October 27 | Discovery Questions

October 27: Discovery Questions (based on Revelation 13:1-18)  

1. The topics of religion and politics are often very polarizing. Without taking positions or being judgmental, discuss both the importance of these subjects and why they are so divisive. 

Ask two people to read aloud Revelation 13:1-18, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage. 

2. Our lesson writer, Mark Scott, identifies the beast from the sea (13:1-10) as an evil government and the beast from the earth (13:11-18) as an evil religion. When the dragon was unable to destroy the woman and her child (Revelation 12), why do you think his attack on God’s people changed to using an evil government and an evil religion? 

3. What do you think about as you read the stories of these two beasts? What can we learn from the following descriptions? 

• The first beast (evil government) is like a leopard, bear and lion (13:2), but the second beast (evil religion) is like a lamb. 

• The first beast had a “mortal wound” that was healed and “the whole earth marveled” (13:3), and the second beast “performs great signs … in front of people” (13:13). 

• The first beast made “war on the saints” and conquered them (13:7), and the second beast caused “those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain” (13:15). 

4. John seems to take a pause in his story for an important appeal to those who follow Christ. What’s the significance of John’s statement in verses 9-10? 

5. John points out that the second beast “deceives those who dwell on the earth” (13:14). As followers of Christ, what should we take away from that statement? 

6. The “mark of the beast” (13:16-18) has been used again and again by end-time schemers as a sign of the world’s impending demise. 

• In describing this “mark” or “number,” why do you think John wrote “This calls for wisdom” (12:18)? 

• The number 7 is generally a symbol of perfection in Revelation. What do you think John meant when he wrote, “the number of the beast . . . is the number of a man, and his number is 666? (12:18)”. 

• How do you think non-believers respond to Christians incorrectly identifying one person after another (e.g. Napoleon, Lenin, Hitler, etc.) as the beast and trying to connect them to the “mark of the beast”? 

7. Some well-intended believers want to compare the headlines in the daily news with the events described in the book of Revelation. What problems emerge from making these comparisons? Is there a better approach to the Christian life than repeatedly trying to identify the beast and the end-time events? Explain. 

8. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .” 

For Next Week: Read and reflect on Revelation 15:1-4; 16:1-12, 15-17. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.