The Home of God

Note to the Teacher

The book of Revelation’s genre is called apocalyptic literature, and “apocalypse” simply means “unveiling or revealing.” It does not mean an ending! There's a lot of imagery in Revelation: monsters, numbers, trumpets, angels, letters, and animals. It's kind of like a fever dream, written by John after he was exiled to a remote island as punishment for his faith in Jesus.

Revelation serves as a form of prophecy, but not in the sense that it predicts the future. A prophecy reveals God’s truth about a current situation. So, John was writing to first century Christians in coded language to encourage them to hold fast and remain faithful during times of persecution and hardship.

When you cut through all the imagery, in the end, love wins. That Jesus conquers. He conquered the cross once, and he conquers Death, always. In Revelation, we see this beautiful vision of God restoring, creation and humanity, and us living in right relationship with God and with each other.

The Ice Breaker invites youth to consider imagery in storytelling. The Discussion encourages youth to apply imagery in storytelling to the scripture, as they unveil the potential meanings behind coded text. The Activity allows youth to remember their loved ones who have passed while holding mystery of the end times in tension. Times are based on a 50-minute lesson period, but can be adjusted.

Ice Breaker: Emoji Charades (10 minutes)

You will need: Printouts of various emojis OR blank sheets of paper and markers; strips of paper; pens/pencils; hat, cup, or bowl

Preparation: Divide the students into two teams. Set out enough emojis so that each team has around 20. If you do not have printouts of emojis, allow the students to draw their favorite emojis and put them into a pile. Divide the emojis evenly amongst the teams. Have the students write down their favorite stories on different strips of paper. Stories can be books, movies, fairy tales, from the Bible, whatever. Put the strips of paper in the hat, cup, or bowl.

How to play: Just like charades, except instead of acting out the story, the teammate puts emojis together to either tell the story or title!

Read Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17 (5 minutes)

Just like the activity may have gotten a little wonky, confusing, or silly, our scripture for the day may seem that way!

The author John is describing a vision: there are countless people from all over the world with different looks, languages, cultures, and customs. And they’re all worshiping God! These are the ones who have endured and have gone home to God.

When people talk about the Book of Revelation, sometimes they get caught up in the details. Some believe that we should be reading it literally and that everything will happen the way it’s written, but we can interpret John’s vision, sort of like how we interpret our dreams. We can cut through the details to “get to the bottom of it.”

The bottom line? We may not know exactly what happens “in the end,” but we can be encouraged that God is with us and every people group on Earth, and “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Discussion (15 minutes)

• What’s going on here? What makes you say that?
• What emojis would you use to tell this story?
• What’s the wildest dream you’ve ever had? What do you think it meant?
  • Maybe we can take a look at this text the same way we look at dreams – there’s some wild images, but the meaning is behind the images.
• If we look at it that way, what do you think the meaning of this text is?
  • Spend some time discussing the context provided in the notes.
• Given all that context and the meaning of the text, what emojis would you use now to tell this story?
• What do those emojis say about the home that God makes, or a home where God is obviously present?
• What do you think it means to "endure" as described in the passage? How have you experienced endurance in your life or faith?
• Have you ever experienced a moment where you felt connected to people from different backgrounds through faith?
• What does it mean to you that "God will wipe away every tear"? How do you interpret this promise in the context of today's world?
• If this vision were a dream you had, how would you feel waking up from it? Would it feel comforting, confusing, or something else?
• What might this vision teach us about how we see and treat people from other cultures or backgrounds?
• What are some current events or situations where you think this message of unity and hope could be meaningful?
• If you were to imagine a scene of people from all over the world worshiping together, what sounds, colors, or symbols would come to mind?
• In your life, where do you see glimpses of this kind of vision—people of different backgrounds coming together in peace and purpose?
• How does your family embody the idea of different backgrounds, ideas, cultures, or beliefs? How do those differences show up in your relationships or when you remember family members who have passed on?

Activity and Discussion: Remembering the Saints (20 minutes)

You will need: Table, candles, matches or lighter, various tablecloths or fabrics, random empty picture frames, special trinkets or ways to decorate the table. Invite students to bring printed photos of loved ones who have passed. It may also be beneficial to have photo paper available to allow students to print photos onsite. Students may also choose to create a slideshow of their loved ones instead of physical photos.

Activity: Spend time decorating the table to create a special space to honor their loved ones. You may like to play some soothing music while they do that. Here’s a playlist to help you get started.

After the table is finished, light the candles, invite everyone to take three deep breaths.

Today we are celebrating the saints in our lives. It is a celebration because we know that God is with us, and those who have passed are with God now. We may not know every detail of what happens in the end, but we trust that in the end, love wins.

• What is your favorite memory of the loved one you’re honoring today?
• How can we best honor their lives with our actions?

Join hands or hold a photo of your loved one as you read the following blessing (For Those Who Walked With Us by Jan Richardson):

For those
who walked with us,
this is a prayer.
For those
who have gone ahead,
this is a blessing.
For those
who touched and tended us,
who lingered with us
while they lived,
this is a thanksgiving.
For those
who journey still with us
in the shadows of awareness,
in the crevices of memory,
in the landscape of our dreams,
this is a benediction.

Close in the manner that is typical for you. Consider taking joys/concerns from the students, then asking for a volunteer to close in prayer.