from a tribal elder: “You’ve given our people not just technology but hope.” Standing on the desert’s edge watching the sunset, Jason whispered the thought of the day:
“Not the beast, but the Lamb writes our story—in faith, hope, and love.”
He knew: in an age of control and surveillance, the church must bring freedom and truth to the remotest corners through creativity and prayer.
