In the book of Revelation, who are the 24 elders?

Interpreters identify the elders as either angelic or human. The former view sees them as a special class of 24 angelic administrators closely linked to the four living creatures and forming part of heaven's executive council. Others have considered them as symbolic of redeemed humanity, since they sing, "Thou hast redeemed us..." (5:9). Because of textual uncertainty, the Pronoun "us" should probably (RV and JND) be omitted in verse 9. We should certainly read, "made them kings and priests" and "they shall reign" (verse 20). Therefore the elders are not singing of their own redemption, but concerning that of others. There are, however, some offsetting features. In number, they are 24 (a priestly number, 1 Chronicles 24);" TARGET="_blank">1 Chronicles 24); in dress, they are in white; in position, they are seated on thrones; in dignity, they are crowned. Significantly, all of these have already been said (chapters 1- 3) of the saints in this present era. We are priests (1:5); as overcomers we are promised white robes (3:5), crowns (3:11), and seats on thrones (3:21). Does not the similarity of these markers indicate that chapters 1-3 portray the saints in testimony upon earth, while chapters 4-5 show the same group in triumph under the figure of elders?

D. Gilliland

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Sunday School Worksheets

Printable Sunday School Worksheets are available for download.
Sunday School Activities is another download section that includes 3D models, games and Power Points.
Weekly email of a Sunday School activity featuring printable booklets and creative ways to tell a Bible story.

1. Lessons outlines and Activities.

Lesson plans A kick-start to help you prepare for next class. Each lesson plan contains an outline of a Bible story and suggestions for how to apply the story to the truth of salvation, to a lesson about what God is like or to how to live life.

Printable activities - Crafts, foldable paper models, worksheets, PowerPoint and other items to make your lesson more interesting and active. Activities are numbered as follows (1-100 general lessons, 101 and higher are for stories from the Bible).

2. Sunday School Worksheets.

You can turn a Bible vese or chapter into a Sunday School class activity in a 3 mouse clicks or use one of the 325 worksheets already made.

You need have the Acrobat PDF reader, also called Acrobat Reader and a printer.

The Sunday School Worksheets are a source of ideas for lessons and simple crafts designed for appropriate age-group levels: primary aged sunday school students can easily do the Sunday School Story Coloring Worksheets or the fill-in-the-blank worksheets. Middle school and high school students can do the worksheet activities that have open-ended responses. Wordfind (or wordfinder puzzles) and crossword puzzles can be done by both primary and secondary age students. You don't need to have a crossword puzzle maker or a wordfind maker since each Bible story already is completed for you.

The Sunday School Worksheets are provided originally for free download and distribution by Calvary Chapel. They are a free Sunday School Teacher craft idea resource that cannot be sold according to the original copyright agreement.

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How can I help my child choose a career?

How can parents advise children regarding their choice of a career?

Parents are responsible to provide guidance for their children (Proverbs 22:6)," TARGET="_blank">Proverbs 22:6), while allowing for the child’s individuality and responsibility in making choices. Since a child is a stewardship entrusted by the Lord (Psalm 127:3)," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 127:3), a parent seeks the Lord’s, rather than his own, will for that child’s life. A child’s suitable development outweighs a parent’s wish to continue the family business. Positive incentives may help, but self-serving demands or pressure to fulfill a parent’s frustrated dreams don’t.

Modeling and discussing (Deuteronomy 6:7)" TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 6:7) the value of responsibility, serving others, and honesty are part of "child training." Countering society’s idolizing of money, self-serving superstars and glamor queens, and amoral heros is important and most effectively achieved by directing attention to historical, global, and local individuals who model Christian ethics.

Parenting is a growing relationship of communication, mutual respect, and love. Such a relationship will guide a child proactively, rather than reactively. In a child’s early years, his unique and useful capabilities should be recognized and encouraged. Without pressuring a child to make decisions beyond his maturity or unnecessary for his age, parents can encourage discussions of these matters. Parents don’t need to squelch a child’s imagination, creativity, personality, or capabilities while helping him to be realistic in his goals.

D. Oliver
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Can Satan read the minds of people?

Be the first to give an answer to this question. Write an answer in the comment section below. Please provide your name and if you have a website or blog, be sure to include the URL in your answer. You may optionally include an email address. Answers will be reviewed.
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How can we lose the enjoyment of fellowship with God and how can it be restored?

How can we lose the enjoyment of fellowship with God and how can it be restored?

Sin robs a believer of the enjoyment of salvation. Even sins such as dishonesty, harmful anger, momentary lust, or other unbecoming thoughts can bring a cloud over a believers soul. This is not a matter of mood swings or irrational emotions.

Just as the enjoyment of fellowship with God may be lost in a moment, it can be restored as quickly, because confession of sin is not an act of penance. Immediate recognition of sins effects and immediate response in confession ought to be characteristic of a believer. By confessing

this sin to the Lord (1 John 1:9)," TARGET="_blank">1 John 1:9), the believer returns to enjoying the Savior and to fruitfulness.

D. Oliver
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How can I know what work to do for God?

How can I know what work to do for God?

What a valuable expression of devotion to the Lord!

