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=FAVORITE BIBLE CHAPTERS= Revelation 21
Objects to have: Chalk and chalkboard
Introducing the lesson:
(Hold up your Bible.) See this. How many books do I have in my hands? Yes, you see one book. This book is called the Bible. (Open your Bible and fan the pages.) As I look at my Bible, however, I see that I have more than one book in my hands. There are many parts to the Bible that are called books. There are sixty-six books in the whole Bible!
Now I am going to look at one of those books. (Turn to the book of Revelation.) I see here the book that is named Revelation. As I look at the beginning of the book of Revelation, I see chapter 1. Then as I look on a little further, I see chapter 2. I look all the way through the book of Revelation in the Bible, and I see more chapters— all the way to chapter 22.
Now, I'm going to turn back to chapter 1 in the book of Revelation in the Bible. I am looking at chapter 1, and I see that it is divided. Chapter 1 has some numbers—numbers 1 through 20. Those numbers stand for verses: verse 1 through 20.
(Walk to the chalkboard: Write the word REVELATION at the top of the board.) This says Revelation. That's the name of the last book in the Bible. There are sixty-six books in the whole Bible. The last book at the back of the Bible is named Revelation.
(Write chapter 1 at the left of the board under the title Revelation.) The book Revelation is divided into something. It is divided into chapters. There are twenty-two chapters in the book of Revelation.
(Write under chapter 1 a "1," and draw some lines after that number to represent the words that are in that verse. Under the 1 write a "2," and draw some lines after that number to represent the words that are in verse 2.) In each chapter there are some verses. In chapter 1 there are twenty verses.
(Turn away from the chalkboard. Hold up your Bible.) Today we're going to talk about one chapter in the book of Revelation in the Bible. We are going to talk about chapter 21 in the book of Revelation. Chapter 21 is a favorite chapter for somebody. Revelation chapter 21 was a favorite chapter of Brother Hyles. Let's find out what Revelation chapter 21 tells us about! (Put down your Bible.)
Telling the story:
John was a preacher. He was sitting all alone! There was not another person with him. There was not another person anywhere near him. John was alone on an island.
An island—that's some land that has water all around it. The wicked king had made some soldiers take John there as a prisoner. The wicked king did not like it that John was preaching what the Bible says.
God knew that John was there. God planned something very special for John. God the Holy Spirit said, "Look, John!" John looked. He saw something wonderful and something beautiful! God the Holy Spirit let John see this something wonderful and beautiful. John saw a new Heaven and a new earth! Now, why will there need to be a new earth, and why will there need to be a new Heaven?
See this picture? (Hold up your picture that represents war.) This is a picture of war. There is fighting going on here. Long, long ago before there were any people living on the earth, there was a war in Heaven. War in Heaven? Yes, the angels were having a war. One of the leading angels decided that he wanted to be like God; he wanted to rule over things just like God does. Well, no one can be God except God! This head angel started war. A few of the angels fought on the side of this head angel, but of the angels with their two leader angels fought against this bad angel and his army. The bad head angel was named Lucifer. Lucifer lost the war, and God threw Lucifer and his angels out of Heaven. Then Lucifer's name became Satan; Satan is the Devil.
After a war has been fought, the trees are bare, the ground is torn up and buildings are full of holes and sometimes broken and burned down. So, the part of Heaven where the war was held was all messed up! God has to make a new Heaven because the old Heaven got all messed up. So, God has been and is still making a new Heaven!
Well, when Lucifer and his angels were thrown to earth, that meant that bad was coming to the beautiful earth that God had made. Lucifer—Satan—started looking around to see what bad things he could do to the beautiful earth that God had made. He also thought about what bad things he could do to the sweet and loving people that God had made. Satan told Adam and Eve not to believe God's Word. So, Adam and Eve believed Satan, and then thorns started to grow on the rose bushes; lions and tigers and poisonous snakes and other wild animals started to be mean to people; there was sin everywhere on earth from then on. God said, "I will have to make a new earth." God is going to do that.
God showed John what the special new earth and the new Heaven will be like someday. Before there can be a new earth and a new Heaven for God's people to enjoy, something has to be done with Satan and all the angels that fought with him. God is going to get rid of Satan so that he can't bother anybody anymore. God is going to throw Satan into the bad place called Hell, and all the bad angels are going there, too. Then everybody who loves Jesus can enjoy the new Heaven and the new earth.
(Hold up the something that is made of gold.) The new Heaven will be shiny and beautiful! Can you think of what our street looks like out in front of our church building? That street is not paved with something pretty! The street is an ugly color, and it gets dirty. See this? This is made of gold. Gold is pretty and shiny and clean. All the streets in Heaven are going to be made of gold!
(Hold up the "jewels" and "pearls.") Around the new Heaven there will be a very, very, very high wall. In that wall will be some gates. Each gate is going to be made of a very huge pearl! The pearls in those twelve gates will be not just plain white as this one is, but they will have many colors in them besides the white. The pearls in the gates of the wall around Heaven will be shiny and full of colors! Under the wall around the city will be a foundation, and the foundation will be beautiful, too! Under houses and big buildings there are foundations, and these foundations are made of cement and concrete blocks. Foundations under buildings are not pretty, but the foundations under the walls that will be around the new Heaven will be beautiful! There will be jewels set all over the foundations of the new Heaven! I can't wait to see the new Heaven!
(Hold up your handkerchief.) We need handkerchiefs for a couple of reasons. We need them to dry tears when we are sad, and to blow our noses when we have colds. (Throw the handkerchief to the floor.) We won't need this in the new Heaven! God will wipe away all tears; there will be no sadness and there will be no sickness in Heaven.
(Hold up your medicine bottle.) What was in this bottle, do you think? Yes, medicine. We won't need this in Heaven. There will be no sickness there!
The new earth will have no thorns on bushes. Animals will never bite or kill. Snakes will be pretty things to play with. The ground on earth will not be dirty.
Revelation 21:2 tells us (pick up your Bible which is open to that place): "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven...." God the Holy Spirit told John to write these words. Let's learn them. Revelation chapter twenty-one is such a wonderful chapter in the Bible. Revelation chapter twenty-one was a favorite chapter of Brother Hyles. Brother Hyles surely did love the Bible! I hope that you will always love the Bible, too. Brother Hyles surely does love Jesus. I hope that you love Jesus, too, and will always want to please Him.
Learn our Bible verse: Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven...." |