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much" (Luke 16:10)" TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:10) teaches us God’s way of entrusting lesser responsibilities initially. In fact, lifelong willingness to do "that which is least" is becoming for bondservants (see Philippians 2:5)." TARGET="_blank">Philippians 2:5). Mark 12:34," TARGET="_blank">Mark 12:34, "The Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who . . . gave . . . to every man his work," highlights the Lord’s manner: He desires to employ every hand and entrusts to each of us our personal responsibility. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10)" TARGET="_blank">Ecclesiastes 9:10) advocates putting all our strength into what we do; that is especially appropriate for spiritual work.

Three factors may guide us in fulfilling our responsibility. First, our work will present itself to us. As part of living daily by the power of the Spirit, we should expect perceived need to encounter spiritual opportunity (Genesis 24:27)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 24:27). Second, our work will not be disruptive. The Scriptures use a body to illustrate assembly functioning (Romans 12:5;" TARGET="_blank">Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 12:27). If we assume we are a "thumb" and our functioning displaces another believer, we are either on the wrong hand (going about our work in the wrong way) or misdirected (doing the wrong work). Third, our work will have encouragement. Seeking others’ approval ought to be disappointing, yet the absence of encouragement should produce humble waiting on God. Work done for the Lord will eventually have His encouragement, perhaps in small, very personal ways, and the encouragement of respected believers. Only intimacy with God, however, can impart the essential awareness in the soul that a particular work, especially public service, is God-given.

D. Oliver
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Should we pray to the Son or only to the Father?

Is it scriptural to teach that when we come together to remember the Lord, our worship should be directed to the Father only, and that even hymns addressed to the Lord Jesus should not be sung?

Our Lord when censuring certain leaders in Matthew 15:9," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 15:9, applied to them the words of God through Isaiah, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” And there are many rules being laid down in connection with worship to-day, regarding which the last clause of this quotation might fittingly be used; since they are nothing else than “the commandments of men.”

Of such the teaching referred to in the question is a typical example; for there is no command whatever in the Word of God to the effect that the Son should be excluded from worship. On the other hand, there is the statement that “All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father”; and also many examples of worship directed to Christ, such as Hebrews 1:6;" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 1:6; Matthew 2:11;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 2:11; Matthew 28:9,17;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:9,17; Luke 24:52," TARGET="_blank">Luke 24:52, etc.

If it be objected that none of these examples has reference to a breaking of bread meeting, we ask the objector to point out where in the Scriptures is the word “worship” at all used in connection with such a meeting? It will then be possible to consider what special limitation, if any, is placed on our worship in that connection.

W.R.

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Does a husband guide or lead his wife apart from a right example?

Does a husband guide or lead his wife apart from a right example?

Whether a husband or wife, a parent, a Sunday School teacher, a preacher or elder, or a brother or sister in Christ, none of us has the ability to bring greater spiritual help to others than what we practice ourselves (1Ti 4:12, 16)." TARGET="_blank">1Ti 4:12, 16). Can a husband who finds fault with the other believers in the assembly hope to help his wife feel comfortable in the company of those believers? Will an elder expect his wife to submit to the teaching of the elderhood (namely, the teaching of the Word of God) if she sees that his life is not spiritually consistent with the Word of God? Does a husband who will not submit to the Scriptures in one aspect of his life have any "weight" in helping his wife to obey the Lord? She could easily sense that his interest in her obedience is only for the sake of appearance, since reverence for the Lord hardly characterizes him.

Examples of humbly submitting to the Lord and delighting in His will and Word are the strongest influence for good in any believer’s life. Our steps provide much better guidance than our words, no matter how loud, strong, persuasive, or apparently sanctimonious they are (Mat 23:3, 13)." TARGET="_blank">Mat 23:3, 13).

D. Oliver
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Do Christians need to obey Old Testament laws?

Be the first to give an answer to this question. Write an answer in the comment section below. Please provide your name and if you have a website or blog, be sure to include the URL and email address in your answer.

Answers will be reviewed.

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Sell Your Christian or Bible Website WTB

WTB - Want to Buy - Christian Website or your website based on the Bible, Sunday school, prayer, Bible study or related topic.

If you have a website that has been useful for sharing the Bible with the Internet audience but now find it difficult to maintain, please contact us at using the Contact link on the left.

Information we would like to know about your site:

1) Costs. How much are you asking to sell your site for?

2) Value. A website is valuable not for it's design, but for it's traffic. We are interested in buying a site that has some value in its assets such: established time online (more than one year), has some traffic (100 or more visits per day), some quality inbound links from other internet sites (such as dmoz or yahoo directory), some subscribers in a mailing list, and some search keywords that are in the first 10 results of Google, Yahoo or Bing (MSN).

3) History. Tell us about your site. Why and when did you create it? What makes you decide to no longer operate it?

GospelHall.org is a Christian website whose mission is to share the message of the Bible as God's Word. Any websites that we aquire are operated on this understanding.

Shad Sluiter

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Sunday School Worksheets

Printable Sunday School Worksheets are available for download.

Sunday School Activities is another download section that includes 3D models, games and Power Points.

Weekly email of a Sunday School activity featuring printable booklets and creative ways to tell a Bible story.